In Lakewood, a small town with a reputation of crime, gangs, outcasts and violence, Lana Takumi is an orphan and a gang member disguised in ripped jeans of her late mother and old flannels of her late father. She feels stuck in an endless cycle of b...
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L A N A
JADA ALWAYS HAD A reason to take revenge, but she never necessarily needed a reason to raid a candy store. Other than the fact that it was our twice a year tradition. Plus, money, getting hammered on sugar, and wasted on cheap beer together was what The Sirens lived for. Along with a little bit of scheming combined with a hint of danger.
I lingered behind the girls, periodically scanning both sides of the crooked street of the town of Lakewood dipped in the night with my cautious gaze to constantly confirm that no shadow was following them besides my own.
"Let's hurry up. I have homework to do," Isha said as her short legs carried a slightly faster pace compared to the three of us.
Carmen turned, walking backward to face us. The moonlight above reflected across the surface of her silver belly button piercing. She raised a brow. "Damn, you do homework?
The corners of Isha's lips quirked upwards. "Only because Miss Daisy likes me."
"Miss Daisy likes everyone, right Lana?" Ishani or Isha as we all called her, glanced behind her shoulder and grinned at me while stretching her arms over her head.
Miss Daisy was the history teacher who always held an encouraging mini-speech about why paying attention to history was so mad important before starting her lessons. Some found it cringe and others stupid and annoying. However, Isha liked her because she was the only teacher at Lakewood High who liked the four of us. The rest of the teachers at Lakewood High could barely stand us. Not that they could stand the rest of the teens at Lakewood High either though.
In response to Isha, I scowled and her amused chuckling infiltrated the silent, cold, autumn breeze of late September sneaking upon us. Just because Miss Daisy liked The Sirens, that didn't mean all four of us returned those feelings.
Personally, I found her annoying. Her first-period history lessons on Monday mornings were the shittiest and her big smile was too fucking bright for my half-awake, half-asleep, and barely functioning body that felt a lot like a sack of heavy rocks that I was forced to drag to school from my apartment every morning cause if I didn't graduate this year, I was a total goner.
As I decided to catch up with the girls, we walked jostling and bumping against each other down the soundless street, Isha's playful conversation and Jada and Carmen's chuckling responses carrying us through the night.
As we neared Laker Pop, the town's one and only candy store, the little conversations and chuckling among the girls died off. With an excited glint in the brownness of her eyes, Jada turned to us. "Okay. Let's stay alarmed. Any sign of trouble, stay hidden, and don't do anything before you hear my command."
We nodded and she grinned, white teeth contrasting against her dark brown skin that glowed under the dim light of the streetlamp overhead. "Let's do this, Sirens."
