Don't Stand By Me (COMPLETE) - Chapter 30: Chapter 30

Kiara
August 6th: 01:20
"You want seven coffees? At this time?"
"Yes."
"Alright dear." The waitress jotted down in her notebook, tucking her pen behind her ear and fixing us with a blank stare, "I'll be back in a jiffy."
"You alright?"
I turned my glance to Brent, who was watching me with a strange expression I couldn't discern. Through no fault of my own, it was just us sitting across from each other in the gaudy yellow booth in this diner. Dixon and Cassie had wandered off to take an intense looking phone call from their father - probably wondering why he had barely heard from them all week - while Pearl had dragged Violet and Elvis into a Walgreens, claiming that since they'd kidnapped her they had to help her choose some new outfits. So there we sat, Brent and I, unable to make anything more than brief eye contact and stilted conversation.
"Yeah. How are you?"
"You can talk to me, you know."
"Can I?" I snorted, "I believe you said you were fucking done with me."
"I am," He shrugged, "in a sense. I'm not your number one fan right now, but you're a human. And I think we were building somewhat of an... understanding before you fucked me over."
I bit back a snarky remark and nodded, squaring my shoulders, "I don't know. I feel weird."
"In what way?" Brent asked, nodding to the waitress who dropped off the coffees.
"Cassie and I...hooked up when we were in that town and since then something's just been niggling in my brain."
"Yeah, we all figured."
I ignored him, willing the flush in my cheeks to die down, "It's just been weird with me since then. I've never had...feelings like this before. Hell, I've never had someone have feelings for me like this before. No one's ever...loved me before. In this way."
"I haven't done anything wrong!" I wailed as he stopped walking, "I'm just a kid! You're meant to love me!"
"Love you? Love you? You're a monster!"
I shook my head to wipe the memory away.
"Foster system really fucks with kids, doesn't it?" Brent smiled sadly, "I never got a chance to tell you about my experience, did I?"
I shook my head. He sighed, leaning back against the booth and taking a long sip of his coffee, closing his eyes briefly. He fixed me with a cool stare and began.
"I was adopted when I was sixteen, but before then, I was in two family homes and three group homes." His face scrunched up, "It was hell on earth. My second foster father beat me within an inch of my life. So much internal bleeding I heard the social worker say 'it was a miracle I survived'. I had never had anyone love me before, platonically or otherwise. This may be hard to believe," He smirked, "but I was a grade A loser. Tall, gangly, nose always buried in a book, all by myself. The other children hated me, the parents hated me. I couldn't win.
"Then one day, a few months after my...incident...this couple came in, dragging along a boy about my age with them, Isaac. Weirdly enough we looked kind of alike, tall, gangly, same hair. They told me I was a perfect fit. Of course I didn't believe them. I bided my time, waiting for them to get sick of me, like all the rest. I couldn't play football with my broken arm and everytime any of them went near me, I flinched. About six months in, I was really loving this family. I felt safe with them. Despite me trying my best to keep my distance, they wouldn't let me. I couldn't bear the thought of them abandoning me when I started feeling so at home. So I decided to make my own decision.
"I had an incident at school...I thought they'd send me back so I panicked. I ran away with nothing but the clothes on my back and the pocket money they gave me. I ended up in a diner a lot like this one, sitting there with a donut and a coffee, watching the tiny TV in the corner. And then there they were on the local news. They were all crying, begging for me to come home. I burst into tears in the booth, sixteen years old and crying like a baby because for the first time in my life, someone cared about me. Someone loved me so much that the thought of me not being around sent them into hysterics on TV. So I went home; they were so happy to see me. Everything was like a fairytale." His smile dropped for a moment.
"Does this have to do with how the cops have your DNA?"
"Yes." He said flatly, "I'm not proud of it. I knew coming back meant I could go to jail. But I was a minor. They took my prints and I got some community service. I was very lucky. My parents bailed me out the same day."
"They sound wonderful." I said carefully, unsure of how to not push his buttons.
"Probably why I'm an asshole." He joked, his smile back and wider than I had ever seen, "They spoiled me rotten, did absolutely everything I could have dreamed of. And I got a best friend in Isaac, which he is to this day. I would do anything for him. He had a rough time during school, bullied a shit ton for being different. But once I joined the football team, got jacked, no one touched him again. I could finally give back to the family who had saved my life. While I was given a heavy hand and had a horrible past, I was able to get past it, be someone I could be proud of.
"So what I'm saying is, you can't let your past define you. You've done some bad things. You have had people do bad things to you. But sixteen year old Kiara is dead, she is not you. Don't let that figment of your past, a person you will never be again, dictate your life. Don't let her tell you that you are incapable of love. People may not have loved you in the past, but they do now. More than anything. I'm a firm believer in that you can choose your family, and those people in there? They chose you and they are doing all this because they love you. They are your family. That's what love is. No matter what you do, even kill a man, there are people that would go to the ends of the earth for you. You are loved, Kiara."
"Jesus fucking Christ, Brent." Tears were pouring from my eyes at a rapid rate, "I don't know what to say."
He shrugged one shoulder, "I told you, didn't I? Not a braindead jock."
I smiled at him warmly, wiping the tears from my face, "Thank you, Brent. Really. I needed to hear that. Even if that story felt very edited."
"Anytime." He nodded, finishing off his coffee, "Just take that advice with you. Don't let your past stick around to ruin your future. And maybe I'll give you the director's cut someday."
"Brent..." My chest ached at the amount of guilt I was suddenly feeling towards this man.
There he sat, face bright and earnest, telling me things I had never dared to dream were true before. And I had spent this entire trip hating him, talking shit about him and willing him to be miserable. It was so fucked up.
"I am so sorr-" I began.
"Brent! What did you do to her?" Violet squealed, sliding into the booth next to me, gripping my face tightly.
"Nothing!"
"He didn't do anything, Vi, I promise." I pushed her away gently, squishing down towards the window to make space for everyone, "How did everyone get on?"
Everyone grabbed their coffees, practically slugging them down. Elvis was sitting on the edge of the booth, bombarded by at least a dozen bags, while Pearl was beaming next to him, chatting his ear off. Cassie, who had ended up directly across from me, gave me a small smile and grabbed my hand, tilting her head questioningly. I gave her a smile and a nod and that seemed to placate her and she turned to answer one of Violet's questions, hand still gripping mine tightly.
"Guys." Brent said, gaze fixed over my shoulder, "It's on."
I turned my head to the side, glancing at the small TV bolted to the wall in the corner. The late night news logo filled the screen and we all stared at it blankly. Various fluff pieces were on and I felt the knot in my stomach loosen slightly.
"Once again, wanted mafia criminal Charles Price may still be at large but recent sources have announced that he may now be deceased. Charles' father, also a wanted man, was unavailable for comment. Charles was last spotted over a week ago at a gas station in Phoenicia, Upstate New York. Witnesses place him at Good Times RV Park on the night of July 31st, being led through a crowd by a group of young people. Our sources say this-"
"Oh dudes!" The motherfucker from the RV park came on screen, "They were totally Weekend at Bernie's-ing him! I was super ston- drunk! Super drunk so I thought they were kidding. But it was lowkey BLEEP-ed up. I was stumbling through the woods looking for somewhere to take a BLEEP, so I took a selfie and looked at it the next day and their RV was in the back. I know it was those dudes because one of them was in the front window. Checkit!"
"That motherfucker." I said quietly, gripping the booth tightly.
"A fucking selfie." Elvis snarked, "We could go under because some stoned idiot took a fucking selfie pissing on our RV. He probably wouldn't have even remembered us if he didn't see it after."
"Well that solves our Jeffrey mystery." Brent noted, "Once again, they've probably been running this story for days."
"Oh my god." Cassie breathed, "Guys look."
There it was on screen, a blown up photograph of the drunk guy pissing on our RV. Thankfully whoever was sitting in the front seat was concealed by the glare of the flash against the windscreen.
"This is believed to be a photograph of the suspects RV. There are assumed to be multiple suspects and gang violence cannot be ruled out as a motive at this time. Anyone who believes they might have spotted the RV or the suspects, please call the tipline. The number is on the screen below."
"We have to get the fuck out of here." Pearl said suddenly, "If Jeffrey...or Charles' father see this...we're all fucked. We need to move now."
We all stood, Brent throwing a twenty down on the table and we bustled out of the diner, each of us weighed down with at least two of Pearl's bags. We tossed everything into the RV, Brent climbing into the driver's seat and screeching the tires as he sped out of the parking lot.
"What are we gonna do?" Dixon broke the silence, sat on the floor with a defeated expression, "Were we stupid to think we could get away with this?"
"We still can." Violet said determinedly, typing furiously on her phone, "We can do this."
"We're about to have cops, FBI and fucking mob bosses up our asses!" Elvis snapped, "We're fucked!"
"We don't all have to be." I muttered, "This is my fight. Not yours."
"And mine." Brent called from behind the wheel.
"Don't be stupid." Cassie slipped her hand into mine, "We aren't going anywhere."
"Maybe we should." Pearl said, biting her lip, "I have an idea." She stood, moving over to the abandoned white board and wiping off our original plan, grabbing a marker and beginning to scribble. She snorted when she read it, "Grand Canyon, huh? Not a bad idea."
We watched in silence as she drew a bunch of stick figures across the board, drawing arrows between them. Once she was satisfied, she capped the marker and turned to us all, using the marker as a pointer.
"So," Pearl began, "Brent and Kiara take the car with Charles inside and go straight to the Canyon. Elvis and Cassie take the RV, try to steer the attention away. Violet and Dixon and myself, we get out before we hit Arizona. Try and lure Charles' father and Jeffrey's men that way and away from the body. I can call my dad and say that we're there, then he can fly the three of us back to New York. Once we're back, I'll book flights for the rest of you, and you can meet up and fly out from Phoenix airport. Sorry for splitting up all the couples but...less distractions that way."
We all gaped at her.
"That is..." Elvis began, "Honestly, kind of genius."
"I know!" She beamed, "I was kind of thinking about it since we saw Jeffrey, what we could do. I think that our best bet is being apart. It's easier for two people to escape being attacked rather than seven."
"I don't want to split up." Cassie said quietly, wringing her hands in her lap, "What if something happens? We won't even know."
"It's probably the only way. We won't get distracted at least." Dixon sighed, "It's shitty but...it makes sense."
"How far are we from the next town?" I asked Brent.
"About eight hours from Albuquerque." He replied, "I'd recommend trying to get some sleep."
I nodded, "You can sleep in the car tomorrow, so." He shot me a thumbs up without taking his eyes off the wheel.
"This is fucked." Violet breathed, tears falling from her eyes, "So fucked. What if something happens?"
"Nothing will happen." I patted her shoulder gently.
"They won't touch us." Pearl assured her, "My father would burn the city down if I got hurt."
"Goodie." Dixon muttered.
"But what about everyone else?" Violet sniffed, "How is it fair that Brent and Kiara have to take the body? Let me go instead...this is my problem."
"Not a chance!" Brent called.
"I agree with him." I shrugged, "We're the best bet. We have experience with cops, it's our DNA on the body and we're the most likely to keep calm. No offence sweetie, but you would be a wreck."
Violet looked indignant, but surprisingly she didn't fight me on it, "And what about you two in the RV?" Violet gestured at Elvis and Cassie, who were sitting side by side, heads lowered.
"Just say someone paid you to drive it around." Pearl shrugged, "I'll leave a grand in cash in the glove box for proof. It was one of Charles' tricks. Any cops will assume it was his men that put you up to it."
"So this is it..." Violet weeped, "I don't like this!"
"None of us do." Elvis sighed, "But we don't have a choice. If we all want to survive this, we need to split up."
"Let's try and get some sleep." Cassie stood, "We need our energy." She walked to me, holding out a hand. I smiled, taking it and letting her pull me off the couch.
I turned to Violet to ask if she wanted to join, but Pearl was clutching her arm with an almost desperate expression.
"Can you stay out here with me?" She pleaded, "I don't want to be alone."
"Of course." She smiled.
I raised my eyebrows in shock but said nothing. I couldn't help but smile though, watching them curl up together like a pair of cats in front of the fire. I hadn't expected them to get along so well, but their similarities probably made that easy for them. I glanced over at Dixon and Elvis, whose heads were close together, murmuring to each other softly. I walked to them, planting a kiss on each of their heads.
Cassie released my hand to pull Dixon into a tight hug and it made my heart yank in my chest. As negative as it sounded, this could have been the last time they could see each other; two people who were essentially twins, joined at the hip. The thought of that had me willing the tears not to fall.
"Hey." Elvis murmured, wrapping an arm around my waist, "It's okay. A couple of days from now we'll be back in our shitty apartment laughing about all of this."
"You really believe that?"
"If I don't I think I might combust."
"Hmm...fair point. We still have to pack all our shit, you know."
"Ugh...I'd actually rather take jail time right now."
"Haha." I rolled my eyes, turning to pull him into a tight hug, "Goodnight, El."
"Goodnight, Ki. I love you."
I scrubbed a hand down my face, "Me too."
I shot Dixon a small smile which he shakily returned as Cassie grabbed my hand once more, leading me back towards the queen bed. We climbed in, immediately moving close to curl up together. Cassie held me tightly, arms wrapped firmly around me. My shoulders shook as I finally let go and began sobbing into her chest.
"It's okay, love." She whispered, rubbing a hand down my back soothingly, "Let it out."
I sobbed as quietly as I could, letting the feeling of Cassie holding me close ground me. I clutched her shirt tightly, my hands balled into fists, my nails digging into my palms sharply. Eventually, my cries began to subside and I sniffled, moving my head up to meet Cassie's eyes.
"I ruined your shirt." I sniffled.
"And I'll never forgive you for it, Tesoro." She teased, kissing my forehead lightly.
My heart warmed and I ached to properly show her how I felt, but I didn't know how without saying...that. And as much as I wanted to at that moment, I couldn't conjure the words past the lump in my throat. Instead I smiled at her, wiggling one of my hands free to cup her cheek.
"I've never met anyone like you before."
"Me neither. And that's both a good thing and a bad thing." She said.
I swatted her cheek lightly, "Bitch."
She leaned in, kissing me gently. I held her close, savouring the feeling of her lips on mine. She pulled back and stared at me for a moment, eyes shifting back and forth as she debated something internally.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah I just...can I tell you something?"
"Anything."
"I had a boyfriend. His name was Zach." She began with a grimace, "We dated all through highschool. I loved him to the point of exhaustion - or at least what he had convinced me was love. I had to be perfect; skinny, makeup done to perfection and amazing academics, but not better than him. I had to be everything he wanted in a girl or I was nothing."
"Jesus, Cassie..."
"I know, I know. Hindsight is key, right? But I was young and stupid and thought he was the only person that was ever going to love me. Then, a week before graduation I walked in on him hooking up with some girl at a party." Cassie snorted, "And you know what I did? I laughed. Hysterically until I cried. I was relieved. That I finally had an out from whatever this relationship had been. And that relief lasted for a day, until I realised I was still stuck in the mould he had poured me into four years before. I didn't know who I was supposed to be without him pushing me into it.
"I went through a period where I didn't know who I was as a person." She began quietly, "I struggled with everything - my body image, my sexuality, my personality. It was inconceivable to me that I was anything except for the cookie cutter perfect girl and I didn't know what else I could be. I didn't know who Cassie was. Then my mother died and it just kind of slammed the brakes on everything. I gained weight, I went to college and kissed a girl for the first time and I tried tequila and even though my life was crumbling all around me...for the first time in my life I was me. I was the Cassie I had always wanted to be."
I smiled, rubbing small circles into her shoulder blades to encourage her to continue.
"It took a lot for me to accept myself, to finally feel confident and beautiful and safe in myself. But I finally did and it's been wonderful."
"Thank you, Cassie." I smiled softly, continuing my ministrations, "For trusting me to share that."
"Of course. I know I don't have any childhood trauma so I had to even the scale somehow. Make you feel less bad."
I snorted, "You're too kind. I'm glad you can see yourself the way I do."
"It took me a long time, but I'm finally happy. I'm just glad you came along at this point of my life, as crazy as it sounds."
I understood the point she was making but deep down I knew I couldn't relate; I still felt like a twelve year old mess in a twenty-something year old's body. It was difficult sometimes, feeling like everyone was the best version of themselves while I was still struggling to find my place in this world, to be the supposed 'best version' of myself. I felt like a fraud, that I was making everything up as I went along while everyone else seemed to have a set of instructions to go by.
"...ten years from now," Cassie's voice cut into my reverie, "I just see myself happy you know. I don't know what I want to do yet but...I can see it."
"What's your degree?"
"Early childhood. I was thinking about teaching kindergarten."
"I could see it." And I really could, Cassie decked out in colourful overalls with smudges of paint across her smiling cheeks.
"And what do you want to do?"
I sighed, "I don't know. I am excited for my internship with the bureau but...I want to help people, I want to make a difference for people like...well, me."
"We're young." Cassie said simply, "Who says you can't try it out then do something else? I mean this experience alone is like a trial run for you."
The truth of her statement settled uncomfortably in my stomach. She was right, a future with the bureau would likely be similar to what we were living now. And while I may be suited to it, the thought of reliving this for the rest of my life made me nauseous.
"Speaking of...I really don't like the idea of just sending you off with the body...if you get caught you'll go to prison."
"We don't have a choice." I said glumly, "We're the best two for the job really. And we hate each other enough that we won't let ourselves get distracted caring for the other's wellbeing."
"You know you don't have to pretend to hate him, it's just us here."
I snorted, "He's grown on me, like poison ivy."
"He's a bit of a prick but...I think he's coming around."
"Never tell him that I am agreeing with you right now. Or Violet."
"I promise. But seriously...I know there's probably no chance but is there anyway I can change your mind? Threats? Violence? Sexual favours?"
"As much as I would love to say yes...I have to do this, Cass. I have to be the one to end this."
"I know." She sniffled, "I just wish it was anyone else. Does that make me selfish?"
"Yeah. But there's nothing wrong with being selfish every now and then."
We sat in silence for a few moments, content in each other's arms.
"So what's our big plan once all this is over?" She asked, tucking my head into her neck, "Chase criminals, travel the world?"
"Hmm, well, I have a cushy internship set up for myself in Italy if you feel like tagging along to the homeland."
"Well isn't that a coincidence." I could hear the smile in her voice, "I'm moving back to Italy in September."
"No you're not." My eyes widened and I pulled back to stare at her, "You're fucking with me."
"Ask Dixon." She grinned, "I want to get more in touch with my heritage, spend time with my nonna while I still can. Seems kind of meant to be, doesn't it?"
"Y-Yeah." I breathed, unable to tear my gaze away, "It really does."
"We should probably get some sleep." Cassie stifled a yawn, "Big day tomorrow."
"Yeah. One more kiss?"
"Always, Tesoro." She moved in, kissing me gently with a hand on the small of my back.
I smiled into the kiss, holding her to me for as long as I could before having to break away for air. She giggled quietly, turning around and wiggling her ass at me jokingly. I snorted and moved around, spooning her gently, my arms settling at her stomach. Her hand intertwined with one of mine and I snuggled in, relishing the feeling of warmth and comfort. I willed myself to preserve this moment, memorising it to the minute detail.
If I never got to experience this heaven again, at least I could say I got to live it once.