Reputation: Book One

Tripp

Second Chance- Shinedown

In Da Club- 50 Cent

Fade To Black- Metallica

I slam my car door do hard my window rattles against its frame, making me wince. I hope I didn't break anything inside there.

"Hey, Bixx," I start, and my stereo lights up in response. I needed to talk to Jerzei, finally tell her what's up. I take in a deep breath before speaking, "Call Jerzilyn."

It rings once, twice, and the anticipation makes my body buzz. Suddenly, the ring cuts off and I hear her strong, alto voice. "Hey, Tripp," She greets. "Finally calling to talk about us?"

I sigh, shaking my head. "Can I come over? So we can talk."

There's a short pause on the other end, and she chuckles. "I just broke out the wine. I've had kind of a shitty day, so if you're coming to break some news come on over so I can just drink it off."

"Aren't you too young to drink?" I ask in a low voice, gripping my steering wheel tightly. We're four years apart; I'm newly twenty five, and her birthday isn't until September. She was nineteen when we met, and we were together for ten months... through Christmas, and then I only just recently started getting heavy with Qrow about a month and a half ago. I'm getting lost between those two, I can't even remember how old Qrow is. I think he's twenty one?

"Your GPS shows you're at Autumn's place," She notes, ignoring my comment. What a bitch. "You bringing Qrow over so we can bang it out?"

Anger immediately ignites in my chest and venom pools in my mouth. "Don't you-"

I catch myself from raising my voice and I stare down at my feet, strumming my fingers across the steering wheel. I hear her snicker on the other line, sighing with amusement. "God, your skin is so thin."

"So are my nerves," I spit back, slamming my gas pedal to pass Mr. Motorhome. If only those damn things could go any faster. "I have an ounce to smoke if you're interested," I bribe. "But, if you're busy underaged drinking, forget it. I'll just go home. I'm just now leaving from a nasty fight with your brother, and the last thing I want to do is fight with you, Jerzei."

There's silence, and I know she's thinking about it. I smirk to myself, approaching the intersection I turn on to get to her house. Three,two, one...

"Okay," She confesses. "door is unlocked. I'm going to get changed."

***

I pull up alongside the curb of her small, stocky house, her zen of plants along her porch swaying in the gentle breeze. When I climb out of my car, the scent of her large, white jasmine wafts to my nose and I get reminiscing waves of Jerzei's perfume she wears everywhere. Would it be insulting of me to say I kind of missed it?

I reach for her doorknob and twist it, glancing around for her. I always loved coming to Jerzei's house; it was so quiet, she was overly organized and it always smelled like clean laundry. It reminded me of my mom.

I wander to her kitchen and find the bottle of wine and whiskey, an empty shot glass and a half-empty glass of red wine. There's a lipstick stain pressed to the edge of the glass and her phone is face-down on the counter. I peer down the hallway, slipping my shoes off slowly. "Jerz?" I call warily, unable to find her.

"Bedroom," Her voice ringing out through the home. I follow her voice down to her bedroom, the lights dimmed above me. I get an unsettling feeling. Her door is open and she's sitting indian-style on her bed, slabbing more red lipstick onto her full, bubbly lips. She's wearing fishnet leggings beneath a short, baggy, v-neck dress, a tight velvet choker pinned on her neck. Her green eye peers at me suspiciously, her blue narrowed. "Honestly, I didn't think you would show," She says, closing her hand mirror and setting it on her bedside table. She slides off the bed, her tall, knee-high boots clicking against the wood softly when her feet connect with the floor. I let my eyes fall down her body, and the sleeve of her dress falls off one shoulder as she walks to me. "Why did you want to see me?"