I pull up to the small house, glancing over to smirk at the small form of Joni, who obviously doesn't want to leave. She inches closer to me, snaking her fingers around my neck.
"Now, won't your mother be disappointed when her little girl doesn't show for curfew."
"Shut up." She presses her lips against mine eagerly, almost desperately. I have to push her away to catch my breath.
"God, you're an animal. Take a breather, will 'ya?" She smiles and leans back in the seat.
"I wear you out. I'll have to find another boyfriend to replace you, old man." I lean over and seize her shoulders, pressing her against the door.
"Don't you even dare think about dumping me." I growl, giving her a good shake to show I mean business. She shakes her head and wraps her arms around my neck.
"I will be crazy to dump you. Even if Warren Beatty came along." I laugh and sit back in my seat, but not before popping her door open.
"Especially that bozo. Now get." She stares out into the street with dread in her eyes, and turns back to me.
"Do I have to?" I nod and gesture to the house, where a light flickers on. "Oh, great. Keith is going to kill me." She mumbles, glaring at the door. "Do I really have to go?"
"Yes! You can't run forever." She glares at me, but unfolds her long legs and steps out of the house.
"Well, fuck you!"
"That'll be your job in ten years." She cries out in anger and slams the door with all her force, which makes the car rock to my surprise. I roll down my window and stick my head out the window, trying to catch a better view of her swaying ass. "See 'ya later, babe." She replies by flicking me off, never once looking back. I chuckle and slide back into the car, kicking it into gear. Not before a fist comes crashing down on my window, though.
"Shepard, get out of the damn car!" I sigh in irritation and glare out at the infuriated Matthews. I jerk the door open and shove the older boy back.
'Fuck off, man. Joni can watch her own back, get the picture."
"Well she's dating you, so I beg to differ." His voice drips with venom as he circles me, fist clenched. I wonder if he's looking for a fight, and pat my back pocket in satisfaction. My switchblade is in position and ready.
"You better watch it, Matthews. I maybe younger than you, but I'm a hell of a better fighter." He spits into the grass at my feet and scowls.
"No, you watch it pal. I got six guys…" I laugh at his words and grip my sides.
"Six. Ha! I got eight Shepards ready to rip throats. So let me tell you how this is going to go." I take a step forward and glare menacingly at the older greaser, who is slowly coming to realization that he is losing. "I'm going to date your sister, no matter what. I'm going to be around, no matter what. And there's not a damn thing you can do about it." He turns red and clenches his fist.
"If you bang her Shepard…" I laugh again, thinking about her eagerness in the dark lot.
"She's the one who wants to bang, man. But I don't take kids."
"Hell, you're taking her now. If you don't want to bang her, then what are you going to do with her?" I glare at the boy.
"I want to bang her! I just don't want to do it now, that's all. And I don't want another guy to get to her before me."
"So you'll put her on hold?" He scoffs, rolling his eyes. "What a way to treat women."
"Shut the fuck up, Matthews! You have no idea how I feel about Joni, so just keep your shit-mouth shut!" The stunned greaser staggers back, taken aback back my sudden outburst. But that's how I am, a time bomb that'll explode any second. This wasn't an exception.
"Keith, get your ass back in the house and stop hassling him!" Joni appears out of no were with clenched fist and a twitch in her eye.
"Were do you get off telling me what to do?" Joni took a step to my side and glared at her brother.
"Since I took control of my own life. Now scat!" Matthews clenches his fist and takes a step towards Joni, who instantly takes a step towards me, bumping into my arm.
"No little sister of mine tells me to scat. You have no right to tell me what to do."
"I have a right as a person, damn it! And I'll do as I please, asshole. So back the fuck up!" It is actually me who takes a step back, blown away by the girl's harsh attack. Her brother gives out one hiss through his clenched teeth, then turns on his heels back to the house.
"Fine then, you stupid bitch. Get yourself gang-banged!" She turns her head into my shoulder, refusing to watch the bastard slam the door right in her face. I expect her to bawl, to soak my shirt the point of never bothering to wear it again. But she only sighs, inhaling with a shakiness then breathing out with ease.
"Sorry." She pulls away and turns down the street, walking in the opposite direction of the house.
"Not your fault. You didn't make my brother an asshole."
"Yeah, but I'm the reason why he is one." I don't notice I have followed Joni until she stops and turns to me, a single eyebrow raised in away that made me feel like the world's biggest dumbass.
"Your car is that way."
"I know where my damn car is." I growl, taking a moment to stare into her deep eyes. Damn, she has me hooked with those. 'Where are you heading?" She shrugs and flicks a gaze towards a house, already bopping with drunks and skanks. "Oh, hell no."
"Oh hell yes." She says with a satisfying smirk, walking over to the party house. I grab her wrist without a problem and pull her back, glaring down at the red hair.
"I said hell no. You're coming with me."
"Oh great. So now you want to play big bother?"
"No, 'cause a big brother wouldn't do this." She yelped in surprise when I grab her wrist and swing her in front of me, crashing my lips on top of hers. I pull away to see her wide eyes staring into mine, confusion swarming in the sea if green and grey. "Now get in the damn car." I growl, seizing the back of her head and steering it towards the car.
"Let go of my hair." She whines, grabbing my hand and pushing it away. I chuckle and wrap it back around her shoulders. For a moment she glares at me, trying to decide if she should tell me to fuck off or if she should let me show a sign of affection…affection, ugh. I decide for her and remove my arm, going to the driver's side and opening the door. She frowns and goes to the passenger side, climbing in and sitting with her arms crossed.
"Don't look so pissy. I'm just saving you from getting jumped, that's all." She turns her head and looks out the window, ignoring my comment as she huffs out a breath of air. "Come on, Joni." I reach and put a hand on her knee, making little circles on it with the palm of my hand. "Don't make me make you talk." Her reply is a snort, and I feel and evil grin spreading across me face as I stop the circles. "All right, if that's the way you want to play." I ran my fingers up a forth of her thigh, stopping them right below the hem of her black skirt. She goes stiff, but doesn't make a sound. "How 'bout now?" I trail my fingers adventurously under her skirt, creeping up half way and hovering my fingers over the milky white skin. "No? All right." I run my fingers up the rest of the way, making her gasp as I slid one finger under what I know to be the elastic of her panties. She turns to glare at me, swiping my hand away while hissing a million curses a minute.
"What the fuck, Curly!" She screams, pushing me into my door as I laugh like a maniac.
"Made you talk." I say through a chuckle, laughing as her face turns a brilliant shade of red. "Oh come on, loosen up. Aren't you the one who wanted to fuck?" She glares at me again, and resumes her previous position of looking out the window. I sigh, seeing that I had driven her back to square one. I pull to the side of the highway, killing the lights while looking at the small figure. She really is beautiful; a real catch that any guy would rumble for. And now I had her. But could I keep her? Hell, I didn't try to keep anybody, they tried to keep me. So why didn't I want to just fuck her, then move on to the next?
Because you can't.
And she's just a kid. God, she's only thirteen. What the hell was a horny fifteen year old suppose to do with a little girl? I shake me head, clearing it of all my thoughts. I tell myself to forget it. Just forget that your chest aches every time you look at her. Forget that you can't stand the thought of any other guy putting his arms around her small frame.
Forget that you would honest to God die for her if it ever came to it. Just forget…..
But I can't forget. 'Cause I knew what the red headed chick was doing to me; slowly ejecting a poison that would destroy me beyond any hope of my old life. I can't forget that those grayish green eyes are slowly drawing me into an emotion that is a myth to me; until now.
Christ, Joni Matthews making me fall for her. And boy, was it going to bun me alive.