*Mia's P.O.V*

I can't stop thinking about Charlie - how he was smiling and studying and going through all of this chaos simultaneously.

I've been speechless for two days straight - well, figuratively - but it still counts.

Even now, though I'm in class, my mind isn't. Agitated for him, I jerk my knee until one long-haired girl turns to me. I have to give her my 'what the hell is your problem?' look before she looks away.

When school ends for the day, she suddenly greets me in Portuguese. It takes me an awkward moment to process it, after which I apologise for disturbing her.

She says it's nothing and goes on a monologue that I zone out. All I know is that her name is Cynthia. Her voice reminds me of Kean, though.

Speaking of my bandmate, I haven't heard from her or any of them in a while.

I try to act chill when I call them. "How are you guys?"

"Good," Harry sighs.

Kat, Kean, and Dalia's jaws drop.

Kat asks, "After what happened? Good?"

"Aha!" Dalia bursts. "Can someone tell me what happened?!"

Harry waves them off, bringing up their Washington show instead. It's after everyone has exited the call that his face falls.

He sighs, "Thanks for giving my parents Charlie's location."

"How is he?"

"He seems fine now, but."

"What is it?" I worry.

Harry puffs, hesitant. "The doctor... they said that there were some chain marks on his thighs. However, it's faint, so when we called the cops, they dismissed it as nothing serious."

Then, before I can react, his eyes widen. "It's Autumn's uncle. That ANIMAL!"

"Huh?!"

"And here I am fucking freaking out, when- you know what? Thank God Autumn shot him!" Harry cuts in, catching me completely off guard.

"HUH?!"

That's when he tells me what happened before Charlie contacted me.

Imagine being run over by a truck several times. That's how I feel when Harry is done with his narration. I don't even know what to say again. I stare at my wall while Harry speaks.

"Mm. When I asked Charlie what happened, he kept saying he was ok. Just like the last time I had to rush him to a hospital -" Harry's voice breaks, and then he hangs up.

Oh my goodness, Charlie. What have they done to you?!

*
*

Joe will wear her shades. Her eyes will be protected from the blue and red lights, the men going harum-scarum, searching for more than a body. The body only testifies that a mother once lived in the house in front of Joe.

What a brave woman. Joe will think. According to the autopsy, Leo's mother fought the criminals before they resorted to weaponry. Afterwards, there was no way for them to continue searching the house.

Jawl, your men are dumb. They could have just threatened her to say where -

"Can I go now?" Leo will interrupt Joe's thoughts. She will glimpse him from her rearview mirror and say, "Don't go to the police station again. "

"Why not?" He will laugh bitterly.

"You know they can kill you."

"Ma'am, with all due respect, I don't give a shit. Take me back to the station."

"I understand you are mourning -"

"I'm not fucking mourning," Leo's puffy monolids will differ. "And you are obstructing justice. What part of 'I killed dad' doesn't make sense to you?"

At this point, Joe will facepalm. "Ok, just tell me where you kept the files."

"No."

"Hm," Joe will scoff, "You know your friend, Charlie. He did not risk his life for you to throw yours away-"

Finally, Leo will reach for his camera - no, the key instead.

Joe will frown as he carefully instructs her to access his dad's secret office.

"...I am pretty sure the cops must have found it by now, but if not, good luck on beating them." Leo will lean back.

"Is there something you want to say, kid?"

"I have told you everything you need to get it."

"I'm not talking about the evidence," Joe will retort.

That's when Leo will poke his head between the front seats. His brows shall rise in solemn agreement to the severity of his question: "Are you the Joe Yeltsin my dad was supposed to kill?"

"No, kid."

"Hm."

"Why? Do you have any clue about the right person?"

"Ur." Leo will fiddle with his ring.

"What, kid?"

"Well, for starters, I know that that Joe Yeltsin is kinda, maybe, related to a demon."

"Excuse me?" Joe will blink in shock.

"What? If you knew that Igor guy, you would call him the same thing."

Stay calm, Joe. "Oh? Who is this Igor guy guy then?"

"He's a demon. He fucks kids. Sells them, freezes them, chops them, gathers idiots to shove stuff in them, dicks included, of course, but there's an array -"

"Stop."

"Pardon me?"

"What do you mean by pardon me?!" Joe snaps. "Are you sick in the head?!"

"... No." He'll wince. Silence shall prevail for the next ten minutes. Then, Joe will apologise.

*

After getting Leo somewhere safe, my aunt will buy herself a drink.

She will guzzle rocks - no, rocks?- no, the alcohol. Nevermind. She'll text Willem, proposing to him.

Then she'll sneak into Leo's house and sleep amid files of chaos. She'll be caught, of course.

She'll be the lady who couldn't handle rejection and booze. Her higher-ups will be lenient as usual.

*

Chaos will rear its head at a courthouse. Leo will act stoic until Charlie takes the stand and stutters.

*

And Igor will watch the entire case while seated in his air-conditioned hideout. He'll call his sister and ask her why she sent evidence regarding Albert only.

"I'm pretty sure you have proof against the cartel too. Why are you hiding it?"

"Let's not pretend," Joe will retort, "Please, let's not. Unless you have something honest to tell me, shut up."

"Oh fuck you," Igor will utter, "I lost my best friend, and you did nothing to help me find his devil of a niece. Now, I'm calling you to start a conversation, and you talk to me like this?"

"You know what you've done."

"You knew too," will be Igor's reply. "Don't act like a saint."

That's when Joe will sigh. "Just come home."

"I have unfinished business here."

"Igor, if you don't come home, I'll ensure you won't even have a business to finish."

"I have more money to make."

"You have already won $7 million -"

"274." Igor will smirk. As his sister's breath hitches, he will recall his anguish upon seeing his only companion still. He'll remember sending his men after the niece while he followed Mr. Yeltsin's wishes.

"When I die," he said in his tiny voice then, "I want to look good. Like those rich men at your father's parties."

Igor made him look good, but Mr. Yeltsin got rich through his emotional intelligence - the files in the corner were proof. (Files with too many figures and freakishly typewriter-ish handwriting and $274 million up for grabs.)

By the end of the call, however, Joe will win. Igor will come home, having robbed the cartel of $274.6 million.

At the same time, Joe will propose to Willem properly.

He will say yes.

*

So, they will marry two months before he wins his case. Joe will say, "Look at my man, saving children." I can't.

Their firstborn will arrive when I complete high school.

*Mia's P.O.V*

When you finish high school, what is the first thing you do?

I go for a dive and then eat pizza while watching my cousins argue. When Cynthia comes, we leave for the mall to buy prom dresses.

By the time we get back, Uncle Igor is watching us from the balcony. Cynthia waves, and he does the same. I just shoot him a tight-lipped smile. I haven't forgotten about the video call, so it's hard for me to like him.

"Your uncle is so nice," says Cynthia. I grimace at her, and she shrugs.

After getting through our plans for prom and graduation, I sack her from my room so I can sleep.

I'm out for ten hours when my phone makes me stir.

I rub my eyes, checking my notifications. There's a new Instagram post from an all too familiar account.

I chuckle as soon as Charlie's face appears.

He's just pouting, yet there are over two thousand likes under his post. I scroll through the comments and laugh at the number of heart emojis. He has dyed his hair black, cut it to shoulders, and grown taller - aside from that, he hasn't changed.

My height is still the same. Damn genetics.

I stand up to see if I have grown by any inch at all.

"Mia!" I hear Cynthia before she barges into my room.

I blurt, "Você é essa garota maluca. Você me assustou!"
{ You, this crazy girl. You scared me!}

"Oh, shut up," Cynthia retorts, plopping onto my bed. I almost switch my phone off if not for her snatching it.

"Hey!"

"Who are you stalking?" she says in Portuguese.

I roll my eyes as she presses my finger to the fingerprint detector. The phone lights up, and she gasps at Charlie's pout.

"Oh, my goodness. He looks like he belongs in a museum."

"Dude," I laugh. Between her and Noah, I don't know who is the biggest simp- ok, it's Noah.

"Which school is he in again?" Cynthia points to my phone. I think.

"Maybe... Oxford? Ya."

"First year?"

"Na. Second." That I am sure of. Cynthia, however, gives me a doubtful frown, saying, "How old is he?"

"He is - oh wait, his birthday is on Saturday!"

Instantly, I open my drawer and smile. My savings stare at me.

How has he really been since the court case?

It's time to see for myself.

Author's note: Sorry for the time jumping, but I couldn't bear writing more horrific stuff while they are still in high school... I think they've been through enough.

If there are challenges or confusions, please let me know since this was a new decision. The story still goes as planned.