It was the next morning and I woke up to the sound of birds out on the balcony. I turned on my side and sat on the bed. I got up and opened my backpack. I changed into the clothes I packed, put on my hoodie, and put the rest of my clothes in the drawers. All that was left were my school items. I zipped up my bag and headed downstairs. I then saw Ryan, Luca, Cole, and Chase sitting in the living room watching TV.

Glad they're back...

I grabbed a biscuit from the kitchen and popped it into my mouth. I looked at the guys and called out to them.

"Later guys!" I cried

They all turned around to see me walking out the door. Then, something stopped me in my tracks. I turned around to see Cole, holding my hood.

"And where are you going?" he asked.

"School." I said casually.

"Not by yourself, you're not." Luca said.

I then exhaled a chuckle.

"Come on, guys. I know how to get to school from here. It's not a big deal." I said.

"We don't want ya to get hurt on your way there." Ryan said.

I then rolled my eyes.

"What's gonna happen?" I scoffed.

"We just don't want ya to get jumped by the Jackrats again." Chase said.

"Who are those guys anyway?"

"They a rivaling gang here in Jamaica Estates. The three boys that jumped ya the other day were part of that gang. We just don't want em' to do that again to ya." Cole said.

I looked at them and I saw that their faces were very serious.

I guess I should heed their warnin'...

I sighed and nodded in understanding. Cole then finally released my hood.

"I'll drive ya to school if ya don't mind, Pup." Cole said.

"Sure. Thanks Cole." I said.

He grabbed his sweater and walked down the stairs with me. Cole opened the garage door, and I was in awe.

I've never seen so many beautiful cars before! These guys are so frickin' stacked!

I saw three Lamborghinis, three McLarens, three Bugattis, and three Ferraris, all in different colors.

"So, which one you wanna ride in?" Cole asked.

I just stared at him with an open mouth and wide eyes.

"HOW RICH ARE YOU GUYS!?" I cried.

Cole just laughed. I then calmed myself down.

"I guess... the Bugatti." I said.

"Alright, now, which color? Blue, red, or black?" Cole asked.

I looked at the three Bugattis, wondering which one I want to ride in.

I don't deserve any of this... but, if I'm gonna live here, gotta get used to it...

"The blue one." I said.

"Alright. Give me a sec." Cole said.

Cole walked over to a box on the wall and opened it. Inside were the keys to every car in the garage. He grabbed the blue Bugatti's keys and started up the car. The engine soon flared to life.

That engine purr sounds so satisfying...

"Well, hop in." Cole said.

I smiled and got in the passenger seat. The inside was amazing, and it still had that new car smell. Cole got in and buckled up. I did the same.

"Let me guess... Yumala High?" Cole asked.

"Yup." I said.

Cole nodded and then pulled out of garage. I looked out the window and watched the city fly by, bopping my head to the catchy music playing from the radio. Few minutes later, Cole pulled up in front of my school. I could see other students looking at the car in awe. I opened the door and stepped out of the car. I tapped the window and Cole rolled it down.

"Thanks for the ride, bro." I said.

"Anytime, sis." Cole said.

Cole revved up the engine again before taking off, the sound of music fading away. I smiled contentedly as I walked in the building, knowing there were a lot of eyes looking my way. I went up to my locker and put away all the useless stuff I didn't need. When I closed my locker, a boy with slick, brown hair, tan skin, and hazel eyes was standing in front of me.

He looks at least eighteen.

"Hola chica..." he said in Spanish.

He's Hispanic...

"Um... hi... Can I help you?" I asked.

"You wouldn't happen to be Alita, right?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm Alita... why?"

"Oh, no reason. Just wonderin'... Name's Justin. Justin Rodriguez."

"Well, encantado de conocerte, Justin."

That means "Nice to meet you."

"Igualmente. Well, adiós Alita." Justin said.

"Adiós." I said.

He then walked away with a small wave. I then felt my cheeks turn red.

He is kinda cute...

My eyes widened and I slapped my cheeks to erase the thought out of my mind.

What are you thinkin' Ali! Pull yourself together!

I finally composed myself and continued on my way to class. After my morning classes, it was finally lunch.

Finally, I'm starving.

I grabbed my lunch and sat at an empty table. Then, my phone vibrated. I took it out of my pocket and saw that it was a text from Hiro.

H: Hey Pup! After school, u wanna go out for dinner?

I smiled at the text and replied back.

A: I would luv 2! Where r we going?

H: Where do u wanna go?

I thought for a moment before texting back.

A: Why not Chow Down? I know the manager, so she'll give us a good discount.

H: That's great! Trevor and Cosmo will pick u up. Look out for a yellow Lambo.

A: Will do. C u soon! Luv u!

H: Luv u 2!

I smiled and put my phone back in my pocket. When the bell rang for afternoon classes, I got up and went to my first afternoon class. When school was finally over, I sat on the railing, waiting for Trevor and Cosmo.

"Hola Alita!" said a voice behind me.

I turned around to see Justin's smiling face.

"Oh, hola Justin!" I said.

He then sat next to me on the railing.

"What are you doin' out here?" Justin asked.

"Just waitin' for my brothers to pick me up. We're goin' to Chow Down for dinner," I said.

"Oh, I love that place! Mi familia y yo go there all the time!"

"You know, I personally know the manager there."

Justin looked at me with surprise.

"¿De Verdad?" he asked in shock.

"¡Sí! If ya want, I can introduce ya to her." I said.

"I would love that. Gracias Ali."

He then patted my head. I smiled at his warm hand in my head. Then, I heard a car horn. I turned around and saw a yellow Lamborghini.

"There's my ride." I said as I gathered my things.

I jumped off the railing and walked down the stairs.

"Adiós Justin!" I said turning back to him.

"Adiós!" he said waving.

When I reached the car, the window rolled down and I saw Trevor and Cosmo.

"Took y'all long enough." I said.

"Oh please. Only the best are fashionably late." Trevor said.

"Come on, the others are already at Chow Down. Don't wanna keep them waitin'." Cosmo said.

I got in the car and we drove off. It was quiet between the three of us, nothing but the music playing from the radio. Then, Trevor's voice broke the silence.

"So, who was that boy you were talkin' with?" Trevor asked.

"Oh, just a friend. His name's Justin." I said.

"Just a friend?" Cosmo asked, voice dripping with sarcasm.

My cheeks reddened with embarrassment.

They seriously don't think that he's my...

"Yeah... Believe it or not, we just met today, and we're already friends." I said.

Trevor and Cosmo looked at each other knowing looks.

"You sure he ain't your boyfriend, Pup?" Cosmo asked.

"WHAT!? No! I'm only sixteen. I'm too young to have a boyfriend." I said.

"Nowadays, age don't matter. If ya in love, ya in love. I had my first girlfriend when I was thirteen, and I'm still with her to this day." Trevor said.

I felt my cheeks get a darker shade of red, and felt the blush rush to my ears.

They so annoyin'...

We soon made it to Chow Down, and we saw that it was a little packed. I then saw the others waiting for us outside. Trevor parked the car and we all got out.

"Good, we're all here." Winston said.

"Let's get inside, I'm starving." Dante said.

We walked inside and a waiter came up to us. He immediately recognized me. His name was Will.

"Alita, darling! Welcome back! What's new?" he asked.

"Nothin' change but the weather, y'know?" I asked.

"Gotcha. So, what can I do for ya?"

"Table for eleven."

"You got it. Follow me."

We all followed Will to a big table, big enough for the boys and I to sit. Will gave us our menus and then walked away.

"You're really known in this place, huh?" Cole asked.

"Yeah. I'm a regular here. The manager is a really good friend of mine, and any friend of mine is a friend of hers." I said.

The boys smiled at what I said. Then, I saw the manager walk out. She was a copper skinned, middle aged woman with sage green eyes and black hair.

"Alita Ackerman, my number one customer! How's everythin' goin', sugar?" she asked.

"Everythin' is goin' good, Vitani. Takin' life one step at a time, y'know?" I asked.

"Amen to that. So, who are your friends?"

"Oh, right. These are my brothers; Winston, Hiro, Cole, Dante, Bailey, Luca, Chase, Cosmo, Trevor, and Ryan."

"Hello." the boys said, waving.

Vitani smiled and waved.

"Ya never told me you had such handsome brothers, Ali," she said.

"I like to keep them on the DL sometimes, if ya know what I mean." I said.

"Of course, of course. So, what can I get for y'all tonight?"

When we all ordered our drinks and food, Vitani smiled and went back into the kitchen.

"You weren't kiddin' when ya said ya knew the manager personally." Hiro said.

"I may have grown up in East Harlem, but 'round these parts, I know everybody. Heck, if I didn't meet you guys, I would've been stayin' at Castaway Motel right about now." I said.

"Well, we're glad you ain't there." Chase said.

"Yeah! It's a lot more fun with you 'round." Luca said.

I smiled at their kind words. Few minutes later, our food came out.

"Bon appétit!" Vitani said.

"Thanks V." I said.

She smiled and then walked away. We all then started eating.

"This food is amazing!" Dante said.

The others nodded in agreement.

"Glad y'all like it." I said.

"But it's not as good as yours, Pup." Cosmo said.

"Yeah! You're food is the bomb!" Cole said.

"I'm not that good. I just remember what my mother told me. If you like it, then everyone will love it." I said.

"Well, you're mother is right. You're an amazin' cook, Pup." Luca said.

I smiled at the boys fondly. Then, Trevor spoke up.

"I almost forgot to mention. Pup here has a mate." Trevor said, dragging out the sentence.

My face heated up as the others turned to me.

"You have a boyfriend?" Chase asked.

"No... Trevor's lyin'. I'm too young to have a boyfriend." I said.

"Like I said before, nowadays, age don't matter. If ya in love, ya in love." Trevor said.

I felt the heat from my cheeks rise up to my ears.

"So... what's his name? Who's the lucky guy?" Ryan asked.

They actin' like girls playin' Truth or Dare at a slumber party...

"First, he ain't my boyfriend, but his name is Justin." I said.

Winston then started choking up on his drink. Hiro rushed up to him and patted his back.

"Did you say... Justin?" Winston asked.

"Yeah, why?" I asked.

"Does he have brown hair, hazel eyes, and tan skin?"

"Yeah...?"

"Is he Hispanic?"

"Yeah...?"

"Is his last name Rodriguez?"

I then started growing anxious.

"Yeah... Wait, how do you know so much about him?"

Winston breathed out before locking eyes with me.

"He's part of the Jackrats..." Winston said sternly.

My heart sank.

That's the gang Cole and the others we're warnin' me 'bout... Justin's... one of them...?

"Damn it..." Winston growled.

The boys looked at their leader with concern.

"We need to head home, now!" Winston said, almost shouting.

The boys didn't ask why and nodded. I sat in my chair with confusion written all over my face.

What's goin' on?

Then, Vitani walked out to the commotion.

"Everythin' alright out here?" she asked in concern.

Winston walked up to her and nodded. He then gave her a check, but I couldn't see how much it was.

"Keep the change. We need to go. Thank you for the food." Winston said quickly.

Vitani stared at him with bewilderment. She looked at me and I just shrugged.

"Pup, let's go." Hiro said firmly.

"Oh, okay... Um, bye Vitani! Thanks for everything!" I cried rushing out the door.

"Anytime, sugar!" Vitani cried back.

When we made it outside, the boys got in their cars. Winston, Dante, Bailey, and Cosmo in the black Bugatti; Ryan, Luca, Cole, and Trevor in the yellow Lamborghini; and Hiro, Chase, and me in the red Ferrari. The cars' engines flared to life and we all dashed back to the house. When we got to the house, everyone stepped out of the cars in shock. The outside was completely messed up. Spray painted walls, broken windows, a graffitied garage door; everything was messed up.

"Damned Jackrats..." Winston growled.

I looked at the house in horror.

"This... this is all my fault..." I said.

The boys turned around and looked at me with confused and concerned looks.

"If I hadn't told him who I was, this wouldn't have happened..." I said.

Hiro walked up to me and crouched down to my level.

"This is anything but your fault, ya hear? This is an "us" problem, not a "you" problem. You had nothing to do with this, understand?" Hiro asked sternly.

His words caught me off guard I didn't even know I was crying until I wiped away tears on my face. I then nodded.

"Good." Hiro said.

He stood up and looked back at his brothers.

"Trespassing on our turf is enough, but this is personal." Luca said.

"I'm just 'bout ready to bust some rat skulls..." Bailey growled.

"What about Alita?" Ryan asked.

"Yeah. We can't just leave her here." Chase said.

"But she'll be put into more danger if we take her with us." Trevor said.

Then, the answer dawned on me.

"They're doin' this to get closer to me. This is payback for what Hiro, Dante, and Cole did to Victor and his boys. Before they walked away, Victor looked at me and said, 'This ain't over.' He knew the only way to get close to you guys was through me." I said.

"Those Assrats... You can't go anywhere without em' causin' trouble..." Cosmo said.

"What now?" Chase asked.

All of the boys turned to Winston who had his arms crossed. He had this cold, death look in his eyes that made me fell uneasy.

"We strike back... If they wanna battle, we'll give em' a war..." Winston said.

The boys nodded firmly.

"I'm comin' too!" I said.

The boys turned to me with surprised looks.

"It's far too dangerous. They'll kill you." Dante said.

"So? I'd rather die trying than to not have tried at all. This is my fight as well. They want me, they're gonna get me, but not in a way they'd expect." I said.

The boys looked at each other with grim and darkened expressions.

I know they only tryna protect me, but I can't stay behind the scenes any longer... Not again...

"We are the Night Howlers. We not about to let some ol' rats back us up into a corner... Are y'all in or out?" I asked.

It was quiet for a while. Then, Winston stepped forward. He looked at me in the eyes and the placed a hand on my shoulder.

"I'm in." he said.

I gave him a small smile.

"We're in." the boys said.

I smiled boldly and looked down the street lit road.

"Let's go..." I said.

Then, I jumped to the sound of howling. I turned around to see Dante howling.

"What are ya doin'?" I asked.

"Whenever we 'bout to bust up another gang, we always howl. It lets other gangs know that we mean business." Dante said.

I nodded and then looked up at the night sky, the crescent moon shining brightly. I then howled. The boys soon joined in.

You would really mistake us for real wolves.

The howling choir ended and we all got back into the cars.

"Let's go kick some ass..." I said.