Fallin' From The Tree (StemxStud)

25

[ Valentine ]

After saying our goodbyes, Dom and I left the mall with her bags of clothes. I got into my white Lexus and Anaela and Pouty got into a red Lexus.

"I can't wait until I have more freedom," Dom smiled wistfully. "You could have more," I said carefully. "What do you mean by that?" Dom asked innocently, turning to me in the passenger seat. I pulled out of the parking lot, relaxing our seats.

"Basically, I plan on helping Anaela out," I lied. "I see the stress she's under having to meet her mother's demands and to keep up with school and her gang. Anaela's confided in me," the last part was a small truth. "If I were to tell Anaela my plan," I said cautiously, "she would immediately be too thick headed to accept it."

"Well, what's the plan? I can hold a secret," Dom told me, supportive of her friend.

"I want to take over the gang. Of course Anaela would always have input because this is her gang," I added once Dominique started frowning. "But I'd handle everything else. At least until Anaela is 18 or 19, so that she can have time to live."

"Well, I want to help my friend the best that I can," Dom admitted slowly.

"You don't want Anaela to be stuck in hiding like you, do you? You'll be free, living your best life starting tomorrow..and she'll be stuck inside pushing papers into boxes and making deals with drug dealers. Let's face it- I'm more cut out for this life than her. Anaela has helped you and me both a lot, so it's time for us to return the favor and help her out."

"This just sounds a lot like you're stealing her gang right from under her, Valentine," Dom said suspiciously.

"No. I care about Anaela too much," I lied smoothly, adding the right touch of softness to my voice. I contorted my face into a caring expression. "I'll give it back to her once she's gotten to decide. All of her life the decision of being the leader has been forced on her, don't you want your friend to be able to choose?"

By the time we got back to the house, Dom was knocked out. I texted Anaela that I was starting to pack her friend's things up in boxes so that Dom could move on to better things with the gang.

I carried Dom out of the car then came back for the items I purchased for her. Tomorrow Dom would be a new woman, hopefully I could mold her into the kind that maybe...could take over the business one day.

I locked my door behind me and started getting to work. I moved fast, getting things she'd need at her new home that I could spare, and putting up the things purchased together and the little of my clothes that fit her nice enough. A little bit around eight, Dom woke up with a grumbling stomach.

She noticed the boxes near the front door and frowned sleepily. "Sorry, I just wanted to make sure everything was packed up," I told her. I microwaved her a pot pie with a side of gravy she had cooked the other night. She made herself a glass of water with chipped ice.

"Tino, I could never tell you how much I appreciate all you've done for me," she told me softly. "I was nothing when you helped me. I was even trying to kill you- I was working for the enemy. I owe you so much, and your acts of..kindness, of...humbleness won't be forgotten," she told me nobly.

I reached across the kitchen island to hug her. We embraced, then let go. We dug into our food, sharing little funny stories of our lives. Dom didn't have many with her actual family, but she had plenty with her friends.

Although I could emphasize with the stories and comedy of her friends, nothing was ever going to make me guilty about killing Anaela and anyone in my way. There's just a way to things that you learn when you've had to grind.

If you want to reach the top you have to start from the bottom, because you have to have the foundation in you to support the sky.

"I'm heading back to sleep," she told me. I nodded. "I'll wake you up at 12, I have a few things I need to discuss with you."

"Twelve?" Dominique asked, raising a brow.

"Yes, you'll understand later on. Much later on in life," I smiled sadly. "I got the dishes tonight. Enjoy your last night here. Anaela's faxing all of your papers and stuff here, so I need to go over a few things with you concerning that too. Like, try not to be involved in anything formal that involves your age, cause once you turn 18 for real and you've been saying you're 18 since you've been 17, it'll be sus. Et cetera, et cetera."

Dom nodded and sleepily headed back up to her room. I cleaned off my plate and started the dishes in the dishwasher, numbly thinking of how to sell my idea of "takeover" to one of Anaela's good friends.