Scarlett wasn't sure when exactly it happened. When Tommy went from being a gangly kid with a scream higher pitched than her own to a… kind of man. With muscle, and a deep voice and a cute smile. But she did know that one day she realized that something had changed, for the better.
"Shoot, my parents are home." Tommy whispered frantically when they heard the car pull up. Scarlett rolled out of the bed, grabbing for her clothes. She managed to wriggle back into her jeans, her underwear stuffed into her pocket. She quickly slid into her bra, hooking it and grabbing her shirt before scrambling out the window. The house was a one story so it was easy enough to sneak in and out of. She turned and waved goodbye to Tommy, who was grinning at her through the window.
It wasn't easy to find time alone. Her grandma was always home and his parents worked, but his mom worked for the school so she usually got out around the same time they did. Scarlett and Tommy usually managed to sneak in kisses between classes, sometimes slipping away to make out under the bleachers. They went on dates to the diner on friday or saturday nights like most of the teens in the area but actual alone time… that was hard to come by.
"Did you hear?" Jeanine came running up to Scarlett the next day at her locker.
"Hear what?" Scarlett asked.
"He's back."
"That's vague."
"Ezekiel James, Scarlett. He's back from prison or wherever it was he went." Ezekiel had vanished after that night in the woods and hadn't been back for over three years, Scarlett, personally, was thrilled about it. The name alone left her with a feeling of dread in her gut.
"Can't the townspeople mob together and run him out of town?" She asked, slamming her locker closed.
"Why would they do that? He's hot." Jeanine grinned. "Somehow he's managed to get even more attractive while he was gone."
"He's not attractive-"
"He's hotter than Tommy." Jeanine shot back.
"Shut up." Scarlett snapped at her, heading for class. "Ezekiel James is a disgusting sorry excuse for a human being."
"Fine, then I'll take him." Jeanine smiled.
"You're sixteen, why would he want you?"
"Im sixteen, but I have curves that drive men wild."
"Your mama will slap that dirty grin right off your face, Jeanine Nova, if she hears you talking like that." Scarlett stopped outside of her classroom door, looking at her friend.
"My mama isn't going to hear any of this. You're not gonna tell her."
"No. But seriously, stay away from Ezekiel, he's… bad."
"I like a little bit of bad."
"He's a lot of bad." Scarlett shook her head and pushed open the door to the classroom, taking her seat.
"Hey." Tommy smiled at her as he sat in his seat.
"Hey." she replied, her mind still on Ezekiel.
"Meet me at the diner after school? Ma and Pops are suppose to go out to the Yates' farm to play cards." Scarlett pulled herself from her thoughts and nodded.
"Yeah." She agreed.
"Great." Tommy brightened and pulled out his notebook.
The Diner was the only place in town to get food outside of your own house. They didn't have great food, but it was a nice place to hang out. Joey and Lexi sat on the top of a table outside, while Jeanine took an actual seat. Tommy sat on the concrete, Scarlett situated between his legs, resting back against his chest.
"Fry." Scarlett requested. Lexi tossed one and Scarlett dipped to catch it in her mouth.
"Hey." Tommy tapped on her shoulder. Scarlett, the fry half sticking out of her mouth, turned to look up at him and he leaned in, eating the half that was sticking out.
"That was mine." She informed him, after she finished chewing.
"And I stole it." He shrugged, She stuck her tongue out and his arms wrapped around her middle.
"There he is!" Jeanine stage whispered. They all turned to her, then followed the direction she was pointing. Scarlett's stomach dropped when she saw him. He looked like nothing had changed, he even still wore the same denim jacket.
"We should go." She said, moving Tommy's arms and standing up. Tommy hurried to stand, grabbing his back pack.
"He can't run us out of here." Tommy argued.
"No but- Your parents are probably already gone, do we really want to waste time staring at… him?" Scarlett asked. Tommy smiled and leaned down, kissing her. Lexi and Joey mimed vomiting, but were ignored as Tommy slid his hand around Scarlett's waist, leading her away. Scarlett glanced back at the man, one last time. He was staring right at her, his fist clenched, she could practically see the rage in his eyes. She turned away and wrapped her arm around Tommy's waist, hurrying him along.
Tommy's parents had stayed out late, so Scarlett hadn't had to rush out. She had stayed over at Tommy's until way after curfew, and she paid for it the next morning when Grandmother gave her a long list of chores that kept her working until the afternoon.
Finally all the laundry was done, the things that couldn't go in the dryer were on the line, The chickens had been fed, her room was clean, the dishes were done and the small tomato garden had been weeded and Scarlett was free to go out. She grabbed her hoodie on the way out, running most of the way to the town, heading for the diner. She saw Tommy's bike and she brightened, pushing the door open.
"Hey To- Oh my god, what happened to you?" Scarlett gaped at Tommy, he had a black eye, a split lip and she could see, under the bruising, a scrape on his cheek. Tommy jumped up, wincing and stepped back.
"We- I can't anymore, Scar, i can't talk to you or… or be with you or- I just gotta go." He pushed past her quickly.
"Tommy?" Scarlett followed him out, but he was already on his bike and riding away.
"Teen romance, so fickle." Scarlett turned to see Ezekiel and his 'gang'. The undesirables of the town.
"What did you do?" She demanded. He simply chuckled and leaned back in his seat.
"I didn't do anything, Little Wolf." He smiled. "The boy and I simply had a talk."
"Look at me you son of a bitch." Scarlett snarled. His gang all laughed, but she was pissed off, "Leave me alone, I don't know why you're still getting off on this stupid game but there is nothing cool or bad ass about terrorizing a teenage girl." Ezekiel stood up, he was easily six inches taller than her, and Scarlett was by no means short.
"Because it's about time that you and your grandma realize that you can't escape fate, Little Wolf. You can screw every man in this town but in the end you will be mine." He growled. Scarlett paled and stepped back from him.
"You're out of your mind. I am not and I never will be yours, Ezekiel James." She snapped, turning on her heel, He reached out, grabbing the hood of her jacket and pulled her back to him.
"That's where you're wrong, Scarlett Rose." He leaned in close, his face inches from hers. "You've always been mine." Scarlett pushed him back, sending him into the table and turned, hurrying away from him, going back into the Diner just to put a wall between the two of them.
"So is that why you didn't want me going near him?" Scarlett jumped about half a foot in the air when she heard Jeanine's voice.
"What?"
"You want him for yourself."
"What?"
"I saw you out there, Scarlett, the way he was all over you, you were all over him. You want Tommy and Ezekiel and… who else? Gonna go after Joey next?"
"W-"
"Don't say what again, Dammit." They had the attention of most of the room by now.
"No, Jeanine, I don't want Ezekiel."
"Yeah, right. Some friend you are, saw who I wanted and had to take him for yourself." Jeanine threw down a few bucks to pay for her milkshake and stormed out. Scarlett glanced outside and saw him, watching her, a vicious grin on his lips.
