𝚂𝙲𝙰𝚁𝙻𝙴𝚃:

"Alright, class!" Mr. James calls, "that's the bell, and I officially dismiss you. Go ahead and leave and if you wish to work with your partner outside school then please work it out amongst yourself."

"Right," Specky Spectacular, turned towards me, his eyes seem to only know how to glare. At least when looking at me. "Give me your number"

"Wow," I said sardonically, "it's not even a question? You do know you have to ask, right, four-eyes?"

"It's for the bloody project, Crimson." When will this doofus ever get my name right? "I think we both know that."

"Uh-huh, Uh-huh. .let me think. . . " I mockingly tapped my finger against my cheek. "Uh. . no. Sorry. Better luck next time, Four-eyes."

He rolled his eyes. "When will you get my name right?"

"Generations after you get mine right."

"That's fair."

My phone buzzed, and I glanced at it. It was John. Because I talk to no one else. I scowled at my brother's name.

God, my life is sad.

"And that's my cue to leave." I glanced up to see four-eyes shouldering his bag. He pushed his spectacles up his nose. "The last time you scowled at me I had my eardrums damaged and my legs knocked out from under me."

I smirked. "Glad I made a lasting impression."

"Not a good one."

"That wasn't my intention in the first place."

He rolled his eyes and left. I checked my schedule, I had health class next, it was the last class of the day. 

Fuck it, I'm skipping. 

Not making eye-contact with anyone, I push open the front doors and walk out. It surprisingly easy to skip class. 

Well, A-it's health class and no one really cares about that. 

And B- If the school calls my brother I can say that I was at the nurse's office but it was busy and she forgot to log it in. If asked what for I simply say "lady problems" and my brother leaves me alone. 

I get another notification. Speaking of my brother. . .

John: Call me.

John: I know you're reading these

John: Don't make me angrier than I already am.

Scarlet: Ok, Jesus. Chill.

I press the call button next to my brother's name. "Quick question; why can't you call?"

"I'm not in the mood for jokes, Scarlet."

"Neither am I. So, why can't you call?"

"You know very well why," he snarled through the phone. "Because my phone could be being tracked and people can't know you're in a gang yet."

"Uh. . "I glanced around in confusion." Terry does."

"No, he doesn't." I could practically hear the smirk in my brother's voice. "I don't trust anyone that much."

"Of course not, just enough to let them steak 70K."

"You are not going to let that go, are you?"

"Not anytime soon," I sneered. "And by the way, just buy a burner. You get them for like 5 bucks."

"I-" The other line went silent. "That's not a bad idea."

"Uh, yeah." 

"Anyways, I--"

I interrupted him. "I am still not murdering people for you. I don't get why I have to do it!"

"Because he knows everyone in the gang but you!

I raised my eyebrow. "So what?" 

"He won't see it coming!"

I can't believe this selfish, jackass-- "So, you would risk my education and my future for stupid, stupid revenge which could have been avoided if you had fucking listened to me in the first place!"

John groaned, "your making me sound like an asshole."

"You are an asshole. You don't need me to make you sound like one."

"Look, Scarlet--" he took a sharp breathe, and I could picture him pinching the bridge of his nose right now. "-- all you have to do is not get caught, your smart enough for that--"

"And what if I do get caught?" I hissed, "Huh? Then what? No, it'll only lead to two things- either death or jail and I don't want to see either. And of course, you'll get off scot free- there's nothing to tie to this mess."

"Look, Scarlet, you asked me to join this gang--"

"Not because I failed in literally everything apart from murder and drugs!" I laughed humorlessly. "No, that was you! You failed college, and instead of working towards it, you thought 'hmm, why not be lazy and just learn how to use a gun?' That's not me! I joined this fucking gang because you refused to take care of mom--"

"Oh, oh, you mean the same mother who basically lays on the bed doing nothing while you risk your life for her?" John was yelling now. "While I used to work my ass off everyday to provide for her? It was not either of our responsibility--"

"That is not her fault! She is ill. No one else in our family wants to help--"

"Yeah," John sneered, "and you ask yourself why that is. You think you have it bad? I was fifteen! Fifteen and taking care of a pathetic excuse of a mother and you--"

"I was 10 years old-- what do you want? A 'thank you'?"

"No, I want you to finally do something for me."

I scoffed. "I risk my life for you everyday, I learnt how to use an illegal gun--" I whisper-shouted those last words "for you, and--"

"And what was the point of learning to use that gun if you weren't going to kill somebody?"

"I don't know! Shoot someone in the leg so that your pathetic excuse of employees have a chance to run!"

John groaned. "So you can shoot someone in the leg?"

"It doesn't kill them, now does it?"

"Look," John was snarling now, "I'm going to call you at the same time day-after. You better have a change of mind." I heard the dial tone.

Before I had the chance to rage, I heard a notification. I glanced down at my phone, it was from Instagram. 

@Idk_Honestly messaged you. 

I frowned. Who?

@Idk_Honestly: Crimson. 

I rolled my eyes. 

@Thebeautyandthebeast: Are you stalking me now, four-eyes?

@Idk_Honestly: U didn't give me your number 

@Thebeautyandthebeast:And you wonder why?

@Idk_Honestly: Shut up

@Idk_Honestly:When are you free to work on the project?

@Thebeautyandthebeast: No.

@Idk_Honestly:That makes no sense.

@Thebeautyandthebeast: No.