The Mission
863 Words
The doorbell rang again — this time it wasn’t De’Andre.
It was Paris, Brooklyn, and Queen.
I rushed to the door before Tyrek could even stand up. When I opened it, the girls practically pushed their way inside, all talking at once.
“Okay, we’re here!”
“Girl, why you look stressed already?”
“Is Tyrek home? Is De’Andre here?”
I shot them a look that said please don’t start and led them upstairs to my room. As soon as the door closed behind us, Paris folded her arms.
“Alright. Spill it. What’s the real reason we’re going to this party?”
Brooklyn and Queen looked at me too, waiting.
I took a breath. This wasn’t the fun, flirty part of the night. This was the serious part — the part I hadn’t told them yet.
“We’re not just going to dance and take pictures,” I said quietly. “There’s someone at that party we need to deal with.”
Their faces changed instantly.
“Who?” Queen asked.
I sat on the edge of my bed. “A senior. I don’t know his real name, but people call him Ace. He’s been… hurting girls. At parties. And nobody’s doing anything about it.”
Paris’s jaw clenched. “You’re serious?”
I nodded. “One of the freshmen told me what happened to her cousin last year. And I heard two other girls talking about him today. He’s going to be at the Welcome Back party tonight.”
Brooklyn sat down beside me. “So what’s the plan?”
“We’re going to assassinate him,” I said.
Queen nodded slowly. “So we’re not just going to the party… we’re going with a purpose.”
“Exactly.”
Paris cracked her knuckles. “Good. Because I’m not letting some creep keep getting away with that.”
Before I could say anything else, there was a knock on my bedroom door.
“Evelyn?” Tyrek called. “You good?”
All four of us froze.
And then we heard another voice behind him — deeper, calmer.
De’Andre.
“Yeah, everything okay in there?”
My heart jumped into my throat.
This night was already spiraling into something bigger than any of us expected.
Paris, Brooklyn, and Queen all froze when they heard Tyrek’s voice outside the door.
I pressed a finger to my lips, and we all stayed quiet until his footsteps moved away. Only then did I let out the breath I’d been holding.
“Okay,” Paris whispered, “you need to finish what you were saying. What exactly is going on at this party?”
I closed my bedroom door fully and turned back to them. This wasn’t the fun part of the night. This was the part that made my stomach twist.
“We’re not going to the party just to dance,” I said. “We’re going because there’s someone there who’s been hurting girls. And nobody’s stopping him.”
Brooklyn’s expression hardened instantly. “Who?”
“A senior,” I said. “People call him Ace. He’s been doing things to girls when they’re too out of it to fight back. I heard about it today — from more than one person.”
Queen sat down slowly, her face serious. “So we’re going to assassinate him.”
“Exactly,” I said.
Paris nodded firmly. “Good. Because I’m not letting some creep keep getting away with that.”
Before I could say anything else, there was another knock on the door — softer this time.
“Evelyn?” Tyrek called. “De’Andre and I are about to head out back. You need anything?”
My heart jumped.
The girls exchanged looks.
I opened the door just a c***k. Tyrek was standing there, and behind him — leaning against the wall — was De’Andre.
He looked up at me, eyes steady, like he could tell something was off.
“You good?” he asked.
I forced a smile. “Yeah. We’re just getting ready.”
Tyrek nodded. “Alright. Don’t make a mess.”
They walked away, but De’Andre glanced back once before turning the corner.
As soon as they were gone, Paris grabbed my arm. “Girl. He knows something is up.”
Brooklyn nodded. “He kept looking at you like he was trying to read your mind.”
Queen smirked. “And you know he’s not dumb. If he senses something, he’s gonna ask.”
I sat on the edge of my bed again, my heart racing.
“I know,” I said quietly. “And that’s what I’m worried about.”
Paris crossed her arms. “So what do we do?”
I looked at all three of them — my girls, my ride‑or‑dies — and took a breath.
“We stick to the plan. We go to the party. We stay together. And we make sure Ace never hurts another girl again.”
Brooklyn nodded. “Then let’s get ready.”
Queen grinned. “Tonight is going to change everything.”
And deep down… I knew she was right.
- Writer
