Before I went home for the day, I snuck a few bills into my pockets from the register. These would go towards groceries, and anything else we need. Nobody ever picks up on the missing cash, which is nice.

I flipped the "open" sign to "closed," wiping down the counters one last time. I heard feverish knocking at the door, loud enough to make me jump. I pointed to the sign, which said closed, unable to see who was outside the door.

"It's me, Caspian."

I heard his voice, muffled through the glass door, knocking still filling my ears.

"What the fuck does this kid want now?" I mumbled to myself, slamming the cleaning products down onto the counter.

I unlocked the door, opening it halfway. Casp looked at me, running his fingers through his dark hair.

"I know I'm not the only one who punched you yesterday," Casp pointed to the cheek that Ed punched, "I didn't aim that high. Didn't want you to go blind."

Caspian didn't smile or laugh, but I slipped a smile that almost seemed shy, my eyes fixating on my shoes for a moment.

"Thanks, glad my vision was in your best interest," I tried to stop smiling, but I couldn't. His serious manner towards this insignificant situation was not helping.

"Shut up, and tell me who," Caspian spoke through clenched teeth.

"Ed," I spoke slowly, trying to search Casp's eyes and face to see as to why he was so mad.

"Damn. That kid? Let me in here," Caspian almost growled and shoved his way past me and into the store, nearly knocking me into a shelf. This guy was stronger than I thought.

He awkwardly paced around the aisles a few times, stopping in front of the counter, "Where do ya keep the gun?"

I stuttered on my words a bit, "Gun?"

Caspian nodded and looked at me, his lower lip bitten back.

"I have a little bit of a plan," he came closer to me, words spilling from his mouth, "you and my sister are okay now, correct? I'm willing to give you a chance. We take the gun, find this Ed kid, and kill him."

I looked at Caspian, laughing a little bit at his plan. I would have put money on the fact that he was joking.

"Kill him? Isn't that a little bit harsh?"

Casp shook his head, pressing his finger into my chest, looking directly at me, "I know who you are talking about, and this kid deserves to be dead."

He backed away, walking to the coolers to grab two beers.

"For you," he tossed one of the beers over my way.

I thankfully caught it, popping the cap to take a long swig. Hell, I needed that after hearing this boy wants to commit a murder with me.

"I'll walk you home," he said while he studied his beer can.

Caspian motioned me to the door with him, holding it open for me, "Forget about the gun for now." He shook his head, chugging his beer after we were both outside.

"Why are you being so nice to me?"

I locked the door after we left, tucking the keys into my pocket.

Caspian shrugged as we started to walk down the dark streets.

"Kinda feel bad, kinda want to be nice for me."

I looked at him, shocked that he wanted to willingly be nice, "Wow, who is this person I'm talking to?" I jokingly spoke, continuously drinking the beer Casp stole. I was thirsty yet ready to fall into a false drunk sleep.

"I don't know, I'm not myself right now."

Caspian finished his beer, throwing it on the side of the street against a garbage bag, "I have this Ed guy on my mind."

I shrugged and did the same to my can, which was gone except for a few drops.

"Why do you hate him so much anyway?" I curiously looked over at Caspian, tucking my hands in my pockets as we rounded the corner to my home.

"Long story short, he fucked with my sister," Caspian shrugged, "that's all. Don't like him. You messed with my sister but now we're all good, she likes you."

I looked at him curiously while we stood in front of my house, "What kind of things did he do to her?"

Caspian rolled his eyes and impatiently rose both of his arms up, "It's none of your business, alright?"

I just started to walk up the steps to my house, turning around to look down at Caspian. He lit a cigarette, raising it upwards.

"See you tomorrow at work, we'll get the gun then."

Caspian left the other way, taking a drag of his cigarette. I watched him leave, following his cigarette smoke upwards towards the night sky. I thought he told me to forget about the gun? My stomach churned at these plans I wanted nothing to do with.

Levi popped his head out the front door, causing me to shift my attention from smoke to the house.

"Who was that?" Levi looked in the direction Caspian left.

"Casp. We were just talking."

Levi held the door for me as I walked inside. He didn't ask anymore questions.

Everyone was asleep but him. I went straight into the bathroom, stripping down completely naked. I started the shower, ready to let the steam clear my mind. My cheeks started to burn again, one eye beginning to bruise. That must have been Ed's side. I laughed once again at the thought of Caspian looking out for my vision.

One thing I knew for sure was that the next 24 hours would be one interesting ride, considering Caspian's strong fixation and my lack of opinion.

The next day I left the house quickly, leaving bowls of cereal out for everyone before school. I didn't bother checking up on Missy, who could have been dead at this point.

Once at work, Jose was inside counting the money in the drawer.

"Why does he have to be here today," I mumbled to myself, pushing the door open.

"Hi white boy. Take over the register until I get back at 5."

Jose closed the drawer, obviously oblivious to the money I have been stealing.

He left swiftly, the door chiming loudly on his way out. Maybe he knew about the money, and just didn't care. He's too busy with women anyway.

I sat down behind the counter, looking down at my pockets to realize I forgot cigarettes at home. What kind of smoker forgets cigarettes?

Later, Caspian walked in around noon, looking tough as always. His black jacket was unzipped, revealing another black shirt. He had dark jeans on and black boots, some sort of leather. His black hair was spiked from sleep and he wore gloves that still left your fingers uncovered. He looked like a murderer.

"You ready?" He lit a cigarette inside, standing in front of the counter.

"You can't smoke in here," I said, glancing at his lit cigarette.

"Who the hell are you? I do what I want,"
Caspian took a drag of his smoke despite my input, "let's get this show on the road. Take me to the damn gun."

I shrugged and figured there was no way I'd really get him to smoke outside of the store if he was doing it already inside.

I led him into the back room, removing the gun from its compartment in the shelf.

"What's the use of a gun if it's back here?"
Caspian spoke with a cigarette between his lips, picking the gun up to examine it.

"Well, I don't know. Ask Jose," I watched him study the gun, giving it an exam with his eyes.

"Let's go," Caspian walked out the door of the back room, headed to the front end of the store. He securely stuck the gun inside of his jacket, waiting for me outside the store as I scrambled to find the keys to lock the door. Once outside with him, he looked me straight in the eyes.

"Follow me, do what I do."

He grabbed my wrist, pulling my hand out in front of him. He reached into the other side of his jacket, pulling out another gun. He placed it in the palm of my hands.

I followed what he did, and placed it on the inside of my jacket, where I thankfully had a pocket to fit it. Maybe that's what those pockets were made for? No, that can't be right.

"Ed's at home," He growled with some sort of confidence.

He started walking in the direction of Ed's house, checking to see if I was behind him. He threw his cigarette out into the street, and I watched it smoke against the pavement.

He started walking faster, which made me walk faster and hope my gun wasn't going to fall out of my pocket.

Caspian climbed the stairs to Ed's house,
standing on the porch.

"Follow me," He whispered once more.

The door opened easily and quietly. I followed Casp inside, my heart thumping loudly in my ears. I've done my fair share of risky things but I've never done something like this before. I swallowed the huge lump in my throat.

"ED, I KNOW YOU'RE HERE!" Caspian shouted and pulled out his gun, looking around the house with his aim fixated. I nervously pulled out my gun after he did, trying to fluently mimic his movements. I wondered why we were being so loud, because it almost seemed comical, but I eventually trusted his motives.

Casp headed upstairs, gun front and center. He busted the door open to Ed's room, where Ed was asleep with nothing but boxers on.

"Hale?" Caspian whispered, sweat building on his forehead. He realized we had caught Ed at his weakest moment.

"We kill him now, this is the perfect chance," Casp lowered the gun to Ed's temple. I watched  intently, Caspian's finger trembling over the trigger.

I almost couldn't watch, I almost wanted to call the police. I almost wanted to sprint out of the room and onto the street.

He stood still for a few moments, eventually lowering the gun even more, keeping it there as he looked away with disappointment in his eyes.

He tucked the gun inside of his jacket again.
"Damn," Caspian whispered, turning around to kick Ed's trashcan over in anger. He then punched the wall above Ed's head, making the realization that he was too weak to kill someone. Pieces of dust fell over Ed's body.

"You little asshole, I hate you with everything I have. Stay away from my sister, and stay away from Hale," Caspian huskily whispered into Ed's ear, even though he was deeply asleep.

"Let's go, Hale," Caspian walked past me to leave, his shoulder roughly hitting my chest as he passed by.

I stared at Ed, his peaceful face unaware of everything around him. I bent down next to him, hot tears filling my eyes as I thought about everything that has happened in my life so far. I remembered what we had, and how happy it made me before he lied to me. I want to be asleep and unaware, too.

"Hale, get down here," Caspian shouted from the first floor. I stood up, walking away from Ed.

I began to get really angry, thinking about everything he has done to me, all that he lied about. My tears got sucked back into my eyes, my cheeks burning and throbbing with bruises.

"Why didn't you kill him?" I shouted to Caspian.
Adrenaline ran through my body now, my breathing choppy as my heart still beat loudly in my ears.

Caspian came closer to me, reaching into my pocket to take his gun back.

"Don't want to go to jail." He spoke flatly, leaving the house for me to follow.

I returned to the store a few hours later, just in time for Jose to get back and tend the register.

Caspian returned the gun, too.
I wanted to get home and sleep.

"What happened to your face?" Jose stared at me, his eyes moving slowly across my cheekbones.

"What does it look like? I got beat up," my lips helplessly whispered as my eyes began sinking. I was growing tired and upset, thinking about what happened the last few days.

"Go home and ice it," Jose speedily told me in a thick accent.

Jose rushed me out of the store, a black sports car pulling up just after I turned the corner. An attractive, tall woman got out, seductively walking into the store. Jose probably has sex with all of these women on the same counter I sit in front of all day.

I got home around dinner time. Levi ordered a pizza already, which everyone was enjoying.

"Where have you been?" Levi looked at me with sad eyes, "we kind of need you here."

Four other pairs of eyes lazily looked up at me, mixed expressions on each face.

I didn't know this was an ASPCA commercial, I thought.

I began to feel guilty and upset all over again. I did nothing but shrug and half smile at my family, nodding towards the stairs before I dragged my fatigued body up the narrow staircase to the bathroom where I started the shower. Today was going to get washed down the drain.

***

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