The mafia's bride (On Hold)

Chapter four: the count down starts.....now!

Well my day is going smoothly I guess. Besides meeting my new guidance counselor and befriending a girl at school, other things are starting to look up for me as well. For example no one really calls me out for the way my outfits sticks out from theirs or how this girl almost bumped into me during second period. Other than that and no signs of Jeanna or the other party, sneaking away to lunch seems like an easy breeze. And my luck is just getting started. Walking into the lunch room with my books for 3rd and 4th period I do a quick scanning of the room itself before my eyes lock with Miranda's who waves me over.

Sitting at the table already though is the brown haired girl with the blue streaks and two unfamiliar faces. Both are black, but the taller one has lighter hair that almost looked golden. The girl next to her has micro braids. For some reason mom never lets me get those. Whether it is because they make me look ghetto or just straight up ugly is her opinion. My thouughts over braids say otherwise though.

"Pryor!" The girl screams my name and runs up to give me a giant bear hug before I can even put my books on the table. A sweet essence of body lotion floods the air but mostly my nose. My eyes are clueless to the blue feather earrings that hang from her ears. "Glad to see you made it to the cafeteria in one peace, honey." Directing me to a sit, she warmly pulls out my chair and nods for me to sit. I scoot in my own chair and glare around the room at the almost crowded areas. "Believe it or not Pryor, people can do almost anything in the lunchroom," Miranda reminds me and opens up her salad cup.

I sigh and think about heading in the long line but waiting seems longer than actually getting time to eat. But Miranda can always read my mind somehow. She slides her plate of brown rice with an egg roll on the side to me and grins. "You owe me lunch tomorrow, besides I'm as hungry as a horse." Taking the chicken wing from her tray, she bites down and captures the moments in her mouth before swallowing. "Guess what guys?" The girl says excitedly, grasping our attention so quickly. "Let me guess.....Wade's back?" The one with the micro braids asks and pills off the skin of her orange. She nods and hums cheerfully in her head. "Then why not sit with him today like you always do, Lila?" Miranda asks and shoves a handful of lettuce down her throat.

Pouting, she perks her lips and slides her chair towards Miranda. "Cause I like sitting with my best friends and my new friend." Miranda arches a brow at her but then releases it and sighs against the lost breeze that flies right past us. "You're hopeless but I guess that can't be fixed, huh?" Lila sticks her tongue out at her and giggles, so do I and the rest of the girls. But it interests me a little. Lila really doesn't seem like the type of person to date a gangster, but the way she describes Wade, it almost makes me want to meet the guy in person. Almost. "He's here," Miranda says and points to the group of boys waiting near the front door. All of them seem dangerous even the one flipping the coin in his hand. A hoodie is shielding his face, so getting a good look at him is out of the question.

"So he is," Lila says and flashes her boyfriend a smile from half-way across the room. He drops his hood, revealing a dashing young man. Probably a senior, Wade has long brown hair that reaches to his shoulders with chocolate brown eyes to compliment his hair. And let's not forget his olive skin that glitters in the shimmering light. His outfit is flashy but with his dark red hoodie and leather pants, it's surprising why no one doesn't stare at him the way Lila does. I'll admit, the girl plays fair game. There isn't anyone who could hope to look like Wade and live to tell that to his face. "See ya around girls!" She waves us good-bye and literally jumps into her boyfriend's arms. She is right about one thing. His appearance makes him look like a gangster but to me Wade looks like a kind person. But do the others know? And do they believe him to be the man he really says he is? That.....is the question.

"Charming isn't he?" Miranda asks me and folds her arms. I settle back down in my chair and gaze into my friend's eyes. "I don't know maybe he's.....different?" Awkward silence befalls the table. "Pryor please tell me you don't believe that?" The golden haired girl asks me and scoots out her chair. I shrug and finish the last of Miranda's brown rice and egg roll. "Wade doesn't seem like a bad guy, that's all I'm saying." Both girls look at each other before glimpsing back at me. "He's.....not what you think, is what they're trying to say love," Miranda says calmly and stretches out her arms. The locket around her neck swings as a bell like sound twinkles from it's spark. "Then what kind of person is he?" My sudden interest in the topic makes Miranda frown at me again.

Obviously she wants me to stay away from these brilliant ideas rolling off the tip of my mind but my future depends on this. Don't ask me how but the deep feeling swarming around my stomach just don't light up until my question is answered. My eyes were pegged with hurt--fear, a feeling that is all too familiar with me.  Seeing this through my eyes, Miranda sighs and shakes her head. "I'm so going to regret this....."

Grinning, I scoot closer to her as the other two girls wave us good-bye and leave the cafeteria. "What do you want to know, sweetie?" She asks me with pain interpreting her voice. The topic doesn't sit well with Miranda, I know that but telling her my reasons seems....awkward and I don't need anyone thinking that the new girl is a freak or anything. I eye her then the rain outside then back at her. "Um well how many gangs are there here?" The question sounds like a good place to start. "4," but the answer came as quick then I thought it would. A little too quickly as you ask me.

 I drop my mouth open in surprise and shake my head, speechless. "Why only 4?" Miranda bites her lips and claps her hands together. "Because of the compass," she says and looks me directly in the eye. The compass? I process that word through my head until an answer pops up. "The 4 directions on the compass?" Nodding her head, she begins to push away from the table and grabs her books from the table. "I'm sorry, Pryor we'll finish the conversation tomorrow. My cousin's coming back to school tomorrow and I won't have him acting out again."

Again? Miranda said that her cousin hasn't committed any acts against the law yet. Does that mean she's lying to protect me or to protect her cousin? I'm pretty sure she's scared of him but won't show it. But I won't judge Miranda. There's no need to. I'm sure they're on good terms but.....I don't know, I can't help but worry something bad is going to happen if I keep digging around. And we all know where that'll led me to. But that's the problem here. I've so keen on trying to save myself instead of looking at the bigger picture here. My death. Maybe If I allow myself to put in that situation again then maybe I can change it.

Is my idea the best one ever made? No, it's dangerous and I'm completely ignoring Ms. Williams and her psychic know-it-all powers. Taking risks isn't really my style but I'll do anything I can to keep my future from tearing me apart. Literally!