Crossing the gangster

chapter 9

I was awoken way too early for my liking, the sky still dark outside with little light streaming in through my curtains from the Street lamps. Someone was shaking me violently and I sat up with a start, mouth opened to yell but a hand was already clamped over my mouth.

I stared up with wide eyes, unable to make out who was my attacker until Izzy's face shone at me with the help of the torchlight from her phone, her eyes commanding me to remain silent as she removed her hand.

"C'mon, we have to get ready for school," She whispered and I nodded understandingly. She left to creep back to her room and I switched on the light in mine, going to the bathroom to take a quick, cold shower to wake me up.

Wrapped in a towel, I quickly picked out my outfit for today and let out a sigh of relief when it hid most of my tattoos, except the slight tendril visible on my neck.

Straightening my hair, I stared at myself in the mirror, noting how I had changed so much over the few years. It was like the innocence of the child I once was, with soft features and short hair, had hardened up over the years as now, the reflection greeting me with sharp features and long hair.

Shaking my head silently, I made my way down with my backpack slung over my shoulder and met Izzy in the kitchen. I knew the smarter thing to do was to ask chris but I currently, definitely didn't want to speak to him and also, if he had said no it made going almost impossible.

So, if I were to go with Izzy, we both could be under the impression that it was definite that I was going to continue going to school and since Izzy was offering me a ride, it made sense to just go with her. I really hoped this idea worked out as planned in my head.

After all, we weren't doing anything wrong...Then why was it that I felt like I was a criminal just waiting to be caught? The two of us ate a quick breakfast of buttered toast and orange juice, slightly on the edge as my heart hammered against my ribcage wildly.

We slipped out of the front door and headed over to Izzy's car, driving out of the gates and embarking on our ten-minute destination to school. The coil in my stomach loosened once we made it past the gate smoothly, the guards not even blinking an eye as they opened and shut the heavy iron barrier as if they were robots accustomed to doing this task day and night.

If we had made it past them, it meant that everything was going to go correctly, right? I mean chris would most definitely not cause a scene at a place that was heavily monitored since he was a gangster and being caught in CCTV was probably one of the worst possible things that could happen. Apparently, it turns out I couldn't be farther from wrong...
Everything was going just according to plan as we reached school without a delay, separating in our ways as I headed to my two friends. (Sam urf Samantha but we better call her as Sam ) was a redhead girl who was always extremely cheery, a smile seldom leaving her face throughout the day.

Georgia, on the other hand, had her curly brown hair reaching her shoulders and I had never once seen her in something other than sports clothes, being the tomboy she is.

Then there was me, the person in the middle of our spectrum. Yes, I wear dresses occasionally but I do also enjoy my sports. I don't heavily dress for school like Sam but nor am I as casual as Georgia. The three of us made the weirdest trio in history yet we got along just fine.

The three of us met three years ago, Sam and Georgia both being new children to the area and since my brother had graduated the year I joined, I didn't quite know anyone else. Smith was 5 years older than me though it often looked like our age gap was far more since he started working at such a young age.

Just the thought of him brought a bitter taste to my mouth, the way he betrayed and backstabbed me like I was just a stranger. I clenched my jaw but a tap on the shoulder dragged me away from my thoughts.