Dead Girl Walking

Chapter 27-Boys

The year that followed my death was a rough one. My family was gone. I couldn't talk to them. I was dead. My brother, my best friend, was so far away from me. My parents who thought it was best to keep us in the dark had unknowingly put us in danger. My sweet parents who only wanted for me to succeed in life had ruined my life. I was living with strangers. Four boys who expected me to become some bad ass spy, when all I wanted was to cry in my room. The only other girl I had seen was okay with this lifestyle, even loved it.

I was depressed. I spent my time in the gym working out because that was how I copped with my problems. I knew they watched me. They always did. They were as perplexed by me as I was with them. The one named Khol his blue eyes were kinder than the others like he understood. Derek wasn't awkward around me like the others, maybe he had sisters of his own. JJ always had a cocky smirk on his face like he knew something I didn't. I really wanted to smack the smirk right off his face. Jeremy watched me from afar. It was more like he was studying me, like a specimen under a microscope.

After a month of this I had had enough. I was in the gym working out and I could feel eyes on me.
"Why are you always watching me?!" I yelled I couldn't see them but I knew they were there. JJ stepped out of the shadows. He was on the balcony that overlooked the gym.
"You're intriguing princess" he said and smirked.
"Wipe that smirk off your face or I'm gonna do it for you" I yelled at him. He laughed which pissed me off even more. He walked to the edge of the balcony and came down the stairs to the gym. He was dressed in a black shirt and shorts. He walked over to the shelves that sat at the end of the stairs. He grabbed something and walked over to me still smirking.
"I'd like to see you try" he said and threw something at me. I caught it and looked down at it. Boxing gloves. I looked up at him a look of confusion on my face.
"Come on, wipe this smirk off my face" he says and winks. I pull the gloves on. I'd taking boxing lessons in high school, my dad had gotten them for my birthday. I square up. He lunges at me first, I side step. He left his left side open, I land a punch. He stumbles back surprised. Then grins.
"Yeah baby!" He yells and swings for my head. I duck and try to kick out his legs. He jumps back. He lands a punch in my ribs and I stumble back. He starts to get cocky and leaves his face open. I take the opportunity to haul back and punch him in the jaw as hard as I can. He stumbles back, a shocked look crosses his face. I hear someone clapping and someone else laughing. I look up to see Khol and Derek on the balcony. Derek is clapping with a grin on his face and Khol is doubled over laughing. They both run down the stairs. Derek claps JJ on the back and shakes my hand.
" I'm impressed. This ass hole needed to be put in his place" Derek says. JJ grins at me and picks me up and twirls me in a circle.
"You're one of us now princess!" He says grinning at me.
"Umm put me down" he sets me down and laughs again. Khol smiles at me. Giving me butterflies.
"You did good" he says.
"Was this some kind of test?" I ask. They all laugh.
"Come on" Derek says and throws his arm over my shoulders. Khol falls into step beside me as they drag me from the gym. JJ is practically skipping in front of us.

We stop in the living room and JJ runs to kitchen. He came back arms full of Miller lite beer. I grab one from him and he raises his eyebrows at me. I pop it open and take a long drink. They're all staring at me clearly impressed. They all grab a beer and crack it open. JJ throws himself on the couch. Khol sits on the arm of the chair that's across from the 70" tv. I sit on the other end of the couch and Derek sits between me and JJ.
"Who wants to play videogames?" JJ asks.
" I'll play" I say earning more looks.
"I have a brother guys, stop looking at me like I've grown antlers" I say and set down my beer and grab an Xbox controller.
"What are we playing?" I ask.
" I just want you to know that I'm falling in love with you" JJ jokes and winks at me. Khol walks over to the couch and throws himself in-between me and Derek, beer in hand.
"Were you and your brother close?" He asks me. I nod.
"Yeah he's my best friend or he was" I say and look at the tv. Watching JJ flip through games.
"I'm sorry" Khol says looking down at his beer that he has clasped in his hands.
"I know this is really weird for you. You probably feel like we ruined your life" he says and sighs.
"We did dude" Derek says "I'm sorry too, this must be so weird."
"We're all sorry, even Jeremy" JJ says still looking through games.
"Where is he?" I ask and look around. Wondering if he's lurking somewhere.
"Hiding in his lab probably, he doesn't know what a girl is" JJ smirks.

+++
I wake up from the memory on the cold, hard floor of my cell. Lying flat on my stomach. My neck aches, I reach up and feel a lump. The guns must have been tranq guns. I roll over and sit up. I jump when I realize someone is outside my cell watching me. The figure steps into the light, it's Jeremy. He has gauze tapped over his left eye. His right hand is wrapped as well. I smirk. "What happened to your eye Jer?" I ask him and spit in his direction. He shoves a key in the lock and turns it.
"I wouldn't come in here if I were you Jer, I'll kill you" I say to him calmly. He doesn't say anything he just swings the door open and two men come around the corner that I didn't see. They walk into the cell towards me and I back away, hands up ready to fight. I swing at the guy to my left and catch him in the jaw. He grunts and nails me in the stomach, I gasp for air as they pin me against the wall behind me. Jeremy walks in with a smug look on his face, he punches me in the face and my head bangs against the brick wall. I taste blood in my mouth, I bit my tongue.
"That's for my eye, you bitch" he sneers. I spit my blood in his face and his smug look turns into one of disgust. He wipes the blood off his face and pulls a syringe with a needle attached to it out of his back pocket. It's filled with a red solution. He grins and sticks the needle in my neck and depresses the plunger.

It burns.

My body burns.

I cry out in pain. The two men release me and I collapse to the ground writhing in pain. I scream as the red substance makes it's way to my bloodstream. I could of screamed for hours or maybe minutes before I blacked out from the pain.