Chapter 4

When the plane landed in China, I gripped the seat and uttered, "I'm not getting off... I'm not getting off... and you can't make me!"

"Jess, let's go," Rudy said, annoyed, "you're acting like a child."

"I don't care!"

Jack sat next to me and said, "You'll have to face him sooner or later, Jess. Come on, I'll help you."

"I choose later!" I looked down the aisle to the front of the plane, "Hey, Stewardess! When's the next flight back to Seaford?!"

"Ok... next course of action," Jack muttered. He picked me up bridal style.

"No! Put me down, Jack!" I punched and kicked at him desperately.

"You can't hide from your problems forever, Jess," he told me.

"I'm not hiding! ...I'm delaying!" I crossed my arms.

Jack put me down when we were off the plane. He took my hand and pulled me towards the baggage claim. "Are you holding my hand because you like me or because you don't want me to run away?" I asked in annoyance.

"Little bit of both," he replied, "Get your bags."

Kim came over to us. "You two have been holding hands a lot lately..." she said, picking up two black bags, "Are you a couple or something?"

I glanced at Jack. His cheeks reddened slightly and he let go of my hand. "Well, not exactly…" I replied awkwardly, "I mean… we've gone out a couple of times but…"

"We're not a couple." Jack finished.

Kim looked at us skeptically but didn't say anything else.

...

Rudy checked us in at the hotel and, after everyone put their bags in the rooms, went sightseeing.

...

Jack and I walked through the crowded farmer's market. I was beyond paranoid. I looked around worriedly. "What are you looking for?" Jack asked me.

"Just… some of the people working for the guy that killed my parents…" I replied, looking at a person in a dark red shirt.

"How can you tell who's working for him and who's just an innocent by-stander?"

"Usually they'll be wearing an orange, red, or yellow shirt, ripped jeans, and plain black sneakers. They'll also be wearing an expensive-looking, black watch. It's like… the watch is a communicator."

"You mean like that?" Jack pointed to a group of teenagers in different shades of red. One of the teenagers looked at me and smirked. He turned to his friends and they all looked at me with delight.

"Yes…" I said nervously, "When I get to three, run." I started to back away as the teens started to walk towards us quickly, "One… Three!" I turned and dashed through the streets of China.

Jack ran up beside me. "What happened to 'two'?!" he asked, glancing behind him.

"Two is overrated." I replied, I looking for a place to hide, "The café! We can hide in there."

I ran inside and ducked behind the counter.

"Hey!" the worker protested, "What are you… Jess?"

I froze. I looked up and saw Kai. I closed my eyes. "Really?!" I said annoyance.

I peeked above the counter and saw that the teenagers were gone.

"What are you doing here?" Kai asked, smiling at me.

"Well right now I'm hiding from you-know-who's 'minions'... when you start working here?"

Jack came up to me. "Jess, they're go…" He stopped mid-sentence, staring at Kai, "Jess, why are you talking to that good-for-nothing idiot?"

"Hey, didn't you tell him about me, Jessi?" Kai asked, putting his arm around me and glaring at Jack.

I pushed him away from me. "He knows I have an annoying ex-boyfriend, yes."

I replied, "And don't call me Jessi. You lost that privilege a long time ago."

"Wait… he's your ex?!" Jack asked in shook.

I nodded and asked, "You two know each other or something…?"

"We're cousins," Kai replied.

I stared at him, then Jack, then him, and back to Jack, "You're cousins!?"

"Unfortunately," Jack said, glaring at Kai. He glanced around the café, "Uh, Jess...? Those people are back..."

I spun around and saw them across the street. "Hide me!" I grabbed Jack and hid behind him.

"Jess, you gotta get out of here, come on." Kai said, he pulled me out the back.

When we were in the back ally, Jack pulled me away from his cousin and said, "Kai, I'm sure you two may have been... close... when you were together, but now, she's goin' out with someone else."

"Are two dating?" Kai asked angrily.

"Yeah," I said, looking around the ally, "I have to go. Come on Jack." I pulled Jack away from Kai.

Kai pulled him back and said, "If you hurt her-"

"I'm not going to hurt her, Kai," Jack snapped pushing him away, "Unlike you, I actually care about her."

Kai clenched his fists. "I care about her too, you idiot! You don't know all the things I know about her."

"Try me."

"Ok. Who killed her parents? And what else did he do?"

I glanced at Kai. "Uh... well... I don't know." Jack stuttered.

"Exactly; you don't know that Jess was ab..."

"Kai!" I yelled, stopping him, "Don't you dare tell him!"

"Why?!" He protested, "It's not like it matters anymore. It's over, remember?"

I looked at the ground as tears pricked the corner of my eyes, I wiped them away, "It's just too hard to tell right now. I don't want my new friends to know yet."

"Know what?" Jack demanded, "Jess, what happened?"

"Nothing! It's not important. Can we just... can we just go?"

...

Jack and I went to the hotel and went into my and Kim's room. Kim was sitting on the couch typing on her laptop.

"Why won't you tell me?!" Jack asked pleadingly.

"Because you don't need to know!" I snapped.

"I can help you if you just let me!"

"Yeah well I'm not going to let you! So just drop it!"

"No! Something happened to you, Jess, and I want to know what it is!" Jack put his hand on my shoulder.

"Just back off!" I pushed him away, went into the bathroom and slammed the door shut.

I pressed my back against the door and slid down onto the floor. Tears flooded from my eyes as I thought about what Kai was going to tell Jack. It wasn't something I should've been ashamed of. And I wasn't. It was hard at the time but I got though it. It was over. But telling someone would just bring back painful memories that I didn't want. I would tell my friends someday. Just not now.