Kissing in Cars

It was just supposed to be a dumb prank, no harm done. A special emphasis on the dumb part. Mickey and I were tired of those dumb jerks picking on us in school. We weren't really the type to take things lying down, as they say. So we devised a plan involving a few tear gas grenades and water guns painted black. On hindsight, we both know it was a massively dumb and dangerous idea. We didn't really think everything through, well at least not the consequence part of it anyway. We picked a night those idiots were all out on the town causing all kinds of havoc on innocent people; most of whom were probably females.

So on that night we donned on full black outfits, with colored yet realist wigs, contacts and rubber movie facial features. We wanted the pride of the prank to be our own; the world didn't really need to know. I was Kathleen, I spoke in a Russian accent had blonde hair, green eyes and I was a giant thanks to some discreet platform shoes. Mikayla was now, Sharon, and thanks to skin paint, she was three shades darker. She had brown eyes, with freckles, and long ash brown hair. We had fake ids, and even implanted data into state records to make us real people. We were two robbers on a mission steal whatever we could. In reality we just wanted to make Duncan and his crew pay for their behavior.

Duncan was notorious for being a bully since the day that kid could walk. His uncle was is in some shady business which made him feel like a tough guy. He felt he was invulnerable, that nothing could touch him. He started picking on Mickey and I freshmen year, he said we were ugly fags. (Lots of people confused how close we are for a lesbian relationship, fools.) We could ignore the immature slurs, but when he started hitting us and pushing us downstairs cases with his gang of misfits, well that wouldn't do. At first we tried all the right ways to get him in trouble. We told teachers, parents, cops, but no one paid us any mind. We both made a pact not to tell Grands, she was too old to be worried. We decided we would handle things on our own. So we started the wheels turning for dropping out of school, we wanted to be on the safe and legal side. When Duncan tried to have his way with Mickey in the back staircase, we knew it was time to show him he messed with the wrong girls. So we devised our plan and decided his house would be first.

When we put on gas mask, and still covered most of or facial features for extra measure. We wore gloves while handling every unmark product from point A to point Z. This was when I was really sure we had gone crazy, we were acting like we were real criminals. I shook my head and reminded myself, this jerk tired to hurt Mickey; we were only teaching him a lesson. Mickey threw the tear gas grenade through the window. We heard a loud crash and someone coughing, we put plastic covers on our shoes ready to make this boy cry. We didn’t know he mother had serve asthma, we didn’t know what we had just done would kill her. We headed into the house; his mom was out cold. We thought nothing of it and headed to Duncan’s room. We broke everything of value, destroyed anything that could mean anything and left the house. We were in hysterics when we got home.

We hit all those jerk’s house, five 'robberies' in one night. A different identity and M.O for each one, causing it to look like five robberies committed by a team or ten different nutcases on one night. We destroyed all the evidence in acid, and then disregard the vats on Mickey’s dad’s cargo ship to Hong Kong. We felt safe and so cool. When we turned on the news after showering we saw that our prank made it on the eleven o'clock. We were the breaking news sentiment. We saw that Duncan’s mother died from an asthma attack, we had killed someone. Our need to make this guy pay took a life. We vowed to never say a word of it again. I cried myself to sleep that night and for the first time in my life I prayed. We didn’t mean to do it, that’s all I could say in my prayer. I didn't even have the heart to ask for forgiveness.

In all the mayhem the next few weeks, with ongoing investigations and the school being under so much pressure they let us drop out. We convinced six other kids to do the same, to make it look like this whole situation shook us all up as a student body. Seventeen kids dropped out a few weeks after, when the cops said that Duncan was being put into an asylum because he swore to kill everyone at this school. He was driven insane by grief, but I think he was always crazy to start with; this was just the push off of the edge. In his time in the padded room Duncan decided not everyone needed to die, just Mickey and I. I don’t know how but he somehow knew it was us. More likely though he didn’t really know for sure that it was us, he just thought it was.

The first death threat came two years after everything happened. I knew right away it was him; it was like I was always expecting it, like I just knew. Mickey and I didn’t care much; we were always on the road. If weren’t following the boys we would be following someone else. He must have gotten frustrated waiting for Mickey and me to sit still. That’s why he killed Grands, he was sending us a message. We both received it loud and clear, the problem is, what do we do now? Mickey can never go home and feel safe. I no longer have a home to go to. I sat in the limo crying my eyes out, while the boys went in with their brave faces on. I begged them to go in, I needed space and time.

“We should have never pulled those dumb and dangerous pranks. It’s our fault, two people are dead because of us.” I told Mickey in sign language, which we learned for Grands old age.

“Lei, we didn’t know. We thought it would freak them out and that’s all. We couldn’t foresee this.” She cried, signing in each word weakly.

“No, but neither could Grands. We should have told her everything, took her with us. Maybe she would still be here. Maybe…” I covered my face with my hands and sobbed.

Mickey put her arm around my shoulder and cried too. We stayed just like that, throughout the awards and through the drive to the hotel. Neither of us felt safe going back to the penthouse. We spent the night in Tony’s room while he bunked with Jaime. We laid curled up in one bed, wanting to stay near each other. I held her hands in mine, Mickey was the only person I had left. I was crying again and she was too. We knew we could never go back. Tomorrow we would head to San Diego with the guys. We didn't really have anywhere else to go, so we accepted their offer. We both hoped that our decision wouldn't put them in danger. In fact, that night I prayed that it didn't.