Basically Strangers (revised)

[7 - Stranger With A Protégé]

“No,” he almost whimpered. He looked up at Arkin, eyes now unafraid. “No. I’m not giving you the money.” Arkin laughed a cold, hard, and cruel laugh and put the envelope back in it’s hiding place within his coat. Arkin leaned in, uncomfortably close to Simmer.

“Don’t make me do this, Alex,” he hissed with a violently friendly smirk.

“Don’t call me Alex,” spat Xander without hesitation. Arkin laughed once again, this time it was quiet, like they were close friends. Everything carried on surrounding them, and Arkin reached into the opposite breast of his suit and there was a small click of a gun.

“You asked for it.” The confidence drained from Simmer’s face, and pure fear replaced it. Arkin stood up and walked around the man to you, the seemingly unsuspecting person, innocently holding a vodka cran. Arkin violently gripped your shoulder and tore you out of the seat. You yelped in fear as Arkin pulled the cocked gun to your head with a crazed grin spreading across his face.

“Help me!” you shrieked in fear. “Somebody help me!” Everyone in the bar seemed to be scared, frozen as you started crying. Keeping you in a chokehold, Arkin pointed the gun at the bartender, forcing her to put her hands in the air. Everyone was scared and screaming, some getting on the floor and covering their heads.

“Gimme the money, Alex Xander,” spat Arkin, a look in his eyes that nobody should ever have to see. He was a little glad that you weren’t looking at him, because if you were, you might’ve been scared of him. Everyone seemed to be scared of Arkin Simmer, now shaking in fear, picked up the suitcase and slid it to Arkin, who violently dug the barrels into your head, making you yelp in pain and fear. You were sobbing. “No one moves or the kid bites lead. I’m talking to you, whore,” he spat at the woman behind the bar, who was visibly moving to get the emergency button under the counter.

“Let ‘em go,” Xander pleaded, just as terrified of the mad man with a gun as everyone else in the room. “Just let the kid go!” Arkin laughed that cold, sadistic laugh once again, jabbing the gun into your skull. You whimpered from the pain of getting knocked. Arkin wanted to pause and make sure he wasn’t actually hurting you.

“Everyone get on the ground!” Arkin shrieked, waving the gun around the room.

You were struggling to breathe from Arkin’s chokehold. He didn’t dare loosen it, though. Somebody might’ve noticed and caught on. Everyone dropped to the ground, fearing for your life as well as theirs. They didn’t want anyone to get hurt.

“That’s why you never defy an insane ginger, pretty boy,” Arkin hissed. He pointed the gun at you once again. He released you. “Grab the case.” You, making yourself visibly shake, grabbed the case. Arkin looped his arm around your neck and dug the gun into your skull, and you yelped. “We’re leaving.” With the hand around your neck, Arkin reached into the pocket in his coat and whipped out the orange envelope. He tossed it in the air at just the right angle to send the photos inside flying around the room.

“No!” shouted Simmer in anguish. “Don’t look at them! Don’t look at them!” He scrambled to grab the photos, all of him at a certain party, sucking on the feet of a thirteen year old girl and doing lines of coke off the back of a frat boy. Arkin laughed once again, violently guiding you through the ground and at the door. He slammed you into a car the valet had pulled up.

“Hey!” shouted the valet. Arkin tossed you in the passenger seat and hit the gas at full speed, taking off into the city.

“You alright?” he said urgently as you buckled yourself in.

“Yeah,” you groaned. “You didn’t have to hit me with the gun so hard.” Arkin smiled, genuinely smiled, as you rubbed the sore spot on your head.

“You’re a horrible actor, YN,” he chuckled. “Just helping you look authentic.” You glared at Arkin with disappointment written on your face, but a smile at your lips. “Check the money.” You popped open the bag to see hundreds of stacked bills wrapped in purple bands from the bank.

“Fifty thousand in cash,” you breathed, a wild smile covering your face. “Fifty K, Arkin.” Arkin smiled brightly, his eyes not leaving the road.

“How was that for your first job?” You chuckled, looking through the money for any trackers. You found a small one, just a tiny little box with a beeping dot. You pulled it out and chucked it into the street through the window.

“Amazing,” you giggled. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure,” he said, glancing at you. You could hear the cop sirens quietly coming. Your adrenaline was at an all time high. You were having fun. As the car approached the bridge at 130 miles an hour, Arkin grabbed your hand. “Okay, we’re going to hit the water pretty hard. Brace yourself.”

You nodded and grabbed the suitcase with one hand, tightening your grip on Arkin’s hand with your other. He stood a sharp turn and the car began hurtling off of the bridge. You splashed into the high waters quickly. You unbuckled yourself quickly before any water could get in. As Arkin had told you to do before, you grabbed the money and quickly swam away from the car towards the bridge. Arkin swam past you, probably twice as fast as you were going. When you finally got to the small ledge under the bridge, Arkin helped you up with a smile. Your hair dye dripped from your hair and into your clothes, revealing your regular hair colour. The two of you quickly burst into quiet laughter as you heard the screech of cop cars.

“Good job,” he said as he messed with your wet hair. You smiled proudly and leaned into his hand. “$50,000 for your first job. I’m a proud daddy!” You rolled your eyes.

“Now that the job is over, can you shave that disgusting goatee?” He looked offended.

“Whaaaaaat? You don’t like my goatee? I thought it made me dashingly handsome.”

“It makes you look like you’re not allowed within 500 feet of my high school.” He looked at you for a moment in silence.

“Okay, we’ll get the razor when we get home. C’mon, the car is parked in the bushes over there. There’s spare clothes in the trunk.” He took the briefcase and jumped from the ledge, swimming towards said bushes. You followed close after.

In the car, you changed in the back seat into sweatpants and a shirt. Arkin stood outside of the car, fighting the urge to look through the window. He mentally smacked himself.

“You love them like an owner loves a dog,” he muttered to himself. “Dog, dog, dog, dog, dog, dog, dog, dog, dog-”

“Are we getting a dog?” you asked as you rolled down the wind1ow, fully dressed. Arkin blushed madly, realizing you heard him.

“I uh- I don’t know. Do you want one?” You shrugged.

“The apartment complex doesn’t allow pets.” He sighed with a smile and put a hand on your head through the window.

“Maybe we’ll find a new place.” You smiled back. “After you’re done with school, kid. You gotta graduate first.” You rolled your eyes. “Hey, I’m not letting you think that a life of violence is all you need to succeed. If I end up gone, I want you safe and protected. I want-”

“Oh hush,” you chuckled. “Yeah, cause you’re just gonna poof? In that case, should I hold onto the money?” Arkin rolled his eyes and playfully pushed your head away through the window. You chuckled and laughed as he started the car to drive home.

1996 words total.
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