❤️

"They'll be here soon." Dennis said quietly. The air was cold and harsh, nipping at my cheeks like a viper to its prey. The sky was pitch black, not a single star showing its face. It was all darkness as far as the eye could see. It was ominous, especially because Jack Of Clubs wasn't open, even the neon sign turned off.

The silence was eerie as we all waited for a car to pull into the otherwise empty parking lot. Sam had his arm wrapped around my waist, but I knew that his mind was elsewhere. As was mine. I was thinking about what might happen. What could happen. It made me get unconsciously closer to Sam.

Dennis was leaning against Brian's car, staring at his feet in order to avoid eye contact. Brian had an unlit cigarette wedged between his fingers. I was pretty sure that it was there to make him feel better. He must have been trying to quit smoking just like Caden said. Caden was leaning against Brian's arm, seemingly in deep thought.

Sam and I had a talk about what was going to happen. He asked me to leave a few more times, but I refused. Eventually, he gave up, still looking wary. He told me about what his friends said, about how they didn't care. It was such a wave of relief. They were all happy for us, and just wanted to make sure that I didn't hurt Sam. That was never going to happen. I would never hurt the boy I loved.

Apparently the only reason they showed up that night, was because drunk Caden had the idea of surprising Sam with a sleepover. Sam told me that they used to have drunk sleepovers all the time, and they all were just trying to recreate that to cheer each other up. Obviously, it only further complicated things.

We all stood outside of a closed down diner, tension pooling around our feet like air in our lungs. There was no one there to stop anything from going wrong. There was only five teenagers and a deserted street. So much could happen. But the question of what was so open-ended that it was impossible to prepare myself for anything specific.

That was when a black van rolled into the parking lot. It was like death's shadow, a plague looming over all of us as our postures went rigid and Sam and I were forced to put some distance between us.

We stepped away from the cars, going to stand in the center of the pavement. Another car followed the van, parking beside it. My heart was thumping in my ears, leaving me deaf. My breathing was shallow.

When the tall man stepped out of the van, I looked to Sam only briefly. His lip was already bloody. He had been biting it too much. I wanted to brush the blood away and carry him some place far away from there, but I couldn't. That was the raw reality of things.

I was stood between Brian and Caden like every other time. I wasn't sure how long that was going to last, since it never seemed to, but I was still grateful for the small bit of safety it provided. Even if Caden was shorter than me.

"I see you're all here." Drake drawled, appearing excited. It was unnerving in the darkness. "That's shocking."

"I have the money." Sam didn't bother with any foreplay, heading straight for the main event.

"Oh, do you?" He drawled, laughing slightly before holding out his palm. "Then I'm waiting."

I didn't even realize that Brian was suddenly holding a large paper bag that appeared to be filled to the brim with what I assumed was money. He handed it to Sam, who very briefly met my eyes. His hazel ones looked only slightly worried, before becoming a mask of emptiness once more.

I watched as he stepped forward, handing Drake the bag. My heart hammered in my chest the closer that he got, relief washing over me as he safely returned to our side. The term safely was used very loosely, because none of that should have ever been considered safe.

"Hmm..." He hummed as he peered at the contents, moving somethings around. Blankly, he looked up and said, "Hey, Frogface! Take a look at what's in here."

The same guy that Drake had referred to in the past with that awful forehead tattoo came forward and repeated the same motion that Drake had with the bag. "Why don't you tell everyone what you see?" Drake asked.

"Money." Frogface laughed, his eyes wide and crazed. He gazed directly at Sam, a shiver tumbling down my spine. "But not quite enough of it."

"Bingo." Drake's lips slowly turned upwards, settling into a loose grin. It was the sort of thing that I had only ever seen in nightmares.

"It's all there." Sam hissed through his teeth, but his face remained otherwise blank.

"Don't you see?" Drake chuckled, shaking his head in a menacing manner. "It's not quite enough."

"It's more than enough." Sam told him, refusing to back down. I was starting to freak out a little - well, more than I already was. "There is more money in there than was remotely asked of me."

"Are you slow?" Drake laughed humorlessly. He began to pace. My heartbeat continued to patter in my ears. "Can't you figure it out? No amount will ever be enough! I will always expect more than I'm given!"

"Then that's bullshit!" Sam retorted helplessly, blood dripped down his chin like some sick form of foreshadowing. "I've went above with everything that you've asked. By this point, you've probably accumulated twice as much as I was originally supposed to give you!"

Drake tutted. "Don't act so naïve." My gaze followed as a few guys went towards the front door of Jack Of Clubs. "You knew this was the case from the very start. You just didn't want to accept the truth."

Sam stared, clearly trying to figure out what was supposed to happen next. If he didn't have enough money, then what was going happen? I was grateful when I realized how much closer Brian and Caden had gotten. Each one of us was anticipating something, but no one knew what. It was petrifying.

"Do it." Drake said suddenly.

That was when the sound of smashing glass caused me to jump. To my dismay, the guys who were next to the glass door had smashed it open, walking inside as though it was business per usual. What scared me more though, was the fact that I was pretty sure that it was business per usual.

I felt like shit for not being able to stop them from raiding the diner. Jack and Dee didn't deserve that. The diner was hardly even open anymore from being so underfunded. It physically hurt to watch a place from my childhood be destroyed just like that. I never realized how fragile something could be.

"I'll give you a chance to give me some more money." Drake said. "Go in there."

Sam shook his head. "I'm not stealing."

"Think of it as borrowing." Drake told him. "Go in there, and head into the back room. I can guarantee that's where the money will be stored." Sam didn't say anything. "And if you don't... well..." He laughed. "I'll kill lover boy right here and now."

That was when the air became as thick as water, surrounding everyone and forcing itself into our systems. Drake had pulled out a gun, pointing it right over Sam's shoulder. Right where I was stood. I quickly found that I couldn't breath, my heart already seemingly having stopped. I had never felt something quite like staring down the barrel of a gun.

"Then you'll have to shoot me." Sam growled, shifting over to where he was now the one with the gun pointed at him. I couldn't stop myself from trying to reach forward. I needed to get him to move. I would rather die any day than allow him to be so much as maimed.

"Or, I'll shoot one of your other friends. Whoever is in the open." Drake didn't sound fazed, his gun unwavering. "Either you go in there, or someone dies."

I watched as Sam's lip continued to bleed. The cut was larger than I had ever seen it before as he quickly tried to make a decision. I didn't know what to do. Then finally, Sam stepped forward, slowly walking to the shattered door whilst still watching Drake's every move. Dennis quickly moved to stand in front of me, ready to take the bullet if that was what it took. I was baffled. I wanted to tell him to move, but I was scared to talk. What if that caused Drake to pull the trigger?

When Sam entered the diner, disappearing into the darkness, I wanted to run after him. Letting him out of my line of sight seemed to be the worst possible thing that I could have done in a situation like that. If he got hurt, then I don't think that I would have been able to live with myself.

"What's wrong, lover boy?" Drake spoke up, causing me to snap my gaze back to him. "Scared that I lied?"

That was when everything tumbled even further out of control. We were quickly surrounded by men, Caden and Brian ready to throw punches, Dennis appearing unsure. If he moved, I would be at gunpoint. I didn't want him to get shot for my sake, because we both knew that he was only doing it for Sam in the first place. I couldn't wrap my head around how much he cared for his best friend.

The fights quickly broke out. That was how it always seemed to go. Caden and Brian tried to push them back, trying to keep them away from Dennis and I, but I was sure that it was only going to last a little while. It always did.

My gaze darted around the parking lot, searching for anything that might be of help. We weren't entirely surrounded. They were all stood around us on every side except the one that Jack Of Clubs occupied. I tried to catch a glimpse of blonde curls, but it was futile. He was still somewhere inside, and it was killing me. Was he okay?

"Sawyer!" Dennis yelled, grabbing my arm and pulling me close to him as he spun around to face me. I gasped, horrified that Drake was going to pull the trigger. He leaned forward, lips close enough to me ear for no one else to hear his words. "Go to Sam." That was when I felt him slip something into my pocket. When Dennis suddenly pushed me away in the direction of the diner, I wasted no time.

I had never ran so fast in my life, reaching the diner and entering through the shattered door. The sound of glass crunching beneath my feet was cruel against my eardrums. But there was no gunshot, and that was enough for the time being. All of my senses seemed to be heightened as I furiously took in my surroundings. It was dark inside, but not dark enough for it to be impossible to see anything.

There were a few guys stood around, all staring at me menacingly. That was my cue to finally try and get something done. I was going to pull it off without getting myself, or someone else, killed. For once, I wanted to help instead of be a complete burden.

They all slowly began to approach me, ready to grab me and presumably drag me back outside. I was not so inclined to oblige. As soon as I devised a good enough plan, I went in the opposite direction of them, going towards the counter and jumping over it. It was like something straight out of a movie, minus the feeling of safety or surety. That moment was nothing short of pure horror.

They didn't catch me fast enough, and I was able to land behind the counter. When I felt my back hit something, I yelped, attempting to whip around to see what it was. Instead of that happening, familiar hands wrapped around my waist, and that voice that I could get drunk on spoke. "Stay the fuck back."

The men looked amused, ready to strike. But they refrained, staying silent, as though they were waiting for something. It didn't take long for me to understand what they were waiting for.

"You're much faster than you seem." Drake's voice poured throughout the room as he joined us. He towered above everyone, making himself known. The gun was still planted in his palm.

Sam quickly went to stand in front of me, an arm protectively holding me in place. As he did so, I surveyed what was in my line of sight. Beneath the counter was where all of the spirits were stashed, hidden from young eyes but still there for adults. Behind us was the backroom, where I assumed Sam had come out from. He didn't have anything in his hands though, so he must have been stalling for time.

That was when I realized that we were cornered. We were behind the counter with men all standing on the other side. One of us needed to think of something, and we needed to think of something fast. That was when I did.

"Do you realize what's going to happen if you kill us?" Sam was saying. He was trying to buy time. He was trying to figure out what to do.

I looked down, seeing something in Sam's back pocket. As he was talking, I subtly reached into it, pulling out the object. Thankfully, he didn't seem to react, acting as though he hadn't just felt me. It was a lighter. I had no idea why he had that, since as far as I knew, he didn't smoke.

It hardly weighed anything, just innocently resting in my palm as though it wasn't capable of ruining lives. More words were spent between Sam and Drake, but my mind was too loud to be registering any of it.

My eyes locked back onto the alcohol. I needed a way to break one of the bottles open. I didn't want to burn the place down, but something had to happen. If no one acted soon, we were all going to be dead. By some divine spirit, there was a perfect sequence of events for me to act.

All three of Sam's friends appeared in the doorway, running in with the hopes of putting up a good fight. It was just enough of a distraction for Drake, along with everyone else, to turn their heads. I pushed my way around Sam, grabbing the flimsily bottom shelf and tugging on it. I didn't back away fast enough, the glass bottles falling forward and smashing right at my feet. There were glass shards pierced through my shoes and stuck to my hands, but I hardly felt it. Not all of the bottles broke, but there were enough.

"Get back." I told Sam, everyone's attention turning back to us at the sound of smashing bottles. That was when I stood back up and grabbed Sam by the shirt, tugging him back with me.

The lighter was lit effortlessly, and my hand let go of it before I could even think twice. It took only a split second for the soaked ground to combust. Since most everything in the diner was made out of wood, the fire didn't struggle to spread. It was already climbing up the counter before I could even regain myself.

"Sawyer!" Sam suddenly screamed.

I couldn't process what was happening. His body whipped around, his hazel eyes gazing down into my plain brown ones. His golden curls were reflecting the light of the growing flames. He grabbed my sleeves, blocking my view of all of the men.

The sound was deafening. It slammed against my eardrums, knocking my balance off. What was that sound? It was so loud that I almost couldn't hear it at all. Just a sudden crack... and then nothing.

When Sam's eyes went wide and his grip tightened, I finally realized what that sound was. His tall form slowly began to deflate, collapsing against me. The flames continued to claim the building, swallowing the wood and leaving ash behind. Sam was too heavy, I couldn't hold him like he could me. Carefully, I held on for as long as I could, my eyes meeting Dennis' from the other side. The men were all leaving, escaping the fiery building. No one was sticking around, not even Drake. We were trapped behind the counter, which was now an orange glow, burning hot.

"Go!" I screamed to Dennis, Caden and Brian stood beside him. My cheeks were wet and my arms had already begun to ache. Sam was too heavy for me. "Get help!"

They hesitated, looking ready to storm the building and pull our bodies out, but they knew that they couldn't. Dennis nodded slowly. Brian looking between the two of us, before lifting up a screaming Caden and dragging him out of the diner.

I kept Sam tightly wrapped in my weak arms, pulling him into the backroom as carefully as I could. As soon as we were as far from the flames as we could get, I laid him down on the ground. "Sam." I gasped out, sobs racking my body.

"I'm still here, Sawyer." His voice was weak and pain-filled as blood soaked his torso. I expeditiously took off his shirt, trying to get the fabric out of the way. He groaned, his hands still held tightly to my sleeves. I forced him to let go, pulling the shirt over his head. As soon as it was off, I pressed the material to his bleeding back. "S-Sawyer." He gasped out in agony.

"You're not fucking dying." I hissed as fresh tears fell from my determined eyes. He wasn't going to fucking die. I applied pressure to the wound, trying to slow the bleeding.

"Sugar." He whispered, a hand moving to brush the black hair from my eyes.

I shook my head. "You're not fucking dying, Sam!"

"Just calm down." Sam's lips were blood-soaked and raw, his beautiful hazel eyes were filling with tears of his own. They were still a forest, though that time a forest of misery and love. "You need to find a way out of here." He gasped as a wave of pain washed over him.

"Don't say that." I tried to keep pressure on his wound, but my hands were shaking. "I'm not going anywhere."

"The flames..." He swallowed. There was too much blood. "They're... they're too much. You need to be okay, Sugar."

"Don't you get it?" I cried out, my whole body shaking as an onslaught of sobs captured me. "I won't be okay if you're gone!"

"I was shot." Sam looked me dead in the eyes, a single tear falling from his eye. "You weren't... just... just please be okay."

I yelled out in frustration. The fire was entering the room, consuming the doorway. There wasn't anywhere to go. The smoke was filling up both of our lungs, causing a set of coughs to fall from my lips. When Sam began to cough, he howled out in pain, holding onto me for dear life.

What was I supposed to do? We were trapped, a wall of fire growing steadily closer. Sam was in my arms, bleeding profusely from a gunshot wound. I was weak and crying, trying desperately to slow the blood flow. What was I supposed to do?

"I love you." He smiled softly. I wanted to perilously remove my hands from the damage and wipe the blood away from his beautiful face, but I knew I couldn't. Instead, I kissed him. The taste of his blood soaked my tastebuds, but I didn't care. I kissed like it was the end. Maybe it was. I didn't know what else to do.

As I pulled away from him, I whispered gentle words against his lips, "I love you, too." But when I opened my eyes, he wasn't awake anymore. His tanned eyelids were closed and his body lay unmoving. I screamed. I screamed and screamed, begging the boy that I loved to wake up.

The smoke in my lungs grew heavier and heavier, filling my body up with toxins. I screamed until my throat went raw. I never once stopped applying pressure to the open wound. I didn't know if he was gone or not. Maybe he was just passed out. He had to just be passed out.

He wasn't going to fucking die.

What was I supposed to do?

I screamed until I started to grow lightheaded, the smoke becoming too much for my body to handle. I screamed until my eyelids grew too heavy. I screamed until I found my head laying against Sam's chest. I screamed until my body finally shut down.

I screamed until I was sure that I couldn't try to do anything more.

•O•O•