Neutral Zone (Jordan Baker) COMPLETED

Chapter Eighteen: Love

Jordan's POV:
        Asher and I were walking back home after Dad took us to see Malibu's team. We ended up getting into a fist fight over what happened with Olivia. He was saying that it wasn't like that but how else would it be like? Dad stopped us not even a full minute into the fight. Dad was pissed cause we embarrassed him in front of the entire team including the cheerleaders and the coach and is now making us walk back down. "You really think he's gonna make us walk all the way back? It's like 10 miles, dude,"
       I didn't say anything but kept walking.
"Will you let me explain?"
      I stopped in my tracks and looked at him. "Was she sober?"
     He didn't say anything but looked away. "Exactly and you knew she was going through a hard time,"
     I scoffed and kept walking. "We both were,"
      "Right. Star wide receiver, living in a mansion, dating the most popular girl in school. Sounds rough,"
     "Sounds like your jealous,"
     That made me stop and looked at him. "Jealous of what?"
"Me and Layla,"
      "You and Layla? Why would I be jealous? I have my girl and she has me. There's nothing to be jealous for,"
     I don't know what had happened but his entire body language changed. "I'm not living in that mansion. We lost the house and we're broke. My dad got laid off last year, and we lost everything. That's why my mom left him. That's why she left us,"
"This is what Chrissy was saying. Why didn't you just tell me?"
        "It's embarrassing, man. I-I didn't take advantage of your sister. I was depressed, and she was, too, and it just happened. Once. We were both messed up. It was a mistake and I-I'm sorry,"
      I decided then that Chrissy and Olivia were both right and that Asher wasn't just to blame. "So you just threw that huge party at someone else's home? Two DJs,"
       "Destroyed their car, too,"
      We both started to laugh as Dad pulled up slurping on a drink. "You boys good now?"
        "We're good,"
       "All right. The long walk home works every time. Hop in. We got a game to get ready for,"
        I lifted the seat up so Asher could climb in the back as I climbed into the front seat. I turned on the radio as Dad started to drive again. "This just in. There's been a shooting in South Crenshaw at China Q's album release party. One dead. Multiple people with injuries. The police are saying it's gang-related,"
      "Isn't they where-"
      I cut him off before he finished and started to dial my sister's number. "Layla, Olivia, Chris, and Spencer are all at,"
      She picked up on the second ring. "I'm fine. I wasn't near it,"
      I felt relief flood through my body. "Thank God, what about the others?"
      "I don't know. Chrissy left to go find Spencer and Layla just minutes before the shooting started,"
"Thank God," I heard Asher said.
        I turned around and he looked at me already knowing what I was about to ask.
"What about Chrissy?"
     "No, She was on the way to find you and Spencer,"
      I took that as Layla didn't know where Chrissy was either. I said my goodbyes to Liv and called Chrissy.
"Hey! This is Chrissy. Leave a message at the tone,"
      That relief quickly turned into terror as she wasn't picking up her phone. "Damn it, Chrissy,"
       I called it again and it went to her voicemail again. I turned and looked at my father and was about to ask if he could drive us to Crenshaw. "Already on it,"
-----
       When we arrived, it was night but there were people still talking to the police. I looked around to see if I could spot anyone and I saw Spencer and Coop yelling about something and Coop taking off. I then saw my sister talking to that Chris guy and Layla running for Asher. I walked up to my sister as I heard him asking for her number, which ignored. "Hey, Olivia ha-"
     Chris interrupted what I was saying. "Excuse me, we were in the middle of something,"
     I turned to look at him and got close to him  "Yeah and I'm trying to see if my sister has seen my girlfriend which is more important than you getting her number seeing as no one seen or hear from her since the shooting. So back off," I said.
      He took a couple of steps away from with his hands up. Olivia looked at me. "Jordan,"
       "I'm not apologizing. Have you seen her since we last talked?"
      "No, I haven't,"
     I heard Spencer start to yell but couldn't hear what he was saying till I got closer. "Yo get an ambulance over here! Jordan!"
         I saw he was sitting on the ground with a person laying in his lap. I took off over there and as I got closer to her, I could see that it was Chrissy. She was crying, covered in dirt and her clothes were ripped. I slowed my pace as I got near her, and I saw how truly lifeless she looked.
"Chrissy,"
     Her eyes snapped opened and looked at me but quickly closed again. "I'm guessing you're Jordan?"
     I turned around and saw some guy asked walking up to us. "Yeah, who are you?"
      "The person who saved your girlfriend's life,"
       The paramedics came rushing to Chrissy's side as I was talking to this guy. "What do you mean?"
      "I was walking past an alleyway when I heard a girl screaming and I rounded the corner and saw two guys holding a girl down with a knife pointed at her side. I didn't know they were gonna stabbed her until she screamed out loudly in pain and I shouted at the guys and they took off,"
      I looked over at the paramedics as they lifted her shirt up and it revealed a stabbed wound. The paramedics covered the wound up and they put her on a grunee. "She's lost a lot of blood, we need to get to the hospital now,"
       I knew I couldn't go in the ambulance with her but I walked beside her until the put her into the ambulance. I turned around and looked at the guy who was telling me about what happened. I walked up closer to the guy. "How do we know that you're not the one who stabbed her?"
         "Jordan, chill. He's the one who helped her,"
        "Helped her, how?"
        "Your girlfriend is stubborn. After being stabbed, she tried to walk back I guess here which to be fair is only like a two-minute walk but with a stab wound? Anyways, I ran up to her and tried to get her to stop because I didn't want her to lose enough more blood but she wasn't having it so I picked her up and carried her here until Spencer here told me that he knew her and she was also saying something about needing to call a Jordan,"
       "Likely story,"
       "Does a Grant ring any bells to you?"
       "Yea, that's her stepfather,"
       "One of the guys said 'Grant says hello',"
-----
    I ended up spending the night at Spencer's cause I didn't want to go too far from Chrissy since she was at Crenshaw hospital. Even though I couldn't sleep. Grant actually came through with these threats. If it wasn't for that random dude, who knows what would've happened.
       "Mr. And Mrs. Hendricks," I said as I walked into the hospital. "Jordan, hey,"
    "How is she doing?"
     "She's stable but she hasn't woken up yet, "
      "Can I see her?"
      "Sure,"
     I walked into the room that told and I saw Chrissy laying there asleep still looking lifeless. My heart dropped. All I wanted to see that smile that could turn any bad day into a good one. I was just to see the girl who made me the happiest guy in the world awake and laughing. The girl who I was completely and utterly in love with. I walked over to her and kissed her hand. L "Please wake up, I need to see that beautiful smile that is only for me. The smile I love on the person I'm in love with,"
      "In love with?"
My head shot up at the sound of her voice.
"Yes. In love with. I'm completely in love with you,"
She smiled weakly. "I'm in love with you too,"