Chapter 8

Penny climbed up the tree house and did the secret knock. Chris opened the door, expecting Gordie.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, without looking at her.

"Chris, I came to tell you that,-" she said, breathing heavily. She walked to other side of the chair where Chris was facing and placed her hands on his lap as he looked away. "Chris, I love you. I want you. I just didn't have the courage to tell you."

"You do?" he said, finally facing her.

"Yes, and I want to be with you." Their faces moved closer to each other and their lips met. Penny felt Chris's tongue sneak in through her mouth. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. Jadey suddenly opened the door of the tree house without knocking.

"Oh shit! Sorry for interrupting you guys." said Jadey, and closed the door and climbed down the tree.

"What the hell's going on up there?" asked Teddy, looking surprisingly at Jadey.

"They're uh-busy, doing something." Said Jadey, still thinking of what she saw.

"Well, what are they doing?" asked the curious Vern.

"They're doing business" Jadey air-quoted.

"What business?" asked Roma and Gordie.

"Let me check." Said Jadey and went back up to the tree house. The guys followed back up and saw Chris and Penny, surprised and still holding hands.

"Well, could please explain yourselves." Said Jadey, with her hands on her waist acting like a mother.

"Gosh, you act like my mother." Said Chris and smiled at Penny.

"So, I see you guys sorted this out." Said Gordie and looked down at Chris and Penny's hands. And Chris quickly let go.

The girls grabbed Penny at the corner of the tree house and asked her what happened while the boys played cards.

"So, you guys are like together, together now? Asked Jadey.

"Yeah. I guess." Said Penny. "So Roma, anything happened with you and Gordie?"

"Yeah, guys. The other day, Gordie kissed me." She said, turning red.

"He did?!"

"Yeah, I was helping him out with his story. His stories were great."

"Well, that's great." Penny said. "Hey, Jadey, how are you and Teddy?"

"Fine. I heard that our prom's next week, so I hope he asks me." She said, hopefully.

"I'm sure he will." Said Penny, placing her hand on Jadey's shoulder.

"So, how was it with Penny?" asked Gordie.

"Great, man. We're like us now." Said Chris, looking at Penny who was talking to the girls. "So, how about you, Gordie?"

"It's good. I tried to make a move the other day and I think it went pretty well." Said Gordie, smiling. "And Teddy, I always see you with Jadey these days."

"Well, she's just so perfect!!" said Teddy, almost yelling. The girls looked at him while Jadey blushed and winked.

They all left the tree house when it was getting dark. Chris walked Penny home and kissed her before she entered the house. Penny looked back and saw him walk along the street and waved at him. She entered the house, blushing and happy at what happened at the tree house.

"What are you so happy about?" asked Roger, while reading the latest issue of Sports Illustrated. He was sitting cozily on the couch while drinking a sports drink.

"Let me guess, Chris?" said Johnny, packing his stuff for soccer practice.

"Duh! Gosh, Johnny, how many clothes do you need for practice?" said Penny, looking at Johhny's big and stuffed up Adidas gym bag.

"A lot." He said, and packed his new Adidas football trainers. "Hey, Rog, mine's the one with the white thing."

"I know man, I know. So, Pen, when did you start hanging out with Chris?"

"Uh, since he helped me with the Eyeball problems and stuff."

"Oh, so you guys have been doing stuff in your room, huh?" teased Roger, as he stood up and did some kicking techniques.

"Uh-whatever, Rog." Said Penny, remembering their first kiss in her room.

"I can't believe my little sis is growing up." Said Roger and tapped Penny's back.

"So, how are you going with your girlfriend, Mandy? Penny asked.

"Great. If you're gonna watch the game, you might see her." Said Roger.

"Oh right, one of the cheerleaders right?" asked Penny and Rog nodded.

Penny ate dinner with her brothers and mom silently. She ate some steak and mashed potato. Her mom was drinking some juice when Roger spoke,

"Hey mom, guess what, our sister's growing up. She's hanging out with Chris Chambers." Said Roger, and took a bite of his steak.

Judy almost choked on her juice when she heard this. Penny's eyes widened and Johnny kicked Roger under the table.

"Is this true, Penny?" Judy asked Penny.

"Uh-I can't lie to you, mom." She said, and looked down at the table. She knew her mom wouldn't be happy about this. The fact that she's dating a boy, well, good thing Roger didn't use the word dating, with a not-so good reputation didn't sound good. Damn! She thought. She felt pissed off that her brother Roger, one of the people she trusted did this.

"Penny, do you realize what you're doing?" her mom said, sounding mad for the first time since their dad died.

"But, mom, there's nothing wrong with that. Chris isn't like what other people think of him. He's different." Said Penny, and started to leave the dining table.

"Penny, listen to me, do you know what could happen to you? What if, you get pregnant or get raped by him!" her mom yelled and stood up.

"Mom, he would never do that! He's better than his brother and what people think of him is not true! You just, you just don't understand." Said Penny, and ran up to her room.

"Great, look what you've done." Johnny whispered to Roger, and stood up from the table.

Penny was lying on her bed, with a pillow on top of her head. She started crying on her pillow. She remembered her dad, and how he would say about boys. She missed him, though. And remembered when her dad asked them his last favor before he dies, that, when he's gone, they wouldn't mourn over him for the rest of their life but move on and have a life. He'd be happy with that. It's the reason why Roger and Johnny are so popular and school and good in football. It was their dad, who encouraged them to play.

Someone suddenly knocked on her door and entered right away. Penny lifted her pillow to see who it was, it was Roger. She put her pillow back on top of her face and said,

"Get the hell out." Her voice muffled.

"No, sis. I came here to apologize. I'm really sorry."

"Really?" Penny asked him, and sat up on her bed.

"Yeah, I swear. I'm really happy you're hanging out with him. He sounds fine to me." Said Roger, and sat beside Penny.

"Aw, thanks, big bro." she said, and gave him a hug.

Roger drove Penny to school the next morning. She remembered that she had to tell Vern that tryouts were tomorrow. Many students looked at them as he stopped before the school grounds. Penny got out of car and said goodbye to Roger. He drove at full speed and disappeared on the less than a second.

Penny turned around and saw Chris behind her.

"Oh, Chris! I didn't know you were there."

"Yeah, babe. C'mon." he said and held her hand while walking.

"Did you just call me "babe"?" Penny asked him. It reminded her of her of her relationship with Eyeball. She shuddered at that thought.

"Why? You're mine now."

"Yeah, right." Said Penny, now allowing him to call her that. He kissed her cheek and they entered the school hallway holding hands. Some people looked at them with random reactions.

"Chris, people are staring at us." Penny whispered to Chris.

"Just act natural." He whispered and walked, smiling.

Chris and Penny hung out together at lunch, so did Teddy and Jadey and Roma and Gordie. Penny looked around and saw Vern walking in the cafeteria, wearing his usual soccer outfit. Vern walked up to her and asked,

"Hey, Penny, do you know when the tryouts are?

"Yeah, Vern-o, it's tomorrow."

"Gee, thanks. I really hope I could get in the team." He said.

"Vern o? Play football?" Chris said, and started laughing.

"Well, you'll see, Chris. Once I get in team." Said Vern, confidently.

"Well, good luck with that." He said, still laughing.

"Very funny, Chris." Said Penny and kissed Chris's cheek.

After lunch, Penny attended classes, each having announcements about the Prom. She was sure that she was going with Chris. She imagined what they looked like, dancing. Penny walked home with Jadey and Roma, since Chris was hanging out with the guys in the tree house and she had to go home early.

*---*

The Cobras were hanging out in their usual spot. Some were fixing cars, some were smoking while others were putting "Cobras" tattoos on some of the new members.

"So, you still hanging out with that Penny chick?" asked Ace.

"Fuck no. The bitch broke up with me. The thing I hate about her is that I'm trying to have sex with her and she doesn't want." Eyeball said, frustrated.

"Well, sucks for you." Said Ace, and started fixing his car. Something suddenly came in Eyeball's mind. He still wanted Penny but then he didn't know if she was dating another guy.

"Hey, Billy, Charlie. Come here." He said, as Billy and Charlie approached him. He whispered something to them and they both kept asking him, "Are you serious?" They both brought knives with them and left the Cobras.

"What the fuck what that about?" Ace asked Eyeball.

"You'll see."

Penny was walking with her friends, talking about boys and the Prom.

"So, did Teddy ask you yet?" Penny asked Jadey, hoping that she would say yes.

"No, not yet." Said Jadey, sounding disappointed.

"Well, don't worry. I'm sure he will." Penny said. "Roma, how bout you and Gordie?"

"He hasn't asked me yet, either." She said.

"Probably those guys are just gathering all their guts to ask you." Said Penny. She heard footsteps follow after them and she walked quickly. Suddenly, Charlie and Billy came running after them.

"Guys, run! You know what to do!" said Penny, and Jadey and Roma ran as fast they can.

Billy held Penny by the arms and Charlie started punching and kicking her in her stomach. Billy pushed Penny on the ground. She couldn't help but scream and ask for help. But Charlie kept hitting her and she couldn't breathe.

*---*

Jadey and Roma kept running until they reached the tree house. Jadey climbed up the tree and did the secret knock.

"That's not the secret knock!"

"Forget the hell about the secret knock! This is important!" Jadey yelled and tried to catch her breath. Teddy noticed her voice and let her in.

"Guys, its's Jadey. Let her in!" said Teddy, and opened the door. Jadey and Roma came in hurriedly. They all looked sweaty and tired.

"Chris….Penny…Cobras…hurt…beat up…rape…death…" said Jadey, catching her breath and panicking.

"What?!" Chris said. "The Cobras?!

"Charlie and Billy." Said Roma.

"Hey, we better hurry." Said Jadey.

"Let's go." Said Chris, and they left the tree house but Gordie was left behind.

"You go ahead guys. I'll just get something." Said Gordie. And he watched them climb down and hear feet running.

"I hope we won't get there too late." Said Chris, nervously.

"Don't worry. We can get there." Said Jadey. They ran to the street where Jadey and Roma left her. They hoped she was still there. They wondered what Gordie got until they heard a high-pitch and ear splitting scream.