Claimer: I own this entire story and all of its characters!
Enjoy the first chapter! I apologize its so long, but I promise won't regret it!
It was daybreak in Boston, Massachusetts. The beams of the rising sun ran into the closed dark red, velvet curtains of the largest window in Alison Former's bedroom. They set off a soft, crimson glow onto the caramel colored walls. Everything was still, except for Alison's thick comforter, which slowly rose and fell as she breathed soundlessly in her sleep. The red glowing on the walls grew more intense as the sun rose higher into the brightening sky. Outside, the freshly fallen snow on the ground sparked like a thin blanket of tiny crystals. Alison sighed in her sleep and pulled her comforter up to her chin. Everything was quiet. The slow "plunk…plunk…" of the leaking bathtub faucet and Alison's faint breathing were the only sounds being made — right up until—
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! The electric alarm clock on Alison's night stand struck six AM and went off with very loud, annoying beeps. The fourteen year old raised a tired arm and moved the sheer, white curtain of the canopy above her aside before smacking the 'snooze' button. To assure that she wouldn't fall back asleep, Alison sat up, flung her legs over the side of her waterbed, and picked the sand out of the corners of her eyes. Once she felt awake, Alison turned the alarm on her clock off, stood up, and yawned hugely while she stretched her muscles. Afterwards, she grabbed her red, satin Japanese kimono robe off of the hook on her bedroom door and put it on over her pajamas. She tied the robe's rope around her waist as she crossed the room to her largest window. She tied the curtains away from it, allowing the sun to flood the room with light.
Alison walked back across the room to her small bathroom that only contained a tub, a sink, a little cabinet, a circular window, and a room divider, which was placed at the head of the bathtub. Her reflection returned her small smile as she rinsed her face at the sink; it was one of Alison's favorite days of the week: Friday. But some of her happiness faded away when she touched a discolored spot on the right side of her forehead and pain surged through it. Then she realized that the purple bruise had formed in the exact same area where Vincent had struck her just last night.
Though no one could tell, Alison was an abused and neglected teenager. Her mother, Hayden, was a stripper at the local strip club downtown, but she made more than enough money to get by with. She rarely ever spoke to Alison, as if any chair Alison was sitting in were empty. Hayden's boyfriend, Vincent, who lived with Alison and Hayden, was a drunk and hated Alison. Nearly every night was the same routine: he would come home from 'work' (Vincent was a drug dealer and also made plenty of money), and get drunk, most of the time along with Hayden. But regardless he was wasted or not, Vincent would always take his anger and frustration out on Alison. Whenever he was in the house, Alison tended to either stay locked up in her room or go out with friends for the night.
After gently drying her face and putting her scented deodorant on, Alison went back to her double waterbed and began making it. She pulled the sheets and comforter, which were as white as the snow outside on the ground, over the wobbly mattress. Then she arranged the matching pillows at the head of the bed and straightened the curtains of the canopy hanging from the ceiling. Upon finishing, Alison picked up her black iPod Nano off of her glass topped nightstand, plugged the matching black earphones into her ears, and turned it on. She set it on shuffle, scrolled through her music, and selected 'Play All'. 'Bad Romance' by Lady Gaga immediately started playing.
"Rah, rah, ah, ah, ah! Roma, roma-ma! Gaga, ooh la la! Want your bad romance!"
Alison approached her vanity dresser and pulled open the shirt drawer. She flipped through the folded shirts and decided to wear her grey, off the shoulder sweater. She threw it onto the bed and closed the shirt drawer before pulling the jeans drawer open to get her deep pocketed, black skinny jeans. When she found them, Alison threw the pants on top of her shirt, pushed the drawer shut, took her robe off, and put her chosen outfit on her little body.
Alison sat down on the little stool in front of the large black vanity dresser. The mirror mimicked every stroke of her brush through her straight, brown hair. She changed the part in her hair to the left side in order to conceal the bruise and was pleased with the way it looked.
As soon as she set the brush down, a loud vibrating came from behind her. Alison jumped and gasped before realizing it was only her cell phone on the nightstand. Her heart still pounding against her ribs in fright, Alison got up from the stool, rushed over, and picked the phone up. The little screen on the front was presenting a picture of a blonde teenage girl. Her long, curly hair was pulled up into a high, messy bun and she had a smug look on her face. Beneath the picture, it read 'Britney' and in the corner was a small envelope, signifying that Alison had received a text message from one of her best friends.
She flipped her cell phone open and read the text.
"Good morning girly!" Alison pressed the reply button, typed up "Good morning to u too!", and sent it to Britney. After shutting the cell phone, she went back to her vanity and began picking her makeup for the day out of the neat assortment of colored makeup she had arranged herself. 'Bad Romance' finished playing and 'No Surprise' by Daughtry followed right after it. The phone vibrated again once she got everything she needed out of the arrangement (base, mascara, liquid eyeliner, grey eye shadow, and blush).
"Lol wut r u doing?" read the text.
"Putting my makeup on..lol" Alison replied as she started applying the makeup to her face.
"Same here! Lol :D send me a pic when yur done!" Britney sent back.
"As long as u send me one back! Lol" replied Alison.
"Of course! ;)" Alison finished with her makeup a few minutes later and carefully placed the canisters and brushes back into the midst of the neat arrangement. Then she opened her cell phone, took a picture of herself in the mirror, and sent it to Britney. By this time, 'Tik Tok' by Ke$ha was playing into Alison's ears.
While she waited for a reply, she perfected her light, thin eyebrows with her tweezers and tiny brush. Just as she was about to place both utensils back into the minute glass vase that contained them, Britney sent a picture back to her and a message that said, "LUVLY! I soo need to borrow that sweater! Lol! ;)" In Britney's picture, she was wearing a plain, navy shirt and blue jeans. Her makeup looked pretty, as usual, and her curls fell down past her chest. She was showing off her braces with a big smile.
"Thanx! :) yurs looks awesome as well! And girl, u can borrow any of my clothes anytime! Lol" Alison typed and sent back.
"Thanx! :D lol 3 hey do u need a ride to school?" Britney replied quickly.
"Yes lol plz..i hate the bus"
"K! I'll b there around 7:30ish"
"Sounds good, c u then!" Just as the Black Eyed Peas with 'Boom Boom Pow' began playing, Alison smiled, set her phone down, and decided that it was time to put on some jewelry to spice up her outfit. From her large blossom earring tree, dress frame necklace holder, and vintage iron ring hand, she selected her large hoop earrings, a stud earring, a black choker, and a winding thumb ring. She put on her elected jewelry and scented herself with her favorite perfume, 'Love Potion'. Alison stared at herself in the giant mirror. She was very satisfied with the way she looked and smiled faintly. Then, grabbing her cell phone and shoving it into her deep pocket, she got up and made a beeline for the long, walk-in closet. She went inside and got her slippers to keep her feet warm. After slipping them onto her feet, she unlocked her door (Alison kept it locked at all times when she was inside her room to prevent Vincent from barging in unexpectedly), opened it, and gave her room one last sweeping look, making sure everything was tidy, before closing it behind her.
'Boom Boom Pow' was still playing while Alison carefully descended the dark stairs that led into the living room. The front door's window was the only source of light. After reaching the bottom, Alison silently crossed through the living room to the equally dim kitchen. She was trying her best not to wake Hayden or Vincent, who were supposedly sleeping in the master bedroom to the left. So instead of turning on the overhead lights, she pushed the sliding glass door curtain to the side and opened the ones in front of the window above the sink. Sunlight streamed in and illuminated the room and allowed her to see clearly.
Alison looked through the pantry and grabbed a granola bar and then took the orange juice out of the fridge. She poured some into a little glass and sat down at the tiny dining room table. As quietly as she could, she opened the granola bar wrapper and started eating it. The first bite relieved the hunger in her no longer empty stomach. 'Sexy Chick' by David Guetta was now playing. Suddenly, her phone started vibrating once again. Alison quickly dug her it out of her pocket and glanced at the front screen. She gasped softly and her heart fluttered upon seeing the picture of a sixteen year old boy with blonde, overlong hair, the bluest eyes, and a perfect, dazzling smile. Underneath the picture it read 'Jake' and a little envelope was lingering in the corner, indicating Alison had received a text message from her boyfriend.
She quickly flipped her phone open and read the text.
"Hey sexy" Smiling widely, Alison pressed the reply button, typed "Yur the sexy one ;)", and sent it to Jake. After shutting the phone, she placed it in her lap and watched it like a hawk as she continued to eat her granola bar. In a few bites, Jake had written back.
"Not as sexy as you ;)" Alison smirked as she started feeling the desperate urge to see her boyfriend in person.
"Have u looked yur calendar? ;)" she replied.
"Yep ;) got any plans?"
"So far…only u and me tonite ;)"
"U know it ;) yur place?"
"Lets c how things work out…then we can decide ;)"
"Aiight :) soo what r u doin?"
"Finishing breakfast.. what about u?" As she typed, Alison popped the last piece of her granola bar into her mouth. The song changed again and this time it was Katy Perry with 'I Kissed a Girl'.
"Dying to c u.."
"Lol same here baby ;)"
"Again im srry i couldnt stay longer last night…"
"Its fine…u can make up for it tonight ;)"
"I got no prob with that ;)"
"Good to know…lol" By this time, Alison had finished drinking her orange juice and got up to place the glass in the sink and throw away her granola bar wrapper. 'Disturbia' by Rihanna was now playing.
"By the way, do u need a ride?" came Jake's reply as she started back up the stairs, which were now much easier to see.
"Nah britney's coming to get me in just a little bit" She entered her bedroom, stepped up into the bathroom, and brushed her teeth.
"Aiight just checking :)"
"Thanx for thinking of me tho" After finishing with her teeth, she walked back to her vanity, plucked a tube of lip-gloss from the jar that contained her collection, and spread a thick layer across her lips.
"Baby im always thinking of u" Flattered by Jake's text, Alison smiled and felt her heart warm at his words.
"Same here" she wrote back before going into her closet and exchanging her slippers for her black, suede boots. While she was at it, Alison grabbed her grey satchel bag, which was also suede, and her black pea coat. She threw her house key, lip-gloss, wallet, and a pack of Wintergreen gum into her bag. She was going to add her iPod to the mix when Britney arrived, but for now she kept it plugged into her ears.
"Disturbia," Rihanna sang the last chorus of the song, "it's like the darkness is light! Disturbia, am I scaring you tonight?" Alison put her pea coat on and buttoned it up. She transferred her cell phone and iPod to its pockets, slung her bag over her shoulder, and went back downstairs to wait for Britney to arrive.
Alison waited on the couch in front of the windows in the living room. '3' by Britney Spears was playing on her iPod.
"One, two, three! Not only you and me, got one eighty degrees and I'm caught in between!" Her cell phone started vibrating again. Alison wondered if it was Jake or Britney as she pulled it out of her pocket. She glanced at the screen and saw Jake's picture. His text read, "U sure u dont want to cancel with britney and let me take u? Im coming up on yur neighborhood…"
"Its ok, shes probably on her way. Thanx tho"
"*sigh* i wanna c u soo bad"
"Same here baby..but i will c u at school :)"
"Ok..c u in a bit then :)"
"C u :)" As soon as she sent this to Jake, a new message popped up on her screen but this time it was Britney.
"Hey i'll b there in a couple of mins! :)" said her text
"Alright :) c u in a few" Alison replied. She stared out the window and admired light layer of snow that was covering everything outside.
In a matter of minutes, Britney and her mother pulled into Alison's driveway. She, Alison, jumped up off the couch, turned off her iPod, and stuck it into her bag. The freezing air engulfed her as she opened the front door and walked outside onto the little front porch. She carefully stepped down the three snow-covered steps and walked down the pathway to the idling Chevrolet Malibu. White exhaust poured from the pipe behind it. The windshield had been wiped clean of the snow. In front of it, Vincent's truck and Hayden's Nissan were parked side by side. Inside the Malibu, Britney was climbing into the backseat. She opened the door to let Alison inside.
"Hey!" said Britney, grinning cheerfully as Alison got into the vehicle. She, Britney, was wearing a white, weather-proof jacket with faux fur lining, matching boots, and blue jeans. Her black Scoop phone was clutched in her hand. Britney's mother, Mrs. Ayer, was sitting in the driver's seat, adjusting the settings of the heat and radio. 'Waking Up In Vegas' by Katy Perry started playing once she took her hand off of the knob.
"Hey!" Alison smiled back as she shut the door. Neither Alison nor Britney bothered buckling their seatbelts, as the school was just down the road. A low vibrating reached Alison's right ear. She looked over at Britney, who was reading a text she had just received.
"It's Lance," Britney stated when she noticed Alison watching her with curiosity. Lance Young was Britney's boyfriend. Lance was a freshman (unlike Jake, who was a sophomore.) Lance was also on the football and basketball teams while Britney was a cheerleader.
"Good morning, Alison," smiled Mrs. Ayer, turning around and watching cautiously while she backed the car up.
"Good morning," Alison returned her smile. "Thank you so much for giving me a ride, Mrs. Ayer. I hate walking to a bus stop, especially in this cold."
"It's no trouble at all," said Mrs. Ayer as they turned around and started out of the neighborhood. "I'm glad we could help. The school's just down the street from here, anyhow."
About ten minutes later, they pulled up in front of the large public high school. Teens and adults of all sorts were everywhere. Many thanks to the cold temperature of the air, every breath of a student were visible as they talked and socialized. There were countless footprints in the snow on the ground surrounding the area. Alison stared at the building. It was one of the few places she felt safe, normal, and secure.
Britney opened the car door and got out.
"Bye, honey!" Mrs. Ayer called as Alison followed suit and shut the door behind her.
"Bye!" Britney called back. Alison smiled and waved at Mrs. Ayer before heading into the toasty building alongside Britney.
They pushed the entrance door open together and walked down the crowded hall side by side, chatting all the while.
"So what are you and Lance texting about?" asked Alison, glancing at Britney's phone, which was still in her hand.
"He wants to go out tonight," replied Britney contentedly, "so we're trying to figure out where to go."
"Cool," said Alison as they took a right turn. "Jake and I are going to hang out later as well."
"That's great!" said Britney. The two girls approached their lockers and turned the dials in the order of their combinations. Alison opened hers once she unlocked it. The interior was neat and decorative like her bedroom. All of her notebooks and textbooks were stacked up together in line. The opposite side of the door had floral, black and red wallpaper. A magnetic mirror was hanging on it and was level with Alison's face. There were also a few pictures pinned to it of her and Jake together and of her and her friends. On the wall of the locker was a pencil container with a couple of pencils sitting in it. Her other school supplies were kept in a clear bag next to her books
"Hey guys!" said two cheery voices. Alison and Britney looked up quickly. Erika Saunders and Riley Underwood, two more of their friends, stood there with their book bags slung over their shoulders and smiles on their faces. Erika had wavy, dirty blonde hair that fell a little past her shoulders. Riley was black and had long, straight hair to match. Both of them had removed their coats. Erika was wearing her black, long-sleeved 'Twilight' shirt with the silhouette of a wolf in front of a full moon. Above the moon it read 'Team Jacob'. She was also wearing blue skinny jeans and black UGG boots. Dark eyeliner and eye shadow outlined her blue eyes. Riley was wearing a plaid, multicolor button up shirt and blue, boot cut jeans. She, too, had UGG boots on her feet, but they were light gray.
"Hey!" said Alison and Britney together as they took off their coats.
"Guess what!" said Riley. Before either Alison or Britney could reply, she continued.
"I just talked to Joey Pratt and his parents are leaving town for the weekend so he's going to have a house party!" Joey Pratt was a junior and a member of the yearbook club.
"And the entire school is invited!" chimed in Erika.
"Cool!" said Britney, pulling out her French textbook and a notebook out of her locker.
"That's awesome!" said Alison. "Joey lives down the street from me. Are you guys going?" They both nodded vigorously.
"He also said there's gonna be a lot of booze there," said Riley frowningly, "but we're too smart for that. We're only going for the fun of it!" The girls all agreed with smiles. At the beginning of the school year, they had vowed to one another that they would not drink nor have sex until they were old enough. But only Jake knew that Alison did indeed drink at parties…and had sex frequently. But the couple took their precautions; Alison was on birth control pills and Jake always used a condom.
"I'm going to go find Lance and see if he's going," said Britney, shutting her locker. "Oh, there he is now!" She waved at Lance, who was smiling and waving back.
"I'll see you guys in homeroom!" called Britney as she took off. Alison watched as Lance slipped his arm around Britney's waist and walked down the hall with her, but someone else caught her eye. Jake was leaning against the wall across the hall, smiling back at Alison. He seemed to be waiting for Erika and Riley to leave before he approached her.
"So are you going, Ali?" asked Riley, regaining Alison's attention.
"Huh?" Alison started, forcing her eyes from Jake and onto the two girls in front of her.
"Joey's party," restated Riley. "Are you going?"
"Oh yeah!" nodded Alison with a smile. "You know me!" Alison loved to party with her friends and Jake. It was one of her favorite weekend activities, besides being with Jake.
"Alright, cool!" said Riley. "Maybe we could all go shopping after school and pick out some new outfits for the party!"
"Yeah! That would be cool!" Alison nodded again. "Just let me know! But I got homeroom in a couple of minutes, so I'll see you guys there."
"Alright!" said Erika and Riley together as they started towards the stairs. Jake straightened up once they were out of sight and started walking up to Alison. After shoving her Spanish textbook and notebook into her bag and latching it, Alison shut her locker and turned around.
Jake was standing there with a lopsided smile on his face. He was wearing a black and gray striped button up shirt, ripped black jeans, and a pair of gray Converse sneakers. His blonde hair was combed to the left and his blue eyes stared into Alison's bright green.
"Hey," they said at the same time before their lips met. Warmth immediately filled Alison's heart as she gripped his arms. His hands moved up to her face and held it gently. She sighed and he attempted to brush the hair from her face, but his fingers accidently touched the bruise on her forehead. Alison winced and pulled away at the pain.
"What's wrong?" asked Jake worriedly. "Are you okay?" Alison looked down before replying in a whisper.
"It hurts there…he hit me last night…" She glanced up at him; Jake was pursing his lips in fury; it made him livid whenever Vincent hurt her in any way. He was the only one she had ever told of her abuse. No one else knew.
Jake kissed the discolored spot on her forehead as softly as he could and slipped his hand into Alison's.
"I swear to God," he whispered into her ear, "as soon as I'm old enough, I'm going to get a job and we can rent an apartment together. Then we will be free from everything…Vincent…your mom…my parents…" Jake's father was also a drug addict and dealer, and ignored his son's very existence. His mother was somewhere, probably living on the streets.
"That day can't come sooner," Alison whispered back sadly.
"But it will come," reassured Jake, "I promise." Alison nodded and smiled. They straightened up, their hands still entwined, as the bell suddenly rang out across the halls. Everyone started hurrying into their classrooms together.
"Come on," smiled Jake. "I'll walk you to class." Alison smiled back at him and squeezed his hand.
"Did you hear about Joey's party on Saturday?" she asked him, swinging their entwined hands back and forth as they began walking towards the stairs.
"Oh yeah!" replied Jake, his mood immediately brightening. "He says it's going to be awesome, not to mention huge. Are you going?" They reached the stairs and began climbing them.
"Of course!" said Alison. "The girls want to go shopping after school for outfits. You're going to the party, right?"
"Definitely," said Jake with a smile. "But what about tonight, though? What time are you coming home?" They reached the top of the stairs and were approaching the homeroom classroom.
"We'll talk about this at break because I'm still not completely sure if we're going shopping or not," said Alison once they were at the homeroom door.
"Alright," said Jake, kissing her once again. "I'll see you in a little bit."
"Alright," smiled Alison. As Jake turned and started down the hall, she opened the classroom door and walked inside.
"Class dismissed," said Mr. Hartman, the Algebra teacher, as the bell rang out, signaling the end of second period. Everyone was gathering their things and leaving the classroom, chatting all the while. It was now break. Alison, Erika, Britney, and Riley all left the classroom together.
"Okay, so let's all call our moms and see if we can go shopping," said Britney cheerfully. Alison opened her mouth to speak, but Erika cut her off as she pulled her green, LG Neon out of her pocket.
"Who's going to drive us to the mall and back?"
"I'll ask my mom if she can," replied Britney when they reached the stairs.
"Alright, hold on," said Erika, placing her phone to her ear. She plugged up the other with her finger, due to the noise surrounding her. Riley was doing the same.
"When you guys get all this figured out, come find me," said Alison, stepping in front of them. "I'm going to get my books."
"Aren't you going to call your mom and ask her if you can go?" asked Britney, her brow furrowed.
"She doesn't care," shrugged Alison. "It's fine."
"Okay," said Britney, also placing her phone to her ear. "I'll let you know." Alison nodded and walked down the rest of the stairs. She took a left and found Jake standing at her locker, waiting patiently for her. Alison approached him, putting on a smile as she walked.
"Hey," he smiled back. "Any details about today yet?"
"Not yet," replied Alison, spinning the dial on her locker, "but they're figuring it out."
"Alright," said Jake. "So…I was thinking if you guys did go shopping, maybe I could just drive you to the mall and hang out with you while you get an outfit. Then when you're done, we could either grab dinner or head back to your house and order pizza, maybe even rent a movie or something."
"Sounds great!" said Alison, who was swapping her Algebra textbook and notebook for her Literature books. "I would love that! You could even spend the night if you want because we have Joey's party the very next night…" She added quietly with a seductive smile.
"This is turning out to be an awesome weekend," remarked Jake, smirking as he flashed his eyebrows at her. Alison laughed after shutting her locker.
"Totally," she agreed, closing her eyes as he planted a quick kiss on her lips. They smiled at each other once they broke apart. Just then, Britney came up to them with a delighted smile on her face.
"Hey! My mom said that she'd take us shopping right after school," she blurted out, "Riley and Erika can both go, too!"
"That's great!" exclaimed Alison, looking back at Jake. "Jake is going to drive me to the mall behind you guys and after I get an outfit, we're going to hang out the rest of the night at my house."
"Aww!" said Britney. "That's great! Lance and I are going to the movies after I get back."
"Cool!" said Alison. "What are you guys going to see?"
"'The Fourth Kind'," replied Britney.
"Good pick," stated Alison. "We saw that one," She gestured to Jake and herself, "and it was really good."
"I can't wait!" said Britney excitedly before crossing in front of the couple to her locker.
"You'll like it," Alison assured her with a smile. Britney returned it as she spun the dial on her locker to unlock it.
The moment the wall clock in Mr. Carlson's social studies classroom struck 3:00, the bell rang out across the school. Every student in the classroom jumped up and immediately threw their belongings into their bags before leaving the classroom. Alison and her friends walked together to their lockers, returned their social studies textbooks and notebooks to them, and began pulling their coats on. Jake approached them, his keys in hand and coat on, just after Alison finished reapplying lip-gloss to her lips.
"Hello, ladies," he said jokingly before turning to Alison. "You ready, babe?"
"If you are," smiled Alison, shutting her locker and facing him.
"Alright," Jake smiled back and took her hand in his. "Let's go!"
"We'll follow you guys!" called Alison to the girls as she and Jake started towards the school doors.
"See you there!" she heard them call back. Jake pushed the door open for her and they walked out, side by side. A few groups of teens were chatting together underneath the shelter. After Alison and Jake came out from underneath it, they had to squint against the bright afternoon sun and the cold air. The parking lot hardly had any snow on the ground. The couple started off of the sidewalk when a Chevrolet Malibu drove up to the doors. Alison glanced at the person driving and realized it was Mrs. Ayer.
"Oh, it's Mrs. Ayer," she said to Jake, steering him towards Mrs. Ayer's car. "I'm going to let her know that I'm riding with you."
"Okay," said Jake. Mrs. Ayer rolled down her window upon seeing the couple coming forward.
"Hey, Mrs. Ayer!" said Alison. "I wanted to let you know that Jake is going to drive me to the mall and just hang out with us there."
"Alright," said Mrs. Ayer with a nod of approval. "We'll see you there, then."
"Bye," said Alison and Jake, holding up their hands in salute before turning around and heading to Jake's little black Buick. When they reached it, Alison waited in front of the passenger's door as Jake unlocked the driver's door. He opened it and, with a push of a button, unlocked the passenger's door for Alison. She got in and put her bag down on the floor at her feet. As soon as she straightened up, Jake leaned over quickly and pressed his lips to hers.
"Alone at last," he mumbled against them. At first, Alison became absorbed in the moment, but pushed him away gently as his hands started tracing her body.
"Let's save it for later," she breathed with a smile.
"Fine," Jake smiled back. He started the car, backed out of the parking space, and drove around the row of cars. Britney, Erika, and Riley were all getting into the back seat of Mrs. Ayer's car by the time they stopped behind them. Once they slammed the door shut, they started driving with Alison and Jake right behind them.
Around five minutes later, the two cars pulled into the huge parking lot of the mall. It was quickly filling with cars, so they roamed around until finally finding a space to park in. As Jake turned the car off, Alison picked her bag up off the floor and got out of the car. He followed suit and the couple approached the girls, who were getting out of Mrs. Ayer's car. Once they shut all the doors, Mrs. Ayer locked the car and the group started toward the mall together.
Jake rushed forward when they reached the entrance and opened it for the girls.
"Thanks," they said to him as they walked inside. Many mixed smells of food met their noses immediately. As always, the food court was packed with people of all ages. Children and their parents were riding the carousel in front of the humungous glass window overlooking the parking lot. Numerous others were buying food at the many different outlets aligning the walls and chilling out at the tables spread about in the center of the court. It was quite loud with the carousel music playing, and everyone chattering at once.
"I'm going to chill out here while you guys look around," said Mrs. Ayer as she took a seat at one of the many tables. "Do you want to leave your coats here?"
"Sure!" They took their coats off and piled them on the chair opposite Mrs. Ayer. Jake took Alison's hand as the group started across the court to the shops.
"We'll be back in a little bit!" Britney called to her mother. They continued walking past the crowds towards the heart of the store.
"Where do you guys want to go?" Britney asked them.
"I want to check out Rave," replied Erika before anyone else had a chance to speak.
"Me too!" Riley and Alison agreed.
"OK, let's go!" The group took a left and walked down the busy and noisy corridor until they reached the Rave store.
"Hi! Welcome to Rave!" called a girl at the counter. They smiled in return and split up in look of outfits. Jake followed Alison around and helped her flip through different racks of clothing.
"So are there any movies you want to see?" he asked her.
"Um…" Alison thought for a second. "Oh, 'Drag Me to Hell' looks really good!"
"Alright, cool! We'll get that one then!" smiled Jake. He held up a black, long-sleeved shirt that was slit down the back.
"What do you think about this one?" he asked hopefully.
"Eh," frowned Alison, "It's a little formal for a house party…"
"Yeah, you're right," said Jake, putting it back on the rack.
"What about this?" Alison showed him a dark red, turtleneck sweater.
"Well…" His brow knit together as he observed the shirt.
"No?" Alison asked him, looking for a real opinion. Jake gave her a face that clearly stated that he did not prefer the shirt.
"Alright then…" Just as she placed the sweater back on the rack, Britney came up to them with a shirt in hand.
"Hey, check out this sweater I found!" It was long-sleeved, aqua blue, and looked comfy.
"I like it!" said Alison approvingly. "It looks very 'you', particularly the color!"
"Thanks!" grinned Britney. "I'm going to go try it on!"
"Alright!" called Alison as Britney started walking towards the dressing rooms. "I'll be right there!" She turned back to Jake and found him holding up a white, button-down shirt.
"Ooh! I like that!" said Alison, taking it from Jake and examining it. "It's also got a good price!"
"Well, try it on!" smiled Jake, "And then show me how it looks!" He gave her a little push towards the dressing rooms.
"Alright! I'm going!" she giggled before obeying him. He quickly followed her and they met Riley at the entrance.
"Hey! What did you find?" asked Riley, eyeing the shirt. Alison held it up at once.
"Jake picked it out," she smiled, motioning the shirt towards him. "What about you?" Riley showed her a shimmering, grey sweater, similar to the one Alison was wearing; its sleeves were not to fall from the wearer's shoulders.
"Pretty!" Alison complimented it. A moment later, Britney stepped out of the dressing stall in front of them, clad in the blue sweater.
"What do you think?" she asked them excitedly.
"It's great!" the girls said together. "Definitely a keeper!" With one last grin, Britney retreated into the stall, changed back into her original shirt, and went off to pay for the sweater. Then it was Riley's turn to try on her own shirt while Jake and Alison waited outside. After a few seconds, Jake noticed Alison's visible bra straps and plucked at one of them.
"Ow!" she exclaimed with a wince. "What was that for?"
"Sorry!" he apologized. "I didn't mean to pull it that hard…" He kissed her shoulder sincerely before whispering into her ear, "But I see you're wearing my one of my favorites for tonight…" Alison gave him a seductive smile, knowing that he loved it when she wore either her red or black bra. Then Erika finally arrived at her side with a brown, short-sleeved turtleneck.
"Oh wow!" said Alison upon noticing the shirt. "That'll look really nice on you!"
"Thanks!" said Erika appreciatively. "Yours is cute, too! You should wear some destroyed blue jeans, a brown belt, and some boots with it! That would be so awesome!"
"Thanks!" said Alison, trying to memorize Erika's list. "I'll keep that in mind!" Riley came out of the stall and struck a pose in order to show off her sweater.
"See?" laughed Erika. "You look fabulous! Just don't forget to wear your black pants and flats tomorrow night!"
"I won't!" giggled Riley. "What do you think, Ali?"
"I think it looks great!" smiled Alison. "And Erika's totally right! Black pants and a pair of flats will go very well with it!"
"Thanks!" Riley beamed as she started back into the stall. "I'll hurry and change so you can try yours on!"
"Alright!" She shut the door and was out in a minute with the sweater on its hanger.
"It's all yours!" Alison stepped forward, went inside, and closed the door. After pulling her shirt off and replacing it with the button-down, she went out and presented herself to Jake and Erika.
"Too cute!" smiled Erika, clapping her hands together. "Perfect for a party!"
"I agree!" said Jake with a laugh.
"Thanks!" said Alison deferentially. "I'll be right out!" She changed again and then paid for the shirt at the counter. Once the cashier gave her the bag that contained the shirt and her change, the group all headed out of the store together.
"Hey Jake," Britney called to him, "Would it be alright with you if you drove all of us to the party tomorrow? Our parents don't know about it and, of course, none of us have our licenses."
"Sure," he replied. "Do you guys have a curfew?"
"Yes, 11. If that's too early for you, we can find someone else to take us home."
"Alright, that'll work…I usually stay out pretty late."
"OK, cool!" said Britney. "So we'll all gather at my place, I'll tell my mom we're going out to chill, then we can get going, have fun, and be back by 11!"
"Sounds great!" smiled Jake. He turned to Alison. "You ready to go?"
"Yep!" She took his hand and smiled.
"Alright!" Jake returned it. "We'll see you guys tomorrow!"
"Bye!" called the girls. Alison waved at them and continued walking with Jake towards the food court. They got their coats from Mrs. Ayer before taking off for the local video rental store.
Around thirty minutes later, the couple pulled up in Alison's driveway next to her mother's car. Alison sighed, thankful that Vincent was not home. She got out of the car with both the Rave bag and her school bag, which contained the DVD as well as everything else, slung over her shoulder. There were now only a few patches of snow that had not melted in the sun. Jake met Alison at the start of the pathway and took her hand as they began walking.
When they reached the door, she took her key out of her bag, unlocked it, and then opened it. Inside, all of the lights were off except for the kitchens, where the clinking of dishes could be heard; Alison guessed Hayden was silently washing them. She turned on the living room lights and placed the DVD on the coffee table in front of the sofa.
"I'll be right back," she said to Jake, who took a seat on the sofa. "I gotta put this stuff upstairs." She climbed up to her bedroom and entered. The room was just as she had left it that morning. Alison hung both bags on a hook on the back of her door before descending the stairs and sitting next to Jake.
"Are you hungry at all?" Jake asked as he put his arm around her.
"Yeah, kinda," replied Alison. "What about you?"
"I'm alright, but if you want to order pizza now, that's fine with me."
"OK…just get a medium pepperoni." Jake pulled out his cell phone and called a pizza joint. Meanwhile, Hayden came in with her keys in hand. She had a pretty face with blue eyes and dirty blonde hair that fell a little past her shoulders. She had body of a model, which bought her the job at the strip club. Hayden crossed the room without even glancing at the couple on the sofa and left the house for work. Alison smiled; she and Jake were now alone and had all the privacy they could want.
"…alright, thanks." Jake hung up as soon as Hayden started her car outside. "They're on their way."
"Alright," said Alison, absentmindedly combing her fingers through his hair.
"So…now what?" asked Jake with a note of hopefulness in his voice.
"It's a little early," a
nswered Alison, "but…if you want to make out, that's fine with me." She did not have to tell him twice; Jake immediately came forward and pressed his lips to hers. They both sighed as their hands began tracing each other's bodies. All the while keeping their lips locked together, Alison slowly climbed into his lap.
There was a knock on the door around thirty minutes later, causing Alison and Jake to break apart and both look at the door in surprise. Alison was now underneath Jake as she lay along the sofa.
"I'll get it," said Jake quickly, heaving himself off of her and hastening to the door. Alison sat up and watched him open it.
"Thanks…" She heard him say to the delivery guy as he exchanged the pizza for a few dollar bills. Then he shut the door and placed the box on the coffee table.
"I'm going to get us some drinks," said Alison, throwing her legs off the side of the couch and standing up. She went into the kitchen and opened the fridge.
"What do you want?" She called to Jake. "I've got…Bud Light…"
"That's fine!" He replied, so she took two beers from the box and went back into the living room. She handed him one and placed her own on the coffee table before picking up the DVD and putting it in the player. The loud crack of Jake opening his beer rang out as she turned the television on. Then she sat down next to him on the sofa and opened hers. The cold liquid quenched her thirst immediately as she took the first sip. The previews started the moment she set the can down and opened the pizza box. The heat rising off of the pizza brought forth its tremendous scent while Alison and Jake pulled two slices out of the circle and took a bite.
By the time the movie was almost halfway through, Alison and Jake had eaten all but three slices of pizza and both of them had finished their beers. They were still sitting on the couch with their heads resting upon each other. Upon finishing her drink, Alison felt rather buzzed and at one point started stroking Jake's legs absentmindedly as they watched. The next minute, they were intensely making out once again. Then after another minute, Jake scooped Alison up into his arms and stood up, all the while their lips stayed connected and Alison began feeling his face fervently. Jake hastily carried her up the stairs and into the bedroom.
Thanks for reading and reviewing! I hope you're enjoying the story so far! The drama shall begin to flow from the next chapter on, so stay tuned!