Young Writers Society

Chrys awoke to find that Shujaa had left the room. She pulled herself up from the bed noticing the pile of her clothes at the end of the bed. What a gentleman. Chrys smiled to herself. Shujaa was back. Her old life was back. Everything was back where it should be. Chrys picked up the clothes and put them on. She went over to his sink to look at herself in the mirror.

She was a mess. Her face looked worn and weary, and covered with dirt and grime. Her hair was ragged unkempt and tangled from lack of care. Chrys sighed at her miserable appearance. It’s a miracle Shujaa wanted me at all. I could have at least cleaned up for him. She cursed herself for getting so lazy and complacent. Her life for the last two years had been hell, and her whole body showed it. She thought about Shujaa, how upset he was about her having sex with other guys. Fuck. He’s right. I was doing the same thing I did back then.

“I’m really pathetic,” she said, thinking out loud. She looked back at how ragged and broken she was. God, he is still looking out for me after all this time. He even gave me what I wanted last night, even after that relapse. Do you think that he…? She inhaled hard and gripped the sink. Fuck! I always keep hurting him and he puts up with all of that, just to save me from myself. All the memories of what he had done for her, all of times that he protected her and rescued her from her lowest moments, Chrys remembered them all. Fuckin hell Chrys. What were you thinking? You would be dead by now if he hadn’t killed that bastard. Two years without him and you went back to the same life he worked so hard to save you from. Probably killed him on the inside. Chrys clenched the sides of the sink. Damn it! Why do I keep hurting the only person who ever gave a shit about me! Chrys got a lump in her throat and moved back over to the bed and sat down. The memories of the shitty hookups she had come flooding back, and she couldn’t help feel like every single one was a betrayal to Shujaa. Chrys slammed her fists into the bed.

“Damn it!” She yelled. “What the fuck was I thinking? He is never going to forgive me for this.” Chrys rested her head in her hands. She ran her fingers through her hair in frustration. I’ve got to make this right.

Chrys got up from the bed, threw on the clothes, and went downstairs. A few groggy tenants who had rented a room for the night were walking through the hallway, getting ready to leave. Chrys hurried her way through all the people. Ignoring the leering glances, she took the staircase down, and walked into the bar.

Terrell and Ino were eating breakfast when she came down. They were talking to each other, but stopped as soon as Chrys entered the room.

Ino smiled. “Morning Chrys.”

“Morning to you two. You two see Shujaa this morning?”

Terrell nodded his head. “Shujaa and the boss had a fight. It got ugly; Shujaa left afterwards.”

Chrys bit her lip in frustration. “Any idea where he went?”

“Nope. Why don’t you have breakfast and then see if you can find him.” Ino offered. He motioned to a pan of scrambled eggs on the bar. “Made them just for the you and Shujaa. Guess they are all yours now.”

Chrys thanked him and grabbed a plate. She gave herself a generous helping and sat down next to Ino. Ino smiled at her, watching her eat.

“Hey, Ino, what did the Boss and Shujaa fight about?” Chrys asked in between bites. Ino stopped smiling and turned to Terrell. Terrell shrugged. Ino looked back at Chrys and smiled again.

“Oh nothing I guess. Something about him not wanting to following orders. Stuff like that,” Ino mumbled, avoiding eye contact.

Chrys stared blankly into her eggs. “It was about me, wasn’t it?”

Ino laughed nervously. “Um, yea, maybe. I shouldn’t say.”

Chrys nodded slowly. “I understand.”

Chrys went back to quickly eating her eggs. She didn’t want to be in the bar anymore, she just wanted to crawl back to her room and either sleep. Or drink. Or both. She grabbed a beer from behind the bar and popped it open. She downed it along with her meal.

“Aren’t you starting a little early there, Chrys?” Ino inquired. Chrys gave him a quick dirty glance and Ino backed off.

With a loud beep, the phone rang. Terrell rose from his chair and picked it up. He listened to the call, nodded a few times, and hung up.

“Chrys, someone wants to see you at the racing circle.”

Chrys looked up from her meal. “Who?”

Terrell gave her a hard stare. “Someone. Didn’t say who. This was not a request Chrys, you have to go.”

Chrys stood up and shoved her plate away from her. She let out a big huff and walked back up to her room. She grabbed her hoodie and pants from her closet, put them on and left the bar, grabbing the Needle on her way out.

It was windy in Bai Jian. The signature cool breeze, bringing the salty taste from the sea, was even more pronounced during the latter part of the year. The cold air bit at her face, and she shoved her hands into her jacket. Chrys briskly made her way to the racing circle. The racing circle was in the middle of Cartel territory and was the central hub of all car races in the city. It was also the place where all manner of thugs and gangsters brought their cars to show them off. The racing circle was protected and run by the Cartels, and the price for trying to steal a car was notoriously high. The circle also acted as a main location of a good portion of the Cartel’s drug business in the sector.

Chrys walked up to a purple lowrider with 24” rims sitting in the middle of the circle. Every car was placed around it; the gaudy car the center of attention. Chrys knew that if someone important wanted to see her, they would be in that car. There was one woman stood outside the car, wearing a white tank top and a snapback. She was chewing gum and had a baseball bat resting across her shoulders. She glared at Chrys as she strode up to the car. Just as Chrys was about to get close, the women waiting by the car stepped in front of her.

Chrys scrunched up her face in frustration. “Get out of my way, Jada. I was told to come see your boss. This is not the morning you want to cross me.”

“Boss ain’t here, bitch. Someone else wants to see you.” Jada said, her English effected by her Spanish accent. She nodded to a large man next to the car and he stepped over to the car and opened the door. A young man in his mid-twenties stepped out of the vehicle. He was wearing a plain black suit with no tie. A large coat was draped over his suit, increasing his already imposing size. He was tan, and he had tattoos running up the base of his neck. His most distinguishing characteristic was his pure white hair. The hair was not bleached, but instead a natural white. Even the stubble on his sideburns and chin was white. Intense light brown eyes stared right at Chrys, his jewelry jingling as he stepped out of the car.

“Batista.” Chrys groaned.

Batista smiled sheepishly. “Heya Chrys. It’s been a long time, huh?”

“Not nearly long enough. I thought I told you I never wanted to see you again.”

Batista rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed. “I tried to keep my distance, I really did. But the boss says I gotta come talk to ya.”

Sheep in wolf’s clothing. That’s what people called Batista. For an extremely dangerous Hybrid, he was one of the last few honorable people in this city. Chrys had never liked him. He was always too kind, too accommodating. It had never felt right to her. Chrys’ dislike of him was made more complicated by the fact that Batista had liked her for as long as she can remember.

Chrys put a hand to up to her face in exasperation. “What does the old man want?”

Batista looked at her sympathetically. “Umm…. Well… You Chrys. He wants to see you.”

Chrys sighed. “Then I’ll go to him. He got a job or something?”

“Ah. No. He wants you Chrys. Like you know… in that way, you know?” Batista said, looking down.

Chrys frowned. “Damn that old bastard! So, he sends you out here to force me to come, huh?”

Batista eyes widened and backed off. “No Chrys! I would never! I’m just the messenger!”

“Tell your boss to shove that offer up his ass. I’m an enforcer. Not a whore.” Chrys growled.

Batista crossed his arms, still avoiding direct eye contact. “Um, well rumor has it that you’re not…anymore. It’s those damn rules and all that, you know?” Batista mumbled.

Jada slapped Batista on the head. “Grow a fucking pair Batista! You supposed to be an enforcer! This bitch ain’t that scary!”

“You shouldn’t call her a bitch,” Batista warned.

Jada shook her head and sighed. “You’re hopeless. Listen up redheaded bitch! You’ve been whoring yourself out on the side. Bai Jian has got strict rules about whores. Since you a whore now, you go see Boss, got it?”

Batista looked up, eyes hard, his jaw clenched. He grabbed Jada and yanked her towards him. “Chrys is no whore. Call her that again and I break you.”

Jada swore and punched him in the face. “I will call her I want. I work for Abuelo, not for you!”

Batista turned his head back to Jada and let her go. "You better hope that he keeps protecting you, Jada. As soon as he stops..."

Jada shrugged him off and walked away. "Pussy."

Batista clenched his teeth and raised his hand, aiming his palm at Jada's back. With a WHOOSH a transparent energy wave shot from his hand. Chrys watched as the pulse flew towards Jada, creating a wake that created the same distortion as fire, blurring the view of anything behind it. The wave crashed into Jada, knocking her to the ground. "Oops," Batista murmured.   

Chrys crossed her arms and sighed. “I don’t need you to defend my honor, Batista. I’m a big girl. Let her talk. She’s not going to her my feelings.”

“Oh yeah,” Batista, embarrassed. “Sorry, Chrys.”

“Whatever,” Chrys said, dismissively.

“Anyway, I am sorry about all this Chrys, but please show up to the Pecado Puro tonight, or I will be forced to come find you. Please do the right thing, for both our sakes. I don’t like this anymore than you do, trust me. Boss will want you to change out of the hoodie you wear everywhere. Dress up a little can you?”

Batista climbed back into his car. The purple lowrider slowly pulled out of the circle, leaving Jada on the ground, wiping the blood off her head.

She left the racing circle as fast as possible. “Fuck,” Chrys said under her breath. “I am so screwed. That’s an order from a fucking Boss. I can’t refuse that.” Abuelo can’t solicit her directly, but this was tantamount to it. Chrys had to find a way to fix this. Shujaa. She had to find him. He was the only one who could get her out of this mess.