30

Sonic

Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.

I jolted awake as my phone vibrated underneath my pillow. Groaning quietly, I reached blindly beneath my pillow to grab my phone. I squinted through narrow eyes at my dad's name boldly displayed across my screen. "Hello," I whispered, trying not to wake the sleeping girl on my chest.

"Come outside," my father commanded.

My brows came together. "What? Dad, it's like two' o' clock in the morning."

"Now," he demanded firmly, his voice glazing over in ice.

Sighing, I hung up the phone and looked down at Amy's peaceful face. Her eyelids fluttered against her cheeks, dreaming of hopefully sweet images. Carefully, I eased her off of my chest, replacing my body with a pillow. She stirred from the movement, but she didn't wake up.

Quietly, I climbed out of bed and threw on some clothes. The heavy stones of sleep sat on my shoulders as I shuffled around the room. We'd only gotten home maybe three hours ago. I'd wanted to spend some time simply making out with Amy, taking the time to truly savor her lips and enjoy the warmth of her body against mine. But, she fell asleep as soon as she lay her head down. Not that I was upset about it. She was beautiful when she slept, curled up against me like a fragile kitten.

I'd quickly fallen asleep after her, and my brain was just settling into a deep slumber when my father's call woke me up.

I crept through the upstairs hallway and treaded lightly down the steps. The last thing I needed was for Manic to hear me. While it wouldn't be the first time he'd caught me sneaking out, I knew he'd raise hell because of the person I was meeting.

My father was waiting in his black Durango when I finally made it outside. I pulled my hood over my head as I walked to the car and climbed inside. "What's up?" I asked.

He glanced at me, his eyes fixated on the tiny photos taped to his dashboard. "I got you a birthday present," he said. "Are you up for a drive?"

I looked at the time on the digital clock. Two-fifteen in the morning. I wanted to ask if we could wait until the sun came up, but my father didn't take kindly to having his demands declined. If I wanted to keep a tooth in my mouth, I needed to just nod my head and comply.

My eyelids grew heavy during the car ride. The low music and soothing movement of the car reminded me of the sleep I was once peacefully in. I leaned my head against the window, closing my eyes and drifting along the edge of unconsciousness.

I opened my eyes whenever I got a little too slipping over, my brain threatening to shut down and resume the R.E.M. cycle. During one of the little spurts, I recognized the apartment buildings towering over the perimeter of the street. I was just over here earlier, in my cousin Paco's neighborhood.

Wearily, I picked my head up, scanning the sidewalk as my father slowed the car down.

My cousin was standing near the corner with his hands in his pockets and a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. His hood was pulled up over his short cut hair, and a red bandana hung around his belt loops. He greeted me with a smile as he watched me get out of the car.

Grinning, I slapped his hand and let it slide against his into a snap of our fingers. Growing up, Paco was like an additional older brother to me. After his father died, my parents took him in and raised him alongside us. Back then, he and Manic were thick as thieves. It wasn't until high school that their friendship began to fade.

Paco praised the ground my father walked on, and Manic absolutely loathed him. The bond they'd built slowly crumbled under the push and pull of their drastically different relationships and beliefs towards my father. I remember the two of them used to get into screaming matches and fist fights damn near every day when they were seventeen. Then, my father left and Paco went with him.

Unlike my father, Paco still did everything in his power to keep tabs on me. He texted often to check in, and he'd call when he had time to chat. Sometimes, he'd walk my sister, Amy, and I home while we were still in middle school. Every now and then, he stopped by Tony's gym to watch my matches. Now, I mainly saw him whenever I needed a refill on my secret stash. But, even then, he'd make time to sit and chat with me before sending me on my way. I think he knew I'd break completely if I'd lost him too.

"How was your birthday date?" Paco asked. "Did you get a piece of cake?"

I shoved him. "Shut up, you know it's not like that."

"Yeah, alright. Just say your game is weak and I'll leave it alone."

I chuckled. "Don't be mad because I can catch a girl and you can't."

Playfully, he shoved my shoulder.

My father walked past us towards the alleyway next to the apartment buildings. Wordlessly, Paco and I followed after him.

In the darkness, I could make out a group of dark figures standing idly in the alleyway. As we got closer, I recognized some of the faces from Paco's crew. Most of them were in their twenties with sleeves of tattoos and black hair cut close to their scalps. They all stared at me with hard eyes and firm frowns as we approached.

I shoved my hands in my pockets and nodded to them in acknowledgement.

Unsmiling, my father grabbed a red gift bag from one of the men and held it out to me.

The heavy weight of the contents pulled the strings of the bag down against my fingers. Curiously, I stuck my hand into the bag and caressed cold metal. A knot formed in my stomach as my fingertips traced the edge of a trigger. Slowly, they wrapped around the handle, and I pulled out a black Glock with a red bandana wrapped around the handle.

"What the fuck is this?" I asked, turning my wide eyes towards my father.

He waved his hand, and one of the men dragged two figures down the other end of the hallway.

My heart dropped in my chest as I realized the dark figures were Shadow and Jet. Purple bruises scattered around their cheeks, and lumps swelled around their eyes. Blood oozed from their broken noses and busted lips. I took a step back as they were thrown down at my feet.

"What the fuck did you do?" I asked my father. "I told you I was over the situation!"

His brow rose. "So, you were just going to let all of their horrible deeds slide? You were going to let one nearly assault your girlfriend and leave her for the wolves? And the other, you were going to let put his hands on your little sister?"

I clenched my jaw at the reminder of Cat's busted lip. The more I reflected on the situation, the more I realized it likely wasn't the first time he'd laid a hand on her. Since the beginning of the school year, she'd been coming home with an array of bruises, claiming she'd hurt herself at work or during her time at her Vo-Tech program. And each time, my dumb ass believed her. My hand tightened around the gun as I recalled the fear in her brown eyes the night I'd caught her. How many other times had she come home like that - afraid and alone?

Now, Jet could potentially be forgiven. He may have made passes at Amy, but he'd never forced himself on her. Sure, he'd ditched her, but he'd never truly hurt her. Still, the realization didn't stop the fire from raging through my veins. He should've never even been with Amy in the first place. She was always mine.

"And let's not forget the way they beat your ass in front of your girlfriend," my father continued. "They humiliated you and made you look like a goddamn pussy. The girl you care for so much needs a man to protect her - not one who forfeits to the likes of assholes like them."

"So, what do you want me to do?" I asked.

He glanced down at the gun. "I want you to make a statement - let the whole neighborhood know you're not one to fuck with." A glimmer of a sinister smile crossed his lips, sending a shiver down my spine. "Then, you'll have the privilege of becoming one of us. With our symbol on your waist, everyone will know you're one of the most dangerous men on the street. No one will fuck with you or your girls ever again."

My heart thudded rapidly in my chest. My dad used to talk about this moment when I was younger. He'd gloat about the soldier I'd become in his army. Under his platoon, he promised I'd have protection and money. He explained that I had two options: either get jumped in or take one of my enemy's lives. He always assured me I'd have a choice. Right now, though, it seemed like the prior had disappeared.

Growing up, I thought I wanted a spot in his gang. I admired the tattooed men who abided by my father's commands, believing they were invincible and all-powerful. But, as I got older, I began to see past the glamor of the golden chains and the wads of money. I heard the gunshots. I saw the dead bodies ridden with bullet holes. I watched some of my father's closest men get thrown into police cars and never seen again. And I realized that I didn't actually want to be in a gang - I just wanted to make my father proud.

But, this, standing here with a gun in my hand and defenseless men at my feet, disgust swept through my stomach rather than triumph. Every inch of my moral compass, as fucked up as it was, screamed that this was wrong. I was a lot of things, sure, but I wasn't a killer…was I?

The question caught me off guard. I desperately wanted to be sure of myself, but the fire coursing through my veins told a different story. I wanted Jet and Shadow to suffer. I needed to make them pay for what they did to Amy and Cat. I needed to let others know that I truly wasn't the one to fuck with.

Silently, making my decision, I held up the gun, aiming it at Shadow's head. I loved Amy, but Sonia was my blood - and I'd kill anyone who laid a fucking hand on her.

"Sonic, no!" A voice echoed down the alleyway. Footsteps raced against the concrete, and in a moment, I felt a strong hand grab my wrist. "Put the goddamn gun down," my brother commanded firmly.

"Get the fuck off of me!" I yelled, ripping my arm out of his grip. Instinctively, I held the gun up at him, barely seeing his face through the red blurring my vision.

"Whoa, whoa!" He said, holding his hands up. "Relax, Sonic. It's me. It's me."

"Well, well, well, look who it is," my father said, his voice void of any amusement. "The first disappointment."

"Fuck you!" Manic yelled at him. "Tell him to put the gun down!"

"No." My father's hand grabbed my shoulder, his fingers digging into my muscles. "Do you wanna know the real reason I left?" He whispered in my ear. "Because your brother tried to have me locked away."

"What?" I hissed, glancing over my shoulder at him.

"Mhm. It turns out that your brother was talking to the police about my true line of work, telling them about our way of business and the people who got in the way of it. Unlike your mother, he doesn't know how to keep his goddamn mouth shut."

"They were already onto you," Manic explained. "All they needed from me was proof."

"And you were willing to give it to them?" I asked in disbelief. "You were going to let them take dad away?"

"Sonic, it would've been for the good of everyone. He hurt Mama, he neglected Cat, he brainwashed Paco, and he was trying to manipulate you!" He nodded to our position. "Look at what he's doing right now, pulling on your strings like a goddamn puppet. He doesn't fucking care about you, Sonic!" He took a step closer, still holding his hands up. "But, I do. And I don't want to see you end up like him. Underneath all of that rage, you're a good person. I know you don't want to hurt anyone. You just want to be seen and heard." He lowered his hands, putting one on my wrists and the other gently prying at my fingers around the handle. Despite his movement, his eyes remained locked on mine, steady and sincere. "I see you, Sonic, and I hear what you've been trying to say all these years. I want to help, alright? But, you've gotta give me the gun, okay? Just let go of it."

Gritting my teeth, and blinking back angry tears, I obeyed his command, releasing the gun.

A sigh of relief left Manic's lips. He pulled me out from beneath my father's grasp and wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

My father frowned as Manic threw the gun down at his feet. "Damn, now I have two disappointments." He raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure you don't want to take your chance, Sonic? If I let them go, I can't guarantee they'll forgive you."

I nodded. "I'm sure."

With another wave of my father's hands, Jet and Shadow were released. Immediately upon being freed, they took off down the other end of the alley with their Silver between their legs.

"Come on," Manic said, turning me towards the way we'd originally entered. "We're going home."

"Sonic," my father called as Manic began to tow me off.

My feet instantly stopped, and I looked over my shoulder at him.

He crossed his arms over his chest, his lips pulling into a hard line. "If they decide to retaliate after this little incident, I won't be there to save you."