Crown

*6*

Jayda stepped out of her last class of the day. It was 12 o'clock and she was pleased that there were no classes waiting for her in the afternoon. But most of all, she was excited to meet up with Star and her little princess at the dance fest.

Joedi had a solo performance today and just like any other of her ballet dances, she wasn't going to miss it. Joedi was a really gifted child; smart and light on her feet and she seemed boneless too with all those bendings and splits that came with ballet.
But Jayda enjoyed watching her dance and she made sure to always support her little sister and even got her into a dance school. She could cover the expenses since Joedi was on a scholarship in her normal school. She was really smart. Too smart for her own good and at times, it was at Jayda's disadvantage. She didn't think or act like a 12 year old at all. But at times she could really be childish and that was the part Jayda loved the most cause she was happy that Joedi wasn't overgrowing her care, princess treatment, protectiveness and her spoiling too.

She knew that she spoilt Joedi a lot but thankfully, Joedi wasn't a brat. 
Joedi was smart and considerate enough to understand when Jayda could afford something and when she couldn't and she didn't ask too much, Jayda did the giving. And she was respectful too.

Jayda just loved her too the moon and back and was hell bent on giving her the world if she could. She promised her parents that she was always going to take care of Joedi and make sure nothing happened to her and she made that promise to baby Joedi too the day her parents died in a car crash and also when she fell of a roller coaster and sustained a terrible head injury that affected her till date; making her have brain attacks and seizures, and also when she had her first asthma attack at eight. Her health issues were numerous and dangerous as well and it scared Jayda all the time and that's the more reason she treated her like an egg, like a precious fragile flower.

Just then, she decided to get Joedi a new phone pouch as a gift for a good performance. She hadn't seen it yet but she knew she was going to leave the crowd utterly speechless.

She took her phone out of her purse and turned it on. Her phone was always on vibrate whenever she was a class, for obvious reasons.

She had to call Rachel so they could go together to Joedi's school.
She trusted that Star had done a good job doing 'her bidding', as she had called it and probably her and Joe were already waiting for her to arrive.
Her lock screen displayed missed calls when the phone came on.
She saw that it was Joedi's guardian teacher. She probably wanted to know when she would be there.

Why didn't Star or Joedi call instead?

She called Rachel and they decided to meet in the park.

They both got into Star's car when they got to the park - Rachel's intention was to pick up her car when she came for a club meeting by 7.

"If I may ask, why'd you come with Star's car?"

Jayda laughed, remembering Star's reason.

"Well, apparently, Star wants 'my scent' in her car," she made air quotes and they laughed. "And my air con is bad, so I couldn't resist the offer and plus you know I've always had a thing for Star's car - sleek color, sleek ride and cool speed."

"You're insane," Rachel laughed.
"So I assume you two made up yesterday."

"Yeah, we did."

"How'd it go?"

"Surprisingly, it was okay. Good. Simpler than I imagined."

"I believe that's a good sign and you're not confused anymore?"

"Yeah, I'm not. We'll be fine," she assured herself.

Rachel smiled at her bestfriend and watched the road.

Jayda made a drop at a phone store to get Joedi's new pouch before they got to Alderman Prep Middle School, they got down from the car. Music was being heard and there was a good number of cars, indicating an event going on.
They went in, making up small talk about whatever they saw and then they got to the event auditorium which was decorated and was the source of the music.
A pop dance was going on and they sat in the available seats at the back.

"Shouldn't we look for them?" Rachel asked.

"We might as well surprise them," Jayda smiled and Rachel smiled back.

After the dance ended, there was a loud applause and then the MC commented on the dance, before the checking the agenda for the next performance.
"Now, it's time to welcome a very gifted child to wow us with her ballet skills,"

Jayda and Rachel smiled knowing who was being called on.

"And trust me when I say she's going to break a leg and will still be able to walk. Ladies and gentlemen, let's welcome Ms. Joedi Jace," he announced and there was a round of applause, making Jayda beam with pride but the clapping begun dieing down and there was no sign of a strawberry blonde any where.
Rachel and Jayda exchanged worried glances and then the ballet instructor/Joedi's guardian teacher went up to the MC and whispered to him.

"I'm sorry to say, but, ms. Jace is not available at the moment, but not to worry we have another ballet performance by the 10th graders, please, let's welcome them with a round of applause.

"What the hell?" Jayda got up and so did Rachel as they walked out of the auditorium.
Jayda called Star immediately.
"They're meant to be here."
When she heard the android voice say that Star's phone was switched off, she panicked.

"Jayda," a voice called from the hallway. It was the ballet instructor.

"Madame Claudia," Jayda anxiously approached the older woman. "What's going on? Where's Joedi?"

"That's what I was about to ask you. I've called you countlessly."

"I know, I was in class. I arrived few minutes ago. My friend was supposed to come with her."

"Joedi isn't here, I'm sorry to say. No one brought her."

"Shit," Jayda ran her fingers through her hair and licked her now dry lips.
She proceeded to call her girlfriend again and that's when she saw a missed call from Joedi. She gasped.
"Thanks, madame and thanks for everything. I'll go look for her. Come on, Rae."

"I'm having a very bad feeling," Rachel said when they got into the car.

"Me too. I hope nothing's wrong."
I head was wild with thoughts - like Joedi having a brain attack or seizure or a bad asthma attack and then Star taking her to the hospital.
She shook her head.
No, no, she was okay. There had to be a logical, reasonable explanation for all of this.

●●●

There was chaos everywhere, gunshots, yells, blood sheds.
It was an attack. The first attack in Kaden's reign as Don if the Crown Empire.
And Kaden didn't have any feeling of anxiety or panic...he was angry, he felt rage bubbling up in him and he wanted to face the Moretti bastard siblings in person and show then that they had made a mistake by daring to infiltrate his HQ like ants.

Kira was locked up safe and sound in the living section after her episode of fear and tears, begging Kaden not to fight, with fear of getting hurt. Her intention was to make him reconsider, but that was not what happened, instead it made him resolve to kill one of those bastards because they had made his sister cry and it reminded him that they had killed his parents as well.
And not to mention that he was being underestimated and that was going to change.

"What's the situation?" He asked Eric over the comm.
He was in his office with Pablo as they got ready, putting pocket knives wherever it fit, loading their guns and all what not.

"They have us at a disadvantage. Most of our weapons are down and they have more men than us. I've contacted Jose's righthand man and the Mexican transfers are on their way. We're all at the third floor, we're stopping Rodney and Hernandez getting to you."

He clenched his jaw.
"Let them come to me," he ordered and turned off the comm.
"I will make sure that no drop of blood remains in their bodies."