Skeleton in the closet

“Are you both okay?” Tyler asked with searching eyes as he kept searching me for injuries or burns, I could only nod my head in reply for I was feeling a bit light in the head.

“Are you sure?” Cherry asked with concern written all over her face as we hurried so as to exit the school, Chloe was shaking all over.

“What...” Tyler began to say something I couldn’t really grab.

I then felt someone swoop me up in the air, I smiled at him.

“You’re going to be alright”.

I finally became conscious of what was happening around me.

“I stayed this time” Nick said, I smiled.

“Thanks” I managed to mutter under the oxygen mask I had on.

“How is Chloe? Where is Tyler and Cherry?”

“Whoa, hang on with the questions”

“Chloe is fine, Cherry is with her while Tyler went to get you a bottle of water” he continued.

“What happened to me?”

“You passed out, it looks like you inhaled a lot of smoke in there”.

“Oh”

“What were you thinking?”

“Excuse me?”

“You could have gotten hurt”

“So will Chloe, last time I checked you two aren’t best of friends”.

“It doesn’t matter” I mean I don’t like her, yes because she looks down on people but I can’t watch her get hurt.

“Hi” Tyler said coming in from behind the ambulance.

“You’re awake” he was holding a bottle of water, I started to sit up slowly, I removed the oxygen mask from my face and took the water and drank it, my throat is so dry right now.

“Can you two please promise me something?”

“Sure” they both said at the same time.

“Don’t tell my mom about this, please don’t ask me why just promise”

“OK” Nick responded. I then noticed the way Tyler’s countenance changed suddenly. I was confused.

“Tyler, are you okay?”

“Yeah I am” he said with a smile which I knew was fake.

“I need to go, bye” Nate said getting out of the ambulance.

“Bye, thanks”

“My pleasure bambina”

“Bambina?” Tyler said when Nick left.

“I just shrugged my shoulders, that is to say am surprised also and then it clicked, why didn’t I notice the accent before? They are Italians!!! I secretly smiled to myself. Wait….. Am I falling in love with Nick? No, no, no, no…. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?!

After the fire incident, Tyler and Cherry took me home while Chloe’s dad came to pick her up. School was closed pending when it would be repaired, the fire did a lot of damage to it.

It’s a good thing a fire broke out in school, because I don’t know how long I could take not to breakdown completely form the agonizing voice of Mr. Fredrick our history teacher. As soon as the fire alarm went off I told Nate to take me home.

“Where is Nick?”

“He said he had to take care of something, he will be home soon” Nate replied.

“Speak of the devil”

“Hey”

“Skyler” Nick said nodding his head towards my direction as he took off his jacket.

“Where were you?” I asked

“I had to wait behind”

“Why?”

“Apparently Chloe got trapped inside the fire”

“Really?”

“Yeah, but Tessy saved her”

“She did??”

“Hmm”

“That girl is something” I heard Nate say from the kitchen.

“She really is”

Wait did Nick just smile?

Yeah I need some sleep. I went straight to my room, and slumped on my bed like a sack of potatoes.

Tessy.

What’s with her and helping people? I mean I heard Chloe has been a bitch all her life, if I were Tessy I had let her burn to juicy crisp. Oh well I guess she really is a sweet soul, I feel bad for reacting that way the first time towards her.

I feel like crap…maybe a little water will help. Its three am already?! I can’t believe I slept that long. Going towards the kitchen I saw Nick and his brother about heading out. Where are they going to at this time? I wanted saying something but thought better of it. As they both stepped out I decided to follow them. I always wondered how they got money to take care of us, not like am not grateful about it but I have never seen them go to work and they always tell me not to worry about it.

I watched them drive off, running towards my bicycle I got on it and started paddling like my life depended on it. I had to keep out of sight so they won’t see me. But I must admit, they have been driving for almost an hour, and I don’t think I will make it. I feel like my heart is going to burst right out of my chest. I need to work out more. Finally! After so many turns we came to stop at a huge warehouse of some sorts. I hid my bike behind a bush. I saw Nick pull out an I.D card and swiped, the huge doors to the warehouse gave way, and as soon as they went in I made a mad run for it. I succeeded in getting in before the door closed. I saw huge boxes aligned like stairs leading to the ceiling and decided that’s the best way of staying hidden, taking careful steps towards the top of the stacked boxes I made my way towards the ceiling, the rails were big enough for me to walk on but I just lay on my stomach so I won’t be seen, I watched below as the two brothers approached a man that had his back turned away. There were lots of guards in black suits around him, armed to the fullest. Where they really criminals? No, they are good people, they won’t do that, and Nate won’t do it. The man that was being guarded turned around, he immediately sent a shiver through my spine, and he had a ghastly scar on his cheek, with dirty short brown hair and short fat stature. He gave a hand signal, I was not prepared for what I was about to see, about fifteen girls around my age were dragged in. Their hands and feet were both chained. They looked dirty like they haven’t had their bathe in days, I’m guessing that they lacked food also because they could hardly keep up on their feet, they looked so malnourished. They were forced to sit on the floor on a straight line. Prostitution. They were engaged in a bloody prostitution work! I was too far away to read their lips during their entire conversation. Goddamn!! I had to be freaking deaf!

Nick started to lead the girls towards the exit with Nate close behind him. This is my cue to leave. Quietly I made my way back and started going down the boxes gently, just as I made my way to the last step I tripped.

The way everyone’s neck did a whiplash towards my direction, I’m surprised they are alive.

I was seized up by two huge guards.

“Hey let her go!”

I heard Nick’s voice boom. I was plopped back ungraciously on the floor.

“Sorry’ I said smiling guilty towards the twins. I’m so dead.

“What are you doing here?” Nate hissed grabbing me roughly by my arm.

“What’s going on here?”

“I’m sorry sir, we didn’t know she was following us” Nate replied.

The boss gave me a once over and the sentence he uttered next made my blood run cold.

“Shoot her”.

“Wait!” Nick said standing in front of me. “She is our sister” the twins both said in unison.

“We were careless, we didn’t know she woke up”.

The mess I get myself into.

“Well take care of it or I will do it myself” Did this man just call me “IT?”

“Yes boss” Nick responded, I could see the way he kept gritting his teeth with anger while he stared down at me. I think I will have been better off with that bullet I was promised.

“WHAT WHERE YOU THINKING? YOU COULD HAVE GOTTEN HURT!!!!!” I sat on the sofa in the living as the brothers kept pacing to and fro, clearly pissed.

“So you two aren’t going to explain what is going on? What I saw?”

“She is right Nick, we’re going to have to tell her sooner or later”. I watched as Nick pinch the bridge of his nose and exhaled slowly.

“You two are engaged in criminal activities” I stated.

“It’s not what it looks like”

“Then what did I freaking witness?”

“Have you heard of the Vulcan Mafia?”

“Um… I know just a little about them, they are the most feared, ruthless and most dangerous mafia gang in the whole of Italy” I looked at them, I could feel my eyes bulging out of the sockets, no way!

‘Well that’s where we get money to survive, we aren’t paid that much but its manageable” Nate stated.

“You guys are selling young girls for prostitution, young girls like me, how could you?” I can’t believe they could have the heart to do such a disgusting thing.

“No Sky, it’s just for now, we’re hatching a plan to stop it, it might get us killed but it’s worth a try” Nick continued.

“You should just come out of it, it’s too dangerous” my heart was breaking at that moment, they are all I have.

“We can’t, we already know too much and besides we took an oath, the only way to leave is death Skyler, there is nothing that can be done, it was the price we paid in order for our lives to be spared, we are so sorry”. I started to make my way towards my room, I’m not mad at them I just needed space to think and plus I was really tired, I might as well head to bed.