*Beep Beep* *Beep Beep *Be—*

I press a button on my phone to get the annoying ringing to stop. The ringing signaling that it was time for me to wake up for another beautiful day of early morning school. Yes, every seventeen year old loves waking up at seven in the morning to go to school in some cold ass weather.

I groan in annoyance as I flip into my back and tiredly stare up at the ceiling as thoughts of going out into the cold just to go to school instead of staying in bed in the already warm bedsheets. Then thoughts of the school field trip that's happening today crossed my mind. Couldn't miss it cause it included extra credit and I needed it to get my B+ back up to an A. Need straight A's if I want to get to the university of my choice.

I begrudgingly roll out of bed, get a pair of blue jeans, my black boots, a black plain t-shirt and black leather warm jacket, and a black hat with a blacked out American flag in the middle. I lazily move to the bathroom and start freshing up.

I stare of myself in the mirror and give myself a once over. Starting from my dyed red hair that has some streaks of dark brown coming through. I let out a tired sigh as I starch the scruff of red and brown beard.

"Why did my parents have to be from different ethnic backgrounds?" I questioned to no one but myself. I shake my head in annoyance. "Fuck it, I'm not dying it anymore. Tired of matching the color with my beard. And fuck the questions and comments I'll get. I don't give a shit." I spouted in anger.

I then look over my body noticing the bandages and bruises on my lower stomach, chest, and upper arms. I tenderly touch the huge purple bruise on my lower stomach and double over in pain, hissing out in discomfort.

"Puta madre! (Mother fucker!) Jesus Christ, that stings like a bitch." I groan out in pain as I right myself back up. "How did I forget I had these?"

I ignore the pain start to put my clothes on, though being careful not to irritate the bruise on my stomach. I comb my hair back and put on my hat. I look myself in the mirror once more and nod my head in approval. I step back into my room and walk over to my bed and push a button behind the headboard. A few clicks go off a secret compartment slides out from behind the headboard to reveal an assortment of heavily modified handguns.

I look at the time and see it's seven twenty five and quickly pick out a all blacked out 1911 chambered in 45ACP, a flared magwell, a holographic site on it, and some pretty nice internals to keep the gun from getting damaged from the elements. I grab three 24 round magazines, bring back the slide, slide in one of the magazines into the 1911, and chamber a round in. The other two mags are slid into a pocket of my jacket on the side to the right. Then the handgun the slotted into a concealed holder on my right. I'd put in front of my guy but that's out of the question due to the bruise.

I quickly press the button behind the headboard and see it start to slide back into place. I grab my backpack and other school essentials and dash out my room. I grab my car keys and head to front door, but before I head out, I look at a framed picture of my mom and dad holding a wide smiling eight year old me. My father, a Mexican American dressed is his civilian military fatigues. Though, weirdly he looks more American than Mexican. My father being slightly tan but red combover hair, and a lightly trimmed beard. Blue colored eyes and chiseled looks.

Then, theirs my mother. An American pale smooth skin, brown wavy hair, brown eyes, woman who's looks that can rival a super model.

Crazy to think my dad scored with my mom. Don't know how he did it, but succeeded in taking my mom as his. Don't get me wrong, my pops is not a bad looker, but he also ain't got super model looks like my mom.

A small smile spreads across my gloomy face as I tenderly touch the frame, almost afraid I might break it. "Alright guys, I'm headed out." I said gently. "Also, don't worry, I'm not doing anything crazy this time. But no promises if shit hits the fan" I chuckled to myself. I small tear rolls down my cheek as I stare longingly at the photo. "I miss you two."

I hear my phone alarm go off again, so I quickly wipe my face and get ready to head out. "I won't rest until I take out every son-of-bitch that took you two away from me." And with that said I walked out the house.

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"Hey Cruz, get your white hispanic ass over here before the seat gets taken." A very energetic tanned latina female waves towards me.

I halfheartedly wave back as I maneuver my through the noisy bus as I plot down right next to the black curly haired girl. I look at wide smiling girl with tired look and scoff in annoyance.

"Maria, I don't know how you can always have so much enegry every morning. Especially it being cold as fuck right now. Also, in this gloomy ass city of LA." Maria just smiles and opens her mouth to respond, but I quickly cut her off with a hand held up.

"You know, don't even answer that." She glares at me and punches me on my arm as I slightly wince in pain as she hit a sore spot.

"Dammit Cruz, you don't gotta be a dick every morning! This is why your sorry ass can never make friends." She angrily retorted back at me. It got me to chuckle instead of offeneding me.

"I like being a dick. Plus, the smaller the friend group, the better. I'm all good just being friends with you and your boy toy Chad." I look around to see where the guy is, but can't find him.

"Speaking of Chad, where is his pasty ass?" I asked.

Maria giggles. "He's not my boy toy, he's my pookie!" She proudly states.

"No mames. (No way)" I chuckled at the new pet name she made up for him. "It's like everyday you have a new name for him."

"Keeps the relationship going." She shrugs and then points to the bus across from us. "But to answer your question he's over there on the other bus. Ms. Bloom was extra bitchy today and separated us." She crossed her arms in a huff. "Saw me and pookie cuddling with each other and got all jelly."

I couldn't help but chuckle a little. "Dude, this isn't 2012. People don't use the word jelly anymore, Maria."

"Yeah, and?" She glares towards me. "If I wanna use it, so what! They can fight me if they have a problem with it."

"Damn straight. And don't let anyone tell you otherwise" I said with a nod.

We fist bumped and settled into our seats as the teacher told us to settle into our seats. I look out window of the bus and rest the sides of my face on my hand.

"Hold on a minute, do you have room for three more. Our bus is full." A teacher from another school pokes their head in. I glance over curiously and find two teachers going back and forth with one another and find the noisy bus to be getting on my nerves. I glance towards Maria and find her FaceTime call with Chad, so I pull out my earbuds and put both of them in. I turn noise cancellation on and drown out the noise with some Smashing Pumpkins.

I feel the bus lurch foward, signaling that we are hitting the road. Feeling the heat from the sun through the window sent calming chills through my body as drowsiness started to hit me.

——————————————————

I wake with a jolt at the feeling of someone tugging at my jacket as I instinctively reach into my jacket, but quickly relax as I see Maria grinning at me widely. I let out a sigh and let myself relax. "What?" I said with with annoyance as I take a earbud out.

"Wipe your face, you got spit running down your chin." Her grin quickly disappears at the attitude I gave her, but quickly comes back as a few giggles a heard from across our seats. I ignore it and wipe the drool from chin.

"Samuel" she leans in with a whisper. "Those three cuties over ther— "

"Samuel?!" A questioning, almost suprised girl repeats my name."

I look over the girl who said my name and raise a brow. "That's my name. Do I know you?" As that question left my mouth, Maria slapped a hand onto my bruised stomach. I winced in pain as glared her way. Her glare matching my own.

"Don't be rude!" She hissed out quietly between her teeth. Maria then smiled and tuned her way toward the three girls. "Sorry about him, never likes being woken from his naps."

One of the girls giggle cutely. This one having Asian looks, almost Japanese from the way she looks. She has black curled hair with some pink highlights. "Yeah we know, crazy to see that he's still like that. He sure hasn't changed one bit. Though, personality wise the same, but physically… not too bad looking" the girl shot a wink towards me. Her pink eyes staring intently at me. I'm assuming those are contacts and not her real color.

"Naomi, you're gonna scare him like you did the first time we met. Haven't you learned that by now." One blonde haired girl that sat to the right of her shook her head. Her baby blue eyes lock onto mine as she smiles gently. "Sorry Canelo (Cinnamon), you know how she can be."

I perked up at the name she called me as I narrowed my eyes at the girl who called me by my nickname that very few know about. "How do you know that name?" I looked at the three as they looked at one another and then back at me.

"Sam," a soft voice called out to me through all the noise in the bus. I look at the who has stark long stark white hair, hazel colored eyes, and tanned skin looks at me with a sad look on her face "Sam it's us. Don't you remember us." She looked at me with almost desperate look. "Don't you remember me, the one you promised to protect forever?"

With those words I stood up straight as memories started to flood my mind as I look at the three girls who looked back at me. "No fucking way."

The three girls giggled out in a cute manner that made my heart race and my face to flush a little. Naomi, then pointing out the obvious on my face. "Wow, look at that girls. It looks like he's happy to see us. Don't you think so, Rebecca?"

The blue eyed girl nods in agreement as bright smile spreads across her face as her cheeks flush a little. "Sure makes me happy that he's happy to see us." She giggled and hid her face behind the white haired girl who happenes to be looking at me with a happy teary eyed look.

"Sam, it's nice to be seeing yo—"

Before she can finish, a chorus of screams ring out around us. This in turn got me to look up out a window and see a semi barreling towards the side where the three girls sat. Time seemed to to slow down as I felt myself instinctively move towards them. I wrap my arms around them and felt the three cling to me lightly as the last thing to hear was screams of classmates and the horn of a semi truck.