𝙒𝘼𝙄𝙏𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝙍𝙊𝙊𝙈 ᵒˢᶜᵃʳ ᵈⁱᵃᶻ

002 | criminal

ᴠᴏʟᴜᴍᴇ : ▮▮▮▮▮▮▯▯▯

When the car entered the street she would soon call her home, Alessia started to realize why Antonio didn't like them being here. Some of the houses looked neglected and they got more than three suspicious looks from people behind the windows or on the sidewalk.
„They're just wondering why I'm driving Spooky's car", Antonio mumbled. Neither Alessia nor Julez knew who Spooky was. They just gave each other a concerned look before staring out the windows again. Antonio finally pulled over and parked the car in front of a house, that didn't look like the one Alessia expected.

„Your house is across the street. I'm just returning the car."
Alessia immediately opened the door, Julez did too and before they even realized, they stood in front of a concerningly big group of grumpy looking men. Most of them were wearing a strange combo of knee high socks and wife-beaters, neither of which spoke for their hospitality.
Alessia glanced towards the front porch, where a guy got up from the half wall, snipped his cigarette onto the lawn and made his way through the group. Antonio just stood still, waiting. Julez looked uneasy and seemed like her fight or flight was kicking in. The guy stopped in front of Antonio, not moving a muscle in his face.

„The car alright?", he asked. Antonio nodded. For a moment, everything was quiet and Alessia imagined someone playing an instrumental from a Western. Within a split second, though, the guy started grinning and put one arm around Antonio. Right that moment, everyone seemed to lose the tension and they started to mind their own business again.

„So this is your sister and the little friend?" Before Antonio could even start talking, Alessia interrupted him.

„I'm Alessia and that's Julez. Pleasure. And you are?" Antonio looked like he was about to throw something. For a second the guy looked confused, then he chuckled and Antonio seemed relieved.
„I already like 'em", he said, playfully hitting Antonio on the shoulder. Then he looked at Alessia again.

„I'm Spooky." Alessia raised her eyebrows.

„Really? I thought you were rather sweet." She didn't wait for a reaction, but noticed his grin not fading in the slightest. She turned to Antonio.

„The moving van with the rest of our stuff comes tomorrow. I want you to help us with the furniture. It's not much but Mom insisted on the van." Then she grabbed Julez arm and opened the trunk. They couldn't hear what that Spooky-guy and Antonio were talking about now, but Alessia imagined it was nothing good. At this point, she just wanted to enter the house and get ready for the night, hopefully never to meet with them again.

As they crossed the street with their stuff, Julez turned to Alessia.
„These dudes are fucking scary..."

Alessia nodded. „I know. We'll not get involved with any of this gang-shit, graduate and then get the hell out of here. And while we're at it, we might have a little fun, too. Don't act like a house full of tattooed dudes isn't one of your fantasies", Alessia laughed and Julez lazily punched her in the arm. Before opening the door, both of them took a deep breath.

„Here goes nothing..."

Luckily, the house's exterior was exactly what they expected, even though all the colors seemed a bit less bright than in the pictures. Alessia opened the front door and they both walked in. The interior was as small as they thought, but perfectly right for two students.
„So... this is our living room, I guess", Alessia mumbled, smiling a little. Julez took three steps to the left.

„And this is our kitchen and eating area." She seemed a little weirded-out by how small it all was. Alessia found it kind of comforting. She was also very proud to be able to call this hers. It didn't matter how small it was. It was the first thing in her life that was truly her own.
„We got three more rooms and one of them is a bathroom.", Alessia mumbled, looking at the screen-shotted floor plan on her phone. Julez nodded, started running and screamed: „I get the bigger one!"

Alessia laughed and sprinted behind her. The room she ended up getting was the smaller one (Julez wouldn't take any chances), but definitely the more interesting one. Her bay window faced the street and, more specifically, Spooky's house. She saw them sitting and looking at... nothing and wondered, if that's what they were doing all day. This very moment she also made a mental note to buy curtains.

While she was still investigating the room, she heard knocking on the door. It was still open, showing Julez leaning against the frame.

„Do you like it? I still can't believe we're here", Julez said in awe. Alessia sat down on the window sill and sighed.

„Me neither. I'm kinda disappointed by Antonio's reaction, but I also can't blame him. I probably wouldn't be so hyped either. But... you know."

"It's complicated", Julez said before Alessia could and sat down next to her. „I get it. But I think his anger will fade. He has never been able to be mad at you for more than an hour. Remember when we were little and stole his favorite snacks from the fridge? He would scream at us and then buy three new ones. One for him and two for us, as an apology." Alessia laughed as she remembered. Simpler times. She heard another knock, this time coming from the front door. The two girls looked at each other and then got up.

They walked to the door and saw Antonio behind the rigged glass. Julez practically jumped to opening it.

„You got everything you need?", he asked, looking at Alessia. She gulped.
„Mh, think so." She just wanted some space from him, at least for now. It was weird, since everything she'd wanted for the past six years was to be close to him again. But now that didn't feel like she'd hoped. „Crap, no. We have nothing for tonight. I mean, no mattress or sleeping pad."
„Right, I forgot about that", Julez answered.

„Don't worry, I will get two for you. Alessia, we'll talk tomorrow, alright?", Antonio asked calmly.
„Sure", she responded with a small smile.

He turned around and made his way to the other side of the street. Alessia and Julez watched him talking to a couple of the guys and then entering the house. It only took a minute until he came back out, a mattress under his arm. To Alessia's shock, he was followed by two more guys, one being the guy who introduced himself as Spooky and the other one not looking like he was old enough to hang with these guys. Sixteen, at most.

„Alessia, if you want us to survive, and by we, I'm mostly referring to me, you need to drop the attitude ASAP. At least until we're able to actually live without any help", Julez hissed in a serious tone, when she saw Alessia's judging face.

„I know, don't worry about it", she hissed back. Julez nudged her gently when her expression didn't change and Alessia finally budged.

„I'm serious."

„Me too. Come on, if these dudes can't take a little honesty, than they shouldn't be in a gang. Easy as that." Julez rolled her eyes and put er smile back on, as the guys reached their house.
„Thank you so much", she exclaimed loudly, before Alessia could say anything. Wordlessly, they took over the two mattresses and the blankets the younger guy was carrying.
„Welcome to Freeridge, chicas", Spooky grinned and nodded his head. Alessia smiled sarcastically.
„Thanks, mozo."