Author note: not too long a wait since I last updated, I'm proud of that fact actually. Anywho, here is chapter thirteen, hope that you like it :)
Chapter thirteen: number one enemy
Locksdale College
"I'll see you later then, yeah?" George asked me, his grip on our entwined fingers shifting as he looked at me from underneath his blond fringe, blue eyes intense.
"Yeah," I reluctantly agreed "but we're not going to stay in too long, we've got to be at the office by five, that's when we promised to meet Joe and Jess." I said reminding him, my voice was soft and absentminded though, troubled I was thinking about the whole thing with the imposters and how much I really didn't want to leave him right now. I had just got him back and I hadn't even had the chance to kiss him properly for fear that someone, cough-Grace-cough, might read more into our desperation and maybe link it with the break in.
"Okay, I should be back by half three anyway," George said looking towards the college doors and the steady stream of students still going in, he was going to have to head off now or else he'd be late, but I really didn't want him to go.
"I've got to go," he said turning his intense gaze back to mine, sounding more like he was convincing himself rather than me.
"You do," I agreed, taking him a little by surprise and maybe wounding him a tad as well, but not intentionally. I didn't want him to go, I'd just spent the past however many hours worrying about his well being and I didn't want to let him out of my sight, I wanted to talk to him about what had happened after the B.A had found him and I wanted to tell him what I had seen this morning. But I had to go and see Stephanie and I couldn't have the conversation I wanted to have if he was there and it was important for my sanity that she and I had this little talk. Also my cousin was still standing by the car watching us and I still had to apologise to Joey.
"Try not to miss me too much," George said with a shaky laugh, half joking, half hurt, his insecurities coming back into play and I softened again, but couldn't help but be a little agitated by his sensitivity, didn't he know by now how much I cared?
"You know I didn't mean it like that," I said tightening my grip on his hand and intensifying the force of my gaze on him "I don't want you to go but you've got to or it will look suspicious, and I've got something to be taking care off." George, clearly over whatever worry he might have had and likely chastising himself for it, pulled a concerned face before opening his mouth to ask what I was doing, probably hearing the determination in my voice. I didn't let him speak though, instead I sought to reassure him "it's nothing George, it's educational." Not a lie, but not quite the truth either, but come on, I couldn't have George know that I was sneaking around to talk to his friends about Grace, he'd think I was some kind of crazy, jealous girlfriend and not merely worried for his safety. I wasn't, jealous of Grace I mean, regardless of how the plotting bitch had just gotten out of the same car as George, indicating that she had spent the night at the mansion.
"Why don't I believe you?" George asked though he was smiling a little as he took a step closer to me and squeezed my hand. Because you know me too well, I thought as I shrugged innocently in response to his words, not about to say that aloud.
"You worry too much, that's why." I told him, thinking I could hardly talk about that and mildly embarrassed about the bothered state I'd been in since last night, maybe I should try and remember that George was a big boy and could take care of himself, I thought uncomfortably, but it was so hard to tell myself that when George kept on doing stupid things.
George sighed, letting his shoulders slump and pulling an unhappy face as he made the choice to head for class, giving in to the normal façade he would have to keep to stop anyone linking him anymore with the break in last night. Moving quickly George lent towards me, cupping my cheek with the hand that wasn't holding one of mine and gave me a swift but deep and intense kiss on the lips. Leaving me momentarily breathless with the passionate and intent behind that quick kiss, George pulled back and grinned at me, taking in my obviously stunned expression with some sort of masculine pride. And I could tell from that one look that our reunion wasn't over, just postponed until a more convenient time and a less public place.
Squeezing my hand he said "see you in a few hours."
"Bye," I managed to breathe, somewhat recovered from the shockingly intense kiss trying and failing not to look like a complete idiot. You would think that by now I would be used to kissing George, but apparently not.
Flashing me one more mischievous grin George dropped my hand and headed off inside the Sixth Form building for his lesson, I watched him go, half mesmerised by his stunning body and half procrastinating so that I wouldn't have to go and have an awkward conversation with Joey, who was likely still watching me. Heaving a sigh and figuring that I at least owed Joey an apology I turned and searched the street for him, it didn't take much to be honest and I spotted him a little way down the road leaning against the side of the red family car. Feeling like crap for yelling at him like I had, but still managing to keep my head high, I hitched my bag further up my shoulder and walked towards him, he watched me approach with a neutral expression on his face and I guessed that he was still mad at me.
"Hi Joey," I greeted my tucking my hair behind my ears the only visible sign of my embarrassment.
"Hi," Joey replied friendly enough, a small smile gracing his lips as he pulled his hands from deep within his dark blue jeans and pushed away from the car, Joey was dressed casually today and since right now he ought to have been working on the farm I guessed that he was taking an early lunch. "You need a lift back home?"
"Err, no," I said awkwardly "I'm going to visit someone, I was just going to go down to the bus station now actually."
"Don't bother," Joey said his tone pleasant "I'll take you." he said before walking around to the driver's side of the car.
"It's out of the way Joey; they don't live on the Southside." I told him thinking of the Kennedy's imposing manor house on the Westside.
"It doesn't matter, I'll have you there in half the time it would take the bus and you know it." Joey said and I couldn't help but mentally agree with him, not only because Joey had no one else to drop off and wasn't going to go the long way like the bus would, but also because he drove like a mad man. If Joey gave me a lift he'd turn what should have been a twenty minute journey into a ten minute one.
Feeling reluctant, not because of my cousin's driving skills but rather because I still felt really low about taking my anger out of Joey this morning and undoubtedly causing him to worry, I pulled open the passenger side door and got in. who was I to look a gift horse in the mouth, sure it would be an awkward journey but I'd get to the manor in half the time and get to apologise to Joey both. Dropping my bag onto the floor and buckling in I waited for Joey to start the car, trying to ignore how thick the tension made the air between us, worsened by the confined space. I hated arguing with Joey, we usually got on so well and as my substitute big brother he always had my back, it didn't feel right when we weren't talking properly and, not for the first time, I was cursing my big mouth for not thinking before I spoke. Putting the car in gear Joey hit the accelerator and headed off down the road at a speed for too great considering the chances of us hitting one of my fellow college students down here. I didn't really mind it though, I'd long since gotten over my fear of Joey's driving and although he sped around like a boy racer, I knew that my nineteen year old cousin was fully in control. Though I doubted that any police officers hanging around near by would be quite so understanding.
The click, click, click sound of the indicator filled the car as Joey turned right and headed into town centre and the built up industrial area of town. Shifting in the silence I decided that I had to break it or else I'd go mad, were it anyone else I could probably sit there and take it, but not with Joey.
"How come you've got the car?" I asked lightly "I thought mum took it to work with her."
"She did," Joey replied "I walked to the school and asked her if I could borrow it for a little while." I nodded in understanding along with his words and Joey let out a breath of laughter, no doubt at my obvious discomfort. Chagrined that he wasn't as bothered by what had happened between us as I was I folded my arms across my chest and frowned, I felt guilty for shouting at him and he thought this was a big joke, gee thanks cuz. "Where does your friend live then?"
"The Westside, Harrington Close," I answered still ticked that he was laughing at my discomfort and that I was the only one feeling it, though I still had the time to think that friend was kind of a loose term. Stephanie hated me, even if my friends and I had helped to save her and her sister's lives during the summer, when Baxter sought to extract his revenge against his dead former colleague turned enemy by killing his two daughters and his ex wife. Kennedy had turned away from Baxter, seeing him for the evil creature he truly was, at least if the letter we had received a day after Kennedy's death had been anything to go by. Anyway, Stephanie hated me because she had seen me as a threat to her getting with George, and though I had thought she was crazy at the time she had been proved right, and naturally that didn't make her like me any more than she already had.
Joey let out a low and appreciative whistle before throwing me a questioning look, clearly wondering who I knew that lived at such a fancy address, his expression then returned to normal, clearly chalking it all up to George.
"Do you know where that is?" I asked not really wanting this ploy of his to get me to sit still long enough to talk this through to go on for too long.
At my question Joey simply raised an eyebrow and said "believe it or not Robin, but I do actually know my way around the rest of the town as well, I'm not confined to the Southside when I'm driving." The playful tone almost absent from his voice.
"Okay, fair enough," I said thinking I had touched a nerve, who knew my cousin was such a revolutionist?
"Going to see how the other half live?" Joey asked me conversationally after a moment's silence.
"Something like that." I replied, thinking I was certainly going with the intention of learning something. Stephanie was the only person I knew semi-properly who had known George most of his life and I was hoping that she could tell me more about Grace, either disproving or proving my theory about the vile, blonde, stuck up toft of a girl. Of course, odds were Stephanie wouldn't want to talk to me, in which case I could only hope that she hated Grace more than she hated me.
The sound of Joey's radio, which was on an uncharacteristically low volume, trickled through the car and sounded weird, I was used to being nearly defended when I got in the car with Joey, I never minded the loud music but I really didn't like it on low like this. Clearly he wanted to talk.
"Relax Robin," Joey said grinning and looking at me out of the corner of his eye as he continued to speed through town centre at a slightly lower speed due to the traffic "you look like someone's jammed a rod up your backside."
Jaw dropping I turned to look at him "gee thanks, Joey, don't spare my feelings whatever you do." I snapped though I was secretly glad that he wasn't holding any hard feelings.
Joey laughed openly at my response "I wont don't worry, its just, gawd Robin I don't give a crap that you yelled at me. I'm used to your short fuse by now, so just relax, you're never embarrassed or awkward and I'll be damned if you act that way around me." He said going serious towards the end, clearly bothered by the tension between us just like me, it wasn't right; Joey and I were so close it was like he actually was my brother, heck; I got on with him better than I did our Alice! He was right, but still I shouldn't have yelled at him really.
"I'm not embarrassed," I said definitely and Joey scoffed not believing that for a second "but I am sorry that I yelled at you, I can admit to that."
Reaching the last set of traffic lights before we left town centre, they were on red so he stopped, Joey turned to look at me mock shock written across his face "Robin Hudson actually just apologised?!" he said as though it was totally unbelievable "bloody hell, alert the media, the world is about to end."
"Ha, ha, ha," I drawled sarcastically "If you're going to be like that I'll take it back."
"I accept," Joey grinned, ignoring my words and reaching over to ruffle my hair playfully just before the lights turned amber, at which point he slammed his foot down on the accelerator and we sped off.
Letting out a noise of outrage, which didn't run all that deep since I was too glad there was no hard feelings between us, I reached up to straighten out my hair with one hand and whacked Joey on the arm with the other. What was it with him and Will and messing up my hair? Joey chuckled and my mild anger evaporated.
"So you really don't mind that I yelled at you?" I asked cautiously just to be sure.
"Nah, I don't mind. Just don't go worrying me like that again. All the whacko's come out of the woodwork at night; I don't want you getting abducted or anything." Joey warned and I rolled my eyes, if only he knew the half of it.
"Yes, dad." I replied sarcastically but Joey only grinned, going all easy going again though I could tell that he had been worried.
"Is George okay?" Joey asked seriously after a moments silence where the offices of town centre shifted into the residential area where the lower Haves lived, we were just heading into the Westside of town now. Even though the lowest ranking Haves lived here each plot still held four bed, two bath houses with sizeable gardens, iron gates and security codes. We were starting to climb up alongside the economic ladder, merely watching as everything around us became more expensive and luxurious, the lowest point being the Southside of course.
"Yeah," I said thinking about how distressed I must have looked last night and how that couldn't have been an easy thing for Joey to deal with "it was a false alarm, I thought he was missing but he'd only gone to the mansion to get a sketch book for college and he ended up staying the night." I said sticking with the story George had told the B.A, thinking it was best to keep telling everyone the same thing. That triggered another thought and fearing punishment I turned to Joey and asked,
"Did you tell mum and dad?"
Joey shifted uncomfortably in his seat and didn't look at me, internally I groaned and felt my heart sink, great, my patents knew I'd disappeared in the early hours of this morning and they were going to kill me for it. Of all the times I'd snuck out over the past few months to help the poor they found out now when it was for a purely selfish reason. How was I supposed to go and talk to Joe and Jess if I was grounded? They were sure to ground me, not matter how old I was they'd still she sneaking off in the early morning as a punishable offense, damn, I hadn't long since been released from the grounding they gave me for joy riding with George and being brought back home in a police car (an offense which sounded worse than it was since technically the car had been George's dads and George had been doing the driving).
"No," Joey said almost shamefully, causing me to stop my inner ramblings and look at him. He hadn't told my mum and dad I'd run off? "I know I said that I would and I know that I should have but I didn't, I went out looking for you and when I came back your parents asked me where I'd been and I told them that you had to be in college early and that I'd dropped you off." He said with a guilty shrug "err, if you want to escape a grounding for the both of us I suggest you stick to that story."
"Don't worry, I will." I said relieved but thinking he was mad if he thought I might tell my parents the truth "but why didn't you tell them, I thought you said that you would?"
This time it was Joey's turn to sigh and look uncomfortable, I could tell by the way that he tightened his grip on the steering wheel and shifted in his seat that he had hoped that this question wouldn't have been asked. Joey's gaze flicked to me momentarily, a look of determination in his usually soft brown eyes telling me that he had to talk about this, that it was important and that look was what stopped me from ignoring my intense curiosity and telling him that it didn't matter.
"I don't know," he said reluctantly "I guess I just understand the need to run away." He explained and seeing that I understood no better what he meant he apprehensively continued "you were upset, anyone could have seen as much, and you felt trapped by that and had to get out of the house, like you couldn't stay still because of you did then nothing was going to change, you'd feel that hurt forever." He said and I felt my eyes go wide, he had just described almost exactly how I felt last night, absent all my other worries of course but that had been it.
"Yes, that's exactly how I felt," I told him knowing that Joey had always been able to read me well but confused as to how well he understood that "how did you know?"
At my question Joey looked at me briefly and smiled a sad smile before returning his gaze to the road "because that's how I used to feel," he admitted before letting out another heavy sigh and saying "I don't know how much of it you remember, when I first came to live with you all you were only ten and I don't know how much everyone told you about why I was moving in. You probably know this already, but when I was twelve my dad left, I don't have to go into detail about it, your mum and dad told you about it right?" Joey asked and I nodded.
Joey's dad and my uncle, Thomas Hudson, wasn't exactly a frequently discussed topic in our house and I wasn't surprised that Joey didn't want to or like talking about him. When Joey was twelve, almost thirteen, he had just upped and left not a word to his family or anyone else he had gathered all his things in the dead of the night and vanished, leaving town completely. Things had been really tight back then, or so I had been told since when your ten you don't really pay much attention to these things, and Joey and his parents had been living in one of the many houses that Baxter rented out on the Southside. Anyway, according to some of Thomas' friends he had been stressing out so much about the money and how he was going to afford to live in this town when Baxter kept upping his rent and everything cost so much, he had not long since lost his job as well and things were fast going down the tubes. Everyone reckons that he ran away from the money troubles, going to live somewhere else rather than deal with the crap here, though my parents say (when they think no one can hear them) that it was just a convenient excuse for him to leave everything behind and start again. Joey's mum, Aunt Holly, meanwhile was in way over her head and working only as a cleaner in one of the offices in town couldn't afford to keep a roof over her and Joey's heads. Heartbroken and stressed beyond belief Aunt Holly took on another job and ran herself into the ground, mum and dad had helped her the best they could but it hadn't been enough, she died over worked and despairing of over exhaustion. And so Joey came to live with us, we buried Aunt Holly revering her as the saint she was and Thomas' name became a swear word in our house, especially around Joey.
My mum and dad had told me most of that, and the rest I had overheard over the years as I grew up, knowing not to talk of Thomas' under any circumstances even to my grandma, who was the only one in the family to still think about her youngest son. So sparing Joey the need to tell me the whole story again, something which would surely upset and infuriate him, I nodded again and fought back the urge to comfort him, something that he wouldn't appreciate right now.
"Okay, good." He said meaning that I knew it all already, I could tell that he was trying not to let it bother him but the hurt seeped through into his voice when he spoke again "I didn't tell your parents because I ran away a lot then too, before I came to live with you, before my mum….when she was still alive, and then after…when I came to live with you all." He explained his face unreadable as he thought about his mum and the tragic circumstances of her death, his soft voice and false starts the only sign of the pain he felt.
"It's not the same Joey," I said gently not wanting to see him upset "me getting a bit worried about George isn't the same as what you went through."
At that Joey smiled sadly again but didn't take his gaze from the road "I don't know about that, from what I've seen you both care a heck of a lot for each other and there isn't that much difference between what happened to us both. Some arsehole left you hurt and forgotten and then you thought that you'd lost the person that promised they would never leave you too." Joey said and although I was shocked by the depth of what Joey had just said and how right he was I couldn't agree.
"I didn't lose George." I said knowing that I still had that person and that he hadn't left me yet, Joey's mum had though, she might not have wanted to but she had left him, even if he did have us it wasn't the same as having his parents with him. My heart went out to my easy going, joker of a cousin and I cursed Thomas' all over again for messing up his life.
"God Robin, don't be ashamed of that. I don't wish that you had, I'm just saying it's not as different as you think, you wanted to run away from all of that and so did I. I was a selfish plonker for doing that, I know that now, I was too wrapped up in my own anger to care that I was hurting my mum even more by running away all he time, she must have thought that I wanted to leave her too," Joey said shame colouring his words and his grip on the steering wheel tightening "I was brought home by the police more times in the months between my dad leaving and coming to live with you than I want to admit, you parents didn't deserve to have to deal with my crap either especially after they took me in, but I just had to get away, you know? I can't change what I've done, I never caused any trouble but it was dangerous being out in the middle of the night like that when I was so young, a few people offered me a place in their gangs and stuff like that, though I never got the chance to say yes before the police caught up with me."
I looked at him, thinking that it all made sense now, everything he'd said last night about George getting into trouble and understanding how I felt, I'd just brushed it off as him trying to make me feel better, I'd never thought that he might actually understand.
"It's none of my business what you do, Robin," Joey accepted from where he sat next to me, the air between us no longer thick enough to cut with a knife, but rather softened by sympathy and kinship "I was just worried that you were going to walk into trouble or something. I didn't tell your mum and dad because I didn't want to worry them like I did them and my mum, I wanted to deal with it and I'd have felt a hypocrite if I'd have told them anyway, especially since I can guess how you were feeling." He explained and I nodded, seeing where he was coming from "I didn't want to let them down again by not stopping you either."
"You're letting no one down," I said softly but with honesty making my voice strong as I reached out and rubbed Joey's shoulder briefly in comfort "you're family and as good as a brother to me and Alice and a son to my mum and dad, you're an idiot of you think otherwise." I added for good measure before continuing "and thanks, I appreciated you not telling them where I was."
Joey's pleased and thankful expression telling me that he was glad I had said what I had, but the colour in his cheeks telling me he was embarrassed as well as he shrugged "it was no big deal," he said as he turned down another road, us having progressed so far during our conversation that the houses surrounding us were significantly larger, we were almost at Harrington Close "just be careful, that's all I ask."
"I am careful, Joey." I told him seriously but he just laughed at me, all earnestness forgotten as he doubted my words.
"Yeah, alright Robin, because I believe that for a second." He retorted though he was still smiling.
"Again I say, cheers." I muttered sarcastically but with no real conviction, I was just glad that Joey and I understood each other again.
"You home for dinner tonight?" Joey asked and I nodded.
"Yeah, I don't really have a choice to be honest do I? I'd better be there anyway especially after not being there the other day, George and I aren't staying long though since we've got to get to the office." I replied sitting back in my seat and watching the houses pass us by.
"You got another decorating job?" Joey asked with mild interest.
"Yeah," I lied, thinking that it wasn't in keeping with the openness between us now but then remembering that I wasn't the only one in this car who kept secrets, the dark circles under Joey's eyes telling me that I wasn't the only one sneaking off on a night. I didn't say anything about that though "you doing anything tonight?"
"I don't know yet," Joey said with a shrug "I was thinking of giving Louise a call, her dad died the other day and I thought that she maybe could do with some company, she was really close to him and it hit her hard." Joey said his voice heavy with regret and genuine sympathy.
Trying to, and fortunately succeeding in, not looking guilty I thought about how I had met Louise the other day, devastated and trying to avenge her fathers death. I wondered how much Joey knew about the circumstances of Louise's dad's death and if he knew where she was now, living with Joe and Jess so that she could keep a low profile and avoid sharing her dads fate by association. The tightness around his eyes and of his hands on the steering wheel, a visible sign of anger, suggested that he might but he didn't say anything about it.
"I'm sorry to hear that," I said sincerely and Joey nodded.
"I was too; he was a good man, but unfortunately a bit of a rebel too." Joey said his anger becoming more prominent in his uptight posture telling me that something to do with this bothered him greatly. I also couldn't help but feel like he had just said something important, but for the life of me I couldn't figure out what.
I nodded for lack of anything else to do and employing one of my rare bouts of tact I decided against asking how he had died, knowing it had been Baxter and knowing it wouldn't be a good thing to talk about. We sat in silence for a few moments until Joey pulled onto the very long, sparse and familiar street where each house, or manor, had so much space between them and the next one that noise pollution wasn't a problem. Unless you were being attacked by an assassination squad armed with guns, then they heard you but only after a painfully long time. A fact we had learned on one of our last visits.
"Which number?" Joey asked.
"Five." I replied anticipation rising as we drove down the upper class street, with any luck I'd have some answers when it came to driving back down it.
Joey came to a stop at the gates of number five, there wasn't a guard house like there was at the Baxter Mansion but instead they had one of those little boxes with a microphone and speaker that linked to the house, I'd have to get permission to go in since I wasn't sneaking in today. I had debated over it, should I just hop the wall where the manor's security was at its weakest, something I had learned this summer while trying to protect it, and climb in through Stephanie's window? Something which would piss her off immensely, which if I was being honest was why I wanted to do it in the first place. Or should I be polite and knock at the door, meaning she was more likely to talk to me since I hadn't burst unannounced into her bedroom, but also had more ability to deny me access and turned me away. I had opted to be polite; hoping that Stephanie would appreciate that and let me in, it still seemed unlikely though.
"To live in a house like that," Joey said half impressed half appalled that they were allowed to live like that while they made our lives hell.
"Tell me about it," I replied unbuckling my belt and thinking about how I thought that every time I robbed such grandeur.
"And you definitely know the person that lives here?" Joey asked turning his gaze from the manor and back to me as I reached down to pick up my college bag.
Fighting back the urge to say 'unfortunately' I shrugged and said "yeah, she's one of George's old friends." Confirming Joey's earlier hypothesis.
"Makes sense," he agreed as I pushed open the car door "do you want me to hang around and take you home?"
"No, I don't know how long I'll be and dad'll probably want you back on the farm. I'll catch the bus back or something." I said swinging my legs out of the car and getting out.
Hitching my bag up my shoulder I turned to look at Joey as he lent over the seat and said "I'll wait until they buzz you in then, just in case."
Nodding in appreciation and thinking that might be a good idea, I said bye to Joey before heading over to the little voice box gathering all my ballsy attitude and pressing the button for attention.
"Yes?" a bored but still professionally polite voice inquired as the speaker crackled to life.
"I'm here to see Stephanie Kennedy," I said unsure of what else there was to say and conscious of the way my accent changed to match his.
"Could I take your name, Miss?" the man on the other end of the line asked, momentarily taken aback by the formal address but deciding I shouldn't really have been surprised by it I gave my name.
"Robin Hudson," I said knowing I might as well give them my real name so that they could turn me away now rather than when I got to the door and my ride left, however even if they did turn me away I wasn't going to give up that easy, I'd simply revert to plan B. wall hopping.
"If you would wait a moment Miss. Hudson," the disembodied voice said and I rocked back on my heels in boredom as I waited, guessing that he had gone to ask Stephanie if she knew anyone by my name.
There was the whine of the car window being rolled down and I turned to look at Joey, finding him sat there with his arms folded atop the window frame and his head resting on his arms.
"They in?" he asked.
"Don't know yet." I replied, thinking that I had done my research and that Stephanie should be home right now, whether or not she would see me being another matter entirely. Joey nodded and blew his fringe from his face with a breath as he waited, I smiled at him considering telling him to get it cut if it bothered him so much, knowing that he hated the idea of cutting his brown locks, it suited him the length it was anyway around his face in a fashionable style.
"You can come up now," the man's voice said, startling me and considerably less polite and I guessed that Stephanie had told him that I was no one important. Surprised never the less that she had let me in I waved bye to Joey as the little box buzzed, telling me that the gate was opening.
The gate slowly opened and I hurried through the second there was a gap big enough to get through, anxious to get up to the manor and have my questions answered. Fast walking up the small road that lead to the manor it didn't take me too long until I was knocking on the front door, I waited a brief moment before the door was opened by a tall, silver haired man wearing dark colours and a sombre expression.
"Come in," the man said not in greeting but rather a command and I recognised his voice as the one that had greeted my by the gates. Slightly unnerved but still standing tall I watched as the man ran his disapproving gaze over me and I became a little more conscious of my appearance. Wearing the jeans and top I had thrown on this morning, with my thrown back hair, last minute make up job and dark circles under my eyes I probably looked every inch the Have Not poster girl. And even though he obviously worked for the Kennedy's this stuffy old man still found the pride to look down on me.
Following him inside and riled by his silent put down I folded by arms across my chest when he came to a stop in the entrance hall.
"Miss. Stephanie will be down in a moment." He said his revulsion dripping from his voice and clear in his expression, he probably thought I was going to try and steal something.
"Tah, Jeeves, I'll wait here for her." I said spitefully, but come on, did you honestly expect me to just stand here and take his glares, what had I ever done to him?
Offended Jeeves pulled a dark expression which I ignored as I looked around the room, noticing that it looked more or less exactly the same as it had pre assassin attack and that Stephanie and Claire's mum had had it repaired almost identically. I stifled a shiver as I thought about the last time I had been in here, running for my life as several mad men with guns tried to kill Stephanie and Claire, fun times, I thought dryly.
"You can go now, Edward." The voice of Stephanie Kennedy rang out across the entrance hall and as both Mr. Prejudice pilock and I turned, finding her standing at the top of the stairs and looking down at us both with distaste. But maybe that was just me.
Shooting me one last glare Edward, a.k.a Jeeves, turned and swiftly strode back to whatever hole he had just crawled out of. Meanwhile Stephanie remained where she was, looking down at me from the top of the stairs she looked absolutely no different than the last time I had seen her. Her long dark hair was straightened perfectly stopping at just before her waist without a single wave in it; she was dressed this time in a hip hugging, high waisted black skirt that stopped a little above her knees with a white shirt tucked into it, thick black beads hung around her neck and she looked her usual blend of slutty sophistication. God knows how she managed that. This told me that she had not long since just got back from Highgate College, where there was a uniform policy.
"What do you want?" she asked sharply coming no closer to me and putting her hands on her hips.
Thinking that she didn't beat around the bush I replied with "to talk."
At that she made an ugly face before flicking her long hair over her shoulder and saying "what makes you think I want to talk to you?"
Rolling my eyes I said irritably "can we not go through this again, this is kind of important."
"What do you mean?" she snapped harshly.
"What do you think I mean? I didn't just say it was important for the good of my health you know." I said, not about to admit to why exactly I was here when we were still standing in the entrance hall, where anyone could hear us. Though that said, it didn't look like any of the other Kennedy's was in the house right now.
At that Stephanie's expression changed, mild hate was swapped for outright fear and I watched as she assumed the worst.
"Come up," she commanded before promptly turning and heading back into her bedroom, the first on the landing. Not bothering to tell her that it wasn't what she thought it was, that Baxter wasn't gunning for them again, since that misunderstanding had gifted me a chance to talk to her privately I hurried up the stairs and into the hateful girl's room.
Shutting the door behind me I looked around her room, noticing that unlike her, her bedroom had changed slightly, she had a new carpet down, since Mark had bled all over the old one, and new curtains on her four poster after she had torn one down in the summer to help patch up Mark's wound. Looking worried and irritated in equal measure the raven haired girl turned back to me.
"Have you heard something, is he going to try again?" she asked worriedly toying with her hair "where's George, what do you know?"
Feeling only slightly guilty for letting her believe that she was in danger again I tucked a strand of hair, which had fallen out from my pony tail, behind my ear.
"Er, about that, we haven't exactly heard anything about that; to be honest I reckon Baxter has moved on." I told her, wondering if maybe I'd pushed her too far with this and that she might see fit to tell someone who I really was because of that. Up until she and her sister wrote the article for the Locksdale Star, a outlawed news paper that printed the stuff the Inquirer wouldn't, that ultimately saved us from being branded killers George had suggested that we reveal our identities to her as a sign of trust, which had been alright for him since she wasn't about to grass on him any time soon, the rest of us had been somewhat sceptical. However we had agreed to his idea and Stephanie and Claire had been sworn to secrecy, I just hoped that she would remember that.
"Then what," she asked furiously "are you doing here letting me believe otherwise?"
Opening up my hands in a show of innocence I looked at her and said "I didn't do it on purpose, you'd gone off before I could tell you that wasn't it."
"Get out," Stephanie snapped, clearly pissed off that I had let her get frightened like that "I don't owe you anything, I saved your sorry reputation by telling the truth about my dad, I don't care what you've come to ask me."
"What makes you think I've come to ask you anything?" I asked knowing that was why I was here but saying it anyway. "And I helped save your life, surely that counts for something."
Ignoring me Stephanie carried on "Because you are too blind to see what's right in front of you, you might have opened your eyes to George but that doesn't mean that you have with anything else. So you need to ask me things." She said storming past me to the door.
"That's rich coming from you," I retorted, thinking she'd never said one intelligent thing in her life despite her fancy education.
"Get out," she repeated holding the door open for me and gesturing for me to leave.
"No," I said folding my arms across my chest and taking a bold stance, I didn't not come all this way to let her turf me out like this "I'm not going anywhere until you hear me out."
"Fine," she barked a cruel smile curving on her overly rouged lips "I'll call security and they'll see you out."
"I'd like to see them try," I retorted thinking I could take them easily and that it was odd how much she hated me when all I'd really done was get together with George. But then again I supposed that was all I needed to do to get her mad.
"So would I," she said before turning to go and fetch someone, knowing this wouldn't help me leave with the answers I needed I couldn't let her go and get them, so instead I called,
"Stephanie, just listen to me, I need your help."
"Don't care," she called back before heading towards the stairs, jogging to the bedroom door and worried that I'd be thrown out on my backside before I found anything out I decided to sod it.
"What do you know about Grace Gisborn?" I asked suddenly taking her by surprise, Stephanie froze.
"Grace Gisborn?" she echoed looking at me over her shoulder, dark understanding and hate in her eyes.
"Yeah," I confirmed and Stephanie promptly abandoned her quest for a security guard and walked back towards me.
"What about her?" she asked a sharp edge to her voice suddenly interested in what I had to say.
"You know her then, you know who she is?" I asked, wanting to be sure, before I spilled my concerns to her, that we were on the same page.
"Of course I know who she is," Stephanie snapped her expression clearly saying that I was an idiot for even asking the question, I let that slide expecting nothing less from her "she's a friend of the Baxters and of George, why do you want to know about her?"
"Because she's at Locksdale College with us," I told her and Stephanie frowned.
"Why?" she asked as she ushered me back into her room and shut the door "she doesn't live around here."
"I know," I said glad that she was being less hostile now and seemed to understand the gravity of this situation, if the grave look she wore was anything to go by anyway, it made me anxious to hear what she would say "she lives down in Nottingham, but for some reason she's going to college up here."
"I can imagine why she is here, the same reason she always was." Stephanie said in disgust.
"George," I said frowning myself now as Stephanie nodded "I knew it, I knew I wasn't overreacting."
"No, you are," Stephanie disagreed causing me to glare at her " or at least she'll make it look like you are, that's what she does."
"What do you mean, has she done this before?" I asked slightly desperately and at my tone Stephanie seemed to realise that she was being halfway civil with me and bristled.
"Why should I tell you that?" she asked throwing me a superior look and walking away from me to go and sit at her vanity "it won't do me any good to help you."
Angry that she was withholding this information from me out of spite I crossed the room to where she sat, determined to get what I came for "what, so you'd sooner see her get her way?" I asked sharply "because she is up to something, I can see it every time she looks at me or talks to George, she's got a plan formulating in her twisted head and it won't have good consequences for George."
"Maybe he wants to be with her, you ever think of that?" she asked me in a nonchalant way, through looking in the mirror at her reflection I could see her silent agreement at my words.
"Maybe," I said though it killed me to even consider that George could want to be with the manipulative cow "but somehow I don't think that all she wants is to have George to herself, it's more sinister than that." I said thinking about all that I had seen in the 'past' which was why I was even here in the first place, back then Grace had been a deadly puppet master, not really caring for George but just wanting the power that came along with having him. Would I be right in thinking that was the case here?
"She just wants George," Stephanie said not nearly as dismissive as before, making me think she was questioning herself "that's all she's ever wanted, even when we were kids she'd come up here and take up all of his time, none of his other friends ever got a look in especially me. She saw me as a threat so she kept him at a distance, even if it was just for a few weeks." She said making a superior noise at the end to show that Grace hadn't been successful and she was still friends with George, I didn't bother to point out that she hadn't been successful either as Stephanie wasn't the one seeing George.
"I don't doubt that she wants George," I told her as she needlessly applied another layer of lipstick "I just think she wants him for other reasons, like power."
"I don't think so," Stephanie replied her words punctuated by the sharp click of the lipstick lid going back on "she doesn't need power, she comes from some high blood family in Nottingham and has all the money she could ever need, and she doesn't need any more."
"Yeah but Nottingham isn't like here, they don't have the dictator system we have here, she might have money and standing there but she doesn't have control, not like she would if she took over Baxter's affairs." I told her and she turned to look at me, doubt in her eyes.
"So you think she wants to get together with George, not because she cares about him or anything like that, but rather because she wants to take over from Baxter and run the town?" she asked her eyebrows raised.
"Yes," I confirmed, thinking of the 'past' again and how that had been the case there and not stopping to consider how crazy I was for linking the two even if there had been a number of similarities recently, Louise's situation being one of them.
"I say you're crazy," Stephanie said dismissingly "she doesn't need any more power and it's just sick to do all that so that you can have ultimate control over a town, there's only one person who would do that and unfortunately he's still doing it." she said, her new hate for the man who had killed her father heavy in her voice.
"But Stephanie, are you sure that this isn't something she would do, you know her better than I do but isn't this what she's like?" I asked watching hopefully as Stephanie thought about that, as much as I wanted this not to be the case I was so sure that it was, having thought about it like I had I was sure that Grace was more than just a threat to mine and George's relationship, she was dangerous.
"All right, I'll agree that it does sound like the sort of thing she'd do since she's done it in the past," Stephanie admitted grudgingly "but why would she bother, it's like I said she doesn't need the money?"
"She's done this before?" I asked catching something Stephanie probably didn't want me to hear if her expression was anything to go by, she turned back to face her vanity and started rearranging perfume bottles nervously.
"That came out wrong, she didn't do it." Stephanie amended but didn't go into any more detail, vastly interested and not about to let this drop I prompted her.
"If she didn't then who did?" I asked and Stephanie pulled a face.
"I don't have to tell you anything." She snapped and I felt myself frown and my patience wane, I could tell that this was important and that she was trying to hide this from me, that seriously pissed me off I could tell that this would either paint me as a raving loon or tell me that I had been right to think that I had. Why wouldn't she just give up this bitch crap and tell me?
"Stephanie, tell me what you know." I demanded and she took a breath as if to tell me to get lost, at least that was until she spotted my expression, one I could see reflected in her mirror as one of intense determination and desperation. Maybe it was a bit threatening as well, but hey, George could be in danger here, what did you expect me to be like?
"God," she breathed meeting my gaze through the mirror "this is that important then?" I didn't say anything, I just continued to look at her praying that she would give me what was obviously vital information "all right," she groaned giving in "I'm not even supposed to know about this, I overheard my parents talking about it once but no one knows, not even Baxter and I swear if this gets out and I'm caught up in it somehow you'll regret the day you were born, do you hear me Hudson?" She threatened shooting me a dark and serious look which had me even more interested, I made no promises but she seemed not to need one as she heaved a sigh and said,
"I know that someone tried to do that, what you were stupidly suggested, before because someone tried to do it to Baxter, like years ago when he was still young and seeing some Southside girl." she started and I nodded, thinking she meant George's mum who had grown up on the Southside before marrying the evil dictator "and I suppose that its possible that Grace might try and do the same to George because," she let out another irritated groan before all but snapping "because it was her mother who tried and failed to do it to Baxter. She tried to seduce Baxter so that he would marry her and she could take control."
Author note: okay, honestly really is the best policy guys, I'm iffy about the ending here yet again but I can't seem to put my finger on what I don't like, if you could help me out I would much appreciate it and make the necessary alterations. Please review and let me know what you think. Oh and a massive and long overdue thank you to my amazing reviewers Dares to Dream and MissMolly02481 for their patience and dedication! :) x