Juvenile Delinquents

Five months later

Five months had past since my last encounter with Tyson. I focused on my education and got accepted to the University of Florida in Film and Writing. I had figured myself out. Focusing on the writing aspect of my life and took Tyson's words to heart. I had submitted my first chapter to the University and they accepted me almost immediately. They enrolled me in early admission. It was perfect. School had just finished, as it was the last week of June. Exams were done and most people from the Foster Home moved out. Planning on going to their dorms to settle in or began an early vacation.

     Greta moved to Germany a week ago. Focusing her studies in her home country and staying with a relative. Neil wanted to join but Greta had already left without saying goodbye. She couldn't break the news to him. Made Willow and I tell him the day she left. He wanted to go to the airport to find her, but we told him it was too late. Neil refused to accept that and began planning on a way to find her in Germany. To show her just how much he loves her. Absolutely romantic.

     Rebecca had planned on leaving a well. She got accepted to UCLA—University of California, and planned on spending her entire summer at her beach house there. Damiano and the boys asked to join her. She accepted within seconds. She wouldn't be alone and it put me to ease. They would be able to protect her incase something were to happen but I knew she was able to handle herself. I had seen it first hand.

     I was happy that I wasn't the only one who would be staying home either. Willow and Matthew wanted to stay back in our city. Wanting to focus on their lives there. They had planed to fall in love and grow old together. I was not one to burst their bubble but it was hard telling them that I would be leaving in a few days. We had just finished packing Greta and sending her off to Germany. Willow had to say goodbye to me as well.

     Mrs. Reda thought it was a perfect opportunity for us. As a majority of the Foster children were my age, many of them moved out. Leaving Mrs. Reda to a half empty home. She had decided to sell her mansion and bought an apartment complex. One that would hold a doorman and allow all the remaining children who stayed behind, or who had the remaining high school years left, to stay there with her. She held the penthouse and whoever wanted to visit her were more than welcome. We were all disappointed that she would be selling the mansion as most of our memories were held there.

     I woke up to yelling. It came from downstairs. Sighing, I pushed my body out of bed and began getting ready. With Mrs. Reda selling the mansion, I wasn't at all surprised as to who bought it. The person wanted me out of the house by midnight. I was the last one in the home as Mrs. Reda trust me with the keys. And I was the last one to begin packing. Even Matthew and Willow got out before me. Surprisingly. I had planned on placing the last of my thing in my car before staying at my parents house for the night. I would be meeting Julian in Florida for University the next day as my flight would leave at nine in the morning.

     "Melody!" His terrible voice roared from downstairs. "You better get off my property or else I'm going to throw you out!"

     "No need to get your panties in a twist!" I shouted as I threw my hair into a ponytail. "I'm grabbing the last of my things! I'll be out of your hair in no time." Wiping the drool off my face, I realized that I had my clothes from the day before on. I had wanted to spend the day packing the rest of my belongings but I had fallen asleep the moment I decided to take a nap.

     Rushing down the spiral staircase, I settled the last box onto the coffee table of my suite. The box wasn't big, medium sized and held a few books and pictures. Sighing, I gazed around the room. My suite. My first home after I left Juvie. Everything felt different. I had cried, laughed and made incredible friends in that very room. I would never forget the amount of memories it held.

     "Melody!" Tyson shouted from the living room. Rolling my eyes, I made my way to the television set and opened the bottom drawer. Two switch blades laid peacefully. Gently picking the two up, I felt my smile grow. My finger ran over the engraved words. Valentino and Jackson would always be apart of me. A part of my past. One that was dark and terrible. But Rebecca and the boys would be my future. The reminder of everything I was doing was for me. I was trying to survive. I wanted to be free and away from the drama.

     Shoving the switch blades into the box, I walked towards the giant staircase. Tyson stood at the bottom. Face full of anger but his navy blue button up distracted me. The sleeves were rolled to his elbows. His tattooed arms lingers as they crossed over his chest. His biceps popped. He was always a breathtaking sight. I would never forget it. Tyson's eyes were always interesting to me. They were no longer bright but broken and his jaw was always clenched. His hair grew as well. Long locks of black slide just against the line of his ear.

     It was the first time I saw him in five months. He refused to step foot into my room and the twins told me he move into the gang house. Devoted his life to them. Tyson created a name for himself. The Cazadores Gang was well known but everyone mainly knew Tyson Garcia. Tyson turned eighteen and was no longer under the Foster Care system which gave him the opportunity to join them once more.

     I hadn't seen where I was walking. My eyes were trained on his lips. How soft and plump they were. I hadn't realized how much I missed kissing them. Feeling my hard stare, Tyson looked up. Eyes capturing mine for the first time in five months. I sucked in a breath. I missed the fifth step and tumbled down the stairs. After a short fall, I thought I would hit the floor but a pair of arms wrapped around me. Tyson managed to catch me. His tattooed arms engulfed me for the first time in a very long time. I had forgot how it felt to be held by him. I forgot the electricity that ran through my veins at his slightest touch. I was completely lost in Tyson Garcia.

     Clearing my throat, I gave him a simple nod before pulling away. My eyes shot down to the scattered books and pictures. "Shoot." I whispered as I kneeled down to pick them up. My fingers instantly found the two switch blades as I shoved them quickly into the box. "Don't worry Garcia. I'll be out of in a few seconds." I mumbled as I pulled at the books.

     Tyson's long fingers grabbed the photo album. I sucked in a breath. "You kept the pictures." He whispered in shock. I had created a photo album, a book figure of it at least. I knew how much he enjoyed it. How grateful Tyson would have been when I would have made it for our ten month anniversary. Which happened to be that day.

     "Oh, yeah." I sighed and shoved everything into the box. "I made it when we were dating." Standing, I held the box tightly in my arms. "It was for our ten month anniversary... which would have been today..." I trailed off. His head nodded as his eyes glazed over the endless photos. Tyson hadn't said a word as he glanced over each page, until he stopped at one. I knew which one it was.

     The water fight. One of our first days together. A week after our first date. The best day of my life. I felt free and safe with him. I felt calm. He turned the book around and pointed to the picture that Willow took. Tyson was about to fall into the pool as I had a water gun in my hands. His hands grabbed my arms and we were about to fall into the pool. A smile on both of our faces as we stared at each other with such love and care. I felt my chest squeeze as he stared down at me waiting for an answer. "Like I said, for what should have been our ten month anniversary."

     "That's it?" Tyson was in clear shock. Not understanding why I would have kept that book after everything that I said. "There's nothing else you want to say?" He clearly saw the sadness in my eyes, but I shook it off and just nodded my head at him.

     "That's all." I debated whether or not I should ask for the album back. Instead my heart spoke the truth and the words came out of my mouth before I was able to register it. "You can keep it if you want." I said nodding my head towards the album. "You know, your birthday was a month ago. Consider it a birthday gift."

     "No, it's okay." Tyson placed the album in the box. "I-I don't need it." He stuttered out.

     We stood in silence for a little while longer. Not sure on what to say to each other. Sighing, I nodded my head as a small smile formed on my lips. "Have a nice life Ty." With that, I made my way towards the front door.