Rivals For Breakfast

1| Stepping Stone

Have you ever heard of the cosmos? The story goes that every trillionth happening in the icy palm of the universe has been systematically enticed by the orbit of the cosmos. Every night sky littered with gleaming stardust, every charcoal stained melody that steals our breath, every spectacle of kaleidoscopic secrets, every silencing pin drop of harrowing tears. Every velvety whisper, and graze of sweet lips, and hastening heartbeat, down to the very first time my eyes met his own. There's no serendipity in these fleeting moments. The cosmos, they say, have outlined it all. Written in spacetime far beyond our yearning fingertips, our fates were sealed long ago.

The pounding of my feet is no match for the pounding of my heart. My body approaches the big black gates but my eyes observe the feathery clouds above me. It's a nice day, I think to myself. The seasons are changing again, the winds are chasing away the last of the cold front. I can already see the green seedlings of leaves soon to come. Spring is here, I'm certain of it. Its a shame I can't feel the same type of certainty towards my own life. Once again I'm about to take a sharp turn down a dark path.

I stop to catch my breath, but no amount of oxygen can suppress my scathing nerves. I begin to think back to the dreaded conversation I had with my brother just one week ago.

"Ava, are you home?" I hear him yell, his voice resonates down my hallway. I smile because it's been a while since I've heard from him. In fact, if it weren't for the pitiful family pictures that sit on my nightstand, I wouldn't remember what he looks like.

"Upstairs!" I shout back.

"We need to talk!" He says.

He always takes the stairs two at a time. His feet pound against the hardwood, echoing through the house like a faulty drum line. I peek from behind my book and watch him burst through my bedroom door.

"I know this is going to sound crazy," he says "but, I need you to join a gang".

I sit up all at once, throwing the book to the side. Me, join a gang? this must be some sick joke, so why is his face so serious?

"Why the hell would I do that?" I chuckle.

"I wouldn't ask you If it wasn't necessary" He tries on a pout in hopes that it will sway me.

"Okay... what's going on?"

The way his face shifts, I already know I'll never get a clear answer out of him. He's always been like this; secretive and vague. His words do little to connect the dots. It's completely frustrating.

"It's Cole".

Our staring contests are always epic. He trains his glare of death on me and I raise my shoulders in a dismissive shrug, awaiting further explanation. It's only when I let out a disapproving sigh and reach for my book again that he finally says:

"There's a war about to happen" He runs a hand through his messy hair, hesitating before he continues "I need someone on the inside watching him and telling me what those assholes are up to."

A war... Doesn't sound like something I'd want to get mixed up in, especially if it involves a certain Cole. The leader of the rival gang is as legendary as El Chapo around these parts. His reputation precedes him. Rumor has it he's as cruel as they come, rumor has it he lives and breathes death, rumor has it only those who don't value their own lives would purposefully cross paths with him.

Brent's face grows red with anger. He swivels 180 and punches the wall. "I'm not going down like this!" he shouts. His dramatic pants for air make his chest cave in and out.

I stare at him in shock, examining the surly look of him, the purple bags under his ocean blue eyes, the long scratch bracing his right cheek. "Are you sure you're not just being paranoid, I mean... have you been taking your anxiety meds?" I ask.

"Are you f*****g stupid Ava, this is my life we're talking about" he tenses up in anger, green veins bulge from his forehead as they so often do when something triggers his already scant temper. He tries on intimidation for a size, closing in on me and using his index finger to push my forehead back like an angry parent to a stubborn child. I grit my teeth, mentally extinguishing the slow fire that starts to burn away at my patience. He's got some nerve this brother of mine.

"You're all I have, I thought I could count on you Avie, what happened to us having each other's backs?" he plops down next to me. The worn down springs in my mattress scream out for mercy as the bed caves under his weight. "What are you going to do if I die, we have no one else but each other" he finishes.

His words hit me hard. He knows exactly how to peel through my barriers. Brent and I have been struggling together since we were just kids. We have different fathers who both never bothered to show up. Who could blame them? our mother was always unreliable at best. She abandoned us years ago to follow the next crack fiend who offered her a good time. I was only in middle school and Brent was in high school, somehow we made it work. He dropped out of school and took on two jobs to support us. When I turned 15 I did the same, we've always taken care of each other.

However, even through our shared misfortunes, Brent got the better end of the deal. He was always well-liked and popular around town. The perfect light brown hair and flashy blue eyes he inherited from his European father earned him plenty of attention from the girls in town, and in turn major cool points from the guys. Eventually, his popularity paid off and he came across an opportunity he couldn't resist. "The A.K's" they called themselves, lord knows what that stands for. They're one of the major gangs in town, and now a major part of our lives. His new job brings in a lot of money, but it also brings on a whole lot of trouble. As for me, I was born a misfit. My social anxiety, and lack of confidence never quite worked in my favor. Lonerville is where I reside and I've gotten quite comfortable here.

"But won't they know I'm your sister? they'll kill me on sight" I say.

He chuckles as if I'm the one being ridiculous "nobody knows anything about my personal life. Besides, Cole and his people don't come to this side of town, they've never seen you before".

"This sounds like a really really really bad idea," I tell him.

"Avie, all you have to do is sit in a few meetings, and keep an open ear to what people are talking about, in one month tops I'll help you get out, and you can go back to your boring life"

I flash him a weary look. There's no way it'll be that easy.

He groans, falling back into the squeaky bed, and when he sits up again I'm subjected to his world famous guilt tactics "I've been working my ass off to take care of you for years, and you can't even do this one thing for me?" he says. "Look around, your living in a house I bought for us, wearing clothes I bought for you, eating food I pay for!"

My eyebrows raise and I gasp, I can't believe he's using this against me. With a huff, I cross my arms over my chest "will you even take no for an answer?"

He shakes his head.

Now it's my turn to show frustration. I fall back into the bed the same way he did and slap my hand over my forehead. God, why does he always have to drag me in his crap!

"What will they ask me to do?" I groan.

He smirks now, and it makes my blood boil.

"Nothing... I mean, you'll have to prove yourself of course, but I promise it won't be bad".

"How do you know?" I fire back, raising an eyebrow in suspicion.

He shrugs "We've had insiders there before, we know how they work".

I narrow my eyes, and frown "Okay... and where are those insiders now?"

The blank stare he gives me is nothing but a forlorn omen of what's to come. "Don't you trust me?" He says, reaching for my hand and giving it a squeeze. changing the subject; another one of his many tactics.

"I trust you." I sigh. "But what if they find me out?" I ask again.

The room falls silent as he rakes his brain for words. "Look, I won't let anything bad happen to you" he cups my face in his hands, looking deep into my eyes. "You're the only person I care about" he assures me.

"Fine" I sigh, prying his hands off my face and accepting defeat.

"One more thing," he says. "You're a girl so you'll always have a guy in charge of you, when it's time to pick, choose Cole".

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So here I am now, glaring down the menacing black gate as if I can tear it down with my eyes. My black t-shirt blows in the spring wind. I stare down at my ripped jeans and muddy white sneakers. My curly black tresses bounce with my stride as I approach the gang house.

Peering behind the narrow openings, I spot a huge mansion. A swarm of black S.U.V's are parked in the front, resembling a large family of ants. Offensive music blares from some speakers, entrancing the surroundings with its aggressive vibe. There must be some kind of party going on here.

I'm stopped at the gate. A tall dark skinned man frowns at me as if I've interrupted his leisure time. "What do you want?" he snaps crossing his hairy arms over his built up chest. "I-I'm here to join, umm" I stammer and lose my train of thought. He rolls his eyes and grunts, before scooting himself out of the big leather seat on which he rests.

"Pat down" his voice, a morose grainy tone, like acid in my ear. The thought of him touching me urges a cringe to escape from the base of my spine. This makes him smirk, which only makes me frown.

Lifting my arms up in a T, I wait for him to start. He begins at my ankles working his way up my legs paying special attention to my ass. Bile rises up my throat as he feels up my back and torso making sure to grope my boobs before saying "all clear". My face stings with humiliation, I ball up my fists, resisting the urge to strike him, but this is a battle I can't win.

Swallowing down the lump in my throat upon entering the house, I take in a deep nervous breath. My dark fate taunts me, daring me to inch forward. The dancing, drinking, and mingling people all around, make me nauseous. How dare they be so carefree in a moment like this.

Smoke accumulates at the ceilings, my feet kick aside forgotten red cups. I turn my nose up at the heavy smell of alcohol. The place is huge, and I lose myself in the crowd. It's almost impossible to figure out which room I'm in, and what direction I need to go.

I rehearse Brents instructions over and over in my mind like a mantra "Find the basement, ask for a man named Alec, he'll take it from there. Find the basement ask for a man named Alec, he'll take it from there, Find the basement, ask for a man named Alec, he'll take it from there"

As I make it to the center of the house, I'm met with a huge stairwell that spirals down wickedly like a pathway to hell. I allow myself one uneasy inhale before descending.

My surroundings grow quieter with every step.

"In through the nose, and out through the mouth" I whisper into the gloom.

The only new sound is the buzzing of some distant chatter, it's my only lead so I follow it. The hallway is long and taxing, with many doors that remind me of an ancient greek labyrinth. I count them in passing while the voices grow steadily in volume.

"One, Two, Three"

"Four, Five, Six"

"Seven, Eight, Nine"

"Ten, Eleven, Twelve."

It's clear now what the conversation is about. "Things are getting tense around here ya know?" one of the men says, another one chuckles. "I'm not worried about any of the drama, it's all about the money, you feel me" someone responds.

"Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen...."

With a deep inhale I round the corner and come face to face with 6 men. They sit leisurely on couches, smoking hookah and drinking beers. They're all littered with tattoo's, my eyes skim huge biceps and pinched frowns. Gang members. Just the sight of them leaves me short-winded. If I were ever to run into this group of criminals outside, I'd cross the street to the opposite sidewalk.

They all turn to look at me. The room falls silent. I gulp, unsure of what to say. I might have simply turned on my toes, and made a swift escape if a tall slender man hadn't gotten up and walked towards me.

"Don't tell me," He says with the most amused look on his face.

"Are you Alec?" My voice barely reaches above a guttural whisper. The room erupts in laughter and I feel my face go red with embarrassment.

"Come with me," he says, his bird beak nose expanding as his face takes on a toothy grin. He leads me down another long hallway that rears into a well-populated bachelor pad.

"New recruit," he says to a group of four men who are sitting and playing cards.

One of them turns around rolling his eyes. My heart skips a beat and a lightheaded sensation overcomes me. It's none other than Cole himself.

"Another girl," he says, frowning to the two men that sit closest to him.

"Come here" he snaps, gesturing for me to stand in front of him. I don't hesitate to do as he says.

He's different than what I expected. He looks so young with his tousled blonde hair. His golden brown eyes are stoic, neither cold or warm, simply impassive... Captivating. His perfectly sculpted jawline adds a hint of masculinity to his clean hairless face. He gets up from his seat, towering over me in height and stature. A ray of sunlight bounces off his diamond earring. If I didn't know better I'd say he looks like a golden angel. Barely reaching his chin, I strain to meet his gaze. His eyes steal my breath and trap me in their endless abyss.

If a snapshot were taken of this very moment, it'd be called the brink. No one in the room knows it yet, but this is the beginning of it all. The very nanosecond before the rollercoaster drops and there's barely any time to catch a breath. The very moment before the atoms collide and an explosion erupts. Things will never be the same.

"Why do you want to join my gang?" He asks, looking me straight in the eyes. My heart pounds so hard I start to wonder if he can hear it also.

"Um" is all I can manage.

"Do you think this is a f*****g joke?" He snaps, startling me out of my skin.

"N-No" I stutter, already blinking back the sting of tears. A steady resentment towards Brent starts to settle on me, he's a real asshole for putting me in this situation.

"I want to join your gang because, um... I need money, and um I value the family... thing" I stammer out. No amount of rehearsal could make this line sound natural, it's a miracle I manage to convince them.

"Do your parents know you left the house?" He teases, revealing a faultless white smile. Even Chip Skylark would feel ashamed.

"I have no parents," I say, unable to control the quivering of my voice.

He narrows his eyes. "Siblings?".

"I-Its just me" I lie.

"We don't go easy on bitches over here, you sure this is what you want?" A perfectly sculpted brow crawls up his forehead.

"I'm sure," My lips say, although my mind screams no. My fingers tremble, I squeeze them into a tight fist and remind myself to breathe.

He chuckles and shakes his head. "Who wants to test this one?" He turns to the other men. They all exchange looks, shrugging at one another.

A tall, stocky Asian boy stands up "I'll go" he says with a shrug. My stomach sinks at the sight of him, lean muscles cover every inch of his body. Tattoos creep up the side of his neck and decorate the length of his fingers.

"I'm in," another one says, and this guy is even worse. I've seen people like him on the front of bodybuilding magazines, but it never occurred to me that those people really exist. I start to wonder if it's too late to turn and run.

"No one else?" Cole asks releasing an annoyed sigh when nobody steps up.

"Guess I'll have to fill in" He smirks.

"Okay then!" he aggressively grabs me by my hair. "You'll be with Kai for the first phase". He pushes me towards the Asian boy. I bump into his hard chest with an oomf.

The Asian boy picks up where Cole's left off, grabbing me by my hair and forcing me away to an unknown location.

Down another hallway, we turn into a room. My stomach sinks at the thought of what I'm about to endure.

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