You readers are seriously amazing. 15 reviews for chapter one? Thank you so much. Here's the next chapter. I really don't want to make Blair a Mary Sue, and I don't want to rush her and Jerry's relationship. Plus, I don't want to make him OOC. It will get more "romantic", I promise. Please review, they inspire me! :D
~ 2 ~
I yawned, pulling the keys out of the ignition of the Camaro, absolutely exhausted from the all-nighter I pulled on the history report. I put my head on the headrest of the driver's seat, uncontrollably tempted to skip today. I needed to pass in the report, so that wasn't an option.
I stepped out of the car, straightening out the blueLas VegasHigh Schoolsoccer shirt.
My hair was lank and refused to do anything this morning, and I pretty much gave up. I pulled on some ripped skinny jeans, and flip flops. I had no ambition right now, the energy was basically drained out of me.
I sighed heavily, making my way to the school's courtyard, where I saw Amy, Charley, Mark, and Ben. I walked past, not really wanting to pull attention to myself, especially Mark's, who found it fitting and just to practically sexually harass me whenever I saw him.
He did it because he knew Charley wouldn't do anything about it, because he wanted to impress them.
I walked past in a fluid motion, satisfied that I didn't have to deal with my brother's obnoxious group, and made my way to German class. I just needed to get to second period, History. Then I was free, absolutely relieved.
On my way to second period block, I ran by my locker, which was next to Charley's, regrettably. I quickly turned the knob of my lock in a hurry to get to History, when I heard that familiar voice of Mark.
"Blair Brewster, why were you ignoring me this morning? Y'know you love me." He crookedly smirked, Ben standing beside him smugly as I shut my locker. I stared at the two of them.
"I wasn't ignoring you," I lied, "I just need to get to second period."
"Why? What's the rush?" Mark questioned, still giving me a crooked smirk, holding my locker with one arm extended out.
"I have to give my teacher a report, so if you guys would excuse me, I'll see you later." I smirked at them impatiently, attempting to walk around Mark and Ben, which concluded to be an utter failure.
"This?" Mark snatched it off me, "This shit is why you ignored me?"
"Mark, seriously. Give it back." I asked, reaching for it. He smirked and didn't let me get it, Ben laughing. I rolled my eyes, knowing that I was definately going to be late for class.
I was reassured out that when the bell rang, signaling class began, and my paper was late. Mark smirked and gave it back to me with a flick, "Here's your fucking paper."
It landed on the ground, and I bit my lip out of irritation. I reached down and grabbed my paper of the school's tile flooring, when I felt a light smack to my backside. I jumped up and looked at Mark, who was smirking and Ben was laughing at me.
"Hey douchebag, thanks for making me fail my paper and slapping my ass." I grumbled to him, turning my head, seeing Ed Thompson beckon me to come over to him, Charley standing there, too. They stood in the corner, assumably having a secretive conversation. He looked absoultely embarassed to be standing with Ed.
"You are seriously a dickhead," I snapped at Mark, who smirked back at me, "I know, Blair."
"Fuck off." I called over my shoulder. I huffed to myself as I walked to Ed and Charley, "I'm late anyways." I would seriously get Mark back for making me fail my paper and being an asshole if it was the last thing I did.
Ed was a little shorter than Charley, with really pale skin, glasses, and jet-black hair, thin frame, a little chubby in the face. He was a really sweet kid, just some of his mindsets were a little off the wall, in my opinion.
I slapped Charley's arm, "Your asshole friends just failed me in History. Thanks." I jerked my thumb to Mark and Ben, who were still laughing their asses off. Charley rolled his eyes at me, "They're fine. Relax, Blair."
"Blair, you gotta listen to me," Ed began, "Kids are going missing, really. I'm serious."
I looked wildly at him, then to Charley to see what he thought about it, who shook his head in disbelief. I had a really open mind, but sometimes Ed's mind and claims were just way too radical. I looked at Ed quizzically, "Um...?"
"Kids are out of school all the time," Charley explained rationally, "It happens."
"No, I mean like they're missing," Ed insisted, "Haven't you noticed? Adam's been out of school for the past week. It's weird. He's never out of school."
Adam, another one of Charley's ex-best friends.
"Adam? Why don't you just call him, Ed? Isn't that the easiest thing to do? Don't run up the wall, he's probably sick with a virus or the flu," I reasoned, arching my eyebrows at him.
"I did call him. I get the machine every single time. I've left so many voicemails, it's insane." Ed exclaimed, "I think something got him. I'm going to his house tonight to check it out, and you guys are coming with me."
Charley looked at Ed like he was insane, "Break into his house?"
"Blair, I know you'll come." He said to me, then turned to Charley, "Look, are you gonna come or not?" Ed snapped. I looked between him and Charley, taking in this severely awkward moment between the two ex-friends. I raised my eyebrows at Ed, but didn't object. I felt bad for him, so I guess I could go along with him tonight, this once.
"Blair, you can do whatever the hell you want." Charley snapped, then looked at Ed, "No way, man."
"Fine, man. But just remember, I have a video of us in tights and swords, and I don't think you want that to go viral, do you? And remember that time not too long ago that I let you borrow my Stretch Armstrong so you could wrap it around your dick and jerk off with it?" Ed snapped back, his voice raising.
"TMI." I muttered. Charley shot me a look, then to Ed, "Stop freaking out! Everyone can hear you!"
Kids were looking around, and Ben and Mark were cracking up by the lockers.
"Oh, I'm freaking out now?" Ed's voice raised more.
"Fine, fine! I'll go!" Charley attempted to quiet him. The three of us were quiet, and I turned to see Mark and Ben cackling at Ed. They had no reason to be mean to the kid, he was just not a douchebag like them.
"Meet me at Adam's after school." Ed said to the two of us.
Charley sighed, "Whatever, man." He turned and walked away, leaving Ed andI. "What's up with him?" Ed asked me, and I shrugged at him.
"I guess Charley's just growing up to be a jerk."
After staying after school and begging my History teacher to let me give her my report with a no as an answer, I frustratingly jumped into my Camaro and drove home, annoyed.
The drive from school to home was only around five minutes, but I'd taken so long after school to bribing my teacher, that it was dusk by the time I pulled into the driveway.
The sky was pinkish orange, with stringy clouds streaking across the sky over the Nevada desert, the pavement cool in the pre-summer evening, the air humid, and the sun ready to set within an hour or two.
I grabbed the keys and shoved them in my skinny jeans' pocket, going to the hatchback of the Camaro and tugging. It refused to open.
The worst thing about old cars from the 1960s? They hardly ever work.
"Motherfucker." I grumbled to myself, smacking the hatchback gently. I tugged again, but it refused to open. I was getting annoyed at this point, whether from failing my report or having a car that won't open, or having my brother become an ass overnight. Deep in thought, I almost jumped ten feet in the air when I heard a voice from behind me.
"Do you uh...need help with that?"
I swirled around to see a man standing a few feet next to me, giving me a humored, amused look. He must've been in his mid or late twenties, at least 6'4. He had jet black hair, pale skin, muscular build, and wore a dirt-stained wifebeater, with a cuff on his wrist. I stared at his eyes, which were either really brown or insanely black. There was a weird thing about him, like a vibe, but I couldn't really put my finger on it.
"Uhm, yeah. If you don't mind." I said, shrugging.
He smirked at me, walking to my car, and flicking open the hatchback with no trouble. I stared at the stranger in my driveway, slinging my messenger bag over my shoulder.
"I'm Jerry Dandridge." He reached out his hand, "I just moved in next door."
So here's the guy who has the dumpster in his yard.
I hesitantly reached out and shook his hand, which was stained with dirt. He had a oddly firm grip, and released my hand, and I replied with a meek smile, "I'm Blair Brewster. It's nice to meet you. Thanks for uhm, fixing my car. It's the worst."
He stared at me for what seemed like a few minutes, then he seemed to regain himself, shaking himself out of the trance he was in. He looked at me up and down, an amused smirk permanantly on his face, like he was sizing me up to eat.
It freaked me out, this amused smirk that he gave me like I was his dinner...it made my blood run cold.
"No problem." He smirked crookedly, his eyes so black it made me feel like he was looking right through me, "Old cars like this can get pretty damn rickety."
I smiled up at him, "You're telling me. I just need to bring my bag inside, I'll be right there." Before I finished my sentance, he asked quickly, cutting me off, "Do you need help bringing anything in?"
I looked at him with an arched eyebrow, running my hand through my hair. He was charasmatic, yet eager. "No, I'm good...thanks. You can come through the backyard, if you want. I'll be a second, really."
He gave me a small smile, just revealing two rows of insanely white teeth. I nodded, and I walked around to the backyard, opened the back kitchen door, stepping inside. He came to the doorframe and immediately came to a halt, looking like he was almost losing his breath when he stopped. He leaned against the doorframe, looking side my house, as if he was checking for witnesses. I smirked at him after throwing my bag on the couch, walking back outside.
When I walked past him in the doorway, we skimmed each other, our skin touching. He smirked down at me. He seemed a little cold, and I wondered why. It would be July in a month and we lived in the deserts nearLas Vegas, yet he was cold. He was a little taller than me, maybe by three or four inches.
His black eyes lingered on the door after I shut it, but again snapped out of his trance. There was a dark feeling about him, but I really couldn't put my finger on it. He beckoned me to follow him to the side of his yard were he had previously been working, only a few feet away from my car.
"So you're the new neighbor," I said, Jerry bending down and doing his yardwork.
"I am," He replied, looking up at me while he worked, "It's uh, a pretty good neighborhood. Right next to Vegas. You live here by yourself, Blair?"
He nodded to my house, smirking up at me, his amused smirk and black eyes making me feel severely uneasy. I felt a weird chill sprint in my veins when he asked me that.
"I live here with..." I began, cut off when my mother came walking up to me.
I bit my lip, just in time for my mother to interrupt me.
"Blair, you didn't tell me you were coming home this late." She said to me, then eyed up Jerry, who smirked at me, then looked at my mother, who kept rambling, "Who's this?"
"Mom, this is Jerry Dandridge. He just moved in next door." I gestured to him, and Jerry politely shook her hand, "Nice to meet you...?" He asked charmingly.
"Jane." Mom replied, "And I see you've met my daughter."
Jerry smiled charmingly at me with his dark eyes, "I have."
I looked at him, getting a rattle down my spine, and Mom instantly slipping into her real estate agent zone, "How do you like the new neighborhood? I see that you have the dumpster in your yard."
I rolled my eyes and Jerry caught me doing so, and he laughed a little bit, "It's uh, pretty good, pretty good. I promise, the dumpster will be out of the yard by tomorrow. I know, it's a little bit of an eyesore."
I looked at him, surprised he used the word that Mom used the other night.
Mom turned to see Charley and Amy coming up the driveway. I felt Jerry looking at me from the corner of my eye, and I was right. With Mom's back to us and talking to Amy and Charley, Jerry was sizing me up and down again. He wasn't hiding it, either. He wasn't afraid that I noticed him staring.
"Jerry, this is my son, Charley. This is his girlfriend, Amy." Mom said, introducing them. I gave Jerry a look, and he snapped out of it and gave a playfully amused look at them.
"Hey." He murmured simply.
"Hi." Charley looked at him oddly, almost suspiciously.
"I would invite you all inside," Jerry said, looking at me again, "But it's pretty messy, furniture everywhere. I have a lot of unpacking to do." He then looked at Mom, "Like I said, the dumpster will be gone by tomorrow."
"I better get going," Amy said, looking at her cell phone's clock, "My mom'll kill me if I'm not at dinner. See you later, Brewsters. Nice to meet you." She said to Jerry over her shoulder, making her way to the Beetle at the end of the driveway.
"Speaking of which, mine's probably on fire." Mom said, looking at her watch. She told Jerry how nice it was to meet him, then practically ran inside. Charley's cell phone vibrated, and he gulped loudly when he saw what it said, from Ed:
The video goes viral in 10 if you & Blair aren't Adam's house in 5.
Charley grabbed my arm, "We have to go, right now." I looked at Jerry, who smirked at me. I looked at Charley next, "Why?"
"Ed's at Adam's. C'mon, Blair! He's threatening me!" Charley was practically dragging me down the driveway.
Jerry looked insanely amused when Charley mentioned Ed.
Charley began sprinting down the street. I rolled my eyes, walking down the driveway after Charley, who was insanely running.
"Hey, Blair."
I stopped at the end of the driveway and looked at Jerry, who flashed me that crookedly amused smirk. Again, my blood ran cold. Dusk was creepily easing into darkness, and I didn't want to leave Charley in the night by himself, even if he was a douchebag.
"I'll uh, see you soon."
I nodded at him, giving him a sheepish smile. After flashing me one final smug, crooked grin, he walked into his garage, disappearing. I ran in the darkness, but one thing haunted my mind. I felt like...
I was being watched.