Are we too young for this? ~ The Neighborhood

☆

"I'm not running from anything." Victor's voice ran through my head the rest of the games. After a couple of hours of beating blue teams butt we got a call that it was time to come back.

I walked behind Isa and Natalia as we exited the building. Nico sat on Victor's shoulders, the boys surrounded him, cheering him on.

"Aniya?" Called Isa, she ran her fingers through the tips of her hair.

"Yes," I hummed.

"Are you and Nico's brother dating?" She asked with a confused smile on her face.

Natalia gasped, her nose scrunching. "Why would you ask that Isa? You can't just ask people those questions." She scolded her friend.

"But I wanted to know," Isa whined.

I laughed at the two banter. "Stop it girls, it's ok. No, Victor and I are not dating."

"Oh," Isa released.

Natalia slid her eyes to her suspiciously. "You're being weird."

Isa's mouth dropped, " how am I being weird. You're weird, you eat pineapple on your pizza." She pointed a finger.

"Because it's good," she retorted back. I sighed as I ushered them into the car. They continued bickering and buckled themselves in.

"Can you please make them stop," Dallas looked at me hopelessly.

I looked back at the girls just talking in the back. "I don't think I can." We both turned back to them and shook our heads.

Nico climbed to the back and sat himself between the two of them. "Stop arguing, it's my birthday. I don't like when you guys argue."

The girls stopped and looked at Nico. They both wrapped their hands around him, "we're sorry Nico."

I awed at the trio. When it seemed peaceful enough I closed the door and joined Victor in the front. He sat in the driver's seat, his head leaning against the headrest, eyes closed.

"You ok?" He opened his eyes, nodded his head, and put the car in reverse.

When we reached the house we all got out and walked inside. I walked in last with Nico like Kendall told me to.

Little feet patted on the marble floor. "Uh where is everyone?" Nico scratched his head. The rest of the kids stopped too, looking around.

I then too started to notice that no one was here. I thought at any second someone was going to jump out of nowhere and surprise us but it never happened.

"Victor, where is everyone," I whispered to him.

He pulled out his phone and put it to his ear. "I'm calling mom," he announced. I shooed all the kids to the living room as the phone rang on speaker.

After the second ring Kendall picked up. "Where are you guys," she immediately said.

My eyebrows furrowed, "we're at the house like you told us to go. Where are you?"

There was a long silence on the phone before Kendall cursed. "Aw man, I forgot to tell you the change in plans."

"Change in plans?" Victor said.

"Hehe, yeah. I actually meant to send you here." Our phones dinged and an address popped up in a text message.

"Please hurry, you're late."

"Send us to the correct place next time." Victor said into the phone. I heard a cut off gasp as he ended the call.

"You're gonna hear it from your mom when we get there." I told him referring to the way he hung up on her.

He shrugged his shoulders, "I don't care. Nico, other kids. Get back in the car." He yelled over to the living room.

They all came along asking a hundred questions about where we were going. I kept telling them it was a surprise but the still kept asking. I tuned them out by turning the radio on and humming the song playing.

We pulled up to a pretty large building and a huge smile spread on my face as I read the sign. "Charlie and the chocolate factory," was spelled out in yellow bold letters. The place was decorated like the outside of the factory in the movie.

I helped everyone out once again. Nico took a moment to stand in awe at the place. I put my hands on his shoulders and guided him to the door.

This time when Nico walked in, an array of people yelled "happy birthday!" I laughed as Nico gasped once he saw everyone in character. He ran over to his mom and gave her a big hug. She kissed all over his face sweetly.

"Alright kids, are you ready to hop on the chocolate river?" A man dressed as Willy Wonka asked the crowd.

"Yeah!" All the kids yelled.

"I only have one rule,  you must keep your hands inside the boat. Do not touch the chocolate, do eat the chocolate. Do you understand!"

"Yeah!" He guided us to a large colorful boat. The  Oompa-Loompas helped everyone on and we all took a seat. I sat off to the side so most of the kids could sit in the front together.

Victor sat beside me and my mom and Kendall in front. Victor was once again on his phone. "What happened to the books you carried everywhere?" I asked him.

The engine made a strange strangling sound before we started moving. Our moms watched the kids in delight as we streamed down the chocolate path.

"Nothing," he blew a breath, stealing a glance at me, hair in his eyes. "Just didn't feel like bringing em out today." He bit his bottom lip putting all of his attention back to his phone.

The boat came to a sudden and startling stop. My body flew right into Victors. I groaned from my side crashing into his arm. "Sorry," I said before sitting back up.

"V, why don't you switch seats with Aniya. She's smaller than you so her body gets moved easily. Aniya, take his seat in the corner. He can hold his own." Kendall insisted.

"Ok," I smiled. I stood to my feet and Victor stood to his. The boat made another stop and I went flying again. Right into Victor's arms. He caught me and held me up by the waist.

I blushed and ducked my head. I could feel our moms eyes on us as we switched seats finally. I avoided their gaze and actually paid attention to the tour.

My eyes widened when it looked like we were reaching the end of a waterfall. "Uhh is that real," I asked Victor pointing to our possible doom.

"Uh. Yeah, have you not watched the movie?" He raised an eyebrow.

"But I wasn't planning on getting wet today, and who knows what's in that water to make it that color," I cringed.

I shook my mom's shoulder, she turned around, her eyebrows furrowed. "Mom I don't want to get wet, I just did my hair," I whined.

She rolled her eyes "oh come on Aniya stop being so dramatic you can dry off at home. Live a little."

I sat back in my seat, crossing my arms. I am going to be drenched in dark brown liquid. Great.

We soon reached the end of the river quickly. I moved in different positions trying to figure out how I was going to cover my hair. I straightened it last night and it took me four hours. I am not letting four hours go to waste.

My body became alarmed as the kids in the front began screaming. I laughed as they got completely soaked but it soon stopped once it was my turn. "Oooh," I huffed.

I screamed with my hands in the air forming what I hope was a dome over my head as we went down. We were moving very fast and the water was coming quickly. I snapped my eyes shut.

I then heard a loud splash but nothing got on me. When I opened my eyes Victor was shielding me with his body. A few drops of water landed on my arms and legs but my hair was untouched.

I gasped when his eyes opened and I got to see those beautiful grey irises again. "You could have taken it," he said before peeling off of me and sitting back in his seat.

I cast him a strange look, "Uh thank you?" I relaxed in my seat. I could hear my heartbeat in my ears. He tilted his head back and ran a hand through his now wet hair. It curled up slightly.

"You have pretty hair," I said, slightly pulling at one of his curls.

His cheeks tinged pink, aweee he's blushing, "thanks."

The ride was soon finally over and we could get off the boat. I was the first one off with wet socks and wet shoes. Ew.

—

Tw: mentions of sexual assault

—

The next day at school was one of our last days in junior year. I had to empty out my locker this morning and throw trash away.

I pulled out an old page of notes from math class and tossed it in the trash bag. I don't need this, it'll only remind me of school over the summer which stresses me out. I don't need to be stressed.

Declan walked in the doors with a hard and serious look on his face. I raised a hand to say hi but I couldn't even get a word out as he stalked past me.

Lily showed up beside me with her eyes on him as well. "What's up with him?" She asked, sticking a piece of gum in her mouth.

"I don't know but he seems pissed."

He then stopped at someone's locker. It was open and we could only see a hand holding onto the door. Declan slammed the door shut barely missing his face.

"The hell is your problem," the guy yelled. He went to open it back up, but was tackled to the floor and punched square in the jaw.

Lilly and I both gasped as he just kept delivering blow after blow. "Why is Declan punching Alex?" Lilly watched.

Quinn came around the corner, her eyes widening. Her eyes were red as if she was crying. She held onto her books tightly as she watched the two tumble. "It's because of me."

"What happened?" I asked.

A few tears began to slip out but I wiped them for her. Lilly held onto her hand and squeezed it. "Declan kept on asking me what was wrong this morning. And I told him it was nothing but he wouldn't leave me alone. He asked me if I hated him and I felt bad because I love him you know I just-" she paused tilting her head back and taking a deep breath.

"Take your time," I said, rubbing her arm.

"So I told him what happened that day I left and he became livid. He didn't even listen to anything else I said he just stormed away and now they're-" she sobbed again covering her face with her hands.

"What did Alex do?" I asked, feeling my body starting to shake in anger.

She looked up at me again. "That day I was in his room, he knocked on the door when Declan was in the bathroom. He spilled soda all over himself so he went to take a quick shower. He said he was a friend of Victors and I let him in. God I'm so stupid. He started looking at me weird so I tried to leave but he blocked the door and he-he kissed me and started touching me down there." She shuddered in disgust. "I tried to push him away but he held my wrists and it hurt Aniya it hurt." At this point her body was shaking more than mine as she relieved those horrid memories.

Tears flooded down Lily and I's face as we listened to her story. We pulled her into a hug and cried together. I can't believe I almost let that creep kiss me. He hurt my best friend and it broke my heart.

Staff and teachers were pulling the boys apart already. Declan looked rough but not as bad as Alex did. "Learn the fucking word consent you conniving son of a bitch," he yelled as he was pulled away by two teachers.

"Man fuck you, don't get hot because two of your friends were interested in me and not you."

I scowled at him. "Go to hell Alex!" I screamed from across the hall. I moved Quinn so she wasn't facing him. People were whispering in the halls. Teachers shook their heads and announced "go to class, kids, nothing to see here."

Declan and Alex were directed to the principal's office. Declan looked back at us with sad eyes in Quinn's direction before following behind Alex and his swollen nose.

——

Hey guys, this chapter was pretty heavy. I just wanted to say that no matter what you are loved and I am so sorry if you have ever been a victim of rape, sexual assault, or sexual harassment. Stay strong <3