1
Amelia
Ifirst saw him leaning against the kitchen counter, a cigarette between his fingers and a bottle of beer in his left hand. A rose tattoo inked into the skin down the side of his neck, and his hands covered in more ink of what I couldn’t make out from where I stood. His forearms covered in sleeves of black and grey artwork. I didn’t know who he was, but I knew what he was about. He was affiliated with the Dog’s Blood crew and known locally by the more civilised members of society as a “gangbanger”. I found myself in a classic cliché, the good girl finding herself on the wrong side of the tracks because her best friend has major daddy issues and I’m the one who sticks by her side to stop her from making bad choices. Or I at least try.
My dad believes I’m staying over at Clare’s tonight, tucked up in her father’s modest six-bedroom mansion, but we’re at a house party in Dog City and I’m counting down the minutes till we’re out of here. It’s clear we don’t belong around these people; our designer clothes and shoes scream it. My heart pounds in my chest knowing trouble looms around these guys. That’s what it’s like in the city. The rich live on the outskirts in our fancy housesand gated communities and the poor people live in the mean streets of Dog City.
While my father loves me and goes overboard trying to protect me, Clare’s father barely remembers he has a daughter. Her mom died while giving birth to her and she’s had numerous nannies raising her since the day she came home from hospital. She acts out all the time for his attention and only gets it when she’s in trouble and needs him to bail her out. She was caught shoplifting in a designer boutique last year and after one phone call he was there, paid off the owner and chewed Clare out before going back to his offices and once again forgetting she existed. But she was happy for that hour of interaction with him.
Hence why we’re here, her newest tactic to get his attention is to date a gangbanger from the wrong side of town. Mr. Burley will burn this city down when he hears of it, but Clare won’t care as long as he’s seeing her, talking to her, even if he’s yelling at her.
I walk into the crowded living room, the music thumping through my veins, and find her bent over the coffee table with a rolled-up bill to her nose. She snorts the white powder off the glass table and throws herself back on the couch, euphoria washing over her. Meanwhile, her so-called boyfriend laughs and tucks into the lines that are left. This is the second time I’ve met him and from what I’ve seen, I don’t like.
He leans back with her and hollers toward the ceiling. I’m left cold and angry. She’s a lot of things, but she isn’t a drug user. He’s taking advantage of her, leading her astray, and I leap into action. Stepping around the coffee table, I’m yanked back when someone tightens their grip around my upper arm.
I hiss at the pain shooting up into my shoulder and try to shrug out of the hold. I don’t budge and my eyes travel up to see who’s touching me. I don’t recognise him. Most of his face ishidden by ink and one eye is marred by a thick white scar. He’s terrifying.
“Tariq is spending time with his girl, he doesn’t want to be interrupted, you feel me?”
I find myself nodding out of sheer panic, but I have no intention of leaving my friend. I knew we shouldn’t have come tonight. I spent all day trying to talk her out of it, but she wouldn’t listen, just like this guy won’t listen to me. There’s no one upping these people, they are the dogs in our world who aren’t afraid to bite, and they don’t care for gender when it comes to an attack from what I’ve seen on the news. My heart is pounding so hard it feels like it’s stopped beating altogether. His fingers uncurl from my arm, and the rush of blood pumping once again causes it to ache. He’s going to leave a bruise.
Instead of walking away, he slings his arm around me and leads me back into the kitchen. I’ve been on edge since we arrived, but darkness is growing to a blackness I didn’t know existed and my stomach growing queasy warns me the night hasn’t even begun. Thick smoke hangs in the kitchen but it doesn’t hide the silent threats lingering between each gangbanger. I’ve never felt like I didn’t belong anywhere until tonight. It’s never been so obvious I’m from a different world even though we live in the same city.
“I’ve found a lost lamb, who wants her?” the guy hollers and every set of eyes land on me, all roaming the length of my body. Some smirking and others curling their top lip in disgust.
This can’t be happening. He’s out right offering me up like I’m not a human being. I’m about to be slaughtered and for what? To fail at keeping my friend safe all because she seeks her father’s attention. I need to get out of here. There are four guys between me and the back door, but I refuse to show fear, as hard as it is.
I pull away from him, but his hand shoots out and grips onto my sweater. I doubt he could even afford to replace it if he rips it, not that I’d dare ask him to.
“As you can see, she’s a little feisty. Whoever wants her is gonna have to like that kinda thing.”
“Let me go,” I grind out.
He swings his eyes on me and I freeze. “Stupid little rich girl, you all want to come over to the dark side and fuck us and throw us out when you’re done with the trash. I’m just hurrying the process along for you.”
This is nothing but a game to him. You know when you meet people, you can quickly work out if you can push them, stand up to them, or even like them. I can sense this man doesn’t back down and I grow more afraid by the second.
“I’ll take her,” I hear and my head snaps over tohim.
Placing his beer bottle on the counter, his cigarette gone, he walks toward us with a slight swag to his posture, and I swallow thickly.
A thousand possibilities race through my mind what he wants me for, and I want to cry. But I won’t shed a single tear in front of these people.
The guy who offered me up shoves me forward and I stumble into the guy’s arms. His hands hold onto my arms, holding me tightly but it’s not biting like his friend’s grip.
“Beer?” he asks, lifting my chin so I’m looking straight up at him.
“No.”
“You sure?” He reaches around me and grabs two bottles from the ice bucket on the counter. “I think you’re going to need it.”
My head grows heavy on my shoulders and I’m pretty sure if I faint, I’ll wake up gang raped and left for dead. I’ve got to keep it together.
Damn you, Clare, but damn myself more. I made the decision to come here tonight even though I knew it was wrong.
“Come on,” he instructs but leaves me no choice when he holds the two bottles in one hand and drops his other to take hold of mine. I’m pulled through the bodies hanging around in the kitchen and hall, leaving them all laughing at me.
My mind begins shutting down. Whatever happens tonight, I’ll store it away in the deepest part of my mind and block it all out.
