Disclaimer: I do not own Death Sentence or any of the characters. (Other than the ones I created of course.)
This is my first ever fanfic, so please tell me what you think!
"You told me this has always been worth living.
What's really worth living anymore?"
Manchester Orchestra - Sleeper 1972
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The cool October air brushed across my bare legs as I stepped out from my brother's old Mustang and into a small puddle lying across the asphalt. It must have rained recently, I thought indifferently shaking the moisture from my heel.
"This is it. Home sweet home." My brother Spencer announced, breaking me from the stupor I'd been in for the past hour or so. It was then that I looked up at the dingy apartment complex we had parked in front of. Located in the south side of Boston and covered in brick, I could see how this place was probably a lovely building in its prime. However, it was obvious that that time had come and gone and what was left behind certainly didn't compare with the quaint three bedroom suburban home that I had just left behind in Lexington, South Carolina.
"Let's grab these bags and head on up. We could both use some rest and its fucking cold out here." He said after a moment, quickly popping the trunk open and grabbing the majority of our things. I hurriedly followed suit taking the rest of my things and following him across the parking lot. While he could have worded it a bit more eloquently, he was right. I still wore the short sleeved black dress that I had on at the funeral and I had nothing but a cardigan to shield the chill from seeping into me. And while I knew that sleep probably wouldn't find me tonight, it would still be nice to lie down for a while. We walked up a flight of stairs and down a narrow hallway before we came to a dirty gray door decorated with the remnants of graffiti that someone had feebly attempted to scrub off.
After a moment the door was unlocked and Spencer led me into the tiny barren apartment. Gray-ish white walls met my eyes as I scanned my surroundings. Consisting of a small coffee table, an unreliable looking brown leather couch, a clearly 70's inspired lazy boy and a medium sized TV ceremoniously shoved into the corner, the living room connected with the even smaller kitchen. Mustard yellow cabinets filled the space along with a round wooden table paired with four unmatched chairs.
"It's not much…but it serves its purpose." Spence spoke up. He must have noticed my quick examination of the place.
"It's nice Spence." I spoke softly. Forcing a small smile to try and prove that I meant it. I knew from the look on his face that my attempt at reassurance was meager at best but he simply shrugged lightly, deciding to let me off the hook for obvious reasons.
"Yeah…well let me show you your room." He led me down a small hall and to the first door on the left. Across the hall I could see a small bathroom which I assumed was probably the only one in the apartment. He opened the door to the bedroom and I was instantly met with the faint smell of paint. Luminosity filled the room as Spence flipped on the switch and I saw that the walls were painted a dark red violet color. My favorite color. I felt a smile tug at my lips, probably the first real one in the past week.
"I had my boys paint it while I was gone. You like the color right?" He asked, staring at me waiting anxiously for my response.
"Of course I do Spence. Thank you…so much. This is so thoughtful. I don't know what to say. You…you didn't have to do this." I pulled him into a hug before he could see tears building up within my brown eyes. I didn't even realize that I had any more tears left after today.
"Yeah, Violet I did have to do this. I can't make this your home back in Lexington. I know that…but I at least want to make you feel comfortable. Maybe eventually it'll feel like a home." He replied lowly. I released him from our hug and nodded my head in agreement.
"Thank you." That's all I needed to say. I knew he understood how grateful I was.
"You should try to sleep. You've been through a lot."
"I'll try. You should rest too Spence." I replied, nudging him towards the door.
"Oh believe me I'm going to. Night Vie, let me know if you need anything."
"Will do. G'night." I said softly as I shut the door after him. I heard him thump his way down the hallway to the last door at the end which I assumed was his room before I turned around to inspect my new abode. The room was small but still larger than I thought it would be. It consisted of a twin sized bed topped with a black comforter and a floral pillow which I guessed was Spencer's idea of décor. A small dresser sat against the wall to my right with an old lamp placed upon the dusty wood and an almost Victorian gold mirror hanging above it. I also noticed a small window with a floral curtain draped across it. At least I wouldn't have to be worried about being woken up by the sun.
After inspecting my room I slipped off my attire from the day and dug through my bags finding a pair of sleep shorts along with an old tee shirt. Turning off the light and plopping myself into bed I squeezed my eyes shut willing sleep to engulf me for the night but I couldn't get the thoughts out of my head. The thoughts I'd been avoiding the whole way here from Lexington. My parents were dead.
Two of the sweetest people in the world ripped away in an instant because some lush fraternity asshole couldn't call a taxi. So here I was, sixteen years old and living with my twenty-three year old brother. The state of South Carolina gave me a choice; either move to Seattle with my Grandpa Bill and his twenty something big-breasted new flavor of the month or move to South Boston and live with my brother. The ladder seemed to be the best choice although I still had my doubts about how 'fit' he was to be my guardian. Don't get me wrong, I love my brother. But the truth was I hadn't seen him in over a year and it was a known fact in our house that he was the black sheep of our small family.
Moving out at the ripe age of eighteen Spencer found himself in the south side of Boston five years ago. Without a place to stay and unwilling to move back home, he quickly got mixed in with the wrong crowd and became a member of a gang. At least that's how my parents told it. They never exactly bashed him to my face of course but I remember hearing their hushed discussions about the subject numerous times over the years. However, I never really knew the specifics of the whole thing until about an hour outside of Massachusetts when my brother decided to brief me on the topic to avoid blindsiding me later on. Needless to say I was shocked and completely unprepared for the months ahead. I had to establish a new life here; one without parents, attending a new school where I was to start on Monday and living in a hole in the wall apartment with a brother who made and sold drugs for a living. If you'd asked me a year ago where I'd be right now this certainly wouldn't be my answer.
/ / / / /
I awoke the next morning to the sound of the TV and boisterous laughing practically radiating from the living room, with no recollection of ever falling asleep the night before. At least I got to sleep at all, I thought to myself dryly before throwing the covers from my body. After checking my phone to see that it was already slightly past 1:30 in the afternoon, I decided to get a move on with my day, starting with the bags of clothing that I had yet to unpack.
About an hour passed before I had all of my clothes stored away in their rightful places. Slipping on a pair of skinny jeans and a plain white v-neck I checked the mirror to assure that I looked at least somewhat presentable. After running my hands through the tangled mess that was my hair I shrugged lightly deciding that I looked good enough. It was finally time to face the noise from within the living room which only seemed to grow since I woke up earlier and I was certainly less than thrilled with the idea.
In all honesty I had never been a very outgoing or talkative person. A trait I had received from my kind natured mother, Rose. Back at my old school I was always known as the good girl, the innocent little porcelain doll who would never dare run her mouth or be caught dead at a party on a Saturday night. Yes, I had friends but I certainly wasn't the most popular girl in my grade and I'm almost positive that I wouldn't be missed after my rather abrupt move to Southie of all places. I didn't have a boyfriend to incessantly insist upon visiting me or a genuine best friend who would call and confide in me their deepest darkest secrets. I merely had acquaintances that I socialized with, usually during school hours and occasionally on weekends. However, the fact that my life back in South Carolina was a rather dull existence never bothered me. I liked being the quiet saintly girl and even though my innocence and naivety were probably my greatest weaknesses I never minded. But while that life was easy to live back in the home I shared with my rather conservative parents I knew that it most likely wouldn't fly here amongst my brother's friends and 'coworkers'.
Breaking my mind from my lengthy train of thought I quietly entered the living room to see four men, including Spencer sitting in front of the television set clearly entertained by the Will Farrell comedy that played upon the screen. I stood there silently for a moment before the youngest looking of the bunch noticed my presence. He cleared his throat quickly and motioned to me standing just inside the living room. Almost in complete synchronization all four heads tuned to me and the room grew absolutely silent.
I took that short moment to inspect the group, noticing that like Spencer, they were all covered in tattoos and they donned simple neutral colored clothing and leather jackets. Clearly these men were members of the gang that ruled Southie. However, unlike I had previously expected, none of them were nearly as intimidating as I had assumed they'd be. Yes, they all seemed capable of striking fear in even the bravest of men, but right then in that moment, sprawled out upon the furniture watching what I then noticed to be Elf I felt oddly at ease with only a hint of underlying nervousness.
"Hello." I muttered after I realized that I'd been standing there staring for nearly thirty seconds.
"Hey Vie." Spencer spoke almost carefully as if he were afraid I would break if the wrong words left his mouth. "How'd you sleep?"
"Good, thanks. " I replied simply before glancing around at the strangers trying to signal to Spencer that introductions were in order. After a long pause he sat up slightly, getting my hint.
"Oh…right. Um Violet these are my boys Joe, Baggy and Bodie." He motioned to the three men as he listed their unorthodox names. "Guys this is my little sister Violet. Off limits." He added the last part and I shot him a quick look.
"Hi. Nice to meet you all." I offered a small smile and a wave and they all waved back courteously. The silence filled the room again and an awkward tension hung in the air. It was then that the young one who had spotted me before, who I now knew as Joe, stood from his spot on the lazy boy and walked over to me. Towering over my slight 5' 2" frame he threw his arm around my shoulders nudging me into the living room.
"Don't be shy, we won't bite." He smiled vibrantly, throwing me off guard slightly as he motioned for me to sit in the olive colored chair. I glanced at Spencer before sitting down to see that he was chuckling at Joe's welcoming gesture. After I was comfortably seated I glanced around at the men, who gawked for a moment before once again turning their attention back to the comedy upon the TV. Joe sat on the arm rest of my chair gaining my attention once again.
"So, you still in high school?"He questioned. From what I could tell of him so far he seemed to be a very friendly and outgoing guy who instantly reminded me of Spencer personality wise. I'll get along with him just fine. I thought to myself. My first impressions were usually, if not always spot on.
"Yeah, a junior. "
"That's cool. I graduated about three years ago. If you ever need help with math…well don't ask me. I'm pretty shitty at math." He chuckled and I couldn't help but laugh in response.
"Math's my worst subject too. I'm more of a literature person myself." I replied. Trying to keep the conversation afloat but realizing that my attempt was feeble at best.
"Yeah...English is alright. My specialty is history. Vietnam, World War II. Oh man, I just eat that shit up. You know? Military tactics and weaponry. The whole politics of it all. That's the only class I ever aced." His hazel eyes lit up as he continued to gush about his knowledge of history and Guerilla warfare before continuing on to his other interests. We talked about how he bullied kids in high school and how he'd 'have my back' if I ever needed it. At one point he mentioned that he loved Jimi Hendrix. I responded by telling him that I preferred more mellow music like Bon Iver. To which he replied ever so lightly with "Who the fuck is Bonnie Ivra?"
Before I knew it an hour had passed by and I had come to the conclusion that I thoroughly enjoyed Joe's company. It was easy for me to talk to him, mostly because he did most of the talking and didn't force me to add my two cents. It was almost as if he understood that I was content with merely listening and he loved to talk so it worked out well. By this point the movie had ended and I noticed that the other guys had congregated in the kitchen talking about something or other, each clutching their own beer. I took a quick glance to the kitchen table where Spence was seated to see that he wore a wide smile upon his face, the first real one I'd seen since we first saw each other four days ago. Although he had yet to admit it I knew that our parent's deaths had affected him as well. While he had been away for the better part of five years he had always managed to show up on Christmas, the one day of the year in which my family joined together to act completely civil and unified, as if Spencer's profession wasn't one that could land him in prison at any given time.
Suddenly Joe's phone buzzed loudly in his pocket, pulling me from my thoughts and breaking our lengthy conversation. He hurriedly flipped the phone open before voicing a greeting to the mystery caller. He hadn't moved from his spot on the armrest of the chair so it wasn't hard for me to overhear the loud holler of the man on the other end. While I managed to hear the other man's anger I couldn't exactly decipher what it was that he was saying but I certainly heard Joe's side of the conversation.
"Uh, yeah, Sorry Billy." A long pause followed his nervous response. Just from hearing the name I knew exactly who he was talking about. The infamous Billy Darley, the man who ran this side of town and everyone in it. He was Spencer's boss, the leader of the gang and he was apparently not one to be trifled with. When Spencer had first told me about Billy he didn't bother to beat around the bush or try to word his statement nicely, instead he flat out told me, "Don't get any ideas about Billy. I know that you like to see the best in people but just listen to me on this one. He may be my boy and he can be a perfectly nice guy at times but he wouldn't hesitate to kill you if you got on his bad side. I'm not trying to scare you Vie. I'm just saying. Don't make him mad." After his initial statement he later went on to give me some BS about how Billy's temper had gotten a lot better over the years and he wasn't nearly as bad as he used to be. But it was too late. The damage had been done. I was already afraid.
I didn't know Joe very well but as far as I could tell he was a fairly outgoing and confident guy but right then he looked like neither of those things. Instead he had been replaced by a tea cup Chihuahua with its tail between its legs. Joe feared his caller too, that much was obvious.
"We're at Spence's place. He got back in town last night." He glanced up at me for a moment before looking back down to his battered shoes.
"Yeah she's here." He said lowly. What? He's telling him about me! Why?
"Okay see you in a few." He flipped his phone shut and looked up at me with nervous eyes before turning to the guys in the kitchen.
"Billy's on his way over." He announced, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible but I could still hear the hint of apprehension in his voice.
"Oh…" Spence glanced at me quickly sending me a message to keep my mouth shut before turning back to the guys and continuing. "Alright."
"Billy?" I questioned Joe after a minute, hoping to possibly gain more knowledge about the notorious gang leader.
"Yeah…Billy Darley, pretty much the most feared man in all of Southie, my boss and my older brother." He sighed.
"Billy's your brother? " This was most definitely new news to me.
"Yeah. He's like six years older than me. I was the accident child. Actually we both were probably." He chuckled dryly before running his hand through his reddish-brown hair and directing his gaze back to me. "He comes off kind of strong but he's a pretty good guy really. He's saved my ass more times than I can count. Matter of fact I'm living with him at the moment. My asshole of a father kicked me out like two years ago and Billy never complained about me moving in." His eyes glazed over as if he were in a far off place but he suddenly snapped out of it, his voice not showing nearly as much emotion as before. "Anyways…just don't give him any shit and you'll be fine. I can already tell you're a sweet heart." He winked at me quickly and I felt a slight blush creep onto my cheeks. "It's definitely a nice change from the whores that populate this part of town." He ended his Billy speech before giving me a light smile and making his way into the kitchen to converse with the guys. Leaving me to think about everything he'd just said and how much my life was about to drastically change.
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So there's the first chapter! I hope you all enjoyed it! I've already written most of the next few chapters so I should be updating soon. In the meantime, please tell me what you think!
