Love, loathe, betrayal - a gang story

Chapter 2

The next morning my alarm goes off at 7:30am for school and I get dressed and head downstairs, I'm met with Will sleepily walking out his room "hey," I say and he faces me and smiles "hey Flo" I love it when he calls me Flo it takes me back to when we were children. "I didn't see you last night were you out late?" I ask pretending I didn't hear his loud conversation with my mum last night. I don't want to cause an argument or upset him because I know he will get defensive over my statement but I have to ask even though I know the answer. "Yeah I was," he said simply "where did you go?" I push then later realise I pushed to much when he shouts, "why is it everyone is so interested in my business? Does it matter where I was!" I stay silent for a minute before replying "your my brother, I care about you and I never see you anymore!" He takes a step closer to me and makes me feel so small "then stop caring" his words stab me in the heart, "it only gets people hurt." He snaps grabbing a slice of toast from my mums plate at the bottom of the stairs and heading out the front door. "Will we see you for tea later?" My mum calls out but the only reply was the slam of the door.

At school I meet Layla and we walk to lesson together, her bouncy blonde curls hanging low on her shoulders and emerald green eyes glistening in the light. In contrast to my dead straight chocolate brown hair just past my shoulders and murky green eyes sad and lonely in their sockets! "Are you going out with the girls tomorrow night?" Layla asks wistfully, in my head I think and with everything going on with Will I totally forgot about our plans "urm I'm not sure are you?" I reply, "I think so, I'll go if you go?" She says hopefully, I smile weakly "okay fine, we'll go," She returns my smile and we finish our boring geography class.

As much as I didn't want to go, Friday rolls around and to my surprise Will is blessing us with his presence. I come downstairs in a sparkling top with skinny jeans and my white converse, my hair Dutch braided down my back, Will smiles "you look good Flo," "thank you, it's a shame I'm going out tonight are you sure you don't want me to cancel so we can hang out?" I suggest and he shakes his head "no, no you go have fun, their will be another time." I like with version of my brother the playful and happy version not the shouty, often drunk and loud version. "Will their though?" "Yeah, see ya later potata!" He reply's in a thick fake Texas accent ignoring my comment. "Will do, silly shoe!" We both giggle as I head to the door. We both made up random phrases when we were younger to make our goodbyes more happy as he would go away on trips a lot. I'm really surprised he remembered and cared enough to say one. Will turns around and walks through the hall, his lean body projecting tall shadows on the walls from the artificial lights of the hall as it's almost pitch black outside. Me and him are complete opposite in appearance, Will has bright blonde hair, blue eyes and light freckles he took more after our dad whereas I look more like my mum. We always used to make jokes about how one of us was adopted. I walk up my path and meet Layla and walk not far up the road "have you got it?" She asks nervously "of course" I reply with a hint of mischief as I reach inside my bag and revealing a bottle of vodka. I give a devilish grin "lets get started then!" Layla says rubbing her hands together in anticipation.

We get to the play park a few blocks away from my house and we meet our girlfriends; Maria, Tiara, Jade, and Holly-Anne. "Did you bring it?" The twins Maria and Tiara say in unison, their eyes, as brown as conkers, looking hopeful, I nod as me and Layla sit on the swings next to them, I pull out the vodka and put it in front of me "did you bring the Coke?" I asked keeping hold of the vodka until they answer, Jade reaches into her backpack not taking her eyes off me. "I did!" She says pulling out a bottle of Pepsi, we mix the vodka and Pepsi and have a few drinks each, I keep it slow as I know I have my therapy session tomorrow. (I have it twice this week as she thinks it's necessary) "how about a game of truth or dare?" Holly-Anne asks and the others look hopeful I roll my eyes "really? A silly game?" I ask and Jade frowns "it's not 'just a game' lighten up" I roll my eyes "fine," Tiara claps her hands together "I'll go first." After a few back and forth my avoiding everything I can Holly- Anne speaks up "what's up slow poke?" She downs a bit of her drink "oh I have places to be tomorrow" I say innocently. I have never been massively close to these girls I only used to hang out with them as I had no one else but they got into some bad habbits and truth be told I followed them I was brought home by the police once for being drunk and disorderly with these girls after going to far just after my dad died. "Like where?" Tiara questions, all eyes are on me and I go silent for a second , they know my dad was killed- everybody does, it was talk of the town for months even on the news but only Layla knows I go to therapy. "I'm going out with my brother" I lie "oh that Will bloke, he's so fit!" Maria states almost drooling. "Urm thanks... I think" "yeah I'd let him do me any day" Jade chimes laying back looking into the now start filled sky probably imagining some crude images of my brother. "You do realise he's 19, your barely 17 Jade!" I state "so? I like older guys" she giggles and I roll my eyes. He doesn't have time for me let alone one of my friends, "yeah next time he is home from uni working really hard let me know and I'll come round yeah?" Tiara adds an I scrunch my nose up at them "Will has a girlfriend doesn't he Florence?" Layla chimes helping me out "yeah actually I think he does!" I lie again, I hear a noise in the bush behind me and I turn around quickly "it will just be an animal Florence chill" Maria says in a mean tone and I say nothing. "Should we go check it out?" Tiara asks nervously "no, just an animal now finish your drink!" Maria says hitting her sister lightly.