After Hours ➳ Dinah Jane

twenty-four

The footsteps got louder and quicker behind me which caused me to start to pick up speed. I wanted to get out of this ally and into the sight of someone quick.

"Y/N?" Lauren asked in a concerned voice. "I said I was sorry. Please don't be mad anymore."

"Lauren, I may need you to call the cops." I whispered into the reciever.

"What?"

"If this phone goes dead. Call the cops." I warned her, maneuvering my way passed a tight corner that was mostly blocked by a garbage container.

"Well, what's happening?" She asked, crunching whatever snack food she had at the time.

I was almost out of the dark area when a hand grabbed my arm making me gasp loudly for the fear of what captured me.

"It's me. It's me. Chill." Masi, Dinah's cousin, said softly.

My heart was able to rest a little easier knowing it wasn't some random kidnapper who would try to sell me off in foreign countries. "Fuck." I coughed out before realizing I was still on the phone. Bringing it back to my ear, I spoke to Lauren. "Lo, I'm gonna call you back."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah I am. I'll be home soon." I said blankly before pressing the end button. "What are you doing here?"

"Don't you know you can get mugged in California allies? Especially southern Cali." Masi smirked, cocking his head to the side confidently.

I crossed my arms at him and glared, "I'll put it this way. Why are you stalking me?"

"I wasn't." Masi chuckled, rubbing his fingers over his chin. "I was over there with my friend, Tay, and I saw you walking. What are you doing out here this late?"

I shrugged and leaned against the brick wall that was cornering us in. "Had to get away, I guess."

"Well, have you talked to Dinah?"

"That's a dumb question. Shouldn't you know? You see her almost every day now."

He smirked at my sassiness and nodded, "You're right. But you should text her. Actually, do it right now."

"Why?"

He shrugged, "I dunno. Maybe because she told me you two had a falling out. Apparently you kissed your hot friend."

"Dinah called Lauren hot?"

"No, Dinah called her a pale ess ho. But I just assumed that meant your friend was really pretty so D got jealous." He told me, "She called my ex ugly and she was fit to a T."

"Fine." I said so he wouldn't continue telling me the details about his 'fit ex girlfriend'.

"For sure." Masi smiled, pulling me in by my waist for a slightly tensed hug. "After what you and Dinah did to keep this from us. you're family."

"How does this make me family?"

"Cause family can be sneaky and shady as shit. You two were just pros at it." He laughed, realigning his backwards SnapBack.

--

I put down the keys after walking in through the kitchen. Lauren and Camila were in each other's arms, making out like there was no tomorrow. For a second, I watched them just because I never get to catch people doing something 'naughty'. With my friends I'm always the one getting caught.

I cleared my throat loudly making the two split apart and rub their swollen lips like they hadn't been doing anything that whole time.

"Thanks for finally making it back home." Lauren mocked, flipping her long thick hair to one side of her head.

"Sure thing." I responded blandly as I turned the corner to enter her bedroom and crash face first on the bed.

I was still so numb about Dinah. I just wanted things back to the way they were before. Like when I was in high school.

Ms. Hansen had just told us that she assigned us to read a new book. She came around the class with a box and put a book on each students desk.

At the time, her and I were on a hot streak and couldn't keep our hands off of each other when we were alone.

She placed a book on my desk but I noticed something different about mine. There was something in the middle of it. I slowly opened to that page to see a folded piece of paper with the words 'open quietly' on the outside.

I turned my head to see Lauren staring intently at the book, already starting to read it to herself like Ms. Hansen had told us to do.

I used my fingers to quietly open the note that she obviously placed in there for me.

'I don't know if you heard me but you made me gasp when I saw you walk into the room today. God damn baby girl, you look good. Better be here for tutoring after school because those clothes will probably look better on my floor. Prepare yourself. ;)

- Dinah

P.S. rip up this paper when class ends. thanks babe'

I looked around the room to see if anyone was watching me. My cheeks started hearing up and I decided to look at the front of the room to see Dinah smirking and staring straight at me. She quirked her brows up and smiled with her teeth before rolling her chair all the way up to her desk and began grading papers with a red pen.

"You can't be asleep. It's only nine." Camila whined, jumping on the bed beside me.

Lauren took it as a courtesy and jumped on top of Camila and I, causing me to grown out in pain because her elbow hit a soft spot on my back. "That definitely woke her up." Lauren laughed, rolling off onto the other side of me.

I turned over groggily and looked up at the ceiling. "What's drug dealer Harry doing now? Have you heard?"

"Still selling drugs." Lauren responded, burying her face into her own pillow.

"Interesting." I said, mentally noting to myself to text him. If anything, I need him now more than ever.

"Nuh uh. Not in my house." Lauren warned me.

"What if I share?"

"You know I'd be down, Y/n." She frowned, "But my Dad knows the landlord and if that guy smells weed coming from my apartment then my ass will be grass."

"You can't smell what I'm going to buy."

"No way in hell are you getting cocaine." Camila spoke up. "Pigs will fly out of Donald trumps ass-face before I will let either of you do that."

"I was joking." I defensively replied. "But I won't do it here, Lo. Don't worry." I sat up on the bed and pulled my phone out of my hoodie pocket. I hurried to scroll through tons of insignificant contacts to find 'Hazza'.

y/n: You're a wizard, Harry.

hazza: ha ha. very funny. not like I haven't heard that about a billion times 😒

hazza: but what's up, fam. long time no talk

y/n: yeah I found my way stuck in Cali again. I was just wondering if I could buy a gram or two off of you and we could chill?

hazza: more than down. u wanna meet me at that mini mart down my street?

y/n: see u there in thirty.

I took a stand on the ground and looked at Lauren, "I gotta go meet Harry."

Lauren reached out for my hand and pouted, "Please don't go. You promised you would come home and stay."

"Camz can keep you company." I told her, pulling away. "I just need to figure out what I gotta do and maybe this'll help me clear my head so I can do that."

Lauren nodded, looking down at the floor sadly. "Just text me when you're on your way home."

I turned on my heel and headed towards the door, not really thinking about what would happen next.