The group of us walked home in the freezing mid-January evening. I was nineteen now and in my first year at an art school in London. Being accepted for Textile Design meant that I was doing something that I really enjoyed and better yet, was that Hayley and I were studying the same course. Commuting from home in the outskirts of London to the heart of the city multiple times a week could build up in expenses, so I still worked at the Dartfish and used the money primarily to pay for transport. The rest went into everyday needs and my savings. Walter sometimes drove me when he could, but he usually had training and so I often took the tube as it was faster than driving in the traffic anyway.

It had been just over a year since the fight with the Santiagos which ended with my father’s death. I was closer with the Santiagos now, but it didn’t mean that the Simpsons were too. The two gangs still had organised gang fights and caused each other pretty serious bodily harm every now and again. Even though I was part of the Simpson gang, I wasn’t involved in any of the fighting. It was both my choice and Walter’s. I didn’t think any of the Santiagos would have fought me even if I’d asked them to anyway. Ario would have killed them for it, if Walter hadn’t gotten there first.

“Speak some French, Gomez,” Severn was saying. “I still can’t believe you haven’t dropped that subject yet.”

Gomez cast his brother a smirk, “I can’t speak French for shit. I’m only there for Clementine.”

“Who also has a boyfriend,” I remembered. “Right?”

“Yep,” Gomez’s smirk grew. “But I like a challenge.”

“It’s the ultimate heist,” Giovanni grinned.

I shook my head at the three of them and saw Landon nodding in approval.

“Really, Landon?” I looked at him.

He shrugged, “Stealing someone’s girl is just a bit of harmless fun.”

“Wow,” Walter muttered. “Why am I actually surprised by that shit coming out of your mouth?”

I rolled my eyes at Landon’s chuckle and Walter tucked me in closer to his side as a sharp wind blew at us.

The triplets were sixteen and had since enrolled at a new school after being expelled from their previous one in West Side territory over a year ago. Their new school was in neutral grounds and thankfully none of the Santiagos attended it, otherwise the triplets would have, no doubt, been kicked out by now. I was happy that they were still trying when it came to schooling and education. They may not have given a single care about their grades or their upcoming public exams, but it meant that they were more occupied during the day and not getting up to too much trouble outside of the school gates.

“You think Phoenix ordered anything for dinner?” Walter asked as we drew closer to home.

“No,” Severn said. “We’re cooking tonight. Me, Gio and Gomez.”

Walter tried not to retch and I pinched his arm hard.

“How could I forget?” Walter forced a smile and I almost cracked up laughing at how dreadful his acting was.

“I’m looking forward to it,” I said encouragingly to the triplets.

I’d taught the boys how to cook a little bit and they now took turns making dinner. The triplets were the worst at it, but I loved their enthusiasm and I was always ready to lend a hand. It was a change from all the takeaways they used to buy and it saved money too, not that the Simpsons were tight on cash or anything like that.

***

We arrived home and entered the warm house that looked antique on the outside but sleek and modern on the inside. I walked into the living room where Eli was tucked up in a blanket on one of the sofas, drinking a mug of tea. Phoenix was sitting in the armchair, cleaning one of his guns and I could tell that he’d been enjoying the peace and quiet whilst the triplets (and Landon) had been out of the house.

The triplets shattered that scene of bliss in a second.

“Guess who’s back and looking hella bad?!” Giovanni grinned, pulling up his top and starting to peel the large plaster off his chest.

“Look at mine,” Severn said, rolling up his sleeve and starting to remove the plaster to show his brothers. “It hurt like hell – ”

“Can you shut up?” Phoenix scowled at them.

“I didn’t even say anything,” Gomez said as he stood in the middle of the room.

Phoenix sighed sharply and got up to leave.

“Oh come on Phoenix,” Giovanni said as Phoenix gathered his gun parts and walked past him. “Don’t you want to see?”

Phoenix ignored them and Walter laughed darkly.

“Eli, you wanna see?” Giovanni asked him instead.

Eli didn’t answer and Landon bounded over to him, throwing himself into the sofa that Eli was sitting in and jostling him, which caused hot tea to spill down his arm.

“What is wrong with you?” Eli glared at him with angry green eyes.

Landon grinned back, “You looked like you missed me.”

Eli didn’t reply. He tossed the rest of his burning drink in Landon’s face and I dropped my jaw, although to be honest I shouldn’t have been surprised by the reaction. Eli only smiled, his dimples appearing as Landon exclaimed and wiped tea out of his eyes.

“You’re mental,” Landon muttered, getting off the sofa.

“Glad you know,” Eli smirked and turned his attention back to the television.