Chapter One-Jade 671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaaCVQjtqAU
“Turn off the iron for me Jade” screamed mum from the kitchen
“Yeah” I yelled back
With a grunt I got up from my comfortable position on the sofa in front of the telly and walked over to the iron and switched it off, I would never understand why my mother always left the iron on you would think that after years of using the thing she would eventually remember to turn it off.
I sat back down on the on the sofa and resumed my daily evening routine of flicking channels, my cat jet black cat Huey joined me curling up by my side his head on my lap, I shifted moving so my left hand could stoke his head then returned my attention to the television.
Eventually I stopped and found myself on the BBC news an elderly white man with white streaked brown hair and a ridiculously wide grin appeared on the screen “police have confirmed that they hold the London based gang, Memphis, under suspicion for the armed theft of £2 million from the Threadneedle street Bank of England” said the man his face visibly straining to say the words due to all of the equally visible Botox. Memphis was a well-known London gang everybody in London knew of them , but most knew nothing about them though. The size of the gang was unknown and their true goal was unknown. Most gangs had some sort of main goal like destruction of the government or some other wacko super goal. All anybody knew about them was that their leader may be called Memphis as at all their crimes scenes they left a statement “in the name of Memphis” which was written somewhere and another.671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGKMRrnVLH4
“It is believed that the group that completed the robbery consisted of no more than five of the Memphis members” the man continued as my mum walked into the room her bobbed weave bouncing as she went. I sunk into the sofa as I prepared myself for the rant that was soon to come from my mother’s lips, the rant which always happens when my mum takes any interest in the news which was now evident from her movement from the kitchen to the living and her intense glare at the television screen
“Unbelievable.” she said “In my days gangs where no more than street urchins and hooligans who thought they were bad, now they’re like full blown mafia groups” I sighed and began my routine of flicking channels, leaving the new channel, which had long left the subject of the robbery, hoping to end the rant coming from my mother.671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5YZf3jegLR
It didn’t work.
“I mean seriously the police are useless their basically letting a group of teenagers walk all over them, a group which now basically runs London. You know I wouldn’t be surprised if this Memphis gang was secretly working for the government, creating all this media attention to keep people’s minds off the rising taxes and our prime minister’s utter inability to run this country, how else are they getting away with so much and why do we know so little about them…”
If there was ever a conspiracy theorist it was my mum she was always accusing higher powers of doing something illegal.671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFvwxhXgsuN
“Jade!, Jade!, are you listening to me, honestly speaking to you is like speaking to a brick wall.” My mum sighed at me “Now listen I need you to go get your dads lunch for tomorrow he needs a sandwich a drink and some mints get the money from the vase by the door, it’s only just pass nine you can still catch the corner shop, now, get off your ass and go” I grunted I hated it when she called Johnson my dad “His not my dad” I sneered “My Dad died 5 years ago”. My mum puffed up she hated when I told her Johnson wasn’t my Dad “I said get up off your ass and get your step farther his lunch you lazy child”671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBMt1QbI8eE
“I’m going I’m going” I said rubbing the now very sore spot on my head I got up of the sofa, causing Huey to dash from my side, and made way to the hallway stopping at the large full body hallway mirror that my dad had got a year ago saying he was tired of us ladies continuously leaving the house and then demanding to comeback cause we weren’t sure our hair looked perfect, this way we could check before we leave. I began to fix my sister locks pulling them so they framed my face and parting them slightly of centre raising one side slightly above the other then pulled the lower side behind my ear. I had got my dreadlocks about 2 years ago on a whim and ended up really liking them they had now grown down to my waist and I had dyed some of my jet black locks purple and placed little beads on them, I pulled on my grey beanie hat and black jacket over my Beatles top, then pulled on my black high top converses pulling the laps over the end of my black jeans, lastly I grabbed my Paul Frank messenger bad and walked over to the desk by the front door with the vase. I picked up my mascara, which I always kept on the desk, then gave it a second thought and put it back down. My eyes were already dark enough and it wasn’t like I was going to meet anyone significant unless you count the spotty faced Asian boy that manned the corner shop at that hour, but he was certainly nothing to get excited about. I was about to take some money out of the vase when my kid sister, Amelia, chooses that moment to come bounding down the stairs, her irritating Yorkshire terrier yapping at her heels behind her. You would never think that the girl running down the stairs was my sister, for a start we looked completely different I had dark mocha skin from my mum she had light brown skin from my dad and ridiculously straight hair for a black child. “Where you go-ing?” she said sounding like a blooming cartoon character.
“Out” I said deciding to take the root that I knew would drive my sister up the wall
“Out where?”
“Shop”
“Ooo can you get me one of those lunchables for tomorrow pleaseee”
“No”
“Why”
“I don’t want to” I said waking out the door and closing it abruptly as I heard my sister scream for my mum as I left the house. I was going to get her what she wanted but it was fun to torment her.
The cold night air hit me it sending a chill down my back; I pulled my jacket closer around me not wanting to zip it up, out of a lack of want to hide my top. It had only just gone 9:00pm but the road was really empty baring an occasional car speeding down it, the sky was also clear of clouds meaning that even here in the city you could see a few stars. I turned down the alley footpath that led to the high-street opting to use longer root to the corner shop; there would be less people and more time for me to think.
The alley was quiet leaving me to daydream easily, my mind wondered to school; I had so much homework to do! I sighed at my realisation. Well at least I could get Hayley to do the maths and the science for me. Hayley was my ridiculously smart best friend I don’t think that child had got anything less than a A in her life, baring art and PE I suppose (that’s where I shine) but I supposed it worked out great for me because Hayley actually enjoyed math and science I hadn’t had to do a single piece of logic based homework since year 7. I could just see her now, her curly side pony tail jumping up and down as I handed her my homework for her…
BANG!
The gunshot rang load through the alley, I dropped to the ground out of instinct covering my head with my hands and curling up into the foetal position.
BANG!
Another shot loud and crisp echoed through the alley for closer than I would have liked it to be
BANG!
Another one
BANG!
One again
I curled tighter as the shots continued willing the noises to end praying that I would get out alive, wishing that I was anywhere else at this moment.
Thud!
A sound different to the gunshots, one of something hitting the floor, close, real close, like on the ground in front of me close. The surprise made me jerk my head up, and farther surprise made me sit up. In front of me lay a boy, a black teenage boy; his hair was pulled back into cornrows and he was wearing all black and a black jeans black top. I crawled slowly closer. He was laying on it back the arm longest away from me arm stretched out to his side the other clutching his stomach. The sound of gunshots still rang through the alley each bang making me jump. I watched the boy for what felt like a long time then began to crawl forward again.
A low grunt from the boy made me stop in my advance. Another grunt made me start again, soon I was hovering over the boy it was then I noticed how fast and ferocious his breathing was, it looked as if he was trying to get all the air he could. Without thinking I lay my hand on his chest it some attempt to comfort him. The boys head turned sharply to look at me, his eyes wide and alarmed. I looked at his eyes they where I dark brown almost black, I continued to look into them the gunshots where still going off around me and for all I knew this would be the last human I would see. I noticed the boys soften as I stared at him. For what seemed again like a long time nothing happened. Then I noticed the boy’s lips begin to move, not sound, he was just mouthing words. I looked at him confused for a moment trying to work out what he was saying, help, help, help me. That’s what he was saying, but why.
Then it hit me like a punch to the chest, the boys hand on his stomach, his alarmed and scared eyes. I looked down, and screamed. All around me, seeping into my jeans, covering my hands a dark red pool, a pool of blood.
The boy had being shot.
Then I heard them, footsteps, lots and them, running, running towards me. They must have reacted to me screaming and now they were coming. Coming to kill me, coming to shot me, shot me like the boy, the boy! He was still looking at me though it as obvious he had given up on me helping him, he was smiling at me, no he was laughing at me. In that moment I filled up with rage, what the hell did he know this might be normal for him but it certainly wasn’t me what right did… the boy had started to move the arm stretched out to his side he was holding it out to me, holding out a gun.
“Take it” he mouthed
What the hell he wanted me to take his gun.
…The footsteps they were getting closer…
It was then I realised why he was giving me the gun. I reached out and took out of the object in his hand, it was cold and hard against my skin. I panicked dropping the gun it clattered against the concrete. They boy laughed again… this time I couldn’t blame him.
“It’s simple” he said “you aim and shoot” he chuckled “at least I got some entertainment in my last hours”
“I’m sorry”
“Don’t worry the ambulance wouldn’t have got here in time anyway… hey good you do me a favour
“What”
…the footsteps they had slowed but they were still there…
“Give me a kiss”
“What!”
“A kiss, a proper one tongue and all, you’re pretty hot it would be a good way to go out”
“But...”
“Bitch I’m dying are you actually going to tell me no!”
He was right “fine” I said
I leaned down, suddenly thinking about the mascara on the desk and kissed him.
Never in my life had anyone kissed me so passionately, I guess its cause he was dying, his lips where soft and moist, his hand reached up and cupped my face, leaned in has he pulled me closer deepening the kiss. I don’t know how long it lasted but then he put his hand on my shoulder stopping the kiss. I raised up
“Happy” I said
He looked at me “yer that was pretty hot you’re a good kisser… hey don’t die yer, if I had a choice I would totally bang you…”then his dark brown eyes became even darker and I knew he was dead.
…the footsteps they were next to me…
I felt a shot of fear fuelled adrenalin run though me…I didn’t want to die… I grabbed the gun, raised it up, aimed and fired... just like he said...
To my left, BANG!
THUD
In front of me, BANG!
THUD
To the right, BANG!
THUD
Behind again, BANG
THUD
No more footsteps a relaxed I sat there for what must of being minutes but felt like hours planning what I was goanna do next. I was going to go to the corner shop get the sandwich, drink, mints and lunchable for me sister I would take the short way back down the my well lit and well-populated street I would give my mum the food and when she asks me why I took so long as would say a meet a friend Maxine or someone, I was about to get up when I heard them again
...footsteps…
No No No! This wasn’t fair
I lifted the gun, they were coming from in front of me, I took aim and fired... nothing happened... I hit the trigger again… nothing
I must have hit that trigger ten times before I realized what it meant… I was out of bullets.
I let my hands fall to my sides… I fucking give up
Seconds later the footsteps reached me, tall men surrounded me quickly encasing me and the dead boy in a circle. I looked up I could tell they were all wearing hoods but I couldn’t see their faces which were hidden by the backlighting of the lamp post above them. One of the men stepped forward and knelt down over the dead boy and studied him then he sighed and looked up to the other men and shock his head, he turned back and placed his hands on the boy’s face and pulled down closing his eyelids.
Then he looked up at me, I could see his face now and it was then I saw that this man was also a boy around my age. He had a baby’s face round and soft, with deep hazel eyes, and was edging more toward the pudgier side, any other day I would have called him cuddly but today his face did nothing but send an uneasy shiver down my spine. He had the expression of a man, a man that had too many worries and too much responsibly, I could see that I was a chore to him, something he now had to deal with. His eyes bore into mine, his eyes that should have been filled with a joyous lack of responsibility for someone his age looked so old and so filled of troubles and things someone of his age should have never seen. His eyes moved down to my hand, the one that was holding the gun, he reach out and took it from me, I didn’t resit, what was the point. He stood up then gun in hand and looked down at me. Before I could even think about getting out of the way or deflecting the hit, his raised the gun and brought in down heavily on the side of my head. I had just enough time to register the pain explode in my head before my vision went dark and I fell onto the concrete ground unconscious.
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