Hate, Love and Graffiti
Chapter four
I arrive back at Jennifer's school just before the bell rings. Standing with my arms folded over my chest, I lean against my car door. As I stand here I feel the stares coming from many of the mom's that are close by, but keep my eyes on the doors of the school.
I hear the bell, watch, and a few minutes later, the door opens and the kids all flood out. Among them is my girl. Her eyes scan and I wave giving her a grin and she smiles running to me.
"Hey, Honey," I say giving her a hug, before opening the door to let her in. "Did you enjoy the rest of your day?" I ask as I make my way around to my door. She bobs her head a little and I jump over my door into my seat.
"Okay, so where would you like to go for dinner?" Jennifer just shrugs at me.
"How about we go to my favorite place when I lived here?"
Again she bobs her head making me smile. "Okay then, we'll need to get changed."
I drive us home and we head into the house. "Do you have any homework?" I ask and Jennifer bobs her head. "We should get that done first."
I sit with her, as she signs to her reading book, this seems to take her a little bit of time. I, along with her last teacher, were unsure if it was because she was reading the words and then had to put it in to sign language or she has a slower reading level than the others in her class. As we have been reading more, and there is the fact we have been getting used to sign language, she seems to becoming confident and her reading speed has improved.
Jennifer moves onto her math needing no help from me, and lastly, is her spelling work. It still baffles me the amount of work that gets sent home with them each day. It normally takes Jennifer and I an hour to do homework each week day, and for someone that spends six hours at school that seems a bit much.
"Go and get changed, and we'll head out to the arcade first." Jennifer claps her hands and runs off. I pull her book over and sign my name on each listed assignment and date them.
Moving off my chair, I head up to my own room. I change into a pair of black jeans and a t-shirt, before throwing on my jacket. I pick up the flowers I got Jennifer and take them with me to her room.
She wears the capri jeans and her white with pink flower top that I got her as part of her birthday gift. That puts a smile on my face.
I knock on her door and she turns looking at me as I hold out the flowers making her giggle. "You ready to go, Honey?"
She takes the flowers from me as she nods, quickly runs to her window ledge and puts the flowers in the little vase sitting there. On her way back to me, she stops to pick up her pink jean jacket and then runs taking hold of my hand.
~HLG~
We arrive at the arcade and I get us a bunch of tokens. Jennifer and I spend time shooting some hoops, dancing, and on the bike rides. The entire time she has been laughing and clearly enjoying herself.
"Hi, Eddie."
I turn and see Alice walking in and my eyes wonder to Bella who is just standing there with what could be the same dark colored clothes on. As my eyes go to her face, she smirks and winks at me.
"Does mom know you're here?" I ask trying to use my brotherly tone, and not my cop voice.
"Yes," Alice says making me raise my eye brows at her because it sounds as if she is lying.
"Really?" I ask her and she bites her lip.
"Really?" Bella mocks. "You think she came over here to say hi to you and Jenny, when her 'rents don't know? You must think she's stupid then. You have one of those faces that tells me you would rat her out in a heartbeat."
I tilt my head at Bella and let out a hum. She's is clearly a better liar than Alice is.
"Alice a word," I say turning to my daughter. "Stay here, Jenny." I carry on as I point at the game we are at. I pull Alice a little away from Jennifer and Bella, but move us far enough away so Jennifer is out of ear shot.
"What's going on, Alice? You're sneaking out, lying about where you are going and who you are with?" I ask harshly. My eyes catch Bella as she starts to play the games with Jennifer making me frown.
"I wouldn't have to sneak out if they didn't ban me from seeing Bella," she argues, clearly telling me that my thought about them not knowing where she is are correct.
"They have good reason," I hiss out at her.
"You're just like the rest of them, you're judging her," Alice whisper yells as she narrows her eyes.
"I am not! But look, here you are lying, sneaking out, the tone you're talking with me, that's her doing." Alice shakes her head the entire time I'm speaking to her. I glance back at Jennifer and Bella to see them laughing. I swallow when Bella starts to sign back to Jennifer.
"This is my own doing! I am responsible for my own behavior! She's not making me do anything!" Alice tells me. "Just give her a chance, Edward, you'll see she's not bad."
I snort out a humorless laugh because everything about Bella screams bad girl. If she were a guy, I would be marching my sister home and locking her up.
"Call mom and dad and tell them where you are," I say not giving this up. "God forbid something should happen to you, they wouldn't know where to start looking. They wouldn't know anything. You say you are responsible, but yet this is stupid!" I say letting my anger show.
Being a cop, I have seen this so many times. A young girl or boy goes missing and the parents think they are at one place, but sure enough we find them days later somewhere else. The sooner we get that information, we get our leads, that could have saved their life!
"Bella takes care of me," Alice says as if she is holding back her tears. "I just wanted to say 'hi'."
Before I can say anything else, Alice has walked away.
"Jenny, this has been fun. I hope you enjoy dinner with D here," she says nodding her head at me, but I have no idea where she got the D from.
She turns to me and grins. "You're a Douche bag," she mouths to me and then holds up the loser sign as she walks away. I shake my head and place a smile on my face when I look back at Jennifer who is now frowning at me.
"You ready for dinner?" I ask as I look at my cell. I wonder if I should call my parents or not.
Jennifer taps my hand and takes my cell as she nods her head.
"Come on then."
Jennifer puts my cell in her pocket and takes hold of my hand. I shake my head at her odd behavior.
Driving to the old fashioned restaurant. I used to eat here every week when I lived here. It's a cute little place, that has a late 1800 feel to it. They have oil lamps, and I believe they even use the old stove fire to cook meals on.
I help Jennifer into her seat, and then order us some ice drinks. We both order roast turkey, cranberry sauce, boiled ham, and vegetables. As the waitress leaves, my eyes go back to Jennifer who is looking around.
"This place is nice," she signs to me making me grin knowing she likes it.
"I know." I stop and clear my throat. "There is a diner here too. When I was a teen, it was the place everyone hung out at, I'm sure it still is. But this place was my secret place."
Jennifer nods and then her face lights up as she looks over my shoulder. I turn around and to my surprise, Bella and Alice are standing there.
I let out a frustrated sigh as they walk toward me.
"D, Jenny, we need to stop meeting like this." Bella signs out as she smirks at me again.
"What are you doing here, thought the diner would be more your scene," I hiss out.
"But we saw your awesome car, and though 'we haven't seen him in such a long time, we just have to visit!'" she bitches in the most sarcastic way.
I turn and just look at Bella and she just glares back at me. Jennifer starts to pull at Bella's arm, and as Bella looks down at Jennifer, she places a smile on her face.
"Are you going to join us?" she signs touching the seat next to her.
Bella's cell chimes and she looks at it. "Sorry, kid, as much as I would love to, I have to go," she says as she waves her cell a little.
"Alice, text me when you get home. Make sure D here walks you back to your car," Bella demands to Alice sounding like she cares, which makes me snort. She wouldn't be leaving her alone if she cared.
"But I drove you, Bella," Alice says sounding a little worried.
"I'm fine, just going to see Ben."
Alice's whole face lights up when Bella says Ben's name.
"Ben," Alice says with a sigh.
"Alice, no. Just leave it. It's not going to happen. See you later folks." Bella waves over her head as she walks away.
Alice stays standing and just bites her lip. "I'll just go."
I shake my head griping her arm. "Sit down, Alice."
Alice lets out a sigh and sits down. I call the waitress back and Alice places her order.
"How was school?" Alice asks Jennifer.
"It was okay," Jennifer signs back to her.
Alice looks at me as if she's asking me what Jennifer said. "She said it was okay," I huff out a little.
It's not Alice's fault, but I hate the fact this happens so often. So many people we have come into contact with can't do sign language. Yet there are a high percentage of people that have to use it in order to communicate. Why the education board has not made this a part of their curriculum, I will never know.
"I'm trying to learn it. Bella's been teaching me," Alice say picking up on my frustration.
"How come she knows it?" I ask and Alice just shrugs.
"She said she had to learn it a few years back, she never said why." I hum as I nod in understanding.
The waitress arrives back and places down our meals. As we eat, I tell Jennifer I have booked her horse riding lessons and that she starts tomorrow after school. It makes me a little sad as I start working tomorrow too. I won't be able to see her first time on the horse, but my mom said she'll take loads of photos for me.
After we are done, I pay for all of our meals before walking Alice to her car.
"Straight home," I say giving her a pointed look.
"Yeah, yeah, Bella already told me."
I roll my eyes at her comment. "Next time, tell them where you are, and who you are with, this is your one and only free card."
Alice nods and then hugs me. "I swear, Edward, she's a great person. If you can just get passed the hard shell."
I open her car door and help her in. When she drives off, I move Jennifer and myself back to our car.
~hlg~
"Did you have a good time, Honey?" I ask as I put Jennifer to bed.
"Yes," she says nodding her head with a smile
"So did I, and I was thinking we should make this a weekly thing."
Jennifer tilts her head at me not understanding what I am saying.
"Me taking you out for the night. Well hopefully it will be just the two of us next time." I chuckle.
"What do you say? Next time we could see a movie or go to the ice rink?"
Jennifer looks at me with a big smile bobbing her head. "I'd like that," she signs to me.
She sits up and hugs me. I kiss the top of her head and let go so she can lay back down again.
I read till she falls asleep, and then move to her window to close it. My eyes go to Bella's house and yet aging she's sitting on the roof. Only this time, someone else is sitting next to her, and from the outline it looks like it's a male. The guy passes Bella what I assume is a joint and she takes it to her mouth. He wraps his arm around her, she leans into him, and I shake my head as I move from the window. Maybe the talk of the town is true.