Santiago closes the front door behind him as he leaves, going out to smoke. I told Amelia I'd talk to him. Actually, I told her I'd apologise, but that's not happening.

Someone hops onto my back then slides down. Startled, I spin around, thinking it's a little kid that's here for some reason, but it's just Val.

"Guess what?" I beams.

"Qué?"

"I passed my driving test!"

"Jesus, do they realise who they're putting on the roads?"

"I'm an awesome driver! Wanna test out my skills?" For some reason those words that come out of his mouth seem like he's said them hundreds of times before and in the wrong context.

"No, gracias," I turn around and take steps to the door.

"You're not gonna congratulate me?"

"I was, but now that you've said that it'll be weird if I do."

"Oh, right. Of course."

When I'm outside, I hesitantly sit beside Santiago on the porch bench. He doesn't look at me, just focuses on something in the distance and inhales his cigarette.

"Things got... a little out of hand."

He sighs, the smoke coming out his mouth, and drops his cigarette hand. "I'm sorry for the shit I said."

"Wait what? You just said you're sorry?"

"Yes, Alex. We're don't all care about our pride as much as you do."

I run my hand through my hair, building up the strength. "I shouldn't have hit you."

He shrugs. "I had it coming, besides, Mom made you pay for that."

"I know, you little prick," I shove his shoulder and he smiles a little.

He speaks after taking another draw. "Look, I'll cut down how much I take as long as you stay out of it. You just make me want to take more to annoy you."

"And how'd that end up?"

"Not good," he rolls his eyes. "Don't look around my shit again or i'm seriously done with you."

"Fine." I look at the cigarette in his hand and want it. Can you ever look at one and not want it if you've smoked before? I take it, allowing myself this one time and he gives me an annoyed look, then takes another from the box beside him and lights it.

The cig coming to my lips, I inhale, closing my eyes and the long draw burns my throat. I used to love that feeling, and every time I smoke I get a small reminder of why. Santiago watches me, thinking. "Why'd you stop smoking?"

I think hard, looking for an excuse further than it's bad. "Every time I smoked I felt guilty, like as if I was hurting people, and myself. It's great, but I knew I couldn't let myself get addicted." I pause, looking into his blue eyes that are so different from Amelia's. I never found blue eyes so interesting until now; how they're all different. 'Tiago's are electric light blue with white flares going through them, and Amelia's are a deep blue with green spreading into them like fire into water.

"Addiction scares me," I continue, "It scares me to depend on something instead of just myself, or to feel like you need something or you're gonna die." Saying these words aloud, I discover that I am addicted to something. I'm addicted to Amelia Miller. Shit.

"You must be pretty strong minded to do that," he says before putting his cigarette to his lips, losing all interest in what I said.

"So, are we good now?"

"Sí," he mumbles and I stand up, taking a last draw and dropping the cig. "Oh, and I'm happy for you and Amelia, by the way," he squints his eyes, looking up at me.

"Thanks. I'm happy for you and... tobacco," I smirk, earning an eye roll from him, and go inside.

+++

Maybe distance from Amelia is good. If I am addicted, we'll find out now. I don't think I am, I mean it's only been an hour since I last saw her and I'm completely fine.

Why am I looking around the halls for her then? Holy shit, just look at the floor or something. This isn't healthy.

"Alex," I look up at a random boy who's watching me nervously, and I can't decide whether or not I need to beat him up. What can he want? Has something happened to- "Yasmin needs you. She's up at her locker."

I furrow my eyebrows. This can't be good. Nodding at the boy which seems to relax him, I start walking to where Yasmin's locker is, seeing her standing with half her head hidden inside it.

"Que pasa?"

"Drank... Too... Much," she barely manages and her head falls onto her locker door which swings backwards and I catch her in time before she falls.

"For fuck sake, Yasmin," I keep my voice low, looking around and helping her stand up. "You reek of vodka. You can't go to class like this."

"Ya think?" She sighs, leaning against me. "I need to...to lie down."

"Stand up straight. You'll be in so much shit if someone tells a teacher you're drunk."

She whimpers, her face against my shoulder. "I wanna go home."

"Okay, I'll take you." After closing her locker, I help her walk down the corridor and she tries to look sober but does a terrible job.

We're almost at the door when Principal Harris turns the corner and comes walking towards us. "Mierda," I cuss. "Look down." If he takes one look in her drowsy and rolling eyes he'll know she's out of it.

"Everything okay?" Harris eyes Yasmin suspiciously.

"Yeah, she's just really sick. I'm taking her home – do you mind telling Ms. Meyer I'll be in class late?"

"Um, sure. Your Mom or Enrico can't come for her?"

"No, they're working." I tighten my arm around Yasmin and start walking. "We should go."

"Okay. Get better soon, Yasmin."

"Thanks," Yasmin mumbles loud enough for him to hear and I keep walking, wishing I could shout at everyone to stop fucking staring. Do they seriously have nothing better to do than gossip about my family and I's life?

"What happened? You stopped drinking at school this past week," I say, getting into the drivers seat of my car.

"Nunca paré. I just drank less."

"So why the sudden overload on alcohol?"

Her face screws up in pain and she lays her head against the window, and she begins to sob. "A girl."

"What? Did someone do something to you?" My grip on the steering wheel tightens.

"Not me. Jace."

"Who did something to Jace?"

"He did something to her too."

"What are you talking about?"

She covers her face with her hands and I realise how strange it is to see her this upset. I know for a fact that if she wasn't this drunk then she would hold her tears until she got home and was alone. "She was telling the girl next to me about her and Jace. In detail."

I sigh. "That's why you drank this much?"

"No, Alex, you dumbass. Do you know anything about girls?" She gives me an accusing glare and I shrug. "Girls don't break down over one thing... Shit has to build up until it gets too much and then you can end up crying over your abuela who you haven't spoken to in a year along with twenty other things. This was just the last straw."

"What things are you upset about?"

"I'm drunk but I ain't stupid," she shakes her head and my plan to get everything out of her that she doesn't tell me fails.

"You told me about Jace."

She lays against the window again. "I don't like Jace."

"Obviously."

"I hate him."

"Clearly."

"He makes me sad."

The sound of her voice makes me sad. Jace isn't even with her or sleeping with her and he still manages to cause her pain. I don't know how I can still be friends with the guy when in moments like this I have so much hate for him.

When I park my car in the driveway, I walk round to the passenger side to help Yasmin out, but see that she's sound asleep. I groan, unbuckling her seatbelt and lifting her into my arms and carrying her inside. Upstairs, I hear someone in one of the rooms, so I walk quietly hoping it isn't Mom. Just when I'm going into Yasmin's room, Mom comes out of Max and Marco's room.

"Qué haces?" She comes closer, her face turning to anger when she sees Yasmin. "What did she do? You two should be in school!"

I lay Yasmin down on her side, pulling her covers over her. "Let it go; she's upset."

"Why?"

"She wouldn't say," I leave out the thing with Jace.

"Why would she drink at school? That's ridiculous."

I shut off the light and close the door. "I don't know. Look, if I was you, I'd cut off their allowances. Val too."

"Why? Are they both drinking a lot?"

I decide against telling her about Val's relationship with drugs. "Sí. If they didn't then they wouldn't need all the money they get."

"You should have told me sooner."

"I'm telling you now."

Mom leans against the wall and puts her hand over her mouth. "Why are they drinking? Are they that upset about their lives?"

"They'll grow out of it," I assure, pulling her into a hug. I'm like a fucking superhero today.

I'm in my car, about to go back to school when Amelia's name flashes on my screen. My smile from the thought of her is short lived when I read the text.

I freeze, my eyes rereading the text over and over again. It's Johnny. It must be. He has Amelia.

My foot is on the gas pedal and I'm heading in the direction of the warehouse, my mind going over all the things he could do to her if i'm not there fast enough. If he's hurt her I will never forgive myself.

Getting out of my car, I run inside the place that's surrounded by police tapes. The first thing I see is Amelia sitting on the ground with blood covering the side of her head.

"Alex," she cries.

"Stop!" Johnny walks out from behind some crates, a gun held up and pointed at Amelia.

I freeze in my steps, looking between the gun and the girl I love. This isn't real. This can't be fucking real. There's no way out of this.

"Nice to see you again, Fuentes."

"The feelings not mutual," I clench my fists at my sides.

"I was saying that to be nice, but I guess we're not here to play nice, are we?"

"What do you want?"

"You to die," his face turns angry. "You ruined this whole thing, and now i've got cops searching for me. You ruined my life. Cal died trying to kill you, but here you fucking are."

"Why are you bringing her into this?" I look at Amelia as she looks at me, terrified.

Johnny grabs her arm, pulling her up and puts the gun against her skull, Amelia squeezes her eyes shut, shaking. I stand completely still, afraid if I make a move he'll pull the trigger. "Because I'm going to kill everyone you love."

"It's me that should have died. Kill me."

"Oh, don't worry, I will. But first you're going to watch me kill her," he looks at Amelia, his finger on the trigger tightening.

"Stop!" I take a step closer which makes him push the gun harder against Amelia's head. "Please, let her go. Just kill me. You're right, I should have died when Cal did. That's not anyone else's fault, so kill me."

"No," Amelia whimpers, looking me in the eye.

"Aw, isn't that cute?" Johnny sneers. "Young love, how stupid it is. Look at you two now, both already six feet under." He sighs, his finger preparing to pull the trigger. "It's a shame, she's so pretty," he pouts mockingly, and my heart stops beating as I know he's about to do it.

At the last second, I jump forward and shove Johnny backwards, pushing his arm in the other direction and the bullet fires somewhere in the warehouse. I punch him, and he holds the gun up at me so I twist his arm in a weird way, making his face screw up in pain and his misshaped hand drops the gun and I kick it away.

"Run!" I shout to Amelia and she's hesitant before doing so. Johnny's fist is connected with my jaw and I stumble backwards, trying to keep myself up. That fucking hurt. Does he have metal fists?

He moves closer and I dodge his next punch, lifting my leg and kicking him between the legs. He groans in pain, then looks at me with so much rage his face turns red. I can't predict his next move, and he ends up punching me in the gut – a sensitive area as a result of Caligari's knife. He knows that.

He punches me another two times and I scream out in pain, falling to my knees. A bad move. A punch in the face, kick in the stomach. I've never felt pain like this before. It's different from being stabbed, because the pain is everywhere, and I can't figure out if it's just as painful or worse.

I see him lift his foot again, already wincing before it kicks my stomach. "Had enough?" He yells.

I take a few breaths, looking down at the blood seeping through my t-shirt. "No," I struggle to stand up and Johnny just lets me, but as soon as i'm up he's punching me again. I dodge a single punch and use that off guard moment to hit him, but i'm weak right now, so it only takes him a second to recover. He laughs coldly, and I try to hit him again, but with my vision so blurry, I can barely see where he is and he moves out of the way.

"You're going to die the weak little boy you are," he says before punching me hard in the stomach. The impact makes me fall to the floor, my back hitting the hard concrete and I struggle for air. It feels as if my lungs are being squashed and they are unable to function. It's almost impossible to breath, just like the night I got stabbed. He walks beside me and kicks me in the side. I begin to choke and cough, and blood comes out of my mouth.

Johnny is out of my sight for a moment, and I start to hope he just decided to go home and leave me like this, but I soon see a blurry figure walking towards me again, and he extends his hand, the gun pointed at my head. This is it. This is when I die.

In the few seconds I have, I try to prepare myself for death. I hope that Amelia managed to get away from here, and I pray to God that he doesn't find her again. I've never really prayed before, but deep down i've always hoped that there is a God up there who is watching over us all. If there isn't, wouldn't the world be a fucking lonely place? I pray in that moment that everything will be okay and my family will be happy. They deserve to be happy. I pray that once i'm gone this will all be over and they won't have anymore problems.

"Bye bye, Fuentes."

Gun shot.

+++

😭😰

vote, comment, follow

ly

-e