Song of the chapter - Another One Bites The Dust by Queen

Not sleeping for an entire night was nothing new to me. I've gone days with hardly any, but it had been a while so I must've been out of practice. I just couldn't sleep after talking with Amber last night, thinking about how to help her, what she should do.

But now that the day had started, I was exhausted. All I could do last night was wait to work this out with her and now that I could, my mind is less than sharp. I didn't think I could carry on a conversation with her for long without falling asleep in the middle of it.

Since it was Saturday, I could try to sleep for a while. That's what I was intending to do but my obnoxious cousin, Nico, was blowing up my phone. I'd already ignored six texts and four calls. That was enough to piss him off.

So it was no surprise that he showed up at my house looking for me.

"What the hell, man?" Nico sounded more threatening than he actually was. That guy wouldn't hurt a fly. Don't get me wrong, he could, after all he's a black belt in Jujitsu. But he wouldn't.

"Calm yourself! I've had a long night. Leave me alone."

Nico stopped and gave me a look, raising one eyebrow. "New lady? I gotta tell ya, it's about time, brah."

"No." Well, it was because of Amber, but she wasn't a lady. Not my lady. Whatever. "Not exactly"

"Right. That's fine, don't kiss and tell. I don't mind. It'll all come out eventually." He smirked. I wanted to deck him. Even though he was my cousin and basically my best friend.

"Shut up. There is a bigger problem that needs our attention. I'm thinking I'm gonna need your help. Mostly, April's help." April was Nico's girlfriend. She also attended school with me, she was a senior. No one knew that I knew her, or that she knew me. We kept our distance at school. Since Nico graduated from there last year, everyone knew him, too. I just didn't need the hassle of being known as his cousin.

"April? You better not put her in any danger, man. That won't work for me." Nico said with all seriousness.

"No danger." at least I hoped not. "I just need her chauffeur services for someone Monday after school."

Nico laughed at that. "A chauffeur? Are you starting some kind of business for the rich kids? Come on, brah, you got more dignity than that. There's no way April is up for that."

Time to clarify. "Nah, no business. But I am trying to stick it to McKinley." Since Nico had gone to Jefferson High too, he knew all about Matt.

"Stick it to him how, by driving him off a cliff?"

Nico always had to be a comedian.

"No, no. I agreed to act as a body guard for his girlfriend. So she could break up with him." I felt uncomfortable admitting that I was helping her out. I knew I was in for a sh*t-storm of questions from Nico now.

Nico just stared at me, hard. He was using his self-perceived powers of mind reading. Which were completely nonexistent.

"I knew it! There is a girl, finally! Man I'm not kidding, it's about damn time you showed interest in the female population. Hell, yes, April can help you out. I'LL help you out if it'll get you some!"

Nico was way too excited about this. And completely wrong, of course. I was not interested in Amber that way. At all. Really.

"Dude, back the fuck off on the female crap. It's not like that. I found him assaulting her behind the cafeteria and told her I'd help her out. She finally agreed." I took a step back and crossed my arms, looking down. Nico should understand this, I really didn't need to explain any more to him. But something made me add one more detail.

"I just don't want things to end like they did with Lisa." I let out a deep breath after saying her name. I hadn't said it in a long time. It was almost painful to form the letters in my mouth.

Nico stayed quiet, finally. He didn't have a line to drop on that, but who in their right mind would. Not under these circumstances. He was a decent guy, even if I did want to knock him out half the time.

"Is it that bad?" He said after a while.

"Not yet, at least I don't think so, but..."

"I got ya. Yeah, I'm in, so is April. At least she will be, I'm pretty sure. What's the plan?"

"I don't know exactly. But it needs to be in public, and he can't know I'm involved."

Nico nodded. "Come on, let's go to my place and spar. I think best when I'm working out."

Nico and I spent the rest of the morning taking turns beating the hell out of each other, Jujitsu style. I was by no means a black belt, but he had taught me some key moves and I used them all against him.

"You've improved since we started working on those stances."

"I've had plenty of time to perfect them" and plenty of a-holes to practice them on.

"Okay then, time to add some offensive maneuvers." Nico laughed.

As he instructed me on ways to attack, we brainstormed strategies for Amber, April and I to use on Monday. A plan was set and now all I had to do was get in touch with her, Nico with April, and get everyone ready. Matt wouldn't know what hit him.

***

After a morning of sparing and a night of no sleep, I pulled a kindergarten move and took a nap. I hadn't done that, well, since effing kindergarten. But a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do and I was wiped.

Feeling more like myself, you know a badass, I decided it was time to contact Amber. I figured I'd just send her a text to call. I did have a rep and calling a girl wasn't part of it.

*Hey, call me*

It could be hours before she called so I decided to get some food. I hadn't eaten much, not really having an appetite, but I didn't want to go too much longer without it.

I trudged out of my room at the end of the hall and into the kitchen. My mom and I had been renting this old house since moving back into this area over the summer. We hadn't lived in this town since I was ten. Not since the summer I got my scar. But she felt like it was safe now, and she missed her family, Nico's mom was her sister, so we came back.

The house had been built in the 1940's as a post war bungalow for returning soldiers. And no one had bothered to do much updating. The walls were real plaster, not the typical drywall used now, and hanging the pictures for my mom had been a complete bitch. The fucking nails bounced back every time I brought the hammer down. Putting in screws was the only way I could hang the damn things.

I really hated this house.

I made it into the tiny kitchen and stood looking in the fridge for something to eat. My mom hadn't had time to go shopping for the week yet so I had to choose between a jar of pickles, milk that had just expired and the crumbs at the bottom of the butter tub.

Pickles it was. I effing hate pickles.

I put one in my mouth and spit it back out. Not worth it. I decided to grab my wallet and head to the store to help my mom out. She had enough to worry about, I could spend my free time buying groceries. As I stepped into my room, my phone rang. Looking at the caller ID, I paused.

Little mouse

Time to get some business done.

"Hey" I spoke into the receiver.

"Hi, I got your text." Her quiet voice came through in a whisper. That put me on alert. Was Matt with her? Why would she call me if he was there?

"What's wrong? Is he with you?" My rage at that asshole was barely contained.

"No, sorry, I guess the whole situation just makes me feel like I need to keep quiet." she let out a nervous breath. "He's been calling all day."

Damn, "What have you told him?"

"What you said, my mom had things for me to do around here and I didn't have time to talk or hang out. It's strange because normally he's too busy for me and I end up waiting around for him, but now he won't leave me alone."

That was a problem. His change in behavior meant he sensed something was up. This was happening, whether Amber was ready or not.

"He can tell something's different, so we don't have time to waste. You need to break up with him on Monday, right after the last bell. Can you get him to meet you in the quad?"

"I don't know, I usually meet him at his car in the parking lot."

"That won't work. You need to stay out in the open. Matt operates from secrecy, so if he has you alone there is no telling how he will respond. Keep him out where everyone can see what he's doing."

"You're right. I knew that on Friday when I sat in the car with him. I felt trapped, like I was a sitting duck."

"Exactly. So tell him to meet you in the quad because you need to take some things home and you want his help carrying it to the car."

"But what happens when I don't have anything for him to carry. He'll know I lied." Her voice held a level of panic in it.

"By then it won't matter, because you're just going to do it quick. You know the whole 'rip the band-aid' thing." Did she really need me to spell it out?

"Yeah, I got it. What do I say? I mean, am I laying everything out there about how he behaves? He'll go crazy!"

"Listen, tell him that your parents are putting too much pressure on you with school and they are disappointed that you focus on him so much."

"So I'm playing the parent card? Do you think it will work?"

"It will take the blame off of him, and that's what would set him off. Besides, that's what parents are for. To blame when you need to get out of things" I smirked a little at that comment. Although I would never do that to my mom, I didn't need to. I could get out of bad situations on my own.

"I guess so. Well, then what? I just turn and go with you? Wait! Will you be there?" She asked in an obvious panic.

"Yeah, I'll be close, keeping an eye on you from the hallway. But I can't be out there, and I can't come rescue you if anything happens. He can't know I'm involved at all. It will just cause more drama for you."

"What the hell am I doing this for then? He's going to follow me! I'll be alone! I can't do that!" Her volume was on full blast and I pulled the phone away from my ear. Damn, the little mouse had some lungs!

"Calm yourself! That's what April's for. Do you know her? Tall, long black hair with hot pick tips, nose and lip piercings, wears all black?"

"Yeah, I know her. Do you?"

"She's my cousin's girlfriend-" I couldn't finish what I had been about to say.

"NICO IS YOUR COUSIN?" Now she was screaming. Not such a mouse anymore, was she?

And this was why I kept our relationship to myself. He had quite a reputation, himself.

"Yes. He's my cousin, go figure. Anyway. I won't be out in the open, but April will. And she will take you to her car, drive you to Nico's and we'll work out a protection detail." This was like a freaking witness protection program.

"I'm going to Nico's house? Is that safe?" She was finally whispering again.

"He's a black belt, not a psycho. Yes it's safe." I had to admit, her reaction was pretty funny. But this conversation needed to end, I was hungry.

"Listen, text me if you have anymore problems with the asswipe, okay? Otherwise the next time we talk will be at Nico's"

"Okay. Garrett?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks. For everything"

"Don't thank me. Let's see how it goes on Monday." I did not want her feeling like she owed me something. I didn't need her hanging around.

"Ok, bye"

I ended the call without returning her goodbye.
^^^^^

A/N update!!! And it was more than twice as long as the other posts! So please tap the star to vote!

Thank you for your comments and questions! Have you seen the videos I added to the first two parts? The entire playlist is now set and I LOVE IT!! The music really drives the story for me and helps when I'm stuck on a plot point.

**PLUS the prequel for More Than This will be my Wattpad Block Party post!! I know, awesome, right ?!?! Now you will find out how their first day of school went that year. It will be very eye opening.

Watch for it in February 😊

Not to leave you hanging, here is the lyric video for Another One Bites The Dust...

https://youtu.be/VsnXeQDqOOg