Chapter 1
Shadow.
I had been sitting on the swing set at the clubhouse, looking down at the sand I had just come home finally! I had been so scared when that man grabbed me and took me away. I didn’t want to die.. but I am happy now that I was back with Thank my family the people who I loved so much.
It’s crazy how a life can be because one minute your at school playing with your friends the next your whole world could change forever.
They never hurt me while I had been kidnapped but it did scare me.
I jumped when I heard someone next to me, when I looked over I saw Braxton “Hey Bub” he says giving me a small smile. That was his nickname for me. Bub.
“Hey..”
“You alright?” He says as I give him a nod, he looks down at his feet in the sand. We were only a few years apart and he had his stutter under control. His doctors told him he would eventually grow out of it but it will always be there he says. “I-I was scared you-you wouldn’t come back. Your my best friend Bub” he says I looked over at him.
“I won’t let anything else h-happen to you again, you have my word” he says looking over at me giving me a smile, I couldn’t help giving him one back.
“Come on granma Ruby said there was ice cream” he stands up holding out his hand for me when I took it he pulled me up and gave me a hug “I love you Bub”
“I love you too Brax” I mumble before he pulls away but still has my hand as we walk inside the clubhouse to the kitchen.
That’s was 12 years ago and throughout the years that have gone by we became closer. He became my best friend while Braxton got prospected into the club, I became a dancer at the local dance school and if I didn’t have school or dance practice I was hanging out at the clubhouse when Braxton was free. When Braxton turned 18 he became a full patch member of the Devil Riders.
That was a few years ago now since it was my last year of high school and I wanted to get into a good college for dance, photography or even for drawing. I didn’t mind.
In the next few weeks I had a dance recital and a lot of important people were coming to select a few that were the best in their eyes. It was an opportunity to get into one of the major dance schools around here, so I had to practice every chance I got.
I walked into my dance class a few others were already there and warming up I quickly got changed. A few girls said ‘hello’ as I pass them but one girl literally jumped in front of me with a big smile on her face. “There’s my favourite Shadow” Eva says making me smile shaking my head.
Eva was the daughter of Rosetta, one of my mums friends. Eva and her older brother were like family to me I thought of Eva as my sister, you know the bubbly type.
“Heard from lover boy today?” She asks, she was referring to Braxton.
“Ev you know his only my friend”
“Mhm yep, heard that before many times but I still see it in your eyes” she says nudging me as we walked into dance class waiting for our teacher to walk in.
***
I had been here for 2 hours going over our warm up dance routines till our teacher wanted me to practice my piece for the up coming recital. My dance was a couple in love and I knew I had to practice a lot more because I couldn’t really get some of the turns right.
Everyone in that dance class was watching every turn and every lift my partner Tom and I made. I think I was just nervous about it all since it was the final dance piece that would get Tom and I into a professional dance school.
As the music ended everyone had clapped “I need you guy to practice that every day from now on you only have 3 weeks to go and your turns and lifts aren’t sharp enough” Ms Lily says, she was young but knew what she meant by dancing. Ms Lily dismissed us.
“You two are like a dream couple dancing like that” Eva says when she gets to us, Tom chuckles shaking his head as I drink some water as we walked to grab our stuff from the lockers. It was late by the time we had all finished so when we walked outside it was dark, the cool air felt good on my warm skin.
Eva was talking our ears off till we heard a car honking knowing it was her brother Julio I waved before Eva kissed Tom and I on the cheeks before running off to the low rider that Julio always drove.
“She’s a handful” Tom says as we both laughed nodding my head.
“Yeah but you get used to it after a while” I said I turned my head when I heard a motorcycle pull into the parking lot, I smiled when I saw Braxton pull up next to us.
“Hey Bub” he says giving him a smile I turn back to Tom.
“I’ll see you tomorrow?” I asked him as he nods his head I stepped over to Braxton, I put on the other helmet as I get on the back of Braxton’s bike waving to Tom before he speeds off onto the road.
Pulling up to my house I get off the bike placing the helmet I took off into one of the side compartments. “Who was that back there?” Braxton asked after he turned off his bike but remained sitting on it.
“That was Tom his my dance partner why?” I asked taking my hair out of the bun I had.
“No reason” he snaps making me look at him confused.
“My dance recital is coming up..” I started to say but he cuts me off.
“I’ll be there Bub you know that but I’ve gotta go okay” He says leaning over giving me a kiss on the cheek before starting up his bike and leaving me standing there, shaking my head I rushed inside to get ready for bed.
I couldn’t help but think that Braxton seemed a little off..
