Age Is Just a Number

Zara’s POV: 

I stop walking and peek through the window seeing Randy’s dad grabbing a handful of his mom’s hair and pull it. He slaps her face. His mom was on the floor, covered with bruises and cuts, begging him to stop. 

Quickly, Randy made his appearance, teeth grinding against one another as he clenches his fist tightly. “Don’t touch her!” He screams and pushes his dad off. 

He rushed towards his mother and held her trembling body with his own as she continued crying. His dad grabbed a glass cup and threw it against him, but I knew it intended for his mom. “It’s your fucking fault that the cops came today! You fucking whore! Why the fuck do you scream so loud!” 

There were glasses all over the floor and some on Randy’s back. I watch.as the blood oozes down while he shoots his dad a nasty glare. Randy’s dad threw the alcohol bottle against the wall causing his mom to shriek a little, placing her hands over her head, crying into Randy’s chest. 

“I’m fucking out of here,” he growls, grabbing a fresh bottle of alcohol from the fridge and his jacket, then slammed the front door shut. 

Randy ignored the pain on his back and helped his mom, who was crying, get up and walk to the other side of the house. 

A few times, cops drop by the house, and Randy’s dad gets arrested, but in the end, he always gets released. Even when Randy went to them, they couldn’t get enough to get Randy’s dad put into jail for good. 

Randy doesn’t believe in the system anymore.. 

He said they abandoned him. 

O 

1/6 

mergency calls only 

142 

They couldn’t get enough evidence because Randy’s mom refused to accept that she is physically abused. She is too afraid of his dad to turn him in. 

The fear, it ties people down, mentally and physically. It works on the mind as torture, elevating primal emotions, decreasing logic. Fear is a kind of madness, but it is useful if you know how it works. 

Randy’s dad knows how it works. 

There is a part of me that believes that Randy is comfortable around me because I don’t tell him what to do with his life. No, the real reason he is around me is perhaps I reflect the woman he holds dear. 

I can see myself in her. 

I release a sigh, grab some pebbles, and start climbing the tree towards his window. Leaning my head against the tree, I shut my eyes, hearing the noises of the neighborhood. Silently. I sat there. waiting for him to finish treating his mom. 

When I saw his lights flickering on, I grabbed the pebbles in my palms and threw it until I caught his attention. His brows furrowed together as he lurked closer, opening the window. “Zara? What the actual fuck are you doing here? Do you know how damn dangerous it is around this type of neighborhood?” Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

Of course, I know, his neighborhood is infamous for having drug dealing, prostitutes, and criminals. 

“I’m here to apologize,” I whisper, dragging myself closer to the edge of the branch. 

“And you couldn’t shoot a damn text?” 

I shrug, then grin. “I thought it would be more romantic for me to apologize in person.” He chuckles and shakes his head, leaning half of his body out the door. “Your back okay?” I ask. 

The corner of his lips twitched slightly as I sat there, staring at him, “You saw?” He said in barely an audible tone, and I nod. “I’m fine, used to it, you know,” he replies, 

2/6 

mergency calls only 

giving me a tight smile. 

“I’m sorry,” I said. The music boomed louder than ever. 

“It’s okay, Zara.” 

X067% 

11:42 

“No, it’s not okay. I shouldn’t have talked about your mother. That was wrong of me,” I said, swallowing the guilt. 

“Since you walked across town, in the dead middle of the night, how can I not accept your apology. Get down, I’ll take you home,” he said. 

“Alright.” 

He grabs his jacket, turns back towards me, and tilts his head downward. 

I was about to climb down until I saw several black cars pulling towards the house across from Randy. The street lights were flickering above them, and there was this ominous atmosphere as I watched each person step out. 

They were all wearing neatly sewn suits and dark shades covering their faces, scattering around the front of the house. Suddenly, the music shut down, and I couldn’t hear anyone talking. My eyes scan the neighborhood seeing people slamming their doors shut. Soon, the chirping of grasshoppers takes over. 

I sat there, dangling my legs as I stared at them. My eyes widened, nearly losing my balance on the branch when I saw someone who looked oddly similar to someone 1 know. 

He had a cigarette between his lips, which he dropped on the ground and burnt out with his shoes. He pushed his hair back as a man went up to him and whispered something into his head. I watch as he nods and heads inside the house. 

“Zara!” Someone calls for me quietly, and I look down to see Randy. “Why are your still up there!? Come down!” 

I took one last glance and climbed down the tree with his help halfway. “Who are those people across your street?” I whisper. 

2/6 

He rolls his eyes. “It’s the fucking mafia. They own this street.” My body froze at his statement as I lurked closer to them, but he pulled me back. “Are you crazy?! Getting close to the mafia?!” He whispers. 

“N–No, it’s just, I saw someone I thought I knew.” 

“I doubt it.” He pulls me towards his door. 

“I thought you’re taking me home.” 

“Well, change of plans, I didn’t kn-” Before he could finish, gunshots went off, and he quickly opened his front door. He drags me inside and slams it shut. “Fuck.” 

“What’s happening?” I ask, scrolling towards the window to take a peek. 

Randy takes off his jacket. “The mafia is collecting their payments.” 

My eyes narrow, trying to see them, but I only knew a bunch of men in suits and heard some more gunshots. “Huh?” 

“The guys living across the streets have been stealing drugs from the mafia for months and selling them, so they are pissed,” he explains. 

I turn towards him. “How would you know?” 

“Living in this street, you would know that words spread, and people can’t keep their mouth shut,” he said, closing the curtains. 

“I can’t take you home, and I refuse to let you walk this late at night. You can wear my clothes and sleep in my bed.” 

“What about you?” 

“I’ll sleep on the couch.” 

“And your mom?” 

“She doesn’t wake up till afternoon for her shift. I’ll take you home by then,” he 

3/6 

explains. Randy heads upstairs. “Let’s go.” 

My head turns one last time to peek outdoors to see another car pulled up. The men start lining up, tilting their heads down as the driver steps out. The driver opens the door, and my eyes widen, seeing someone else that’s too familiar stepped out of the car. He was wearing a clean black suit, fingers brushing his hair back. A man walks up to him and whispers some words into his ears while I narrow my eyes, tilting my head forward for a closer look. 

No way. 

“Zara, are you coming?” Randy said, taking away my attention from them. 

“I’m coming.” I replied, turning my head back towards the window, but he was 

gone. 

Swiftly, I release the curtain and walk upstairs behind Randy. My fingers were playing with my sleeves as I stared down at the carpets. There must be something wrong with my eyes because there is no way that person is William. I shake my head, releasing that thought and continue walking towards his room. 

over. This isn’t my 

My eyes scan the surrounding, seeing his room the same as first time over at Randy’s house, much to his dislike. Honestly, I stalked Randy before. That’s how I knew where he was living. I was curious about his private life when I shouldn’t and followed him home. Then, he was curious about my life and stalked me back. In a way, as revenge for what I did. In short, we are two weirdos who don’t know what we are doing half of the time. 

He threw a pair of shorts and a shirt down on the bed. “Bathroom is down the hallway, same as always, do not make any noise,” he said in a stern voice. He grabbed a pillow and stepped out. 

I stand there, listening to his footsteps echoing in the hallway, and I walk towards the window. I turn off the light, open the window, and climb towards the tree branches. Slowly, I sat there, staring at the house across the street with a bunch of cars. The wind picked up, and I threw on my hood. 

After some time, I can see the front door opening and the men outside quickly 

5/6 

gathering in a neatly formed line. Placing their arms on their side, they bowed down at a perfect angle. My heart started pounding, terrifyingly loud as my nails dug deeply into the woods. Sweat drenches my skin, eyes throbbing inside my sockets, a ringing scream developed even in the total silence. My body trembled, but it wasn’t because of the cold. 

1. it. 

He steps out, color red stains on his shirt, deep brown eyes glaring at everyone. 

It was cold, terrifyingly cold- 

his eyes. 

He dropped the cigarette between his lips on the ground and pressed his heel on 

My eyes refuse to remove as he blows the smokes into the breezy air, fogging his image. 

My image of him has fogged. 

“William.”