I opened my eyes.

5:00 a.m

Slowly sitting up, I rubbed my eyes, feeling the dried tear tracks. I tried to remember the events that happened yesterday. I ran my hand through my hair, the memories were flooding in.

The gun. The drugs.

I looked at my hand, I held a gun. And drugs, don't forget the drugs. All this time I've been hanging out with gang members. I was totally oblivious of their records, ignoring the rumors and warnings my friends gave me. Imagine the things they could have done to me. Then Wyatt's words echoed into my mind. 

"Fine, go home! See if we care! You're doing us a favor, we don't want to deal with some crybaby who was scared of some gun! Just go!"

I gritted my teeth. I'm not a crybaby. Sure, I did cry, but I'm still not a crybaby. And how can they expect me to not be scared of a gun? A real live gun. Not one of those water guns, but a real gun. After watching all of those cop shows, I thought if I were to ever see a gun, I wouldn't freak. But in the end I was never mentally prepared on what to do when I saw one.

My fists tightened. Maybe Wyatt is right. I'm weak, I'm innocent. I couldn't even look at a real gun without screaming like a lunatic. I sighed and fell backwards back to my bed. I hate this. I hate ever meeting them. I hate my oblivious, dense self.

But not as much as I hate Mondays.

I was in the middle of class doing a test in algebra. Mr. Campbell was taking a nap with his feet propped up on the desk. I sighed and imagined the scenario of me slapping him awake and giving him the lecture of teacher laziness these days. But some kid already drew a mustache on him, so I guess he already learned his lesson.

I'm already done with the test, while my classmates were still scratching their heads and figuring out the first question. Well not all of them of course, but Mr. Campbell's tests are pretty hard. I was checking my answers, seeing if I miscalculated anything. That's when the door opened.

Everyone's eyes automatically looked up to see who it was. I've always wondered why everyone does that. Your in class, and someone walks in and everyone has to look to see. Then I ask myself the same thing, and all I could answer is curiosity.

Well in this case, curiosity killed the cat.

Dean, Cyrus, and Luis sauntered into our classroom. There were a couple of gasps, and even so Mr. Campbell stirred, but didn't look like he's waking up anytime soon. Then they stopped at the front of the class, and stared right at me. I averted my eyes back to my test, maybe they would go away. Begone demons, begone. They just stood there as if waiting for something or someone. Wyatt walked into the classroom and stood in front of them.

"Oh my God." Some girl muttered. "Do you think they're going to serenade for me?" She asked hopefully to me.

I looked at the girl, like she grew horns all of a sudden. For some unknown reason... I had this huge urge to punch that girl all the way back to elementary. I mean seriously, that was probably the most stupidest thing I ever heard. I bit my lip from imagining the thought all of them starting to sing like some boy band. I mean the Big Four as a boy band, wait that does sound like a good name, The Big Four.

But back to the real problem. Why are they here? I was silently praying that it has nothing to do with me. They're probably just picking a fight with some guy in this class, I'm even hoping that's it's a serenade for that poor girl.

"Autumn."

Before, if I was in this very situation and one of the Big Four called my name. I would probably slip under my desk and stay there. Maybe even pee in my pants a little. But it's different now. I'm going to prove Wyatt Matthews wrong. That I'm no longer that same innocent, weak good girl I used to be. 

I looked up and glared at him. "What?" I demanded.

That deserved a few gasps. Wyatt blinked in confusion. I bit back a smile. Yeah, you better Wyatt Matthews, I'm not that little girl I once was anymore.

He walked over to me and slammed something on top of my desk. But I refused to look at it, I continued to glare right into his eyes. Those cold, greenish gray eyes, that stared right back at me.

"I think you forgot something."

Still not breaking the stare down, I touched his hand. I heard a small gasp from him, making me smirk. I grabbed the object out of my hand and found it to be my phone.

"What the-"

My phone. I thought I lost this, probably at the party. And all this time I left it at Wyatt's place. Then I started to think what they could have done with my phone. I knew I should have put a password on it, just in case. They could have looked at my photos, texted others pretending it was me. My head started to spin, how could I have been so careless?

"You forgot it last night. Don't worry. I deleted my contacts and did the same with mine." He said, as if he was reading my mind.

"Good." I said, deadpanned. "The last thing I needed was some bad boy begging on his knees apologizing to me, oh wait. That already happened."

"Ooh," everyone said in unison.

Wyatt glared at me. "I only did it because I didn't some good girl calling me, blubbering over an A- for a project."

"Ooh," everyone said again.

I abruptly stood up from my desk, the chair screeching against the floor as if was push backward. Slamming my hands on the desk, making a loud sound. Wyatt stepped back in surprise. I leaned over my desk and towards him, out noses barely touching.

"What? No drunk visits late at night anymore, Matthews?" I spat.

He gritted his teeth, I bet recalling that night. 

"Not since I woke up with you wearing my shirt in my arms yesterday morning, Griffin." He retorted.

"What?" I heard Cyrus snap, looking at the other guys who only shrugged.

My cheeks blushed bright red. How dare he.

"Well at least I don't cry over some smashed up car. Talk about pathetic."

Wyatt's eyes narrowed at him. Good. I'm glad I crossed a line.

"I happened to remember that," he paused and said, "girls just wanna have fun."

I recoiled at the sudden memory. Everyone started to whisper. Some even taking out their phones to either watch the video, text their friends about what's happening or both. I thought everyone would have forgotten by now.

I pursed my lips. "Well we do." Admitting it, then my lips pulled to a sly smile. "Especially Brooke when she's with Isaac."

And strike three, you're out! Nice knowing you! Have a nice day! Adios, amigo! Bon voyage! Ciao! Later loser! We are the champions, my friends, dun, dun-

He leaned towards me, making me stiffen. I caught my breath, he's so close. I could feel his hot breath against my neck, sending me tingles everywhere. He's doing this on purpose.

"Remember our deal, Princess."

He backed away and shoved his hands in his pockets, satisfied for winning this battle. He walked out of the classroom, and the others followed him. They gave me a few glances of apologies, but I din't meet them. I was too busy standing there stunned.

The deal, Princess.

Remember the deal.

The door slammed shut, making everyone jump back. Mr. Campbell snorted awake, and fell off his chair. Everyone snickered as we heard the large thud. Followed by his shrill scream when the impact made his coffee mug fall from his desk and onto him. He jumped up, and we could see a noticeable burn forming on his face. Mr. Campbell's hand was nursing the wound, as he put his glasses back on.

"Autumn Griffin, why are you standing up from your seat?"

Someone, anyone, please give me the permission to slap the man and lecture him about teacher laziness these days.

"You haven't been hanging out with them in a while," Brooke noticed.

I knew what she meant by them.

"I know." I said, poking at my food.

I should seriously start thinking of bringing my own lunch because cafeteria just isn't edible...

"Autumn."

"Hmm?" I said, still staring at my food. Was it me, or did something just move?

"Autumn," my name was said more forcefully.

"Mmm, yeah?" I think my food just popped, like a pimple. I don't think food should pop like a pimple.

"Autumn!"

"What!" I said, averting my eyes away from the food.

Carmen rolled her eyes. "Are you done studying your lunch?"

I nodded. "Yes. I'm thinking of donating it to science, saying I found a new life form."

Brooke, Lauri, and Patrice stifled a snort.

"How come you're not hanging out with them?" Lauri asked me.

Well I obviously couldn't tell them the real reason. They would kill me, then kill them armed with high heels and lipstick tazers or something.

"I just found out I don't like hanging out with guys."

All four of them snorted. 

I blinked. "What?"

"You love hanging out with guys in middle school," Brooke told me.

"You told me you've always wanted an older brother, maybe even a bunch of them." Patrice said.

"And you told me that you rather have guy friends than girls," Lauri said, adding. "No offense taken."

"Well I just don't want to hang out with them anymore, okay?"

"Since when?" Carmen challenged.

"Since them." I retorted back.

That earned an awkward silence. 

"Did something happen?" Lauri asked cautiously.

This was exactly what I wanted to avoid. I was terrible at lying. I couldn't lie to save my life. If my mom question if I did anything wrong, I would blubber over my life story or something. Not like that already happened...

"No," I denied to quickly. I avoided eye contact so they couldn't tell that I was lying.

"Autumn," Patrice said. "What happened."

"They..."

My eyes wandered around the room, until they focused to the guys. They looked they were having a good time, they laughed along each other, snorting the poisonous cafeteria food. If I told the girls, they might pass it on, and the Principal will hear. And they'll probably get kicked out of the school, maybe even go to prison. I didn't want that.

"Nothing," I said. "They did nothing."

The four of them shared a look, hiding the fact that they knew I was lying. But dropped the question.

"What are the rumors of the Big Four?" I asked.

Carmen raised an eyebrow. "Now you want to know?"

I shrugged. "Why not?" I took a sip of my drink.

Lauri looked around and leaned towards me. "Well I heard once they killed a guy."

I did a spit take, spraying the contents of my drink next to me.

"What?" I demanded.

She shrugged. "It's just a rumor. Either that or he's never going to walk again."

Somehow, I feel slightly relived by that.

"There was this rumor they graffiti to mark their territory." Carmen said. "Like wolves when they-"

"Enough with your werewolf books, Carmen," Patrice said, doing a favor for all of us.

"I even heard they robbed a bank," Brooke told me.

"And recently there's been more fights than usual around the area." Lauri said.

Gang battles. The night went the four of them were on my doorstep all battered up from winning a gang battle. So there have been more fights since then. I glances towards them, noticing hiffed bandages and bruises they try to hide.

"But those are just rumors." Brooke assured me.

I sighed with relief, I'm glad that-

"These are just the sugarcoated ones so that the guys could be feared, but have no evidence to get arrested," she continued. "There are way worst ones."

Well that was comforting.

Man, I haven't updated for such a long time. But now I have! Whoo-hoo!

I've planned out the whole book now. I know what's going to happen next, and the ending. And don't think it's going to end like this. There's going to be a sequel. 

Only one other person, in the real world I may add, knows the title. So don't say anything Shamu! 

Oh, and I made a Facebook page for myself. Shrug. I got bored and I thought, hey why not? You can find the link at my profile, in my bio. So feel free to like it and stuff. 

Just a girl trying to make herself big in the writing world.

RubixCube89201