In the middle

Chapter 9

Bason didn't show up for school. It's not that I was worried, he was a complete asshole, and what Bason did to me AND Taylor was unforgivable.
Still, he wasn't here and Gabriel had threatened to kill him. Not that his brothers had said anything to stop it from happening.

I did have History with Bason and he was always there even when I didn't want him to be.

I entered the classroom before anyone else. Mr. Wisener was at his desk, his head stuck in a book. My phone buzzed and I looked down. A text from an unknown number. "We need to talk."
"Who is this?" I answered. I couldn't figure out who it was. If it was from Taylor it would have said her name though, I have it saved into my phone. I sat down at my desk and took my books out just as the bell rang and students filed in.
My phone buzzed again. "Julian." Julian? What did he want to talk about? I hadn't had time to think about me kissing him. Or about the fact he saved my ass a second time. Not that I needed it. I would have beat up Bason myself.

I looked up trying to find Bason in the crowd but he was a no show. A girl I knew as Molly sat down beside me. We had been class neighbors for months but I had never talked to her. I know she was friends with Karlos, maybe she knew where Bason was.
'Molly?' I asked gently tapping her shoulder.

She turned her head back at me slightly disgusted. 'Yes?'
'Do you know where Bason Chuck is?'
'Didn't you hear?'
'About what?'
'He's in hospital. Got in an accident this morning when he went out for his early run before school.' Molly was a gossiper and a snitch, she had been since freshman year. Always starting rumours, but at least she didn't tell me to mind my own.

Bason had gotten into an accident! I tapped Molly again. 'What happened? Is he okay?'
She sighed and spun in her chair so her whole body was facing me.
'He broke both of his legs and his collarbone. Almost broke his back apparently.'
'How did he do that?'
'Apparently he got jumped by a gang. Not surprised, LA is crawling with low life's. They just wanted his money!' With that Molly turned back around.
It was a gang that jumped him? Somehow I wasn't entirely convinced.
I looked back down at my phone. "Are you available now?" I was too on edge to just sit through an entire lesson about The Cold War.
I had a giant pit in my stomach and it kept twisting and twisting.
"Yeah! Meet me at the warehouse."

I followed the address across town to the place where I first met Taylor and her brothers. I had skipped class, Mr. Wisener yelled at me but I said it was cause I was sick. He let me go easy cause I was a "model student."
The warehouse looked so much bigger in the day. I parked my car in the exact spot the man had parked in. I wonder what had happened to him? No! I couldn't twist my mind anymore.
I walked down the back of the building and stood at the green door.
Why was I shaking so much? I had seen Taylor in school today. Her face slightly better than before.

My hand shakes as I knocked loudly against the panel. After an minute it opened and there stood Ezra. His face slumped at the sight of me. 'NO!' He said half closing the door. I pushed back against it. 'Julian told me to come.' I explained.
That made Ezra curious. He opened the door and looked me up and down. 'He's upstairs!' Ezra noted.

I followed the halls to the stairs behind the door. I remembered the metal white steps. The railing cold under my hand. As I marched up them my heart was going so fast it might as well be leaving my body.
I walked through and saw a group of people. I only recognised Ezekiel, Julian, Kaden and the blonde hair, blue eyed boy from the first night. There were about six other guys.
All heads turned to me when I walked in. 'What are you doing here? Do you actually have a life or is it just annoying us?!' Ezekiel spoke.

'I asked her to come.' Julian shared. Everyone went quiet-er. 'Come on, we can talk downstairs.' Julian said.
As I was about to turn I could see a small smirk on Kaden's face. Kaden seemed like the quieter brother.
I followed Julian downstairs and to the end of the hall. We walked into a room, it was big. It had a round table near the far wall and three large steel crates.
My curiosity was burning but I had to settle it down. I was here to talk to Julian.

'Why did you want to talk?' I asked. He looked at me, almost unsure. 'Are you okay?' The question confused and bugged me all in one.
'I wouldn't have come all the way here for you to ask me that, right?! He didn't respond right away and it made my stomach tighten.
'Is it about the kiss?' I broke the silence. 'Yeah.' I had never seen Julian so shy, so gentle. I had only really seen him when he was beating the living shit out of someone.
'Look! I didn't mean to if that's what's got you all bugged up.' I say.
'What?!'
'I'm sorry, I didn't know what came over me and if that's why you're freaked out...'
'No! Listen. It was nice, really but you're 16 and ...'
'And you're 20? Not to be judgey but you don't seem to care about the whole illegal things.' A small grin formed on his face.

'You're friends with Taylor!'
'So? If you don't like me just say it. I'm not going to get offended. Look, I'm really sorry. I know I shouldn't have and I'm not sure how you even feel about it. Not that you have to feel anything about it but I'm sorry, I just...'

Before I could finish whatever I was going to say Julian leaned in. His hands on my waist, his lips on mine. He was a really good kisser, probably had loads of practice.
This kiss was warm and sweet.
I pulled away for a moment. 'Why did you do that?'
'Because I wanted to!' I didn't reply. I wasn't sure how to react. I liked it! I really did and I think I was really starting to like Julian but what would Taylor say? I didn't want to ruin the friendship we have.

'I have to talk to Taylor!'
'What?'
'What do you want to do?'
'What?' Julian was clearly not catching up. Had the kiss immobilised his brain?
'What is this?' I asked pointing to Julian and myself. He didn't answer. He sat down on the table. 'What do you want it to be?' He asked. I shrugged my shoulders. 'I don't wanna just mess around.' I share. He wasn't meeting my eyes or anything.
'Okay so let's just not name it. Girlfriend or boyfriend or whatever.' He said.
The way he said it made me cringe. 'Okay.' I laughed.

He placed his hand on my waist and for a second I forgot about everything and it made me jump. 'You okay?'
'Yeah, fine!' I slightly lied.
'Bason is in hospital! Did you do that?' I had to ask. He wasn't meeting my eyes again. 'No, I didn't.'
'Tell me the truth!'
He looked up at me and I saw warmth. 'I didn't do anything to Bason.' I almost let it go.

'Did you get someone else to do something?' He jumped off of the table. 'Why are you so on this?' That wasn't an answer.
'Because I worry. Because I don't know, I'm a good person and I don't want him to die.'
Julian was silent again and it was driving me mad.
'Bason was a bad person. He hurt my sister, my little sister! He hurt you.' Julian said. I didn't reply. I wasn't sure what to say. 'You shouldn't worry! He's not going to hurt you or Taylor or anyone else okay?!' Now I wasn't meeting his eyes.
All I knew was I had to drop it.
'Okay!' I said.

He lifted my chin gently with his hand. 'Are you okay?' He asked again. 'Yeah, I'm fine.' I lied again.