Chapter 30: Chapter 30

"So where's this new tv you promised me?" I asked Cole while we sat outside just catching up while Lila was lurking somewhere in the bedroom, probably smelling my panties. No doubt, she could be so pervy sometimes it was unnerving.

"Oh, that's on the way so no need to worry but how are you feeling?" He asked, I knew this question was bound to be asked but I didn't want to talk about it yet.

"Fine," I said with a tight-lipped smile while taking a sip of my wine, I could feel that little buzz coming along which made facing things a little bit easier.

"Why you gotta lie to me?" He asked

"I'm not lying I'm fine honestly I mean it's been a couple of days so I've had time to come to terms with what happened and now I'm fine," I answered

"I don't believe you," he said

"That's your choice but honestly I'm fine ok if I wasn't I would go to a therapist," I said

"Fine I'll believe you now, I'm just glad to see you up and about," he smiled at me

"Thanks if only you brought more drinks then I'd be much better," I joked

"Ya sorry about that but we can go get some more now if you're up for it," he said

"Ya I could use some fresh air," I said and got up stretching my arms above my head

"Awesome let's go then before peeping tom over there wants to tag along," he said

"Leave her be she just wants some company is all," I chuckled, grabbing my phone and wallet on the table before we headed towards the door.

"Where are you guys going?" Lila asked seeing us open the front door

"Just to get some more wine," I answered her

"And you were gonna leave without me weren't you?" She asked with her hands on her hip

"No, we just thought you could use some alone time to raid her cupboard," Cole joked, making me stifle a laugh.

"I'll get you for that but I'm coming along anyway," she said, making Cole sigh in annoyance before he followed after her. I couldn't help but smile at my crazy friends that I adored so much.

We ended up going in Cole's car after the fight about who was going to drive with me. I for one thought we could all just go in one car but apparently, that was a problem for both of them.

"Can we just go please?" I practically begged, tired of their bickering. Unlike them, I didn't care which car we went in as long as we left the parking lot.

"Fine let's take your car but I'm driving, "Cole took initiative to end the argument

"look at you being the bigger man," Lila sarcastically said

"Lils," I warned her not to start something,

"You called me Lils," she beamed brightly like I just gave her a million dollars

"Yes, now you can calm down so we can go," I urged, tired of standing in the parking lot attracting some unwanted attention.

"Yes please get moving," Lila ordered Cole who rolled his eyes at her

"It would be a miracle if I don't murder her before the day's done," Cole whispered to me

"Come on she's just having a one-off day give her a break life hasn't been easy for her either this is just her way of unwinding," I whispered back

"Fine, let's go then," he sighed, getting into the car. I sat at the back with Lila who sat a little bit too close.

"You don't wanna sit in the front?" Cole asked me, I was tempted to take up the offer but I preferred to sit in the back.

"Na I'm good," I told him making eye contact in the rearview mirror

"Very good," Lila purred leaning her head closer towards me

"Take it easy crazy," I said pushing her face away with my hand

"Aw boo you're no fun," he pouted

"Ya cause I'm no sex-crazed lunatic," I said

"You don't know what you're missing," she huffed folding her arms across her chest

"Ha nice try," Cole laughed at Lila who threw him the middle finger

"Play nice you two at least till we're off the road," I told them

"Tell that to him," Lila scoffed, laying down to place her head on my lap. I gently placed my hand on her bald head thinking I would touch her hair but didn't I tried so hard not to laugh as I remembered how she got bald in the first place. It was a cruel thing Haley did but then again it was pretty hilarious.

Our trip to the liquor store lasted a little bit longer than we expected as we ended up sitting at a small restaurant enjoying our wine, it felt nice to just not think for a moment to just live in the moment. These two knuckleheads have helped me in more ways than I could count from spiralling into a dark hole, they kept me afloat with their constant support and love for me. We were pretty loud attracting quite a lot of attention from the other customers. We even got a complaint from one customer sending a waiter over asking us if we could keep it down but we didn't because we were unwinding and just wanted to have fun.

By late evening, we stumbled our way into my car completely wasted. I knew it was a terrible idea to drive while drunk but Cole said he was fine and he wouldn't risk our lives ever so we trusted him to drive. Along the way, I got a call from Haley,

"Hey best sibling in the world," I slurred over my words my brain slightly buzzed

"Hey uh could you come over now?" She sounding distressed

"Uhm right now can't I'll come tomorrow cause right now isn't a good time," I said

"No come now," she practically yelled over the phone

"Ok is everything alright?" I asked

"Ya just get here now and come alone," she said and hung up

"Everything alright?" Lila asked noticing my confused stare

"I'm not sure but we're taking a detour it seems," I sighed

"Noo I'm so tired," Lila groaned, shaking my shoulders like it was my fault, my whole world began shaking as I got dizzy, my head feeling too heavy to hold up as I fell forward on her lap.

"Wow there you ok," Lila asked

"Just dandy," I groaned sarcastically feeling something come up my throat

"Oh god, Harley!" Lila angrily yelled as I barfed on her lap

"Sorry," I hazily said feeling light-headed

"Gross," she gagged opening the window like it was going to help

"Maybe let's go home first before we head to your sister's place," Cole suggested

"No, we can't Haley needs me," I objected even though I was still out of it

"Harley look at yourself you can barely stand upright I think Haley can wait to see you another day," Cole decided

"Don't tell me what to do if my sister needs me then I'm going whether I'm drunk or bleeding to death I don't care we're going," I angrily said

"I'm driving," he reminded me, I narrowed my eyes at him before trying to crawl to the front seat to turn the steering wheel.

"What the hell Harley!" He yelled nearly swerving to the next lane, he pushed my hands away from the wheel cursing under his breath.

"You high or something?" Lila asked like I was the dumbest human being alive

"Sshut up at least I don't have puke all over me," I slurred

"And whose fault is that?" She cried outraged

"Don't look at me you suggested we get wasted," I said

"I didn't force you to," she cried

"Can you two shut up, I need to concentrate here," Cole yelled over us, we huffed but obeyed watching the buildings pass around us as we headed to my sister's place. Over the phone, she sounded distressed but that was Haley. She made a fuss over the tiniest little things for no reason, she probably lost her favourite shoe or just needed some company.

"Looks like she's got company," Lila said. Once we arrived, seeing another car in her driveway, I buzzed the gate bell waiting for it to be opened. Not a few seconds later it opened.

"I'll be fine from here I'll see you guys tomorrow," I told them

"What we came all this way just for you to send us back no way," Lila said outraged

"I gotta agree with her, maybe we can just crash here with you and leave tomorrow morning," Cole said

"You gotta ask her then," I shrugged forgetting the whole come alone line Haley told me over the phone.

"Is it just me or is that Michi's car?" Cole asked when we got closer to the other car to see the make and number plate.

"Nah you just tripping now, can we go inside? It's cold out here and I would like to get this puke off of me before I rip someone to shreds," Lila groaned glaring daggers at me, I smiled apologetically before we all got out.

"I'm craving some good nachos right about now," Cole randomly said

"I wasn't but I am now," Lila groaned,

I rang the bell twice and waited patiently till my sister opened the door with a distressed look, she wasn't alone.

"Hey didn't I say come alone," she tried to pass it off as a joke with a cringing smile

"I think so but I can't even remember what you said," I laughed looking at Michi who didn't find this situation in the least bit funny.

"Ey my boy where have you been?" Cole asked him with a smile

"In a cell," he answered blankly

"Right sorry to hear that," Cole awkwardly said rubbing the back of his head, Haley kept giving me eye glances like she was trying to tell me something but I was on another plane of existence to take her coded blinking seriously I even copied her blinking patterns as a joke laughing at how silly we probably looked.

"So what are you doing here anyway?" Cole asked Michi who gave Haley a hard look, she timidly looked down.

"Just passing by," he shrugged coolly, putting his hands in his pocket. Through my haze he looked pretty dashing even drool-worthy which gave me a bit of a confidence boost to express how I felt.

"Damn," I said, eyeing him up and down, everyone looked at me like I had a screw loose, perhaps I did. Haley though looked the most surprised like she couldn't believe what I just said.

"Don't blame me the man is pretty fine," I said crossing my arms over my chest stubbornly

"Thanks, I guess," Michi awkwardly said

"Can we crash over for the night?" Lila asked Haley who was sweating like a bullet

"Uh tonight is not a good time," she hesitantly said quickly glancing at Michi

"Nah man let them stay the more the merrier right," he smiled tightly at Haley who timidly nodded

"Right you're welcome to stay," she said quickly

"Thanks, I knew you would come around pumpkin," Lila beamed throwing her arms lazily around Haley and kissed her smack dab on the lips

"Bet she'll roast her alive," Cole chuckled imagining what Haley would do to Lila for kissing her

"Nope, she'll chop her up into sushi," I chimed in, but to our utter surprise she didn't lash out; she kissed Lila back.

"What am I seeing?" Cole asked confused

"Beets me we're looking at the same thing," I answered wondering why Haley didn't slap Lila or even push her away because she had a boyfriend with his kid on the way.

"Wow," Lila giggled when she pulled away

"Why don't we take this to the lounge where we can catch up," Michi suggested

"Ok," I agreed along with everyone else. He led us all like cattle or sheep to the massive living room where we saw Diana watching tv with a concentrated hard look.

"Oh hey guys," she smiled once she saw as all

"Hey?" I said more as a question wondering why she was here

"Look at this the whole gangs here well except for Bobby and my dead sister," she chirped away with a smile

"Right," Lila awkwardly said

"Come sit we have a lot to catch up on," she urged us all moving to the end of the couch to make room for us. We all found a spot to sit all eyes on Diana who had a crazed smile that would scar a kid for life. Speaking of kids, I wondered where my nephew was.

"Haley, where's Kyle?" I asked her sobering up a bit as I tried to focus on one thing at a time

"Oh he's somewhere in the house," she slowly said as if she was trying to make up a lie

"Oh ok then I'm going to say hi," I said getting up

"Sit," Diana ordered harshly staring me dead in the eye

"Excuse me?" I asked with narrowed eyes, I wasn't appreciating her impoliteness and creepy vibes she was putting off.

"Sit we have some things to catch up on I'm sure Kyle is fine Linda is keeping him company after all," Diana said with that plastic smile

"I'm good I'm just going to say a quick hello," I said turning around to leave

"Fine Haley and I will join you then isn't that right Haley?" She turned to Haley who nodded repeatedly getting up

"I wanna come too I haven't seen that little guy in ages," Lila smiled getting up as well

"Maybe later Michi has something to show you," Diana insisted, pushing Haley and me on the back towards the hallway. Michi stood in front of Lila like a giant wall preventing her from following us, she didn't see anything wrong with that so she sat back down while Cole followed us with his eyes taking a glance at Michi who was trying to make himself look bigger.

Something didn't feel right but I couldn't put my finger on it, my mind was still a bit foggy so my every response to things would be something childish and inappropriate. Haley walked in front of me while Diana walked beside me keeping a constant eye on Haley for some odd reason, I wasn't sure where we were going but Diana seemed to as she told Haley to head upstairs she followed the order like an obedient child which was not like her at all so that showed a red flag but with my state, I pushed it to the side just wanting to see my nephew.

"Ladies first," Diana gently said for Haley to go first into the master bedroom, she hesitantly obeyed and opened the door walking into the massive well-decorated room.

"I got a surprise for you Harley," Diana excitedly said opening the bathroom door, the shower was on so I assumed Tyler was in there so why Diana just barged in like she owned the place was a little bit irritable.

"You could've knocked you know someone could be there," I angrily said

"Oh I know," she beamed rushing Haley and me inside

"What the hell is going on here?" I asked angrily tired of her ordering me around

"Head inside and you'll find out," Diana said blankly, I narrowed my eyes at her before heading into the bathroom that was slightly misty and humid. What put me off the edge was the way Haley was shaking slightly with tears streaming down her face,

"Open it," Diana ordered, referring to the shower curtains. I locked eyes with her for a few seconds wondering what she was up to before I shakily opened the curtains.

I lost my breath at the sight, Kyle and Tyler sat tied up by the legs and arms with a cloth over their mouths. Hot water poured over them, Tyler was trying his best to shield Kyle but it wasn't working with the way Kyle was crying his little heart out. Tyler was trying his best to shuffle them away from the harsh water droplets but the ceiling shower was massive and covered most of the shower as it rained straight below them scorching their skin red, since Tyler was shielding Kyle his skin was raw red and it was easy to tell he couldn't take much more of the heat before he passed out. My heart skipped a beat as I tried to understand what the hell was going on, why would Diana and Michi do such a thing and why hurt a little kid who did nothing unless they were heartless.

I turned around to let loose on Diana for what she put my nephew and Tyler through. I wanted to rip her innards out and feast on them but my fantasy was cut short when I came face to face with her pointing a gun at Haley's head.