Battle of Heirs

ASTRID

“Woohoo!!! Go girl!!”

I could hear Hattie screaming her encouragement from the crowd of people surrounding us, but I didn't tear my eyes away from my opponent, even as most people were screaming his name.

I kept my gaze firmly on Seth as I chugged down the bottle of alcohol. The liquid burned as it slid down my throat but I didn't stop. I wasn't going to let this piece of shit win against me, no matter what. I needed the reward and I was determined to get it.

Seth seem to catch my thought as the corner of his lips hooked up against the bottle, his cocky smirk on. I was going to wipe that smirk right off his ugly face.

“Done!” I screamed as I slammed the bottle down hard on the table.

Hattie's screams got to me as she tore through the crowd and wrapped in a hug. I smirked at Seth as he finally lowered his bottle, a snarl tearing from him which I laughed at. My reaction only seem to make him angrier.

“You lost, Asshole! Hand over the money!” I screamed at him even though there was no need for it now. The crowd in the bar had started to disperse after their fave lost at the drinking game. I could only imagine how much money they had lost tonight.

“You totally cheated!” Seth snarled furiously. “There's no way you drank the entire bottle! You don't even look a bit drunk!”

My amusement increased at his accusation. Sure, I had cheated to win but he didn't have any evidence for it. There was no way I would have finished the entire bottle if the bartender hadn't diluted the alcohol with water to make it easier for me. I definitely owe him a cut from this money and a massive tip the next time I visited.

I wouldn't have to result to cheating if it wasn't necessary – okay, I would – but I needed the prize money. But even if that wasn't the case, I would have cheated just to wipe that smug smile off Seth's face.

I hated that guy. He had Hattie and I thrown out on our very first visit to the bar because we weren't “old enough”, even though he was only a few years older than me.

The day I clocked eighteen, I'd walked back to the bar wearing a t-shirt that said “Seth has a small dick”. Of course, I've never seen his dick – thank God for that. But I had relished how angry it had made him. Just as I was enjoying this moment now.

“Don't be a sore loser, Smallie. Hand over the money.” I purred the nickname I had branded him with that day two years ago. He snarled angrily at the name and lunged for me. But the alcohol he just consumed made him sway, giving me enough time to escape.

I grabbed Hattie's hand and ducked out of Seth's line of attack, turned just in time to grab the wad of cash on the table and bolted out of the bar. Hattie's laughter followed as she kept pace with me.

I glanced back and saw Seth's minions chasing us, but we were still faster. It wasn't the first time I'd been chased. After a few times of getting caught, I'd made a vow to never let myself be caught again.

I tucked the money into my pocket and turned sharply into an alleyway.

“Over there!” Hattie screamed, pointing to a direction and I nodded in understanding.

We dashed to the place and I saw the bike parked lazily in a corner. I was sure the owner was very wealthy, because who the fuck parks such an expensive bike in an abandoned alleyway?

Hattie got to the bike before me and immediately set to work by trying to get it started. I paced around her while keeping my eyes on the way we came incase one of Seth's minion shows up, or worse, the owner of the bike.

This wasn't the first time my best friend and I found ourselves in this situation and it wouldn't be the last either. We needed to do this to be able to put food in our stomach. Well, me mostly.

“Hurry the fuck up, Hat! I can hear them gaining in on us.” I hissed.

I was anxious about how long she was taking. I couldn't afford to be caught by Seth. Not tonight. I needed to get home before my mother or I was in for a rude awakening.

“Almost done.” She muttered while cutting through a few more wires. The engine roared to life and she whooped excited.

“I drive?” I didn't wait for her refusal which I knew was coming as I immediately jumped on the stolen bike. She seem ready to argue but quickly followed suit as she heard footsteps.

I drove out of the alleyway, enjoying the feel of wind in my hair and feeling free for the first time in a while. Hattie's whoops echoed in the air as she flipped Seth's men off. I laughed heartedly.

Today was a good day. My mind wandered to the money stashed in my pocket. Two thousand dollars. This money would ensure we still had a roof over our heads by the end of the week.

I knew my mother wouldn't be happy with the way I got the money. She didn't approve of my stealing and getting myself in trouble but I couldn't stop. Her job as a waitress wasn't enough to feed the both of us most of the times. Her pay was so little it could barely cover rent.

We could only manage to eat once a day, but when she couldn't get her hands on leftovers from the restaurant she worked, we would go on with an empty stomach.

After my highschool, mum wanted me to go to college. She was ready to take on even more jobs just to see me through. I wanted that too. I wanted to become an artist. But I knew my dreams would remain unfulfilled without the funds. So I found a way to make money.

Illegal? Yes, but totally profitable. I didn't exactly enjoying stealing – except it's a motorbike, I love those – but I had been fired from almost every job I had done.

Waitressing, bartending, cleaning services, even babysitting – which was blasphemous because I was a delight – but my employers always seem to have a problem with me.

I'd tried to beg my high school principal to let me work at the school cafeteria but he rejected me. Apparently, I have a “wild look” that's not healthy for a learning environment. Fuck him.

“Did we lose them?” I asked Hattie over my shoulder.

“Yeah, ages ago. Let's make a stop at Lance’s. I want to stay there tonight.” Hattie said, practically buzzing with happiness as she mentioned her boyfriend.

“I'll drop you at the next stop. You can walk the rest of the way.” I said.

“Don't be like that, Astrid. You know he doesn't have a problem with you.” Hattie spoke softly.

I simply chuckled in response. We both knew that wasn't true. Hattie's boyfriend loathed me. He thinks I'm a bad influence on her, and though he wasn't wrong, I hated to be called out on my shit.

I was doing what I could to survive, why should I be faulted for that? But he didn't seem to understand that, neither does Hattie's parents.

Unlike me, Hattie wasn't struggling to make ends meet. Her parents weren't stupid rich, but they were good enough in the bag to send her to college. She just enjoys the thrill of the heist and let me keep all the money.

They hated my relationship with their daughter and have tried to stop her from being friends with me, even went as far as sending her to college in a different town, but my best friend and I always find a way around their rules. We loved each other to death, bad influence or not.

I stopped the motorbike five block's away from Lance's house. Hattie jumped down from it with a sigh.

“Why don't you ever listen to me?” She frowned.

“Why don't you ever listen to logic?” I snorted in return.

I didn't let her respond to that before zooming off, her loud whoops trailing behind me. I just hoped Lance wasn't close enough to hear it, otherwise they would spend the night fighting instead of just loving themselves. My stomach twisted ay the thought.

I increased my speed, my hair blowing from my face as I grinned widely. I was at a high risk of getting into an accident with the rate I was going, especially without a helmet, but I didn't care. I was going to enjoy this freedom before I inevitably discarded the bike tonight. I couldn't let this owner trace it back to me and be caught.

I made a sharp turn towards the place I would discadd the bike. Something seem to hit my face and my lungs burned at the next breath I took. I ignored the sensation and continued riding, but my control on the bike was slipping away.

I frowned, trying to figure out what was going on when the bike swerved. I couldn't control it in time and the bike ran straight into an oncoming vehicle, making me jump off last minute.

A sharp pain rang through my head as everything seems to go black.