Chapter One
Wraith
(Three Years Later)
Frani and I are currently at the store getting supplies for the party she’s throwing before we go back to school tomorrow.
Every year she has a back to college party at the gangs hangout spot/club.
A spot Guildford bought and fixed up and has had since he was eighteen.
He told me that he saved up all the money he earned working for this place and I’ve got to say the place looks good, and it’s damn sure something he should feel proud about.
“Seriously Frani?” I ask as she places some party blowers into the cart.
“What, you know I like them when partying.” She says.
Rolling my eyes I make my way to the liquor section. I take a deep breath as I look at the aisle full of alcohol. It feels good to finally be legal to buy adult beverages.
“Just grab one of everything.” Frani says.
“Down girl, we don’t need murderers at the party.” I state. “Unless we’re doing the killing.”
We both smirk at each other before grabbing a couple bottles of different kinds of alcohol. We’re in a biker club and having various types of alcohol is a must. Once we’re done with the beverages I take a look at the basket.
“Okay we’ve got the food, drinks, party decorations, anything else?” I ask.
Frani does a check of the basket herself before shaking her head.
“No, I think we’re good.” She says, taking the basket from me and pushing it towards the cash registers.
“Wait we need water, I don’t want to have to beat a drunk assholes ass for getting out of hand.” I said.
“Go get it, I’ll be in line.” She informs me.
I go get the water before meeting Frani in line.
After paying for the stuff we load the items in the gangs community van before sliding in ourselves.
I can’t stand cars and vans, I find them confining and just ugly.
Frani turns on the engine and drives us to the hang out spot.
Pulling into the driveway we see, Ghostin, aka, Justin cleaning his hands free of oil.
His clothes are dirty and his arms look as if he just played in motor oil. He watches us get out of the van.
“Get everything you need?” He asks.
“Yep, got everything now we just need to set up the place and get ourselves ready before its time for the party to start.” Frani said, walking to the back of the van.
“Cool, did you get my beer or any liquor?” he asks.
“Who do you think we are? We know you need your beer and or liquor on a daily basis.” I state. “So of course we got you some.”
I pull out the bag with the beer in it and hold it up for Justin to see. He grins his big toothy grin and nods.
“Thanks bugs.” He says, before focusing back on fixing his bike.
We haul the bags inside and I am bossed around by Frani to help decorate the place which takes us an hour and a half because we would stop and argue for a moment before continuing our task with no apology to one another.
“Thanks to you I’m behind schedule.” Frani says, hands on her hips.
I flip her off.
“If you would’ve just let me decorate without your annoying voice shouting at me that what I’m doing is wrong you wouldn’t be.” I argue.
“Uh, if I hadn’t the place would look atrocious.” She argues. “Men cannot decorate a room without it looking terrible.”
“Fuck you Frani, we can too.” I retort.
She sticks her tongue out at me mockingly before heading towards the door.
“Alright well I’m going to head out and go back to the house to get ready.” She said. “See you at the party?”
“Obviously.” I say.
She blows me a kiss before exiting the club.
I love that girl like we’re blood related siblings but fucking hell man she can get under your skin sometimes.
Moments later I hear her motorcycle start and she rides out.
I should be following her to do the same, but I don’t need much time to get ready unlike her.
So instead, I stay a while and head to the fridge in the back where only members of The Dark Archez are allowed.
It’s a private hangout spot in the club for when we have parties but need a breather or want to hide a drink or some food from guests.
I open the fridge and bring out an energy drink.
“You guys are throwing a party tonight?”
Closing the fridge door I turn to see Fritzi, the son of the vice president, Uncle Aziz.
I’m older then Fritzi by a year and he seems more of a brother than a friend, although I still miss my real brother sometimes.
Fritzi is always there to distract me from my grief whether he knows it or not though.
And if he’s not around just the reminder of the tattoo of my brother’s name near my beating heart helps as well.
“You know we do every year before school starts.” I respond, taking a sip of the energy drink.
“Well, I didn’t know when the party was going to be.” Fritzi says, walking over to me and clapping me on my back.
He takes my drink and gulps some of it down. He hands it back to me, or at least tries to, I don’t take it, I just stare at him like he’s a fucking pest that won’t leave me alone.
“You’re not going to take it?” he asks.
“You can have it.” I grit out before stalking to the exit of the kitchen.
“Thanks, I’m going to need it for the party.”
“Uh-huh.” I say, digging my keys out of my pocket. “I’m going to get ready.”
“Me too.” Fritzi says behind me.
Sighing I roll my eyes and head out to my baby boy.
My heart smiles when I see him in all his glory.
My baby! Getting on the shiny grey bike I turn it on and bask in the harmonious feeling the engine exudes.
It’s like if home had a feeling this would be it for me.
Revving the engine I back out of the driveway and zoom home, letting the wind and the adrenaline take me to one of my happy places.
“I was wondering when you’d come home.” Guildford says, standing on the porch.
I get off my bike and head over to him.
“Your sister is already in there getting dressed and putting her makeup on.” He adds.
“Yeah, I know I was with her before she parted from me and came here.” I state. “And I’m about to do the same.”
I move past him and he follows me into the house.
“Hey, everything good?” he asks.
I stop in my tracks and turn to face him.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” I reply.
He takes a moment to look at me before nodding.
“Alright, I’m just checking on you.” He says. “You’re no longer that little boy I met thirteen years ago.”
No, I’m not. That boy, that version of me was joyful, always found the good in everything, loved to help cook with his grandpa before he died but that version of me died right along with my parents and made room for the new me, the me I’ve grown into today.
I’m thankful for Guilford and his willingness to adopt me otherwise I’d either be hungry on the street somewhere as an undergraduate or dead so in a way he was a tiny light in the darkness that was about to take over my life back then and still is the light in the dark. .. well whenever he can be.
When I welcomed the darkness with open arms I started to shut off at times and really hurt people.
Like at school when I was in sixth grade I broke a high schoolers hand for trying to touch another girl without her permission.
She was lucky someone was around otherwise I’m pretty sure she would have gotten raped.
I mean they were both seniors and I knew what was happening, but she took too long for my liking to stop the fucking bastard.
When I entered high school we were in a lock down because some man was on campus with a knife looking to harm others.
I was in the bathroom when the school went on lockdown so instead of staying in the stall I stalked the hallways in search of the man.
After finding him and him attempting to kill me I grabbed the knife from him and plunged it into his throat, slicing three-fourths of his tongue out his mouth.
It had laid there, limp, as the man laid next to it, life seeping out of him with each second that has passed.
If the court didn’t deem my actions as self-defense, I would have been in jail for murder right now.
So it’s safe to say that sometimes I black out and do some very terrible things to people without a fucking care in the world.
To this day I don’t feel bad for the people I’ve harmed in the past and sleep like a fucking kitten at night.
Guildford just tries to look out for me as if I were his own flesh and blood and sometimes it’s hard for me to take.
“I know.” I say. “If I’m not alright, you’d know.”
He nods.
“I hope so and I hope we’d be able to bring you back before you fall over the edge.”
No, the world better hope I don’t fall over the edge because if I do, I’d have all those who are evil in the world shaking in their damn boots. I’d be the king of darkness.