The Rules They Broke

Chapter 42: The End Part I

OLIVIA

"Olivia, what the hell are you doing?"

Olivia didn't spare Milo a glance and kept watching her Youtube video. "Research."

"What makes you think this is going to help?"

Olivia paused the video and shifted on the uncomfortable bus seats. She glared at Milo. "Because of your idiotic decisions, we are both stuck in this mess. The least you could do is shut up and let me try to help myself."

"And how is watching how to fire a gun going to do anything? You don't even have a gun!"

"That's for me to know and you to not find out."

"Wait." Milo looked her up and down. "Do you?"

"We're here." Olivia pushed the button for the bus to stop, grabbed him by the arm, and pulled him through the doors.

They stood at the bus stop silently as the bus roared off. Olivia looked around at the place she swore she would never come back to and sighed.

"It's that way," Milo said, pointing in the direction that would take them to Madame Cobra's.

"I know," Olivia grumbled, and began walking down the street.

"You've been here before?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but yes," Olivia said. "I used to live here."

Milo stopped. "Wait - really?"

Olivia pushed him to keep walking. "Yes."

"I used to live here too."

"You told me."

"Then, that means-"

"I never saw you, Milo. I don't think we ever met. Just keep walking."

By the time they got to Madame Cobra's, it was dark outside. Olivia and Milo got into an alley opposite the bar and hid behind a garbage can. Olivia took her binoculars from her bag and looked towards the bar. It was closed for the moment; there was no one inside. 

That was strange. The bar was usually open until two in the morning on any given day.

Her heart beat madly. Her brothers could be so close. She was so close. All she wanted to do was burst in there and see if they were there, if they were okay. 

But if anything went wrong, whoever was inside would finally get what they wanted - her.

She just had to make sure this ended right.

"See anything?" Milo asked.

"Why do you care?" Olivia muttered irritably.

Milo looked away. "I know you think I'm a horrible person, but I swear I didn't know what they were going to do."

"And you didn't think that making you find out my address was in the least bit shady?"

"I thought it was just going to be something small, you know," he said uneasily. "A robbery, vandalism - not this."

"But it was all just fake? I bet you never would've even tried to be friends with me if you weren't forced to."

"It wasn't all fake," Milo said softly.

The memory of the feeling of Milo's lips on hers made her want to punch him all over again. She put her binoculars down and put her hands under her thighs so she wouldn't hit him in the nose.

"Milo, why did you ever get into this?" she grumbled.

"I don't know," he murmured. "It's just what all the kids in my neighborhood did. Either you were in one gang or the other. It was just a way to be a part of a group so you wouldn't get beat up on the streets or in school."