Cassie and Lauren arrived at Jamie’s house at 8:00pm and they were ready to go. Cassie was sporting a tan tank top with khaki pants and Lauren was wearing a maroon tank top with long black pants.
"Hey!" Cassie said when walking into the house. She was trying to make friends with Maryann, but how could she by holding on to such a secret? But what could she do? Stevin helped her when she needed his help. And now if she goes through this plan she’s gonna end up losing 6 friends.
“Hi,” Karen greeted her. Then she turned to Lauren, “Hey,” she said quietly.
Lauren’s smile soon turned into a frown, “Umm, Karen? Can I talk to you and Maryann alone for a minute?”
“Sure, she said coolly, and went to find Maryann as she led Lauren to he backyard.
In the Backyard..
Maryann and Karen sat on the garden bench while Lauren stood in front of them.
“Before any of you guys say anything I just wanted to let you know that I’m sorry. I know that I’ve been quite a jerk to you guys for the past few years, but I wanna patch up everything and start off on a clean slate.” Lauren stated.
Karen and Maryann sat there in silence. They couldn’t believe what she just said, Lauren, apologizing?
Karen finally got the courage to speak, “Why did you turn against us in the first place? I mean, we used to be such good friends and just like that,” she snapped her fingers, “you changed.”
“Well, I guess I should explain that,” Lauren said, bowing her head, “I was having problems in the home, my parents were always fighting and whenever my father got mad he took it out on me…abusively.”
Maryann gasped, “Really, why didn’t you tell us? We could’ve helped you through it and instead you turned against us?”
“I know,” Lauren sighed, “and I’m sorry. I wasn’t getting enough attention at home and I guess I took all the anger I was getting from my dad out on you guys. I didn’t think anyone could help me with my problem. And I’m terribly sorry. I just want things to go back to the way it was before all this mess happened.” Lauren started braking down into tears.
Maryann got up and suprisingly hugged her, “It’s ok,” she said tears in her eyes as well, “I forgive you.”
Karen also got up and hugged her as well, “I forgive you too.”
~*~At The Club~*~
Everyone was having a great time at the club so far. While Maryann was serving soda, Karen and Latoya noticed her wearing a necklace. “Hey, nice necklace Mar” Latoya said.
“Isn’t that your grandmother’s?” Karen asked.
“Yeah, she gave it to me before she passed away.” Maryann said, “I’m gonna go get some more soda, anyone want some?”
“No thanks,” Latoya said.
“Alright, I’ll be back” Maryann headed off to get some more drinks. Elsewhere, Cassie was sitting at a table already engaged in a drink. Out of the corner of her eye she saw someone outside of a window in the bushes who made her feel uneasy. She only caught a glimpse of him so she didn’t know who he was. She glanced back at him again now to find that the person had a gun and had a look of jealous rage in his eyes. And she also recgonized him. When Maryann was about to pass by her, Cassie heard a click and then a gunshot.
"Watch Out!!" Cassie blurted out as she pushed Maryann out of the way. She was hit in the back, pushing her down to the ground. Her tan tank top became red with her blood. There was some movement in the bushes by the club. When Marc heard the gun shot he ran out of the club and chased after the assailant.
OUTSIDE…
Marc ran after the dark figure down the deserted street. “Yo, come back here!” he yelled.
He gave a burst of speed until he was within 3 feet of him; not being able to gain more speed he jumped up and tackled him by the feet. They both fell to the ground.
Marc looked into the eyes of a black man with green eyes, he assumed they were contacts. “Who the hell are you?” Marc demanded.
“Shut the f**k up it’s none of your business” the man yelled, trying to get out of Marc’s grasp. When he couldn’t he pushed Marc off of him with his feet, stood up and shot him in the hand.
Marc, still on the ground, grabbed his hand and yelled in pain as the “green-eyed” man ran away, in the direction of the club.
*In the club*
Cassie fell to her knees crying in pain. Latoya was already on the phone with 911. It was 5 minutes later when the ambulance arrived (to the other girls, it felt like 5 centuries). Cassie was stabilized and being taken care of by the other girls.
~Maryann~
I heard the siren of the ambulance through all of the noise and commotion in the club. “Finally, it’s here,” I mumbled as I saw the paramedics put Cassie in the ambulance. I wanted to go in there with her, being that it was somewhat my fault she got shot, but Lauren got in there first and the paramedics wouldn’t let anybody else in.
I went back inside the club to tell my boss that I was leaving to go to the hospital with Cassie. She let me go and wished Cassie the best of recovery. I headed to find Karen, Toya, and Jamie but my cell phone rang. Since I could barely hear myself think I went outside to the back of the club and answered it.
It was Nick.
"Hey," he said, "How you doing?"
I was lost for words, it's was the first time I actually talked to Nick since the argument I had with him a few months ago. "I guess I'm doing ok, this isn't really the best time to talk with me right now. Can I call you back?" I asked. I really did want to talk to him, but not with all this going on.
"Oh, ok" Nick said with hurt in his voice.
"No, no, it's ok. I do want to talk to you. It's just that there was a shooting that happened in the club-"
"SHOOTING? Are you ok? Hurt?" he asked.
"No, I'm fine, it's just that, Cassie got shot and I think she was trying to protect me..." I trailed off, my eyes brimming with tears.
"CASSIE?," Nick yelled, "Why was she trying to protect you? Who shot her? Do you think the person was trying to shoot you?" Nick asked with fear evident in his voice.
"No, I don't think so," I said, even though I wasn't so sure myself.
"I gotta tell Kevin-!" Nick said. I cut him off.
"Please don't" I said as I took off my necklace. It was itching me. "I'm going to the hospital soon, so I can check on Cassie's condition. I let you in on the facts and then I'll call you back and let you tell Kevin. Ok?"
"Alright," he said reluctantly, "But you take care of yourself. I don't want you getting hurt."
"I know, I know Nick. I always take care of my-" I felt a sharp pain in my head as I dropped the phone.
Then everything went black.
~A minute later~
The man picked Maryann up and saw that she had a bad gash on the back of her head that was bleeding freely.
"Hello? Maryann what happened?" the man recgonized that voice as no other than Nick Carter's. It was coming from Maryann's phone.
Stevin picked up the cell phone, turned it off, and threw it on the floor. Then he bent down and picked up Maryann's necklace from the floor and put it in his pocket but instead it missed and fell to the ground.
With a sinister smile on his face he carried Maryann to his van, started the engine, and drove away into the night.
~In The Club~
~Karen~
"This is too weird!" I said as the ambulance attendents put the limp Cassie into the ambulance.
Cassie was alright, I heard from the attendents, but it was a good thing it didn't hit her lungs or something or she would have died.
I was truely scared.
"Where is everyone" I said to myself.
I saw Jamie, LaToya, but no Maryann. I turned my head towards the back of the club, still no Maryann.
"Toya" I said turning my head back toward the front of the club.
"Yeah" She replied sullenly.
"Have you seen Mar?"
"No" She replied.
"Wanna go look for her?" I asked.
"Yeah" Latoya said.
"Jamie, go to the hospital with Lauren, she'll need a shoulder to cry on; I'm going with Karen to look for Maryann."
Latoya and I walked outside of the club still reeling over what just happened to Cassie. Our thoughts were broken when I tripped over something. Latoya and I looked down at the ground and gasped.
Chapter 36
Chapter 34
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