soaking into my skin and tainting my soul. The kick back
of the gun shocks me, but I swing the gun in the direction of the Asian guy. I
don’t aim. I squeeze and fire off my second bullet. Mike takes out the third
guy, shooting him between the eyes. Jonah empties his magazine into Pete’s
torso. I check Danny Migelli. He’s dead. The first part of my deal is
done.
I turn around and walk back the way I came, ignoring Mike
and Jonah calling me. I make it to the corner before I hear tires pealing on
the road and heading in the opposite direction.
DAY SEVEN
My name is Kyle. I’m just a normal guy. I was just a
normal guy. Now I’m a killer. A cold-blooded murderer. Would I do it again?
Yes.
I feel out of place standing in the line, waiting to board
the bus. Our bags have been loaded. I keep waiting for something to happen. For
the police to show up. For Danny Migelli’s father to show up, but nothing.
Nothing happens.
I stare out the window and watch the landscape fly by. The
colors blur from green to yellow and brown. Jenna is sitting next to me. Her
head rests on my shoulder. Mia is on my other side, music blaring through her
ear phones. What would they do if they knew? Would Jenna still sit so close to
me? I will never be good enough for her. Not now. But I still have one more
thing to do. I must die. The thought frightens me. I spent the whole night
trying to figure out a way to escape death, but I know if I cross Reno Parker,
I would have killed Danny Migelli for nothing. A life would’ve been wasted, a
useless life, but a life none the less. And he would hunt us down until he
found us. I’m sure Reno Parker’s influence runs far and wide.
“Boo.” Danny Migelli’s eyes go wide. Shock and disbelief
flash in the murky depths. The crack of the bullet squeezing through the
barrel. The slight recoil of the gun, kicking my hand back. Danny Migelli’s
blood splattering against my face in a warm, sticky mess. The sick thud of his
lifeless body hitting the hard cement floor. I jerk awake and Jenna lifts her
head from my shoulder.
“Are you okay?” she asks softly. Her eyes dart between
mine. I look down, afraid that she’ll she my secret if she looks too
closely.
I clear my throat and sit forward in my seat. I pretend to
look out of the window.
“We’re here,” I say pointing at the ocean through the
window.
She wipes her eyes with the long sleeve of her top and
follows my finger.
“Yay!” she squeals and leans over me to shake Mia awake.
The soft, sweet fragrance of her hair fills my nostrils, and I close my eyes. I
file that sweet smell into a compartment deep in the recesses of my brain.
Mia groans and swats Jenna’s hand away. Mia’s hand hits me
in the chest, and I grab hold of her wrist before she can do anymore damage. My
black eye is barely visible now, I don’t need a refresher. Mom almost had a
heart attack when she saw my face the next morning. After assuring her that I
would be more careful sparring at the community center, she let it go. Yes, I
lied. Again. You do that for the people you love. You lie, you kill. You die.
The long tendrils of my nightmare threaten to cloud my brain again, and I shake
my head hard. Jenna giggles, assuming it’s because of the sucker punch I got
from my sister. Ignorance is bliss. I’m not going to set her
straight.
I poke Mia in the ribs, and she jumps. She almost slams me
in the face with her head when she sits up wide awake. My sister is very
ticklish.
“Urgh,” she groans while stretching her arms over her
head. “That’s not fair,” she says, slapping me on the arm.
“Ow,” I say, over-exaggerating and rubbing my arm.
“Wimp,” she shoots back playfully. “Oh look.” She points
excitedly out the window to the ocean that’s now in full view.
Jenna smiles at her and gives her a “duh” look. “That’s
what we’ve been trying to tell you. We’re here,” Jenna says with a big
of the gun shocks me, but I swing the gun in the direction of the Asian guy. I
don’t aim. I squeeze and fire off my second bullet. Mike takes out the third
guy, shooting him between the eyes. Jonah empties his magazine into Pete’s
torso. I check Danny Migelli. He’s dead. The first part of my deal is
done.
I turn around and walk back the way I came, ignoring Mike
and Jonah calling me. I make it to the corner before I hear tires pealing on
the road and heading in the opposite direction.
DAY SEVEN
My name is Kyle. I’m just a normal guy. I was just a
normal guy. Now I’m a killer. A cold-blooded murderer. Would I do it again?
Yes.
I feel out of place standing in the line, waiting to board
the bus. Our bags have been loaded. I keep waiting for something to happen. For
the police to show up. For Danny Migelli’s father to show up, but nothing.
Nothing happens.
I stare out the window and watch the landscape fly by. The
colors blur from green to yellow and brown. Jenna is sitting next to me. Her
head rests on my shoulder. Mia is on my other side, music blaring through her
ear phones. What would they do if they knew? Would Jenna still sit so close to
me? I will never be good enough for her. Not now. But I still have one more
thing to do. I must die. The thought frightens me. I spent the whole night
trying to figure out a way to escape death, but I know if I cross Reno Parker,
I would have killed Danny Migelli for nothing. A life would’ve been wasted, a
useless life, but a life none the less. And he would hunt us down until he
found us. I’m sure Reno Parker’s influence runs far and wide.
“Boo.” Danny Migelli’s eyes go wide. Shock and disbelief
flash in the murky depths. The crack of the bullet squeezing through the
barrel. The slight recoil of the gun, kicking my hand back. Danny Migelli’s
blood splattering against my face in a warm, sticky mess. The sick thud of his
lifeless body hitting the hard cement floor. I jerk awake and Jenna lifts her
head from my shoulder.
“Are you okay?” she asks softly. Her eyes dart between
mine. I look down, afraid that she’ll she my secret if she looks too
closely.
I clear my throat and sit forward in my seat. I pretend to
look out of the window.
“We’re here,” I say pointing at the ocean through the
window.
She wipes her eyes with the long sleeve of her top and
follows my finger.
“Yay!” she squeals and leans over me to shake Mia awake.
The soft, sweet fragrance of her hair fills my nostrils, and I close my eyes. I
file that sweet smell into a compartment deep in the recesses of my brain.
Mia groans and swats Jenna’s hand away. Mia’s hand hits me
in the chest, and I grab hold of her wrist before she can do anymore damage. My
black eye is barely visible now, I don’t need a refresher. Mom almost had a
heart attack when she saw my face the next morning. After assuring her that I
would be more careful sparring at the community center, she let it go. Yes, I
lied. Again. You do that for the people you love. You lie, you kill. You die.
The long tendrils of my nightmare threaten to cloud my brain again, and I shake
my head hard. Jenna giggles, assuming it’s because of the sucker punch I got
from my sister. Ignorance is bliss. I’m not going to set her
straight.
I poke Mia in the ribs, and she jumps. She almost slams me
in the face with her head when she sits up wide awake. My sister is very
ticklish.
“Urgh,” she groans while stretching her arms over her
head. “That’s not fair,” she says, slapping me on the arm.
“Ow,” I say, over-exaggerating and rubbing my arm.
“Wimp,” she shoots back playfully. “Oh look.” She points
excitedly out the window to the ocean that’s now in full view.
Jenna smiles at her and gives her a “duh” look. “That’s
what we’ve been trying to tell you. We’re here,” Jenna says with a big
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