Caught in the Crossfire

Chapter 2

I wake up to Evanescence this morning, the haunting notes and mesmerizing lyrics being the perfect song to bring me to full awareness. I throw on a pair of jean capris and a grey v-neck tee. Pulling on my green and blue messenger bag, I pick up my phone and check for messages. There aren't any...

Strange, Drake normally sends me a good morning text.

"Well, it's not like its mandatory for him to tell me good morning. It is a free country after all." Shrugging, I walk into the kitchen and straight into...

"Mom? It's 7 in the morning on a Friday. I'm astonished. Why are you up so early?" I feign surprise, pouring on the sarcasm. I hadn't seen hide or hair of her in a couple days. Typical.

Whenever I attempt to talk about her and Dad's absence in my life, she always blames it on work and being "so tired, Janie, I don't have the energy right now." I believe she's just avoiding the massive fight that was soon to come to a boil. Currently I could feel it simmering, ready to over flow at any moment.

"Oh, you know, I just didn't feel like sleeping in today..." she trails off.

"Yea, I do know, seeing as how I never get the chance to sleep in, what with school and volunteering every weekend to earn my credits so I can go back to school next year, getting a good education and all that jazz. Oh, plus the fact I've been taking care of myself like I live alone, and at only 17 too, ain't that crazy?" I end my little rant, hands on hips, practically fuming, and ready for a brawl.

But just like I expected, she turns away without a word and walks back into her bedroom, away from me, and away from responsibility. That is just like her to head in the opposite direction of the problem.

I roll my eyes and stomp out to the garage where the 3 family cars and my baby are stowed. I walk past the Volvo and the Porsche and slide into the driver's seat of my blue Audi S5 convertible, which I got for my 16th birthday, a little over a year ago. I stick the key in the ignition, smiling when she starts to purr.

Like the rest of this rich town, my family does indeed have money. But do I have any small clue about where the abundance of  money on my credit card comes from or what my parents actually do to make so much dough? Nope. And do I care? It's the absolute least of my worries. All I know is that they're the head executives of some gigantic company I've never heard mentioned in casual conversations.

I start humming along to the familiar tune on the radio as I back out of the garage and head off to school.

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I pull into my school parking spot, in between a lime green Mercedes and pretty sizeable Hummer. Looking down a few spots on my row, I see his 2010 Infiniti M45 parked in its parking spot.

And then I see him walking rapidly towards my car, but with ease, like he could be moving even faster. His hair hangs in feathered layers to below his ears, bangs flipped out of his eyes. As he walks even closer, his smile gets even wider and his beautiful eyes sparkle.

I jump out of the car and pull my bag around my shoulders just in time for him to jog up and wrap his arms around my waist and pull me against his chest. I giggle as he steps back, wearing a grin as wide as mine.

We turn towards the school in silence, walking side by side, one of his long-fingered hands clasped losely in mine.

As we pass through the front doors of the high school, Drake asks, "So, how did you sleep last night?" His question brings on an onslaught of hazy dreams and choppy nightmares, all of them starring my brothers. A grimace flits across my face, which I'm sure he catches.

"Just fine." I tell him, struggling to keep the faux smile on my face. "How about your own?" I ask quickly, wanting to turn the focus away from myself.

"Soundlessly," he replies, "although my dreams featured one astonishingly beautiful woman... quite the distraction." His lips pulled up into a smirk, and he flashed his sparkling eyes down towards mine.

His smile never ceased to cause my breath to hitch in my chest for a second, he was just so astonishing to look at, other-worldly beautiful, and all together mine. 

I guess that's when it hit me. I knew I loved this boy who cared so much for me, and made me feel unlike any guy had before. But sentiments of love are something I have never given of freely, so I was unsure of the way to tell him that I did indeed love him Here, and now? No, not in a school hallway, filled with other students, but somewhere we're alone, and the time right, away from distractions...

We had reached my locker by now.

"Hello, Drake to Janie. Can you hear me?"

I look up at him, concern and in his eyes... Oh God, he had such beautiful eyes... gray, with flecks of almost silver...

I have no doubt he loves me back. Strengthened by that knowledge, I smile widely.

"Just dandy." I tell him as I stand on my toes to reach his pink lips better. I wrap my arms around his neck, and pull him even closer when he places his hands on my waist, holding me captive. I pull him closer to me, and he tightens his grip.

"Ooooo, Janie and Drake are sucking face!" Gavin Murphy crows as he bounds up, a smile showing all of his teeth on his lips. I break away from Drake to glare at Gavin, but of course, I'm not truly mad at him. I could never be mad at the red-haired, soccer-playing, country boy built like a linebacker, who had also been one of my closest friends since 6th grade.

I roll my eyes and give him a big hug, letting him know all is forgiven. Gavin then turns to Drake who clasps him on the shoulder as they exchange a manly greeting and then begin to talk about, well, manly things.

I sigh and turn to my locker, my boyfriend's attention briefly on another subject - soccer and football and baseball and all sports known to man really; which is basically all the sports he plays and is very good at. He has cat-like reflexes, quick to catch something I drop or knock over, and even me from time to time. He could also run so fast that he could easily beat the best track runner at this school.

I pull the books I need for my first few classes out of my locker, hug Gavin, and regain Drake's attention by pulling him to me for a passionate kiss, drawing a few "ooo's" and wolf whistles from the on looking crowd. I lean away and look at him, a mischievous smile on my lips and a gleam in my eye. Tonight's party was going to be a blast. 

I then turn to head off to first period, hips swinging and a bounce in my step.

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