Its 3am when my head hits the pillow.

"Goodnight, sweetheart." Mason kisses my forehead, then they all do before they leave.

We all need to get some sleep; we have to be in school in a few hours.

Before I drift off to sleep, I think about the day. It was a long ass day. So much happened today, well yesterday, that it feels like it was a whole week all on its own.

We definitely stepped on a path none of us can go back on. All of us want this, whatever it is. We have business to finish. And none of us are leaving until we see it through. And there's 50% chance of it ending either way. But I'll go. With them, I'll go anywhere. I feel like I owe it to myself to see it through.

The next time I wake it's because my phone is ringing. I yawn as I pick it up. Its mom. I love the woman, but I am so tired.

"Mom." I say in a sleepy voice

"Why are you still in bed!" she comes in a voice that is too enthusiastic for me. I am happy, but damn, can she speak lower.

"It's 6am, mom."

"And you are always up at 5. Where were you last night?"

I groan. Then the phone line goes dead.

Rude.

Then I groan again when she video calls me. I want to laugh. She thinks I'm hungover probably. I answer.

"Where is the trust, lady?" I say

"Move the phone away from your face, I wanna get a clear view."

I roll my eyes, but I indulge her.

"See, see." I move my face making all sorts of faces.

"Just making sure. When I said live a little, I didn't mean party all weekend."

"But mom that's literally what other kids do. You are contradicting yourself."

"You aren't 18 yet."

"I'll be 18 in 2 days, moot at this point."

I see pain in her face. And I sigh.

"I'm sorry I won't be there, my baby. I wish...I wish things could be different. I miss you so much." Her eyes glaze over, and it stabs at my heart. All at once I feel bad I'm going to have a birthday, even though it isn't my fault. I don't want my mom to be sad about anything. I would take her pain in my body if I could.

"Mom, don't do that. This illness isn't your fault." My own tears burn my lids.

"If only everyone thought that."

And I know who she speaks of my father. I don't know when things changed. My father had been a doting father and husband when I was growing up.

Everything changed that fateful day 9 years ago. My parents grew distant. My father started withdrawing from us. He was home less and less and traveling more. My mother never said anything to me, but I know she was lonely.

He became something none of us recognized. I guess breaking up with his best friends took a much bigger toll on him and he held on to his work, instead of his family. You'd think somebody made him betray his family.

"He's just a dick, mom."

She chuckles. "I will reach through this screen and whoop your butt, Zaz, if you don't watch that tongue."

I chuckle. "I'd like to see you try, lady." I challenge

She shakes her head. "So, what happened this weekend? Anything I should know about? And how was the carnival?"

"Mom, I already told you it was fine."

"I let it go because I saw there was something you didn't want to talk to me about. So, spill." She says eagerly

"Mom, you are too eager for the gossip in my life."

"I am your best friend, Zaz. Cum'on, spill, girl." She said in her gossip squeal

I shook my head. Then I remembered my weekend. The boys. Do I tell her? How will she take it if I do? Do I just lie?

Another call comes through. Bas.

"Mom, I'm getting another call."

"Who is calling you this early?"

"Mm, wouldn't you like to know." I grinned

"Zaz, don't you dare drop my call."

I folded my lips.

"Zaz. Zaz!"

I dropped her. It was evil but I'll text her.

I answered Bas.

"Hey babe." He greeted me. It made me feel so warm to have him call me that. I was really with them now. We were together.

We were, right?

"Hey, Sebastian." I call him like I used to all those years ago

"I missed you calling me that." I hear his smile even on this end

I smile like a fool. "I missed you too."

He chuckles. "Still an early riser?"

"Actually, I overslept, I was just on the phone with mom. She woke me."

"How is she?" I hear the sad note in his voice

"She had the energy of James Brown today. She was even squealing." I tell him and he chuckles.

"I would have loved to hear that. You should record her for me. I miss her."

"I will."

Silence befalls us before he says. "Thank you for giving us a chance. I know we were pieces of shit."

"I guess we both have shit to be sorry for. I'm sorry about what my father did for what it's worth." I say something that's been a big elephant between us.

He sighs. "Yeah, well that's the past, Zar."

Tears burn the back of my eyes but I blink them away. I don't want to cry. Its 6am in the morning.

"Um, I guess I'll see you at class." I say

"I will see you in a few, babe." He says and we hang up.

I text my mom and she texts back. We had a funny back and forth. I really want this treatment to work for her, for me, for us. She still has so much to teach me. I want her to be here for everything I will do. She has to be here to watch me graduate, she has to see me to college, she has to be at my graduation and throw me the party of the century, she has to see me get married and have my first child. She just has to. She has to.

I prepare for school, and I head downstairs. I meet Simba at our foyer and we head out.

Bas and Jose are sitting outside in one of the benches and they rise when they see me with smiles on their faces. I can't help smiling back.

"Willow, what is...?"

"Hey baby," Jose comes and I think we are hugging but he pulls my face and kisses me. He groans in my mouth, and I smile. He kisses my forehead when he pulls away. A body covers me from the back and Bas kisses my neck.

"I want my kiss too." He says in my ear.

A throat clears near us, and I meet Simba's mouth that's on the floor.

"Cele, you should beat it. We'll walk her." Jose says in a tone that is laced with possessiveness

I roll my eyes. I move from both of them. "We can walk together."

"Um, no. I, uh, I'll see you." Then he sprints away

The idiots next to me chuckle.

"Well, thanks, Mr. Kissy Face."

"What? Are you ashamed of us?"

"Of course not, but it would have been nice to have a chance to tell the only friend that I have that something is going on between me and his bullies."

Bas rolls his eyes. "Well, our way was shorter. I'm sure he received the message."

Bas hooks his arm on my shoulder and Jose takes my hand and we start walking. I don't miss the stares, but I couldn't care less. I've never had any friends here anyway and this attention I'm used to it by now.

"What message were you sending?"

"That you are ours." Jose answers

"Well, everyone knows now."

"Good."

I roll my eyes again. We walk in the dining hall, and we head to the line for food. They pull me straight to the front.

I remember now, they never stand in line for food. They just go to the front, and everyone gives them space. People also avert their eyes. They don't really look at them in the eye. I shake my head. Humans are such weird creatures.

We get our breakfast. Bas carries my food for me, and Jose has my school bag. It's ridiculous.

Mason winks at me when we near the table. I sit next to Leo. He looks off. I wonder what's with him.

"Sup with you, Tatsu?"

He just shakes his head. "It's nothing to worry about, Hoshi. Just eat your breakfast." He gives me a tight smile.

As I try to figure out how I'm gonna get him to talk, warm hands come from behind. Mason. He kisses the base of my neck and I lose my ability to think for a moment.

"Morning, sweetheart."

I smile and I twist my head to him, and we meet in a kiss. It's a sweet kiss. If only his enemies knew Mason can be a gentle person.

"Damn." I hear a voice next to us

Me and Mason pull away smiling to each other.

He offers me his hand. "Come."

I arch an eyebrow.

"He's gonna infect you with his funky mood. Come sit on me."

"On you?"

He grins. He gives me fuck me eyes and I can't resist.

"Tatsu, are you gonna be fine?" I ask before I rise. He kisses my temple and I smile.

I go with Mason, and I sit on his lap. I don't miss the snickering and the eyes. And to say I don't give a fuck about these kids would be an understatement.

But I remember one I do care about. I look at Simba's table and my eyes meet his. He averts his eyes and I frown. He is sitting with 2 of the nerds that ran away from us that time. I can tell he isn't having much fun; he isn't chatting their ear off.

"Zara," Mason's voice brings me back to the table. I see all of them looking at me. Jose moves a glare towards Simba's table, and I roll my eyes. Mason kisses me.

"Sweetheart, let's eat." He brings me back to the present. But I'll have to talk to Simba after.

I turn my attention to the table. Me and Mason feed each other grapes.

"You are sitting on me in lunch." Bas says

We all chuckle. "Dibs on dinner." Jose says after him.

"Dibs on whole day tomorrow then." Leo says

"You can't do that, dick." Jose spits at him

"Says who cause I just did."

"Dibs for the rest of the week," Mason says

I just laugh watching them bicker like they used to when we were kids.

At one point Bas called dibs for the year 2030, saying I'll live with only him, then Leo making dibs on having me at night in our 30s.

"Okay, okay, gentlemen, whoa." I raise my hands

They all look at me.

"There is an easier way to do this."

They all grin. "Are you about to come up with a game that none of us have a chance at winning, Zuzu?"

I laugh. "No. But why is it that I don't get a choice? What if I want to live with Mason in the year 2030?"

They all chuckle.

"Then I'll kidnap you and I will lock you in a remote island where I will bath and hand feed you." He says matter of factly

"Oh my god!"

They all laugh.

"That's actually a great idea, Bastard." Mason says as he tightens his arms around me, and he brushes my inner thighs while he doesn't even acknowledge what he's doing.

"Bastard?"

"Yeah, that's his street name." Mason whispers in my ear. I arch an eyebrow.

"What are your names?" I look at Mason

"Well, you know Bastard," I chuckle and nod. "He is Drago, he is Bowie, and I am Diavolo."

"So, you really stuck with that name?"

"What can I say, you knew what you were saying. It fit me perfectly." He winks

That gets me curious. I have never seen them in action. I start thinking about all the things they've had to do, see, in their world that I've missed. Things I probably would have been part of if we stayed friends. I mean, I can fight and shoot but I've never actually fought anyone or shot at anyone.

"Uh uh." Mason says next to me

"What?"

"Whatever it is you thinking, it's a no." He is serious. I try to open my mouth, but he gives me that look that makes me shut up. I concede for now, knowing better than to talk about these things in public anyway.