"Guys?...." A fainted voice can be heard in the distance. "Where are you?..."
Blood runs down from the girl's nose and her scar from her head. The black teen breathes as she looks around, panicking, sitting on the floor.
"Justine?!" A familiar voice called. Tears rolled down from the girl's face.
"Please, Help me! I don't want to die!" Justine cried. A white old woman with white blonde hair, red button up shirt made of polyester silk, and a black vest runs up to her. Bleeding from her nose and her mouth.
"Justine..." The woman said, kneeling over Justine. "Don't worry, Michele isn't going to hurt us any more."
Justine becomes more paranoid, her heart beats faster as she sees Michele walking towards the woman. She breathes rapidly as she starts crying more.
"CAROLYN!" Justine yells. Carolyn aims the end of her scythe at Justine as tears start to roll down her eyes. Michele grabs her gun and aims it at Carolyn.
"Goodbye Justine. It's nice meeting you.."
"PLEASE NOOO!!"
As Carolyn proceeds to stab Justine with her scythe. Justine wakes up from her nightmare. She breathes as her sweat heats her up more than the rising sun beaming through her window. The television runs cartoons from PBS as she tries to wake up from the horrible nightmare.
"Carolyn?" She said, repeating the dream she had. "Why does that sound familiar?"
Justine checks her phone, going through her calendar. She looks at one planned event. The game tournament on Saturday.
"Oh shit!" Justine gets up, opens the door from her room, and runs to the bathroom. "ITS TOMORROW!"
"What's tomorrow?!" Justine's mom yelled from her room, while she's still sleeping.
"My game tournament!"
"Oh lord, not this tournament. You just had one TWO WEEKS AGO!"
"TWO Months ago."
"And why are you up so early? It's only 6AM!"
"I have to make sure the arcade is ready to go for tomorrow." Justine said, walking out the bathroom, walking into her moms room. A light skinned black woman shifts herself up onto her bed, taking her breathing mask off.
"No, you're going to help me with my store today."
"Oh lord..." Justine said, "what happened to your other worker?"
"I fired him. He was stealing my jewelry."
"He wasn't, I saw the tapes. He didn't steal them, he was putting them somewhere else, you just overlooked everything not to mention, you're kind of a bigot to assume that a hispanic teen steal your jewelry."
"I'm not!" the mother exclaims. "You're just too lazy to help me, you know I'm sick!"
"What part of 'I have an arcade business' don't you understand?"
"Well gone then... and have your dad pick you up from your 'arcade business'."
Justine sighs and walks off to her room, her mom stops her.
"Oh! The mayor called yesterday night. She wanted to let you know that she'll be waiting for your game tournament saturday."
"Weird but okay." Justine said, putting on her moon choker. She turns off the television, grabs her backpack, closes the door to her room, and heads to the kitchen to get a water bottle before heading out the door. As she walks out the front door, she starts to think about her mother's comment.
"The mayor called?" She thought to herself, "That can't be true.. She's probably saying that to manipulate me to think this is true. This sounds too good to be true unless my dream is the reason?"
Justine continues to walk from her neighborhood all the way to Martin Luther King Boulevard and Lake Mead. She looks all around her, seeing Downtown Las Vegas in the distance. Mario's store is still booming with customers going in and out of the store. The Jack in the box in the corner with a new restaurant being built right next to it. The McDonalds is still being packed with customers along with the Starbucks right next to it. As the traffic signal starts to change into the walk sign. Justine crosses the street getting to J street. The birds chirping in the distance, the quietness in the neighborhood calms the area as cars roll through the street. An black old lady walks towards Justine.
"Morning."
"Morning baby... Oh! Is this coupon still good for Phat Katz barbeque today?"
The lady grabs the coupon out of her purse, Justine looks over it.
"It's good for today only. I would recommend going anyway because you get a senior discount."
"Oh good, I'm glad that the wise man makes things so simple for us folks in the westside."
"Well my dad wants to give back and help the community he grew up in." She chuckles. The lady laughs and walks away. Justine walks away as well. She gets to Owens, she grabs her keys to the arcade. As she gets to the arcade on Jackson street, unlocking the door, a trash can starts to shake. Justine jumps in fear.
"What the fuck was that??"
Justine gets close to the trash can, grabbing her key knife, she opens the lid. A kid,the same age as Justine, pops out the can. Justine jumps again.
"Oh shit. Leo!"
"Hey"
"You're here so early, how did you get here so quickly?"
"Oh I teleported to a different trash can in Vegas. I got a system route." Leo grabs his phone and shows Justine his teleportation route map.
"If the Republic found out about your teleportation route in their trash cans, you're screwed." Justine chuckles jokingly while walking in the Arcade. Leo jumps out of the trash cans.
"I won't! It's a secret system!" Leo said, walking into the arcade.
"Sure but still!"
"I have ways!"
"Ways? What kind of ways??"
"Of not getting caught.... I just need to figure it out though."
Justine laughs. "Alrighty, tell me about it later."
She walks away to her office upstairs. Before walking in the office, she looks over the arcade from the balcony. She opens the door to her office and drops her backpack in the corner. She grabs medicine for her magical Bison, Dixie. Justine walks down the stairs, she hears noises from two girls as they walk in the Arcade.
"Now, how can you be a witch and be a demon at the same time?!" The short girl with a white dragon tail with glasses said. "That doesn't make any sense!"
"If you were born here you should know that it boils down from family generations, Raya."
"Vivian, I don't read the Grimoire, I don't pay attention to certain things that much." Raya said.
Vivian sighs. The girls look at Justine.
"Justine. Watcha doin with all that ass and that medicine?"
Justine laughs. "The medicine is for Dixie. She's sick."
"Not the baby." Vivian said. Justine, Vivian, and Raya walk out to the backyard. Dixie is bathing herself in the dirt, she stops and looks up at Justine. She jumps up and shakes the excess dust off of her.
"Dixie!"
Dixie chirps in happiness, stomping her feet on the dirt. Justine pets her main.
"Are you feeling better?"
Dixie nods her head. Justine chuckles.
"That's good," she said, "Time for your medicine."
Justine grabs an empty syringe, sucking in the medicine. Dixie sits down as Justine shoots the medicine in her mouth.
"There you go. Now get some rest." Justine said, petting Dixie. Dixie lays down on the dirt, closing her eyes.
"Aww.." Vivian said. A girl with long espresso colored hair walks through the back gate. Justine walks up to the girl, hugging her.
"Hey Cerena!"
"Hello!"
"I thought you had family over today?"
"They left yesterday night," Cerena said. "I forgot to tell you."
"Oh!" Justine laughs "You're good. I'm glad that you all came, we have to make sure everything is working and cleaned for tomorrow's tournament."
"I kind of forgot about that." Raya said.
"I forgot about it too until I woke up from a nightmare this morning."
"What nightmare?!"
"A nightmare that is somewhat traumatizing."
"Spill the tea bestie."
"I will but not in front of Dixie."
The group leaves the backyard, heading back inside the arcade. They all went upstairs to the balcony over the arcade.
"Spill the tea!" Raya continued.
"Well...Last night. I had a dream that you guys were killed by Michele while I tried to find you guys while I was bleeding from a cut on my forehead and my nose."
The group's eyes widened. Justine contines.
"And then Carolyn was in it, but she was already dying trying to save us all from her and then she said 'It was nice to meet you while it lasted.'"
"Damn," Raya said, "screw Michele."
"But, would she really save us because of Michele and the mafia?" Vivian asks.
"Who knows, I think that Carolyn probably can't save us anyways because of her but I'll look at it in a positive light."
"Yes." Raya said.
"Plus isn't she still in prison?" Cerena asks.
"Yeah, but hopefully she doesn't get out this year." Justine breathes. "Okay, so everyone continue what you've been doing since yesterday afternoon."
"Okay!"
The group splits up, walking down the stairs. Meanwhile, across the street from the arcade. Two archangels sitting on top of the roof of the baptist church. A woman with light brown hair wearing an all black grunge punk outfit pushes up her glasses, playing a random tune on her bass guitar. A man with black swaying hair, laying on the woman's shoulder. Looking at the sky.
"Is that the arcade that Michele said to perform for, Madz?"
"That's what she said, Enzo," Maddie said, "but I don't think it's right to barge in without asking, you know?"
"I know right?" Enzo said. "I say we should ask the owner."
"You aren't going to ask the owner NOTHING!" Michele appears behind them. Maddie and Enzo turn around quickly and stand up.
"Michele! What a nice surprise to see you!" Maddie said nervously.
"Shut your mouth, Maddie"
Maddie stays silent.
"Hey that's rude..."
Michele glares at him. He stays silent.
"Now, I need you to go in there and set up your instruments in the arcade and go. That's it. What is taking you guys so long?!"
"Well, it's not fair for the owner to not know why we're setting our stuff in their facility."
"I don't care. Just go."
"Yes ma'am." Maddie and Enzo said. They jump off the church roof, flying towards the Arcade. Enzo looks up at the sign.
"Dixie Arcade, Southerners run this place?"
"I hope not." Maddie said.
They both walk in the arcade, They both look around the arcade. The retro 80s and 2000s look made their eyes widen. Leo walks over to the counter setting up the merchandise for the arcade.
He turns around, "Hello."
The angels look at the teenage boy. "Hello."
"You guys here to sign up for the tournament?"
"No, we're here for entertainment. Do you guys have a stage?"
"Not really but I can take your instruments and set it up for you guys."
"Uh... Okay. BUT PLEASE be careful with my guitar. It's special to me."
"I got you."
Maddie and Enzo give their instruments to Leo. He sets them in the corner next to him.
"I'll set it up for you guys later on today."
"Thank you!"
Maddie walks out of the arcade.
"Want to play Street fighter before we leave, Madz?"
"Michele is waiting for us... If we get caught playing video games, do you know what she's going to do to us?"
"Aww..."
Enzo walks out with Maddie. Justine looks at them while they leave. She walks up to Leo.
"Who was that?"
"Oh some archangels. They look familiar though."
"Are they from Michele's mafia?"
Leo shrugs. Justine stands there, paranoid.
"Do you know what happens if Michele's Mafia comes anywhere near this neighborhood?!"
"No bu-"
"Dude..." She interrupts. "SHE CAN POTENTIALLY DESTROY AND KILL US ALL!"
"Oh."
"Do you know how much damage you caused?!"
"They seemed like nice people. Calm down."
"Fine... I'll calm down." Justine said, storming off outside. Cerena looks at Justine storming off. She follows her. She sees Justine petting Dixie.
"Justine?"
"I'm fine."
"Are you okay?"
Justine sighs. "No... I'm not.. Cere."
"Want to talk about it?" Cerena asks.
"Yeah. Let's get out of here so I can calm down."
"Okay."
Justine and Cerena get on the back of Dixie. Dixie stands up and walks out of the yard heading downtown. As the girls get to Washington, Justine breathes.
"Leo let in two Archangels in the arcade..."
"Were they in Michele's mafia?"
"Yeah."
"Oh..."
"He doesn't get it," Justine said. "I told everyone. Do not let anyone from Michele's mafia in the arcade. BUT NO... Nobody listens to me..."
"Probably they didn't know..."
"Oh they know who they are, even when they change hitmen. I always get a picture of them."
"How did you get a picture of them and how did you not get caught?"
Justine goes silent... "Michele has known me since I was 5 years old... because of my mom. Remember Josephine's Jewelry?"
"Yeah..."
"Michele helped her get it. Her and my mom are best friends till this day... I still get harassed and bullied by Michele every. Single. Time..."
Cerena hugs Justine.
"She would bring me down and my mom would join her. She beat me. Remember two weeks ago when I messaged you late at night after I went to the hospital?"
"WAIT SHE DID THAT TO YOU?!"
"The reason why I have mixed colored eyes now is because 'Michele and my mom stabbed me in my eye, let alone beat me before that because I became depressed about my minor B in algebra'?" Justine said, "Yeah that was all them."
"Oh my god..." Cerena said. "Did you tell my dad at least?"
"He would've killed her! I'll tell him soon but now, I'll leave it alone for now."
"Your mom is a dumbass... She needs to go to prison."
"She won't even survive prison."
"GOOD."
Justine and Cerena laugh.
"Thanks, Cere."
"You're welcome." Cerena said, smiling. Justine smiles.
"Want to go get Vivian and Raya for breakfast, downtown?"
"Sure."
"Alrighty." Justine said, "Come on Dixie. Let's go get the group for breakfast."
Dixie chirps and runs back to the Arcade.