"X-Xander?" I called out, worriedly.

Was that... Layla?

"Shit." Xander muttered and let go of her, "It's not what it looks like, Austin."

"Wasn't that one of Dayana's friends?" I asked him, "Why were you..."

"She's Lyn," he replied, "and she's from a gang that's trying to take me away."

I looked at him with fear as he frantically locked the door, and started pulling the nearby desk to block it.

"Austin, I know that they're coming back for me, and I sure as hell won't let anything happen to the three of you," he started, going closer to me, "so help me wake up these two idiots."

I gulped but nodded nonetheless.

"Jacob," I nudged him gently while Xander continued to barricade the door, "Kitian."

"I'm hearing footsteps." Xander told me, "Buddy, could you hurry up a bit?"

"They could be any other person from the party." I assured him, slapping Kitian's face lightly.

"This isn't a party, Austin. It's a trap. I'm pretty sure we're surrounded right now, so I need you to hurry up before the three of you get hurt because of me."

A gunshot was heard outside just as I pushed Kitian and Jacob off the bed.

"Huh? What the fuck?"

"Shit, ugh, fuck you."

They both groaned.

"No time to get mad at us, you guys need to go." Xander told them.

"Let's go,"

"What? Why?" Kitian asked.

"Gang stuff."

Jacob stood up abruptly, "So shouldn't we be with you?"

The door suddenly banged.

"No, I'd kill myself if anything happened to you all. Go!"

"What if they follow us?" I asked him.

"They won't. I promise." Xander told me, told us.

"We're not leaving you, dumbass." Kitian told him.

"Xander, all we wanna do is talk." A voice from the other side of the room hollered.

"Please. Go." Xander looked at us with pleading eyes.

I unwillingly moved towards the window, "Guys, come on."

Kitian followed, but Jacob took a while to move.

"Hey Jakie." Xander called out as Jacob turned around.

"Yeah?" He replied, not bothering to turn around.

I stared at the man who wouldn't even cry if he died young crying with the guilt of leaving his — our — best friend. He tried to hide his tears from us, but just decided to let it all out.

"Let's let go of Dayana," He told him, "Trust me, she'll be happier this way."

"When I see you again, I'm gonna punch you in the face," Jacob told him, "I'll let go of her for you, buddy. I'll see you soon."

"I love you guys." He said, and suddenly another gunshot was heard, "Go."

Kitian jumped first, then me, then Jacob.

We looked around the area and walked towards the front. There were no people. We sprinted to the street and headed straight for the car we brought. I couldn't remember whose car it was, all I knew was that we had the keys.

"Where are we going?" I asked, shaking in the backseat.

Kitian and I locked eyes in the rearview mirror.

"Don't worry, Austin," he told me, "Xander will be fine."

The car stopped abruptly. We were in front of a park. Jacob got out of the car, and we followed.

He punched a nearby tree. He proceeded to give it multiple punches, and we just watched. We watched as our friend beat the shit out of a tree and cry out his frustrations.

"He didn't choose to be a gangster or shit! He was so nice, he couldn't even kill a fly for fuck's sake! Why him?! Why the fuck does his life need to be in danger? He's nineteen!" Jacob leaned against that same tree and shrunk to the ground, curling up into a ball.

He was shaking while he cried. I didn't realize that I was crying too until I Kitian ruffled my hair.

I looked up at him to see that his eyes were filled with tears, too.

He nodded and motioned towards Jacob.

"He's always been the one that held this group together. He always looks out for us, and now that he couldn't do that, he's torn. Let's be there for him." He told me.

I nodded as we walked towards where he was. We sat down next to him.

After a few moments of silence, he spoke.

"I know that being in a gang is as dangerous as it sounds." He told us, "I'm aware that him just being in a gang already endangers his life. He's told us about gang fights and wars, but he always came out safe."

I played with a blade of grass by next to me as I listened to Jacob let out his feelings. Jacob who doesn't open up to anyone. Jacob who only opens up to us, but only the little things. Jacob letting his heart out in front of us.

"We all were worried about him every time he told us that there was a gang war. But he assured us every time that his gang would take care of him. Every single time I saw him with a wound or bruise, I wanted to ask him to quit the gang. Live life as a normal kid like us. But he just seemed so happy whenever he was talking about his gang."

"Remember the time he told us he was the ace?" Kitian asked us, now lying down on the grass.

I managed to let out a smile, "He was so jumpy. He couldn't stop smiling that day."

"He's so happy with his gang and always tells us that they take care of him, and I guess I was at ease knowing that. Tonight, though, his gang wasn't there. We were there, and we couldn't take care of him. He said his gang treats each other like family, and we're his closest friends, but we couldn't help him. We just gave him to them. I couldn't help him."

Jacob buried his face in his knees once more.

"When he told us that his gang treats each other like family, he told us something else, though." I told them, now leaning against the tree, too, "He said that even with how they treat him, he still felt more at home with us. We gave him more comfort and joy. He said he wished we could be a part of a gang, but it would endanger us."

"That's Xander." Kitian breathed out shakily.

I stood up, "You know what? We may not be a part of his gang, but we are CREST4. That name was given to us back when we were in high school, and we always laughed about it, but we all know that it made us feel like our own kind of gang, too. I have an idea."

"What?" Jacob asked.

"Xander provides a bridge of us with a bigger gang, all we need us to cross it."

"Are you saying that we should go to CBG?" Jacob asked.

Kitian stood up too, "I don't know, it could work."

Jacob sighed, standing up and rubbing all around his face in frustration.

"I did promise Xander to punch him in the face next time I see him," He said, "I'm all in."

"Nice!" I exclaimed.

"Let's go." Kitian said.

"Where?"

"To save our best friend."

"No, I literally meant where? We don't have any idea where their gang is."

"Oh." Kitian said.

"How about the old building Xander used to go to all the time back in high school?" I suggested.

"They might have changed where they are. I haven't seen Xander go there in a while." Jacob told me.

"That's because ever since college, we didn't follow each other after school any more." Kitian said, "I say take our chances."

"Alright, let's go."

"To where?"

"I thought you already knew."

"No, I, uhm, I knew, but I expected you to say what I said earlier for dramatic effect, you know."

"Oh sorry, sorry."

"Guys, we're wasting time."

"Just this one last bit before we go."

"Alright, fine."

"In 3, 2, 1..."

"Let's go."

"To where?"

"To save our best friend."

"And, cut! Let's go!"

I love this friendship ❤️ Two updates in two days? You could say I'm on a roll HAHAHAHAA. For anyone confused, this is the night of the party. The night before the previous chapter.

I'm quite excited to write the next chapters. We're at the climax already and I just want to give all the remaining chapters 'til the end, but what would be the fun in that?

I mean, I could give out all the chapters except the last one and only publish it like a year later.

Kidding, I'm not evil HAHAHAHAHA

Don't forget to vote and comment! Those things really push me to update :))

♡~Yelly