𝐂𝐑𝐔𝐄𝐋 𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐑 - kiara carrera¹

𝒙𝒍𝒊𝒙. 𝒘𝒆𝒂𝒑𝒐𝒏 𝒔𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒉

"YOU'RE RUINING MY HAPPY DAY, YOU FUCKING BITCH - I WILL KILL YOU."

JJ pulled Tatum back before she got hold of the woman behind the counter. Apparently, she didn't have the money to give them what the gold was worth. So Tate decided she wanted to murder the bitch.

"However," the woman said harshly, ignoring the way the Quinn girl was thrashing and pulling against her friend's grip. If it weren't for how weak she was after her injuries the night before, she would've easily escaped his grasp and made her kill count go up to three. "I can send you to the warehouse. I have the money there. Is that alright?"

JJ and Tatum froze. They shared a look. Then turned to the woman with a challenging glare. "Where's this warehouse?" the boy asked as the girl subtly pulled out her knife.

𑁍𑁍𑁍

"THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A FUCKING SCAM."

Thomas couldn't believe that these people - JJ and Tatum, especially, who had grown up with the same people he did - couldn't see that this was sketchy as hell. Obviously they weren't going to get the cash. Obviously they were walking into a trap. And obviously nobody listened to him. Not even Pope, who was usually the most logical of them all.

As everyone gradually got used to Thomas more, they all learned to ignore his constant pessimism. Somehow, the boy always found something wrong with everything. It was like he was on a lifelong expedition to pick out the bad things in the world, and present it all while being oblivious to the good parts.

"So they keep money out here?" asked Pope, looking out of the window at an old, broken down building, changing the conversation.

For once, the people inside the van were quiet and relaxed. Nobody was screaming, nobody was chanting and nobody was giggling. John B and Thomas were up at the front, and had found themselves in a very unlikely friendship, considering how much they hated each other at the start. Tatum sat cross-legged on the floor, feeling soothed as Kiara and Sarah plaited her hair from the seats. JJ sat in the corner, rolling blunts he was supposed to be saving for later, even though he and Tate would definitely be smoking the minute they were done. And Pope sat right behind Thomas' seat, watching him with deep fascination as the boy tried wiping off any sort of emotion that set itself on his face.

"That's what she said," JJ answered. From the floor, Tatum snickered. The two made eye contact and burst out laughing like the children they were. Screw the unwanted calmness - they were always hyper and excited. "That's what she said."

Kiara smacked her head lightly, because she'd messed up her hair by moving. "Sorry," mumbled Tatum, turning around to give her girlfriend an apologetic kiss.

"I'm never gonna get used to that," muttered Pope, shaking his head while all three girls giggled. Even in freshman year, when Kiara was crushing on her, Sarah knew she would always love Tate.

"Neither will I, but I'm not complaining," said JJ, eyes wide as he stared at the two girls. "I mean, I'd love to hear about it sometime. Or maybe watch, if you offered, of course - to be polite."

Turning around from the front seat, Thomas slapped the boy across the face. "Someone needs to start spraying you with water."

"Tate and Kie can spray me." It earned him another slap.

"I will kill you one day, Maybank."