The Hostage (Brittana)

10

Santana's POV
When it feels as if I have no tears left to cry, I lie on my back and stare at the ceiling. Brittany's office door opens and she walks over to the bed. I don't look at her, but moments later I feel pressure on the mattress, and she lies beside me.

B-"Are you okay?"
S-"Why did you do that?"
B-"Do what?"
S-"Make me sit with the other members. They all had guns, and Quinn has a reason to kill me. Did you think it was funny? Seeing me so uncomfortable."
B-"They would never hurt you."
S-"You may think that. But how can you know?"
B-"Because they're people as well! This gang is what's helping them hold up their families, feeding them, giving them somewhere to live."
S-"And there was no other way to get money?"
B-"No. Look, you may think your life is hard but mine was just shit. Up until I was 12, everything was fine. My parents didn't have much money, but they loved me and looked after me."
S-"Is this your life story?"
B-"I guess."
S-"And you're trusting me? Why"
B-"I don't know. But do you want to hear it or not?"
S-"I do. Please, keep talking."
B-"So yeah, we moved here when I was about to turn 12. My parents both lost their jobs, and around that time they started using drugs. At first it was an occasional thing, but it became more regular. Soon they were using them every day, without fail, not caring about anything. I was trying to hold it all together. But it's hard when you don't have any food, and your parents spent all their loans on drugs, and nobody loves or cares about you.

So I started stealing things. Just shoplifting, breaking into houses. I got a few jobs working at restaurants, takeout places. Anything to get money. But it was never enough, my mom and dad spent it as fast as I earned it. So I started to steal more. One night I met Quinn. We were in similar situations, and agreed to work together.

She's my best friend, and she was my first everything. First kiss, first time having sex. I looked after her, and she would beat up anyone who tried to hurt me. We would both enter in fights. People would place bets on who would win, and we would always end up winning loads of cash.

As we did more gigs to earn cash, we met more members of the gang. And we would help each other out. All the money, things we stole, would all go into a joint bank account. I would evenly split everything, and everyone would go home happy. I was elected the leader, with Quinn as my deputy. But the gang kept growing, and getting more powerful, and soon we were running half the city. You'd be surprised about how many businesses in Lima link back to me.

And now we are like unofficially the biggest gang in the state. I'm 20, and this is what I've got. But I hate it when people think that I'm not human, like you did. But I've been so hurt by people that I try not to let them see me have emotion. It's a second nature. I've not seen my parents in years, I don't know if they're still alive. But I don't need them."

She finished talking. I turn to her and she turns to me. I feel so stupid for going on about how awful I thought my life was earlier. Brittany literally didn't have enough money to feed herself.
S-"Why did you sell the drugs? If it ruined you and your mom and dads lives?"
B-"It was an easy way to get money."

She closes her eyes and more tears leak out from under the lids. In that moment, she seems to fall apart. Gone is the tough, emotionless gang leader who abducted me. All I see now is a scared girl who has taken on the world, but can't see what it's done to her. I shift closer, so our cheeks are almost touching. I turn towards her as she turns towards me.

Our eyes meet. Blue against brown. She bites her lip, then releases it. I close my eyes, lean in. And I press my lips hard against hers.

She doesn't resist. But she doesn't exactly accept it either. I hold them there for a few more seconds before pulling away.
S-"Oh god. I'm so, so, sorry. I shouldn't have-"
B-"I need to go."