A/N: Enjoyed reading the reactions to the last chapter, ha-ha. That was a nice detour with our characters.
I like to envision each chapter as an "episode" for this imagined sequel show. So, naturally I won't deprive you of the inevitable holiday episodes. Let's see, we had Halloween and now Thanksgiving. You bet your butts there will be Xmas and New Years coming up!
If you would like more of that kind of thing, I highly recommend Invader Johnny's "Jori Holidays" series. They're a lot of fun!
This week SUCKED for me! I've been forced to come into work early and stay late, so squeezing out time to write was tough. But it relaxes me so I have to do it. Please drop a review and I'll see you next time!
Alice looked up and signaled for Jeff and Chris.
The boys gave the girl their attention.
"How are we looking on that finale?" she shouted.
"Um..." Jeff said, looking over at Chris.
Chris just shrugged.
"Come on, boys, I want to hear your ideas!"
Their faces lit up.
"Our ideas?" asked Chris.
Alice smiled and nodded.
"Can you do like a thunderstorm effect?" she asked.
"Sure thing," replied Jeff. "But there's no storm in the final act."
The director nodded.
"That's true but I want to try something first before we brainstorm. How soon can you rig up some stormy lighting with the red filter?"
The boys looked at each other as they hung up in the gantries like some chill red pandas.
"About ten-fifteen minutes," replied Chris.
"Give me a shout when you're ready, okay?"
Chris smiled back.
"You got it."
Alice bounded over to Kyle, who was reading the script.
"How are we doing?"
"I'm still debating if I should do a German accent for Fritz."
"Let me hear it," encouraged Alice.
Kyle cleared his throat.
"Vut zircumstances du Mizz Vittenberg ver to kome..."
She gently held up her hand for him to stop right there.
"Let's not worry about the accent," Alice said with a kind face. "You don't need it."
"Was it that bad?" Kyle winced.
Alice pursed her lips.
"If you're serious about this, how about you study German actors speaking English? I want the audience to understand you and I really want to avoid stereotypes. So, think more Christoph Waltz and less...mad scientist."
Kyle nodded.
She thanked him and went on her way, checking her clipboard.
"Anybody seen Becky?"
Alice asked to nobody in particular, hoping somebody would pipe up.
"Is Becky here?" she asked.
The door burst open and an out-of-breath Becky came through.
"So-sorry-I'm-late-"
She looked like she was going to collapse but Alice and a stagehand were quick enough to catch her.
"Whoa, whoa," said Alice. "Let's sit down."
They gently helped Becky to the floor where she leaned back against a trunk.
"Are you okay?" the director asked.
"I'm okay...just a little...dizzy."
Becky held her head while the student that assisted Alice grabbed a bottled water from the cooler to the side. She took it and had a drink.
"I was stuck with my teacher and I ran to make up for the..."
Alice put her hands on her arms.
"Hey, it's okay. Just take a break and re-hydrate."
Becky nodded and drank more water.
"You can join rehearsals when you're feeling better," Alice told her. "But if you don't, come back tomorrow."
Experience prepared Becky for an earful because of her tardiness and current uselessness. Instead, she was met with compassion and understanding.
"Don't get sick by pushing too hard," Alice smiled. "Besides, I don't anybody else that can play Thea as good as you."
The girl was emotional on top of being physically exhausted.
She smiled back as Alice made it clear to her that she was going over here if she needed anything.
Mia waited with Renee as lookouts while Ethan and Mike made the transaction.
"Easy money."
That was Mike's voice, so the boys were returning.
Ethan deftly passed the cash in his hand over to Renee who added it to the lock box.
"You know, this racket is really giving business a boost," he said.
Mia didn't say anything. She had a sinking feeling in her gut since sneaking out of home that night.
Usually, at least after she got used to things, Mia didn't feel much of anything.
Now she felt anxiety creeping up like a harsh breeze.
"Come on," Ethan said, rallying the troops.
They followed with Mia in the rear.
In the corner of her eye, she sensed a figure going in the same direction behind them.
(Is he following us?)
Mia shook her head, thinking she was imagining things. But her fears got the better of her and she quickened her pace to not fall apart from the group.
"YO!"
That made them all stop in their tracks.
(FUCK! There was someone following us!)
"Hey, what's going on?" came another voice seemingly from the opposite direction.
It was a pleasant sounding tone of voice. But something was hiding behind it.
(And they're not alone.)
"This is our territory, friend" came the one who stood before them. He had a ponytail and a gold chain.
The one in the back who first spoke up came clearer out of the shadows. He was taller wearing a white tank with a brown jacket.
Out of her peripheral emerged a stocky but sturdy type who didn't look like he went down easy.
(Another one on our right.)
Mia caught glimpse of a goatee-sporting dude grinning.
(And to the left. We're surrounded.)
Mike stood as stoic as he could, still the biggest one in the vicinity but that wasn't saying much now.
"What's the problem?" asked Ethan.
Ponytail, who appeared to be the ringleader, rolled up on the skater boy.
"Problem?" he said, his smelly breath could knock you on your ass. He reeked of cheap cigars. "The problem is that word is some x-games little prick is selling weed when this is my territory!"
Ethan was pretty composed for much of the time she knew him. Mia was seeing something very rare.
He was looking nervous, silently taking in the situation.
Maybe a way out.
"I'll tell you what, junior..."
Ponytail looked down at the bag that contained the money box.
He knew it was in there. They were watching them.
"Just toss me the cash and never - EVER - move so much as a joint in this part of town..."
The perimeter of toughs were closing in.
"And I'll consider letting you and your entourage walk away."
A strange look came across Ethan's face.
It sent a shiver down Mia's spine.
"What money?" he asked.
Ponytail was growing impatient.
"The money in that bag," he pointed with a sneer.
Ethan looked down, gripping the strap tightly, and back up at the man threatening him.
"This bag?"
Before he could react, Ethan swung the bag across the ponytail's face. The force of being hit hard with that metal box inside sent him to the ground. Amazing he didn't lose any teeth, but he was bleeding from the mouth.
"LITTLE SHIT!"
Like a football play, Ethan hugged the bag to himself, utilizing the stoic Mike as a blindside. That provided enough cover to slip away but the gangsters wised up and rushed the hulking figure. He was their muscle and they didn't appear to be armed in any way, so that was their whole protection.
The girls were hot on Ethan's heels.
"What about Mike?" asked Renee in a huff.
"He can take care of himself!"
They zigzagged around the largely abandoned buildings that peppered this side of town.
"WHERE DID THEY...?"
"GET THEM!"
"HERE! OVER HERE!"
"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" chanted Mia who went as fast as her legs could carry. The dancer managed to get ahead of the others but was impeded by a tall chain link fence.
She started climbing.
Mia could hear Renee and Ethan catching up.
"Come on!" Mia said.
The pair didn't argue and ascended the fence as their only means of escape now.
"OOF! AHH!"
An out of breath Mike came onto the scene and took a cue from his friends.
Mia landed first, then came along Renee. Ethan lost his footing coming over the top and fell down the other side.
"AAAAAHHHH! GODDAMNIT!"
He was writhing on the ground, holding his leg.
"ETHAN! Fuck!"
Mike landed and down at the wounded teen.
"Mia, here."
She was surprised when he handed her the bag.
"Go."
Mike and Renee both helped him up.
"What the...what do you mean?" asked Mia.
"You're the fastest," Ethan said. "Don't let them get the cash."
Mia stood there frozen.
Renee gave her a look.
"GO!" she shouted.
Mia took off running. She really was the fastest of the bunch. The girl clutched that bag to her chest as she never ran this hard in her life.
The sounds of yelling and fighting grew fainter and fainter.
There was a parking structure that closed for the day. Mia snuck past the entrance which was riddled with spikes to prevent non-payers from driving in.
Mia huddled in a corner, catching her breath.
The last thing she wanted to do was lose steam while she was out in the open.
Her breathing got less shallow. She tried telling herself that she was safe.
The next thing she heard made her heart stop.
BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!
Mia collapsed to her side, maintaining the fetal position, while still holding onto the bag.
She laid there, like someone experiencing sleep paralysis.
Shortly after the echo of gunshots came the inevitable police sirens. Or maybe an ambulance? Mia wasn't sure exactly; she just knew it was bombastic and repetitive.
Learning the truth of what happened to her dad was hard. To reconcile with such violence. She had some therapy when she was younger at school but she wasn't formally diagnosed. Mia was triggered by the sounds of gunfire and emergency sirens.
Those things are naturally alarming, so anyone would understandably be off center at these sounds. But it was different for Mia. Her body would nearly shut down; or rather she was awake and aware but couldn't move.
It took some time, but Mia was able to calm herself down. The light gleaming from her father's locket helped sooth her nerves.
It stayed silent for quite a while.
Mia gathered up enough strength to rise and slowly leave her temporary shelter.
She checked the time and noticed the street signs.
Taking the bus this long, Mia had a mental map of the route. If she went south one block, there was a stop there and if was going the right way, it would lead her home.
Safe.
Mia let herself into the apartment and was thrown off when her mom wasn't passed out on the couch. She caught her asleep at the kitchen table, the screen of her laptop aglow in the darkness.
Fatigue won out over her curiosity, so she went up to her room.
Mia collapsed onto her bed, letting out the biggest sigh possible.
The vibration of her phone almost made her scream after such a long stretch of quiet.
She checked her messages and a text from Renee asked if she was home.
Mia replied in the affirmative and asked if everyone's okay.
"I'm fine. Mike has a cut and broke his hand. But Ethan broke his leg real bad. He went to the hospital."
The teen re-read the message with wide eyes in disbelief.
"So what now?" Mia texted.
After a minute, Renee replied:
"We gotta lay low a while, Ethan said. You got the cash?"
Mia typed the letter "Y" for yes.
"Good. Have to go. Will talk later."
Mia plugged her phone into the charger and rolled onto her side, only now she was ready for sleep.