AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I don’t even know how we got into the garage the Murrays have under their house. The lights were too bright and the walls too white, so we turned on the red lights and are now all silently staring at Chris as he types the code to his parents’ safe.
He takes out the black handgun that is slightly smaller than mine and turns to Ozy. She grabs it, steps in front of him, and grabs the pack of bullets inside.
“I’m pouring more drinks,” Luke says behind me.
A few seconds later we’re all cheering together before Chris opens a hidden door to another room. We all walk in and my eyes widen at the small shooting range Thomas and Hannah Murray have hidden under their house.
“How have I never seen this in my life?” I ask my best friend.
“Meh, it’s just a silly hobby of theirs. I discovered it by accident.”
“So…Stoneview,” Ella says as she runs a hand on the cemented walls.
There is already the black silhouette of a man on white paper on the other side of the long room. A target I know my twin is going to destroy meticulously.
“This is so cool,” Ella giggles as she gets giddy on the spot.
She’s standing too close to Ozy and I’m about to grab her arm to pull her back when Chris steps in, wraps two arms around her waist, picking her up and bringing her against the wall to join Luke and me.
“So what sort of cool tricks can you do?” Ella asks. “Can you draw a heart or something?”
We all laugh as Rose loads the gun, a smirk tracing the outline of her lips.
“Whatever you want, sweet Ella,” Rose replies calmly.
“Just impress me.”
“Ozy, you’re drunk. Be careful,” I warn in a flash of consciousness. It’s gone as fast as it came.
She smiles at me, turns around, and aims the gun at the target.
Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang.
She pauses to find her initial position again and lifts her aim slightly.
One. Two. Three. Four. Five.
She releases the magazine and puts it on the counter in front of her, then the gun away from it.
She presses a button, and it brings the target all the way to us. She takes it down, kisses it, leaving a mark of the red lipstick she was wearing today on the paper, and walks to Ella.
“There. Just for you.”
We all look at the target, our jaws hanging low. She shot in the heart five times in the exact same spot, and in the middle of the head five times in the exact same spot. Not one bullet had a different trajectory from the other.
“That is insane. Rose wins the hidden talent competition,” Ella shouts.
Up one floor, we settle in the basement den again. We dance to all the music Ella puts on, pose for group pictures, and build human pyramids to impress her with our horrific cheerleading level. We spend the rest of the night drinking way too much. I don’t know what time it is when I feel the room spinning from laughing and the alcohol. What was I even worried about today? I have my friends, and I love them so much. No matter what, we’ll always protect each other.
My eyes lock with my sister’s. God, I love her so much. I can’t let anything happen to her. She’s been through so much, we both have. That worriless smile she’s had on her face all night long. The giggles full of naïve happiness. This is what we deserve.
“Hug time,” Luke announces.
“Let’s put Ella in the middle,” I add.
“No!” she complains.
We don’t leave her a choice. It’s just too much fun to annoy her. Chris is on her in the next second, grabbing her by the hips and dragging her to Luke and me. We all settle around her as we start huddling in a big hug until she’s completely squished between us.
