Pitch Black Heaven

"What the hell just happened!" Mum wailed as she pulled herself to her feet, he whole body was shaking with fear.

"Don't worry about that mum, you need to calm down." I helped to stay on her feet and pulled up a near by deck chair for her to sit on. We had managed to craw to the back fence and over it and into the neighbors backyard, hidden in their bushes.

Mum sniffled. "My poor boy... my poor little boy..." She began. "... being shot at!" She moaned in disbelief. "My poor, defenseless little boy..." She whispered wiping her tears - taking her makeup with it.

"Well your 'poor defenseless little boy' wasn't actually defenseless... he did have a gun." I pointed out, biting my lip.

Mum pursed her lips. "My poor. defenseless. boy." She repeated, emphasizing 'defenseless'. I sighed giving up and let dad tend to her. I walked off staring over the fence. Where had I seen those bright, hazel eyes before? I squinted trying to remember. It annoyed me because it seemed to painstakingly obvious. More importantly, I had been right. Liam had been up to something in L.A. If he had even been in L.A. For a gunmen to come after him, he must of done something bad. And I was determined to get to the bottom of this.

"Rhiannon, where are you going." Mum chirped as I swung one leg over the fence. "Rhiannon." She mumbled again, this time louder.

"Rhiannon get back here, its too dangerous." Dad warned in his deep voice. I ignored them and slipped over the fence. The explosions of gunshots had ended and I had made the choice to go check it out. I creeped around the side of the house in the pitch black, I made sure not to step on a twig or some dried out leaves. The front gate creaked quietly with its old age as I pushed it open and slipped into the front yard.

"You can do this..." I whispered in encouragement. My eyes drifted across the front lawn to a black figure laying lifeless on deep green grass. I couldn't tell weather it was Liam or the masked gunmen, I let out a tiny yelp and stepped forward. More men were converged around the body, their guns we're gone so when I appeared they all ran off in all directions.

"Just go check the body." I instructed myself, I squeezed my eyes shut and breathed deeply in and out before I made my feet take me forward. The body didn't move, but his chest seemed to be moving up and down so I assumed he was breathing. I knelt at the feet of the body, I immediately realized the boy was masked so it had to be the first gunman I had seen. I peeked around the garden, no sign of Liam.

"One peek wouldn't hurt." I mumbled quietly. I leaned over the boy and with careful fingers began to remove the mask. My lip was trembling and my eye stung the mask very slowly begun to lift from his face.

"What are you doing." The boy growled tightly lipped. I froze my fingers shaking. The boy sat up and pressed the mask back onto his face though it had only come off slightly. I scrutinized the other half of his face and most of all his two piercing, hazel eyes. They were so eye catching I couldn't look away.

"What?" He grunted rising to his feet. "... oh and if you see you brother again, tell him he wont be so lucky next time." He requested before running down the black street stuffing his gun under his belt.

***

- LAKE SAIN CLAIR HIGH -

"So your saying you got shot at?!" Tiarne queried again.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, now there are all these cops at our place holding this investigation and crap." I moaned flatly.

"Who called the police?"

"The stupid neighbors... they heard the shots so they called them I guess." We both slipped into our cars and rolled down the windows.

"So I guess you were right about Liam and all." She mumbled gussying up in her car mirror.

"Yeah I guess I was..." I couldn't help but wonder where Liam was now, and what had gone down between him and the masked gunmen.

"Are you sure your okay Rhi?" She asked, I paused to answer but she went on. "You look pretty shaken up." Tiarne added. I looked at my hands, they were still trembling. I looked up at her and her expression didn't help either. She looked at me like I was some sort of freak, like my family was a bunch of crazy psycho paths.

"I'm fine, no joke. Please don't act like my mum, shes being pushy enough for the both of us." Tiarne laughed lightly. But I wasn't joking, Mum had been treating me differently after the shoot out. She acted as if I had, had something to do with it. Like I had know Liam was up to something. Yes I had known, but my accusations had only been proven last night when he pulled a freaking gun out of his back pocket! And in the first place, mum would have never believed me if I said that Liam was up to no good when I didn't have an ounce of proof. "C'mon, or we'll be late." I turned the key in the ignition and my car thrummed to life, Tiarne sighed and soon her engine roared along with mine.

***

- CUPID'S CAFE -

I tied my apron around my waist and picked up the little note pad off the counter. I breathed deeply in the smells of the cafe, of the freshly baked muffins and the fragrance of the coffee. I had know these smells all my life, I had come to the Cupids Cafe - which my Aunty owned - every Monday afternoon since I was three years old. Now I worked here under the loving eyes of my aging Aunt Anita.

"Hello, what can I get you Sir?" I asked a boy sitting alone at a table by the window.

"Oh... uh..." He looked startled by my appearance. "Just a hot chocolate, two marshmallows and a caramel slice." He mumbled so quietly I barely heard him.

"Sorry I didn't quite catch that last bit, a hot chocolate and what?" I asked again, this time he looked up. I staggered back, it was those hazel eyes!

"And a caramel slice." He repeated, seeming amused at my shock. "Is there something wrong?" He wondered quirking a brow, I swallowed realizing I must have him mistaken for someone else. On closer inspection I noticed he had two snake bite piercing, two little silver studs were nestled under his bottom lip.

"Sorry about that." I cleared my throat and steadied myself.

"Oh." He said. "Its you." I frowned, maybe it was the gunman. "You know, the girl who tripped over." He noted trying to jog my memory. Then I remembered were I had seen him before.

"Hey, I didn't trip. You knocked me over!" I protested, raising my voice. He chuckled.

"Sure, sure... whatever you say." He smirked, making his angelic face look so much more devilish.

I glowered at him before writing his order on my little black notepad. He still looked amused. "I'll have your order for you soon." I spat turning away. He chuckled louder, my hands balled into fists at the sound.

"Order for Mr Jerk over there." I muttered flatly, slapping the order on the bench my thumb jerking in the direction of who I would now call 'Mr Jerk'. I laughed menacingly at the new nickname and I took a caramel slice from the rack and placed it sloppily on a black plastic plate.

"So thats Mr Jerk hey?" Tiarne asked as she juggled a pile of mugs in her arms. I just nodded. "A little too hot for a jerk." She laughed at her joke.

I laughed sullen and put the hot chocolate and caramel slice onto a tray and carried it to his table. "Here you go." I announced handing him his order.

"Are you sure there isn't any poison in this?" He questioned pointing to his hot chocolate.

"No... just pure hate." I hissed, scowling. He laughed.

"Why such a sudden hate to me?" He wondered sipping his drink.

"Where we're you last night at seven pm?" I blurted out, eying him suspiciously. I almost straight away realized how idiotic I was being.

"Uh... I was..." He stuttered, my brow furrowed. Then something hit me, hit me hard like a hammer to the face. Those eyes, that face, that skin, that body. All the same as the gunman who had attacked Liam yesterday. "... None of your business!" He suddenly retorted. We both stared at each other with narrow eyes. It was him, it had to be. His hazel eyes were shifty, they drifted away from mine. He knew they had to much to give away.

"Who are you?" I whispered eyes brows still pulled tightly together.

"Thanks for the drink... it was great. I have to go now." He grumbled dryly, with that he stood and strode briskly to the cafe door.

"Liam Balker." I shouted across the room, he froze like ice. I smirked.

"I don't know any 'Liam Balker." He muttered and walked out. I watched him - through the huge glass window - get into his slick, black Camero and speed away.

"Stupid Jerk." I growled under my breath.

Pitch Black Heaven - © MemoriesdonoJustice / Rose Tonis 2009