Spending all this time with Shorter was all Lux had wanted. Even when they weren't together he was the only thing on her mind. She couldn't help but constantly check her phone for messages and drop whatever she was doing if he wanted to call her. He was the only thing that had her full undivided attention.

"Lux." The sound of the teachers voice went unnoticed. Lux continued to type on her phone until her lab partner, a senior named Yuji, nudged her.

"Huh?" She snapped her head up. Lux knew she was asked a question and quickly looked at the white board and down at her text book for any type of clue on what the class discussion was. "Can you repeat the question please?" Her teacher sighed and moved onto the next student who had their hand raised. Lux rolled her eyes and discreetly went back to texting.

"Alright class, before you leave I have your graded quizzes from last week. If you have any questions or concerns just see me after class." The teacher stated. She went around the class handing out each students quizzes. Some kids sighed in relief while others groaned at the terrible grade. Lux looked up from her phone when the quiz was placed face down at the corner of her desk.

"How'd you do?" Yuji asked, looking over all of the red markings on his paper. He slumped back in his chair, running his hand through his spiked dyed, blonde hair. "I failed by just a few points again. If I flunk this semester, coach isn't gonna let me play in this next volleyball tournament." He whined.

Lux flipped the page over and saw a 74 circled in red sharpie on the right corner of the quiz. "What!?" She shouted, receiving several stares from the class. "Ms. This can't be right." Lux slapped the quiz down on the desk.

"Lux, I already said to see me after class if you have any questions."

Lux clenched her jaw and scowled as she plopped back down in her chair. Never in her life has she gotten anything less than an A. This was ridiculous. It must have been marked wrong.

Yuji glanced over at Lux's quiz and hissed at the grade, "Ouch. You almost did as bad as I did." He commented, showing the 68 written on his page. Lux gave the boy a glare and crossed her arms with a pout looming across her face. "Oh cheer up, it's not the end of the world. Your first and only bad grade isn't gonna affect you that much."

"Yuji Terushima you are the last person that should be telling me about grades." Lux huffed. "And besides it's not going to stay a 74 for long."

"Ah, you rich kids and your bribes." He tsked, "That must be why you and Xia are the top students in our grade."

"I actually work hard for my grades. Thank you very much."

"Yeah, so whachyuh plannin on doin?" Yuji raised an eyebrow and looked forward at the teacher then back at Lux, "I don't take you as someone who swings both ways so bangin the teacher is outta the question."

Lux scoffed in disgust at the immature statement. "You're disgusting." Yuji taunted her by sticking out his tongue that was pierced by a silver stud.

"Am I though?" He leaned forward and smirked, "I mean, you're hot. Teach is attractive if I take my contacts out." Yuji cupped his chin in a thinking manner, "Hey maybe I can join yuh both and get my grade up too."

Lux mimicked the boys movement and gave a coy smirk of her own. "In your dreams, Yuji."

He sat back and chuckled, surprised that Lux matched his energy for once. He was so used to her being super serious about her work and never getting distracted. And it was almost out of nowhere when all of that started to change. Her phone was out more, her fashion sense changed for what he considered to be a blessing, and now her grades were slipping. "Oh believe me, I'm countin on it."

The dismissal bell rang and Lux met the teacher at her desk with Yuji following not too far behind with his quiz in hand as well. "Ms. Is there anything I can do to bring my grade up to an A?"

"Lux you know the rules. Do the corrections on your quiz and it gets brought up to a 75." She explained while typing grades into her computer.

"But that's only one point."

"Mhm. Should have thought about that before being distracted by your cellphone these past few weeks."

Lux refrained from raising her voice even though she had some not so nice insults brewing in her head just waiting to be spat out. She swallowed her anger and sighed, while wearing a pout and looking up with glossy eyes. "I know. I apologize." She bowed her head in faux shame. "You know I'm a good student and this is unlike me and I promise to not get distracted in class again. So please please let me retake the quiz for full credit."

The teacher pondered her answer for a few moments. She knew Lux was going through a lot given losing the academic decathlon as well as the frustration of Sing getting expelled. Lux had never caused any trouble and would help fellow students with their assignments and urged them to ask for extra credit work too, so she figured it would be no harm in bending the rules for her this one time. "Fine. Next week you can retake the quiz."

"What about me?" Yuji chimed in. "I need more than a 75 to pass your class. Can I retake it too?"

"Yuji, your problem is that you never study." Lux rolled her eyes.

"If Lux tutors me then I know I'll make at least a B." Lux jerked her head around. She did not agree to this. Before she could object the teacher agreed to the proposition.

"Alright then. I'll see you both next Friday during lunch." She agreed before dismissing her students.

"I'm not tutoring you." Lux stomped.

"Oh c'mon. Coach will be pissed if I fail."

"That's not my problem. I'm busy after school." Lux argued.

"With what? Not like you have a boyfriend or anything. All you do is study."

"I have a boyfr-" Lux cut herself off. Shorter wasn't technically her boyfriend but he was someone she was connected to. Not exactly anything exclusive like how she wished for. "What I do in my free time is none of your business."

Yuji tilted his head and flipped Lux's long hair over her shoulder then pointed at her neck, "Nice hickey."

Lux gasped, frantically pulling her hair forward to hide the mark that was supposedly on her neck. "What?! Is it noticeable?"

Yuji buried his hands in his pockets and gave a smug grin, "I was just kiddin. But now I know Little Miss Innocence has been gettin nasty." Lux shook her head and sighed. "So what do yuh say? My place after school?"

Lux checked her phone again and saw a text from Shorter saying he was going to be in The Bronx with his guys and wouldn't be able to see her. Now that her plans were canceled, she had no other excuse to turn her classmate down. "Fine. Only for two hours."

"Deal."

"And I expect there to be food and snacks!"
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Shorter slid his phone into his back pocket when Ash's gang approached him, Sing, and Lao. The two gangs were stressed from not being able to get any business done due to cops having them under a microscope but even so, duty calls.

"Thanks for meeting up." Ash gave a fist bump to Shorter and a nod to Lao and Sing who stood behind their boss. Ash's right hand man, Alex did the same.

"You said it was urgent."

"Yeah." Ash scratched the back of his head. "So about the buy. I need to push it back another two weeks."

Lao raised an eyebrow. Ash's gang was one of their main drug buyers. And with the cops keeping tabs on all of them, they needed to sell those drugs off to the highest bidder fast.

Shorter shook his head, "Ash, I have a stash house with the supply you wanted. I need to move those drugs out before the cops start patrolling that area."

"I know, Shorter. I'm just asking for some time."

"Time?" Lao interrupted angrily, "We don't have time. Either we do the deal tomorrow or we sell to someone else!"

"Who do you think you're yelling at?" Alex stepped forward with a balled fist. As Ash's second in command it was his job to do everything in his power to protect Ash if need be and to advise him. Most importantly, it was his job to make sure another gangs underling wouldn't become too comfortable with disrespecting his boss.

"Cool it." Shorter said. Lao obeyed his boss and calmed himself down, as did Alex. "I can give you another week. After that, Ash... I'm sorry. I can't risk it and I need to report back to Mr.Lee about his shipments."

Mr.Lee aka Lee Shang Lung was the head of The Lee Family that the Chinese Mafia worked under. His day job was a banker, but in the underworld he was in charge of over looking the funds that were being made by the mafia. Then there was his younger brother, Lee Hau Lung, who oversaw the Chinese Mafia's foothold in the states. They were both dangerous men that Shorter had to adhere to, and pissing them off by losing money and drugs just to protect his friend was not in the deck to play.

Ash nodded, "Alright that's fair. I'll keep in touch to set up a later date." He agreed, not wanting to cause a rift between his and Shorter's gang. Ever since Sheriff Sheng came back, the gangs had been more hesitant on consistently continuing their gang activity with each other. It was harder to bring in and mule shipments, sell them off, buy and sell illegal weapons, etc. But they couldn't lay low forever. There was still business to attend to in the underworld regardless of how many cops were patrolling the streets.

"I'll work on moving the drugs to another stash house to be on the safe side." He said. Lao cleared his throat to get Shorter's attention. They shared a look and Shorter sighed. Even though he was the Boss, Lao would often scold him about the relationship he had with Ash. Shorter was always making exceptions for his best friend at high risks and it was time that a line was drawn. "This can't happen again." Shorter forced himself to say. He spent so much time watching Ash's back that sometimes he'd neglect his own gang in the process. "And because I'm doing this for you, I expect to be owed a favor later in the future."

Ash gave a simple nod in agreement. What Shorter was asking for wasn't anything drastic. To be honest, Ash was surprised that his best friend didn't ask for something in return sooner.

After the group of boys went their separate ways, the trio began speaking amongst themselves. "I'll give a call to Viper and Hook about the move." Lao offered, pulling out his burner phone.

"It's fine. I'll do it. Better they hear this from me."

"Boss, I can handle this."

"I said I got it. Besides." Shorter threw a heavy arm around Sing who remained silent through out the entire meet up. "I need to go over some things with Sing. He's still got a lot to learn if he ever wants to make it high in the ranks like you."

Sing had become weary over how Shorter was keeping him close. He claimed that it was nothing more than taking him under his wing, but something felt off. Nonetheless, Sing shook the thoughts out of his head and followed his boss as Lao went in the opposite direction.
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"So..." Yuji closed his notebook after his study session with Lux was over. "You gonna tell me bout the lucky guy that bagged you?"

Lux rolled her eyes. For the entire two hours of the study session Yuji kept on trying to sway the conversation so Lux could tell him about this mystery guy. "It's not like that." She finally answered.

"Ah I see." He rubbed his chin and smiled slyly. "It's a no strings attached type of deal."

"It's not that either." Lux shook her head.

Yuji chuckled at the blush he noticed flourishing on the girls cheeks. He's never seen Lux flustered like this before. "Ohhh my bad. A situationship then. Yeah, I've had a couple of those." Lux ignored the comment and started to pack her supplies into her backpack. "Just don't get too attached is the only advice I have for yuh."

Lux almost said she didn't need his dumb advice but he was low key onto something. "What's a... situationship?"

Yuji titled his head in confusion. He thought everyone knew what that was. He had explained how it's pretty much hooking up with someone that you have feelings for but there's no official label attached to it. "Mhm mhm. But when it all comes down to it, if things don't go anywhere further, then that means the person doesn't like you like that."

Lux felt a sharp pain in her chest. What Yuji was describing sounded just like her relationship with Shorter. She'd mention how he's the only one she has feelings for but Shorter would never reciprocate the same feelings. Lux didn't want to admit it but it really bothered her that Shorter showed no signs of wanting things to be exclusive.

"So if that's the case then what happens?"

Yuji crumpled up a piece of scribbled on notebook paper and shot it into the trash can across the room. "Get rid of em."
_____________________
The former officer, now Detective Wydell met up with Lao under a dark underpass to discuss any new intel that his CI may have gathered. Their agreement was for Lao to give any information that would incriminate the Chinese Mafia and once they're arrested, Lao and Sing would be spared from the crimes.

"Ash's gang are our main buyers. Our deal was supposed to be done tomorrow but things have been delayed." Lao explained.

"Alright. That's good. So where are the drugs now?" Wydell asked.

"In a stash house. Viper has a bunch of them so I'm not sure which one."

Wydell frowned. "I'm assuming Shorter has someone who checks in on these stash houses, right?"

"Yeah, the Serpents keep Viper updated and Hook is the one to do drop ins."

"Interesting. So if anyone besides Shorter is to know where that stash is, it's those two."

"Well yeah, but-"

"Use them to find out." Wydell ordered.

"I can't! Hook flies solo. Only him, Viper and Shorter are the ones in the loop about where the product is kept." Lao explained. Shorter liked to keep information air tight in case there were to be a rat in the gang. In that case he'd only have a few guys to look into as opposed to an entire gang worth of suspects. Even though Lao was his right hand man, there were even things Shorter wouldn't fill him in on if he didn't see it as necessary. "If I go trying to tag along then I'll look fucking suspicious. They'll know somethings up."

"You want to talk about suspicious? How about I see a little Chinese boy walking around down Chinatown. Let's say I got an anonymous tip about him harassing people and trying to sell dope." Lao clenched his jaw, knowing that Wydell kept hold of the drugs that were on him when he had gotten arrested. "What a shame it would be if I somehow found those drugs on him."

Lao clenched his jaw at what this cop was implying. He wasn't going to let Sing get drugs planted on him for his mistakes. "You leave my brother out of this! We had a deal!"

"You haven't kept up your end. Get me the location of those drugs and tell me where you all are meeting up with Ash's gang for the buy!" He shouted before getting back into his black suv and speeding off into the night.

Lao wanted to scream. It ate him up inside knowing he was going behind Shorter's back and eventually get him locked up. And for what? Just so he can save himself? Save Sing? Lao stayed awake at night wondering what would have happened if he told Shorter the truth. Would he be kicked out of the gang? Or would Shorter somehow help him find a solution? Even so, it was already too late.

With a syringe in hand and band around his arm, Lao injected the warm, cloudy-brown solution into his veins. Cool sweat beads sprouted upon his flushed face as the narcotics took its affect. The guilt of betraying the gang became more than Lao could handle and his body constantly craved this numbness that only drugs and booze could suffice.

He'd pray that the nod off would lead to him never waking up again to save him from this betrayal, but he wasn't lucky enough for fate to be on his side. Dying would be too easy. Of course he'd live to suffer the consequences. After all, that was the hand he was dealt. Lao felt like the most pitiful man in the world, being cross faded in a lonely room with a passed out girl in the bed that he didn't even know the name of. No amount of drugs, booze and sex could spare him of the pain and torment of being a rat against his will, but at least it made him numb to the feeling even if it was just for a few hours.

Lao became addicted to the high and just prayed that this operation would be over before he became a sad, mindless junky for the sake of sparing his sorry life and Sing's too. "It'll be okay..." he drawled to himself, leaning his clouded head back against the flat pillow. "You'll be okay..."
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A/N: hey guys! Sorry about the sudden break last week. I had way too much going on that I genuinely forgot to update. But hopefully you guys enjoyed this chapter that's setting up a lot of stuff.

Lao working with the police. Shorter stressed about his responsibilities and neglecting Lux. And our girl Lux making a new "boy friend". Hmmmmm what could possibly go wrong??