pull me back | a drag me down spin off

【twelve】

"So, there's four of them?" Cameron's stunned expression humors me as I nod my head.

"Apparently, yes. The masked phantoms were a gang of four men, not three." Approaching a red light, I ease my foot onto the break and look back at him.

"How did I not know this crucial information?" He shakes his head in disappointment of himself.

"I know, you're the one who's been an enthusiast of the masked phantoms for years. You're obsessed with researching them." I laugh, shifting my eyes back to the road ahead of me. When the traffic light turns green, I accelerate on the gas pedal and cruise down the freeway.

"I feel like that's not right. How do you know this mysterious man at Patrick's Roadhouse wasn't just fucking with you?"

"Why would a stranger do that? This guy looked around my parents age, meaning he lived through the robberies." I pull my bottom lip between my teeth.

"And they were surfers?" He questions.

"According to him they were. The police knew that, too." I confirm.

"Okay, so we have a lot of facts so far. The masked phantoms only robbed banks in the summers, which connects them to being surfers. They were in and out in ninety seconds, wore all black, and vanished after 1991. August was their last dated robbery. And now there's apparently four members?"

"I find it weird that nobody knows their names. That's the best piece of evidence we could find." I let out a sigh.

"I had a feeling they weren't dead, either. Everyone jumped to that conclusion, but it never seemed realistic to me. I mean, what are the odds that three of them, now four of them, are all dead?" Cameron leans back in the passenger seat of my car.

"But these recent robberies could be different. If the original gang was four men, then there's only three now. Unless it's a new version of the gang?" I question, growing confused.

"It's possible that the original gang is robbing these banks without their missing fourth member. Or, it's a new generation of robbers."

"But where did this apparent fourth member go?" I loudly groan.

"Maybe he was older and died." Cameron shrugs.

"I feel like that's a reach. The masked phantoms have to be at least fifty, right? Or older? They had to be in their thirties when they robbed these banks."

"Or late twenties, they're probably our parents age now." He shakes his head.

"I bet my mom knew who they were." I whisper under my breath.

"What lie did you tell your parents tonight? I know damn well you didn't tell them we were going to a party."

"I said that you and I were going to the movies." I shrug, glancing back at him with a grin.

"They're going to think we're dating." He nervously gulps, looking down at his hands.

"Well, that thought wouldn't be horrible." I clear my throat.

"It wouldn't?" He lowly says, his voice barely audible.

"Yeah, my mom and dad love you and so do I. You're the best guy that I know." I sincerely tell him. A warm and genuine smile forms on my face.

"Thanks, Gray." He lets out a laugh, and his smile lights up the entire Sunset Strip.

I rub my lips together and continue to let the GPS navigate us to Riker's beach house that is located in West Hollywood. Apparently him, Jesse and Theo all live together. I can only imagine how wild this party will be.