B.R.O.N.X. (Justin Bieber Fanfiction)

not mine book

Brooklyn

I adjusted the rearview mirror with my left hand so it was facing me while my right one was digging inside my purse, searching for my lip-gloss.

When I finally found it, I opened it and laid a thick coat of the sticky red substance on my already plump lips. The smell of strawberry instantly filled my nostrils, mixed with the new-car scent. I put it back in my purse and pressed my lips together, making a popping sound. Turning the rearview mirror to its original position I hung my black purse on my shoulder and took hold of the door handle to get out of the car. I locked it and started walking towards the soccer field where the kids were finishing practice.

I sat on a bench, waiting for my little brother to come out, entertaining myself with my nails. I need to go to the salon, I thought to myself. I looked up at my brand new white Audi, perfectly parked and shining under New York’s afternoon light. It was a present my parents had bought me for passing last course with good grades but I hadn’t got it until the beginning of September because they had to bring it all the way from Europe. Definitely, it was worth the wait. This was probably the third time I drove it, considering it was still September 16th although I’ve had my license since I turned 16. It’s not like you can use your car a lot in a city like New York, unless you like traffic jams of course. But I still wanted to have a car and not being driven everywhere by my dad or my annoying older brother. And I always get what I want.

“Brooklyn! Brooklyn!” My brother Tommy appeared by my side screaming my name.

“Hey little boy. How was practice?” I asked ruffling his hair.

“It was great and I made a new friend.” He said smiling from ear to ear. “Jaxon come meet my sis!” he shouted at some kid.

I love my little brother with all my heart; actually he’s the only bearable one of my siblings. I’m the only girl and sometimes I feel alone but Tommy, being just 7 years old, is too adorable.

“Wow your first day of practice and you already made a friend, that’s great!” I kneeled down to his level, grinning.

Soon a little boy with the blondest hair I’ve ever seen came towards us shyly.

“So you must be Jaxon, nice to meet you. I’m Brooklyn but you can call me Brooke.” I stuck my hand out for him to shake, which he did with a shy smile.

“Nice to meet you Brooke.” He said with a really cute voice.

I stood up again and took Tommy’s hand to lead him to the car. I was gonna start walking when I saw Jaxon making his way to the subway station.

“Wait Jaxon! Is nobody coming to pick you up?” I pulled my eyebrows together in confusion. He is only seven, he can’t ride on the subway alone.

He shook his little head but made an attempt to keep walking.

“Come here, we’ll give you a ride home.” I smiled reassuringly. If you haven’t noticed, I love children.

“No, don’t worry.” He shook his head again.

“I’m not taking no as an answer.” I sang and took his hand in my free one, leading the two kids to my car. Jaxon’s mouth formed an ‘o’.

“You like the car?” I asked.

He looked at me and nodded, still in awe. I laughed and ushered them both in the back seat, fastening their belts and closing the door before hoping on the driver’s seat. I put the keys in the engine and set my purse on the passenger’s seat.

“Do you know your address so I can put it on the GPS?” I asked turning on my seat to face him.

He told me and I typed it, gasping when I saw where it was. But I shrugged it off and pulled my wooden wedges against the accelerator, speeding down the road following the GPS instructions. It’s not like I could kick the child out just because he lived where he lived.

After a lot of ‘turn to the left’s and ‘turn to the right’s we stared leaving behind the safe streets of Manhattan. I’ve been out of Manhattan, to Chelsea, Queens, hell I have even been to Brooklyn but I’ve never been to the Bronx. Just the name sounds scary, more if you’ve heard it’s one of the most dangerous places in the world. I’m not a judgmental person but my parents have always told me to stay away from there and I can’t believe I’m about to disobey them.

The kids were chatting carelessly in the back of the car, about soccer I guess, while I could notice my palms getting sweaty and my stomach churning unpleasantly.

“Am I going right?” I asked, the sound of my voice concealing the one coming from the car being locked from the inside. Okay, I admit it. I’m scared.

“Yes, my house is near.” Jaxon replied smiling.

“Okay.” I whispered and kept driving, trying not to look at my sides where people were either smoking weed, fighting or girls were exposing their bodies with a cigarette hanging from their over-lipsticked mouths. I know that word doesn’t exist but you know what I mean.

I was actually surprised by the fact that this have always been  – for all I know – a black neighborhood and Jaxon is white so I’m guessing his whole family is too. I thought white people weren’t well regarded here and judging by the stares my car was getting from people in the streets it seemed right. I remember last year, some of the jocks from my school, who think they’re better than anyone else, came here trying to play look-how-brave-I-am. The result: all of them in hospital. In fact I think one of them is still in a coma.

Maybe all I’ve heard are only urban legends but honestly what I was seeing right then kid of confirmed my suspicions. There was a group of young boys beating the life out of another one, who was struggling to stand up from the floor, only to be knocked down again by some punch or kick. On the opposite sidewalk, an old woman was lying on top of some cardboards and near her a boy had a girl pinned to the brick wall. People walked by but did nothing. I realized just then that my eyes were getting glossy and a single tear slipped down my face. I wiped it quickly, fearing the kids would see it and decided to keep my eyes focused exclusively on the road ahead.

“This is the street. My house is just a few blocks away.” Jaxon said happily. I wondered if this was the first time he was in a car. From what I was seeing here it didn’t seem so improbable.

I stole a glance at the rearview mirror and smiled at him knowing they could see my reflection.

Suddenly, a sign called my attention. ‘Social Work Office’ was written in big bold letters on top of a big door. A few people with children were coming out and a girl about my age with a big belly was getting inside. She was pregnant. I wonder how it’d be like to be 16 and pregnant and immediately thought of the MTV show. I felt bad for the girl, I don’t know what I’d do if I was to have a baby now.

“We’re here.” Jaxon’s soft voice snapped me out of my thoughts and I looked at the other side of the street where there was a tall building with its brick walls plastered in old posters.

“Is there anyone at your house?” I asked, afraid to leave the little kid alone after everything I had witnessed.

“My brother is over there.” He pointed to a group of guys that were sharing what seemed like beer and most likely marijuana. I searched for a white boy among all the black people that were forming a circle in the street. It was an easy task since there was only one white boy. He looked our way and for a millisecond our gazes met, making my cheeks go slightly pink. The guy was drop dead gorgeous, no doubt about that. His dirty blonde hair was spiked up in a messy way and even though I couldn’t quite make out the color of his eyes, I would say they were brown, like mine. I didn’t have time to keep staring because Jaxon’s voice interrupted.

“I can’t open the door.” He said tugging on the handle again and again. Then I remembered I had locked the car and quickly pressed the button to unlock it.

“Try now.”

And so he did and stepped out. “Thanks for taking me home Brooke.” He said with the cutest voice ever. I smiled. “No problem sweetheart.”

In the blink of an eye, Gorgeous Boy, how I had decided to call Jaxon’s brother was by my car, picking his brother up after stomping his foot on the butt of the blunt he had just finished smoking. Poor Jaxon, I thought. I was ready to leave when all of Gorgeous Boy friends began walking towards the car smirking and exchanging glances and weird gestures. Great way to lose my new car. I was already saying goodbye to my beauty when the guys stopped in their tracks and I heard knocking on my window. I turned around and saw Gorgeous Boy moving his hand motioning me to roll the window down. Scared of what he could do if I refused I pressed a button and the window started rolling down leaving our faces mere inches away from each other. I gulped a lump of saliva that was blocking my troath and the boy chuckled, probably at the fact that I was terrified. All the hairs in my body rose up in fear. He may be good looking but he was also freaking scary.

“Nice ride shawty.” He said, winking at me, making me even more nervous.

“T-thanks.” I stuttered.

“But you better not come near here again if you want to keep it.” He said in a warning tone.

I didn’t say anything else, afraid that my voice wouldn’t come out and just nodded.

With one last glare he picked Jaxon again and went away, disappearing inside the building.

I started the car with shaking hands, wanting nothing more than to be far away from here and not coming back ever again.