09.
X
"It's the strangest thing about being human: to know so much, to communicate so much, and yet always to fall so drastically short of clarity, to be, in the end, so isolate and inadequate. Even when people try to say things, they say them poorly, or obliquely, or they outright lie, sometimes because they're lying to you, but as often because they're lying to themselves."
-CLAIRE MESSUD, The Woman Upstairs
They say that life is worth living. Let's say you have a shitty day and one might begin to think their entire life is also shit and that they rather be dead than to continue on with this journey called life. We've all been there, even the happiest of people have been there. Everyone has a story beyond their eyes and smile, we carry that within ourselves. Some stories are meant to be told and others are just placed upon a shelf to collect dust. Some people have chapters filled with ugly dark tales before they ever reach the rainbow at the end of the tunnel, most didn't believe that they'll ever see the day. One of those people happened to be Korinna Rokos. Fifteen year old mixed female who was found unresponsive on the rural side of Chicago at a house party. The call was reported by an unnamed source who sounded under the influence of drugs according to an Emergency Dispatch Operator and the call only lasted for one minute, where the caller stated the address of the home where multiple minors and young adults in their early twenties were located and were involved in some illegal activity.
The young female was brought in with a sixteen year old male who tried to perform CPR but did not receive a response. He was one of the only five others that were brought in that was not under the influence. The sixteen year old who went by the name of Anwar was the only one to identify who the female was and give information to detectives on who organized the party, who may have called in, and who the house belonged to. Anwar also made sure that the hospital made sure to call Nicky and Vito Gimello instead of reporting this information back to Dimitri and Astrid who were probably in an uproar over the missing fifteen year old. Anwar had to make sure that Korinna remained safe here until he could figure out everything in Skiathos and convince Korinna to come with him along with his mother back to where his sister stayed but this all happened a little too quick. It was his job to keep his eyes on her but he failed, he failed to do his job correctly and he knew that it was only a matter of time before things went downhill.
~TWO HOURS BEFORE...~
With Debbie off to some hippie village with Queenie, Chucky, and Frank Korinna wished the girl well. She offered to come with her red headed friend but her friend suggested that Korinna was needed here more. Debbie promised that she would contact Korinna via text and social media to keep her updated once she gave birth to her little girl as the two said their goodbyes. Korinna knew that her relationship with Debbie was changing she feared that once Debbie had her baby that they wouldn't have anything in common since Korinna didn't know the struggles of being a teen mom and hoped that she never would. However she knew that a part of her would never want to miss out on one of her best friend's going through this drastic change since it didn't seem like she had the biggest support system around her right now.
With Debbie gone, Vito off doing business with Nadia over at her condo (which meant sex - Korinna figured), and Nicky dealing with his own baby momma drama, Korinna found herself bored out of her mind. It was a Friday and she knew that Carl was at school trying to return back to normal and that she could stop by later if she wanted (this information was told to the girl over text) Korinna was left with no options. She thought about visiting Nonna but it was freezing outside that door and she was in the comfort of her pajamas so she didn't bother risking it. Her cell phone rung almost as if someone was answering her prayers to save her from this intense boredom she glanced down at her phone at the caller ID to see only a picture of Anwar's bright green-yellow eyes.
"Anny!" Korinna shifted her phone so she could get a good look at her friend.
There was some shuffling around in the background as Anwar's face came into place, "Salâm moró koukla! Moddate ziadi ast ke shoma ra nadideh am." He winked as he chewed on an apple, the bones in his perfectly shaped jaw clenching then un-clenching. (Farsi Translation: Hello - Greek Translation: baby doll! - Farsi Translation: Long time no see)
"Did you just greet me in Farsi and Greek in the same sentence?" Korinna questioned with a smile as she titled her head.
Anwar nodded a bit of his dark hair falling into his left eye as he laid back on the hotel bed, "I did. What have you been up to? Did you and Carl decide to be boyfriend and girlfriend or is that still a no go?"
Korinna rolled her eyes as she slumped into the couch, "The drama has seemed to die down for now...which is strange because there's always drama someway or another on the south-side. As for the broadcast on Carl and I - It's still a no go and I don't know why."
"Maybe it's because of the spaces you two put in between each other. I know it must be hard not seeing someone you care about for six months and since he held onto the wrong idea of your leave of absence maybe he's just wants to take it slow?" Anwar offered as a ray of light hit his eye making it almost see-through, he rolled onto his side biting into the Macintosh apple some more.
"Hm...maybe but I'm tired of waiting for him to make a move or something. He now knows about the cutting since I told him about it, he wasn't happy about it obviously. We even cuddled and talked to each other about our issues away from each other but I need more." Korinna muttered.
Anwar didn't know what it was with this Carl guy. If a girl like Korinna wanted to be more than just friends with him then he'd definitely jump on the opportunity but he didn't know Carl. Anwar tried his best to give advice and listened to Korinna tell him whatever she needed to tell him on her life back in Chicago but Anwar could only give so much. He didn't belong here, that much was obvious but he stayed around because he knew Korinna also liked having him around.
"More as in a relationship right," Anwar clarified receiving a nod from Korinna which caused him to continue, "Then tell him that. Us guys are kinda slow when it comes to what a girl wants and needs. If I were your boyfriend or love interest then I would have figured it out and acted on it immediately but I'm not so..."
Korinna let out a sigh knowing about Anwar's crush on her. She knew how he must have felt watching as she wanted somebody else and that made her feel guilty but she didn't return the same feelings and he knew that. Korinna didn't think she could ever feel the way she felt about Carl for someone else, that's just not what her heart wanted and she knew Anwar understood that but that didn't mean he had to like it. He was trying to get over her quick since his crush wasn't as big as her's on Carl's. This was straight dedication, she wanted something and she was working hard to get it no matter how long it took which was odd since the fifteen year old Afro-Greek was very impatient and always had been.
"I know, I know. You don't have to tell me what I already know. Just tell him that you want him to be yours and get it over with, you never had a problem with being straight forward before so what makes now so different?" Anwar wondered.
Korinna pursed her lips before answering, "I don't know. I feel like something else is holding him back, not just our bitterness we had towards each other. I know Carl and if he truly wants something he's going to go and get it. He knows how I feel about him and I think I have an idea about how he feels about me so by now we should be together. I think I know what it is."
"What? Don't tell me Bonnie is back." Anwar exclaimed with a quirk of his eyebrow.
Korinna shook her head as her eyes scanned the room around her as she went into deep thought, "It's not Bonnie but it's another girl. I know it, that Dominique girl. I have a feeling this has something to do with her."
"Uh...whose Dominique?"
"Some girl that Carl thought he could kick it to since he turned into a wangster but she didn't want anything to do with him." Korinna told.
Anwar frowned, "You think he still wants something to do with her after his soulmate is back in town? He might just be a bigger dumbass than I thought."
"I don't know about all that," Korinna denied with a bit of a laughter at the 'soulmate' remark, "It's just a gut feeling I have and I'm gonna find out."
Anwar nodded, "Whatever you do please be careful."
"What do you think I'm going to do?" Korinna laughed as she blinked innocently into the lens of her phone.
Anwar scoffed, "That look doesn't fool me Kona. I low-key know how you get when something doesn't go your way."
"Do you?" Korinna quizzed.
Anwar narrowed his eyes proving to Korinna that he did in more ways than one.
Korinna had decided to make her way over to Carl's a little later than expected. Nicky had returned home off the rails which was an unusual sight, usually the man expressed his anger in the most dangerous ways - meaning calm anger. Calm anger was the most dangerous emotion to have and Nicky appeared as if he wanted to shoot someone in the face with the way he was knocking everything over when he came home. Korinna had just came out of the shower and blow dried her hair when she heard the commotion going on downstairs. When she went downstairs to investigate she spotted the couch had been flipped over and Nicky was sitting in Nonna's chair smoking a joint and holding a glock in his left hand.
"Rough day?" Korinna questioned moving to sit on the floor in front of the older Italian man.
Nicky blew the smoke from his nostrils as he glared at the girl in front of him, "Fuck you think?"
"Want to talk about it?"
"It ain't none of your concern." Nicky bit back before placing the joint back in between his lips.
Korinna shrugged her shoulders as she moved her eyes upwards to her hair and picked up a comb to part her hair down the middle.
Nicky watched the girl in front of him, "Where you going?"
"Carl's." Korinna replied.
"I thought you weren't on speaking terms?"
Korinna finished combing from the root down before tossing the comb onto the coffee table, "We talked it out. It's a good thing too, 'cause I was so close to beating his ass."
"I would pay to see that," Nicky smirked.
"What you don't think I can go?" Korinna asked, pulling the sleeves down of her sweater.
Nicky shook his head, "Oh I know you can take him. I just don't think you should underestimate him, 'tis all."
"Yeah, Yeah." Korinna waved the man off getting to her feet eyeing the gun in his hand, "The safety off?"
Nicky stared down at the gun in his hand and used both of his hands to click the safety back on before leaning forward to place the glock onto the coffee table next to Korinna's comb, "It is now."
Korinna moved to sit into Nicky's lap much to his dismay as she cradled the man's neck, "Whatever's troubling you can let people in. It's better to get things off your chest than to hold onto all of that baggage. As least that's what my therapist told me back in Skiathos."
"Bullshit," Nicky snorted eyeing Korinna from the corner of his eyes.
"It helps somewhat I guess. To have someone to listen to you bitch and whine for it bit, but it's up to you to overcome it." Korinna said, kissing both of Nicky's cheeks before hopping off his lap to retrieve her winter coat and accessories.
As Nicky sat in silence thinking over what some kid just told him, Korinna finished dressing for the twenty degree weather just as Nicky grilled, "If you weren't here right now how would you overcome your baggage?"
"Honestly...I probably wouldn't. I would remain miserable living with those people, I'd probably be dead. But I'm not, I'm here so..." Korinna explained giving Nicky a tight lipped smile as she glanced at him from over her shoulder.
Nicky tore his gaze away from Korinna as she said those words leaving Korinna to take her exit but he revealed his baggage before she could, "That bitch wants to take me court for child support once the baby is born. If that happens there's no way we can bring Nonna back home."
"And the problems on problems begins," Korinna remarked as she pulled the door open, "But as least you got it off your chest and know what the conflict is. Now all you need to do is find out the root of the problem and go from there."
Nicky couldn't believe he was taking advice from some kid but Korinna wasn't just some kid to him, "How do I do that?"
"Look in the mirror Nicky." Korinna replied, closing the door shut behind her.
xxx
Korinna didn't know if it was smart or stupid to rush against the frost of Chicago. Is it better to run through the cold quick or to suffer slowly while walking through it? She decided to run with the ski mask (she stole it from Carl, of course) on her face and her hands shoved deep into her black winter coat as she rushed to Carl's house. Korinna figured that she could the final destination series over for her and Carl to watch before she brought up the big issue that was holding the two of them back. Korinna needed to know what was up with Carl and why they couldn't take it to the next step. When the dark haired teen made it to the familiar dull baby blue painted home she remained in her winter coat as she entered the quiet home.
Peeking through the kitchen to see no heads in the room she made her way up the steps through the living room figuring the boy was upstairs. Korinna made it to the top of the stairs feeling a spike in her heart and her stomach began to ache. Whenever she got that feeling she knew whatever was coming next wouldn't be good and she would soon find out. As she stepped towards Carl's room she stopped as the floor creaked picking up on a noise she didn't expect to hear. A moan, coming from the Gallagher boy's bedroom! Korinna closed her eyes shut so tight they hurt as she took a deep breath rushing over to the door. Her hand rested on the doorknob as another moan along with the sound of a bed creaking made her breathing pick up some more. Twisting the knob, Korinna shoved the door back and peeled open one eye hoping that it was Carl having private time instead of seeing the sight in front of her.
Dominique, Korinna guessed, green eyes were the first to meet Korinna's dark eyes as she let out a yelp feeding Carl's ego as he continued his action. Dominique quickly slapped against Carl's bare forearms to get his attention and once she did, he glanced over at her wide eyes to see what she was staring at. Once Carl's eyes met Korinna's he quickly rolled off Dominique reaching down at the ground for his boxers.
Korinna swallowed the lump in her throat as she tossed the DVD's at the two not finding the words to say as she spun on her heels to leave the house.
"Ren! Ren, wait up!" Carl called out to the girl as his feet stomped against the floor, he jogged behind the girl latching on her wrist to spin her around.
Korinna shoved Carl back, "What Carl?! What?!"
"I-I can explain." Carl breathed, feeling the strings of his heart tug at the pain that was evident on Korinna's face.
Korinna let out a humorless laugh, "Explain what Carl? That you were giving it up to some other girl behind my back?"
"Dom's not just some girl, Ren." Carl spoke with a frown.
Korinna smirked as she held her hands up in surrender, "Oh my bad. She must just be one of your weekly hoes then."
"Watch how you talk about her ma, what's your deal?" Carl glared.
"My deal? My deal is that you play too many fucking games Gallagher! Everyday that I've known you, I've waited for you to just notice how I feel to return those same feels back and just when I think we're getting somewhere you throw it all out of the window like it didn't mean anything to you! Like I don't matter to you!" Korinna yelled as she pounded on her chest, veins appearing on her neck as she stepped to Carl.
Carl has never seen Korinna so angry to point veins were popping out of her neck, "I do care about you Ren when have I ever giving you the idea that I didn't?"
"When you were giving it to someone else!" Korinna screamed.
Carl frowned, "Look you can't give me shit for having sex with someone else when your first time was with some dude you met at abandoned church that you screwed in the back of his car and he snorted coke of your stomach. The difference between you and I is that I had sex with someone I actually like."
Korinna let out a breath as she listened to Carl throw that back in her face. She knew that Carl knew that she wasn't a virgin and that she lost her virginity regretfully at the age of thirteen but she never told him how it went down. The only person that knew was Debbie and Debbie had to be the who told. Korinna ran her fingers through her hair gripping the roots tightly as she let out a loud scream clenching her fist tightly and glanced at Carl before hitting the wall beside her.
"Oh my god, I can't believe you right now! This is the second time you want to throw shit in my face and I have never done that to you. I have never tried to make you feel low about yourself, yes I had sex at thirteen with a possible junkie, yes I left Chicago against my will just for you to turn around and like someone else?! I don't know how many more times I have to admit this to you in order for you to get it through your bird sized brain but I fucking love you Carl Francis Gallagher. I've loved you from the moment we met although it took me forever and a day to figure it out, I do. I'm young and maybe a little dumb to still sit here waiting for you wake up and realize your feelings for me too but if this isn't love then I don't know what it is. You may like her but you love me too, I know it. You may have had sex with her because you like her but remember I loved you first." Korinna vented, cradling her bruised knuckles as she looked Carl in the eye her own eyes filling with tears.
Carl felt lost at the words Korinna had spoken to him. He felt his body feel with dread as he heard the door behind them creak giving him the indication that Dominique was clearly listening in on their conversation. Carl didn't know how to feel at this information, Korinna loved him from the beginning of time - she certainly hid it well. He didn't realize that he was playing games with her, especially that night they shared in his bedroom. He didn't think of that night as a boyfriend comforting his girl he viewed it as a friend giving affection and holding them down when they needed to, while he gained the same in return. They both needed it, why couldn't he see that Korinna was there all this time? Right in front of his eyes while he possibly loved somebody else, that somebody being Bonnie and now there was Dominique. Oh shit he really screwed up, didn't he?
"What do you want from me? I can't just leave Dominique after the both of us lost our virginity to each other. We like each other, it's something new that we're trying out. I'm sorry it has to be this way, Ren." Carl whispered, staring at Korinna underneath his eyelashes as he stepped closer to her.
Korinna used her bruised hand to roughly wipe her tears away as her right hand touched his bare chest, "It doesn't have to be this way. You're the one that's making it this way. What was all that shit you fed me at the courthouse, 'You think I'm all about me but I'm all about you,' whatever the hell that means. Did you mean it?"
Carl offered a small smile as he squeezed the hand that Korinna had on his chest. He tried to catch her eye but it took a minute for her to look him in his, "I remember what I said and I mean what I said. What I meant that day is: just because you see me doing things that you don't agree with, one of those things being Bonnie - I realized how you felt. With how bitchy you were acting towards her wasn't just for no reason, I don't know much about relationships but I know about you. I know everything about you and that's never going to change no matter how many people come and go in my life. You get that?"
"Why'd you have to go and make me like you?" Korinna mumbled as she took a deep breath looking away from Carl who grinned.
Korinna stared down at her hand on Carl's chest and cleared her throat trying to pull her hand back but Carl wouldn't let go liking that he was making her on edge. It wasn't right what he was doing but sometimes things just fell that way. Korinna glared at Carl who only smiled at her trying to get her to smile back at him but she wouldn't, not right now. Korinna moved her eyes to stare at Dominique who stood with her arms crossed eyeing the scene in front of her in curiosity.
"I'm not going to lie to you Carl and tell that I'm okay with what you've done. I'm also not going to sit around and watch you 'like' somebody else or think about you liking someone else that's other than me because I'm over it." Korinna mumbled finally pulling her hand back to her to her side.
Carl frowned, "What do you mean by that?"
Korinna rolled the tension off her shoulders, "I mean I'm going to do me while you do you. I'll only wait so much longer for you to realize that it's me that you need and not some idea of a girl that you want. I'm going to fight for us if you're not going to."
Carl watched with wide eyes as Korinna stepped forward into his space, so close that he could see the shadows of war raging in her eyes. Just as Carl thought Korinna was going to seal her oath with her lips on his, she leaned forward to press a kiss to the corner of his lips making his breathing hitch. Behind him Korinna kept her eyes on Dominique as she whispered to the both of them, "Game on."
As she said her finale words Korinna left the two new lovers to themselves. Carl swallowed at the new found rage of his best friend, who he didn't even know if she fit into that title anymore. Carl shifted on his feet at the new turn on and peeked down his torso to see that he body liked it to.
"Carl? I think we need to talk." Dominique addressed.
Carl let out a sigh as he closed his eyes not wanting to have this conversation but knew it had to be done. He had to figure out how to fix this without gaining anymore asshole points.
Anwar immediately met Korinna at the train station thirty minutes after she called him knowing that something happened between her and Carl. When he got to her he didn't expect for her face to remain composed since she sounded a bit distraught over the phone and that she had an invite to a random house party outside of Chicago on the countryside. Korinna told Anwar that her and Carl used to go to the rural side on random adventures for fun, just to get away from the urban area that they were adjusted to so she had an idea where the house might be located.
Due to the cold weather the two didn't bother to dress up and just decided to go as they are. Anwar encouraged Korinna to tell him about it but she told him she didn't want to talk about it, hinting that she probably would get to talking once she had something in her system. Anwar hoped that by bringing Korinna back home that this would stop Korinna from her impulses to do something bad just to make herself feel better. Instead he just remained silent and promised that he would keep an eye out on her like he usually did. When the two arrived to the party, it was already in full motion as the sky only had a small shade of orange swirled in the dark sky.
Anwar took their coats as they entered the home and moved to hang them into the closet while Korinna urgently moved to the cooler to grasp onto two bottles of something strong. When Anwar caught up to Korinna she had managed to drink from both of the bottles while dancing by herself also with and with anyone. While Anwar stood close by sipping from a water bottle. It was when he let his attention drop with a guy and a girl came up to him, the guy was about the same height as Anwar maybe even a little taller with a curly man bun going on, dimples, facial hair, green eyes, and his hands were full with a bottle of jack and a coco-cola can in the other.
"What's up bro? Why you staring at lil mama like that for?" The curly haired twenty-one year old asked, his voice raspy and his eyes a little low.
The girl had brown medium length hair covered by a pink cap with the initials DL written on them, brown eyes, a square jaw and a charming smile.
"Do you like her?" She questioned with a smile, her tongue poking through her white teeth.
Anwar sipped from his water bottle, "I uh...we're friends."
The two twenty-one year olds smiled at each other before the girl looped her arms with the sixteen year old, "Come on. We'll get your mind off her."
"Plus it looks like Derek's already keeping her company." The guy stated as the girl led them back to the front of the house.
Anwar shook his head trying to tell the older kids that he rather stay and watch but that didn't stop them from shoving him onto the couch.
"Who comes to a party to not get lit?"The guy asked over the trap music that vibrated through the house, waving his hands to the rest of his boys to bring a round of shots over.
Anwar waved his finger in the air, "I do."
The girl laughed leaning into him as she did, now sitting beside him on the couch, "I like this one. What's your name, darling?"
"Anwar and you?"
"Delany. That's Skate, Swazz, Dillon, Tez, and the rest of the crew it probably with my brother whose taking good care of your friend." The girl introduced herself and the people that now sat around him.
Anwar nervously waved at the guys around him, "Nice to meet you all."
Back in the kitchen Korinna had met a guy named Derek who was around the age of twenty-three or twenty-four. He was handsome even with his low brown eyes, long eyelashes, plump lips, faint dimples in his cheeks, a beauty mark on the front of his chin, square jaw, and let's not forget that smile. This man had the most perfect set of teeth anyone would be jealous. After Korinna began to start at her fourth can of the night she noticed one of Derek's friends who went by KDL or something like that nod that he, his girlfriend, a guy named Tommy, Chad, and Tyler were going upstairs to continue the party.
"You comin' or what, mami?" Derek turned his head back to the girl who sat on the kitchen counter swinging her legs after his friends began to exit.
Korinna jumped down from the counter and took the outstretched hand as the guy led her upstairs. Derek and Korinna made their way into the bathroom where KDL was blowing smoke into his girlfriend's mouth, Tommy was laying in the Jacuzzi rolling a blunt, while Chad and Tyler were at the bathroom sink cutting a white substance up. Derek let go of Korinna's hand as he entered the bathroom to sit on the edge of the tub eagerly waiting for one of his friend's to finish rolling one while she watched the scene in front of her with blurry eyes.
"Hey girl, shut the door will ya?" The only other girl in the bathroom called out entwined in KDL's arms.
Korinna nodded her heavy head as she closed the door shut moving to the tub to sit at the window letting the cool air run over her skin. Slowly she brought up the Budweiser can to her lips again and chugged a bit more before feeling someone poke her thigh. Shifting her blurry eyes from the window to Derek he grinned over at her again now holding out a bowl filled with colorful pills, "Pick your poison."
Laughing Korinna placed her hand into the bowl as she poked her tongue out to pick a pill of her choice, this was not her first rodeo. She held up the pill as the older crew around her cheered her on as she tossed it into her mouth just to swallow her beer down with it. Korinna held her tongue out to show that she had done what was asked of her just for everyone to pass around the bowl to other's. Within ten minutes Korinna begin to feel an excessive high, one she hadn't had since she's been in Chicago. One that she deeply missed, one that made her forget about her issue with Carl. The fifteen year old leaned against the tile wall in the dimly red hued bathroom as she felt her breathing begin to slow down along with the room to spin as if she were on a merry go round. Shortly after Korinna closed her eyes and welcomed the darkness with open arms.
Downstairs Anwar ignored the shots, beers, weed, pill bowl, other liquor, and marijuana that was offered to him. Sure the people around him could be good people if they didn't have to "get lit" in order to have a good time. After almost an hour hanging with these people Anwar managed to get away from them faking a promise that he would be back to Delany who seemed to take a liking to him, in a brotherly way - hopefully. Anwar sighed as he wandered the house in panic looking for Korinna not believing that he allowed himself to get careless when it came to watching her. He knew how she got at parties but a part of him felt that he wasn't her parent and he shouldn't have to keep watching her like she were his child. However this what he signed up for and he didn't mind.
Anwar searched the large home from the kitchen, to the half-bath in the kitchen, to the large living room, to the den, to the backyard, to the basement where people were shooting up, to the sitting room where Delany and Skate sat to upstairs, from door to door he went feeling himself slipping to the edge. When he tried the last door at the end of the hall a couple were holding each other up as they pushed by Anwar. Anwar entered the bathroom cautiously his eyes going quickly to Korinna who lay against the wall and windowsill.
"Kona?" Anwar called out to the girl who remained not moving.
Anwar rushed over to her stepping into the tub and stepping back once he realized that he had stepped on someone's foot, "Watch it man! I'm trying to sleep."
Anwar jumped over the tub to tug on Korinna's arm just to receive dead weight fall into his chest, "Korinna?!"
"What's with all the screaming? You need to take a hit, bro?" A guy with strawberry blonde hair spoke from behind Anwar.
Anwar patted Korinna's face watching as she didn't even flinch, "No I don't need to take a hit! What the hell did you give her?!" Noticing her skin was awfully pale.
Chad, the strawberry blonde raised his hands, "I didn't give her shit."
"Who did?!" Anwar screamed pulling her over the tub by underneath her underarms to set her on the floor and rest his head on her chest to see if he could hear her heartbeat.
"I did." Another raspy voice spoke after flushing the toilet.
Anwar lifted his head turning to the voice, who pulled his jeans up with a joint in between his lips.
"What. Did. You. Give. Her?" Anwar hissed.
Derek pulled the joint from his lips tilting his head to get a good look at the girl, "I don't know man. She took from the wishing well and picked her own drug of choice but if I had to guess...I'd say Oxy maybe? Maybe a zannie? Nah probably an Oxy."
Anwar jumped to his feet getting in the older man's face, "Why would you give some shit like that to a minor?"
Derek smirked, "I didn't know she was underage. Seems like she knew what she was doing if you ask me."
"Oh shit...she's not breathing dude," Tyler the boy with long dirty blonde hair informed as he jumped away from Korinna's cold body, "Gotta blast!" He yelled running from the bathroom with Tommy on his heels.
Anwar gripped onto Derek's shirt pulling his face to his, "If she dies I swear to god-"
"Instead of threatening me my boy you should try to perform CPR. If she does make it, did you tell her who you are yet?" Derek blew his spoke into Anwar's face as he asked.
Anwar tightened his grip, "What are you on about?"
Derek smirked again, "I know things man. I know exactly who you are and what you were payed to do. I'm Derek. Derek Luh, does that ring any bells?"
Anwar's eyes shifted as he thought it over letting go of Derek's shirt with his mouth open, "You. You did this on purpose?!"
"I just did what my father told me to do. I'll be nice and call an ambulance for you guys, 'cause it looks like you're gonna need it." Derek sighed placing his phone to his ear, "It's a shame if Korinna doesn't make it...she seems like a cool chick."
Anwar sat down beside Korinna making sure to face Derek just in case he did something. He quickly interlocked his own hands as he began to perform CPR ignoring Derek filling the details in to the emergency dispatch. After Derek hung up the phone he crouched down in front of Korinna's body while Anwar tried to revive her. Derek glancing down at Korinna's body he lifted his eyes back to Anwar's, "If you tell the police who did this...if I get locked up...you know who my father is I'm sure, you won't only have to be afraid of me but you'll have to face the wrath of Epps Luh. So I hope you're next decisions are smart, Anwar Hadid because sixteen years of life is only the beginning and I would hate for you to end up like Korinna here or worse."
Anwar glared up at Derek with shaky hands as he continued pressing against Korinna's chest. Sure he was afraid of the Luh's they were not ones to bargain or go against and even with Anwar's training there was no way he could beat Derek without dealing with his father and his uncle Herb. When Derek didn't receive a response he winked at the sixteen year old and ruffled his hair, "That uh boy."
Anwar made sure that Derek was gone, hearing his voice yell out that the feds were on the way. None of that mattered as everyone scuffled out of the house with the sound of sirens filled the background, all that mattered was that Korinna lived.
"You don't deserve this." Anwar whispered, his throat sore as he caressed Korinna's hair.
~PRESENT~
The sixteen year old told the detectives everything that they needed to know, not hesitating that The Luh's were inolved in this. Anwar didn't know who organized the party but he could find out if he used his hacking skills, he knew the detectives could figure out who the house belonged to but there was no doubt that the house was not underneath any of the Luh's name. Anwar knew that he was putting his life at risk doing this but it was his job to keep Korinna safe and he was failing at it. Anwar watched as the other five doped up people at the party were rushed in just like Korinna had been an hour ago. Soon the detectives left Anwar alone as he texted his sister to make sure that he and their mother were boarding the plane which they were. He sat in silence waiting for The Gimello's to enter the hospital and got to his feet as the two brothers rushed onto the scene.
Fists were flying at Anwar by Nicky before he could say anything to the older man. Vito managed to drag his brother off as security guards surrounded them, now holding the man to the ground while Vito turned to Anwar.
"Why?" Vito questioned.
"Why what?" Anwar coughed, wiping the blood from his lips.
Vito stared the young boy in the eyes, "Why would you make a deal with the devil? You know you're gonna killed right, working with Dacey."
"I've been doing this since I were nine years old. I didn't mind doing it one final last time, for her not Dacey." Anwar answered as Vito rubbed his tired eyes.
Anwar reached into his pocket pulling the envelope out to hand over to Vito, "When Korinna wakes up. Which I know she will, tell her I'm sorry and that the letter inside tells her everything she needs to know."
Vito nodded at the kid a part of him understanding the boy opposed to his brother who did not. Vito's girlfriend Nadia had figured it out, she had finally cracked the code on what Anwar's family were about and the news was not what they had expected. Vito and Nicky both knew that Anwar was a dead man walking and so did Anwar. He knew that the moment he started this job.
Anwar took a deep breath as he walked by the guards not noticing two other figures behind him at the front entrance of the hospital. He spotted a woman who gave him a sorrow filled smile before she moved to stand by Vito while the other figure happened to be Carl who had a deep frown on his face and was mean mugging him.
"How could you take Ren to that party? If you were any friend to her you wouldn't have left her alone and none of this would of happened." Carl snapped, glaring up at the taller boy.
Anwar didn't take any offense to what was spat at him. He knew he fucked up, he didn't need for anyone else to tell him that. Especially some boy who claims that he also feels some type of way for Korinna but goes and does the complete opposite.
"That's something I'm going to die for. I'll die knowing all my faults and probably serve time in hell for them, but you. If you really share the same feelings for Korinna as she does for you, you need to stop lying to yourself about what you feel and just love her the way she needs to be loved. I don't know much about you Carl Gallagher but I know a girl like that deserves to be with someone who doesn't play with her heart." Anwar lectured.
Carl licked his lips, "That's not my intentions to do that to Ren."
"Then grow some balls and make her yours before it's too late." Anwar advised before walking out of the hospital to his fate.
Carl stared down at his feet letting the events of today run through his brain as he moved to sit beside Nicky who shrugged the guards off of him once they placed him in one of the waiting chairs. It didn't take long for the screeching of tires and a round of gunshots to echo from the building as nurses began to murmur worriedly among themselves while the guards on this level ran out to the sound. Carl let out a low breath as his eyes connected with the Gimello's and Vito's girlfriend before shuffling down in his chair.
The next few hours would be agonizing slow, waiting on Korinna to see if she chose to live this life with all it has to offer.
A/N: This chapter was ridiculously long ya'll. So much information my brain is fried, I can't imagine how you're feeling at this point. Let's throw a disclaimer out there and say any information within this story based on Derek Luh, his family, and team along with Skate's team is all based on fiction yada yada. What are you all thinking at this point? So much more to be revealed soon.
As for the finale of season 6 - I feel bad for Fiona. This girl needs to just cool it on relationships and just focus on herself like she said she was going to but ended up marrying Gus and almost marrying Sean SMFH. I'm glad Lip's getting the help he needs because even though he treats women like crap he needs to focus on himself for awhile too. I'm glad Ian got his job back and that he's running on a great path so far. I know Debbie's bitter towards Fiona but I'm hoping she let's someone help her with Franny because I don't want the baby to suffer any more injuries and I would like to see Derek come back (Debbie's baby daddy not DLuh ). As for Carl I wonder how next season will be for him since he rose this season. AND Frank he will always remain the biggest asshole on the planet and I laughed when they threw him in the river, I'm sure it was nice and frosty for him. ;]
Still a few chapters left for me to write for Carlinna, hopefully it's a happy ending for them? What would you do if someone you were falling for and knows has the same feelings for you goes and sleeps with someone else? How would you react? Hopefully not to the same extremes Korinna did. Would you forgive them? What's going to happen next for Carlinna? Who knows? lol.
See ya soon maybe?
-ALES