New to New York

“It burns!” Jimmy yelped covering his eyes. “My eyes!” then he clutched at his chest. “Oh, thy heart shatters, thy dreams dim…thy love has been taken,” he crumpled to the floor in a theatrical faint of despair.

Jason threw a purple pillow at the still figure. “C’mon Jimmy boy, you knew this would happen. Who could resist all this raw sex appeal?” he gestured to himself and winked at the girl beside him, who beamed. “I mean, really? You could hardly contain yourself in the beginning.”

Jimmy opened on eye, “Ha! Yeah, okay.”

“Hey there Jim Bob,” Jake said coming in from the kitchen, Addi right behind him. They never seemed far apart, thought Will. It was a little weird seeing her so dependent. “Came to see what all the hub bub was about?” Jake asked.

“Why yes, Winston. What is all this hub bub you speak of?” he was rubbing his chin like in deep thought and it took all her might for Willow not to burst out laughing.
Jake answered in a fake British accent, “Why, is seems that our dear ladies here are in desperate need of dishes again. And a television, as you can clearly see. That, my dear Holmes, is the hub bub.”

“Ah, yes. I knew that wasn’t just my imagination.” Pushing his blue hair out of his eyes, he paced the room rubbing his chin again. “You know, what I think?” he said addressing the room.

“Dude, no one ever knows what you think,” Jason chimed in. “Sometimes we wonder though.”

“All part of the image baby. Anyway, what I was thinking was that we hadn’t been to a club in,” he held up his left hand and counted each finger. “In five days.”

“Wait, didn’t we just go out last night?” Will asked innocently. She hadn’t been out for two nights in a row since she was eighteen and Addi had bought tickets for an All Time Low concert, then the after party following which lasted an entire day. “When do you guys ever sleep?”

“Ah, young grasshopper, you have lot to learn. You must master ways of New Yorkers on weekends. Full forty-two hour no sleep. All work and no play make for very bad day,” he finished with a smile and a bow at the waist. “Plus we went out to a bar last night, not a club. Totally different dancing and lot more fun than a stuffy bar.”

Addi nodded from the corner. “How long do we have to get ready? Will, I wanna do your make-up. I am the B-E-S-T at club make-up. You’ll be looking so hot, all the guys will stare. You’ll have to hire Jake here as a personal body guard.”

“Now wait one second here!” Jason said jumping off the couch. “Are-are you saying that she’ll look better than me?! I don’t know if I’m okay with that. You know I always want to look the best.”

Addi rolled her eyes and started pushing Will towards the bedrooms. “Well, you might have some competition here, Jay. Will is naturally beautiful.”

Was it her imagination or did Will hear Jason mutter, “That’s for sure.”

&&&&&

“Here, wear this,” Addi said throwing a silver-y top at Will over her shoulder. Her voice was muffled by all the clothes that were stuffed haphazardly in her closest, which she was now half buried in. “If I can just find those damn pants….Ah ha!” she stood back with a pair of dark, almost black skinny jeans and shiny metallic open toed sling back heels. “Can you dance in these? They’re a little tall but I trust your balance.”

“Of course I can wear them. Don’t you remember who you’re talking to?” she said inspecting the shoes and her make-up. “By the way, I really like the way you did my eyes.”
Addi came up behind Will in the mirror and winked. “Club nights are my favorite. How do I look?” she spun in a circle, her green dress catching the night and looking spectacular with slouchy black heels.

“Like a hottie pa-tottie with a naughty body,” Will answered bumping her friends hip with her own. “We ready?”

“I think we am,” Addi said grabbing a black clutch and throwing a purple one at Will. When they walked into the living room, the three guys were huddled around the breakfast bar talking between mouthfuls of chips and dip.

“Are you gonna replace those chip casualties?” Addi asked getting their attention. All three of their jaws dropped in a row, bean dip dribbled down Jimmy’s chin. “Told you all the guys would stare,” she whispered to Will grinning. “Jim, that better not get on the carpet. It stains.”

He wiped his chin on the back of his hand and nodded silently before he seemed to gather himself. “Now men, snap out of it,” he elbowed Jason who elbowed Jake who kept staring at Addi till he was elbowed again. They looked like they were practicing for a three stooges cover and the girls burst out laughing.

“Now, if ya’ll are done,” Addi said between giggles, “We really don’t want to waste all this effort. Right Will?”

“I’d have to agree with you Addi.” She answered. Jason caught her eye and held it for so long that she had to look down before she started blushing. “Let’s go,” she said to no one in particular.

“Right behind you; I just have to grab my – Jake, throw me my keys, would ya?” she opened her small clutch and the keys went sailing right in. “Thank you! Off we go.”

&&&&&

The walk to the Hudson River where the club was located just off the bank was a chilly one. They’d only walked a few blocks till the girls started shivering in their not-so-clothed clothes, and almost immediately Jake and Jason had offered their jackets to them, both of which left the girls looking like five year olds wearing their father’s coats. “Ya know, I’ve never really met anyone like you,” Jason said in Will’s ear. They’d fallen behind the other three and it left a feeling of excitement in her stomach.

“That’s a really cheesy pick up line, but I’ll take it. Thanks. You’re pretty original yourself.” She playfully pushed him with her shoulder. Even though she didn’t really know the guy, being with him didn’t put her on edge in the slightest.

“Yeah, um, that didn’t come out like I wanted it too. But that’s exactly my point, I’ve never been so tongue tied before with a girl. You’re the first, and it’s hard to get used to. I mean you’re gorgeous like the others, but you seem really genuine like Addi up there.”

Will thought about that for a second then got a cold feeling in her gut. She’d had boyfriends before, it wasn’t like she was a nun, but probably not as many as he had had. What worried her most was that she wouldn’t live. “Quick question, Jason; how many girls were you not tongue tied with before?”

“Oh, well, I mean – not like a hundred and fifty if that – there weren’t a whole lot.” He cleared his throat and rubbed his hand across the back of his neck like he was embarrassed or nervous. “And how many guys are gonna kill me for taking the one that got away?”

Will didn’t know if it was what he actually said, or if it was the way he said it, but she started to laugh so hard she nearly cried. “Uh, believe me when I say no one is going to kill you over that. There weren’t a hell of a lot before. They were pretty much the same back home, you dated one you’ve dated them all,” it felt good though to think that he thought she was the kind of girl guys drooled over. “I’ve never really felt as comfortable as I do with you with a guy before. Even though that sounds like I stole it from a romantic comedy.”

“You know what, Low?” he said popping a cigarette in between his lips and lighting it. “I’m a little relieved to hear that. I’ve never been known to have a death wish.”

"That’s good to know, it’d be bad to get attached like Addi did just to have you die,” but the words hadn’t even been out there long enough for Jason to take another drag, for Will to wish they’d just all go right back into her mouth. The people here didn’t know about Danny for a reason, and Addi should be the one to tell them. “You didn’t hear that because I didn’t just say that.”

His eyebrows pulled together like he thinking really hard, and ice filled Will’s gut. “You can NOT repeat anything. Jason, promise me you – ”

“Is that – did that happen before?” his cigarette burned down to meet the skin between his two fingers. “Shit!” he exclaimed waving his hand around. “What I mean is, is that why she keeps Jake at a distance?”

“Yeah, she moved to our town a month or two after him and I guess they met because they started dating. They were pretty much connected at the hip twenty-four seven. Then news spread that he was being shipped out to Iraq, few weeks after that there was the funeral. There weren’t a lot of people there I don’t think, I didn’t go. I don’t think Addi did either. She graduated early because she stopped going out and we all thought she just went to college. Guess we were wrong.” She looked up at the sky then at Jason. How could she get him to understand how hard it was seeing her friend go through that and not being able help? “Now she only goes back for his birthday, the day he died, and their anniversary. Can’t blame her though. That town doesn’t really have much to offer.”

Jason was quiet through her whole speech, and looked totally in awe. “You can’t tell her I said anything. There’s probably a reason why you guys don’t know,” Will concluded.

“Just tell me one thing more,” he said as he stopped walking and stood in front of her. “His name, is it Danny?”

“Um, yeah. How did you know?” Did Addi talk about him after all? Somehow she doubted it.

“She slurs it sometimes when she’s wasted, or when she’s sleeping….” His voice faded when they close to the entrance where Jake and Jimmy were waiting by the wall. “What’s the problem?” he asked. “Where’d Addi go?”

“She saw someone exit the club, then ran ahead to argue with the bouncer. She just told us to wait here, so we did.” Jimmy shrugged his shoulders. “She better get back quick” – he closed his eyes and started dancing like a salsa dancer, lifting his hands in the air and moving his hips in a wide circle – “because I feel the beat starting to take over and it could get messy.”

Jake and Will both tried to calm the beat in Jimmy down, but Jason was looking ahead towards where Addi had disappeared. “While you do that, I going to help Addi do whatever she needs help with.” He ran off before Jake could offer to go with him or stop him.

“I really hate when he does that. It’s like they share a little freaking secret.” Jake was staring where his friend had just run to, angry clouds in his eyes.

“I’m sure it’s nothing special. Jason is just more scary than you bucko, he can scare off trouble,” Jimmy said trying to cheer him up in his weird way. “If she needed someone to sweep her off her feet and surf into the sunset, then you go running.”

Half a minute later, both of them came back looking beyond pissed off. “We have to go now.” Addi said between pressed lips. “They’re a little too full for us.”

Everybody looked at Jason for confirmation, who just nodded and stared at Will with almost worry in his eyes. But when a heavily accented voice from behind them made him turn is when Will got really scared for the second time today. “’Ay, mamacita! Walk away some more! I dare you!”

“Excuse me?!” Addi wheeled around screaming. “I know for damn sure you two sorry Y chromosomes aren’t talking to me!” her face twisted and scrunched with such rage Will hadn’t seen in her since Danielle Colman had tried and failed to steal her boyfriend back in 8th grade.

“Si, but we are. Why don’t you come over here, huh?” the guy talking was a Mexican dressed in a big white-t shirt and dark pants, with a tall black guy dressed similar next to him. “Promise, we pay full price,” he yelled.

Turning back with an astonished smile on her face she asked Will, “Did he just say I was a hooker? Tell me I heard him wrong. For his sake, tell me I heard him wrong.” All Will could do was shake her head speechless. What was going on?

Then Addi started walking towards them, and they towards her. They were laughing and by the set of the other girls shoulders, Will could tell she preparing to fight them. “Hey there,” she heard Addi say pleasantly. Then, as fast as lighting, her hand reached out and shot a trail across the Mexican’s face, making his lip bleed.

“Bitch!” he exclaimed cradling his face. He grabbed her wrist and twisted her arm backwards. “You’re gonna pay for that,” he said close to her ear.

The minute Addi walked away from the group, Jake had watched with alarm and worry on his face. He took a step to help her, but Jason pulled him back. “Roll up your sleeves to where your tattoos are showing,” he said hastily before rolling up his own and walking out into the streetlight. “Hey,” he yelled. “Let her go, she’s with us.”

“Oh, yeah? And who are - ” but his words fell flat as he read what their tattoos meant and a look of not fear exactly, but something that erased all confidence.
Jake looked as confused as Will felt, but Jimmy just looked surprised. She knew she was missing something completely obvious.

The man holding Addi looked down at her face and instantly let go of her, like touching her had burned him. “We didn’t know you were who you were. You’re not supposed to be down here. We didn’t know.” He kept saying this over and over, the other guy just nodding.

“We go where we want when we want,” Addi said rubbing her arm. “Remember that. Now go and tell your little leader that you just royally fucked up.” Will couldn’t believe her eyes, but Addi actually winked at them before they turned their backs and started running.

Jake’s loud and booming voice brought her back to the present. “Jason, tell me what the hell that was about right now! Tell me or I swear to god I’ll tear you to pieces with my hands. Maddison, tell me what’s going on. Please, Addi. Please.” He took a few steps to her, his hands limp. “Don’t you owe me that?”

Jason looked over at Will, her heart crushing at the look of utter hopelessness on his face. “Low?” he said calling to her sadly. He knew he had to tell her the truth, he just didn’t think he’d have to do it so soon. Jason also knew that if she didn’t like what she found out, he had no other choice than to let her go.

“Jake, I don’t owe you anything. You should know that. I don’t owe anyone anything. If I tell you, it’s because I want to; not because I feel I have to.” Even though her voice had anger in it, her face just looked sad. Sad and tired. “Maybe we should get something to eat?” she said looking away and down the street. “There’s a bakery that just opened down there.”

“Not until you tell me something.” Jake answered. He had started to glare at Jason, but Will didn’t think Jason realized it; he hadn’t taken his own eyes off of her yet.

“Okay,” Addi said dragging it out to four syllables. “Jason and I are part of this organization that’s kind of like a gang of sorts. But it’s a little more complicated than that. It’s mainly gambling, and hiring out our services…”

“What kind services?” Will asked not recognizing her own voice.

Even though he had flinched at the question, Jason answered in an even voice. “Services like fighting and…..killing. People pay me to kill other people.”

Speechless. That’s how Will thought everyone was until Jimmy piped up, “Well now that the cats out of the bag can we get some grub? I’m actually hungry. Those guys did scare me after all.”