~Chapter Eight~
He sighed, glanced up at Chris before walking over to me, shoulders slouched, that pout nearing a peak. “Don't even think about it, Jonny,” I said. He sighed, head dropped. That was the indication he knew he wouldn’t get what he wanted. “As much as I’m grateful you guys weren’t the beating up ‘type’, as I’m led to believe, I’m more pissed off you went for my brother.”
“We weren’t the ones to stoop low enough to involve him, in the first place,” Elliot retorted, finally showing his anger.
I scoffed. “No, you were the one to stoop lower,” I snapped back.
“Guys, let’s not forget there’s a kid here,” Chris reminded us.
I glanced down at Jonny, hugging him to my side. “I’m fine, I promise,” he said.
A smile tilted the corner of my lips. “Yeah, he’s tougher than he looks,” I said, remembering the very reason why Jonny was the bravest kid in the world. He’d been there as someone had blatantly shot and murdered our mother, right before his eyes. He’d seen a lot as a child, and yet his smile was the brightest I’d ever seen.
He sighed. “You’re thinking again,” he grumbled, rolling his eyes.
I smiled, “Leave the eye rolls to the pros, mister,” I laughed, to which he smiled. “Here you go,” I handed him the phone, “Do your thing and delete everything.”
Jonny, surprised, glanced up at me even as he typed in a number. “Everything?” he asked curiously.
I glanced up at the two before us, one of which had eyes that stood out brightly at night. I inhaled slowly, begging my heartbeat to slow down. “Yeah,” licking my lips moist, nodding. “Everything.”
Something told me I needed cleverer plans in the future. Jonny sighed, “Alright,” he said, dialling six numbers only I was privy to see. “Here I thought you’d like to watch him naked ag-”
My hand quickly fell over his mouth, and I heard him laugh. My cheeks flamed, as did my body as I glanced up at him through my lashes. Chris surely was a guy who laughed all the time. He was back to laughing all over again.
Blue eyes watched me dangerously, yet, heatedly. I hoped he wouldn’t say anything, but the jerk didn’t know the meaning of silence. “Again?”
Out of all those words, that was what stood out more? Then again, it is an indicative word, so it was obvious.
I rolled my eyes, standing straighter. “I had to sample the merchandise,” I said sternly. When Chris was practically dying on the ground, with Jonny unable to contain himself, I couldn’t believe what I had just admitted. I met Elliot’s stare either way, making a once over. I knew exactly what could stop this. “Fortunately, the recording was precise,” I said. “However, the other… merchandise? I’m afraid it needed more work.”
Christopher fell back, while Jonny finally got through. “Yeah: six, three, five, eight, seven, four, nine, five, two and six.” He whispered the numbers silently. “My sister is great and I love my family.”
At the confused look a panting Chris gave me, I shrugged. “Voice confirmation,” I mouthed. I’d learned the hard way that even a whisper could ruin everything.
Finally, after a couple more voice initiation processes, he put the phone on speaker. “This is the Demos Vault confirming that the contents of slot number twenty two in vault number eighty three have been permanently deleted, as per the request of owner of vault number eighty three, Jonathan Jenkins. Please insert confirmer to support this transaction.”
I tossed back my hair as I picked the phone. “Pumpkin week rocks and I’m going to beat you again,” I wiggled my brows to Jonny.
He elbowed me on the side, to which I clutched a hand to my mouth. “It is confirmed that this transaction, of vault number eighty three has taken place. Thank you for your performance.” And then the line went dead.
Silence reigned between us after that. I watched my phone until the light went off, and then I was staring at a blank screen. The honking of cars was another world as the cars passed the alleyway. Shouting and chatter could be heard, and it, plus natures night violinists, were nothing to us. They barely filled the void.
It was Jonny to cut the silence and point out what was in everyone’s mind. “I’ll be the adult and say, thanks Chris, for a pretty fun afternoon, even if it was under a different reason than you gave me.”
Chris shrugged, “No problem, bud,” he said. “Just remember, just because no one can, you definitely can.”
There was some coded meaning in there, shared between the two, and I wanted to know, but I trusted Jonny. If something was bothering him, I would make certain to relieve him of it, he knew that.
“Thanks, dude,” Jonny nodded, then he glanced at me. “I’m thinking this is one of those never-agains, huh?”
I sighed, “What do you think?”
He didn’t answer for a moment, glanced down in thought. I saw his open hands then, and remembered he had to put on the gloves. I handed them to him. “Would it help if you knew Elliot has a seriously wicked ride? I’d say it was a convertible, nineteen, sixty five roadrunner. I swear it’s sweet.”
I sighed. “Elliot,” I stepped up closer. He glanced down at me, brow quirked cockily. Could I really forgive him for pulling Jonny deeper in this madness? The answer came with a quick slap to his cheek. “This had better be the last time you use Jonny into anything. Boy genius or not, he’s my brother, and it will be a cold day in hell, God above forgive me, before I let something happen to him again.”
With that, I turned around and started walking away. “Guess not,” Jonny mumbled. “I tried though.”
A chuckle, and then. “You’ll pay for that one, Jenkins,” he shouted after me. Somehow, my stomach insides fluttered with anticipation. Sick, I know, but Elliot was denied nothing.
“See you guys,” Jonny said. “I have to go back to my lab and she has to get back to Lady Ville.”
I rolled my eyes, stopping and waiting for the boy to reach me. He did so slowly. “She’s always a lady,” Chris remarked, but Elliot’s narrowed gaze told me he was guessing.
“I think he means ‘Lady’ not lady,” he said, wrinkles forming on his brow.
Jonny didn’t understand secrecy sometimes. “Of course, with our grandmother being a co-”
For the second time, my gloved hand went over my brother’s mouth. “Being a country woman from England.” They knew I’d lied, but I refused to acknowledge it.
We had to wait for dad for a few more minutes than intended. Traffic had become something of madness with a car crush having blocked everyone. As a doctor when it had happened, he’d had to intervene, of course.
Luckily, no one was mortally wounded. I’d hate for children somewhere to get the bad news that their parent, or both, had just passed away. I know how it feels, and I wouldn’t wish it even on an enemy.
“You like him, don’t you?” Jonny suddenly said, his breath coming out in a white cloud.
I was startled by the thought, even more so when I glanced down and found my smart brother playing smart. “I had to threaten him to work on a school project, Jonny. What’s to like about that?”
“He gives you a challenge,” he dead-panned. “You don’t get that much, and when you do, you usually like the person.”
“Respect, dear brother,” I said. “I respect them, but I do not like them. I’d definitely not spend one ounce of my life time on that excuse of a-”
Jonny laughed. Surprised, I glanced down to find he was way too into his own world. It was annoying how knowing it felt. “What?” I sighed. I knew I’d regret asking.
“Guys are usually falling all over themselves to get your attention,” Jonny giggled.
I rolled my eyes. “In England, dear brother, in that school we both know speaks of status far more than knowledge,” I said. “Here, we are but citizens, and I like that.”
“I like it, too,” he said. “But here’s the thing, most times you don’t notice those guys, and now one of them isn’t paying attention, but you want him to.”
“Stop being a boy genius,” I rolled my eyes, deciding down the street where a couple of guys were hanging out was far more interesting. I had to keep watch of such groups, anyway.
“You do like him,” Jonny teased.
I blushed. “No, I don’t;” I said more sternly. “Neither should you. Do you know he does drugs like there’s no tomorrow, he has no shame when it comes to treating women with respect, and I most certainly haven’t seen him give a hoot about anyone else but himself.”
Jonny sighed, knowing he wouldn’t get passed whatever barriers I’d put up. I watched inquisitively as one of them glanced our way. Something about the two others was familiar. I shook it off, though, justknowing I had to protect my brother when push became shoving.
“He likes you,” It was barely a whisper, but it had me glancing down to him. He was staring at me, though. A gleaming black Porsche was coming our way, and I knew who it was as the person waved at us.
“Oh, really? Did he tell you that?” I asked sceptically, my heart making a lurch at the implication. Did I want Elliot to like me? What was I thinking? Of course not. He could go to hell, God above forgive me, for all I cared.
“No, but Chris did,” he said.
I smiled tersely. “It didn’t come from him, so it doesn’t mean anything.” Disappointment was a sudden burden where my chest hovered above my heart.
“But-”
“That’s enough of that, Jonathan,” I snapped. When Jonny sighed, I felt awkward, and that was something I didn’t want between us. “I’m sorry, Jonny.” I hugged him to my side.
The angel of a boy smiled as he shook his head. “Forgive me, I shouldn’t have pushed,” he said. “I just thought that if you and Elliot mended things, I’d still be able to hang out with Christopher. As it turns out, we have a lot of things in common.”
I should have noticed it, but I didn’t. Jonny blushed and ducked his head, and all I could think was how adorable it was. I smiled. “I can't believe I’m cracking, but, argh,” he lifted his head and smiled adorably. I groaned again. “Fine, you can hang out with Chris, but I want a regular update, understood?”
Jonny nodded eagerly, just as dad’s car rounded the curb. But before he did, I felt someone tug at my bag. I whirled around in shock, panic gripping my heart, but I didn’t need to.
It was the group of boys who’d passed us and one of them had knocked against me, but barely. The guy turned back with a cheeky grin, blonde hair peaking out of a red beanie.
“Sorry ‘bout that,” he apologised kindly. It was odd, but I found myself smiling back. He had one of those smiles that pulled it out of others. But he was familiar, and the sharp edge to his eyes didn’t bode well with me
“No worries,” I said, shaking it off. And suddenly, it clicked. This was one of those things the mind refused to let go, and I vividly remembered the warning. My smile dropped. Mongo.
Right, my explanation for the late update: I had a few issues to resolve for a while, but not things are... partly taken care of. Also, in about two weeks, I'll be going off for a while: examinations and all. Probably won't be updating at that time...
Please, that's the time we all rush for what we shouldn't. ;)