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The hallways of the school were crowded, as usual. To reach their friends, people were fighting their way through the jungle of others. They passed a variety of groups on their way to the lockers. Chess club, book club, art club, and so on.
One girl weaved through the crowd, trying to turn out the chaos around her. She always kept her head low and made sure not to touch anyone. In addition, she held her breath so that her ragged breathing would not be heard over the excited chatter.
Finally arriving at her locker, she opened it to be greeted with an assortment of things.
With the exception of a random nail file that had fallen out of the overstuffed makeup bag, it was mostly organized. The girl quickly returned it to its proper place.
She glanced at the clock across the hall, taking a sip from her water bottle. The break had barely begun so she had 10 minutes left to relax and prepare for her next period.
One of the pictures on her locker door captured her attention since it had become loose and was in danger of falling. She sighed as she put the water bottle down and inspected the photograph while fixing it. It showed a young, pale girl being hoisted between two tanned elderly people by her arms. Their wide smiles demonstrated how happy they each were at the time.
Closing her eyes, the memories hit her like a powerful wave from which she was helpless to flee.
Jordyn Soto-Barkeley thinks she had a pretty normal life up to this point. It may not be an ideal one, but it made her the person she is today.
Yes, the absence of a stable friend circle or at-home parents could seem lonely at times, but Jordyn deems to be an introvert anyway, so it doesn't bother her anymore.
Back in her childhood, when she had to spend all her days with her abuelos instead of her parents, naturally, she felt abandoned and wouldn't understand what she did wrong for her parents to not want to spend any time with her.
Jordyn peered at a sticky note next to the pictures after once more opening her eyes. "Always thinking about you, Mamá", it said. A heart next to the message.
After getting used to her situation, she had understood that her parents' jobs just weren't an optimal condition to raise a child and spend all their time with her. They were successful in their careers; her mother Eliana as a CMO of an event management company and her father Craig as a surgeon, and they couldn't simply stop. Those jobs were their passion and no one should be denied what they love to do, she thought.
Jordyn shook her head, blinking away her tears. She quickly focused on the plush cat; a parting gift from her abuelos. A sad smile overtook the girl's features.
She wasn't mad at her abuelos for moving back to Spain once they had the possibility of doing so. It meant that twelve-year-old Jordyn had to fend for herself when her parents weren't home but the times they actually were, made up for everything. Her mamá told her all about the places she traveled to and the newest gossip of the elite while her father, who she saw on a more regular basis than her mother, liked to joke around with her, help her with schoolwork and teach her the basics of medicine–well, he tried.
Jordyn's phone vibrated, catching the girl by surprise. She looked at the notification and saw it was from her dad, who had just come home and wanted to check up on his daughter.
Her response was short, quickly inquiring about his work and reminding him to eat properly before laying down to rest. It was well known that Jordyn's father overworked himself and neglected his basic needs. Her mother often made fun of him for that but asked her daughter to watch out for him as she herself could not due to her frequently packed schedule.
As fascinating as their work may sound from the stories they told, Jordyn always knew she wasn't supposed to follow in the footsteps of one or another. Her parents were disappointed when they realized, quite early on, their daughter just wasn't as interested as they had hoped. But they recognized her talents may lie elsewhere.
With a mental checklist, they crossed out one thing after another. She was neither the most athletically gifted nor the most creative child. Science wasn't her thing, and neither was socializing. Eliana and Craig were confused, as their child wasn't dumb or lazy. She brought home remarkable grades and didn't stand out in a negative way. But what could her future be?
Jordyn put her phone in her bag and opened up her laptop, which immediately lit up. Jordyn was fortunate that the previous window she had used was still open, allowing her to pick up where she had left off and avoid wasting any more time.
One day, Jordyn's father brought home a gift. There wasn't a special occasion or much thought behind it. It just seemed natural to Craig that as the girl entered her teenage years, now being nearly thirteen, she deserved her own laptop. When Eliana got wind of this, she scolded her husband, as she was worried her daughter would spend all her time on it, playing video games–neglecting school.
Her mother wasn't far off, as her daughter did spend all her time with the new gift. But she did not start neglecting her schoolwork. In fact, her grades flourished once more. Jordyn herself seemed happier, which sparked her parents' interest. They wanted to know what it was exactly that affected her so positively.
Jordyn opened another file on her screen and squinted her eyes to read through the information before her. She quickly clicked to edit the data before her and was greeted with her favorite sight.
Unexpectedly, lines of code adorned the entire screen. It was shocking to see what Jordyn was capable of. Although not yet understanding, it made them happy to see her so content and focused on something.
Over the years, it was clear that Jordyn found her very own passion. Programming. It was the one thing she couldn't get bored of. Of course, it frustrated her a lot, especially when a software didn't seem to work correctly and she had to search through all her work to find the mistake. But in the end, it paid off and Jordyn was proud of what she created.
The girls' ultimate goal would be to secure a stable job in the government, managing their cybersecurity. However, this dream seemed to be very far in her future right now, as even her stupid attempt at securing her own files was failing miserably.
Frustrated, Jordyn slammed her locker door shut, locking up her laptop. She regretted her action once the realization of her books still being inside came over her. Entering her code, the girl went to pull on the door, which didn't seem to budge. Jordyn may have many good qualities, but being patient and calm when utterly frustrated wasn't one of those.
The bell rang, signifying the beginning of her next class, which was on the other side of the school. Jordyn sighed, giving up on opening her locker. It wasn't the first time this happened to her.
This school is a real dump. Maybe Mr. Miller will accept a late hand-in of my homework, the girl thought and truly hoped. She hadn't known her history teacher to be a sympathetic one.
"Hey, you need help with that?" The friendly voice coming from behind startled Jordyn and she spun around.
It was a tall boy, with broad shoulders and an athletic build. He easily towered over her. Normally she would have been intimidated by such a presence but the soft puppy-like look in his eyes somehow gave her a feeling of comfort and made her feel at ease.
Jordyn wouldn't describe herself as antisocial, although not as social either. Sometimes the pure presence of someone would intimidate her into simply shutting down and more often than not, she wouldn't know how to act naturally in front of someone. Usually, she would only overcome that stage after getting to know the person.
All this went out the window when she looked into his eyes and answered mindlessly, "Don't bother. Once it decides not to open, it honestly needs a miracle-" Her speech was cut short when the boy took a step forward, gripping her locker door and ultimately ripping it off its hinges.
The loud snap echoed through the hallway as students turned around, searching for the source of the sound. The boy only stood there with the door still in his hand, as if it weighed nothing, grinning brightly at his accomplishment.
Jordyn's eyes widened, her mouth snapping open. Did he just rip this door out? With one arm? She couldn't believe her eyes, stunned into silence. The boy's previous grin slowly faded as his brows furrowed slightly. After a few seconds, he seemed to realize his mistake, clamping the locker door under his armpit and stretching his hand out.
"Adam Davenport, sorry. Forgot to introduce myself," he smiled proudly.
Jordyn just stared at his hand for a second before slowly grabbing and shaking it. "Jordyn Soto-Barkeley..."
The whole situation was a fever dream, the girl not being able to grasp anything logical from the interaction.
"Jordyn? Pretty name for a pretty girl," Adam winked, "Oh right, here, your door. Just put it back on when you're finished. Or just take out what you need and I'll put it back for you." He had held the door out for her to take but retracted his hand mid-sentence.
"Yeah, um, I'm just gonna take this..." She quickly grabbed her history book and laptop, hugging them close to her chest.
Adam took this as his sign, putting the door into its rightful place, only for it to slowly fall over, producing a loud clang when it hit the ground. Jordyn had to step back to avoid it falling on her toes. Once again, a few students turned to the pair, giving them judgmental looks.
The Davenport scratched his head helplessly and looked from the door to the girl. Letting out a confused huff, he said, "I think your locker's broken."
Jordyn had to suppress a frustrated laugh, looking up as well. "I guess you're right. Thanks for helping me get into my locker. Not so thankful for everyone else now being able to get into it though."
There was a momentary silence.
"Don't you have class right now? Because I don't. I promise to stand guard and protect all your stuff. I am the best guarder you could ever find because... I'm the best." He straightened his back, puffing his chest out lightly.
"I'll take that offer right up, it would be for the best. As soon as class ends, I will free you." She paused and mumbled, "I can't believe I'm trusting a stranger."
With that, she started running.
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Jordyn had been 15 minutes late and Mr. Miller was mad. This didn't bother her really because she expected it. What did bother her, however, was leaving the boy, whom she now knew to be Adam, alone at her locker.
What was she thinking? The girl hurried through the halls in the direction of her locker. When she turned the corner, she was surprised to find someone standing in front of it.
"Nothing to see here. Keep going, guys." The tall boy waved with his arms for some students to pass.
Jordyn began smiling softly, He kept his promise. "Hey, Adam."
The one addressed, looked guiltily at Jordyn, making her worry about what was about to come.
"Why are you looking at me like that? What happened? What did you do?"
"Well...I may have left this place for a bit. Sorry. But they gave out free meat in the cafeteria! I got you something too, though. To make up for, " he paused and gestured at her locker, "all of this."
He took a bite of his bacon and reached a piece out to her, raising his eyebrows invitingly, which she declined with a shake of her head. That made Adam shrug and stuff it into his mouth, smiling satisfied.
"Oh, I also called the janitor after getting the meat and he's supposed to turn up anytime now."
"You did? Wow, I can only repeat myself. Thank you," Jordyn chuckled lightly and looked up to him, "Uhm, hey, you did so much for me... Can I somehow repay you?"
He furrowed his brows. "I broke your locker."
"But you didn't have to stay here for an hour and help me get it fixed. You seem like a nice guy, I'd feel bad not returning the favor." She shrugged.
To be completely honest, Jordyn just wanted an excuse to hang out with Adam. From their brief interaction, he seemed like a fun guy and most importantly, easygoing. Jordyn felt able to relax in his presence which is all she ever wanted; an escape from her constant doubts and worries.
Adam smiled excitedly, "Uh, there's this new ice cream shop in the mall. Wanna go with me?" His face fell for a second as he continued, "I asked my siblings to come with me but they said it's nothing evolutiony and just like every other ice cream shop out there. Can you believe that?!"
Jordyn enjoyed his disbelief, ignored his mistake, and decided to play the part. Huffing in agreement, she exclaimed, "No way, they did not say that!"
His answer came in form of an enthusiastic nod.
"I assume you still have classes," She looked at him for an answer and got a short sound of approval in return. "Let's meet in front of the mall at 5 then. Ice cream's on me."
"Sounds good but I don't have to go yet. I'll stay with you till the janitor arrives."
"Your job is fulfilled then. There he comes." She pointed at the approaching man and lightly pushed Adam toward the hall, "Have fun. See you."
The boy smiled one last time, waved and disappeared with a slight pep to his step. He may not know the girl yet but he had already taken a liking to her. Genuinely excited for later, Adam just hoped the class would end quickly.
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Standing in front of the mall at exactly 5 pm, Jordyn waited for her new acquaintance who was running late. She didn't worry about him not showing up. He looked way too excited when she proposed to meet up.
If only Jordyn knew what was currently going on at the Davenports' home.
Four people surrounded a fifth, observing an unusual device lighting up in the middle of a lab. Adam hadn't listened to Mr. Davenports' explanation, so he had no idea what it was and didn't want to know. But to be frank, he wouldn't have understood either way.
After another minute of nothing interesting happening, Adam rubbed his hands excessively and stood up. "This is boring. I'm out. Have to taste every ice cream flavor in the new shop."
Before he could head up, a loud voice piped up, "Not so fast, mister. Where do you think you're going?"
He was met by a confused glance. "Err, to the new ice cream shop? I just said it."
"No, that's not what I meant", Mr. Davenport said, "You and your siblings are not going out tonight or anytime soon to enjoy yourselves. Not after the stunt you pulled. You're all grounded."
He pointed to each one of the siblings, stopping at Adam. Then, he turned around, grabbed the invention and walked toward the elevator.
"And to be clear, just because I'm gone doesn't mean I won't know if you go out. I also won't forget this time," Mr. Davenport called over his shoulder.
"Well, technically you're not our father so we don't have to..." Bree immediately shut up after the look she received and backed up, positioning herself behind Leo.
After Mr. Davenport was out of earshot, Adam turned to his siblings and grinned triumphantly. "He's just trying to scare us. He wouldn't actually know if we went out. How could he possibly do that?"
"Adam, Mr. Davenport isn't stupid. He surely has his ways," Chase told him while uncrossing his arms and walking up to a cyber desk.
"Oh, he couldn't tame Leo Dooley, even if he tried."
The boys looked at Leo with raised eyebrows, who just had an arrogant look on his face while putting his hands on both his hips. Bree grimaced in the background, taking a step back to increase the distance between the two.
"Anyway, name one," Adam scoffed, leaning toward his brother challengingly, steering away from the awkwardness that was Leo.
A high-pitched voice answered before Chase could, "I'll give you a hint. It starts with E and ends with me!"
Adam frowned, thinking about the possible solution, while Chase shook his head, disappointed at his brother's constant stupidity.
"Amy? Amy Donten?"
"That doesn't even..." Leo furrowed his brows but was interrupted by Chase.
"No, it's Eddy. The smart home system that can track your every move!"
"But that doesn't make any sense. He said it starts with E and ends-"
Bree broke up the fight which was beginning to form by settling in the middle of the room, standing between the two who were on opposite sides.
"Before this escalates any further-"
"You're right, I'll be late. Come on Bree, super-speed me" He clapped once and beckoned for her to get over, already positioning himself to climb on her.
Chase scoffed and sat down, "Did you listen to anything we just said? You can't go!"
"Also, why would you be late? The ice cream shop closes at 9 and it is currently 5," Leo asked, confused.
"It's five already? Oh shoot, I'm late already. I can't let down my friend who isn't my friend yet before they are my friend! Bree, please, please, please, plea-" Adam's whining was interrupted by the girl's sigh.
"Hop on." Adam's cries of triumph were overshadowed by Chase complaining but before he could go on, Bree super-sped away with Adam.
"Man, you really interrupt each other a lot. That would be considered rude-" Eddy's annoying high-pitched voice died away when Leo swiped his screen away.
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Thanks to Bree, Adam was in the mall at exactly 5:07, making him late by seven minutes. He really hoped Jordyn wouldn't be mad at him. If she was still there.
When Adam rounded the corner of the alleyway his sister dropped him off in, he saw his new acquaintance. He had to smile at her appearance, with the red curly hair in a messy bun and large sunglasses covering her eyes.
"Hey, Joe," he called out to her once he was near her.
Jordyn looked up, surprised at the nickname but soon found herself smiling back at her new friend. At least she hoped he was.
"Jo?"
Adam nodded with a smile and followed up with his explanation, "I met this guy in a gas station once. He was called Joe and was a really cool guy. Adopted a raccoon, lived in his car..." He trailed off and lifted his head to the sky, sighing out of nostalgia, "A true inspiration to me ever since."
"Wow. Not only does it sound like I'm a forty-year-old man but it's also based on a forty-year-old man," she chuckled.
"You don't like it? I thought of it on my way here."
"Don't worry, it's just unusual. I'll need some time to get used to it. So it's like, J-O-E?"
Adam nodded with a smile, content with how serious she was taking this.
"Shall I come up with a nickname for you as well? It may be a little tricky, though." She adjusted the straps of her backpack.
"Nah, you're good. Wait, why do you have your whole backpack with you?"
"Oh, I just have my laptop in there. I don't really like leaving without it," Jordyn answered with a small voice, which only gained her an understanding hum.
"Let's get some ice cream. I haven't eaten all day and I'm starving." Adam grabbed her arm and tugged her along, heading for the new shop.
"Haven't eaten all day? Are you planning to eat up all their ice cream?" Jordyn joked, not knowing how right she was.
"Err, is the moon a star? Duh! You have a lot to learn, Joe."
Joe slowed down a bit, letting Adam lead the way. She stared at the back of his head for a second, then shook her head, "This will be interesting for sure."
"Wait, remember that I'm paying, so don't hold back!" She shouted and skipped next to him, listening to him talk about his favorite ice cream flavors, a small smile adorning her face.
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