(Chapter Three, Pt Four)

Aurora glared at her father over her cereal bowl as he said sternly, "You will not backtalk me. You will get your shit packed and you will get in that truck and go back with me."

"The hell I will." Aurora said. Before she even got a chance to duck, his hand connected with her cheek. "Get your ass in that bedroom, pack your shit, now."

"I'm not going anywhere, Daddy." Aurora said defiantly, as she held her cheek, bit her lip nervously.

"Your grandpa told me about that damn boy next door and if he's the reason you're being a mouthy little brat? I'm gonna snap his neck and let you watch. Now. Get your shit together." her father said stiffly as he glared at her.

"Fuck you, bastard." Aurora said. And then she knew she'd really done it, because she wound up on the floor instead of just getting hit. She felt the blood pouring from her nose, and she grimaced in pain. Had he actually broken her nose? And why was she fighting this so damn hard?

She had no friends here, except Melanie. There was nothing really tying her to Ohio.. But the thought of leaving had her up in arms, and she was frustrated, angry at her father, and a little more than a little bit afraid.

She stormed out of the house, forgetting it was dark, forgetting this was not her small town in Louisiana, and down the sidewalk, swearing and crying. The tap to her shoulder had her turning around. "What?"

Jon shuffled his feet and then said "You insane?"

"Don't. I'm not in a really good mood right now, and I'm not gonna turn around, Jon. It's for the best." Aurora said quietly. Instead, she felt his hands grip her wrist, and she was turned around. She quickly tried to hide her face, but it was too late. He'd seen what her father did and judging by the look on his face, he wasn't happy.

"That piece of shit."

"Jon.. Don't go back there. It's only gonna make things worse. He's gonna make me leave. I'm gonna have to go back."

"The hell you will." Jon said angrily, as he grabbed her wrists, practically drug her back down the alley towards the apartment building. She tried to fight him, get away from him, knowing that nothing good was coming of this, but he didn't budge. His grip was firm and he spoke calmly, stiffly.

"Ya honestly think I'm gonna let that bastard take ya off, when he did that to ya face?"

"Jon.. This is not your business. Besides, you don't really even like me, not even as a friend, so.."

Jon stopped and held her against the brick wall, just stared at her a moment. "That might be true, but I ain't gonna let him get away with hittin ya either, Rory."

"My god damn name is Aurora."

"It's Rory if I fuckin call ya Rory. Now shut it, come on. I'm gonna teach that bastard somethin about hittin girls. Even I'm not fucked enough in the head to do something like that."

"Jonathan, please don't get in this. You don't know me, this is not worth the hassle."

"Yeah, it is. Look, just shut it, let me think." Jon said as he paced the alley, frantically, muttering to himself, lost in thought. He could take her, haul ass out of Ohio for a while, but she was right. They barely knew one another, why was he even worrying about her, about this?

They were always fighting, and every step forward they took, they wound up at least four back.

He stopped pacing and said "Not calm. I gotta do something about this. I mean, ya look like ya in full on freak out mode."

"I am. But if I have to go back, I have to go back." Aurora said quietly, sighing in defeat, rubbing her wrists where he'd grabbed her just now, wincing a little. Why was he acting like this?

She didn't get him, not at all. But before she had any more time to ponder anything, she heard her father yelling out into the alley. Without thinking, she took off at a run, only to have Jon catch up to her, then stop her. "Okay, so we're outta there. Now what?"

She shrugged and said quietly, "I just wait until he cools off for a few hours. Then I go back and go with him. If I don't, he'll make this harder than it has to be, and my mama's been hurt enough."

"And so have you. I'm not lettin ya." Jon insisted stubbornly, as he stood looking at her with crossed arms. Aurora looked at him, pursing her lips as she said quietly, "There's not much you can do about it, Jonathan. Why's this matter so much to you, honestly?"

"I.. I don't know, god damn it. I just know ya cannot go back there."

"You have no sort of solid answer?"

"Nope."

"Jonathan, this is sweet of you, but trust me. My dad is a prick, he's a son of a bitch, and he will make sure he hurts you and.."

"And what? I get hurt all the time, Rory."

"I don't want anyone getting hurt because of me, got it?" Aurora commanded, holding his gaze, her hand on her hip expectantly.

"Sassy."

"Jonathan, damn it. I'm tellin you. Do not get in this. For one, you barely know me, and for another thing, I ain't worth it."

"How do ya know that?" Jon asked as he stared at her intently, curious. All this time, she'd insisted he was worth it. What made her any less worth a risk?

Why'd he even give a damn? She was right, they barely knew one another. And any time they were around one another, they wound up fighting or angry with one another.

Then there were those moments when he just thought she got him. She knew when to back the fuck off, when to push him..

And he knew the same about her.

"Well?"

"Well what, Rory?"

"What are you lookin at me like that for? Again. I don't get why you keep lookin at me that way, Jonathan."

He leaned in and pressed her against a nearby brick wall, and put his hand on her cheek, conquered her lips in a deep kiss. He smirked and snickered a little when her eyes popped wide open and she stared at him, gaping as if she were confused.

Shrugging, he said "Thought that'd shut ya up."

"Okay, so like you said.. I'm away from there for now.. What the hell am I gonna do? I can't just hide out, hope he fuckin leaves, Jonathan."

"Come with me." Jon grabbed her hand, started to run, practically dragging her, not really thinking at this point, more or less just trying to ensure that she did not leave him under any circumstances. Especially not after she'd just kissed back.

"Why'd you kiss me, Jonathan?"

"I told ya. To shut ya up." Jon insisted as he looked at her, keeping a straight face. Aurora looked at him uncertainly, and then said quietly, "Oh."

He smirked a little, then said "Why?"

"I just.. Nevermind, look, I have to go back now, or he'll kill me, and you if he sees you out here with me."

"Fuck him."

"Jonathan.."

He looked at her and then said quietly, "You're really scared of him, aren't ya?"

"Fucking petrified. I hate to say it, but I'm completely fuckin petrified."

"Let me walk ya back?" Jon asked as he looked at her.

"Please?" Aurora asked quietly as she bit her lower lip, let him start leading her back up the alleyway. Once they got to the apartment building, her mother met her on the fire escape and said quietly, "He's gone. Your grandpa chased him off, told him you weren't gonna go back with him."

Aurora looked at Jon and then smiled a little, then said quietly, "Mama, this is Jonathan Good. He lives in the apartment beside ours."

Fiona studied the teenager carefully, and biting her lip, she smiled a little then said "So you're the one she grabbed the orange juice and muffin for. I figured it was a boy. I'm Fiona, Rora's mama."

Jon studied her, not sure how to deal with the parents thing. No girl ever just introduced him to the parents, he wasn't used to it. "Hi." before turning to Aurora and muttering "I'll, umm, see ya at the bus stop tomorrow?"

"Yeah." Aurora said quietly, and spontaneously, cautiously stood on tiptoe to hug him. She turned to her mother and then said "So he's not gonna make me leave, mama?"

"No, baby girl. Everything's okay, for now. Nice to meet your friend finally. Let's go inside, I can get some ice on your eye. I hit him for that, by the way."

"Go mama!"

"Haha, yeah, I have a little fire left in me, baby girl." Fiona said as she watched the teenage boy disappear up his fire escape quietly.

She'd heard he was a bad kid, but she was going to make up her own mind about him.

Jon lie on his bed, thinking about the kiss, wondering what it meant, especially with her kissing back like she had. He growled at himself and rolled over, tried to get some sleep.

At least she didn't have to leave this time. Now, all he had to do was figure out what the hell he did feel, and what the hell he should do about it.

Because frankly, after tonight, he was confused.