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Chapter 13: Jailed

Mr. Moon would label this one a success, if it weren't for the moments that the singer was too out of breath to sing the lyric. Other than that, it seems like having this guy as a back up dancer had really lighten up the stage.

"Okay, thank you, Crystal and.... what's your name?"

"Aeon," he throws in a gun sign with a wink towards him.

"Okay, Aeon, welcome to the show, as Crystal's backup dancer, yeah? I'll give out the pointers later for you to see which will you be needing to improve before the show tomorrow. Alright, next up—"

The two walked backstage with a heavy sigh of relief. Aeon runs in front of her in pure excitement plastered almost permanently on his face, "You were great! There's no way that Moon won't give you the win!"

"Keep it down, Aeon. That was merely a dress rehearsal, I don't even know how the others had performed." Her eyes catches sight of Johnny who was already staring at them as they entered backstage, and felt like all air in her lungs had solidified. She should've been aware that he'd be here. Crystal felt the need to explain, to tell him why Aeon was there with her, but as he passed by them without a second glance, she scolded herself for even trying to make sense with him. 'What the f*ck am I doing?' Johnny rushed towards Rositta as she and Gunther were called on stage, hoping to take their place to quicken things up on his side. It's almost time, he might not be able to make it.

"Let's go. We wouldn't wanna get stuck in the rush hour," Aeon pulls her along, glancing at the guy she had locked eyes with before closing the backstage door.

"Crystal?!" Meena turns the corner in hopes of catching up with the missing contestant, yet it was a bit too late it seems.

"They're late," she mumbles, looking at her watch then back to the alley that they were supposed to meet up with their own group. Crystal can't be bothered to deal with the anxiety that her partner had to keep to himself, nor does she have the time to waste of answering whatever question he has for her. Her fingers tapped on the door-lock, pulling and pushing the little mechanism for her own stress relief.

"Crystal, back at the theater—"

"Shut. Just shut up," she shook her head, slumping her head against the window.

"RS to lookout. Over"

They look at the two way radio before Crystal transmits her own reply, "This is the lookout. Everything's clear here. Over."

"We've met with the Bunny Brothers. The load was too much to handle with just the few of them. We're heading to the second escape route. Over."

She subconsciously glances at Aeon, but then realizes that he hadn't known anything about Johnny being with the Bunny Brothers so he had nothing to worry, but she does, and his last act after her was what she was anxious of. She and all others in Riot Starters had known how this city works by the palm of their hands, the time, the traffic, the easiest places to drive through, the most crowded days it'll have, they've learned how to use that to their advantage, but Johnny doesn't know any of that. At this moment, he might as well have been caught in the traffic on the main road.

Crystal's hand started to shake, taking the phone back up to speak, "D-Dad, I think you guys should steer clear from there, cops rounded the place five minutes ago. A-And isn't the van much more spacious for the sacks?...... Over?"

They waited for at least ten seconds before receiving another transmission, "We're already here, meet us at Acorn ave. Over."

She froze, setting down the radio back on top of the dashboard. Aeon could see the uneasiness she's having, but not a slightest idea comes to mind of an explanation for it, until he finally realizes why when they've heard the report of the heist gone wrong on the twelve o'clock news today.

Crystal sat in her room in a few hours after the whole gang was jailed. This was her chance to run away, to go somewhere that no one would declare her a part of something she doesn't want to be in, somewhere away from the dictatorship of her parents and their expectations of her. Yet after all of the encouragement she faced within herself, her luggage stayed as empty and her eyes. Was this really the right thing to do right now?

A knock resounded from her door, and she knew that the only one who could disturb her from this sanctuary is none other than Aeon. "Crystal? Can you come outside for a moment?"

She stared at the luggage on her bed and closes it, going off towards the door to meet with the persistent boy who was always dead set on making her life complicated, "What?"

"Shouldn't we go check on them at the police station?...."

Crystal scoffs, a wistful smile plastering her face, "Why should I? I warned them, they didn't listen, and now they're in jail. Maybe it'll make him get to listen to me for once."

His eyes travelled behind me and saw the luggage she had laid out on the sheets, "You're.... running away?"

"I am," and her eyes fills with determination from it, "It's for the best. I've already made up my mind."

The corner of his lips twitch as he looks back to her, "C-Crystal, our family is in jail. Your dad is in jail. You can't just leave."

"And I couldn't care less about that! They're not family, Aeon. They're criminals. They're the ones preventing us to have normal lives, they deserved what they've earned."

"They've made us who we are, Crystal!" Aeon raises his voice in the same level as her rage, hoping to make her see some sense, "And they've raised you to be who you are, a talented individual who's skills unparalleled to any of us."

"In a f*cking shootout? Is that something to be proud of?!"

"I know it isn't! But.... have any of them ever done you wrong?"

She draws her breath, looking through her memories for any type of argument that can topple off his words, but in every scenario there is, Brian wasn't that harsh at all, and neither was any of the gang really. Crystal just doesn't want to accept all the rebukes from people whom she sees as a menace to society, but in the long run, she just accepted her fate and did as they pleased, not even attempting to pull out her own words to tell whenever she wants something. And it wasn't his fault that her and Johnny separated, it was Marcus. He dealt it with Brian so that Johnny could focus on their gang, and her dad merely thought of the same thing. They were both cowards against their parents, even now as they've reached of age.

"And my dad is also there so I'm going," he added, turning towards the stairs in front of her room, "At the very least, I think it's best if you confront this while they're on the other side of the glass. If you really do plan to get away from.... all of this."

Crystal glares at him and shuts the door, sliding her back down on it in pure disbelief of herself. The conflicting emotions just rushes back to her that it makes her head hurt so much. Leave or not to leave, which would be a better option?