Recap:
Then a few moments later, I heard a deep voice ask,
"Hey..you alright?"
I looked up to receive the shock of my life; well, other than all the other shocks in my life. It was the guy from earlier whom I had been checking out.
Chapter Nine
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Immediate guilt fell over me as I caught sight of the tiny gash to the side of his arm and the disheveled look of his clothes. I licked my dry lips and nodded somewhat slowly because if I dared nod faster, a zip of pain was sure to jolt through my head.
"I'm fine for now, is your arm okay?" I asked just beginning to get nauseous with the sight of the blood.
He quickly gazed down at the blemish in his skin and shrugged. "Small scene, no biggie. You're lucky I came when I did." He noted, offering me a hand up. I thankfully accepted his grip and pulled myself up, dusting off my jeans.
I just chose to nod.
"Thanks," I said appreciatively a while after, gazing up at him, slightly awed at how perfect his face was. Dotted with slight acne, but as humanly perfect as can be. Kind of like Justin, but still not as perfect as Justin's.
And why am I thinking of such things? Must be an after effect of the attack.
Judging on the fact that we were walking, and it had suddenly gone silent, I chose to spark a conversation.
"Hey, I never caught your name." I said, glancing over at him for a split second before stuffing my hand in my jeans pocket and staring off ahead.
"It's Toby,you?" He said smoothly, not seeming too eager at all.
"Jesse." I replied, hoping he'd ask something.
"Well, Jesse, do you know who you were dealing with back there?" He summoned, breathing out coming to a stop at the back entrance of the fair.
I waited for him to continue as I shook my head, preparing for the worst. After all those guys did have some involvement with Avan, and that was already turning out to look scary. The pounding bass of the rides and the music blended together as my heart beat steered into a dangerous rate in speed. Finally, after I had travelled to heaven and back, he continued.
"You know of Avan Deleriado? The town's biggest drug dealer?"
A cold splash of recognition bathed my thoughts as my brain kicked into serious overdrive. I had freaking talked to the guy, he knew my name, almost had me on a first name basis with the cops and most of all cost me my life that dreadful night at the club.
"Yeah," came my scared reply.
Toby nodded, staring at me dead serious. "Those guys were his followers."
I felt like having a panic attack then and there mostly because one of them had recognized me and that meant I was in deep shit, if not, more than before.
"Jesse, just pray that they don't remember your face. Anywhere you go, make sure you have someone with you. Learnt my lesson the hard way a few years back and it would be a shame if the same thing happens to you." He pleaded, as I just stood there speechless.
When I finally captured my voice again, I was about to ask him what he meant when my name was yelled by a familiar voice nearby.
It was none other than Ryan's voice. My eyes widened. They couldn't know of my encounter, or it would just worry them. I was already worrying them with my anxiety problems, I didn't need another addition. I turned around hastily already seeing them off in the distance. It was only a matter of time before they saw me.
"Bye Jesse." came Toby' s voice. Before I could do a much as reply, he had already ducked under the fence and into the parking lot.
"Why are you all the way in the back here?" Ryan yelled from where he was which was probably five feet away from where I was standing.
I searched for a good excuse, "Wanted some air," I admitted, catching sight of Christian, Chaz and Ency behind.
Convincing wasn't any where close to that excuse but thankfully they let it go. I silently debated on whether or not they had seen the thugs passed out on the floor, but they weren't acting weird or anything so it must have meant they took a decoy route.
To cover up my tracks, I asked. "What took you guys so long?"
Ryan rolled his eyes. "Christian was chatting up some girl and took like forever."
I playfully waggled my eyebrows at Christian, amused when he rolled his eyes in a child-like manner in response.
"She was so out of his league." Ency joked, taking my hand in hers. Of course being the observant little prick she was, she saw the small dices of cuts on my arm.
In response she stopped and looked down at my skin in sheer horror."What the hell Jess, your arm!"
Just when I had thought I had gotten away...
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
After explaining to my friends that I had gotten into a little scuffle purposefully leaving out Toby, I guess that got them to at least shut up. I played it off like I had beaten out all of them cold, and I had decreased the number of them I actually fought in total. In their minds they were only two. I couldn't see myself telling them the truth, because then they would see the need to meddle and after the warning I got from Toby which seemed to be pretty sincere I felt like keeping all the matters to myself. I was still confused as to what he meant when he said he had to learn the hard way but since I knew I was the type of person to over think things, I tried in my best interest to ignore that little statement from him. I guess you could say that my brain was working in overdrive mode as I got back home. I checked my watch which showed that it was quarter past eleven realizing that I broke my eleven o'clock curfew. I jammed the key into the slot and shoved the door open, not really caring if it creaked. I hung my hoodie on the coat rack and was about to advance to the stairs when the clearing of a throat stopped me. I looked in the direction of the sound to find my mom standing there, her arms folded above her flowered baggy t shirt and sweats.
"Uh, hi,"
She didn't seem to find my greeting substantial, because she just glared. "Jesse, do you have any idea of the time?"
I shrugged, "I got laid back, the guys and I hung out for a bit." I shifted my weight from one foot to the other.
She was about to flare up and I just knew it so I quickly interrupted. "And I'm the only one you pester huh? When your other daughter is out doing her shit, you don't tell her anything. But with me? You've never been fair, and frankly I don't care. So let's just go about our lives and not get in the way of each other. We both know who you prefer."
I took in her horrified look, and then continued on my way to my room feeling her eyes pierce a hole through my back.
* *
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The next morning, I woke up around eight and cooled off before taking a long bath. The previous night, I had been so exhausted I had just collapsed onto my bed, feeling a bit horrible about how I had talked to my mother, but I just couldn't help it. It was infuriating being her daughter really, she could drive any one away. I stripped off my clothes and entered the shower, washing off all the dirt, silently cringing every time the soap foam clashed into one of my forming bruises. Finally, after about half hour, I decided to wash my hair then upon exiting the shower, my mother's voice crashed through my silent humming. I had a phone call. Deciding against clothes, I wrapped my robe around me, leaving my hair to cascade down my back and quickly ran downstairs. Accepting the phone from my mom, I pressed it against my ear.
"Jesse speaking."
"Well hello Jesse, I'm the executive producer of Mega Troop dance academy, Barbara Gordon and I'm calling to let you know that you have been successful in the auditions yesterday."
My grip tightened around the receiver and my eyes grew wide as her words processed into my mind. "Practice starts on Monday nine sharp."
"Oh my gosh, thank you so much for the opportunity. I won't let you down." I promised feeling at that moment, the most happiest girl on the planet, or probably the galaxy.
"Judging by your performance yesterday, I am certain you won't. Have a nice day dear."
I nodded vigorously and then remembered she couldn't see me so I happily gave her reassuring words before hanging up.The excitement within me bubbled to the brim, and before I could realize what I was doing, I had rushed to my mother enveloping her in a colossal hug.
Around noon,I finally emerged from my room because I was sick of staring at the ceiling, sick of the internet and just overall tired of reading. Sadly, I chose the wrong time, because as soon as I stepped foot into the kitchen, mom ordered me to rustle up some lunch because she had business to take care of. I popped my headphones into my air blasting some hip hop, and began the tedious process of making my mother's desired meal. Abby and Justin had apparently made up and were in the living room, watching what I assumed to be a comedy because every other minute, I'd hear Abby's irritating giggle. Then again, was it really comedy? Abby had always been low on the humour.
When dinner was over with, I walked into the living room, my ear plugs stuffed into my pocket along with my phone and plopped down on the couch with my plate in hand.
"Go help yourselves before Dad comes and eats it all up." I advised to them both.
Justin turned to me and for the first time I caught sight of the diamond studs in both of his ears. Call me weird but it made him ten times more attractive. And instead of having his hair in its usual quiff, it was sleeked down onto his forehead slanting to the left.
"Smells good, you made it?" Abby asked a ton of disbelief coating her words.
"No, I had my fairy godmother make it with the use of my genie lamp."
Justin snorted, which earned him a glare. I wanted to join along because his little laugh was so cute but I decided not to. Abby huffed, sending me a death look before grabbing Justin and pulling him out of the living room.
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That is all for now, sorry for the delay in update. This chapter is dedicated to @TammyBieber (Go follow her!!) Because without her, I'd probably never would have had the urge to update.
Thanks for 9k (and growing) reads on this even though there's like 8 parts (9 now) it's a pretty huge deal to me. Thanks for all the comments, the votes, the reads....merci to all of you.
Next chapter, there should be more Jesse and Justin time since something pops up that's gonna have them spending time together. You guys are gonna love it. And I apologize if this chapter is a bit boring and a filler, but what did you guys think?
Got a two week break from school, so I'll be posting more frequently(;