Wanted

chapter 2: it's a game, sweetheart

I toss in my sheet later that night, staring at the dark walls of my room. I have nothing on them, no pictures or posters or anything. It's boring, but I like it. I have one picture, on my bed post, however. It's a picture of our family. Marcus and I are in the front with my dad's strong arms around us and my mom's sweet smile turned down to us. This is what we lost. What my father left behind. 

   I turn to a different wall, where my window lets in a beam of a streetlight. I can hear the sounds of the street below me, the occasional car horn, the bark of a dog, etc. I have become accustomed to it. I think of the boy yesterday. Harry, I think was his name. He was a creep. Yet, he had such an odd air to him, like he was hiding something. It made me curious in a way I have never been before. It made me want to find out all about him, know his secrets, see his vulnerable side. I brush off the thought off. I am usually not like this, I promise. I am never romantic or caring. I am only caring to Marcus. Because he cares enough to love me and know me. And that is something only he has done.

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 I arrive to the gym later than usual, and of course, I hear it from Niall. He really gives me a pounding in practice for it. 

"Light on your damn feet, JJ." He repeats again. 

I try, but I feel as if my feet are stones, tied down to the shiny blue mat by lead anchors. I try to block his upper jab, but it lands, causing my nose to spurt blood. Niall almost pulls his hair out in agony. "What is this? An off day? You're not aloud to have 'off days'." He yells, looking exasperated. I wish Maura was here to settle him down, but she's not. I have to face his reserved anger alone. 

"Whatever, Jade. Call me when you get your shit together. I have a party to go to." He says, drying the sweat off his face with a towel. 

No way I'm interested in a dumbass party, but there's nothing to go home to except for my crying mom and a grumpy Marcus. "Can I come?" I ask meekly, wiping at the blood resting on my upper lip. 

Niall looks at me and laughs, his metal braxes glinting off the flickering light above. "No way. My parties are probably a lot different of your idea of a party."

I can't even imagine. But still, I want to go. "Please." I give him my best begging look without looking like a total idiot. 

"Whatever. But if your mum comes by my place bitching about it, I'm coming for you."

I ignore the empty threat. "Let me get washed up in the showers, and then we can go."

He looks at my black trainer pants skeptically. "You got anything fancier?"

"As if I would wear a dress to the gym." I retort.

"Nevermind, we'll pick up something on the way. Just get your stinky ass to the showers." He then gives me a reassuring smile, showing a glimpse of Best Friend Niall instead of Annoying Boxing Trainer Niall. 

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Niall picked out some ugly thing from the back of the shady store behind the gym. It came down to only my upper thigh and was black, my favorite color, but also covered with miniature sparkles. I looked like a freakin' galaxy or something. I pushed my greasy hair into a high ponytail to cover the gross shininess to it.

"You gonna wear any makeup?" Niall asks as we pull out of the parking lot.

"I don't even carry around makeup with me. I never wear it."

"Here." He shoves a giant cardboard box from the back of his Porsche 918 Spyder. Or whatever his fancy car was called. The cardboard box is filled to the brim with random girl's articles. I shiver, trying not to think where they all came from. Niall just chuckles. Eventually, I find liquid black eyeliner and do a pretty bangup job applying it over my eyes. I even have a little wing action. By the time we pull into the driveway of a giant house covered with neon lights, I have a completely assembled look. I also found a pair of heels that were only two sizes under me and I managed to squeeze into those.