Caught in the Middle

Jackson and Jules

I'm sitting in the park, on a bench, wondering where Jackson and I are going to sleep tonight.  It's been a week since we've ran away from the foster home, and I don't plan on getting caught and getting sent back.  Our foster parents aren't good people, they just put up with us for the check they get at the first of the month.  They drink it all up within the first couple of weeks though, making our lives a living hell. 

I see Jacks come walking through the park and I take a second to look at the boy that I've become so close with these past few years.  He's taller than me by a few inches, his dark brown hair is constantly getting in his eyes, and his muscular body only adds to my appeal.

He has his arms inside his jacket, probably hiding the food he went and stole from the local grocery store or gas station. 

"Oh god"  I say running up to him giving him a hug.  "I thought something happened, what took so long?"

He hands me a bag of chips and a bottle of water before sitting down on the bench taking another bottle of water, chips, and a couple of candy bars out of his jacket.

"Ran into a little mishap, but everything went fine."  He said smiling at me.

He looks so grown now that I can't help but stare.  We are both only 17 but growing up like we did can make you seem older than you really are.

"What?" He asks grinning at me.

I blush and turn away opening my bag of chips, stuffing some into my mouth.  He does the same and we sit in silence as we eat.

Once we are finished we throw our trash in the trashcan beside the bench and start walking towards town.

"Where are we going?" I ask curiously having to jog to catch up to him.

He grabs my hand in his and I blush at the sudden contact.

"I have a job to do tonight so you are going to be staying with a friend I met."  He said a worried expression on his face.

I stopped walking making him turn and face me, "Whats wrong Jacks?"  I peer up at him.  I know there is something wrong because he never makes me stay with someone if he has a job to do which is every couple of days.  Whenever I ask him what kind of job he does, he evades the question. 

He cups my hand in his face, "Nothing is wrong baby."  He uses my nickname making me blush.  We are not a couple, but we act like it anyway, only we don't kiss or do other intimate things. 

"You promise?" I ask him giving him my pinkie, another ritual that we do every so often.  When the pinkie is involved we always keep our promises to each other, no matter what.  He hesitates but then encircles his pinkie with mine.

"Promise."  He repeats putting his forehead against mine closing his eyes with a sigh, "I will always take care of you Jules." 

I nod my head against his.  Then he straightens back up, grabs my hand and once again we are walking towards town again.

**********************

"How far away are we?"  I whine.  I know I sound like a baby but we had been walking for about an hour and my feet were screaming at me.

Jacks suddenly came to a stop making me bump into him.

"Sorry."  I say rubbing my nose.

"We're here."  He says and walks towards a rundown house that looks as if it will collapse any second.

We walk up to the porch and Jacks knocks.  A few seconds later a middle aged man appears and opens the door to let us in.

"Jackson."  The man nods and leads us into the living room motioning us to take a seat.  "I didn't think you were going to show."

I'm feeling very nervous, especially since the man keeps glancing over at me.  I can tell he likes what he sees making my heart gallop frantically.

"The package is over on the kitchen table."  The man says and Jackson nods and leaves me to go get it.

"Have a seat."  The man says looking at me.  As I sit I can feel the man looking me over. 

Jackson appears with a package in his hands, "Come on Julia, let's go." 

"Hold up."  The man says standing up quickly making me flinch.  "I need a little insurance here, the girl stays until you get back from delivering the package."

I tense up and I look at Jackson.  He is shaking his head and I let out a breath of air, "She goes with me."

The man looks disappointed but quickly moves onto his next scheme, "If the girl doesn't stay then you don't get the package and you don't get paid.  The girl will not be harmed..."  He pauses thinking, "Unless of course you don't come back with what's rightfully mine, then I will keep whats yours."

I feel Jackson tense, "Then keep your package."  He says through his teeth laying the package on the floor, "Come one Jules."  He pulls me towards the front door.

"50,000 dollars."  The man says making us come to a sudden halt.

50,000 dollars just to deliver a package?  What the hell was in that package anyways.  Jacks looks at me and shakes his head and continues to pull me out the door.

"Jacks, that's a lot of money, think of what we could do.  No more sleeping outside in the park, or stealing from the store just to eat."  I plead with him.  How long could it take to deliver a package anyways? 

"I can't risk you Jules, I won't"  He shakes his head.

I put my hands on either side of his face, "I'll be fine, we need this. Please?" I beg.

I see the turmoil in his eyes, he wondering what the right decision is.

"Just hurry and deliver the package and we'll be set."  I plead again.

Even though I'm scared of the man in the living room, this is just too much to pass up.

"I'll only do it if you want me to, I don't mind stealing from the stores and sleeping in the park, as long as I'm with you Jules."  He pulls me into his embrace and I hug him tightly.

"Just hurry and get back."  I tell say, pulling away from him and go back into the living room to take a seat on the couch. 

Jacks picks up the package and turns to the man, "I'll be back, if you so much as lay a hand on her, I'll kill you."  He says his voice menacing.

The man only smiles, as if he is amused, "You have my word, the girl will not be harmed as long as you come back with what's rightfully mine."

I didn't understand why the man kept saying that but before I could think about the double meaning in his words Jackson turned back to me and gave me a light kiss on the lips. 

"I'll be back." He says and quickly turns and walks out the door.

What he doesn't know, is that was my first kiss.  What I found out, was that he didn't come back.