Chapter Thirty-Three: Jack's Always Watching

(Jack's POV)

I was being a stalker again, like usual I guess. Only this time I wasn't watching out for Pohli, I was trying to find out what happened to her little friend.

Midori had been missing for a few days now I guess. Usually she was with Pohli or Yuki but as of late I hadn't seen her. Personally I could care less but I figured Pohli would do something stupid like raid on Midori's house if she didn't turn up soon. So I might as well go find her before Pohli blows up the poor girl's house.

So here I am casually following Saki—or as I call her, Goth girl, home. Of course I was smart enough to keep my cool and act like I was going to a friend's house. I wasn't about to talk to the chick; she'd probably blow my head off with her super ninja powers or something. Hell, for all I know this Goth chick could be a serial killer or have a secret fetish for pink cheese and mashed potatoes. As soon as I started to think about all the secret lives this girl must live she turned and looked at me.

I, of course, instantly straightened up and casually greeted her, "Lovely day isn't it? I'm going shopping for… uh…" I looked down and saw a rock. I seized it and held it up for her to see. "I'm shopping for my pet rock!"

The girl stared at me blankly before saying dryly, "You dropped your bag."

At first, I didn't catch what she said and started to slip on my act because of how creepy Saki was. "Yes, shop for a bag. I'm going to the house to beseech the wicked sea turtles of doom! I-" I stopped to register what she had said. Looking down I saw my black duffle bag on the ground. "Uh, yeah. Thanks!" I snatched it up and scratched the back of my head.

The Goth girl arched an eyebrow before turning and walking to a house. Her house I guess. Duh.

I started walking down the street so I at least looked like I had a life and wasn't a stalker. Saki didn't even give me a second glance as she went inside and shut the door.

That's of course when I went into action. Running to the side of her house, I looked for something climbable. There was nothing. Of course… My life sucks.

I never should have broken that damned mirror… Seven years of bad luck my ass! More like 15!

Getting to the front lawn I looked around to make sure no one could see me. To be double sure I jumped over the fence, did a roll dive under the window, flipped in front of the door, landed flat on my feet in front of some random little kid covered in bruises.

"Um… Hey kid." I said trying to be casual.

The kid who had been eating a chocolate ice cream cone dropped his desert. "I'm gonna call the cops on you. You're a bad guy!"

I looked around again before bonking the kid on the head making him fall to the ground unconscious. This kid is going to have some serious problems some day. So anyway, I darted around the house and saw Midori sitting by her window looking uber depressed… who knows why. I picked up a pebble and threw it at Midori's window. At least I hoped it was Midori's window because if it wasn't I was going to look pretty damn stupid.

Who ever was sitting at the window didn't bother to look up so I found the gutter and climbed that up to the roof. I lay down on the roof letting my arms and head hang in front of her window. I knocked a couple of times to get her attention; she finally did get the clue that there was someone waiting for her outside her window.

But no, instead of a tearful reunion, the chick screamed once she turned around which made me scream and freak out. I swear I tried to grab onto something but there wasn't anything to grab on to. Next thing I know, I was looking up at her window instead of down into it. Plus, the head throbbing gave me the hint that I fell off the roof.

Definitely think I'm going to feel that in the morning.

(Midori's POV)

I clasped my hands over my mouth to stifle my scream, but I'm sure that even if Saki heard it she ignored it. Just like all of my yelling and raging lately.

Hesitantly I swung open my window to see Jack Arson sprawled out on our front lawn. "Jack? What are you doing here? I thought you were Pohli's stalker."

"Well that is… I… anyway, can I come up for a minute or are you going to scream bloody murder again?" Jack stood up and dusted himself off, cursing at the fresh grass stains he now had on his clothes.

Raising an eyebrow at him, I opened my window fully and Jack promptly climbed up the gutter and shimmied his way over to my window, then swung his legs in first and landed lightly on my carpet. "So… what do you want?" I asked him suspiciously.

Jack swung his arms and clapped his hands together, looking around my trashed room. "Oh I love how you decorate your room. Is it always like this or just when guests are over?"

I narrowed my eyes at him menacingly. "If you just came here to make snide remarks, then get out!" I shouted and started pushing him towards the window again.

That's when the doorbell rang and I looked out the window eagerly. To my disappointment it was Pohli at the door… not Yuki.

"Oh shit…" Jack muttered and quickly looked around my room for a place to hide. "I'll just uh… be in your closet, okay? Don't tell Pohli I'm here!"

"Wait! That's not a—" As soon as Jack shut the 'closet' door behind him, Pohli opened the door to my room. "Oh hi Pohli." I greeted her over-sweetly.

"Hey. Where have you been? I haven't even seen you at school lately." Pohli then took the time to look around my room, which had been torn apart and then torn apart again. "Um… nice room?"

"Things have… come up…" I trailed off, walking over to my dresser to pick up the white lace ribbon Yuki had given me and hold it close. When I opened my mouth to tell Pohli about everything that had happened, she cut me off.

"Listen, let's go to the main Sohma house. I think that if we search through the library there, we can find a way to break the curse." Pohli stated with a newfound determination. "Akito can even let us into the more secret parts of the library so we can look for any possible clues." Then she came over to me, grabbed my wrist, and started pulling me out my bedroom door.

I just hope Jack would leave before anyone found out about him…

(Jack's POV)

From my hiding place in Midori's 'closet' I started to make my way out of hiding to follow Pohli and Midori. That is, until I realized I wasn't alone…

"Who are you?" A quiet voice from behind questioned me calmly as if it was natural to meet someone in a closet.

"Oh my god! What the Fuck! Barbeque!" I exclaimed in English and spun around to come face to face with a boy with dark hair and a similar stare to Saki's. I guess this was Megumi.

Apparently I wasn't in a closet, but Megumi's room. It was connected to both Saki's and Midori's for some strange reason… maybe they have a sister/brother relationship going on? This is a screwed up family!

The boy gave me a slightly eerie smile and asked, "What's your name?"

Oh no! I heard this kid could put curses on people once he learned their names. Never doubt the information network of Jack Arson! Anyway, I whipped out a hat and a fake mustache out of my pockets and mumbled, "Well I am… uh… Bob… Zoloft."

TO BE CONTINUED