Becky Torres-Alpizar

I don't know what I'm doing. In front of me was my friend, staring at her brother's limp body in my arms, unconscious on my account. Behind me was the man holding my heart just out of reach.

"What the fuck." Park sounded incredulous, but I could see something in his eyes. Fear. I looked at Santiago, still in my arms, and back to Park's expression of anxiety. Ah. I think I understand.

"Becky?" Steph. Stephanie. The first person to make an effort to reach out to me. How could I do this to her? The weight became too much to bear as Santiago's body fell from my grasp. I watched his limp body collide with the ground.

"I-I'm sorr-" Mason stopped me in my tracks, moving in front of me. Whether to block or hide me, I didn't know. I could still feel everyone's eyes on me. I looked past him to the redhead. Her eyes were rimmed with red, and I'm sure her mind was a flurry of questions.

Why are you doing this?

How could you betray us?

What are you doing?

In all honesty, I couldn't really provide any other answer than I don't know.

"Mason Lee." Neither Park nor Steph moved. Perhaps they saw the small blade in his hand, or they were in shock.

"Nice friends you got there Becks." Brynn snickered from behind me, I bit my lip as I felt the warmth rise up my face.

"What do you want." A happy life.

"Nothing much, just your supplies, and a quick trade-off." Mason gestured to Park. What do they want him for? It's not like his father has any influence here. He softly stepped on Santiago, making me inwardly flinch as the spiked bottoms of his shoes tore at the flesh. Barely.

"Becky don't do this," Steph's green eyes were welling with tears, mirroring the depths of the ocean between us.

"Becky dear, remember Mariah!" Mariah. Mariah. Rie.

"Becky!!!" A sing-songy voice came from the other side of the room. I could feel the smile creeping across my face. Within a matter of seconds, I was greeted with the happiest face in the world. Big, blonde curls framed her face, emphasizing the bright blue eyes beneath green wire glasses.

"Hey, Rie! What's up?" She smiled, before taking my arm. I didn't have to ask where we were going, she knew I'd follow her anywhere.

"I want you to meet some friends!" Sure enough, the table she led me to had three students I didn't recognize.

"Wassup? I'm Mason, Mason Lee." A young guy, still older than us, with bright blue hair, held out his hand, with a huge grin.

"Jace. Jason Lee. " What had to be his identical brother nodded before turning back to his textbook.

"Brynn." The only other girl was small, but her sneer indicated her personality was otherwise.

"Nice to meet you all." I really don't like this group. I voiced my concerns to Rie but her she was too delighted with her new friends to pay any attention.

...

"Hey Rie, do you have time this weekend?" Leaning over her shoulder, I waved my phone in her face. "I wanna see this new movie, with my favorite girlfriend."

"I'm your only girlfriend. I hope!" Mariah's phone buzzed.

Mason Lee

Saturday. 6:15.

"What's that?" Even with my frequent warnings, Mariah had become deadset on hanging out with this 'particular group'. She closed the notification quickly.

"Nothing! Actually, I'm kinda booked this weekend, would next work out?"

A week later Rie had run over to my house in hysterics. Apparently she was going to help smuggle drugs out of the city but had changed her mind at the last minute. Less than an hour later, there were a variety of group chat texts all alluding to the fact that they had been caught.

We were safe and that was the end of it.

At least I thought so.

My worst fear had been confirmed in that the whole group was sent to camp for 'detention' purposes. Somehow their parents had bribed them out of jail, even though the twins were already eighteen. Mason threatened to turn Rie in if I refused to help him, after all, he had plenty of evidence.

He had managed to sneak his phone in and promised to ruin Mariah's life all while claiming that coming to camp was the best thing that ever happened to him. Knowing vaguely what his home life was like and now being able to start over with as much power as he wanted, I knew he wasn't joking.

What choice did I have?

"I don't have a choice," I snapped. "Hand over the supplies and Park." What am I doing?

"Fuck no!" Park flipped me off, hatred burning in his eyes.

"I would hurry up if I were you." Mason was losing quickly losing his patience. "Because if not," He grabbed his spear and slowly started digging the point into Santiago's leg. I could tell that Santiago was trying hard not to cry out if the wince on his face indicated anything. I glanced back to Steph and Park to see the latter lunging across the space between us. I traced his eyes to Santiago's body.

"Ah." I understand now.

Brynn and two other members of the group try to tackle him to the ground with little success. I just want to save my girlfriend.

Without my knowledge something cold wrapped around my throat. The skin of my neck was getting caught in the chain, the pain alone was enough to bring tears to my eyes.

"Santiago!" I heard Steph scream in alarm. So that's who it is.

"H-h-lp-" I begged. I don't want to die, I just want to go home. My grip tightened on the dart in my hand as Santiago pulled harder. Words died in my throat as I choked.

Steph just backed away from the monster I had become. The tears in her eyes made my heart sink. With a quick jerk, I could almost hear the crack.

Then everything went black and I felt no more.

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