Spring Break
Jordan yawned as she handed her bag to Gabe, who was sitting in the backseat of her Mustang. Nick, who had returned for Spring Break, was in the passenger seat, still half asleep. Jordan was on autopilot throughout the holidays, studying and passing exams, all so she could have two weeks of nothing but ghost hunting galore with her friends.
"So, why are we up so early?" Nick yawned, scratching his head.
"Because, we're driving there, it's a long drive, and I'm switching cars with Sesshomaru." Jordan explained, backing out of their driveway.
"Ugh, Pillow, stop!" Gabe whined when the excited wolf attacked him with licks. Jordan yawned as she drove off to the school, pulling into the parking lot where the excited seniors chatted and laughed lively. She pulled up where Sesshomaru stood, fiddling around with his BlackBerry.
"Hey, morning." Jordan said to Sesshomaru, getting ready to hug him, but she stopped, remembering how he didn't like hugs in public.
"Does the car come with the wolf?" Sesshomaru asked her curiously, still staring at his phone.
"You'll have to pay extra, here," Jordan said back, handing him her keys. Sesshomaru handed his to her, finally pocketing his phone and following Jordan, Gabe, Nick and Pillow back to the silvery-white Escalade.
"You sure you want to do this?" Sesshomaru asked, helping Gabe with the bags as Nick coaxed the hyper Pillow into the Escalade. The brownish-black wolf with brilliant yellow eyes sat down, flattening his ears against his head as Nick groaned.
"Oh, come on, boy! You like car rides!" Nick whined, patting the seat with his hand, still trying to get the wolf inside.
"I'm sure. I can't really bail out now." Jordan replied to Sesshomaru with a sigh.
"Well, the city you're going to, it won't be too far from me, you can,"
"I'll call if I need anything, you know I will." Jordan interrupted him with a smile. Sesshomaru sighed as he crossed his arms.
"I really don't want you going." Sesshomaru growled with a frown.
"Why not?"
"Because, Jordan, what if something happens?"
"You think Gabe or Nick won't be there?"
"You, Gabe and Nick were there when I was pulled off the cliff, but the blame still led back to Naraku."
"I…don't…trust…him." Sesshomaru bit out icily, his golden eyes locking with Jordan's green ones.
"But I do. Don't you trust my judgment?"
"I trust your judgment as far as I can throw Naraku."
"Hahaha! Which is pretty damn far, the last time I checked!" Jordan giggled. It happened a few weeks ago. She and Gabe got a trampoline in their backyard. Both Naraku and Sesshomaru wanted to break it in for them. The two men were showing off, but Naraku started to get arrogant, and Sesshomaru had to put him in place. They both jumped at the same time, Sesshomaru grabbed Naraku and threw him down at an angle, and according to Sesshomaru's wonderful Geometry skills, when something lifts off at an angle, it will come down at an equal and opposite angle…his theory was proven correct when Naraku landed on the trampoline, then flew off and landed on the ground on his stomach.
"I had a little help, that doesn't count." Sesshomaru retorted smoothly and with a smug smirk.
"Alright, alright, I'll not count that one." Jordan replied, shaking her head, still laughing at the memory. She loved Naraku, he was her good friend, but there was no way she would drop Sesshomaru just because Naraku decided to throw a fit because he hates Sesshomaru. In her mind, Sesshomaru earned his colors and medals for her trust long ago and Naraku was just a jealous rookie.
"So, try not to let the wolf tear up my Escalade." Sesshomaru sighed when he saw Nick and Gabe double team Pillow, picking the wolf up and placing him in the car, only to escape out the open passenger door, running off towards the seniors. Some reacted fearfully, but others awed and petted the wolf lovingly. Sesshomaru looked around quickly before pulling Jordan into a hug with both arms.
"Call me every night before you go to bed, if you don't, I'll come over every night to tuck you in myself." Sesshomaru said to her humorously.
"Haha, oooh, I'm excited, and I will, I promise." Jordan said back with a smile, patting him on the shoulder. Sesshomaru walked away and whistled loudly. Jordan watched as Pillow ran up to him happily. Sesshomaru bent down slightly, smiling slightly as he whispered something to the wolf. Pillow sat down, his pointed ears on alert as he looked up at Sesshomaru, who petted his head softly.
"Go get Jordan!" Sesshomaru ordered authoritatively, pointing at Jordan. Pillow yipped in reply as he took off running, stopping at Jordan's feet and sitting down, looking back at Sesshomaru as if to say, "Did I do good?"
"What? Are you serious?" Nick panted, looking at Sesshomaru, who stuffed his hands in his pocket with a smug smirk on his face.
"You have to show him who the man is, then he'll listen." Sesshomaru said, turning around and walking away.
"Haha, look at me, I'm so manly!" Gabe mocked, flexing his arms while spreading his legs.
"You are, Gabe." Nick stated back with a laugh.
"Come on, let's go!" Jordan called to her two friends.
Jordan pulled up in Naraku's driveway, laughing when she saw him turn and grow angry, thinking it was Sesshomaru, but he lightened up when Jordan stepped out.
"Haha, thought I was your best friend, didn't you?" Jordan giggled spitefully at Naraku.
"I thought you were Satan."
"You're best friend, right?"
"Exactly." Naraku replied sarcastically, his smile making him look so charming and nice as he closed the trunk of his car.
"Sam! Come on, boy!" Gabe called as the black dog ran out with Naraku's boxers in his mouth.
"Oh, no, come on now! Give me my boxers!" Naraku hollered as Sam leapt up into the back of the Escalade, letting Pillow grab onto the boxers. The two canines then began tugging and growling at one another.
"What? It's not like you're wearing them." Gabe said to Naraku, who huffed in reply.
"He eats everything!" Naraku snapped back.
"Where's Toby?" Melanie asked, looking around curiously.
"Damn, everybody and their dog are going." Nick chirped with a smile.
"Shut up, Nick. You fail." Gabe stabbed back.
"Toby," Melanie called out, smiling when he ran out of the house and up to her, looking around alarmingly.
"It's ok, calm down." Melanie said to him, rubbing his ears.
"I've got one too many canines in the Escalade, Sesshomaru will be pissed." Jordan announced.
"That's fine, Toby is riding in back with Melanie in my car. Is everyone ready?" Naraku asked, looking at Jenn, who nodded back, getting in the passenger's side.
"We've been ready." Gabe announced, climbing in back, Sam and Pillow gnawing on Naraku's boxers behind him. Nick got in the passenger while Jordan climbed in the driver, backing out and letting Naraku go first.
"We need tuuuuunes!" Jordan sang, watching as Nick and Gabe decided what to play first.
Sesshomaru rested one arm on the door of the Mustang while he drove with the other. He had only two students riding with him. A girl in the back and a boy in the passenger, both sleeping soundly, meaning he couldn't play any of his music. He yawned slightly and frowned when he heard loud music coming up from behind him as he was being passed up…or so he thought.
"Dude, I've always loved the beginning to this song!" Nick stated loudly.
"Sesshomaru can play the guitar part like a Goddamn Rock God! Not even kidding!" Jordan said back with a smile as she turned the song up. It was the Eruption guitar solo at the beginning of 'You Really Got Me Now' by Van Halen.
"Really?" Nick asked curiously.
"Oh yeah, really!" Gabe called from the back seat.
"Girl, you really got me now, you got me so I can't sleep at night!" Jordan began.
"Oh yeaaah, you really got me now!" Nick echoed.
"You really got me! You really got me! You really got me!" Jordan and Gabe sang together, soon all three friends banging their heads as the guitar solo came back on. They didn't care that it was only six in the morning, it was a long drive, and they might as well start the fun early. Little did they know, Sesshomaru was in Jordan's Mustang beside them, glancing at them with a smirk.
"Check out this jerk off…oh shit." Nick chirped, smiling and waving at Sesshomaru, who waved back slightly, chuckling to himself. Jordan waved to him as well as she took off, driving like she stole it.
Jordan sighed as she followed Naraku onto a snaking back road. They arrived in Florida, more inland than the seniors who were sent to Spring Break in Destin, Florida. Since Jordan's accident two years ago, Panama City was never spoken of ever again, so they decided on the next best thing, Destin, which was an hour away from Panama City.
"You ok?" Nick asked Jordan, his bluish-gray eyes showing slight concern. They drove all through the night and Jordan was fighting fatigue.
"I will be for the next five minutes." Jordan said back. That was her rough calculation of how long it would take her to find a bed and fall asleep once they stopped. They pulled up to a huge mansion that used to be a plantation house back with the Spanish owned Florida. It had been updated and renovated, so it looked new, but still had some of its Spanish decent.
"Yeah, just get out Jordan, we'll take care of the rest." Gabe said as she shut the Escalade off, getting out and walking up to the doors.
"Hi," a woman chirped.
"Hi, where's the bed?" Jordan asked her bluntly.
"Um, upstairs."
"Great." Jordan replied, walking inside and running up the stairs, not even caring about the nice interior. She appeared in the long hallway, finding a room where the window was open, letting in a cool breeze as the white curtains floated in the wind. The bed was huge and had white sheets and a blanket.
"Fuck yes!" Jordan exhaled, collapsing on the bed and nuzzling the pillow. A few minutes later, she heard everyone walking upstairs, and the voice of the woman she had met at the front doors.
"Is this it?" Naraku asked her curiously.
"Yes, she was stabbed thirty-three times in this room." The woman confirmed. Jordan smiled, half asleep.
"Sweeeeeet!" Jordan sang.
"Totally." Gabe laughed, knowing that once Jordan got a little nap, she'd be moving out of that room.
"All the other rooms have two beds in them, and there is a basement, and an in-ground pool outback. All in all, it's a very nice house." The woman said.
"Minus the paranormal activity, right?" Nick asked humorously, snickering slightly.
"Sure, if you believe in it." She replied sweetly.
Later on that night, Naraku yawned loudly as he opened the fridge in the spacious kitchen, grabbing a beer and snapping it open. He took a long drink, satisfying his dry throat, only to frown when a cold breeze slowly crept over his skin. He looked around and frowned. No windows were open. He heard footsteps coming from the stairs and he slowly set the beer down.
"Is someone there?" Naraku called out, feeling relief wash over him when he saw Melanie gradually making her way into the kitchen, but he could immediately tell something was wrong.
"Melanie? What's wrong?" Naraku asked, walking over to her and wishing he had put a shirt on. He stood in front of her and looked down. She was completely unresponsive and unaware of him. Her eyes were glazed over with an eerie look in them.
"Melanie, hey, Melanie…Melanie!" Naraku yelled, shaking her slightly. Melanie blinked awake from her daze and flinched, looking around with confusion. Naraku exhaled with relief as he chuckled.
"Do you usually make a habit out of sleep walking?" he asked her.
"I never sleep walk…ever." Melanie said back to him quietly. She turned around when she heard claws clicking against the floor. Toby's white form entered the kitchen as he pawed at her leg, whining worriedly.
"That's true. You sleep all the time and never walk." Naraku said back to her, finishing off his beer and throwing the can away. He stopped walking when he heard a huge thud above him, followed by a scraping noise, as if someone was moving something.
"Mm, what was that?" Melanie asked.
"Probably Jordan and Gabe, you know how they are," Naraku replied unworriedly.
"But they're asleep down the other hallway. We're all on the same side of the house." Melanie reminded him, petting Toby absentmindedly.
"It's too early to say anything. Come on, back to bed." Naraku insisted, stopping when he saw something moving on the counter. He and Melanie stopped when they saw a decorative jar slowly moving across the counter.
"N…no way." Melanie whispered with disbelief, but she barely had time to look at Naraku to see his expression because he had pushed her behind him while he caught the jar, lid and all, against his chest.
"Oh shit, this place is definitely haunted." Naraku said as if nothing had happened. He set the jar back on the counter and scooted it back in its place, looking over at Melanie with a pleased expression. Melanie saw his smile, the moonlight shining through the window and casting its light upon him. Melanie looked over as he walked towards her, seeing the jar scooting towards the edge again.
"Mr. Saitou," Melanie began, but Naraku had already saw her expression and moved to protect her. The next thing Melanie knew were his arms pulling her to him as he grunted with pain.
"Ow! You sons of bitches!" he growled when he heard the jar smash on the floor. He turned his head and cocked an eyebrow as he looked at the pieces. He let go of Melanie and walked over to the wall, turning the light on.
"Are you ok?" Melanie asked him worriedly.
"Yeah, it just bumped me, nothing serious." Naraku replied, bending down and picking up the pieces. Melanie bent down as well, helping him pick up the pieces. They threw them in the trash and Melanie, for the first time, saw the spider tattoo on his back. It had red eyes and a blood red outline, along with red stripes on its body.
"Ew." Melanie chirped, poking his tattoo.
"Heh, you don't like spiders?" he asked her.
"Not really."
"I think they're interesting little creatures. Are you alright?" Naraku asked Melanie, gently stroking her cheek with his hand. Her skin was ice cold.
"Yeah, just a bit spooked." She replied, looking down.
"Come on, I'll take you to your room, unless you're not tired?"
"I am. Toby," Melanie called out to her wolf. The wolf followed her and Naraku upstairs, down the left hallway and into her room. Naraku followed her to her bed, pulling the blankets back as she climbed in. He pulled them over her and let Toby jump up next to her. Melanie put her arm around Toby and looked at Naraku with a smile.
"Thank you." She said to him.
"If you need something, you know where to find me."
"In bed with Jenn?"
"Hey,"
"Hahaha."
"Watch your mouth." Naraku said back playfully, standing up and leaving the room. He walked by another door and stopped when he saw Nick walking down the hallway, looking behind himself nervously.
"Nick?" Naraku called out, seeing the young man look back at him with surprise.
"Dude, there was a scratching noise on, on…on my floor! Right next to me! And it led away, like it was being dragged, I fol…followed it and,"
"It's alright, calm down, calm down, Nick…calm down." Naraku ordered, putting his hand on the man's shoulder. Naraku blinked when he realized how much Nick had changed since he last saw him. Nick was now almost as tall as he was, short by an inch or two, and he had narrow hips that led up to broadened shoulders and lean muscled arms.
"No, you don't understand! It wanted me to follow it!" Nick insisted, his voice rising from a whisper.
"Look, if you're that scared, share a room with someone."
"Ok. Night." Nick sighed as Naraku walked away. Nick walked down to Melanie's room and opened the door.
"Hey, hey, you awake?" Nick whispered, seeing Melanie rise up and yawn.
"Mhm." She replied.
"Oh shit, oh shit…he's going to eat me." Nick stated, climbing onto the other bed, leaning away from the inquisitive Toby, who had hopped up on the bed, sniffing Nick.
"Nah, he's just curious." Melanie replied, turning the lamp on next to her bed.
"Oh God, what's he doing?" Nick asked as Toby clamped his jaws down on his shirtsleeve gently, tugging on it.
"He wants you to follow him." Melanie chirped. Nick stood up and let Toby guide him over to Melanie's bedside. The wolf let go and hopped up next to Melanie, his tail flicking slightly.
"Hi, I'm Nick." Nick said, holding his hand out as Melanie shook it.
"Melanie. And this is Toby." Melanie replied.
"Ah, hi Toby…good boy, please don't kill me, please don't kill me…he's really soft." Nick exhaled, finally petting Toby with his entire hand. The wolf pushed into his hand and licked Nick's arm, panting slightly.
"He likes you." Melanie stated.
"Really?" Nick asked incredulously as Melanie nodded. Toby crawled into Nick's lap and turned over, growling and whining for Nick to give him a belly rub. Nick rubbed Toby's belly for a second, seeing the wolf's leg shake. He then started rubbing again, this time continuously. Toby's tail wagged.
"Yep, he really likes you." Melanie restated simply.
"Good. Um, can I stay in here? My room is haunted."
"This whole place is haunted."
"My room is super haunted."
"Yeah, I don't mind."
"Cool." Nick said, gently pushing Toby from his lap. The wolf whined with dissatisfaction as Nick crawled into the other bed. Melanie turned around the lamp off and snuggled back beneath her sheets, soon falling asleep.
The next morning, Nick jogged downstairs, already showered and dressed in shorts and a T-shirt. He walked into the kitchen where Naraku was sitting at the island, reading a newspaper and drinking coffee.
"Morning!" Nick chirped.
"You know, when I told you to go share a room with someone, I didn't mean to go share one with Melanie." Naraku said back sternly. Nick frowned.
"Um, well, you never did specify, and, I'll room with whomever the hell I want to room with." Nick spat back, making Naraku flinch. Nick must've not only grown in size, but he must've gotten himself some balls, too. It didn't surprise the teacher at all. Nick had joined the college football team, meaning that everyday, Nick was being pounded and tackled, toughing him up.
"I suppose that's true." Naraku replied calmly.
"Ooooh! I'm a ghooooost!" Jordan called out, walking into the kitchen with a bed sheet over herself.
"Hey, KKK, shut the fuck up!" Gabe laughed, stepping on the sheet as it fell from her.
"Haha, no." Jordan growled, pushing Gabe, who pushed back. Naraku looked back at his newspaper with a broad smile. Haunted or not, Jordan and Gabe were going to scare the shit out of whatever was in the house.
"Boo! Boooooo! Haha, hahaha! Booooo!" Jordan laughed, screaming "Boo" at everyone in the room. She wasn't trying to remind them of their mission, she was just trying to loosen the mood. Nick grabbed her waist and flung her over his shoulder.
"Gabe, we must exercise the demon!" Nick stated heroically.
"Yeah! Let's go! Ten push-ups!" Gabe ordered.
"Grah, one! Ahhh, twoooooo! Grrr, mother fucking three," Nick counted off as he hoisted Jordan with both hands into the air, lifting her up and letting her down with each number.
"Haha, no! The pure iron being pumped is too much!" Jordan cried out in fake pain.
"Good, bitch." Nick stated, putting her back down on the floor and laughing.
"We saved us!" Gabe cheered. Naraku chuckled. He wished that all they had to do was ten push-ups.