by J. N. Pack
My body stiffens when J’El comes into my line of sight with his black sheet wrapped around her naked body. I fall away from him and stumble backwards staring at him in his white joggers and nothing else.
“Kill are you done out here. I want to go back upstairs.” J’El mumbles watching him.
I crawl backwards away from him.
“Luna?” he looks sick to his stomach. “Wait Luna!” He says, but it’s done. I crawl to my feet and turn and walk away from him. I glance over my shoulder and he’s still in the same place on the grass I left him watching me. Once I get out of sight, I take off running. I gulp in massive amounts of air and don’t stop until I’m at the beach. I drop onto one of the logs and throw my head back and growl loudly. When that doesn’t help ease any of the tension, I let out a blood curdling scream. My body trembles and I try some deep breathing exercises I’m supposed to do to calm down, but it doesn’t work, and tears finally start running down my cheeks. I’ll give myself this moment, but tomorrow I’m fuckin’ done. Tomorrow, I’ll shut all these fucked up feelings off and I’ll never open myself up again.
Tonight though, I’m going to get fucked up and forget my own name. I pull a bottle from the stash bag Maddie leaves here, since we are here so much. I grip the bottle and walk over to the ocean and drop to the sand. I pull my boots off and throw them up to where the bonfire is and stick my feet in the warm water. I let the ocean water wash away the pain and the anger leaving me an empty shell.
I’m up all night and spend all of Sunday at the beach. At some point I striped down to my panties and tank top and wade out into the water hip deep. I sit around all day getting sand burn in some seriously uncomfortable places and end up sleeping at the beach again.
***
Monday morning, I walk the forty-five minutes to my house. I’ve got my boots in my hand and my jacket flung over my shoulder. When I walk in Frank doesn’t say anything. I can’t look at him. I can’t tell him that someone burnt the bike him and I bought as a Junker and rebuild from the ground up. He tosses some keys on the table and I glance at them and then him.
“I’m assuming since your bike is out of commission you are going to need a way to and from school.” He says without looking in my direction.
I take the keys from the table and disappear into my bathroom. I stare at myself in the mirror for forever. I finally strip and climb in the shower and let the scalding water beat down on me until it runs cold. When I get out, I pull on some black tights and my biker boots. I put on a black tank top and a white hoodie that reads ‘Call Me Poppy’ in black letters. My hairs pulled back in a messy pony and I pull a ball cap on. I’m not up for nobodies shit today.
When I walk out Russo is sitting at the table with Frank and he looks up at me and smirks at my hoodie. Then Frank’s eyes land on me and he says, “Give me a name Luna!”
I do smirk at that. And start towards the door again. “Don’t worry your pretty little head Frank!”
He grimaces and Russo says, “You do know the girls will cave and give him a name.”
I roll my eyes and say, “I fuckin’ took care of it this morning.”
Frank shoves to his feet and growls, “What the fuck did you do?”
“They burnt my bike, so I burnt their fuckin’ house to the ground. I told them not to fuckin’ push me and the little bitches didn’t take my advice!” and I walk the rest of the way out the door leaving Frank cussing and throwing shit.
I find it funny that I know all the criminal shit he does, and he can’t believe I would do half of what I do. It’s amusing.
I walk around the side of my sixty-nine flat black mustang with chrome rims and toss my bag in the backseat. I haven’t driven this car since ninth grade when I stole it to go to the beach and get high with Maddie and Ada Jade. I climb in and take the long way to school that way I can push the speed limits and see if this old girl still has it. She took the curves like a fuckin’ dream. When I hit a hundred and ten miles per hour, it’s like floating on fuckin’ clouds. A mile from the school I slow to a normal speed rate and pull into the parking lot with every eye on me. I get out and adjust my ball cap and pop a blue lollipop in my mouth. When I turn, I give everyone my best ‘go to hell’ look. I don’t wait on Maddie and Ada Jade; I make my way to the entrance. I see Killian’s truck pulling in out the corner of my eye as I make my way to my locker. I shove everything in my locker and I’m leaning back against it sucking my lollipop, smirking at all the people who scatter when they realize it’s me standing close to them, waiting on Maddie and Ada Jade. I cross my ankles and wait.
Killian shoves through the door before they do and stalks down the hall towards me. J’El pops out of nowhere and tries to get all over him and he grips her shoulders moving her to the side and continues stalking towards me. I put my headphones in. He invades my space and cages me between his very capable arms. I ignore him. He reaches his hands up and wraps the wire from one of my ear buds around his finger snatching it from my ear and asks, “Can we go somewhere and talk?”
A laugh bubbles out of me and I sing the first song that pops into my head, “You had to go and ruin it, so you could get a quick fuck, I’m sure you had fun doing it, and I won’t make a big fuss, but know we’re off and we’ll never be on again, I hope it was worth it, fuckin’ Josslyn, Don’t wanna fight, I just never wanna talk again…” by Olivia O’Brien. I shove his chest and walk a couple steps backwards down the hall before spinning around and making my way to in school suspension.
**Killian**
I watch her sway her tight little ass down the hallway as she walks away from me and growl punching the locker beside hers.
Maddie and Ada Jade laugh from down the hall and I glare at them. I stalk towards them stopping just a foot away and grumble, “What do I need to do?”
Ada Jade literally laughs and says, “Walk the fuck away.”
Maddie says, “You fucked J’El, she’s going to do worse than what she did when you arrived. She’s going to pretend you don’t exist.”
I shove my hands through my hair and groan.
Maddie waits until Ada Jade walks down the hall a little way and says, “She’s not an easy person to love is she.” Then walks away.
I get a text message at lunch that blows my fuckin’ mind all though it shouldn’t. I climb to my feet and march across the cafeteria to where Luna is sitting with Ada Jade and Maddie. I shoved my hands down on the table in front of her and growl quietly, “You burnt their fuckin’ house down?”
Ada Jade and Maddie’s eyes widen and turn to look at her waiting for the response. Her angry eyes fly to mine and she growls, “They burnt my fuckin’ bike! They don’t get away with that shit.” She looks down at her food and shoves a bite of pizza in her mouth.
“You need to talk to me Luna.” I say quietly.
“I need to eat this pizza and get to class; you need to stay the fuck out of my way Lucian.” She growls.
Hux and Bishop take me by the shoulder and pulls me away. I shove out of their hands and make my way out of the cafeteria.
Chapter 17
She does exactly what they said she would. She didn’t avoid me, she just pretended I wasn’t there. When I would try and talk to her, she’d walk away. When I tried to touch her, she would snatch away from me without looking in my direction and walk away. Nothing I did or said mattered right now. Ada Jade sneered at me every chance she got, and Maddie looked at me with pity in her eyes.
J’El was there every time I turned around. Trying to touch me, talk to me, anything to rub shit in Luna’s face. It wasn’t working. Luna didn’t give a shit.
Things have become more and more Chaotic. The day I confronted her about burning Phoebe’s fuckin’ house down, she caused a fuckin’ riot in the gym during an assembly. You could hear Frank down the hall when he got to the school and then you could hear her laughing like a fuckin’ maniac. She didn’t get suspended and the next day she carved CHAOS into the principal’s office door. It’s like sh
e is trying to get kicked out.
It’s been two weeks of complete chaos and her completely ignoring me. I walk into the school and see her following Broadway down the hall in complete panic.
“You can’t do that; I’ll stop I promise.” She begs not caring who hears.
Broadway sneers and turns and says, “I can do anything I want.”
She grips his arm and leans into him making my blood boil. He shoves her off and says, “It’s done. I hope you’ve said your goodbyes.”
Tears meet at the corner of her eyes and she rears back and slams her fist into his nose. Bishop and I are racing down the hall to pull her off of him, but Ada Jade and Maddie beat us to her. Her elbow comes back and connects with Ada Jade’s jaw. Bishop goes to her side to check on her and I wrap my arms around her waist as Maddie tries to get between her and Broadway.
A tear leaks from her eye as she shoves us off her.
Broadway climbs to his feet with fury on his face, “She’s fuckin’ gone!”
I have to grab Luna around the waist to keep her from killing him. I drag her down the hallway and shove her in my truck. She is kicking and screaming and hitting and punching me. I growl and snatch the seat belt across her. “ENOUGH DAMMIT!”
She kicks my dash and punches the windshield cracking the passenger side corner. She comes up off the seat gripping her hand wincing as I climb in the truck. “Fuckin’ hurt didn’t it.”
“Fuck off!” she growls.
I start the truck and put it in drive watching Bishop, Ada Jade, Maddie and Hux in the parking lot behind us losing their shit.
She stares out the window fuming. I can literally see the anger pulsing through her. Her veins in her temples are sticking out and her hands, one of which I’m positive she fractured, are shaking.
“You need to calm the fuck down.” I growl at her.
The look she turns my way could wither a rose. In one swift movement she unbuckles her belt and is punching me over and over again. I have to slam on brakes to keep from killing us both while I hold her back with one hand. When I get to the side of the road, I slam my truck in park and pull the keys from the ignition climbing from the truck and slamming the door behind me. I rear back and punch the rear door and wince at the pain. FUCK! What the fuck is she doing to me?
I pace down the road about thirty feet and turn back and then pace the same thirty feet. She is sitting in the truck with her arms crossed over her chest staring at me or past me, but in this direction.
When I can finally control my temper, I climb back in the truck. “Are you fuckin’ done?”
She rolls her eyes and stares straight ahead.
I drive around for two hours with no destination and when it looks like she is finally calm, I say, “You were wrong.”
She glares at me but doesn’t say anything.
“You were fuckin’ wrong in assuming I fucked J’El.” I growl.
She sneers and says, “So those weren’t your black sheets wrapped around her naked body!”
“Yes, but when I left my room to get the gun from you, she was fully dressed. She did that shit so you would assume I fucked her to get at you. You gave her exactly what the fuck she wanted.” I say. I turn the key shaking my head as I pull back onto the road.
She doesn’t say anything else. We pull in the parking lot at the beach and I switch off the truck and climb out. I open the door for her. Not that she needed me to, but still. She walks slowly behind me and we make our way to their favorite spot. She flops down on a log as I build a fire. She grabs a bag from under one of the driftwood logs and pulls out a bottle of Russian Vodka. She turns it up and takes a huge gulp. She won’t look at me and she’s babying her hand she punched the window with. I want to check it, but with how angry she is right now, there’s no way I’m getting close to it.
**Luna**
My hand is fucked. I’m halfway through a bottle of Vodka when Ada Jade, Maddie, Bishop and Hux show up. I’ve kept my ass on this log since I got here. I’m relatively calm now, but I’m still angry.
I’m angry because Phoebe burnt my fuckin’ bike. I’m angry because Killian fucked J’El after making me feel something. I’m angry because Mr. Broadway is cutting off all contact with my sister and there’s nothing, I can do about it. I fucked up and I can’t fix it.
Ada Jade drops down beside me and I glance up at her noticing the bruise I left on her cheek.
“Sorry.” I say quietly.
She shrugs and says, “I knew better. It’s all good. You good?”
I shrug and say, “I dunno about that.”
A couple other people show up, so I guess it’s turning into a party. I’m feeling the alcohol, but it’s not taking the edge off like I hoped.
I’m standing close to the water with my bare feet in the edge of the cold water when Killian approaches me from behind. He stops a few feet away and asks, “Can… Can I check your hand?”
I look down at the purple circling my wrist and turn towards him. I stumble, but he takes a few steps to steady me. He captures my arm pulling it so he can look down at my wrist. “FUCK!” he mumbles under his breath. I watch him as he looks at it and when he bends my wrist the slightest, I wince.
“Why?” I mumble.
He looks up at me confused.
“Why did you fuck… why did you agree to…” my words get lost as I try to say them.
He drops his head and says, “I told you I didn’t fuck her, and I didn’t. She tried, God did she try, but I did not fuck her. As for my Dad having me watch you. The reason I was sent to Lux Island High was to get Frank in line. I wasn’t on board with this from the start. I never once told him anything about you. Why the fuck would I?”
“He’s going to take my sister away from me and there’s nothing I can do to stop him.” I say.
His eyes come up to meet mine and I swear I see anger in his as well. “Never going to fuckin’ happen.”
I smirk knowing there’s nothing either of us can do about it.
He is looking down at my wrist again and says, “You need to get this looked at.”
I pull my hand from him and wrap them both around his neck swaying to Don’t Leave by Snakehips and MO, he drops his hands to my hips and leans down to kiss me. I don’t hesitate to return the kiss.
I hear someone behind us and then they say, “KILLIAN!”
I glance back at J’El and groan. I lay my forehead on his chest, and he puts his hand on the back of my neck rubbing circles with his finger. “What the fuck do you want?” he growls at her.
“This bitch is psycho. You’re tossing me to the curve for this psychotic bitch.” She whines.
I tense.
He rubs deeper circles and says, “For me to throw you away I’d have had to want you. Nothing ever happened between us. You blew that shit out of proportion to get at Luna.”
“I… Kill…” she starts.
“Fuck off J’EL.” He growls.
I’m barely reigning in my temper, so when this bitch stumbles forward and puts her hands on him, I fuckin’ lose it. I turn and I stalk towards her with his hands on my hips.
I get within an inch of her face and growl, “Back the fuck off. I can make this shit really fuckin’ bad for you.”
She sneers and says, “I’m not fuckin’ scared of you.”
All humor leaves my face and I stumble into her and lean my forehead against hers, “I don’t want you to fuckin’ be scared. Just know when I come for you, there won’t be a fuckin’ hole in Lux Island you can hide in.”
Killian wraps his arm around my stomach and pulls me against his body leaning down kiss my neck before he brings his head back up to glare at her.
She huffs and stomps away.
I turn in his arms and he leans back down connecting our mouths again.
Chapter 18
I put distance between us the rest of the night. I know what I have to do will end whatever this is. There’s no point in stretching it out. I’ve done some fucked up things in my
life and I’m about to do something that there’s no coming back from, not for me anyways.
I met my sister when I was fifteen. She’s been my end goal since then. I won’t let Broadway ruin her like Gina ruined me. She knows he’s fucked up, but I’ve protected her from the really bad parts. She doesn’t know what he wants to do to me. She doesn’t know what he’s already done to me. I’ve kept McKayla from as much of the ugly as I can. She deserves someone better than me. Better than Broadway or Gina.
Feeling unsteady and unsure I sneak away from the party. I make it to the parking lot when Bishop stumbles over and throws his hand across my shoulders. “You’ve got him completely wrapped. You know that, right? He’d follow you straight to hell.” Smirking at me.
I shrug him off and quietly say, “He shouldn’t want me.”
His face sobers, “But he does.”
When I don’t say anything, he turns to walk away, but turns back and says, “You know, somethings are worth digging through the bullshit to get to.” Then turns and walks away.
He’s drunk and that’s what I’m going to blame this moment of insanity on.
I walk to Maddie’s bike and check for keys. She left them in it. I climb on and pull her helmet over my head and pull out the parking lot. I’m gone for ten minutes when my phone starts pinging. I message Maddie, ignoring the rest of the messages.
Luna: I’ll bring your bike back in the morning. I’ve got something I need to take care of.
I make a right by the park and drive two more blocks pulling to the curb. I walk a couple houses down and knock. It starts pouring down rain. Seems like everything is against me doing this, but I have no choice.
Broadway answers the door when I knock. He immediately shuts the door in my face leaving me standing there in the pouring down rain. I pound on the door and scream his name. After a few minutes the door slings open and he steps to the side. Seeing the angry glint in his eye I know this is going to be bad.
When McKayla steps into the hallway and I can’t even look at her, she whispers my name.