A/N: Here we are. At the beginning of what I hope to be a well written story.
A few things first, however.
As always, I must put here a:
-DiSCLAIMER!- I don't own Twilight or anything affiliated with it. I only own the products of my own bits of insanity, and call them my characters. Even if they do sometimes do things I don't even expect.
ImPORTANT NOTE!- This story is rated 'M' for 'Mature'. I don't know what that means where you're from, but where I'm from, it means that if you can't handle mild or sometimes moderate violence, language, adult situations or dark themes, such as abuse or depression, I would highly suggest you venture further at your own discretion. By the rule-book of , I must keep it from getting too descriptive, but it's not all puppies and rainbows, I assure you. Keep that in mind. If you're familiar with my work, you'll already know what I'm talking about. If you're not, I highly suggest reading my other works before continuing on with this one.
Anyhoo..
-ImPORTANT NOTE(#2)!- This chapter has mild language issues (cursing) and mild violence, so I'd beware of that. Other than that, it's pretty tame for a first chapter.
So.. With that out of the way, here we go!
Chapter One
"Leandra."
I ignored Alice's call from her room. Descending the stairs quickly, yanking on my shoes. I was late, and I nearly made it.
"Leandra?" I groaned, turning from my spot by the door at Alice's voice behind me, "Where are you going?"
"I was supposed to meet Josh and Zack at ten." I answered, "Where else?"
Thankfully, she didn't seem to have a problem with that. She sighed, though, standing in front of me and looking me over. I knew my choice of clothing depressed her. Baggier jeans, and a plain t-shirt.
'You're so pretty,' She would say, 'Why don't you want to show that off?'
'Because.' I would answer, 'I don't feel like being suffocated or squeezed to death by my clothes.' And dammit, I was four days away from my fourteenth birthday. I should be allowed to wear whatever I wanted. Emmett preferred it that way, anyway.
I was such a tomboy, however. The most feminine thing I'd shown a very slight interest in was make-up, and I actually was quite thankful that Alice gladly volunteered to show me the ropes when it came to age-appropriate looks. Just light stuff, mostly around my eyes. Anything more just felt like too much.
I yelped, jumping as Alice reached up and snapped my bra-strap.
"Hey." I grumbled. I hated when she did that.
"I'm just checking." She replied, "You know how often you forget it."
"I don't forget it." I said, "I just hate it."
"And if you're going to be hanging around boys, you don't need to be leaving it off." She countered, "You've got something there now." I rolled my eyes, and she sighed again, "Do you need a ride?"
"Nah." I said, "I got it."
Carlisle and Esme weren't home, gone for the week, so Jasper and Alice had been placed in charge of keeping me alive while they were gone. Mikah was off on a day long hunting trip, as he'd left early that morning. Thankfully, Emmett and Rosalie decided they needed another honeymoon, so they split also for probably two weeks, or longer.
I refused to think about what they were probably doing. Just to avoid puking all over the carpet like a cat with a hairball.
"Alright." Alice sighed, "Just be careful." Oh, here came the lecture, "Stay away from strangers, and for God's sake, don't climb into their car."
"Um.." I reached into my pocket, lifting out a folded knife, "I'm think I'm covered." Opened, the blade itself was about four inches. The shiny wood and chrome lock-back handle, another four inches.
"Oh, geez." She muttered, eyeing it, "Where'd you get that thing?"
"Early birthday present from Zack." I replied with a smile, "Cool, huh?"
"Only use that if you need it, okay?"
"Trust me." I said, "I know. I didn't even want to carry it with me, but he insisted, since I do so much walking alone. I'll probably never have to use it, but I have it with me if I need it."
She nodded hesitantly, eyeing it again.
"Anyway," I muttered, "Can I go now?" I slid the knife back into my pocket.
"Yeah." She replied, "Just be home before dark, and here." She laid something in my hand. Her cell phone. I frowned down at the cell phone, confused, "In case you need to contact us. Jazz has his phone on him."
"Oh, geez." I grumbled, repeating her earlier words, "I'm not going to China."
"That knife got me thinking." She defended herself, "Just take it." I shrugged, sliding it into my other pocket.
By the time I finally did get moving, I was about ten minutes more late than I'd been before. Thanks to Alice's overprotective nature, I met both boys at the bus stop in town. We'd missed the first bus, and had about twenty minutes until the next one showed up.
"Sorry." I panted, stopping beside them, "I know I said ten, but Alice interrogated me."
"It's okay." Josh chuckled, "And you slept in, didn't you?"
"Shut up." I laughed in return.
"You guys want to see a movie today?" Zack asked, "I'll pay."
I considered it, eventually wrinkling my nose, "I'd rather not."
"Yeah, me either." Josh agreed with me, "Besides, isn't that too tame for you?" I laughed at that one.
It took us an hour and a half to get to Port Angeles from where we were. I hated how long it took, but I figured I'd deal with it if it meant having some fun today, and with the boys, it didn't usually feel that long anyway.
It might have taken us forever to get there, but really not very long to find trouble. We'd paid a visit to one of our favorite little stores, and I convinced Zack to do something really stupid. I'd actually been joking, but he listened to me.
I led the way, hauling ass up the sidewalk. Josh behind me, and Zack behind him, running as fast as we could.
"I told you!" I called back to him, "Never lift from that place!"
"It was your idea!" Zack called to me.
"Sure, get technical!"
"Shut up both of you!" Josh pushed passed me, rounding quickly and diving into an alley. Grabbing my arm and tugging me with him by the back of my shirt, and Zack next.
"You're supposed to be an example." I shoved Zack as we started running again. This time down the alley.
"What?" He snorted, "How so?"
"You're fourteen." I answered, "I'm not."
"Not yet." He countered, "I'm only four months older than you."
"Sure, get technical."
That had us laughing as we ducked through a broken chain-link fence, rounding the back of a building where we finally stopped to catch our breath.
The building beside us was a storage facility, complete with two madly barking and pissed off German Shepherds, thankfully behind a rather thick, tall fence. We'd have to go back the way we'd come to get out of this area, but that'd come later.
"Shut up." I growled, kicking the fence. Which only pissed them off more, "If I ever wanted to steal anything from that dump, I'd just kill you first."
"Leandra." Josh laughed a little, "Just ignore them."
"Did you get anything?" I asked, looking to Zack.
"Nope." He laughed, "I dropped whatever it was the second he pulled out that bat."
"Can't blame you." I muttered, "But what'd I always tell you? Those privately owned places, they're allowed to chase you and beat the shit out of you if they catch you. The chain stores and gas stations, they're not. If they chase you, they'd get fired."
"Unless the place has security." He rolled his eyes, "Yes, I know."
"It's security's job to chase you down and beat the shit out of you." I reiterated anyway, "And they don't mess around. So if you're going to pull something like that, you gotta be good at it."
"Like you?" He smiled.
"Shut up." I said, laughing a little. We both knew he was better at stealing than I was. All three times I'd tried, I got caught and wound up having to run.
"So.." Zack sighed, still slightly out of breath, "When's Sarah getting here?"
I groaned, looking to Josh, "Sarah's coming?"
Sarah was Josh's blonde, boring girlfriend of almost a year. She was about as fun as a mop, and had about the same personality. She frequently joined us in our trips to Port Angeles, and usually destroyed any good mood I might be in. Of course, I'd never admit that.
"Shit." Josh grumbled, looking at his phone. Probably for the time.
I laughed this time, "You forgot about your own girlfriend? Well, aren't you a keeper?"
"Oh, shut it." He turned, ducking back through the fence. Zack and I followed him, running once more, back toward the street.
I knew where he was leading us, but wasn't in any hurry to get there. Some shopping mall a few blocks away. Where we always met up with her. We stood at the corner of one street, waiting for the traffic to stop so we could cross. Thankfully, the store clerk that had been chasing us was nowhere to be found.
"When are you going to dump that stupid bitch?" I asked, and he sighed, giving me a look.
"Leave Sarah out of it." He murmured, "She's really nice once you get to know her."
"What's there to get to know?" I asked, "Come on. You deserve better than her. The only thing fun about her, is how mad she gets when we bug her." I followed as Josh started to cross, "Next time, pick somebody better. Not some goody-goody little twat that wouldn't know a good time if it slapped her in the fucking face."
"Oh, didn't you hear?" Zack piped up, "I'm pretty sure she finally put out."
"Yuck." I gasped, "You're kidding?" As much as I hated hearing that, it certainly explained why Josh was suddenly so much more defensive of her.
"Nope." Zack replied, "Last Saturday, he came home all smiles. Just pleased with himself."
"Oh, vomit."
"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were jealous." Zack chuckled, and I rolled my eyes. Shoving him into a trash can as we walked passed it. A very satisfying metallic bang made me smile.
"Will you two cut it out?" Josh grumbled as Zack caught back up to me and shoved me into a light post. I turned, shoving Zack again with a laugh.
"Oh?" Zack asked, "Is Joshy a little defensive?" I faked a gag, and Zack laughed with me. 'Joshy' was Sarah's nickname for him.
"Wonder how many other guys she's fucking?" I asked, "It's always the quiet and boring ones you have to worry about."
Josh finally turned, taking my upper arms in his hands and pressing me back against another light post. I just grinned at him, knowing exactly why this was irritating him so much.
It was no secret that he wanted to be with me. I knew it, Zack knew it, but I wouldn't have it. The furthest I'd gone with him was giving him a kiss on the cheek over a year ago, but I made fun of his girlfriend unmercifully and did my best to drop subtle hints that I was mildly interested. He caught every single one.
Even if I knew I'd never be interested in things an almost-sixteen year old boy would be interested in, it was fun to see how badly I could bother him. His expression bordered extreme irritation, but slight amusement. An intense look in his eyes that made me nervous.
"Now, Joshy." I muttered, "You shouldn't look at me like that. I might faint."
Maybe he'd go for it today? I had one good slap ready for him if he did try to kiss me. He finally shook his head, and laughed a little. Releasing me. The three other slaps I'd had to give him taught him not to do that.
"You're such a bitch." He laughed, and I knew he didn't mean that in an angry way.
"Thank you." I bowed a little, as Zack and I continued to follow him around the corner.
"Joshy." We finally made it to the dreaded mall, and Sarah waited out front with a huge, clingy smile for Josh. She glanced behind him as she ran up to him, spotting Zack and I. She pouted a little, "You brought them?"
"I always bring them." Josh replied as she placed her arms around his waist. The fact that Sarah was also unmercifully jealous of me had a whole lot to do with why I always made fun of her. Oh, she hated me, and the feeling was mutual. Especially now that I knew that fun little fact about the stupid fucking slut.
I gave a very condescending toothy grin, and waved to her.
"It's so nice of you to keep doing a public service by watching those two little delinquents, but I was hoping we'd be able to spend some time together." Sarah murmured, and I rolled my eyes again, "You know? By ourselves?"
"Zack." I gasped enthusiastically, "Let's go rob a bank!" Sarah caught on immediately that I was making fun of her, which made me very happy.
"Yeah." Zack gasped in return, "And on our way out, let's steal a car!"
"Only if I get to drive, and run over some pedestrians." I replied, which got both of us laughing.
The fact that Sarah was two years older than me didn't deter me a bit from pissing her off. I loved to piss her off. Mostly, I just wanted to stab her in the face with a bendy straw, but I'd have to settle with being the dreaded best friend of her boyfriend.
"Oh, ha-ha." She sneered at us, "You two really need to grow up."
"I'm sorry." I murmured sarcastically, "I wasn't aware that having a sense of humor was a sign of immaturity."
She huffed, and turned. Tugging Josh into the mall by his hand. With a 'knock it off' glance at us, Josh followed her. Zack and I followed, shaking our heads.
Our trips to the mall always began with lunch at the food court on the ground level. Today was Zack's turn to pay for me, and next time, I'd pay for him. It always worked that way with us, and I felt sorry for Josh. He always had to pay for his cow of a girlfriend. It wasn't even just a courtesy thing. She just expected it of him. Like just being in her obnoxious presence was enough to make him want to fall at her feet.
Zack and I spent the entire hour we sat there for lunch flinging spit-balls into her purse from a table away. She never noticed. Too wrapped up in giggling gratingly at Josh, and twirling her hair in her fingers. I ached to throw a chair at her instead of shredded bits of a paper straw wrapper.
It turned from aiming for her purse, to aiming for her head. Zack managed to land one right on the top of her head without her noticing, which had both of us cracking up too hard to breathe. Josh, however, did notice. He shot us another irritated look as he plucked it from her head while she looked down, and I feigned innocence while Zack cried with laughter.
"I wonder how long it would have stayed there." I murmured to Zack.
"Too bad it isn't gum." He replied, which cracked us both up again.
Needless to say, even after what I remembered of the vision, Zack was nowhere near that person I'd seen. He and I got along sometimes better than Josh and I did. Especially when it came to doing mean stuff to Sarah.
I knew it had everything to do with Josh still being around, and with four days left before I passed my thirteenth year alive with no reasons to hate him, I was fine around Zack.
Of course, for a little while after remembering that specific detail, I was wary of him. Very wary, but he'd never wronged me, and I eventually moved on. Deciding to live in the moment now instead of waiting for him to screw up.
Living in the moment was a bit harder to do with Josh. I remembered how much he meant to me vividly, more vividly it seemed, each passing moment. Now fifteen, six days from sixteen, Josh was just as I remembered him as a human. Older even, but he looked just the same. I tried to ignore that part, but not all of it could be ignored. Not with how vivid those memories were becoming the closer I got to sixteen, and not with how obviously interested in me he was.
It was difficult not to let old emotions influence my actions now.
I hated to admit to myself that I felt possessive of him in a way. To see him with that bimbo just irritated me to no end. There was no denying that. I had a jealous streak in me a mile long, and nothing I did would ease it. All I could do was just hate her from afar, and try to change Josh's mind. I didn't even know what I wanted.
That, however, wasn't to say that I lived a care-free life now.
I hadn't forgotten about Jack in the almost three years since he'd last made an attempt. Absolutely no sign in almost three years, and it was getting to me. I knew he was out there, and I knew he hadn't forgotten about me, and the anticipation was killing me.
Cole and Dess eventually moved their coven, now fully merged without losing a single member more, back south about a year before. They still checked up on us now and then, but never stayed more than a single night.
I hated nights. I hated my dreams. About the same time Dess and Cole left, for the passed year or so, they'd been filled with nothing but the what if's and could be's. They were just dreams, as I'd learned the difference between these and visions. Mainly because the dreams, I could remember. Visions, I was still blocked from. Which was new. By this time last time, I'd had at least one.
Dreams involving Jack. What else?
Although it was nights like that that I wished Mikah was still allowed to sit with me during the night.
Both Emmett and Jasper had put a stop to that a few months back. Apparently, I was getting too old and getting too pretty for them to allow that anymore. Despite the way I told them they needed to trust me, they wouldn't budge an inch.
I even had Edward agree with me. I had absolutely zero intentions of ever doing anything like what they were worried about. Not ever. I shied away from the thought to the point of disgust. That had only gotten stronger as time went on. Which was most of the reason I now hated Sarah with a fiery passion. I didn't like the fact that she made me feel that way about Josh.
The problem wasn't all on Jack, and I knew that. It was like each second I grew older, the further forward I went in my life, I could feel the pressure squeezing me even more. Between the threat of Jack, and the threat of Aro returning some day, plus each new detail of the vision my mind punished me with, I felt like I couldn't handle it.
There were so many things about Jack to consider now, it was instinctive to shy away from it.
Being around the boys, though, as hard as that was to deal with, I loved it. Around them, I could breathe. Like I didn't have to sit there and be worried all the time. It was relief for me.
"So, tell me honestly." Zack said as we sat there, "Are you really jealous of Sarah?"
I scoffed a little, "No. I just know Josh could do better."
"It sure seems like you are." He laughed a little.
"Nah." I shook my head, "Besides. Josh is too old for me."
"Two years?" He asked.
"I'm not even fourteen yet." I reminded him, "I don't need a boyfriend anyway."
"Good point." He allowed with a nod. I flicked a non-spit-soaked piece of paper at him. He reached down, lifting it off the floor where it landed and flicked it back at me.
"Besides." I murmured, "I'm pretty sure you and I both like Josh better alive."
"Right." He agreed again, laughing, "Emmett."
"And Jasper, and Alice, and Rosalie, and Mikah.." Oh, especially Mikah.
Mikah and I were even closer best friends than I was with the boys, which was amazing, considering I was never home anymore. All I had to do was see him to remind myself exactly why he continued to hold that title. I doubted anything could ever change that now.
"But if that didn't matter.." He prompted.
"Those five reasons are kind of important." I laughed a little, "Emmett would gladly run him over for messing with his baby sister."
"You drive him crazy." He told me, "You know that, right?"
"I know." I smiled, "I wonder what Sarah would say if she knew she was Joshy's second choice?"
"She'd probably be so pissed." Zack laughed, "But see, it's stuff like that that makes me think you're jealous."
"Not jealous." I said, sipping my soda, "I just know I'm better than her."
"Then that." He pointed to me, "You keep saying Josh could do better, then you say that you're better. You keep changing your words around."
"Damn." I laughed, "You don't miss anything, do you?"
He grinned, "It comes with being a middle child." He paused, "So even if that stuff didn't matter. Would you consider him?"
"Why does it matter so much?" I asked, shaking my head with another laugh.
"Because." He said, "I just want to see him happy. I know you do too, and that bitch Sarah doesn't make him happy."
"He's fifteen." I reminded him, "He doesn't know what he needs to make him happy."
"I could think of a few things." He grinned suggestively.
"Uh, ew." I tossed a wrapper at him as he laughed, catching it.
"Seriously, though." He said, "She's all wrong for him."
"Oh, and I'm perfect?" I smirked, "Right."
"For him, you are." I blinked at his honesty.
I looked down, "It doesn't even matter. I mean, he's my friend. It'd be too weird."
"That's what makes it even better." He reasoned, "You have so much in common."
I sighed, shaking my head again, "It's just not like that."
"Okay." He muttered, his tone and smile skeptical, "Fair enough." He paused, "Denial."
"Stop it." I laughed a little.
"Please." He said, "Are you blind?"
"No." I replied, "I'm realistic. I just know I wouldn't be any good for him."
"You're kidding, right?"
"No, I'm serious." I murmured, "I'm not good for anyone, and I probably never will be."
"Oh, please." Zack scoffed, "You're smart, you're funny, you're fun." I smiled a little and I looked down, "You're fucking hot, but you're not a slut. Far as I know, you don't bat for the same team."
"What?" I asked, confused.
"You're not into chicks." He clarified with a laugh.
"Oh." I muttered, "Uhm.. No."
"There's my point." He said, "Do you know how hard all of that is to find in a girl?"
"Do you?" I replied, and he smirked.
"See?"
"No 'sees' on it." I said, standing, "All dry land."
"Shut up." He laughed, standing as well, "Wanna go look around?"
I glanced to Sarah and Josh, rolling my eyes and sighing. They weren't going anywhere anytime soon.
"Yeah." I said, "Let's go."
We tossed our trash into the can before walking away from the food court. I doubted Josh even noticed us leave.
"Do I really come off as someone that's into chicks?" I asked, "Because you're not the first one to ask me that."
He laughed, "I don't know. I just.. I've never seen you freak out over guys, you know? You're not like other girls."
"I don't freak out over anybody." I told him, "I'm not on any team, I guess. I just think it's stupid to lose your fucking mind over some other person. If I ever start acting like Sarah, please. Stab me in the face."
"You really don't like her."
"Of course not." I said, "I'd rather kill it before it breeds. And it's not because I'm jealous or anything. I just can't stand stuck-up stupid little fucking cunts like her, thinking the entire goddamn fucking planet revolves around the spot she stands."
"Wow." He stifled a laugh.
"What?" I asked.
"Such colorful language."
"I can't help it." I muttered, "Shut up."
We made our way up to the second level, investigating the stores worth investigating there. Not buying anything, only because we didn't find anything worth buying. We skirted right by the clothing stores, much to Zack's amusement.
"You're about the ungirliest girl I've ever known." He laughed, and I shook my head, "Just because you choose to dress like a boy."
"I wear girl stuff." I told him defensively, "I just don't do the girly-girl shit."
"Why not?"
"Why should I?" I asked with a laugh, "I don't have anything to prove. Like I need flowery dresses and frilly fru-fru shit to impress people I don't even know, or prove that I was born with a pussy."
"But isn't like.. Having five million pairs of shoes something all girls do?"
"No." I replied, "And for your information, I only buy new shoes when my old ones start talking."
"You mean if Alice lets them get that bad." He smirked.
"I still keep them." I laughed, following him into an electronics store, "I just have to be creative at hiding them. I swear one time, I slept with a pair of shoes under my pillow for like a week."
"I had to do the same thing with my favorite shirt." He replied, "Mom hunted that thing mercilessly. Just waiting to pounce on it and toss it."
I had to laugh at that image.
We poked around the store for a bit, looking stuff over. It was pretty busy in there that day, a pretty popular store. Selling everything from cell phones, to TVs. CDs, MP3 players, stereos. Video game consoles and games, which had taken Zack's immediate attention.
He waved me over, and I headed over.
"See this thing?" He asked quietly, turning over the game case. I spotted what he was talking about immediately. A plastic security tab, so I nodded, "That's to keep people from jacking it. It sets off an alarm if someone tries to take it out of the store, unless they remove it when it's bought."
"Okay?" I asked, "Your point?"
"I'll show you how it's done." He grinned, "Got that knife on you?"
"Are you crazy?" I asked, "Here?" I gave a glance around, but saw no one paying us any attention.
"Just gimmie it." He muttered and I sighed, reaching casually into my pocket before slipping it into his hand. The stand in front of us hid what we were doing from anyone that might look from the front, and our backs hid their gazes from the back.
He carefully slid the sharp blade between the case and the security tag, slicing easily through the plastic. He slipped the closed knife back to me, which immediately went back into my pocket. At the same time, he slid the game case into the front of the wasteband of his jeans, dropping his shirt over it. He hid the useless security tag back behind the row of games, just so nobody would see it.
"Now." He whispered, "We look around a bit more, just so nobody gets suspicious, and we leave after that. Easy."
"We could have just bought the damn thing."
"Forty bucks?" He asked incredulously, "No way."
We turned carefully, and looked around. Lifting things, and setting them back down. I eyed the front of the store carefully, watching the security guard standing there seeming bored, plucking lint from his shirt.
I know the exact moment I messed up. It happened every time.
We made it through the store, and we made it out of the store, but my stupid ass had to look back, knowing the security guard was watching us.
Now, I could have done two things. The right thing to do would be to smile politely, and wave a little. The stupid thing to do, which was exactly what I did, was look forward quickly, and whisper to Zack that he was watching us.
That wasn't suspicious. Not at all.
"Well, now he knows." Zack muttered, and I took a breath, thinking quickly.
"Hey." I heard behind me. Zack went to look, but I took his hand, and he just looked to me instead.
"Okay." I murmured, "When I say, we split up, and we run."
That wasn't going to make a bad situation even worse. Not at all.
"Gotcha." He grinned. I glanced behind us to see the guard following quickly.
"Hey, you two." The guard called again, "Stop."
"Now." I told Zack, and we shared a very brief smile before we took off. Zack rounded, and ran off to the left, and I headed to the right. The guard chose to follow me. Probably since I was the one that looked suspicious. I heard his keys jingling as he started a run.
"Let's go, thunder-butt!"
Laughing as I heard him following, I darted into a store. We circled a few racks, before I barreled out of the store, shoving three people out of my way as I did so, also causing the guard to trip over them and slide into the railing keeping people from falling off the second floor, his face squeaking on the floor as he face planted.
I actually stopped, watching as he got back up. My heart pounded in an exciting way, and I knew this wasn't going to end well, but I was in it for the fun now. He'd probably be confused when he caught me and he found out I didn't actually have anything, but that was the fun of it.
His eyes landed on me once more, and he ran at me. I immediately took off again, straight down the walkway outside the stores. Passing bewildered people on my way by.
Now probably calling for backup as he chased me, I pushed faster. Literally sliding down the escalator and knocking eight more people over as I did so. Jumping from one step down about four, I had to made sure I held on so I didn't fall. I rounded the corner at the bottom, heading further into the mall and watching as two more security guards started in on the chase.
I spotted Josh standing there as I ran passed him, a shocked look on his face.
"I would find Zack!" I laughed loudly as I passed him.
"What did you do?" He demanded, but I was too far away to answer.
I rounded another corner, knocking into another group of people as I barreled passed the fountain in the center of the mall, and I knew I'd have to turn around soon. Three more security guards joined in the chase, and I was having so much fun.
Shoving multiple more people out of my way, I spun around a corner, nearly being caught by another guard and running into a large potted plant at the same time. I laughed when two of the guards hit the plant and I kept going. Two followed me, missing the plant.
Sliding into another store, I caught my breath a bit as they chased me around the multiple racks of clothes. I led them to the back, and doubled back, shoving through the center of three of the racks and back out the door, continuing on the chase.
I ran back the other way, spotting Josh again. He still looked stunned, but I didn't care. I was having the time of my life, and wasn't even close to stopping. Shoving up the escalator again, knocking several more people over as I did so, I took off once more when I got to the top.
By now, I had several spectators, cheering me on.
Zack passed me, running the opposite way. He was causing just as much trouble as I was, and was having just as much fun doing so as I was, given the grin on his face. Three of his own guards following him.
I had to end this soon, as my burning lungs needed a rest. I pushed faster, pulling away from the remaining guards and barreling around a corner, ducking down behind another large potted plant. They darted into a nearby store, and I ran back the other way.
Going back down the escalators, I jogged back up to Josh, grinning.
"You're right." I panted, "This is fun."
"Are you crazy?" He asked, "Have you lost your mind?"
"No." I said, still catching my breath, "Where's Zack?" My question was answered as I heard a shout up on the third level, and Zack came skidding down the escalator as well. Much the same way I had. I made my way closer to him.
"We should probably get out of here." He panted. A second later, he was tackled roughly to the floor from the side. I jumped, reacting quickly. I took the step closer that was needed, brought my foot up, and kicked the guard as hard as I could in his face.
He fell back, releasing a half-handcuffed Zack.
"Come on!" I laughed, helping him up and looking around.
"Hey!" I looked back at the three guards stepping off the escalator.
"Here we go again." I laughed, taking off. This time, with Zack beside me.
"Uh- w- Leandra! Zack!" Josh called after me, "Dammit! You might not be eighteen yet, but they can arrest you!" I laughed loudly, knowing he heard me.
Flying around a corner, we caught sight of the food court. Sliding through the middle of it, the guards actually running into people, sending food flying everywhere. Before I knew it, the other customers were shoving the guards back, angry.
It escalated right before my eyes, everyone nearby running over to join in their anger. More guards, and more people throwing punches at each other, tables and chairs getting knocked over. Shouts and yells of anger and pain as the fighting continued, it was almost scary.
Before I could back all the way out of there, I caught a hand to the face. I yelped in pain, my eyes watering in pain as blood poured from my nose. I grabbed a few napkins off a still-standing table, covering my nose with it and backing out of the immediate area. Zack directly beside me.
"You alright?" He asked and I nodded.
"Damn, the carnage." I laughed, shaking my head in disbelief.
Paying so much attention to the fighting going on in the center of the food court, I hadn't noticed the guard come up behind me. Suddenly I was grabbed, thrown over the short wall on the outside of the court, and both arms thrown behind my back. The bloody napkin was dropped, but my nose continued to bleed slowly.
I fought hard, and the guard on me suddenly got a chair to the face. Zack stood there with a grin, helped me up, and we both ran back the other way. Grabbing Josh on our way by.
We nearly made it. I could see the exit, but unfortunately, we were all tackled before we could reach it.
The sharp clicking of the handcuffs as they were tightened in place on my wrists made me laugh as I was lifted by my arm. All three of us pinned, handcuffed, and hauled to our feet.
From Zack's back pocket, his guard pulled out the cause of all of this disorder. The video game.
An hour later, I wasn't sure how funny this was anymore.
They'd actually called the police on us, and all three of us were taken to the station to sit and wait in a holding cell in the back. Depending on what they decided, it could be a long wait. We sat in silence for several minutes, all three of us sitting on the bench provided. Me in the middle of the boys.
Josh was pissed off because he got taken in as well when he hadn't done anything. Guilty by association. Wrong place, wrong time. They'd probably let him go.
"They took my knife." I grumbled, not at all happy about that.
"Man, your dad is going to be so pissed." Zack murmured, and I looked to him.
"He's not the one I told them to call. Carlisle isn't home."
"Emmett?" Josh asked, and I shook my head, "Who?"
"Jasper." They both winced, "Yeah. He's not going to be happy. What about your dad? He's going to skin you, Zack."
"Probably." He laughed.
"I didn't even do anything." Josh muttered after another moment of silence, "I don't even know why I'm here."
"You're an accomplice."
"No I'm not." He said, "I just wanted to walk around. It was your idea to go try to shoplift."
"Will you three shut the fuck up?" The drunk man in the cell beside ours growled. I immediately pursed my lips, and whimpered.
"Yeah, yeah. Go have another drink, hobo." Zack snapped at him. He didn't quite look like a hobo. Short hair, which would have been neat if he didn't look roughed up. Or smell like a bar. Even from the other side of our own cell, I could smell the alcohol on him. I wrinkled my nose, looking away.
"Come say that to my face, you little bastard." He told Zack.
Even in another cell, he scared the hell out of me.
"I would, but I don't think you'd be able to hear me with your head stuck so far up your ass."
"Zack." I murmured, "Stop." I watched as the man in the next cell stood up.
"Why?" He asked, "Not like Sir Whiskey over there can do anything about it."
"You best listen to that bitch."
"Hey." I muttered, frowning as both Josh and Zack stood up.
"All three of you," The guard watching the cells muttered from his magazine, "Shut the fuck up, and sit down. Nick, you know you can't afford any more trouble. Leave the kids alone."
The man grumbled what sounded like an agreement to himself, shooting us a very dirty look before sitting back down on his bench.
I brought my knees up in an insecure motion I hadn't used in quite awhile.
It felt like we waited there for hours, when someone came back. Josh was on his feet as soon as the door opened, and Zack followed suit.
"Alright, you three." The cop sighed, "Come on."
I hesitantly stood up, following the boys from the cell.
Finally, I thought. Time to go home. I'd face anything Jasper had to say if it meant I could go home.
The cop led the three of us out of the room, and toward the front. I went to keep following Josh and Zack as they spotted Mike and Heather, but the cop's hand on my shoulder stopped me. Confused, I looked up at him.
"You'll be contacted when a court date has been made." He told Heather, "He'll need to be there."
"Yes, sir." Heather replied quietly, as her eyes landed on me, "And what about Leandra?"
"It looks like she'll be staying the night." He answered.
"What?" I gasped at the same time Heather did.
"I'll pay her fines." Heather offered, but the cop shook his head.
"She can only be released to a family member, ma'am. I'm sorry."
Heather gave me a saddened look.
I was so mad as the cop led me away. How could Jasper do that?
Apparently, further in the back of the building, were more permanent holding cells. Probably for people who needed to stay for longer than a few hours, but didn't require prison. I counted eight in the row he led me down, leading me to the cell at the very end of the row.
Inside the dark cell was a cot, a sink, and a toilet. Just like in all the movies. I shuddered at the thought of having to use that thing, and decided then and there that I'd hold it for as long as I could.
"In you go, sweetheart." It was obvious the cop hated having to do that to me, but I went willingly.
Well, I sighed as the barred door was slammed behind me. At least it's quiet. I hesitantly sat down on the thin cot, scooting back to lean back against the wall. I wasn't sure I wanted to lay down. God knew who had been sitting on that thing before me.
It was going to be a long night.
I snoozed for the most part. Just hoping for time to speed up. After awhile, my anger faded a bit, and I didn't know whether to hope Jasper would change his mind, or be pissed at him. I thought about the first things I'd do when I got out of there. I thought about how to greet him.
Should I be stubborn, and insist I stay longer? Cry and hit him? Or cry and hug him? Either way, there would be crying. There was crying now. I was cold, and suddenly tired in the quiet of the room. I could hear almost nothing, except the tick of the clock on the wall. I was incredibly grateful that thing was there.
I thought about what I did to land myself here.
The clock on the wall told me I'd been in that cell for four hours when dinner was brought in for me. Since I was the only one here, the guard outside the door had sprung for a sandwich and a bottle of water. Fancy.
I wasn't even that hungry. Nerves stealing any appetite I could have had, but I ate anyway. Probably not the best idea in the world, because my stomach tumbled violently about thirty minutes after eating.
The clock on the wall told me I'd been in that cell for six hours when someone else was brought in.
Aw, hell.
It was Nick. The drunk older man that had been in the other holding cell, and just my luck, they put him in the cell next to mine. Only a wall of bars between him and me.
This was cruel. I'd definitely be hitting Jasper the moment I saw him again. I watched insecurely as the guard slammed his door shut behind him, and walked away, just as Nick turned and looked around. Nearly falling over in the process, and finding me at the same time.
"Well, look who it is." Nick chuckled, "What happened, sugar? Your boyfriends ditched you?" He still had that drunken slur to his words that really made me want to puke.
I ignored him, turning my back to him, facing the wall.
Maybe it was the sandwich, or maybe it was nerves. I wasn't sure, but my stomach was tumbling pretty harshly, and about another thirty minutes of ignoring him later, I threw up before he did. Shockingly.
That had to have been the most humiliating moment I'd had in a very long time. Kneeling in front of the surprisingly clean toilet, I struggled to get myself together, knowing the entire time, Nick was watching me. The embarrassment was horrible, and it bothered me deeply to be that close to his cell. I could smell the alcohol from him and did my best to just block that out.
"You're pretty on your knees." He commented, and I looked up at him. At first, I couldn't believe he'd said that.
"Fuck off." I snapped at him, finally acknowledging his existence.
"Aw, come on." He grinned, "Don't be like that."
"I'll be whatever way I damn well please." I told him, "And unless you want even more trouble on you, I suggest you leave me the fuck alone."
"Oh?" He seemed skeptical.
"I'm thirteen, dumbass."
"Age has nothing to do with you being pretty." He countered, "I was just making an observation." Every slurred word was making me more sick. I really needed him to shut up.
Stop talking to him, I told myself. Talking to him just made him want to respond. I couldn't keep talking anyway as more of the sandwich took that opportunity to come back up. I rinsed my mouth out in the sink, more than was necessary, and sat back down.
Thankfully, not long after I went back to ignoring him, he passed out. Aside from his nearly violent snoring, I could almost pretend he wasn't there. I could almost sleep, if it weren't for knowing Nick was just over there, so I forced myself to stay awake. Resting my head partially against the cold brick wall beside me.
I lost hope around midnight that I'd be saved before morning, and even began to convince myself that I'd never be saved. Jasper was going to leave me here until I died. I was sure of it.
I sat upright the entire night, curled into a tiny ball in the top corner of the cot. I'd thrown up three more times before morning. Between each throwing up, I felt like complete shit. Pain stabbing through my entire midsection, and I was convinced by then that that cop had poisoned me.
Nick got taken out of his cell before I even did. Seven-thirty was when he was taken out, grumbling an apology my way for "whatever he might have said the night before". I didn't give a shit at that point. I didn't care anymore. I was stuck in my own misery.
I didn't even bother looking up when the door opened again. I was too tired to. I wasn't even sure I'd heard the door open.
"There she is." I recognized the cop's voice outside the cell, and slowly peeked up.
However, to my surprise, it wasn't Jasper standing there. It was Carlisle. He'd come back early. I started to cry the second I saw him, as the cop unlocked the door and slid it open.
I climbed off the cot, and went straight to Carlisle. He hugged me, sighing quietly.
"Please take her home." The cop's request was one on my behalf, "A honey like her doesn't belong in a place like this. I'd say she definitely learned her lesson. All the charges have been dropped, so all you need to do is sign the paperwork up front, and she's free to go."
"Thank you." Carlisle told him, "It's very much appreciated."
Esme was waiting out front, but I couldn't go to her like I wanted to. I had to make a beeline straight for the bathroom out front to throw up yet again. I didn't have anything left on my stomach to throw up at that point, but the dry heaves were worse than actually throwing up, so I drank some tap water, just so I'd have something to give. I had to dart back into the stall before it all came back up all over the floor. I made it just in time.
That seemed to help a little, but it only got harder as Esme entered the bathroom with me. I cried where I kneeled, reaching back and unlocking the stall door at her request. She kneeled beside me in the small space, and hugged me.
"How could he do that?" I cried, my voice echoing around me.
"He heard what you'd done, and he paid the fines, but he requested you be held for the night." She murmured, "To teach you a lesson about what happens when you continue doing those things. He called us early this morning, just to fill us in, and we came as soon as we could. Honey, why would you do that?"
I couldn't answer her. Having to pull away from her to throw up yet again.
"How long have you been sick?" She asked, rubbing my back.
"All night." I whimpered when I could. My stomach felt like it was in knots, twisted painfully.
I made it the long trip home without Carlisle having to stop, but I still felt like complete shit the entire way. Normally, fresh air helped me when I was sick, but it bothered me this time.
The second I stepped inside, I found Jasper standing there beside the couch as if waiting for something. I wouldn't say a word until I had a chance to calm down, I decided. Doing so before calming down would only be a disaster.
I went to stride toward the stairs, but he caught my hand.
"Don't." I snapped harshly, yanking my hand from his grip, glaring up at him, "I don't even want to look at you right now." I felt let down, betrayed by him.
"You'll notice a few changes to your room." He told me evenly, "And by the way, I don't know if you've been told this yet or not, but you're severely grounded. Until further notice."
"You can't ground me." I countered.
"But I can." Carlisle spoke up, and I looked to him, "We'll discuss this further when you've had a chance to rest, but Jasper is right. Until further notice, you're grounded."
"Fine." I grumbled. I just wanted to get upstairs to my room. I needed a very long and very hot shower, and a whole lot of sleep. Oh, I wanted sleep.
I immediately noticed the changes to my room.
Everything worth doing in my room had been taken out. All books, the TV. No pens, no pencils, no paper, no pictures to look at had stayed. I was basically left with my furniture, and a lamp.
I would ask about that later, although I had a pretty good idea what the reasoning behind that was. Jasper wasn't kidding. Severely grounded.
At least they left the stupid lamp, I snapped in my thoughts as I slapped the lampshade. I dove to catch it as it wobbled and nearly hit the floor. Whatever. I didn't care right then, but I had no doubts I'd care pretty soon.
Unfortunately, the hot shower had made my stomach tumble worse, so I couldn't stay in there very long. It wasn't nearly as relaxing as I thought it'd be.
I discovered after my shower that most of my clothes had been taken out as well. Leaving me with three outfits worth of clothes, and two sets of pajamas. With a loud growl, I slammed the drawer shut. I didn't even like those pajamas. They could have left another set. The ones they did leave were itchy and uncomfortable, and I had no doubts they knew this.
Fine, I thought defiantly. I drop-kicked the towel into the corner of the room, when I should have hung it up. I'd sleep naked.
That probably wouldn't teach anybody a damn thing, but I didn't care. I was already uncomfortable enough. I wasn't about to wear those stupid pajamas just because they left me with no other options.
Before the towel even landed, I fell into bed. Tiredly kicking my naked self under the blanket.
I tossed, turned, cuddled and sprawled out, but there was no damn way I was falling asleep like this. So I sighed, and resigned, climbed out of bed and pulled on the less itchy and uncomfortable set of pajamas.
"Yeah, fuck you too." I grumbled, falling back into bed.
I made sure the wastebasket was empty and close by and with that comfort on my mind, I finally managed to fall asleep. Knowing I was safe at home, and not alone in some dark jail cell. It even surprised me how much I'd missed my own bed.
I wasn't sure how long I'd slept, but at one point, I rolled over and partially opened my eyes. Jumping, startled roughly awake at seeing someone standing there beside the bed.
It was Jasper.
"Fuck!" I snapped, "Don't do that!"
"You're running a fever." He pointed out. I was suddenly very grateful I decided to put on clothes.
"It's probably these goddamn pajamas." I growled, "Or I caught some fucking disease in that cell, where you left me to rot."
"I had my reasons." He replied calmly.
"I don't give a shit." I sat upright.
"Calm down." He told me, "Just listen to me." I kept quiet now, "What you did to get yourself there was all on you. You made the decision to do what you did, so you had to face the consequences. I wasn't going to help you get away from those consequences. Although, that was nothing compared to what you'd face in a detention center."
"Yeah, yeah." I grumbled, looking down.
"I'm sorry you had to learn that way, but you do understand the difference between right and wrong." He said, "Let me just tell you this. If you ever find yourself doing anything like that again, I won't get you out of there, and Carlisle agrees with me on this. You'll do your time. If you're going to act like that, like some common criminal, then you deserve to be treated like one. Am I clear on that?"
"Yes." I muttered, "Can I have my stuff back yet?"
"No." He seemed amused by that, "Sitting in that cell for one night was the lesson. This," He gestured around the room, "Is the punishment. You'll get your things back when you earn them. When you have no reason to be downstairs, you'll be up here."
"But there's nothing to do up here." I whined.
"Exactly." He said, "Consider this just a taste of what it'd be like if you were to be sent to a detention center. Just a small taste of what you'd face."
"But that's not fair."
"It's perfectly fair." He replied, "What's not fair, is how you acted yesterday. I want you to think long and hard about that while you're up here. What you did was completely inexcusable."
"I didn't do anything."
"You started a riot in the food court of a very busy shopping mall." He replied, his tone sharper now, "You assaulted a security guard."
"He was hurting Zack." I countered, "And I didn't start that riot. They did. It's not my fault they weren't more careful."
"Well, I hope you enjoyed yourself." He told me, "Because that won't be happening again. Will it?"
"No." I answered, sighing.
"Good." He replied, his tone easier now, "Now.." He sighed as well, "Are you hungry?"
"No." I answered again, shaking my head. My stomach turned at just the thought of food. Knowing I was truly not hungry, and not just being stubborn, he nodded a little.
"Carlisle will be up in a moment to look you over." He muttered, and I nodded. He slowly turned, and headed for the door.
He left the room, and I sighed. Laying back down. Unfortunately, too quickly, and I had to roll quickly to find the wastebasket. There was no way I was making it to the bathroom. Hanging off the side of the bed, clinging to the wastebasket tightly with both hands was how Carlisle found me.
Hardly anything came out, so I wasn't too upset about it, but it hurt so bad. He sat beside me on the bed, waiting patiently while I finished dying over the basket. I hated this.
He helped me sit upright, and handed me a bottle of water.
"Small, tiny sips." He told me, and I nodded. Shakily unscrewing the top, "Besides your stomach, and the fever, is there anything else bothering you?"
"My head." I mumbled, "It hurts, and I feel dizzy." He nodded a little.
"You're probably dehydrated, which will only make nausea worse. If you can't keep any water at all down, I'll have to start an IV." I really didn't want that, so I followed his instructions carefully. Hardly getting any water at all in my mouth before swallowing it.
I had to admit. I really wanted to chug the entire bottle as fast as I could, because it felt so good and I was so thirsty, but I knew that'd be the opposite of helpful.
"Wait.." I finally mumbled, looking up at him as it just then seemed to dawn on me, "I'm grounded. That means I can't see the boys anymore?"
"Not for some time." He replied, "I'm sorry."
"But you know what they mean to me." I argued, "Without them, I'll probably lose my mind around here."
"Perhaps you should have considered that before, Leandra." He countered, "You should consider yourself very lucky you're home right now."
"Carlisle, please." I tried again, "I need to see them. You know how I get."
He sighed, standing, "I'm sorry. As I understand it, they're grounded as well, so please don't think you're the only one being punished."
"That's not-"
"As Jasper already told you, considering the gravity of what you've done, it's completely fair." He interrupted, "Now, I don't want to hear another word about it."
I whined, a couple of sobs in the sound, laying back. I actually felt like crying once I realized exactly how far this grounding went.
"Get some rest." Carlisle told me, "I'll be back up here to check on you in a little while."
"Whatever." I grumbled, not bothering to look at him.
"And remember. Small sips."
"Just go." I snapped, keeping my eyes down. I was pretty pissed at that point.
I made sure to wait until he closed the door behind himself before lobbing the bottle of water straight at the door. Surprisingly, the bottle stayed closed, instead of exploding water everywhere. I made a mental note to throw it harder next time.
I eventually did fall back to sleep, feeling sicker than I had in a long time. I hoped that meant it was passing. Whatever this was.
Evening had begun to fall by the time I was woken up next, feeling worse than I did before I fell asleep, which seemed impossible. Carlisle was back, and it took me a moment to remember that I was supposed to be mad at him. I lay curled on my side, watching as he fiddled with some thin tubing. The IV.
He didn't seem worried, which kept me from getting worried. I rolled onto my back at his request, and watched as he rolled up my sleeve. I thanked my lucky stars I didn't have a phobia of needles as I watched him pierce my skin over the vein in my arm.
"You'll feel better in a little while." He assured me, and I nodded a little, "I suggest just resting for a bit. Even if you feel like getting up."
I really hoped he was right, because throwing up would be awful hard to do with a needle stuck in my arm.
It had been a very long time since I'd felt this bad or this sick. I didn't know what I had, or what had caused it, but I just wanted whatever it was to end. Maybe it was a mix of things. Bad food, nerves, and once I'd started throwing up, dehydration? My lucky day. Punishment, perhaps, for doing what I'd done.
I slept most of the night, but a few times, I did wake up to being checked on and especially when the IV was taken out of my arm. Just because I was so pleased to be able to roll over.
I still felt like shit in the morning, but not near as bad as it had been getting the day before. I wasn't sure if I expected that IV to be filled with some magical healing fluid, but it surprised me to know I was still sick.
"Your fever is down." Carlisle told me the second he sat on the side of the bed, "How are you feeling?"
"Not so good." I muttered, letting my eyes close.
"You need something on your stomach." He sighed and stood up, "I'll bring you some dry toast."
"If it isn't the jail-bird." I groaned at Emmett's call from the doorway as soon as Carlisle left. I pulled my pillow over my head.
"Emmett, I will set you on fire."
"That seems a little dark for you." He chuckled.
"Okay fine." I muttered, "I'll set fire to whoever told you."
"Come on." I bounced a little as he sat heavily on the side of my bed, "It couldn't have been that bad in there. You had it easy, shorty."
"Please leave me alone." I whimpered.
"What's really bothering you?"
"You!" I snapped.
"Out with it, shorty."
"She's angry at me." Jasper's voice from the doorway had me clutching the pillow tighter over my head.
"It's not about that." I forced myself to sit up with a huff, "It's more about the fact that some lesson was more important to you than my safety."
"You needed to learn."
"You could have shown me another way." I countered weakly, "And that's another thing. Am I the only one still worried about Jack?" That seemed to surprise him, "He's still out there, and nobody even cares anymore."
"That's not true." Jasper told me.
"You know the second he comes back, it's going to be because he knows we're not defensive anymore. He knows that after enough time, we're going to get careless, and he's waiting for that day.
"Jacob's still here, but that's only for Ness. Seth and Leah went home. The wolves stopped patrolling their side, Dess and Cole left with their coven long ago back to God knows where, and Eli hardly ever shows up around here anymore. Having too much fun in Denali with Tanya and her group. Eli doesn't even know where Jack went. Jack's right, Jasper."
"You have to consider the idea that he's given up. I mean, nearly three years is a long time to keep something like this up. Even for him."
"I'm never going to consider that." I countered, "And the fact that you believe that tells me you've gotten careless. That's comforting."
"Have some confidence in us, shorty." Emmett muttered.
"How can I have confidence in you when you're obviously letting your guard down?" I asked in return, "I mean, really. Letting me sit in some jail cell with some drunk old guy next to me, telling me how pretty I was on my knees is more important than anything else. Do you even fucking care what that did to me?"
"Leandra-"
"Of course not!" I snapped, answering my own question, "As long as I learned something. I'll tell you what I learned. I learned that I can't fucking trust you to help me out when I need it! If I can't count on your help for that, how can I trust you'll even bother to help me with Jack? I know what I did was bad, but was it really bad enough to teach me that?"
Emmett spoke up, "Holy crap-"
"Now if you wouldn't fucking mind, I'd like to be left alone!" Getting this mad was making my nausea even worse. My heart pounded, my head protesting at the raise of my blood pressure.
Jasper took a step, "Calm-"
"Don't you, of all people, tell me to calm down!" I shouted, "I don't want to calm down! I just want to be left alone! I don't think that's too much to ask!" They both hesitated, "Please!"
Emmett looked to Jasper, who nodded, before standing.
The second they were out of the room, I stood up, crossed the room, and slammed the door shut behind them.
Throwing the lock, and using the left over anger to drag the dresser in front of the door. I wasn't opening the door for anyone. I knew if they really had to get in, they could, but I doubted they'd even try for awhile.
I dizzily made my way back toward my bed, and immediately had to throw up. Kneeling on the floor to throw up was more comfortable than hanging off the bed anyway.
I'd just crawled up onto the bed when a knock came to the door. I ignored whoever it was, closing my eyes. Falling asleep instantly.
A/N: There you have it, friends. Chapter one, and already throwing fits and drama in there.
Small spoiler alert: That only gets worse. :)
I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. :D
I'm fairly certain chapter two won't be too far behind this one, but I'd give it a couple of days. Just in case.
THANK YOU! For my AMAZING reviews of last chapter! It really made me feel good to read those. :} I think I cried a little. No joke.
Anyhoo.
I'll be working on getting two out to you ASAP.
Until two, my friends. :)