A Gangster's Pure Love

CHAPTER 2

Wyestone...so beautiful and peaceful in the morning. One would not believe that such a calm looking town is capable of so many atrocities throughout its day. Dangerous Gangs, Gun fights, murders you name it, are all a very normal feature of Lexi's home town. It's very own streets are stained with the blood of many of its residents. The crime rate here is so high such that some days it's a complete mayhem. With local gangs trying to take over and dominate each other and innocent people getting caught in between.

Lexi looks at a little boy riding his bike down the road and she smiles sadly. Once upon a time she was just like that little boy. Innocent and oblivious to the dangers that are always lurking in the shadows of Wyestone. But now as a young woman and one who has gone through the worst of experiences here, she knows she'll have to look over her shoulder to make sure she and her sister are safe.

She sighs loudly. It's been ten years since this blood sucking environment took away her beloved parents. Ten years since she has been in this place. Her grandmother's house was a good escape for her but she knew she would not be there forever. But then again she didn't think she would be back in Wyestone so soon. If it were up to her she'd have preferred it to be later. She looks at her car's dashboard and her eyes fall on her newly acquired ID card. Her names flashing on it make her proud.

"Lexi Peterson, The National Voice."

She reads out it's details and smiles. She may not be where she wants to be but this is a very good start. Not everyone who applies for a job is fortunate enough to get it on the nation's most read paper. So when she got the call that she'd been hired she was on cloud nine. She couldn't believe that she was in until she received her ID. Even when they told her that the vacancy was in Wyestone she was quick to let them know that she would take it.

It might have been a difficult step for her to get back to the one place that held painful memories but she also really needed this job. With it she can take care of herself and her sister even her aging grandmother. She also hopes to finally get justice for her parents.

Today marks a week since they have been back and she has spent it getting comfortable before she starting work. It's only Lexi and her young sister Sasha. Their grandmother stayed back at her home as she didn't see it necessary to move in with her grandchildren.

When she got to Wyestone Lexi decided to move to the south side of the town, a distance away from her childhood neighbourhood. She may have moved back to Wyestone but she just couldn't bring herself to go back to the place where it all happened. And besides they had sold their childhood home years earlier so nothing was tying her down there.

This move was also going to help her cope with all her nightmares that have plagued her over the years. Her parent's final moments still haunt her till this day. Many a time she wakes up to the sound of gunfire that took both their lives. No amount of counselling has been able to help her through that ordeal. And everytime she has that nightmare its like they die all over again.

She closes her eyes to keep from going down that path. Today is her parent's 10th year memorial and over the years she promised herself to only think of happy memories on this day. Especially that today is the first time she is visiting their graves, she wants nothing to make her too sad to visit them. Every year she made up an excuse of why she couldn't go when the truth was she was just too sad and couldn't come face to face with the reality of them being six feet under.

She turns to her car's steering wheel and pushes the horn as hard as she can.

"Sasha!! We are going to be late." She calls out.

This is the third time she is hooting for her younger sister to come out of their two bedroomed apartment. If they don't get going now she is definitely going to be late for work and that is not how she wants to be known for on her first day of work.

She can however tell that her younger sister couldn't care less if she goes late for her first day of high school in Wyestone.

She breathes in trying to calm herself, it's so like Sasha to get on her nerves like this early in the morning. No amount of shouting can get her little sister to budge when she is dressing up. Something about her wanting to look perfect everytime all the time.

"Sasha!"

"Geez am out. Stop shouting or you'll wake the neighbours."

Lexi just rolls her eyes. This girl couldn't care less if the neighbours get disturbed at all. When her eyes fall on what her sister is wearing, her eyes go wide. Her attire leaves little to the imagination and Lexi is embarrassed on her behalf.

"Sasha, what are you wearing?"

"Clothes."

" I can see that but you know you can't go out looking like that."

"And why the hell not?"

"Sasha we've talked about this."

"Look if you want to dress up like a nun at a forgotten monastery that's fine by me. Just don't expect me to as well."

"Sash..."

"No Lexi! Mum and dad are gone and am not going to throw my life away like you. Am only 15 for crying out loud."

She looks at her younger sister speechless and her description of her life stings a little. While her young sister spends her time hanging out with friends and making new ones Lexi spends her's locked away in her little bubble of responsibilities. She has always convinced herself that she was older and needed to be the responsible one but even she knows that is all an excuse.

"Mom and dad are gone but we are here Lex... I don't think they would want us to go on like this." She finds her sister looking at her with concern.

"Just promise me that you will at least stay low and out of trouble please."

"Am a queen Lex, am not meant for the shadows."

And with that her sister buckles up and Lexi is left speechless. Her little baby is all grown up and she is still not ready to let go and let her be.

She turns the key in her ignition and her car roars to life. A glance on her watch shows that she still has a bit of time before she is actually late. She drives out of their driveway and before long they are on the main road.

"Did you carry your phone?" Lexi looks at her sister.

"Show me a teenager who moves without their phone." Her sister smirks to which Lexi just laughs.

"Please call me, incase anything goes wrong okay?"

"Nothing will go wrong, stop being a pessimist."

"Sash..This is Wyestone, it's not like grandma's."

"I know it's not like grandma's but it's also not like it's so dangerous we are going to die the next minute. If it was, I doubt your overly cautious self would have brought us back here." Her sister gives her a wide grin knowing she is right.

"Still, give me a call."

"Alright mother."

Her sister's words are laced with sarcasm but they move Lexi's heart because that is all she has tried to be for her sister. She has fought to try to give everything to her just so that she doesn't feel their parent's absence the way she herself feels it. Whenever she'd miss them too much and feel like she was failing she always drew strength from her father's words that always reminded her that she was strong because she came from a family of strong people. Just that kept her moving each day accomplishing one thing at a time.

When the school comes into view she keeps an eye out for a parking slot and when she spots one she quickly turns into it. Sasha jumps out before the car even stops fully making Lexi laugh. It's her way of escaping a good bye lecture from her.

"Don't forget to call me!" She shouts after her but all she gets is her sister throwing her hands in the air in protest.

She just shakes her head in response before she drives out. Time for her to get to her office.

Another car driving out just the moment she does grabs her attention. After moving for a few metres she feels like she is being followed when she sees the car trailing her but her sister's words remind her that maybe she is over thinking it. She decides to focus on what her day has in store for her instead.

"Happy thoughts only Lexi."