There was an old bachelor by the name of Griff who lived across the street from Wally's house. Griff was known for his love of appearances. His face was always freshly shaven, his hair slicked back without a hair out of place, his shoes shined, and his clothes perfectly ironed. His home was also considered to be a sight of perfection. The grass and bushes were regularly cut, the windows washed every weekend, and the house painted every four months. Griff's car was no exception to his perfect appearance rule, for every weekend one could spot the red convertible being hand washed. Griff, and everything in his life, was beautiful; which is why it came as a surprise that when he was away for a cruise he allowed his oldest nephew to house sit for him.
His nephew, Randel, was nothing like Griff when it came to appearances; a fact that was immediately known when he parked his old rusted car in Griff's driveway. His car was tiny and cluttered in the back seat with random objects. A window on the right side wouldn't close all the way. One of the tiers looked deflated. There was a crack in the style of a spider web on the windshield, the back bumper was dented, and the side view mirror on the driver's side was attached by duck tape.
The car was a hunk of junk and clearly didn't belong near Griff's home... and for some reason Jenn found it fascinating. She was eager to sketch the image on paper, and planned to do so the minute she reached Wally's house.
Wally opened the door to his home, not bothering to ask who it was knowing it would be Jenn. He smiled. "Hey, babe-"
She walked past him and up the stairs to his room.
He rolled his eyes, figuring she was in artist mode; meaning he would have to really work on acquiring her attention. "It's nice to see you too," he muttered sarcastically, kicking the door closed before following her trail.
When he arrived to his room he found Jenn fishing out an art set she kept hidden under his bed. There were times they would like to spend time together, but not actually together. For occasions like that they each kept something in the others house to entertain themselves with. For Jenn it was her spare art set. For Wally it was a box of things ranging from comic books to video games to DVDs.
He chuckled as she reached under his bed, struggling to reach her kit which he purposefully pushed further back so she would have trouble getting it. It may have been wrong of him, after all he was interfering with her artistic genius, but the view of her rear in the air was well worth it to him.
After getting an eye full he offered to help her and got the kit for her. Her kit was shaped like a briefcase and filled with pencils, paints, erasers, two different sketchbooks, and other items. Once he took hold of the handle he attempted to give it to her, a smile on his face.
She looked at him with a frown, her arms crossed and her foot tapping.
The smile slipped from his face and he looked up at her with guilty eyes. "What?"
"You did that on purpose."
His eyes widened and he put his free hand on his chest. "What? Me? No!"
She smirked a little, too amused to be upset with him and took her kit. "You know I can get even with you, right?"
He wiggled his eyebrows. "Do tell."
She turned away from him and settled on his bed which lined up with his window so she could spy on Griff's home and his nephew's car. "I can hide the box of stuff you keep in my closet."
Wally's mood deflated and he settled in besides her. "I thought you were going to say something fun, like sketching me naked so you could secretly check me out."
Her eyes were shifting from the window to paper. "... Would you honestly let me?"
"What? Check me out naked?"
"I've done that already. I'm referring to the other thing."
His eyes, which had been watching the strokes of her pencil against the paper, looked up in surprise. "When did you do that?"
"One time after we did it. You were asleep so I helped myself."
He gasped and covered his body with his hands. "Not fair!"
She rolled her eyes. "You're just mad you didn't think of it first."
A pause.
"Hit the nail on the head, didn't I?"
"No!" he cried unconvincingly. "I wasn't awake to makes jokes."
"Which is precisely why I did it while you were sleeping. Now, about the sketching you naked thing... wanna do it?"
He smirked. "Do I get a pretty necklace?"
"I'd rather you only have on sneakers."
He blinked. "Wait, so you're serious? You really want to sketch me?"
"Why so surprised? I've sketched you before?"
He blushed. "Yeah, but never that part of me..."
"If you don't want too-"
"I didn't say I didn't want to," he rubbed his neck. "It sounds kind of... hot."
She lifted a brow. "Hot?"
"Yeah," he twiddled his thumbs. "And I suppose it's safe to do something like that now that Kitten's not around."
Jenn grimaced in distaste. "So glad she's gone."
"Ditto," Wally looked out the window, allowing a brief pause of silence to linger before speaking again. "I'm not artist but wouldn't it be easier if you just asked the man for permission to sketch his shitty ass car?"
"I tried that. He got all rude and weird on me."
"Rude and weird how?"
"First he was all sarcastic, thinking I was interested in him and not his car. Then he accused me of being some sort of collector's agent and threaten to get the hose on me."
Wally glared at Griff's house, trying to figure out which room his nephew was in so he could imagine knocking him out. "That asshole."
"Hmm."
Wally frowned. He knew what that sound meant. Jenn was in her zone now, meaning one word responses would be in abundance. He knew he should just let her be, but he couldn't help but try to keep the conversation alive. She was his girlfriend and she was in his room, who could blame him?
"Wanna teach me to sketch?" he asked hopefully, hoping to capture her interest.
"Hmm."
"Uh... are you thirsty?"
"Hmm."
"... I'm having an affair."
She threw out her hand, for what Wally believed would be a strike to his face so he shielded himself with his arms, but instead she just wiggled her fingers. "Eraser."
He sighed and handed it to her. Pouting, he decided to give it one more try. If he couldn't get her to respond he would give up and go make a sandwich. "So... how was cheer leading practice today?"
Jenn paused and turned to him, her face livid. Wally thought for sure she was going to yell at him.
"Oh my God, Wally, it's horrible! These new recruits are still having trouble with the basic routines. I can't get them to do a pyramid if my life depended on it," unbeknownst to her she dropped her pencil as she threw up her hands in frustration. "Half of them act like idiots." She frowned and crossed her arms. "Always checking out one of the guys from one of the teams... Ugh, it is so unfair how I got stuck with all of this. I need Jade and Kori back."
Wally sat Indian style, his chin resting in the palm of his hand, pleased that her focus was now on him. "Interesting. Tell me more."
"What's to tell? Our school used to have the best cheer leading team ever, and now it's a complete joke," she rubbed her neck. "It's like a bad sequel of Bring It On."
"You okay?" Wally asked, sitting up straight after noticing the pained expression that came to her face.
"I'm fine. Just a little sore I guess because of practice."
"Well c'mere," he commanded as he rolled up his sleeves. "I have the magic touch."
"And the corny catch phrase," she replied as she looked at the floor. "Now where did my pencil go?"
He took her sketchbook out of her lap and placed it on the floor.
"Hey!" she snapped, attempting to reach for it.
Wally captured her hand. "Could you forget about drawing that fugly car for a little while and let me be a romantic boyfriend?"
Jenn rolled her eyes as Wally removed her purple and black stripped hoodie. "Fine. But if he moves his car and I have to start all over again-"
He settled in behind her so that she was seated between his legs. "I'll make it up to you if he does," he smiled and got to work on massaging her neck.
"Mmm...," Jenn closed her eyes, her head rolling back.
"You like?"
She nodded. "Mmhmm."
He slipped the straps of her black tank top and bra off her shoulders so he could massage her there. "How you feeling?"
"Mmm.. Better already," she answered with a contented sigh.
"I'm glad," he said before kissing her left shoulder and back. "Guess that means we're done here... Unless you want to continue?" he asked hopefully.
She chuckled. "So that was your plan all along, huh?"
"No, not at all," he replied honestly, his answer muffled when he went to go kiss her other shoulder. "But your moaning really turned me on."
She laughed and attempted to stand. "Well your hands seem more than capable-"
He pulled her back down and hugged her so she wouldn't escape. His hands snaked upwards to grope at her chest. "That wouldn't be fair."
Jenn bit her lip to contain a moan and swatted his hands away. "You know you're groping at an ugly flat board, right."
"You're not flat," he replied as she escaped him. "You're beautiful."
She turned to him with a roll of her eyes and muttered. "Yeah right."
"It's the truth," he said, reaching for her hand pulling her closer so he could wrap his arms around her waist. "I love your body, and I'm not saying that because of the awesome feeling you give me, but because... well, you're perfect to me."
She rested her hands on his shoulders and looked away shyly. "I am?"
"Yeah. I love your hair and how unique it is. I love your smile. I love your grace when ever you're doing a cheer leading move. I love that focused look you get in your eyes when you're doing something important. I love-"
She put a finger on his lip and smiled at him, their eyes locking. "I get it. You love me," she removed the finger from his lips so she could cup his face. "I love you, too." She leaned her head in to kiss him softly, pulling away when Wally's hands snaked up her shirt. She almost laughed at the pout on his face. "... It has been awhile."
He nodded and grinned because of the small smirk that formed on her lips. She giggled, telling him to 'come here', and pulled him into another kiss.
TT
"Rudy," began Mary West as she pulled out a box from a large blue and white bag. "Are you sure this new game station is what's best for Wally? I mean, it looks exactly the same as the one he has now."
"You hear the man at the store, Mary. It's what every boy wants nowadays. Besides, Wally keeps complaining how Roy has one and he doesn't," Rudy smiled as he pulled into the drive way of his home. "Home at last. I can't wait to kick back on my recliner and relax. I've forgotten how stressful toy stores can be."
Mary stepped out of the car, the bag holding Wally's present in hand. "That recliner will have to wait. I want us to set up this game for Wally, that way when he comes home he'll be even more surprised."
Rudy laughed. "You spoil the boy too much, Mary. I'm sure he can set it up himself."
Mary crossed her arms and scowled at her husband who squirmed under her glare.
"On second thought, I'd love to set it up for him," Rudy amended, smiling nervously as he held the door open for his wife.
She smiled and walked inside. "That's what I thought."
Rudy took Mary's hand in his after shutting the door and together they climbed the stairs to Wally's room. The door to Wally's room was closed so Mary took the lead and opened it.
The excited smile on her face vanished as her hand slipped from the door knob, her eyes widening as they followed a trail of discarded shoes, shirts, and bra. Finally her gaze landed on the bed where her son was hovering over a topless girl, their lips locked.
She could almost feel vomit rising in her throat so she covered her mouth, adverting her eyes. "Oh my God."
Rudy stepped behind her, saw what she saw, and immediately shielded his eyes. "Oh my God!"
Wally tore his lips from Jenn, startled, and looked up. "Oh shit-Mom! Dad! Get out of my room!"
"I'm out! I'm out!" Rudy cried, leaving the room so he could stand in the hallway, his hands over his eyes. "I didn't see anything, young lady, I assure you."
Mary, now over the sick feeling that had possessed her before, took a step into the room, completely livid. "You're telling us to get out?" she pointed at Jenn who pushed Wally off of her, the blanket pulled to her chest so she could safely retrieve her clothes. "She's the one who needs to leave!"
"Trust me, I'm going," Jenn mumbled, pulling her shirt over her head.
"Jenn, no, wait," Wally pleaded, reaching for her with his hand.
Mary stopped him by grabbing his wrist. "Wallace West, hold it right there-"
Wally snatched his wrist away and glared at his mother. "Mom, stop, you're embarrassing me!"
Her eyes widened. "I'm embarrassing you-"
"Mrs. West, please," began Jenn now that she was fully clothed. "I know it looks bad but we really didn't do-"
Mary turned her gaze to Jenn, who flinched at the look in her eyes. If looks could kill Jenn was sure Wally's mother would have sentenced her to hell right now. "I told you to leave," she pointed at the door. "Get out of my house!"
Jenn was backing out towards the door, the fear evident in her eyes, but her pace was too slow for Mary who couldn't stand the sight of her. To speed up Jenn's departure she opened the drawers to Wally's dresser and began to throw his neatly folded clothes that she had placed there that morning. "Get out! Get out! Get out!"
The point was well received when Wally's socks hit her in the eye. Jenn grabbed her bag and hoodie and made a run for it. Wally, who was completely horrified over what was happening, struggled to put on his shirt. Once it was on properly he tried to make a dash for the door, calling for Jenn to wait for him even though he had already heard the slam of the front door. He was nowhere near his bedroom door when his mother blocked his path.
"Where do you think you're going?" she scolded.
"To go apologize to my girlfriend," he snapped, stepping around her. His path was blocked again, only this time by his father who's tall frame intimidated him to step back.
"Son... we need to talk," he said softly. "Sit down."
Wally had to think about it for a moment, but the decision was soon made from him. Trying to be as comforting as possible in light of his wife's behavior, Rudy placed a hand on Wally's shoulder and steered him towards the bed. Reluctantly Wally sat down.
"Alright, where do we start," Rudy mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck and looking at the floor."
"I can tell you where we'll start," snapped Mary. "How about we begin with the obvious disrespect of our home. We are not some cheap motel for you to release your... urges, Wallace."
"Mary, please, settle down. No need for full names," Rudy pleaded as he stepped up behind her and rubbed her arms. He sighed and looked at his son. "Wally... I just... Help me to understand how something like this could happen. What happened to abstinence?"
Wally looked down shamefully. "Dad, I never wanted to be abstinent. I only said I was because you and mom forced me into it."
"Well if you never wanted to be abstinent does that mean you've been... active all this time?" Rudy asked carefully, trying to find the right word for it.
There was a pause.
Wally nodded, a look of embarrassment on his face. This was not how he wanted his day to go. "...Yes."
Mary gasped at the confession, feeling both stunned and hurt.
Rudy sighed, visibly upset, but tried not to let his emotions get the best of him. "For how long, Wally? And with how many girls?"
Wally blushed, suddenly felt incredibly small. It was like he was on trial. "... Since my junior year. But only with Jenn," he added quickly, hoping that since he didn't have a track record with girls that would somehow lessen the blow. "Hey, on a scale of one to ten, ten being the highest, how mad are you guys?"
"Well obviously it's one hundred, Wallace," Mary snapped. "How could you be so foolish? Don't you understand the risk that comes with what you're doing?"
"Mom, it's just sex."
"It is not just-" she groaned and held up her fingers, making a list. "Sex can lead to bad habits like addiction and distraction in school. There's diseases to worry about-"
"Please tell me you use protection," interrupted Rudy.
"Yeah, of course do. Trust me, I know protection is important."
"Do you really? Because you know that without protection Jenn could become pregnant. That's not something you want for yourself, Wally."
"Dad, I know. Trust me, I do. After Jenn and I had that pregnancy scare-"
"Pregnancy scare," Mary repeated, suddenly fearful. "What pregnancy scare?"
Wally cringed. Mentioning the scare Jenn and he had was a complete accident and clearly a mistake. Instantly he regretted his words.
"You almost got her pregnant," Mary hissed.
Wally gulped. "Key word being 'almost', mom, remember that. Also remember that murder is illegal."
Mary threw up her hands. "I've had enough."
Rudy grabbed her hand before she could leave. "Mary, don't-"
"Don't what?!"
He locked eyes with her, his voice low. "Don't walk away from this."
"There is only so much I can handle in one day, Rudy," she said softly. "And I refuse to stand here and listen to this. That pink haired floozy has corrupted our son and is trying to trick him into something he's not ready for."
Wally stood up. "Jenn's not a floozy! And she's not trying to trick me into anything."
Mary looked at him menacingly. "Wallace, sit down."
"No! Mom, would you just listen to me and calm down? What Jenn and I do isn't bad. She makes me feel amazing and-"
"Wallace, enough!"
"But mom-"
"Wallace-"
"You're acting crazy!"
Her hand shot out and seized his ear, yanking it. Wally immediately screamed in pain, calling for his father's help. Rudy got between them, his hand on Mary's, trying to break her grip. There was a bit of a struggle, but he finally managed to separate them. He kept a hand around Mary as precaution in case she tried to repeat her action. Wally rubbed his ear and resisted the urge to make a comment towards his mother.
"Alright, I think your mother is right. We'll talk more about this tomorrow," he looked at Wally apologetically. "In the meantime you're grounded."
"Grounded? For what?" Wally took a step forward. "I didn't do anything wrong."
"You've been hiding the fact that you're sexually active. That counts as wrong, Wally," Rudy held out his hand. "I want your cell phone."
"My phone? But dad-"
"Now, Wally."
Grumbling Wally crossed over to his dresser and took his phone off the charger. He then walked back towards his father and handed it to him. He crossed his arms defiantly. "Anything else?" he asked bitterly.
"Yes actually," answered Mary. "In addition to not having a phone you'll have no computer, no TV, and no snacks." She looked at his bed in distaste. "And I want you to clean those sheets."
Wally sat down on his bad and groaned. "For how long?"
"Until this matter is resolved," replied Mary as she picked up the bag that held his new Game Station. "In the meantime we have to return this."
Wally sat back up. "Wait! Isn't that the new Game Station? Y-you can't take that. It's a gift!"
"It was a gift for you, back when we thought you were a mature young man. But clearly you're out of control and don't deserve this."
"But mom-"
She glared at him and showed him her hand. "Do you want me to pinch you again?"
He immediately sat back down and sighed. "No."
She nodded, pleased with herself, and left the room; her husband following. Rudy shut the door behind himself, shaking his head. With the door closed Wally threw himself upon the bed and groaned into his pillow. He turned his head to the side and noticed Jenn's sketch book on the floor along with her pencils. Picking both up he opened the book to a freshly clean page and drew a heart with his name and Jenn's name in the middle.
TT
Vic was grumpy as he waited for his ride to school. It was absurd to him how fast things could change. Before it was him giving his friends rides to places, now it was the other way around. How embarrassing, he thought. He wished his parents had lent him their car. Unfortunately for him both of his parents worked rather far, so they needed the vehicle more than he did. He sighed, trying to think of the positives, and noted that although he thought it was frustrating not having his own ride, anything was better than the bus. Now that would have been lame. And uncomfortable.
Vic didn't have to wait that long for his ride to show. This morning Karen would be the one driving him. When he saw the familiar black jeep pulling over he hurried over from his spot on the porch. The door was unlocked by the time he reached the jeep, and when he opened it he froze.
Vic's eyes widened and any grumpiness he felt before vanished. "Wow... Karen, you look amazing."
Karen was wearing a loose fitting black blouse that had long sleeves with a cut going all the way down from the shoulder to the wrist. It was tucked into her blue mini skirt that hugged her at every curve. Her long legs were hidden by her lace stockings, and on her feet were a pair of black wedge booties. In addition to this she had matching gold bangles around each wrist, small gold stud earrings, and a long gold necklace that reached above her belly. Instead of the usual buns on her head she had styled her hair differently. It was down today with drop curls. Her makeup added a little shine to her lips and eyes, but not too much to give her a natural look.
Karen looked down at herself and blushed. She laughed awkwardly. "Oh yeah... this... This was Joey's idea. He's going to help me practice today after school for my audition, and he thought it'll help set the mood if I dressed the part."
Vic got into the front passenger seat and shut the door. He looked away from her as he was putting on his seat belt so he could stop himself from ogling. Truly he was amazed by Karen's appearance. Typically she didn't wear skirts or dresses to school, so he felt that by being the first one to see her he was given a special treat.
"Joey had the right idea. You look really beau-." he faked a cough, catching himself. "Cool. You look really cool."
Karen pulled away from the sidewalk once Vic was buckled in. "I don't know. I mean, I love the outfit, but I feel silly wearing it to school. I'm not used to practicing my music this way."
"Well I think it's a great idea," Vic assured her, not wanting her to put herself down. "It's cute."
Karen blushed and gripped the steering wheel a little tighter. She forced a smile on her face. "Sooo... How long until your baby is up and running again?"
The grumpy look Vic had before returned. "I'm still waiting on the money to repair it. It'll be longer than I expected," he answered as he looked at her through the corner of his eye. He frowned and looked away, putting his elbow on the door since the window was fully opened. "I'm sorry for being such an inconvenience. I'm sure you and the others have better things to do than drive me around."
"Vic, you sound stupid."
He looked at her in surprise. "Say what?"
"You're not being an inconvenience to any of us. Honest. We don't mind it at all."
"But-"
"When it was you driving us around did you have a terrible time while doing it?"
"No, but-"
She grinned. "And why didn't you?"
"Because you guys are my friends. I was more than happy to help."
"Exactly," she said, turning her head towards him when they reached a red light. She smiled. "How could you expect us not to feel the same?"
The smile that came to his face was a broad one. "Thanks, Karen."
"Don't mention it," she replied before the light turned green and they continued on their way.
After that the ride to school seemed to go by way to quick for Vic, and he was disappointed when Karen left his side to go seek out Joey. The sudden sadness he felt by her absence startled him, and at first he tried brushing it off, but then it only caused him to focus on how amazing she looked today. He realized that once other boys saw her they would think the same, and abruptly a wave of jealousy consumed him.
And that's when Vic realized... he was in trouble.
Immediately Vic sought out Gar. His best friend wasn't very hard to find, for Vic spotted him by the water fountain quite easily thanks to the color of his hair, and he quickly walked over to him.
"Yo, Gar!"
Gar looked up and wiped his mouth. Upon seeing Vic he smiled. "Oh, hey dude. You'll never guess what I saw on TV last-"
"Yeah, yeah, come with me," Vic commanded dismissively, taking Gar by the arm and pulling him into the nearby boys bathroom. Not bothering to check if they were alone, Vic turned to Gar and decided to get right to the point. "Look, this isn't easy for me to say, and I know it's wrong, believe me I do. I mean, I never pictured myself to be that type of guy but... I can't help how I feel." He sighed and locked eyes with his friend. "Gar, I like-"
Gar waved his arms and made a T with them. "DUDE! Time out! Look, I know I'm a sexy beast and you're a really cool guy, but I don't swing that way man."
Vic raised a brow. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Uh...," Gar scratched the top of his head before pointing at Vic. "Weren't you just about to confess to me?"
Vic stumbled backwards. "What... what...," he glared at Gar and resisted the urge to smack him upside the head. "Dude! What the hell is wrong with you?! Why would you think that?"
Gar looked scared. "You were talking weird and you pulled me in here!" he wagged a finger at Vic. "Next time you should think before you speak."
Vic groaned. "Or maybe next time I'll go talk to someone who has a little bit more sense."
"Hey!" Gar cried indignantly before crossing his arms. "I have plenty of sense."
Vic covered his face with one hand and waved the other at Gar. "Never mind. You're not a good listener anyway."
"I am so a good listener! I'll prove it. Go on, tell me anything."
Vic looked away, suddenly having second thoughts. "I don't know man."
"Dude, you might as well just tell me now. If you don't I'll just bug you until you do," Gar claimed as he stepped over to Vic to hop around him. "C'mon, tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell-"
"I like Karen and I want her back!" Vic yelled just to make Gar stop.
It worked, and the green haired teen looked at him with shocked eyes. "Dude... Why'd you tell me?" he whined, walking away from Vic so he could pace in front of the sinks.
"You told me to tell you!"
"Yeah, but I didn't know it was going to be that," Gar countered, stopping so he could look at Vic. "Aw man, this is bad."
"Well... maybe it isn't all bad," Vic commented softly. Gar looked at him curiously so he continued. "I think... I think the spark is back for both of us. I think if I just told her-"
"That's crazy. You can't do that."
"Why not?"
"Because she already has a boyfriend. Mal; remember?"
"I know," Vic said in frustration. He sighed. "Believe me, I don't want to be the guy that ruins someone else's relationship, but I think Karen and I have a great opportunity for a second chance here. You have to help me get her back."
Gar looked away. Vic was his best friend, he would do anything for him, but Karen was his friend too. He couldn't do something like that to her. "Vic, I'm sorry, but..."
"No. Nonononononono," Vic interrupted pleadingly. "Dude, please! You have to help me, you're my best friend."
"I know, but-"
"C'mon man, I helped you find Atlee."
"Yeah, but finding Atlee didn't destroy another person's happiness."
Vic looked at him flatly. "Gar, you give me no choice. I'm swiping the best friend card."
"Dude, don't be that way."
"As my best friend you have to help me, personal feelings aside. It's the law of the best friend card."
"Vic, we made that thing up years ago. You can't be serious."
"It was serious last month when you needed fifty bucks."
Gar suddenly became flustered. "It was for a video game. That you played first!"
"I'm swiping the card," Vic said as he pretended to reach inside his pocket and remove a wallet. "It's in my hand, Gar. I'm gonna swipe it and you're gonna get the bill."
"Dude, quit it!"
Vic ignored him and pretended to swipe a card through a machine. He smirked. "It's been swiped already. Nothing you can do now."
Gar groaned, his shoulders slumping. "Fine, but let it be known that in no way am I comfortable with this," he crossed his arms and stood up straight. "So what's the plan?"
There was a pause.
Vic poked his index fingers together and tried to look as innocent as possible when looking at Gar. "I was hoping you could come up with something."
"Me?" Gar spluttered. "I don't know what to do. I've never stolen a guy's girlfriend before."
"Neither have I," Vic sighed and crossed his arms, looking away. "Times like this I sure do miss Dick. He'd know what to do."
The middle bathroom stall was kicked open, causing Vic and Gar to jump. Inside the stall was Isaiah. In his hand was a black Sharpie marker that he put the cap on.
"Next time you two feel like having a private conversation you should do it somewhere else. Or at least make sure the place you're doin' it at is empty," said Isaiah as he made his way over to the sink to wash his hands.
"You were in there the whole time?" Gar asked, to which Isaiah replied with a nod. "Trouble down south?"
Isaiah spun around to glare at him. "No!" he replied, shrill. "I was doodling Mr. Mod's face on a pig's body."
Gar laughed. "No way. You're the one who's been doing that?" he grinned. "I loved the one when he falls in love with his own reflection."
"Thanks. You should check out the one I drew today with the principal's face on a chicken's body."
"Aw, sweet!" Gar shouted excitedly before running into the stall.
Now that he wasn't distracted, Vic approached Isaiah. "Hey man, I know this isn't right of me to ask, but do you mind keeping what you heard to yourself? I don't want any of my other friends to know."
Isaiah nodded in understanding. "No problem... but I could do you one better."
Vic raised a brow and stepped closer, his arms crossed. "What do you mean?"
"I could help you out if you wanted. Teach you my brilliant ways of stealing a lady."
Vic hesitated. "Why would you do that for me?"
"It wouldn't be for free dude. Look, Toni's still on my back about being friends with you guys. Honestly, I'm not too crazy about the whole big group thing, but I guess it wouldn't kill me if she saw I was bonding with at least a few of you guys. It'll make her happy, too."
"Hey, if that's all you want than you've got yourself a deal," Vic said, extending his hand for a shake.
Isaiah complied with the gesture and shook Vic's hand. "Cool."
TT
The first thing Jenn did when she arrived at school was seek out Wally. She spotted him by his locker, but for a moment she had a difficult time determining if it was him due to the way he was dressed. Slowly she approached him; taking in the khaki pants, sky blue sweater with gray and pink diamonds along the front, neatly combed hair, and tie with disbelief. Why was her boyfriend dressed as if he was going to church? Where was the track pants and baggy sweatshirt and sneakers?
"Wally?" she said carefully upon reaching his side.
He shut his locker and looked at her in relief. "Jenn," he said excitedly, scooping her up in his arms as if he hadn't seen her in forever, lifting her off the ground. He pulled away after a moment but kept his arms around her. "Babe, I am so glad to see you."
"Well you could have fooled me," she said as she pulled her gaze away from his sweater and to his eyes. "Why didn't you call me last night? And why do you look like your grandma dressed you?"
"Believe me, if I could have called you I would have," he sighed and looked away. "My parents grounded me. They took my phone, my laptop, everything. And then this morning they made me change my clothes into... this." He said that last part in disgust and finally looked at her. "And my mom's so pist that she didn't make breakfast so I had to eat stupid plain cereal. She even has my dad on her side so he dropped me off and lectured me the whole way."
"I understand they're mad, and they have every right to be, but they are totally overreacting," Jenn said as she shook her head in confusion. "I don't get it. Why now after all this time? I mean, yeah they caught us in a bad position-"
"I like that position," Wally murmured with a smile.
"-but it's nothing we haven't done before. Is it because we did it at your house?"
Wally cringed and bit his lip. "Uh... well, you see... They were kind of under the impression that I uh... was still a virgin," he smiled awkwardly. "Oops."
There was a pause.
After blinking several times in disbelief Jenn glared at Wally and pushed him away. "What the hell, Wally! How could you have never told them that we were-" she leaned in close, her voice lower than before. "That we were intimate!"
"I'm sorry but, I mean, how could I?" he asked as he tried taking her hand which she immediately snatched away. "It's not something you talk about over the dinner table."
"And why not? Me and my mom have, lots of times."
Wally's eyes widened. "Wait... what?" he shook his head in disbelief. "There's no way you tell your mom about us."
"Believe it or not, Wally, but I tell my mom everything. I wasn't going to just have sex without talking to her first. She's my mom. She's the one who gets me the condoms and the birth control."
"Oh sugar honey ice tea," Wally mumbled, suddenly pale. It was disturbing to know how much Jenn's mother had contributed to their relationship.
"Oh great," Jenn began sarcastically, crossing her arms. "Now we have to fix this somehow." She put a hand to her chin, mumbling to herself. "Maybe if I got my mom to talk to them, hmm..."
"Oh yeah, that's a good idea," Wally began jokingly. "Have the lady who buys our condoms talk to them. That'll go well."
Jenn glared at him menacingly, causing him to squirm under her gaze. In an attempt to get on her good side he opened up his arms to her.
"Hug?" he suggested, smiling hopefully.
She turned away from him and walked away with a scowl. "Don't touch me."
TT
It was rare for Kori to start her mornings with someone trying to wake her up, since typically she woke with the sun, but today it was Xavier who was up before her. His attempts at waking her were met with the "five more minutes" response, and so finally he gave up and decided to let her sleep in this one time; kissing her forehead gently before departing her room. It would be much later that Kori would stir in her sleep, her hand absentmindedly stroking her belly. She paused for a moment, noticing something different about herself, and finally opened her eyes. Stroking her belly she realized she had a baby bump and smiled, wondering why she had never realized it before (then again she was rather busy with school and such, causing her to fall short when it came to paying attention to her own pregnancy).
Turning her head to the side she noticed the clock on her nightstand, and it was in that moment the smile fell from her face when she noticed the time. Sitting up she reached for the green clock to check the time again, hoping she was just imagining things, but alas she realized that the time was correct... meaning she had overslept and was now late for school.
"Oh no," she whined as she got out of bed and rummaged through her draw.
She would have to rush and get dressed if she wanted to make it to second period. She grabbed everything she needed and rushed out of her bedroom, nearly bumping into Xavier who was on his way to her room. She gasped as she nearly tripped in an attempt to avoid crashing into him. Fortunately for her, Xavier reacted quickly and caught her. He kept his hands locked on her upper arms as she stood up straight.
He had been expecting a thank you for the save, but instead Kori scowled at him. "Xavier, do you realize the time? Why didn't you wake me up? I'm late now!"
Since she was steady Xavier let go of her arms. "Hey, don't blame this on me. I tried waking you up."
"Well you should have tried harder," she snapped as she calmly walked over to the bathroom to avoid tripping again.
"But you're so adorable when you're sleeping," Xavier teased, rushing to block the bathroom door. He smirked at her. "So... no good morning kiss?"
She blushed and put her hands to her ears, causing her items to fall, and closed her eyes. "La, la, la, la, never happened and never will again, la, la, la, la."
Xavier chuckled as he bent down to pick up her things. "That's my cutie, so mature. By the way, nice panties."
Her eyes snapped open and she looked down. She was mortified to see her white panties with a pink bow print in his hand. She snatched it from him as fast as she could before taking her other things. Once she had everything she and Xavier both stood up, and although her rosy cheeks betrayed her, she calmly asked him to step aside. Xavier considered teasing her some more, but he decided the panty thing was more than enough embarrassment for one morning. He stepped to the side and like a gentleman opened the door for her. He raised his hand and bowed his head, surprising her. She murmured a thank you and stepped inside; shutting the door behind herself.
Kori's shower was a quick one, only lasting for about twelve minutes. She had brought her clothes with her to the bathroom to get changed, and the only thing she had left to put on was her jeans. That's when she came upon a dilemma; her jeans wouldn't zip. After much struggling she decided to call a quits and just put on another pair. She hurried to her room and was very glad Xavier was nowhere in sight; the last thing she wanted was for him to see her with her zipper down.
Upon entering her room her eyes zoned in on her dresser and she made her way towards it, passing her full length mirror as she did so. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror as she passed it, but that glimpse caused her to back pedal and scrutinize her appearance more closely. Her jeans weren't the only problem with today's outfit; the fitted shirt she was wearing needed to go as well. In her eyes it made her small baby bump look a million times larger which wasn't good at all. What if people noticed? They would quickly assume things, and when people did that they would become like noisy reporters and seek out the truth. If that happened her secret would be exposed, and that wasn't something she was willing to let happen.
The agenda for today changed abruptly for Kori, and so she stripped off the jeans and shirt she was already wearing and traded them for a loose fitting concert t-shirt and black yoga pants that had purple lace around the waist. Once she was dressed she left her room and called for Xavier.
He had been in his room when he heard her voice and immediately stepped out. He was about to ask what she needed, but his attention drifted to what she was wearing. "Someone looks comfortable."
Kori walked up to him. "I need you to take me shopping. Will you? Please."
He crossed his arms and leaned against the door frame. "What about school?"
"I'm having a fashion emergency," she cried. "To hell with school!"
Xavier thought her fashion crisis to be overly dramatic, but wisely decided not to comment on it. Instead he complied to her request and grabbed his car keys. To be honest he didn't want to go shopping, but any personal time he could spend with Kori was always welcomed and appreciated. He just hoped she wouldn't be a complicated shopper...
With their seat belts buckled Xavier pulled away from the Ander home and took off down the road, eventually becoming out of sight. It wasn't until they were out of sight did a mysterious black car pull up to the Ander house. Out stepped an older man, one who had intruded upon the Ander house before. Like last time he let himself in and moved about the house with ease.
Last time he was there he removed a few things, but today he would be doing the opposite and leaving a few things behind. The man had with him small cameras and listening devices. He only had a few so he needed to pick his locations wisely. Picking those places were easy.
The first camera and listening device went in Kori's room. The man hid his equipment on the bookshelf, smiling to himself as he adjusted everything perfectly. The next pair of equipment was placed downstairs (the only reason for this being because there was no way of concealing the camera in the bathroom). The camera was easily concealed by the leaves of a houseplant by the door, as was the listening device. With this, the mysterious figure hoped to know who was coming and going from Kori's home. He hoped there wasn't anymore boys in her life. It was hard enough knowing that one was living with her.
With the equipment in place there was nothing left to be done, so the man decided to take his leave. Before leaving he thought of Kori and smirked to himself. "With this, my love, you'll never be too far from my view."
TT
"So, are you sitting with us today?" Raven asked as she picked up her lunch tray and joined Toni's side.
"Eh, most likely not. Isaiah's willing to hang out with you guys every once in awhile after school, but he's still greedy when it comes to my time," Toni answered as they left the lunch room to go find their usual table outside. As they were stepping out they ran into Isaiah, Gar, and Vic who were on their way inside. Toni smiled. "Speak of the devil."
"Toni, I've been lookin' all over for you," began Isaiah before pointing his thumb in Vic and Gar's direction. "I can't have lunch with you today. The three of us are... going to chill and get to know each other better."
Isaiah finished his sentence sounding unsure and awkward, a fact that made Raven narrow her eyes suspiciously. The tone of his voice however sparked no such feelings in Toni who's smile only got wider.
"That's great. I'm so glad the three of you are trying to be friends."
"Yeah, me too babe," he said quickly before giving her a kiss on the forehead. He stepped around her after that. "Laters."
Vic and Gar smiled innocently, waving as they followed Isaiah.
Raven raised a brow. "Something seems off, don't you think?"
"Oh no, don't go trying to twist this," Toni scolded as she continued forward, Raven following her. "This is a good thing. My boyfriend is really trying." She sighed delightfully. "Isn't he amazing?"
Raven's countenance was flat and her tone sarcastic. "Completely."
The girls soon found themselves at their usual table with their friends. The only difference at their table, other than the lack of people, was the sitting arrangements. Instead of Wally and Jenn sitting next to each other like they usually did, they sat on opposite sides of the table.
Raven glanced at both of them when she sat down next to Joey and Alain. "Uh... did I miss something?"
Jenn glared in Wally's direction, her arms crossed and her food untouched. Wally sighed and looked away, running a hand through his hair.
"It's a long story."
Elsewhere... Vic, Gar, and Isaiah found a space to talk privately in an empty classroom.
"No one should bother us in here. Not for awhile anyway," Isaiah said as he shut the door behind them. He then crossed over and sat on top of the teacher's desk. "Yo, did you see how happy Toni got? I scored major points back there."
"You're not bothered by the fact that you tricked her?" Gar inquired as he sat down next to Isaiah. Isaiah glared at him, causing Gar to feel uncomfortable and change his seat to a regular student's chair.
"I didn't trick her. Not really. This counts as bonding. Right, Vic?"
Vic was inclined to agree with him as he sat by the window sill. "Yeah, sure, whatever you say. Now about you helping me win Karen-"
"I still think this is a bad idea," Gar muttered.
"Shut it shortie," Isaiah snapped, casting another glare Gar's way. "All's fair in love and war. Besides, from what I hear, this Karen chick would be better off with your friend muscles over here."
Vic sat up straight, his interest peaked. "What do you know about Karen?"
"Nothing much, just bits and pieces from whenever Toni's gossiping over the phone. Apparently the long distance relationship thing has left the girl you're pinning after distraught on more than one occasion."
"That's terrible," Gar said, feeling sympathy for his friend. Vic nodded in agreement.
"No, it's fantastic," Isaiah stated, looking at Vic. "That's your way in. You see, the fact that this guy isn't around is your biggest advantage." He stood up and walked around a bit as he explained. "Recently with everything that's been going on with me and Toni, I've learned that a girl divides up her time very specifically. She makes time for herself, her friends, her family, and her boyfriend, among other things. The fact that Karen's boyfriend is M. I. A. is like saying she has no boyfriend at all, meaning she has extra time on her hands." Isaiah reached Vic's side and patted his shoulder. "That's when you come in. You have to hang out with her as much as possible. And if you can get her alone that's even better."
"Well that shouldn't be too hard," Gar pointed out. "With Vic out of a car Karen's offered to drive him around."
"That's a start, but it's not enough. You gotta think bigger."
Vic rubbed his chin in thought. "... Karen's got this rehearsal thing after school with Joey. Maybe I could crash it."
"Not maybe. Do it. And if you can find a way to bump Joey out do that, too."
Vic nodded and smiled, his confidence growing as he took in everything Isaiah was teaching him. "Alright. Cool," he rubbed his hands together, eager to learn more. "What's next?"
"Listen carefully because this is an important one. You gotta find out what it is that this guy isn't giving her. Once you find out what she's missing from that relationship, you provide it," Isaiah crossed his arms, smug. "For Toni it was hot fiery passion. Alain was way to much of a goodie-two-shoes to give her what she wanted, what she needed. I was able to fill that void, and boom, instant girlfriend."
Gar's eyes were wide. "I don't approve of your methods, but I gotta say, you're like an evil genius or something."
Isaiah smirked. "Try not to be too impressed. I'm just getting started."
TT
Xavier held several large shopping bags in his hand as he followed Kori throughout a mall located in Steel City. He grumbled as numerous other shoppers bumped his shoulders. He resisted the urge to yell at someone and instead focused his attention on Kori who moved with expert ease through the crowd.
"Are we almost done here?" he asked as he realized he was about five seconds away from throwing a tantrum. "My arms are tired, I'm hungry, and people keep bumping into me."
Kori giggled. "I had no idea you could be such a whiner."
"I am not-!" He paused to take a deep breath, calming himself. "It's just kind of hard to keep up with you when my legs feel ready to snap in half. How are you not tired?"
She shrugged. "It's a gift."
"So is the view of your ass, which is the only thing keeping me sane right now," he muttered.
Kori paused and looked at him. "Hmm? Did you say something?"
He stood up straight, looking guilty even though he wasn't caught. "Uh, yeah... I asked how much longer are we going to be here?"
Kori put a finger to her chin. "I just want to visit a few more stores," she replied. "To get some shoes and accessories."
Xavier's jaw dropped as she turned away. He shook off the shocked expression and picked up his pace so he could run in front of her, causing her to halt. "Shoes and accessories? Cutie, you said we were only here to get clothes," he held up his arms, showing her all the bags he held. "We got the clothes, so let's go home."
She put her hands on her hips and looked at him with disappointment. "Xavier, you can't possibly expect me to buy new outfits without any shoes or accessories to match. That's absurd."
He groaned. "Whatever, you're on your own," he said as he turned around. "If you need me, I'll be in the car."
Kori spun around, ready to follow him. "Xavier, don't be-" she gasped, something catching her eye. Excitedly, she rushed to grab Xavier's hand. "Xavier, look!"
"Cutie, I'm not about to go inside another fancy...," he paused when he caught sight of what she was looking at. "Oh..."
"Can we go in?" Kori pleaded as she jumped up and down in place, clapping her hands. "Please, pretty please?"
"Uh, sure."
"Yay!" she hooked her arm in his and pulled him forward with surprising strength.
Upon entering the store Xavier's eyes widened. Everything was so... pastel. And soft. And cute. He had to blink a few times so his eyes, as well as his stomach (which threatened to reject his breakfast), could adjust.
A short woman wearing a black dress and glasses appeared. Her dark hair was pulled back into a bun and her red lips formed into a smile. "Hello there. My name's Neisha. Welcome to Stork where you can find all of your necessary baby and toddler supplies," she held out her hand to shake Kori's. "Can I help you?"
"Uh... well, we just came in to browse," Kori answered shyly, looking down at her shoes.
"Oh, that's quite alright Miss," Neisha replied with a smile before turning to Xavier. "How about you young man? Do you need assistance?"
"Someone to carry these bags would be nice," Xavier muttered loudly. Kori elbowed him in the stomach as a response. "Oof!"
"Oh, I can help you with that," Neisha said before snapping her fingers. "Darnell, take the young man's bags and place them behind the counter while this young man shops with his girlfriend."
Xavier and Kori looked at each other through the corner of their eyes before turning their gazes away, a blush coming to both of their cheeks.
"Actually, we're not-" Kori began as Darnell, a short man who also wore all black, came to Xavier's side to obtain their bags. He appeared and disappeared very quickly, causing Kori too lose track of what she was saying.
Neisha smiled and clapped her hands together. "Now are you sure you don't require any help. I'm very good when it comes to picking out baby shower gifts... or items one may need for themselves," she said suggestively. "Especially if they're new to all of this."
Kori's eyes widened, and she was just about to reject the sale associates help, when she felt Xavier's arm wrap around her waist. He pulled her closer to him and calmly addressed the tanned woman before them. "My girlfriend and I would love your help actually. You see, my older sister is expecting and I'm still short when it comes to a baby shower gift. Isn't that right, babe?"
Kori, who had been looking at Xavier in fascination, finally realized he was talking to her. "Oh, um, yes," she eventually replied, nodding her head.
He chuckled. "I don't have a clue when it comes to newborns."
Neisha joined in on his little laugh. "Oh don't worry, as an uncle you'll be sure to learn quickly. Follow me and maybe we can pick out a few things together."
"Terrific," Xavier said as Neisha took the lead.
"That was quick thinking," Kori whispered as Neisha pointed at numerous products and explained their functions. "You were very convincing."
"That's only because I have my beautiful 'girlfriend' around my arm," he whispered back, grinning.
Kori couldn't fight off the smile that came to her face.
TT
"Jenn, hey, Jenn. Wait up," Wally called as he followed her through the hall. With school over for the day the pink haired girl was making a beeline for the exit. "C'mon, I know you're mad, but the silent treatment won't help us any."
She paused in her step, realizing he had a point. Turning around she glared at him. "Just because I'm talking to you doesn't mean you're forgiven."
"That's fine, because I have a plan for you to forgive me anyways," he stated confidently, smiling. He put an arm around her shoulders. "How about you and I go ice skating?"
"Ice skating?" she repeated.
"Yeah. You said you wanted to before, remember?"
"I do remember," she said softly as she tucked her hair behind her ear, recalling the conversation from last month. "I just can't believe you do."
"Hey, don't sound so surprised. I pay attention when you talk."
"And here I thought you only had selective hearing," she teased, messing up his neatly groomed hair with both hands. She had been wanting to do that all day. She smiled at her handy work and put her hands on her hips. "I'm game, but only if we can go to that make your own sundae place afterward."
Wally looked so happy one would have thought he had stars in his eyes. "Babe, you so own my heart."
She laughed at that and proceeded towards the exit, Wally on her heel. When he matched her pace he walked side by side with her, his hand intertwining with hers. Jenn smiled and leaned into him.
For a moment they were consumed in a peaceful bliss...
That is until they left the building and found Wally's mother parked outside.
The smiles slipped from their faces. Jenn noticed the scowl from Wally's mother immediately. Frightened by the glare she was positive was meant for her, Jenn dropped Wally's hand and took a step away from him.
"You didn't tell me your mom was picking you up," she hissed.
"I didn't know," Wally snapped back. He rubbed his face, feeling distressed. "God, she looks pist."
"You think?" was Jenn's sarcastic reply.
"Maybe we can make a run for it," Wally suggested seriously, looking at Jenn hopefully.
"Are you kidding me? In these wedges I wouldn't stand a chance."
Wally sighed, his gaze falling to the pair of shoes forced upon him that he hated. He could hear his mother honking the horn, impatient. "I guess that means no date."
Jenn looked at him apologetically and placed a hand on his cheek. "We'll fix this," she vowed. She smiled to reassure him. "We've been together way too long to quit now."
Wally smiled at her, grateful for her strength, and hugged her close. Neither wanted to let go, but knowing that they were being watched was the incentive they needed to pull away. Jenn was the first to withdraw, but she did so ever so slightly so she could look into Wally's eyes before inclining her lips towards his.
Wally's mother beeped the horn again with aggressive force.
Jenn pulled away completely then, ignoring her desire for goodbye kiss. "You should go," she advised her embarrassed boyfriend after a moment, realizing that the honking wasn't going to end anytime soon.
"Yeah...," Wally murmured regretfully, pulling away from her and heading towards his ride, his head bowed in submission.
Jenn watched as he got into the car and crossed her arms, her own glare forming to challenge that of Wally's mother. "Oh, this so isn't over lady," she muttered resentfully. "Not even by a long shot."
TT
Although Isaiah taught Vic all that he needed to know about how to win Karen back, it was up to Vic himself to apply what he had learned. He found himself trying to decipher the most complicated part of the lesson, and that was trying to determine what it was the Karen needed from Mal that she wasn't getting. As he and Gar tried to figure out what that was, Isaiah offered to help him get Joey out of the way so he could steal some of Karen's time. It would be much later that the boys would learn how Isaiah got rid of Joey that afternoon (as it turns out Isaiah delivered some payback Joey's way and set him up to get detention for something he didn't do).
Without Joey to help her practice, Karen was about to leave the school. Luckily for Vic he had perfect timing and caught her just in time as she was shutting her locker.
"Hey, Karen," he greeted casually, trying to be cool. "You going home?"
"Yeah," she replied, sounding disappointed. "Joey got detention so I have no one to help me rehearse."
"Well if you want I could help you," Vic offered quickly. He realized he sounded too eager and cleared his throat. "I mean, I don't know a lot about music but... I would love to hear you sing."
"You would?" Karen asked softly, touched by his generosity. "You don't have any other plans?"
He shook his head. "Nope, my schedule is completely open. And even if it wasn't I would've still offered to help you practice."
Karen grinned, ecstatic. "Vic, you're a lifesaver!" she cried happily, giving him a one armed hug that lasted for only a brief moment. "You have no idea how much this means to me." She continued as they walked towards the music room. "Everyone else is busy so I honestly thought I would be alone on this."
"Not while I'm around you won't be," Vic promised her. "Any time you need someone to help you practice just let me know." He smiled at her and extended his hand. "Why don't you let me carry your bag? It looks kind of heavy."
Karen hesitated as she gave him her bag which had been causing her some pain in her shoulder. "You sure? I mean, it's not that heavy..."
"Don't worry about it," Vic assured her.
"Oh... okay," she replied softly, looking to the side. She was positive she was blushing. She couldn't remember the last time a boy offered to carry her things...
"That was a quick walk," Vic commented as he opened up the door to the music room, capturing Karen's attention. He kept his hand on the door so she could walk in and smirked when he noticed the color of her cheeks.
Karen smiled at him and stepped inside.
TT
Kori had a jubilant smile on her face by the time she and Xavier returned home. Stepping into the foyer of her home she did a small twirl, stopping only once Xavier was inside and the door shut behind him. Her gaze followed him as he set her bags on the bottom of the staircase, and upon standing up straight he noticed her staring at him.
"What?"
"I had a wonderful time today," she confessed. "And it was all because of you. Thank you."
"All I did was take you shopping," Xavier stated nonchalantly.
"I know, but I still had a lot of fun," she replied. "Especially when we went inside that baby store... It was a nice experience."
He smirked at her, taking a step closer in her direction. "It was enjoyable for me too, but only because I had you for a 'girlfriend'."
Kori giggled. "Ah yes, my boyfriend who is an amazing actor. You'll have to teach me some of your techniques," she said as she sat down on the bottom step.
"There are other techniques I would much rather teach you... such as the art of kissing," he said smoothly as he sat down besides her, their legs touching. "Last time enjoyable for the both of us, wasn't it?"
Kori opened her mouth to speak, and Xavier could tell by the startled look that came to her eye that what she was about to say would be something he did not like.
He cut her off. "Be honest, cutie. After all you're lying to everyone else. You might as well tell the truth to the one person who knows your secrets."
He hated being so blunt with her, but sometimes being firm with Kori was necessary.
She sighed heavily and looked away from him so he couldn't see her blushing. "... Yes."
"Yes, what?"
"Yes... it was enjoyable," she confessed, feeling guilty and confused all wrapped into one. "Very enjoyable."
Xavier could sense the guilt in her voice, and he suspected Dick was on her mind. He frowned at this and realized he would have to take a step back. When it came to dealing with Kori he had a push and pull system. He could only push her so far until he would have to pull away. To keep pushing would only result in her feelings being hurt, or worse, her pulling away from him. That was the last thing he wanted.
He nudged her with his elbow. "Hey, how about a kiss for all of my hard work today," he requested jokingly. "Shopping with you was a whole new form of exercise."
There was a pause, and although he knew his joke wasn't great Xavier was hoping for a giggle. Inside he panicked, thinking he upset her, and was fully prepared to apologize.
"As you wish," Kori said abruptly, turning to Xavier and cupping his face with both hands. She leaned in, catching him off guard, and gently placed her lips upon his. It took a moment for him to realize what was happening (his eyes were still open), and when it finally dawned on him that she was in fact kissing him, she pulled away before he could respond.
Upon pulling away Kori looked at Xavier shyly who was still frozen by her kiss. There was a brief pause, but eventually he came to. To Kori's surprise and amusement, his cheeks were slightly red.
He cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair. "Um...," he pointed at the bags. "I'll just... take those to your room."
"Okay," she replied, hiding her smile behind her hand. Had she actually made him, tough guy Xavier of all people, flustered? Before he could take hold of all of the bags she spoke to him. "Actually, could you leave the bag from the baby store behind? I want to look at it for a bit."
Xavier obeyed her request and handed her that bag first. He smiled at her. "You and junior need a moment?"
She nodded. "Yes... And stop calling the baby junior. It would be a girl you know."
Xavier was already walking up the stairs. "Trust me, cutie, our baby is going to be a boy."
"Girl," she called back as he reached the top of the stairs.
"Boy," he countered before disappearing.
Kori shook her head with a giggle and turned her gaze to the bag in her lap. It was a small white paper bag with a picture of a black stork in the middle. Carefully she reached for the item inside, pulling out a small white bear with a light brown bow wrapped around its neck.
Kori smiled and placed a hand on her stomach. Looking down she spoke. "Hi," she began softly. "I um... I'm new to this but, if there's any chance you can hear me I just wanted to say that I... that I'm not sure what I'm doing. I know that probably sounds scary, and it's scary for me too, but Xavier's here, and he'll be sure to take good care of us both." She placed the bear on her lap. "And look, we even picked this out for you today. It's not much, but it's a start. Believe me, there's plenty more where that came from."
"Alright," Xavier began as he came into view. "I put everything next to your nightstand. Ready to order some food?"
"Uh, yeah," Kori replied as she placed the tiny plush back into its bag. She stood up. "Coming."
Meanwhile... far away in a darkened office whose only source of light came from a laptop was a man, the same man who's infatuation with Kori was dangerously growing. He sat in front of his laptop, the footage of Kori and Xavier's arrival home playing before him. The more he watched, the deeper his scowl became. The open palm that was on top of his table clenched at the part where the two addressed each other as boyfriend and girlfriend, the clench becoming stronger when the two kissed.
The mos upsetting part came towards the very end when the words "our baby" were spoken and Kori gave her private speech. With eyes widening in horror this mysterious man realized that the beautiful girl whom he had come to love was pregnant.
In a rage the man slammed his fist upon the table and stood up, sweeping all of his items on his desk, minus the laptop, onto the floor. He then kicked his chair across the room and finally ended his rampage by grabbing a potted plant off the floor and throwing it towards the locked door.
There would be hell to pay for this much later on the man vowed, but for now he would have to be patient, waiting for his moment to move in and claim the girl whose beauty had possessed him.
TT
SPECIAL THANKS TO A Battle Inside My Heart, cookiesruletheworld, Daniella TT, Agent of the Divine One, chipmunkswillrule, lonerinluv, HipHop Dancer 1D Lover Hippie, BerryDrops, clarkLover1, Goldenheart11, xRoguexRavenx, StarRob11, RobStarLuver16, adventuretime21, DarkMasterofCupcakes, SparkleBlueLemon, AND dewdrops and crowns FOR THE AMAZING REVIEWS. I WAS REALLY GLAD TO SEE SOME NEW PEOPLE IN THERE. THANKS SO MUCH YOU GUYS!
StarRob11 : Thanks so much for reading and reviewing. Golly you're so polite; if it was me I would've just called Isaiah an ass because that's what he is. I'm modeling him after some of my friends boyfriends who have been very terrible and possessive of them. I want to show a different take with a relationship, a bad one, because when you look at the couples I have now like Roy/Jade and Wally/Jenn who, despite their snags, are actually kind of picture perfect. I wanted to show that yes, this kind of relationship happens in high school, and that it is not pleasant at all.
And OMG yes, gotta love the love for Alain. He's the man! lol Thanks for reading and reviewing.
NEXT CHAPTER: HOW FAR WILL WALLY'S PARENTS MEDDLING PUSH HIM AND JENN?
THIS CHAPTER IS NAMED AFTER THE SONG "BORN TO RAISE HELL" BY "CHEAP TRICK" BECAUSE OF KORI'S STALKER, ISAIAH AND THE BOYS SCHEME, AND WALLY'S PARENTS WHO ARE STIRRING UP TROUBLE.
PS: UNFORTUNATELY IT'S COME THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN... YUP, BACK TO SCHOOL TIME. I START NEXT WEEK. I'M SURE WE ALL KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS TIME WISH AND UPDATING WISE... WISH ME LUCK EVERYONE!
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