L A N A

After we parted ways with Everett who left with Ali to the town's hospital to get his injuries patched up, the girls and I went to my apartment.

"Seriously, who could that asshole be?" Carmen wondered as she shut the door behind us and locked it.

Not Jada, Isha, or I answered. Jada was long lost in her own head by the window while Isha was too busy guiding me to the couch which we sat down on together. Isha grabbed the blanket on the couch and wrapped it around me before pulling my head to her chest.

"Hey. What did he do? Can you give us more details?" She asked, softly.

"Grabbed my waist, pushed me to the ground, choked me, put a knife to my neck," I answered, quietly. The words sounded even worse when they left my mouth.

Jada's jaw twitched and her fists curled while Carmen clenched her jaw and squeezed her eyes shut.

"Fuck," Isha cursed, rubbing my back. Then she carefully asked, "Do you guys think...it's someone who Carlos knows?"

I closed my eyes and and tried to think of anything but Carlos. Just anything. Even Everett but not Carlos. Despite it being seven months since I last saw him, his wicked brown eyes, rough skin against mine, slender fingers gripping my wrists and devilish smirk still haunted me. I knew it probably would forever.

Before I lost control the third time tonight, I wrapped my arms around Isha's torso while slowly controlling my breathing.

Once I regained control again, I heard Carmen inhale a sharp breath as if haunting memories were awaking in her mind against her will. I didn't raise my gaze to meet hers. I was too scared.

Jada shook her head. "No. He wouldn't dare. He knows that damn well."

An eerie silence filled my apartment for at least a minute before Jada exhaled a breath and said, "Girls, I got this. I'll figure it out. Just...relax."

While Jada started heading towards the door, Carmen and Isha exchanged suspicions glances.

"Wait." My voice was faint, only a whisper but Jada heard me well enough to halt in her steps.

"Come here." Without objection, she turned and came over to me.

"Sit down." I grabbed her hand and she sighed.

"Name?"

"Zayn."

"Why?"

"I owe him money."

"For?"

"Long story."

Isha and Carmen chuckled watching our back and forth but I was serious while Jada dropped her sharp expression and let the frustration and agitation take its place across her face.

Throwing her head back, she groaned. "Dammit! He's probably been keeping an eye on you for a while. Long enough to know that you're my spy This was a warning. I need to track him down."

Carmen nodded. "When are we-"

"-No. No we this time. I'll go by myself," Jada said, firmly. Isha and Carmen frowned.

"Not you either." She was looking at me now.

I was up from the couch in a blink. "No. I'm coming with-"

"-Yuuki."

No. She didn't get to do that this time. No matter what, I was going with her. That guy was dangerous. There was no way she could pull off this without me. Without us.

Jada sighed and looked into my eyes, her hand gently curling around mine. "He harassed you. I promised you safety."

"Only if I was your spy."

I protect you. You protect me. That was the deal. That was what The Sirens swore to.

Jada groaned, exasperated. "Stop being stubborn."

"We all go or nobody goes," I said, firmly. Isha and Carmen nodded in agreement.

Jada looked at us one by one and eventually cracked a smile. "You hoes. I can never get you off my back."

Carmen and Isha grinned and even my lips quirked upwards.

"Fine we'll talk about it tomorrow." Jada stood up and glanced at Carmen. "Carmen, you ready to go?"

Just like that, we huddled together for a group hug and called it a night. After Carmen and Jada left, Isha and I downed some cereal in silence before we brushed our teeth, changed our clothes, and then crawled into my bed.

"You okay?" She asked when we were lying next to each other in my bed.

I nodded. I knew she wanted to ask more about what that that dude did to me, but I also knew that she was aware that going into details just made it worse for me. I'd rather let the whole thing stay aside just like an unopened box. I knew what was inside and I didn't mind telling others, but I refused to explain by go into details.

"So how was it to babysit the president?" She then asked, curiously.

I sighed.

Isha laughed. "That bad, huh?"

"He doesn't talk. He rambles. His mouth pours bullshit. He has one brain cell on the streets. His mind is like an engine going on and on."

"Aww. That's cute."

I rolled my eyes.

Isha kissed my forehead and closed her eyes first but before my eyes slipped close, my phone vibrated next to me. I lazily picked it up and blinked at the screen in confusion when I saw the text on messenger I had received just now.

Everett Weston:
Hey, you ok?

Honestly, it shouldn't have surprised me as much as it did.

Lana Takumi:
Yeah

Everett Weston:
Okay

Everett Weston is typing...

My thumb started roaming over the keyboard on my screen when Isha's voice interrupted. "Who are you texting?

"The president."

Isha's face clouded with confusion. "Everett? You never reply to texts. Barely to ours even but you're replying to his?"

"He's annoying. He won't shut up tomorrow if I don't answer now."

She raised a brow. "You're making him sound like your boss."

"He kinda is."

Isha grinned. "Wow. Well, do you like being on the council?"

"Meh. I'll get paid."

Isha laughed. "Big mood."

When the notification of him still typing disappeared, I put my phone aside on the nightstand before turning to Isha who suddenly had a thoughtful expression on her face. "Hey, Lee, have you noticed that Everett always seems kinda sad? Like kinda empty. His smile looks like hard work."

I nodded. It was true. His smile never quite reached his eyes that always seemed kinda empty like they lacked something. I wondered if it was grief cause I had seen that lonely face in the mirror far too many times.

~

"Honest advice, Lana. Should I mix juice or soda with beer?" Carmen asked, holding a juice carton in one hand and a bottle of Pepsi in the other.

We were at Kiana's party and her house was packed with Laker's dancing, chatting, laughing, and drinking. Music was blaring from the speakers in the living where the girls and I were huddled on the couch, cups of beer in our hands, and too much on our minds but too little to say.

I raised a brow. When Carmen drank, she drank. So what was this about?

"Oh. I have a race tomorrow," she answered to the suspicion across my face.

My brows furrowed. When Carmen had a race the next day, she didn't even touch alcohol because she knew she was lightweight. A few shots and she was wasted.

Carmen sighed. "Fine! I'm meeting up with Diego later."

Isha heard it first. "Diego?"

Jada was equally surprised. "Did I hear Diego? Are you going back to dating?"

Isha who was seated on the table in front of us with her legs crossed grabbed Carmen's hands and smiled brightly. "I'm so happy for you, honey."

"Thanks, my three lovely mommies," she said, sarcastically.

"I like it mixed with juice," I said to her, softly.

Meeting my gaze, Carmen's face softened and she wrapped a reassuring arm around my shoulders. "Thanks. I'll give it a try, and I'll be fine. It's our second time hanging out. Things are cool. I'll be okay."

I'll be okay. Yes. She'll be okay.

I nodded and brought the vodka bottle to my lips.

"How are you doing?" She asked me but before I could answer, we (luckily) had company.

"Hey, girls." Ali's swollen cheek looked slightly better while he still had a bandage on his forehead. Despite the beat-up condition, he still had that goofy, warm smile on his face though.

Meanwhile, the agitation bothering Everett's features had faded from his face leaving behind something I couldn't make out the meaning of. He was wearing dark blue jeans and a turquoise colored hoodie while his messy brown hair was swept over his forehead and the stinging, autumn breeze had left the tip of his ears and his cheeks tinted red.

With a vodka bottle in one hand and a cupcake in the other, Isha grinned and briefly hugged them both. "Ali and prez! What's up? How's the cheek?"

Ali grinned back but winced during the attempt. "Recovering."

Everett seemed surprised by the hug but managed to stutter out a few words. "Uh, yeah. I'm good."

"Just wanted to say thanks again for getting me out of there yesterday," Ali said with a thankful smile directed at us.

Carmen raised her cup of beer to him before bringing it back to her lips. "No problem. We got your back, bro."

I glanced at Jada. When our eyes met, she groaned and glanced at Everett. "Hey, Weston."

Surprised, Everett's gaze jerked up and he met her gaze. "Uh, yeah?"

"I'm sorry. I gave off the wrong vibe when we met. Kevin was being racist. I tend to lose my cool over shit like that."

Brows furrowing, Everett blinked of bewilderment. "Kevin was being racist?" As the realization hit him, guilt spread rapidly across his face. "Shit. I'm so sorry. I didn't know. I just...damn it. I misunderstood the whole situation."

"It's fine. Whatever. You saved Lana last night. So thanks for that and forget the other shit," Jada said, casually.

"It's not fine. I'll talk to him. But other than that, uh, truce?" He held his hand out to her.

"Truce." Jada shook his hand. Carmen and Isha did too. As for me, he moved his hand to me but was quick to drop it and gave me a small nod instead which I returned.

"But that doesn't mean we're friends," Carmen pointed out, already passing him a fair warning.

Ali laughed and Everett rolled his eyes before meeting her gaze. "As long as you girls don't hate my guts and Lana stops calling me an idiot in Japanese every time I say something, I can live with that."

Isha smiled. "You can trust us to not hate your guts, but whatever our little one does and says is out of our control."

Before Everett's eyes found mine, I closed my eyes against Carmen's shoulder. I heard the girls laugh as Everett and Ali walked off.

So that was that. No more feuds. I could barely stand the feud with The Lions. I was too lazy for that shit. However, I knew I still had to apologize and thank Everett by myself.

Honestly, I could've taken some cheep beer from here home and let my apartment become a blur as I let the memories awaken. I enjoyed hanging out with my friends but crowds put me on edge and drunk boys made me nervous.

Sometimes, I wish nobody cared when I stayed home all day, wore the same sweater and sweatpants, ate the same food for all three meals of the day, and slept the day away. But someone cared. The Sirens cared. My friends cared. It was a blessing and a damn curse.

So as much as I wanted to, no running off today. Today, I had an apology and a thank you in store for the president which I needed to deliver.

****

Author's note: Hi, everyone! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. The next one is coming soon! Have a good day/night :)

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