The Degenerates - Under Edit

t w e n t y f o u r

It was Saturday, and I was sitting with Lila and Sasha around the tv we had recently bought to sit opposite our bed ends.

"How can you do that to your own brother?" Sasha asked, shaking her head.

The TV was showing the local news, which had a picture of James on the screen. Trey had been dropped from a suspect to a person of interest, and James had reportedly been brought in for questioning this morning. The news was live broadcasting outside the Police station.

I peered at Lila, whose eyes were scrunched but were holding back tears.

"He's got to be prime suspect right?" Sasha asked aloud, "And Trey, I reckon they were somehow apart of it together."

I sighed, "Trey had nothing to do with it, Sasha."

"You don't know that for sure, you don't know him."

I held back my anger. I knew him, and I knew him well. I know the past she was referring to now, and I understood why she would think those things about him. "I know enough,"

Sasha shook her head, "Do your research."'

"Can you guys please stop?" Lila asked, battling tears that were threatening to escape, "You know what?" she stood up in front of us. "Intervention."

"What?" Sasha and I asked in unsion.

"You guys were great friends, and you still are," Lila said, "you're letting this get to you. You're not the Police, so really, neither of you know what is exactly going on, and with who."

I sighed again in frustration, Lila, I knew plenty, it's Sasha that needed to keep her opinions to herself. I swallowed the resurfacing anger, and agreed with her. "Yeah, you're right."

Sasha flipped her hair over her shoulder, "You're right Lila, we're not. I'm just concerned for your safety. And I suppose I am just overly concerned for Neijla's safety too. You spend an awful lot of time with someone as messed up as Trey, can you blame me?"

I met her gaze, but something in her eyes told me that she was just saying this for Lila's sake.

"Right," I answered, plastering on a smile, "I won't bring him up or drag him into our friendship."

Lila nodded, "That's a good plan. And Sasha, I don't think we have the right to say who she can and cannot be around, we can advise, but we can't force her to stay away from Trey."

Sasha beamed at Lila, avoiding my gaze. I could tell she was holding back her anger, and it almost brought me a bit of satisfaction.

"I'm going to the bathroom, and then we can go get some lunch," Lila said.

Once she had entered the bathroom and shut the door, Sasha spun toward me on the bed. "I don't like Trey around Lila. That's that. I don't care if you hang out with him, that's up to you. But her boyfriend is dead and Trey has been linked to it, can you understand that?"

I clenched my jaw, "Yes," I whispered, "but he would never hurt Lila, me, or even you Sasha."

"I don't believe people can change," she said.

"But they can try," I told her, "Lila is right, we are friends and this is getting in the way."

Sasha took in a slow breath closing her eyes, "Fine, I will ignore him, but if he fucks up ever, that's it."

I forced a smile. "Good. I meant what I said, I will keep him away from you guys."

Sasha gave a thin smile, "Then I guess we can move past this then."