Dawn's POV

"What!?" yelled Julia breaking the silence I had created.

"Julia! shhhhh! We don't want any attention up here." scolded Asher in a hushed tone.

Julia turned to him and gave him a glare. "Sorry, but I was just told my best friend met people from the gangs who run Gainsville, some of the most dangerous fucking people ever!"

I smiled a little, I just couldn't help it. She was  over reacting a little bit. 

"Julia, just calm down and let me tell you the story," I said softly.

Julia turned back around to face me, leaning her arms on the kitchen counter, she and Asher were standing on the other side of it from me. "You better tell us," she said somewhat threateningly to me.

Asher rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "Please continue Dawn," he said while glancing at Julia to make sure she didn't have another outbreak.

I pushed off from the counter and over to my backpack on the other side of the kitchen. I unzipped it and started taking out the various canned foods I gathered.

"Well you both know I was on a scavenge in West Marble Place? The old, elderly neighborhood?" I asked them.

Julia and Asher both nodded at me as I glanced over my shoulder to look at them. Asher uncrossed his arms and leaned on the counter next to Julia.

"Well I was inside a house where I found all these canned foods," I said while sliding some cans toward them on the counter. "Not to mention many more that I hid pretty well."

Asher picked one up and a huge grin formed on his face. "Cheesy bacon potato soup!? I haven't had this stuff since before the plague!"

Julia rolled her eyes and chuckled a little before refocusing. "Keep going Dawn," She said with all seriousness.

I smiled slightly at how happy the soup made Asher, then kept explaining. "I was in a bathroom looking for stuff, and I heard a crash from outside." I remembered that I still had the painkillers in my pocket. "I found these by the way," I said while I took out the little bottle and tossed it to Asher.

He caught it with ease and examined the label. "Good! we're running low on the other bottles we have." He said while showing the bottle to Julia.

 "Anyways, what about this crash from outside Dawn?" Julia asked just as Asher set the bottle down on the counter and the attention was re-focused on my story.

I emptied the rest of the food items i had found before I continued the story. "I looked out the tiny window that was in there , and I saw a guy in a leather jacket laying on the ground with some knocked over garbage bins."

Glancing back at Julia and Asher and they both had looks of extreme worry on their faces.

I frowned a little as I walked over to one of the top wooden cabinets lining the walls, and started putting the cans and non-perishables onto the almost vacant shelves.

"So I quickly rushed outside and quietly snuck around the side of the house," I said before i took a pause to place a few more things on the shelves. "I was about to make a break for a wooden fence I could follow home, but my foot got stuck in a hole and I tripped and fell." I explained.

Julia came around the counter and grabbed some more things from my backpack, she then started helping me put everything away.

"Are you okay?" asked Asher with concern.

I paused from putting everything away, and turned to face him with a small laugh. "yeah I'm fine now. I made it back did I not?"

"That's true I guess," said Asher as he walked over to start helping us too. 

"Anyways, I had to stand up to get my foot out of the hole," I said while continuing to put the last of the things I had found away."I had to take the risk...."

"Dawn!" Julia practically yelled while dropping what she was holding on the counter." You know we don't take risks!" Julia patronized me while making big hand motions.

Slightly rolling my eyes I closed the cabinet door an leaning back on the counter again. "Julia, I had to or else I'd still be out there or I would've been caught and taken somewhere worse."

I could see the words sink in as she looked down and  probably thought about what I meant by a worse place. "Yes... but Dawn.." she said as she tried to find the right words.

"Julia,  It's okay.It's not like she can go back in time and fix it." Asher said trying to make her feel a little better."Just let her finish telling the story"

Julia frowned but nodded in agreement.

I put the last two items away and closed the cabinet door before turning to face them. "I stood up and got my foot out of the hole. I was about to dive behind the fence when I heard a click behind me and I didn't dare make another move" I explained with caution.

"Dawn! What were you thinking!?" Julia whisper screamed at me, back to freaking out about it.

I sighed and walked back over to the counter my backpack was sitting on. I zipped it up before I slid it off the counter and onto the floor. I then bent down and grabbed a bottle of water from the crate we had on the ground, and walked over from the kitchen to the living room. I continued over to our worn out couch. Julia and Asher both followed close behind me.

"I know Julia, but what else was I supposed to do in that situation?" I asked her. "I didn't have much time to think about anything."

Julia opened her mouth, but soon closed it not having any ideas.

Julia and Asher took a seat together across from me as I sat down on the couch in the corner spot.

"I really wish I could've done something different Julia," I said quietly. "Trust me."

I opened the bottle of water and took a big gulp before continuing.

"I slowly turned around at this point, knowing I was being held at gun point," I said quietly while examining their faces. Julia had turned a little whiter in the face. "When I turned around I saw the gun pointed at my forehead, but i was most surprised to see it in the hands of a guy from one of the gangs," I said as I watched Asher shake his head and Julia get even whiter.

"Any guesses on what gang he was from?" I asked while taking in a deep breath and trying to lighten up the story if that was even possible.

"I'm not sure I want to," said Julia crossing her arms and legs on the couch.

"The Switchblades?" asked Asher curiously.

I shook my head. "He was a Diamondback from the Blood Diamonds."

Julia looked like she was about to burst into tears at this point, although i'm not sure why. It was scary but this was apart of life now. Asher was just trying to keep Julia from really bursting this time.

"Dawn......" was all Julia said.

I nodded. "Yes I know, extremely dangerous. But I guess sometimes shit happens."

"Please continue Dawn," said Asher in a quiet tone,staring at me with wide eyes.

"He was basically telling me he was taking me with him," I explained and Julia squirmed around a little. "But he was suddenly shot and someone else pulled me behind the fence." I explained while trying to remember all the events correctly.

"Who?" asked Julia curiously.

"Were they from another gang?" questioned Asher enthusiastically.

I nodded at them again. "His name was Jake. Jake Whitmore, and he's from the Midnight Mafia." I explained.

"Really?" asked Asher with a scrunched up look on his face. "Why does that name seem familiar?"

Julia and I shrugged. "I'm not quite sure," I said while thinking about the name a little harder. " I thought it sounded familiar when he told me but I couldn't think of why," I concluded.

Asher just nodded but kept the same expression on his face like he was trying to make some sort of connection in his mind.

"Anyways," I said before continuing on, "He basically helped me get out of there, and I got home as fast as I could," I finished the story deciding to leave out most of the details of our transaction. "And here we are I guess," not sure if the ending would fully satisfy their curiosity.

I really didn't want to tell them part about me agreeing to meet Jake tomorrow. They would surely not agree with my decision and call it another risk. 

I got up off the couch and walked over to the kitchen where I set my water on the counter. I picked my backpack up and set it back on the counter where I started sorting through the other supplies I had.

Julia and Asher were just staring at me. Neither of them had said a word about Jake or any of the rest  of my story for that matter. It made me slightly nervous and I think they had picked up on it.

"What aren't you telling us Dawn?" Julia asked me cautiously. "I know that look and I know that your're leaving something out." 

I nervously shuffled around things in my bag. Internally battling between making something harmless up so I wouldn't worry them, or telling them the truth.

They both had gotten up and they walked over to the other side of the counter again, leaning on it.

"Spit it out Dawn," Asher said in a slightly forceful tone. "We're your friends and we're here to listen to what you have to say, then care enough to help you out."

The guilt got to me when he said that. They truly were the best of friends who were always there for me when I pulled stunts like this. 

"And well....." I looked down at the kitchen tiles before confessing. "I sort of agreed to meet him again tomorrow night."

Julia and Asher both exchanged worried looks as I glanced back up at them.

Asher gave me a stern look after. "Did we hear what I think we just heard?" He questioned me.

"Yes," I said with a sigh. "I said that I agreed to meet him tomorrow night." I repeated while crossing my arms and staring at Julia and Asher.

"Dawn! Why would you do that?" Julia asked me with a more worried look than before.

I looked at Asher to see if it was really that bad of a decision.

"Yeah Dawn, I think it was a bad decision on your part," He confirmed while practically reading my mind. "First off he's from one of the gangs, and you know nothing about him." Asher said.

I sighed realizing he was somewhat right. "I don't know..." I said while thinking about it. "There's just something about him.... and he did basically save my life...." I continued trying to figure out the real reason.

"Was he hot?" Julia asked while breaking into my thoughts.

Asher gave her an angry look and Julia stuck her tongue out at him.

"I mean I guess he was good looking.." I said while trying to remember his features in the dark. "It was almost pitch black outside so I didn't really get a clear look."

Julia laughed and I gave her a questioning look.

"I think part of the reason you're going is because he's a hot guy in a gang that saved your life, but you don't want to own up to it," she said as she explained her thinking.

I glared at her and I saw a smirk form on Asher's face, even though he was trying hard not to.

Maybe she was right but I really didn't feel like that was why I was going to meet him. "I'm going because he said he needed to talk to me," I explained myself and their eyes widened. "There's something about him that makes me curious as to what he has to say to me."

"Wait a second here.." Asher said while trying to figure something out. "What would someone from the Midnight Mafia want from you, or even have to say to you?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I'm not exactly sure you guys, but that's why I need to go and find out."

Julia and Asher nodded in understanding and I grabbed my backpack off the counter deciding that this conversation was over.  I went into my room, needing to escape Julia and Asher for a moment. Well, our room that is. We all shared a room because we though it'd be a lot safer in case of an emergency.

I dropped my bag at the foot of my bed and quickly walked over to my bedside table and put my gun inside, hiding it under some old newspapers. I sat down on the edge of my bed and closed my eyes to get away from everything for a few minutes.

Eventually satisfied, I took a deep breathe and opened my eyes before I walked back out into kitchen. I had come out just in time to see Julia flick Asher on the forehead as he was trying to steal some of the food out of the can she opened up.

I laughed a little and they looked up at me and smiled. Even with all the bad in the world, I guess there was still a little good.

Going over to them, we stood around in the kitchen for a little bit talking about unimportant things until we realized it was really late.

"Well, we should all be getting bed," said Asher pushing off of the counter.

Julia and I nodded. "We've all had a long night," Julia said while slightly nodding at me.

Julia threw away the tin can and put her spoon in the sink. We were all walking out of the kitchen towards our room, when we heard a loud bang from the hallway causing us all to freeze.

I felt my stomach drop. My adrenaline started to kick up again and I was scared for the second time that night. There was only one thing going through my mind, probably the only thing going through all out minds.

We were the only ones to occupy the building.

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-Delaney :)