Ananda pulled her hair up into a ponytail and ran downstairs into the living room. "B-Rok?"
"Up here!" Brian's voice called to her from upstairs. Ananda turned and ran back up the stairs, into Brian's office. "I'm gonna go for a walk with Nick, kay?"
"Alright. Try not to come home too late."
"Sure. Where's Kev?"
"He went to Blockbuster to rent some movies. He's getting the Blair Witch Project, you might wanna come home a little early and watch it."
"I probably will. I'll bring Nick too. See ya later."
The doorbell rang.
Ananda turned and started down the stairs.
"Be careful!" Brian called after her.
"I will!" Ananda flung the door open... and there was Domingo. She stared at him with a look of surprise that quickly turned to anger. "What do you want?"
"Well, well, aren't we rude!" Domingo shoved past her into the house. "Wow. Nice place you got here."
"Domingo you shouldn't be here." Ananda held the door open for him.
"Awww, but I just got here!"
"I don't care. You need to leave."
"Nah, no I don't."
"Yeah, you do."
Domingo sat down on the couch. "So where are your Backstreet faggot brother and cousin?"
Ananda whirled on him in anger. "Shut up. You don't know what you're saying."
"Yeah I do. They're all like that, you know. Your boyfriend, too. They're all Backstreet Fags. Hey, I got one, the Fagstreet Boys, how bout that?"
"Get out of my house."
Domingo grinned at her. "Make me."
"Brian!"
"Awww, she's gonna call her wimpy little Fagstreet brother to come beat me up now. I'm sooo scared." Domingo got up from the couch and advanced on Ananda.
Ananda backed up slowly. "Brian!" She felt a pang of fear as her back hit the wall. Domingo had backed her into a corner. "Brian!" Ananda screamed for her brother, who finally heard her.
Brian raced down the stairs, hearing the fear in his little sister's voice. "Panda Bear, what's wrong?" he called. Then he came face-to-face with the situation. His Panda Bear, his little 15-year-old sister, was pinned up against the wall with some tall Hispanic boy glaring at her with a look of pure hatred.
Domingo turned when he heard Brian come down the stairs. "Well, look who finally decided to show, it's the Fagstreet brother himself!"
"Get out of here Domingo," Ananda said weakly.
"Panda Bear, what's going on?" Brian asked. Even from where he was standing, he could see his little sister trembling uncontrollably.
"I was just dropping by to pay your little whore of a sister a visit," Domingo answered for her.
"Domingo, go."
"I'm calling the cops," Brian said, turning to the nearest cordless and grabbing the receiver. He was too busy dialing to notice the small, shiny object in Domingo's hand. Suddenly there was a loud report, and and excruciating pain tore through Brian's shoulder, causing him to drop the phone.
"Brian!" Ananda screamed and raced to her brother's side. "Oh my God B-Rok are you okay?" She grabbed a pillow from the couch and pressed it to his shoulder to stop the bleeding. "You butthole! You stupid butthole, you shot him!"
Brian's eyes were full of pain as he looked up at his little sister. Blood poured from the shoulder, even the pillow had rapidly turned from gray to dark red, almost black.
"Butthole!" Ananda screamed at Domingo again, as he stood there almost unsure of what to do with himself. The next thing Ananda heard frightened her more than almost anything had in her whole life... it was the sound of Nick's Durango pulling up in the driveway.
*****
She had to warn Nick. She had to warn him, or he could end up hurt like Brian. Ananda smoothed the hair out of her brother's eyes and planted a kiss on his cheek. "I'll be right back B-Rok. Hang in there," she whispered. She got up and ran to the door - but Domingo had heard the motor, too, and was right on her heels.
Ananda flung open the door. "Nick!"
Nick was walking up the sidewalk. He looked up, startled.
"Nick, get out of here, go get help! He's got a gun, he shot Bri!"
Nick watched in mute shock as Domingo Cruz grabbed his girlfriend's arm and litterally yanked her out of the doorway.
"Nick, run, get-" Ananda's voice was cut off by more loud reports from Domingo's gun - three, to be exact. She watched in absolute horror as Nick's knees buckled, and he fell, clutching his stomach. "Nick! Oh God Nick no!" Ananda ripped her arm free from Domingo's grip and rushed to her boyfriend's side. "Oh gosh, you stupid butthole, how could you do this?" she screamed as she dropped to her knees next to him.
Nick looked up at his girlfriend's tear-streaked face. "Panda Bear...?" he trailed off weakly.
"Oh Nick, hold on, please, please, please hold on until help gets here," Ananda sobbed, cradling Nick's body in her arms.
Nick was dimly aware of a faint siren in the distance, and then suddenly Ananda was being pulled away from him, and he fell back on the lawn with a painful thud. His stomach felt like it was on fire... there seemed to be red lights going on and off, red, followed by blue... there were more gunshots, a scream... and once again he saw his girlfriend's face looking down at him. Then everything went black.
