𝑅𝐸𝐷 𝑀 𝐴 𝐷 𝑁 𝐸 𝑆 𝑆

𝑇ℎ𝑟𝑒𝑒

"Why do we have to see that movie again?" Michael asked, his voice full of excitement and tiredness. We practiced the entire day. Will didn't even give us time to fucking shower. He said it was the greatest movie of all time and if we didn't come with him, we were bad friends.

A big boy threat, that was. We couldn't resist him, I couldn't.

He was like the little sweetheart of our group. Only I knew the truth. He was capable of doing horrible things, ugly even. They underestimated him. If he felt threatened or if we were threatened, no one ever expected Will to strike. He did, every single time.

"Do I really need to repeat myself?" He nudged my elbow, asking me for help. I didn't want to see fucking Godzilla. No offense but I gave no fuck. He was alone on this one.

The guys started arguing as Kai and I ordered some popcorn and candies. The girls behind the counter were about to give it to us without paying. How dumb were they? We already weren't interested in them, what made them think we would be now? I didn't trust these bitches.

"Are you sure you're okay?" I recognized Loren Bell's voice. I snapped my head in his direction. Kai followed my eyes and eventually, we were all staring at their little group. It was truly a mystery.

"I am fine," Victoria said and when she took a step forward, she stumbled to the ground. My feet moved without asking my brain, thankfully, Will grabbed my shirt and pulled me back.

"Clearly you're not" James Lane helped her up, along with his other friends, Gabriel Brown, and Alexei Carter.

I had no idea what she found in these idiots. They weren't special, they were nothing. They had no future, no way at a chance to get in rank. Still, she hung out with these assholes. The only thing they all had in common was band. Even there, she was the better one.

For Christ's sake. She was the lead singer and the guitarist. Sure, Loren also played guitar but he wasn't singing at the same time. It was ten times harder and that was why I fucking hated all of them.

"Damon, stop staring at her. It's creepy"

"Come on, let's go"

I didn't budge. Until her eyes met mine. I cocked my head to the side as her expression fell flat on her face. She was confused, scared, hurt. Whatever it was, it couldn't be recognized. I thought I knew her once, I read her all wrong.

"Come on" Will turned me around and we headed toward the fucking movie. Michael and Kai talked about something while Will tried to soothe me. He knew the truth about Victoria. He knew everything.

I didn't tell him, he figured it out. Can't say the same for the others. It wasn't like they cared.

"Now let's just watch the incredible movie and- fuck" Will stopped as we entered the theatre. Michael cursed as well as all of us.

It was full.

We were out in the theatre on a Sunday night and it was completely filled with people. We all slowly turned to Will and he nervously chuckled before pointing to a row that was empty. Kai went straight for us, scared for dear life. We all didn't like being in a place squeezed next to other people. Other people who clearly didn't know how to eat and drink.

"You owe us one," Michael said as we all sat down. That was true, he fucking owed us more than one.

I mean, who liked to sit in a place where people fucking farted and ate like real pigs. On top of that, why go when you already saw the fucking movie?

"Fuck no" Someone said.

I turned my head and saw Victoria and her little gang in front of her. Michael chuckled and so did Kai. Will, on the other hand, shook his head and crossed his arms. I frowned as they didn't make their way to sit next to us. There were no other seats. They had to stop being fucking babies.

"Take a seat, we don't bite" Kai raised a brow as he sat straighter. Victoria swallowed, hard. Her eyes met mine and I smiled and gestured to the seat next to me. She didn't remember and she didn't want to remember. She made that clear three years ago.

"Jesus" James snorted and went first. Gabriel followed, then Alexei did too. Victoria and Loren didn't move as I stared at both of them. Were they together? 

"We can just go back hom-"

"No," She said a bit too fast. We all exchanged weird looks as Loren scrambled next to us, Victoria trailing after him. Which meant, she was sitting next to me.

She was limping and holding her stomach as if she had been shot or something. The guys noticed just as I noticed. Even as she sat down, she sighed and hissed. What the hell was going on?

"What happened?" I whispered, taking her hand in mine. She flinched as our skin met and I expected her to be scared. On the contrary, she looked intrigued.

"I fell"

Oh lord.

She was a liar now?

"Okay, yeah you fell" I repeated. She wasn't my responsibility. So what if she tripped? If she did, she tried to heal herself and it wasn't working. Her little guy friends probably had no idea how to clean a wound either.

What I was really questioning was, why was she here? The day before was her mother's funeral, what was she doing here? If it had been my father, I would have been trapped in my house for at least a week. Politics and shit.

But my father wasn't her father. Hers was constantly drunk, he didn't care. I wondered if I'd prefer that instead of my piece of shit of a father.

"What was in that flask?" She quietly asked. I bit back a shiver and suck more tightly into the shadows. Whatever lies I told myself, it never made me stop thinking about what we went through. Who we were before she forgot.

I locked down my emotions and held my fists close to my legs. My heart was pounding as her little fingers tapped my shoulder.

"Did I stutter?" And she got bolder? She was different, wasn't she? Her eyes flashed with something close to defiance. But in that tiny moment, it felt like she remembered who I was. Her bright emerald eyes shined with sunlight that gleamed in the night.

Sweat coursed down my back as I opened my mouth. I was unable to look away from her lips.

"Vodka"

Without warning, she kissed my cheek and her eyes blurred.

What was that?

"I am sorry" she innocently murmured before turning away and focusing on the movie.

Her friends didn't even once look at us and neither did mine. I shook my head, trying to understand what had happened.

Even with the lights off, her auburn hair glimmered. Just as when we were kids, it was messy and yet very well placed. I could smell her shampoo and I sought to stop staring at her. She wasn't mine, she didn't want to be.

Then why did my little red head kiss my cheek? It did not make sense.

Then again, nothing made sense about Victoria Bloom.