(alexei, vance, matthias, are 18 now, jiara is 17)
"Wow… school is almost over. We're going to be full adults!" Vance comments. Jiara frowns. "Not me. I still have to wait for July," She remarks. "Don't worry, girl. We won't leave you behind," Matthias says. "I know, goof." Jiara laughs, touching Matthias's shoulder. I look away.
"Let's get ice cream later, alright?" I ask them. "I gotta go," Matthias gives me a knowing look. Him and Vance are the only people, besides my clients, who know that I kill in exchange for money. I got sucked farther and farther into the job and now it seems like that's gonna be my future. Vance nods and Jiara waves, smiling.
The sky is darkening as we lick our cold ice creams and talk together in an alleyway. Matthias looks up, saying he needs to go find a bathroom and will be back soon. We acknowledge him and watch as he walks away quickly. Ten minutes later, he's still not back. "Should we go look for him?" Jiara asks. "No, I think he's fine," Vance says. "It hasn't been even that long yet. If he doesn't come back in a few minutes we'll go look." Jiara nods.
It's been almost half an hour and we haven't seen Matthias. We're looking for him now. My eyes widen when I hear a loud bang, almost like a gunshot. It couldn't be. No. Not again.
Jiara, Vance, and I walk towards the sound and we are shocked. Jiara's eyes begin to tear up and she runs forwards, clearly seeing something that Vance and I don't. I look closer and realize that Matthias's body is lying on the ground, a bullet lodged in his chest. He appears to be dead. I walk forwards and see something written on the brick wall in front of us. It's a message written in blood. Tears begin to form in my eyes and I crouch down to Matthias on the ground. Why did he have to die? Matthias was a good guy, besides from what Vance, he, and I get up to in town. My eyes move to the message on the wall and I realize it's Matthias's last words to us. Spying a series of names, I grimace, my hands balling up into fists. Revenge is too easy this time.