ONE AND A HALF YEARS BACK,
JANUARY 30TH, 2019.
GREENWOOD, CALIFORNIA.
Today's the day I go to see Salem again.
I'm sure he missed me.
And with Zane gone...who else would keep me company?
I climb out of my car, walking up to his house.
Today I'm not feeling great...but I haven't seen a human in two weeks.
Not by choice...I was put in the mental hospital.
But that's a story for a different day.
I unlock the door, walking inside his home and sliding of my shoes.
"Salem?! You here?"
I pause for a second, then walk up the stairs towards his bedroom.
Maybe he's there.
I quietly knock, and when he doesn't answer I call his name softly again.
"Salem? Are you asleep?"
I sigh, peaking open the door.
"Holy shit!"
I drop my things with a clunk onto the floor, rushing to his side.
"Salem?! Can you hear me?"
His hands are ice cold, but his forehead is burning hot.
I turn around a little, my eyes catching on an empty needle.
A sick feeling settles in my gut.
Oh no...I shouldn't have left him alone...
He groans a little, and I shake him slightly.
"Are you okay?! Please answer me! This is all my fault...I'm so sorry!"
I reach for my phone, dialing 911 when I feel a hand gently on my wrist.
"Daisy..."
"Salem! What the hell did you do?!"
I drop the phone, holding his cheeks in my hands.
"Don't tell me you—"
"I don't want to talk about it...please Daisy."
I frown.
I pick up the needle, ignoring him completely.
"What's this?! What was in here?! Was it heroin?! Are you trying to kill yourself?!"
I regret saying it immediately after I said it.
The pain stricken expression on his face makes me feel horrible.
I know he's in withdrawal...I know he's suicidal...fuck, I'm horrible.
"I'm sorry."
I help him up, sitting him down.
Salem's hand rests on his head, he looks out of it.
"What happened?! You don't have to tell me...do you need a doctor? I'll call 911!"
He shakes his head weakly.
"I'm fine."
"You're not fine! I just walked in and saw you out cold on the floor! With three needles next to you! Empty! You can't start doing this again, Salem! You just stopped! You just started getting better!"
"Addiction is a disease, Daisy. It doesn't just go away after two days at a rehab center."
I look down at my shaking hands, tears falling down my face.
"I don't know what I'd do without you! You have to stop! You told me you'd stop!"
He frowns.
"Don't cry...please. You're making me feel worse. I don't like to see you hurt."
"I will be hurt if you continue to do this to yourself! You're going to end up killing yourself! Overdosing!"
He looks whiter than the chair he's sitting on.
He doesn't look well.
He goes silent.
"Salem?"
I venture closer, grabbing a hold on his hand, turning it around to see the places he stuck those needles in his skin.
My heart drops down to my stomach out of fear.
"S-Salem?! Answer me!"
He's ice cold.
He's not moving.
I grab my phone off the floor, calling 911.
"Hello?"
"This is Daisy Saunders, I think my friend just overdosed. I think he's dead. He's dead! It's all my fault!"
"Ma'am, I'm going to need you to stay calm. We're sending people over now. What's the address?"
"7723 Redburrow Lane, Greenwood, California."
"Okay, ma'am. We'll be there soon. What is he looking like now?"
"He's pale as a ghost. H-He was talking to me then just blacked out. When I came in he was out cold on the floor. Three or four empty needles just laying there. He struggled—no—struggles with a heroin addiction, and...and I'm afraid he's actually dead this time. His hands are ice cold. Please, tell me what to do! I have to save him!"
"It's going to be okay, we're going to help you. I need you to put him in recovery position."
"I'm panicking. How do I do that?!"
I set my phone down, running over as the lady on the other line tells me what to do.
"Open his airway by tilting his head and lifting his chin. Lie him on his side and straighten his legs. Place the arm nearest to you at right angles to the body. Get hold of the far leg just above the knee and pull it up, keeping the foot flat on the ground. Place his other hand against his cheek."
I do as she says quickly, as my own vision blurs from tears.
"Keep his hand pressed against his cheek and pull on the upper leg to roll him towards you and onto his side."
I nod to myself, my heart pumping.
"Then tilt his head back so he can breathe easily. Make sure that both the hip and the knee of the upper leg are bent at right angles."
I do as she says, but start to worry when it seemingly does nothing.
"It doesn't look like its working! He's not breathing!"
"Miss Saunders, please perform CPR. Do you know if he has naloxone injections?! Those should calm it down."
I bend over him, trying my best to attempt CPR before opening his drawers and seeing the sick amount of needles, searching for anything related to naloxone.
I pick something up, reading it and releasing a breath of relief.
Okay.
I inject the naloxone, just when I start to hear sirens.
The door opens, and I hear running footsteps coming up the stairs.
"I'm in here! Come quickly!"
The paramedics run in, lifting him onto the carrier and rushing him out.
I break down sobbing on the floor, and some police officers run over to me.
Please be okay, Salem. Please. I don't want to be the reason you die at eighteen.
******
TEN HOURS AGO,
LAKEWORTH COURT OF THE LAW.
I am now sitting numbly in the chair at the stand, having to see the hurt and hatred filled faces of Xanthe, Xander, and Xavier, seeing other people in the stands.
The judge's words echo through my head.
"If you plead guilty, you might have a chance at parole. If not we don't know what will happen for you."
I don't answer.
"Do you admit to the murder of twenty-two year old male Zane Ash Maserati?"
I don't answer again.
"Daisy Marie Saunders, what do you plead?"
I release a breath, lifting my head up to have to look at their disappointed and hateful faces.
"Guilty."
******
PRESENT DAY, MARCH 14th, 2020.
I get thrown into a cell, stumbling straight into the musty ass floor with a thump.
"Well shit."
When I blink my eyes open I let out a small yelp, seeing a totally hot and somewhat familiar, defined jaw man with neon orange hair. It highlights his hazel eyes.
"Took quite a fall there, didn't ya, babes?"
Babes...babes?!
"What did you just call me?!"
I jerk myself up so I'm in a sitting position, looking directly into the eyes of the dude in front of me.
So familiar...
He's giving me this devious little grin, and I immediately realize that it's—
"Zane?!"
"Shhh! My name's Ryder Cruz. Okay?!"
By the joking look on his face, I know it's him.
It has to be.
Unable to resist the rush of emotions, I jump into his arms, sitting right in his lap whilst looping my arms around his neck.
I look at his face closely, holding his cheek.
"I thought you were dead!"
"You thought wrong babes. But listen closely, you can't mention that I'm Zane, okay?! Ryder is my name right now. There are people after both of us, and some of them are in this prison. I need you to lay low, capeesh?"
"Capeesh."
"Good...because we have a major problem."
******
I sit across from him, still trying to process the fact that he's even alive.
"How are you here?! How are you alive?! I shot you...I killed you!"
"Well obviously not. That did hurt though...did I do a good last word speech?"
"Shut up. This is too much to handle. Just—just how?!"
"I don't spill my secrets."
"Who am I supposed to stay away from?! And why?!"
"Okay. So these people are from different parts of the country, who have had a bounty on my head for three years now. Since I was in prison in Washington."
"Bounty?! What the hell?!"
"Yes, bounty. So...I kinda said I would help them escape prison too but then I didn't. They've hated me ever since. I accidentally blew up one of them. She's now half blind."
"Half—Zane!"
"Oh come on...it was badass."
I slap my forehead.
"Who are they?! Who are we talking about?!"
"Okay...Jaylen Lukas, Dylan Harlow, Roxie Rockers and Salem Schwartz—"
"Salem who?!"
"Uhhh...Salem Schwartz."
Memories rush back to me at full force and my mind starts to spin.
******
"It's okay, just tell me what happened. Start from the beginning. And take your time."
I hold my hands in front of me, which are caked in blood and shaking.
"I-I just wanted to-to feel something. I wanted to show him how I felt...b-but when he didn't return the feelings...I-I snapped."
"You stabbed him fourteen times in the back Daisy, what is your excuse? You're sixteen, at some point you're going to have to take responsibility."
I killed someone...I murdered someone.
But why?
"One more question, Daisy. Who was this man? You stabbed him so harshly you disfigured him. Can you tell me who he was?"
"Salem Schwartz. I killed Salem Schwartz."
******
I shake my head.
"No...you must have a mistake. He's dead."
"No? He isn't."
He grabs the collar of my shirt, pulling me closer to his ear.
"He works here."
My face pales even more.
What the hell is going on today?!
"Inmates! Lunchtime."
Someone pulls open the cell, and me and Zane/Ryder walk out.
I follow Zane to the lunch room, my head spinning.
I feel so dizzy.
I move my eyes around, catching on a group of girls who look like they would beat me the fuck up.
One has long blonde hair with pink strands in the front, with lime and forest green eyes.
The other has charcoal hair with platinum blonde strands at the front tied in a long braid, one of her eyes is completely white.
The last one has bright red and yellow hair that falls down her shoulders in tight curls, with bright hazel eyes.
We walk past them quickly, mostly cause Zane drags me past them.
"Woah. Why are you going so fast?!"
"Those are three of the people we need to stay away from."
I finally register what he's trying to say, nodding and switching my eyes to a different part of the high-security prison, catching eyes with a hot police man before snapping them away.
His eyes...so familiar.
His hair is dark, as are his eyes which penetrate mine.
I grip tighter on Zane's sleeve, dragging him towards the lunch area where everyone else is.
I collect a tray of literal slop from the lunch ladies, being reminded of the terrible lunch days from high school.
Embarrassing.
As I walk past everyone to Zane's table, I feel their eyes on me.
Why are they watching?!
"Hey! New girl!"
I snap my head around, catching eyes with the redhead.
"Umm...hi?"
"Come sit with us! I promise we don't bite."
They start laughing.
"Well...maybe Dyl does."
The blonde girl licks a lollipop seductively.
Where the hell did she get that?!
I turn my head to where Zane is sitting with some other dudes, than back to the three girls.
They know something.
The redhead moves her head, as does the blonde, and they narrow their eyes at someone.
When I follow their eyes I realize it's at Zane.
He flips them off.
The blonde girl rolls her eyes.
"Don't tell me you're going to sit over there with those fucking losers."
"Well..."
The girl with the charcoal hair starts laughing.
"She was!"
They all start laughing again before she clears her throat.
"Sorry. Just...I wouldn't. They're nothing but trouble."
I feel a hand on my arm, then someone pulling me backwards.
The blonde moves her eyes to the person behind me with a smirk, shaking her head.
As I'm dragged away, the person harshly whispers in my ear.
"What were you thinking, Daisy?!"
"I don't know!"
I say, flustered to say the least.
"Come on. I can't trust you. The people who I told you to stay away from, you go over to."
"They called me over!"
"You know what—never mind. I'm tired of you."
"Well sorry grumpy pants."
"It's not okay."
******
After a very awkward lunch, if that's what you call that mess, we were sent to the yard.
Great.
"Come on, inmates! Don't be lazy and get to the fucking yard!"
I roll my eyes, following the herd of inmates to the yard.
*******
Everyone separates and branches off into their own little groups, leaving me just awkwardly standing there.
Zane really ditched me...wow.
Bastard.
I look around, trying to find him when I feel a hand on my arm, dragging me backwards and behind a wall.
That ruggedly hot policeman pushes me against the wall with a gun to my chin, sunglasses hiding his identity.
The small dimple in his right cheek when he grins is so familiar...it's just like—
"Daisy, Daisy, Daisy, you better watch that mouth of yours, learn to keep it shut."
"Is that a threat, Mr. Policeman? Or is that an invitation?"
A small little leering look crosses his face, and I can feel his eyes on me the whole time.
His leg slides in between mine, diminishing any last distance left between us when he leans in closer.
"I'm sure you've missed me from the grave, no?"
My mouth drops open from his sensual tone when he whispers in my ear, lips brushing against it.
I was right.
This is—
"Salem?!"
He pulls away immediately, pulling his sunglasses away from his eyes before gazing down at the Harley Quinn looking girl with the two pink strands of hair, who looks like she just choked someone to death using a pink chain.
"Whatcha doin'?"
"Well, Dyl. I'm just talking to an old acquaintance."
The crazy blonde moves her eyes to mine with a wide smile that kinda scares me. Her hot pink lipstick is smudged across her face, pink eyeshadow underneath her eyes. She looks mental.
"Acquaintance, huh? Nice acquaintance with that little sensual cop-criminal thing, Salem. But I'm not one to judge."
"Yeah right, darling. Says the one who had s—never mind—with Xander Maserati."
"Shut up now."
She shoos him away, walking closer to me who's still pressed flat against the wall.
She doesn't stop coming closer, until she's right against me.
"Hmm...grape flavored? I love Concord grape juice."
"Concord grape—?"
She licks her lips, before sexually popping a bubble of gum.
Don't ask how it's possible...I don't know either.
She looks behind her at Salem, who I'm still too fucking shocked to say anything about, them back at me, with a little grin.
"You're all over him...but why not me? I'm hotter. And better in bed." she winks, pushing herself off the wall and spitting her gum at Salem who looks repulsed. Wannabe Harley Quinn slides her eyes over to Zane/Ryder who's harassing the other girls who seem both into it and not into it at the same time. "Ask your man, he'll conform it."
My mouth immediately drops, and when she walks away laughing, I grab the bitch by the hair, throwing her to the floor and straddling her with my knee between her legs, gripping tightly into the small amount of fabric of her mangled prison top.
"What the hell did you say, bitch?!"
"Oooh...What is this? I didn't take you to be the forward type..." she gives me a once over. "But you sure are showing me your fierce side..." she fake meows like a cat. "Like a cute little pussy-cat."
My eyebrows furrow.
Is she hitting on me?! What the fuck?!
Wannabe Harley Quinn rolls her eyes while biting her lip.
"I bet you could make me make that face. Show me what you got...you better be better than your dude. He made me scream! Ohh...and just to let you know...I fucked each one. All three brothers, and even shared a hot kiss with the sister. That was a while ago...and I don't do minors."
My mouth drops open.
"Yes...I'm admitting to being the biggest fucking whore, and I couldn't care less. But enough about me toots..."
She runs her free hand down my collarbone, edging towards my chest when I slap it, glaring at her and leaning really close.
"I don't know what you think you're doing, or who you think you are, Wannabe Harley Quinn, but you have to fucking shut your mouth before I shut it myself."
"With a passionate kiss?"
I slap her across the face, glaring down at her.
"You know how much I want to fucking choke you?! Chop your head off?!"
"You wouldn't do that without getting a taste first...bae. Come here."
"What?!"
With her free hand, the crazy blonde grabs my cheek, giving me a quick smooch that included a lot of tongue before laying back on the prison floor.
"Go on now. Choke me. That sounds very kinky..."
I sit there, frozen out of surprise.
I wipe my lips free of her hot pink lipstick, looking down at her.
"Who the fuck are you?!"
"Nice, Daisy. I'm glad you finally asked."
She cuts the weird act, pushing me off her and standing up, fixing her hair.
"Well, Miss Saunders, as many know, I go by the name of Dylan Storm Harlow, Dee or Dyl for short. And now, from you, Wannabe Harley Quinn."
"You're Dylan Harlow?!"
"Unfortunately. I'd rather drown in a fountain than be myself but that's too bad!"
She grins widely, before yawning.
"Sorry. I didn't get much sleep last night." She adds a wink with that one, before immediacy holding her hands up in surrender when I give her a death stare.
"I was kidding, girl. I didn't sleep with Zane. He's simply an acquaintance." She smirks. "Just like you and Salem."
"Why the hell is he back?! Why is he a cop?!"
"What do you mean?! He's always been here...I've known him for a while."
I grab her shoulder, whispering in her ear.
"I killed him. I went to juvie. I killed Salem Schwartz. How is he alive?"
Dylan looks troubled.
"You—it was you?!"
"What do you mean?!"
"You were the one that caused him faking his death?"
I give her a confused look which she brushes off.
"Don't mind me. Forget it. I'll tell you a different time."
She looks over at the group of boys and smirks.
"It's my time to shine. And lift your chin up, bae. Frowning doesn't look good on you. Do yourself a favor...figure out what the fuck is going on with Salem and Ryder/Zane, then get laid. You so need to get laid."
"What the fuck?!"
"Ahhh. We're going to be friends."
I make a concerned look.
"Don't look so disappointed!" She turns her head over her shoulder. "I'll make it with benefits. Extra beneficial."
As Dylan walks away, I'm just stunned.
I turn my attention back to Salem.
"How—why?!"
"Nice way for a better introduction, Daisy. It's good to see you...you seem to have been taking care of yourself well...changed the brown to purple as well."
"Yes...why are you back though?! You disappeared...no...you died, then you came back to life?!"
"I mean...I didn't necessarily come back to life, but if that's the way you want to put it then so be it."
I make a confused look.
"Ugh. Fine. I'll make is less complicated for you by not telling you my whole life story for the past four years. It's quite simple, really. I faked my death. Then I met Dylan, Jaylen, Roxie, and Zane."
"B-But why?"
"I had to. It hurt to be near you, Daisy. I didn't want to hurt you."
"I stabbed you fourteen times in the back. How the hell did you survive that?!"
He leans closer, whispering in my ear.
"That wasn't me."
"What?!"
My face pales to a stark white, and I look like a took a big ass slap to the face.
"Then...then who was that?!"
Salem shakes his head.
"Even if I knew I couldn't tell you."
As soon as he sees other officers in the distance who probably were getting suspicious, he gives me a quick wave.
"I have to go now...don't get into any trouble because I don't want to have to be the one who sticks you in solitary confinement for two weeks."
And with that he walks off, leaving me just as shocked as I was when I realized Zane was still alive.
What the hell is happening in my life right now?!
Is this all even real?!
I think I'm going insane...really.
******
After a crazy ass day of Dylan eying me from across the whole prison with her group of bitches, Zane telling me how he has this plan, and me still being freaking shocked about Salem, it's finally time for sleep.
You'll never know how excited I was to lay on that stiff mattress and freaking go to sleep.
I even hoped I wouldn't wake up.
But I did.
To a fucking explosion.
Not even a full day into this bullshit, and there's an explosion?!
From a bomb?!
I sit up immediately, searching around.
Was it just a dream?
I visibly flinch when I hear another explosion.
Not a dream. Definitely not a dream.
Zane lets out a stream of curses, slamming the thin pillow over his head.
"Shut the fuck up, will ya?! I'm not this sexy naturally! I need my sleep!"
I hear footsteps, silently creeping out of the bed and walking past Zane who's extremely annoyed, before stopping at the cell door, seeing a tall figure and a shorter figure, illuminated by the fire behind them.
I start to hear more footsteps, running footsteps, that come closer.
The two figures run and stop at a cell a few down from mine, unlocking it and dragging the people out, who then rush over to mine and undo it.
"Get out."
"What?!"
"Get out!" The person seethes, and I run over to Zane, smacking him over the head.
"Get up! We need to go!" I whisper yell, and he sits up, rubbing his eyes before running with me out of the cell, with the other group of people and out the blown up hole.
We sprint down the yard, and in the fresh moonlight I see a few of them jumping the fence and a few more helping each other up.
I hear the yelling of police officers, then gunshots.
"Hey! Get down from there!"
A girl who I now recognize as Dylan flips around, armed with a machine gun that she starts to blast, and I watch in horror and in awe as most of them start to drop dead.
But what I don't notice is the bullet heading straight towards me right before someone throws me down, knocking the wind out of me.
"Jesus Christ! Daisy, you need to watch out!"
"Salem?!"
"No need for this. Come on!"
I have to ignore my initial shock, accepting his hand and running with the others towards the large barbed fence, climbing up whilst trying to dodge the bullets that come at us from the furious officers.
I throw myself over, Landing on my feet with a thump.
I bolt after them, throwing myself into their black van.
We swerve off down the road, dozens of police cars following us, shooting bullets that we miss just by an inch.
And since I don't register what's even happening, when I see who's in the driver's seat I almost jump.
"Jordan?!"
Her eyes move to mine for a split second, before she moves them away with a small smirk.
"Hello, Daisy."
"Wha—why are you here?!"
I look at everyone, at Jaylen, Roxie, Dylan, Zane, even at Salem.
"I'm so confused. Zane—was this what you were planning all along?!"
"Maybe..."
He grins and I smack my head.
"We could've died!"
"But we didn't!"
Dylan presses a button which opens the roof, and everyone starts shouting.
"Dylan! What the hell are you doing?! Sit your blonde ass down right now before I—"
Jordan gets cut off when Dylan grabs her machine gun, standing up and sticking herself out of the car, aiming and firing shots at the police cars.
She ducks down, missing a shot from one of them before firing more.
Zane joins in, opening his car door while half hanging out, shooting shots at one of the cars and busting its tire, watching as the car flies off the road in a heap of flames.
He starts laughing hysterically, and I grab his arm, pulling him inside before he whacks his head on the fucking pole we just pass by.
"Jesus, Zane! Could've lost your head there!"
He's still laughing.
"But I didn't!"
Jordan swerves off the main road, driving us recklessly onto a less populated road and into the bad side of town.
Dylan finally sticks her head back inside, her hair a frizzy mess.
"Woo! That was fun!"
She wipes away blood dripping from somewhere on her arm, and I look down at it.
"Are you okay?!"
"I think so? I can't feel anything."
I lift up her sleeve, seeing a nasty cut on her arm.
"How the hell did that happen?!"
"Probably the barbed fence. I kinda flew over that thing without thinking about it."
Dylan looks at all of us.
"So how do you guys know each other?"
Roxie bursts out laughing.
"We go from a bloody battle to asking how we know each other? Smooth, Dyl, smooth."
Dylan blows her a kiss.
"What can I say?"
Salem looks irritated.
"What is it, big guy?"
Roxie nudges his arm, and he simply glares at her.
"You guys are so annoying."
"Wow. Thanks a lot."
Roxie smacks his head with the gun, and he rubs it afterwards.
"Ouch."
Jordan's head is resting on the steering wheel, and she's not speaking.
"Jordan? Are you okay?"
She lets out a small groan of pain in response, holding onto her leg.
My eyes move down to her legs, seeing the blood seeping between her fingers.
"What happened?! Jordan?!"
"Th-The barbed wire, i-it got stuck on my leg—"
I hold onto the top of her leg, bringing it up to look at it, visibly wincing when I see it.
"Jesus."
Her skin was teared harshly from some of her leg, and I resist the urge to barf at how disgusting it is.
"Holy shit!"
Roxie looks mortified, and Salem takes off his shirt, wrapping it around her leg to stop the bleeding before it got any worse.
"Thanks, Salem."
"It's never a problem."
Roxie and Dylan grin.
"So cute! Lovebirds!"
Jaylen rolls her eyes.
"Shut the fuck up."
Dylan lays on top of me, Roxie, and Zane who gives her a nasty look.
"Oh don't give me that look, lime head. Your lap is comfy."
"Is that supposed to be a compliment?"
"Sure! However you take it. Just so you know, I totally forgive you. I'm not one to hold grudges."
"Right. Says the one who was holding a whole ass bounty over my head." Zane remarks sardonically, rolling his eyes.
"Get over it, loser."
She lifts up her leg and kicks his head, giggling.
"Bitch."
He smacks her head, and she growls at him.
So...weird.
I clear my throat, and they all stop talking to look at me.
I roll my eyes.
"You guys are like elementary schoolers. Children. Get over yourselves. What the hell are we meant to do now?! Jordan's badly injured, Dylan and Roxie are out of their minds, Salem and Zane are confusing, and I'm just insane! If we try to go out there we'll get ourselves killed."
"Exactly why we have a plan, babe. Ever heard of one of those?"
I lock eyes with Zane, narrowing mine before grinning slightly.
"Enlighten me. Tell me all about your master plan. All of you. Because you mustn't be dumb enough to blow up a prison and drag us out to not even have a plan?"
"And you guys say I'm the moody one." Salem retorts sarcastically, fixing his hair in the small car mirror.
Jordan sighs heavily, her head still resting lazily against the steering wheel.
"Okay, Dais. So...we're all after one person in particular, he goes by the name of Silas Stone, you remember him?"
My lip curves down in a frown at the mentioning of his name.
"Of course I remember that jackass."
"Good. Because it has come to my attention that he's now attending Greenwood High..."
My eyebrows furrow out of pure confusion.
Me and Zane's old high school.
But why the hell would he be going there?!
"Why in the world is that bastard in high school? The dude's 26."
Dylan says, playing with a hot pink yo-yo that to all appearances came out of nowhere.
"He's there to taunt us, he wants us to go."
Jaylen raises an eyebrow.
"So we are?"
"Yes...but not to satisfy him. He wants something, and we have to figure it out."
She grins mischievously at us all.
"And I have just the way to do it."