CRIMSON DONOVAN

"A sleepover?"

I nod enthusiastically and clasp my hands together. "Yes, a new friend of mine invited me over to her house for the night. Can I go, please?"

My Dad thinks for a while and breaks into a grin. "Of course, honey! I'm so glad that you've made some friends!"

I refrain from openly displaying my satisfaction. Up until now, the girls have been completely unaware of the boys' nighttime activities for over a month. However, yesterday, thanks to Rowan's eavesdropping, we discovered that Drexel had instructed Archer to be ready for something at midnight tonight. We took that the go for Ayla's stakeout. With a sense of anticipation building inside me, I prepare myself for the stakeout that Ayla has planned.

As the evening settles in, I take a moment to look around Ayla's room with a sense of curiosity. The books on her shelves and desk are arranged with precision, while the warm glow of fairy lights adds a touch of magic to the space. Little pots of plants dot the windowsills, and posters of various sizes adorn the walls, creating a colourful and lively atmosphere. Ayla closes the door behind me and springs onto her bed with a grin. "Welcome to my humble abode! Feel free to get cozy and make yourself at home."

We settle on watching a sitcom, waiting until we get a call from Rowan. By the time her call reached us, it was nearing midnight and we were dozing off to our third movie. Ayla sleepily answers the phone and her eyes instantly widen the next second into a hurried frenzy.

"Okay, we'll be there soon." She hangs up the call after a few seconds and looks at me, "Archer is at Rowan's house right now, and they won't be there for much longer. We have to get there quickly if we want to catch them before they leave. Let's go!" And without taking a breath, she was out of the room.

"How are we stalking them?" I jokingly ask as we reach her backyard in the pitch dark. It was deadly silent and there was no moonlight to guide us, hence we were forced to rely on Ayla's flickering torches.

She shines her flashlight on me making my eyes go blind for a second. "We can't obviously take my car as it would give us away. Can you ride a bicycle?"

"Yeah. Do you have two?"

"No."

"I will not walk the whole way. Bye. "

"Crimson, don't be dramatic! The neighbours have three bicycles. We'll be 'borrowing' them," she emphasizes as she places her torch in between her teeth and tries to climb over the fence separating her house from her neighbours.

I roll my eyes at her unpreparedness and start to climb a tall tree in which the branches had grown towards the neighbouring house, "Come on." I hear Ayla huff and reluctantly follow behind me. After inspecting the ground below me, I jump onto the ground and Ayla falls with a painful grunt afterwards. I shush her and help her up. "Are you a ninja or something?" she asks as she shrugs the dirt off her clothes.

"We don't have enough time, where are the bicycles?" I probe. "In their shed, follow me," Ayla whispers, taking the lead and we try to noiselessly open the wooden door of the shed.

The old door creaks when Ayla carefully opens it. She shines her light ahead. I squint my eyes to make sure the illuminative torchlight wasn't playing tricks on my eyes.

"Are you seriously kidding me right now?" I ask incredulously.

Three twinkling tricycles present themselves proudly.

I give an unimpressed glance at Ayla. She cowers under my heated eyes and rubs her neck awkwardly as she hesitantly laughs, "Oops."

My grip on my torch tightens as I wordlessly pick the highest and strongest-looking tricycle. Then I eye Ayla with a glare hoping it could convey the threat of upcoming death, "I'll kill you if we come out alive." The blonde girl clasps her hands together in forgiveness, "I'm so sorry, I should've been more prepared. But I had no other solutions for this last-minute plan. We are bound to get killer body pains after this."

She tests out a green tricycle and sits on it casually. "Luckily, Rowan's house is nearby so we can walk that distance. Then we'll use the cycles to trail after the boys."

My eyes are bound to fall off with the number of times I roll my eyes in response to Ayla's ridiculous propositions.

We escort our respective rides outside, but Ayla makes the mistake of jamming her hand onto the tricycle bell.

A dog loudly starts barking.

My flashlight goes off.

For the nth time that night, I glare at Ayla.

We dash towards the fence with our tricycles under our arms (they were that small I'm telling you) and I climb the tree, panting heavily. I throw the tricycle into Ayla's yard without concern and help her to bring her one up too. Dried and dead leaves crunch under our bodies when we fall onto the ground and we lay there, breathing heavily for a while. The barks of the dog finally cease and I take a deep breath, trying to catch my breath. We sit silently, waiting for any sign that the neighbours or Ayla's parents have woken up. Ayla looks at the sky in a dazed state. She collects her breath and wipes her sweaty forehead. "I need water."

After having walked for about five minutes (thankfully their houses were near), we reached Rowan's and Drexel's house. We wait expectantly behind some bushes, our view in line with the white two-storied house. "It's past midnight already, why are they taking so long?" Ayla drawls impatiently.

However, just as she said that, two dark figures emerge from the house. "They are here," I announce and quickly pull the cap of my black hoodie over my head so they won't be able to recognize us. I meant recognize me, since Ayla was the definition of unpreparedness at the moment wearing a yellow jumper and gray pants.

Terrible, I know.

Ayla nods and takes her position on the tricycle- I couldn't help but think that we were acting like we were shooting a low-budget war scene. I look at my colourfully decorated tricycle and grumble in complaint as I too, get on the low seat. "We'll be lucky if these don't break," I mumble under my breath.

We were trailing behind Drexel's car with my knees knocking my elbows occasionally, under the shadows of the towering trees by the side. Though we had only travelled for a mere five minutes, I found myself panting and perspiring profusely as I laboriously rode up a gentle slope. I give up. I dismount my cycle in frustration, letting out an irritable sigh before proceeding to haul the tricycle up the road. I glance over my shoulder, watching as Ayla struggles to pedal up the path, her wheezes similar to the lamentations of a dying whale.

I didn't sign up for this nonsense.

Taking a tentative sip of water, I lift my gaze to find Drexel's car meandering down an empty and unnervingly dim road. My mind raced with questions - where were they headed? While I had initially joined Ayla out of a desire to satiate her curiosity, I could not help but feel my own piqued by the turn of events.

As the Ford vanished into the darkness, I draw in a deep breath before breaking into a jog alongside Ayla, who had also opted to carry the tricycle. She cast fearful glances at the ominous surroundings, and I couldn't deny the prickling sensation of unease that crept up my spine. With my phone flashlight illuminating the path ahead, I silently pray that the walk would not be too long and that we'd make it out alive.

This was such a bad idea.

We slow down and I sag in relief when we see illuminated surfaces progressively encroaching on the dark night sky. We stop behind a tree to see an old but wide bridge that had been built over a dried-out river below us. Thank heavens. The area was lit with street lamps and lights and I was also surprised to see the place looking alive with people buzzing around; a complete contrast to our journey here from Ayla's house.

"Why did they come here to The Abandoned Bridge?" Ayla wonders from beside me. I raise a questioning eyebrow at her and she explains, "This bridge was shut down years ago when the new road was built," she looks up ahead with a frown. "Are they doing drugs? I'm going to skin them alive!"

"Come on, let's find out."

After leaning our rides against a tree, we walk ahead silently and warily of our surroundings. Drexel and Archer were nowhere to be seen. As we approached the threshold of the bridge, jarring sounds of engines roaring and voices bellowing reached our ears. Emerging from the concealment of the trees, a scene of bustling commotion unfolds before us.

The bridge was lined with throngs of people, gathered along its edges and emitting loud cheers and hoots as cars zipped by with a sudden whoosh, as swift as lightning.

My eyes widen in realization, "Street racing..."

Ayla watches the scene with a stunned expression and holds my arm. "Let's get closer." She leads us further until we stop behind a rusty garbage dumpster. We peek out and run our eyes over the crowd, looking for any familiar faces.

"There! I see Jed!" Ayla points out. Sure enough, the luminous head of Jed stands out like a neon light among the others. We keep our gaze fixed on him and Zeke joins him after a few seconds. "We should look out for the other two."

I nod and my eyes scan the tracks. My heartbeat quickens when my eyes fall on a dark-haired boy standing next to his black car among the others on the track.

Please do not do what I think you are about to do.

Drexel gracefully slips into his car, before giving a wave to the spectators and the crowds erupt in an uproar of excitement.

Yep, he did it.

Korean curses fly out of my mouth as I urgently shake Ayla's arm, "D...Did you see him?"

"Huh? See who? Did you find Archer?"

"No! Look! Drexel- he is going to race!"

"What! You are not joking, are you?"

"See for yourself; that's his car!"

We watch dumbfounded as the cars start their engines. Ayla's face turns pale. "Archer! Do you think he is also a racer? Is he racing now? Isn't this illegal?" she shouts frantically. "I'm going to whoop him in the backside!"

I watch in horror and amusement as she tries to make her way toward the racers. I pull her back, "Don't be impulsive. Jed and Zeke will see us! As for Archer, we can find him later. Let's just watch what is happening here first," I counter. Ayla scans the crowds once more and reluctantly agrees before we watch the start of the race.

My heart beats heavily, torn between expectation and worry as a rusty traffic light that was hung from above blinks green with a buzzer, and the cars tear out of the bridge with such vigorous speed onto the main street ahead with the cheers of the people egging them on.

My eyes follow the cars -especially Drexel's- until they disappear into the distance. It had never appeared to me that Drexel or any of the other boys could be involved in these kinds of...activities.

But I also can't help the excitement pumping up my body into overdrive as I watch the racers.

"That was so cool," I whisper in awe. Ayla whips her head in my direction and looks at me in disbelief. "Cool?" she remarks skeptically. "Did you lose your brain cells in the trash? We should get out of here!"

"Hold on! I want to see who wins!" I whine in protest and hold her arm from letting her leave.

"Fine!" she says back, but I see inquisitiveness in her eyes too. I spot Archer joining Jed and Zeke after a few minutes, but I avoid telling Ayla so. I wouldn't be able to stop her if I did.

"I wonder how long they'll take." Ayla wonders in boredom after several minutes had passed.

"How about we keep you company until they come back?" comes a gruff voice from behind. We turn around hastily and three men who seemed to be in their mid-thirties come into view; one scrawny looking, one smoking a cigarette and another man with a lollipop. 

Jen-jang (shit). They were bad news already.

"What do you want?" Ayla asks with a stern voice before I can intervene.

The scrawny guy holds up his hands in defence, looking mockingly offended. "We come in peace lovely ladies, looks like we gave the wrong impression?"

I do a once-over on the men and internally scoff. Really?

"You got a prob, gal?" the lollipop guy sneers at me while fisting his hands together. Oh, did I say that out loud?

"Why, are you looking for trouble? I can hold my own, you know!" I retort, knocking my fists together for emphasis. These hapless losers were mistaken if they believed I would cower before them. However, Ayla regards me with an expression of disbelief, swiftly taking hold of my arm.

"Are you trying to fight them, do you have a death wish?' she seethes lowly and stares at me unblinkingly when I nod seriously.

"Looks like we got 'em spicy, boys," laughs the scrawny guy. Eww. Shivers of disgust run through my spine.  I'll show them how spicy my fist is when it knocks his teeth off!

"Leave them alone, Ken."

Our heads swivel toward the source of the voice, and we notice a tall girl with fiery purple hair interpose herself between us, crossing her arms in a display of defiance. Even with her face partially obscured by the black cap she wore, she exuded a threatening aura.

Okay, hold up. Before I forget; Ken?

Ayla seems to have the same thought as me as she starts to snicker, almost choking in the process. They dropped the wrong Ken on Earth, Barbie, get your man! Wait-on second thought, she might most likely scream her head off and run to where she came from at the sight of this Ken.

"You again? Why are you here?" scrawny Ken asks the girl with an ugly sneer.

"Stopping y'all from being pedophiles, of course," the girl retorts back as she walks up to them with wide chap black boots drilling the ground.

"Mind your own business little gal," snarls the lollipop guy.

The girl smirks and holds up her phone, "I have Kaiser on speed dial."

That was all it took for the three scoundrels to step back. Scrawny Ken wags his finger at the girl in warning, "This isn't over." The other man who hadn't spoken at all drops his cigarette to the ground and crushes it under his shoe while emotionlessly eyeing us before they all thankfully leave us.

What a typical exit.

The girl shakes her head at them before turning towards us, "You guys okay?"

"Yeah, thank you for chasing them away," we thank the girl profusely.

"You're welcome, it was nothing," she says with a grin that we could see under her cap.

"Who were they?" I ask. "How did you chase them away?"

"Ah, they were the goons working for my boyfriend's father," the girl explains. "You guys are here for the first time, I suppose?"

"Yes, we never knew what was awaiting us," Ayla confesses then she squints her eyes, trying to get a better look at the purple-haired girl who had her face shadowed by her cap.

"Have I seen you before? Do you go to the same school as us?"

The girl reflexively pulls her cap even lower than possible, but before she can say anything, our attention is caught by a roar of engines which was getting louder and louder by the second.

The racers were arriving.

The purple-haired girl is instantly forgotten as Ayla and I impetuously climb onto the lid of the dumpster to see who would pass the finishing line first. We jump in elation when a black Ford Mustang comes into view.

"CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? DREXEL IS ACTUALLY WINNING!" Ayla shouts in bewilderment over the loud commotion of the spectators.

"YEAH! I KNOW RIGHT! WOOHOO!! KHAJA!!(Let's go!!) COME ON, DREXEL!!!" I shout back switching between both English and Korean, my heart doing break dances and my hands clapping energetically, ignoring the looks some people throw our way. We clutch each other in anticipation as we jump on our feet in thrill.

And just like that, Drexel smoothly flies past the finishing line, winning first place.

The ear-deafening cheers and shouts of Ayla and I were most likely the loudest, which was how we caught the attention of EVERYONE in the crowd including Archer, Jed, Zeke AND Drexel who stepped out of his car. We might as well have been a congratulatory fireworks display.

The both of us freeze like rabbits caught in headlights as the boys recognize us.

Archer's eyes bulge in disbelief as they settle upon Ayla, and his teeth ground together in a silent rage. Drexel's features contort into an expression of extreme outrage, his eyes boring into mine with an intensity that made me feel as if I had made a grave mistake. I can make out Zeke bellowing something at us, undoubtedly enraged as well, while Jed surveys the situation with a perplexed frown.

No sooner than that, all four boys flounce in our direction with determined steps.

Ayla and I stagger unsteadily atop the dumpster, seeking to evade the wrath that I knew was soon to come from the boys.

And just like that, the garbage lid under our feet gives out and we fall right into the dumpster.

The next moment, the blares of police sirens are heard.

Oof...they are in trouble...

What do you think will happen to our characters? Will they get caught?