Lexie

Lexie POV

Solitude vivifies; isolation kills.

***

“I swear to God if you don’t watch where you kick that bloody football I’ll come over there and slam something against your fat heads!” I screamed as I walked moodily past the football pitch, my eyes shooting daggers at every single person on the gigantic astroturf.

It was finally lunchtime and for the past four hours all I have heard constantly through the murmuring students that filled the bustling corridors was:

Oh my, God, have you seen the new kid?

He had a go at the older Petrova girl.

Wow, he is so peng.

I continued to consume my juicy red apple, my feet thudding fiercely through the thick ankle-length grass and my hair swinging fleetingly behind me.

First and foremost, how could you not have met him? The idiot has been gallivanting up and down the schools' corridors all bloody morning, beating up random year nine kids.

I mean talk about being emotionally unstable.

I chucked my apple core lazily into a nearby green bin as I continued to hike to my familiar spot by the tall olive trees. They all stood in a tight cluster just before the high blue fence.

Secondly, he absolutely did not have a go at me. He had an emotional breakdown just because I told him to sit the hell down. So whoever is distributing this pile of sheep droppings needs to get their facts right before I find them and bash their heads forcefully against something.

And lastly, no. Just no.

I pushed past a damaged tree branch as it swung dangerously towards me, my trainers slightly slipping against the extremely muddy ground.

I know what you all must be thinking though, why not I just ditch school now? Grab my stuff and make a run for it and honestly, normally I would just go down to that underground place and beat the crap out of a drunkie however unfortunately one of the deals I made with dad was; if I wanted to help I had to go to school.

So here I am sulking in this dump.

Life sucks.

With a heavy grunt, I lowered myself onto the warm grass, my brown bag slamming against my left hip as I tiredly yanked it off and shoved it to the right side of me, my back pressed up against the old, sturdy oak tree.

“This day is dragingggg! Why do I have to be here! Why couldn’t the deal just be: don’t kill anyone! Why does it have to stay in school as well! It’s not fairrrrrr,” I loudly whined before pulling out my iPhone.

It’s only the first day back since the half-term holidays and I have already restrained myself over a thousand times from burning this entire building to the bloody ground with every single stupid person still inside of it.

“Right, let’s see if Daddy dearest can clear up somethings for me,” I muttered as I pressed the now ringing phone firmly against my right ear, my legs stretched out lazily in front of me.

Even when I’m out and about I like to feel involved and up to date with everything to do with finding Liam.

I have to feel like I’m helping, like I’m actually doing something to save him. That I’m not being a completely useless waste of space.

“Ciao papà, è tutto ok?” (Hello dad, is everything ok?) I asked before being greeted by a flurry of activity, which included the slamming of draws, the ruffling of papers and loud constant chatter.

“Ciao Lexi! Sì, va tutto bene. Come mai? Qualcosa ti dà fastidio?”

(Hello Lexie! Yes, Everything is fine. Why? Is something bothering you?) He shouted over the strings of Italian that seemed to be flying around his end of the call, “MAXWELL! My COFEE!”

“Um Nothing much, I just wanted to ask if you had managed to get any more intel out of that spy,” I clarified as I began to play with the dry grass that surrounded me, my black painted nails digging deeper into the muddy soil.

“Ah yes! About that, he appears to have poisoned himself with whatever he had concealed within him. Either that, or someone on our side assassinated him to save him from being tortured. However, we aren't exactly sure what caused his death at this exact moment in time but he is most definitely dead,” explained Dad as I sat stunned, not knowing how to respond after hearing such information.

“He was found with white foam coating his entire mouth and it was dribbling messily down his chin, so he definitely consumed something. The question is, did he already have it on him or did someone give it to him?” “SARAH CAN YOU PLEASE SEE WHERE MAXWELL HAS GONE WITH MY COFFEE!”

Wait.

What?

I swiftly straightened my stance instead of slumping it, clenching

my phone even tighter against my ear.

“Someone on our side might have helped him? We might have a traitor? Who would do that?” I hurriedly asked as anger began to circulate my body.

No one in our gang has ever betrayed us before. They just haven’t. We have the loyalist gang out there. I refuse to believe anyone would do that to us.

“Not to sure but I have sent his body to the forensic team so we will have all the little details soon- MAXWELL MY COFFEE!” Hollered Dad causing me to move my phone slightly away from my ear. “Will that be all Lexie?” He tiredly asked, clearly deeply disappointed with his staff.

“Just one other thing, isn't this year's gang ball in England? Is it true that certain gangs have already begun to transfer? I'm asking so I'll know what to expect,” I added before brushing my hair irritably behind my ear, my legs now straightened up with my knees pressed lightly against my chest.

“Well the gang ball is very soon Lexie, so yes I would assume so. Oh, that reminds me! We have recently just merged with the Lithium gang. They are going to be of great help to us,” announced Dad as I heard what I envisioned to be the scraping of a chair.

What?

Why the hell are we merging with them for?

I rapidly surveyed the area with my narrowed eyes as the sound of the wannabe footballers chants reached my ears.

“They'll be extremely beneficial to us because...” I prodded, my gaze shifting away from the chanting of "We Won!" “You lost!” and focused completely on Dads response.

“Because they want Nathan to suffer just as much as we do, if not slightly more, and I am confident that we can take advantage of that. Oh Actually! I think I put their eldest son into your team. Make sure you treat him right Lexie, this is important,” Dad said while he guzzled his long-awaited coffee.

“Oh, and don't assault any more kids or skip school since there's a good chance additional gangs will start shifting their kids to your school once they start coming for the ball, and because your school is the closest, it makes sense for them to do so. As a result, you must maintain a professional demeanour at all times. You never know who's watching, and the more allies we can gather, the faster and easier it will be to locate Liam. Lexie, do you understand?” He inquired, his voice thick with authority, before spitting up what I assume was his evidently disappointing coffee.

“Yes, Dad, I understand,” I replied forlornly, recalling all the knuckleheads I couldn't violently toss out a window.

“And I love you, Dad,” I added, whilst my hand-pounded lightly on the ground, sadness coursing through my veins.

“Good. I love you too Lexie, and I'll see you soon- WHY IS MY COFFEE SO COLD, MAXWELL?” Dad bellowed, as the line suddenly went dead, leaving me gazing blankly at the trees in front of me.

As thoughts began to circulate in my rather overcrowded mind, I cautiously pushed my phone back into my blazer pocket.

“Why does life always have to be so hard,” I whispered quietly as I turned to look up desperately at the sky, loose strands of my hair flowing thinly across my forehead from my high ponytail.

To be honest, I sometimes wonder if my life would have turned out differently if I had been born into a different family. Would I have been happier if I hadn't been born as the daughter of a notorious gang leader?

As my throat began to dry, I hastily searched my backpack for my small bottle of water.

But I love my family so much and I always instantly feeling guilty for thinking such things. I know they didn’t mean for my life to turn out the way it did. I was never supposed to have had anything to do with the gang life, to begin with. I was supposed to have been kept shielded away and innocent like how Callie is now.

After finally finding my bottle, I began to sip it mindfully, closing my eyes briefly as the water dribbled sensationally down my throat.

Dad had already begun training Liam on how to handle the gang affairs, and Mum had begun teaching me how to run her coat business because that was meant to be our inheritance.

However of course because of Liam's abduction, I was forced to witness the darker side of life. The side of life that my family didn’t want me to be a part of. The side of life that no one wants to be a part of.

“I should have just listened to you. Why didn’t I listen to you!” I whispered my sorrow audible in my voice as I leaned the back of my head against the old olive tree in an attempt to find solace, my eyes still closed in misery and my bottle abandoned beside me.

I should have just stayed home, I’m so sorry Lee, so, so sorry.

It should have been me.

"Oo! So she is capable of emotion! Shocker!"

“What the hell?” I exclaimed as I jerked my head back in surprise, my eyes wide with shock as I stared dumbfounded at the idiotic newbie.

He leaned against a large tree only a few inches away, his arms spread casually across his chest and a huge grin pressed against his face as he watched me leap angrily to my feet.

Great.

Just great.

“What the hell do you want?" I snarled as I glared icily towards him, my hands occupied with the chore of sweeping the grass hastily off my clothes.

"Well, you know...just thought we could bond over some chocolate," he cynically remarked before advancing closer to my standstill position, his hands fiddling with a broken stick.

I rolled my eyes as I turned to pick up my small plastic bottle, the grass prickling against my skin.

“Remember that time you were saying that thing I didn’t care about? Yeah… that time is now,” I snapped, my hands clasped tightly around my bottle as I watched him stomp on a few little daisies.

“Not bothered if you care or not Princess. I have the liberty to do whatever the devil I want and whenever the hell I want to do it,” he countered, his black hair bouncing on his head as he spoke. “Don’t care for your approval.”

“Wow, that's fantastic to hear! I'm glad you're aware of your human rights, but you see, you stupid horse. I also have the right to do whatever the hell I want, whenever the hell I want, and right now there's nothing I'd like to do more than slam your dimwitted skull forcefully against the ground,” I snarled, briskly picking my bag off the ground and tossing it over my shoulder. “So unless you want to die, get the bloody hell lost.”

“I swear you talk too much. Shut up and-“

“Excuse me? I flipping speak too much? I don’t even want to talk to you! Besides what the hell happened to the whole ‘stay away from me' crap?" I mockingly asked whilst deepening my voice to match his. Bahahaha

"I said I would think about it, you idiot. Did you bump your head?” He asked with a frown before lunging his damaged stick clumsily to the side.

Don’t kill him, Lexie.

I briefly closed my eyes as I fought to control my intensifying wrath.

Don’t kill him, Lexie.

Remember your deal, Lexie.

Don’t kill him, Lexie.

You can do this Lexie.

Don’t-

“Hello? Did you die?”

I slowly opened my eyes before throwing him an agitated scowl. “Seriously do you want to die?” I hissed as I peered at the nincompoop in front of me, "Because that can be arranged quite relatively quickly."

“Not necessarily, no. Now I'm going to make this quick since your pitchy voice has started to give me a headache,” he continued as I furiously grabbed a stick to lunge at him.

“My voice is giving you a headache? Who do you think you are? Speaking to me like that!” I yelled as I started swinging the stick brutally towards him. “I swear to the lord almighty! You-“

“Yes, yes now is not the time for another one of your hourly tantrums Princess-“

“The name is Lexie!” I gritted out my nails digging deeper into my flesh.

“I honestly don’t give a damn, but is it true that your brother got abducted three years ago?" He questioned, his blue eyes full of instant curiosity as he cocked his head slowly to the side.

"That matter doesn’t concern you so kindly get lost,” I spat before chucking the stick harshly towards him which he of course easily caught.

I knew he would find out about Liam soon. Like I said the rumours about me never stop but that didn’t mean I was going to sit there and entertain him on the tales of my brothers' abduction.

"Come on Princess a simple yes or no will do,” he prodded, a stupid lopsided smirk pressed lazily against his face.

"Tell me, is being stupid your profession or are you just gifted?" I hissed. "What part, of it is none of your concern did you not get?"

“Well to be fair-“

“Oh, get lost you pile of cow crap,” having had enough of his sheer shenanigans, I shoved violently past him and began trudging back towards the school canteen.

Stupid, idiot, pile of absolute nonsense.

"Oi! I’m warning you, Princess, you do not want to get on my bad side!" He shouted after me, his eyes narrowed in offence.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I do something to offend you? Please tell me what, so I can do it again later," I hollered over my shoulder, my bag swinging wildly beside me.

“I mean it, Princess! No one disrespects me and lives to tell the tale!” He continued to scream, his face flushing with sudden anger.

“Oo I’m scared,” I retorted without looking back, my feet stomping loudly against the gravel.

I swear I hate the male species.