Love, loathe, betrayal - a gang story

Chapter 32

Seb sits on the edge of the bathtub while I sit on the toilet seat, "so has Clay told you about his past before he joined the Soutas?" "Oh yeah he has" I reply thinking he's referring to his late mother and sister. "So he told you about Sydney and your still hanging with him?" Wait what who's Sydney and why is she so important "wait who's Sydney?" I ask my curiosity getting the better of me. "So he didn't tell you?" He says "no clearly not, who's Sydney?" I snap and I'm shocked at my sudden outburst of energy surrounding this Sydney. "She is Clays ex girlfriend, they dated for a while back before he joined the Soutas." He begins "oh urm why is this relevant?" I say with a hint of jealousy and I don't know why. "Because he did something to her, something bad" he says, I push my curiosity away and blurt our "okay, okay he obviously hasn't told me for a reason so you know, if he wants to tell me he will do it in his own time." I'm trying to convince myself more than Seb and I'm still confused about what he means by "I just wanna warn you..." "I really think you should know, you know for future reference as you two are getting urm... close" I can't help but feel a little embarrassed by his implication. I don't have feelings for Clayton, do I? "Why should you be telling me though, it can't be that bad can it?" I say naively. "He won a bet." "He won a bet?" I repeat confused "he urm has some friends, not a great group of people and he met this girl, Sydney, him and his friend both had the hots for her and decided there was only one way to settle it" Seb explains but I'm still not catching on properly "so they flipped a coin on who asked her out or something that's not big deal" I reply not wanting him to carry on listening but not making a conscious effort to stop. "That's not how it went Flo," "then how?" I've fought all I can I want to know what Sebastian has to say and besides it can't be that bad right?

"They made a bet to who could sleep with her first, whoever won the other person paid them money!" I'm stunned to silence at first and my mouth probably would have hit the floor if it wasn't because of my hands over my mouth. "That's not true, it can't be" I finally manage. "It is and clay won the bet, he slept with her and his mate paid him for it, Clayton wasn't quiet about it either he told everyone he could about him winning a poxy bet. He left her after that anyway" "Why are you telling me this?" I ask in the verge of tears, I understand why he never told me this as it's so cruel, that poor girl was conned out of quite possibly her virginity. This doesn't seem like Clay at all the sweet, kind, innocent even emotionally damaged young man, I can't bring myself to believe he could do something like this. Then it clicks. "How long ago did you say this was?" I ask suspiciously "before he joined the gang so a few years back." I arch my eyebrows "that means he would have been like 15 or 16?" I ask thinking that it was a bit young to think, let alone carry out something like this. Seb thinks for a second "he was a pretty messed up kid, what can I say." "But he seemed so nice he doesn't seem capable of something so torturous." I defend him "people arnt always what they seen," "you never answered my question from a minute ago" "what question?" "Why are you actually telling me this?" I repeat, I thought brothers were meant to look out for each other not snitch on something like this. "To warn you like I said, your a great girl and you deserve someone so much better, he's grown up but there is always remains of the person he once was." "Who said anything about us getting together?" Seb shifts on his temporary seat on the bath tub "I was just warning you and I think it's a good idea not to mention this to anyone he likes to keep his past under wraps, not many people know about it around here" he explains "your his brother why are you spreading his past?" As much as I'm disgusted by what I've heard I still feel the urge to defend him. "I am his brother and I love him but I don't want such a great person like you to get hurt by his idiotic ways and ideologies." Seb says with a small laugh at the end. "Okay, okay it's getting late I think I'm gonna go, urm thanks for telling me I guess" I say unsure of what I'm actually saying. "Just know I'm always there for you" we both stand up and I give him an awkward nod "thanks" I blush and go to walk out. I take another glance at clay still fast asleep on the sofa, I can't help but think about what he did to that poor girl. I head out and go straight back to my room. After feeding Stella I go straight to have a shower - whether it's extreme or not I feel a bit dirty after having that conversation. I dry my hair and go straight to sleep.

The next day I'm awoken by Will barging into my room, "Flo, we have news on mum!" I rub my eyes "what? Is she okay?"  I ask sitting up right "for now, Danny and Lucas we're out looking around and I found information on her location. This is why I didn't want you and Mum involved - as soon as she's back safe you and her are moving, far away from here, so you are safe from Walter and other rival gangs" Will explains "what? So we're just going to abandon our lives here and move?" I ask confused, he can't be serious "no, you and mum are I'm staying here, I have a job to do." "We're not leaving you!" I say with a hint of annoyance in my tone. "It's not up for discussion!" I'm about to reply when he cuts me off "we'll send some people out to get her if possible and then this will all be over." "But," I begin "enough, I'll let you know when mum gets home you just stay put" he says and with that he walks out.

I quickly get dressed and head out, I'm obviously happy mum is okay, well hopefully anyway but I don't want to be carted off and leave everyone I know in this small town.