Once again, Anna bursts into my room without knocking, a terrified expression on her face.
"What's the matter?" I ask, setting down my journal. I've never seen Anna look so distraught.
"He saw me!" She cries, sitting down on my bed. "Jack did!"
"What?"
"Mama went in to talk to him. I was eavesdropping again." She admits, "I just wanted to know what she was saying to him, ya know?"
"And?" I ask, feeling eager for some odd reason.
"She was nice to him, but he was such a brat to her. I don't know how she could take that from him." Anna tells me.
"What did he say?"
"He basically told her to get out, and he was very rude and snarky the whole time."
That makes me angry. Mama is very kind and understanding, and the fact that anyone could talk to her in such a way was very frustrating. She is taking him in, for goodness sake! The least he could do is be grateful.
"Oh, that makes me upset." I fume.
"It made me upset, too." Anna agrees. "Anyways, Mama came out and nearly saw me, but she headed down the opposite end of the hall, so I was safe. But Jack was right by the door, and he saw me... "
I look at her expectantly.
"He gave me a glare that could freeze a glass of water." She finishes solemnly.
I frown. What is his problem? Anna didn't do anything, and neither did Mama. He's only being ornery.
I'm about to say so to Anna, but I'm interrupted by a steady stream on blaring music from the other side of the wall.
Well, if you could call that music. It sounds more like someone getting murdered, or nails on a chalkboard.
"Ahhg! What is that?" Anna cries, putting her hands over her ears. "Is that screamer music?"
"He's only doing it to annoy us!" I have to shout over the sound. "Mama and Papa just left for a dinner party, so he knows he won't get in trouble!"
"What do we do?"
"Ignore it until he realizes he isn't getting a reaction from us!"
So we do. We ignore and ignore, but the music doesn't stop. Is he actually trying to annoy us, or is it possible that he might actually like it?
It's either that, or he has a lot of patience.
Anna groans. "How long has it been?"
"Fifteen minutes."
"Tell him to turn it off!"
"Why me?"
"Because I'm afraid of him!" Anna sticks out her lower lip.
Maybe I am, too! I say silently, but I stand up anyways. It isn't like he's going to hurt me... Right? Right.
Still. I feel apprehensive as I leave my bedroom and approach his door. I try knocking, but the music is too loud. He can't hear me.
So I gather my courage and push the door open.
Jack is sitting on the ground, his back to me, the radio on the ground by the door.
"Can you turn the music down?" I call.
He doesn't answer me.
"Hey!" I shout.
He either can't hear me or doesn't care enough to say anything.
"Jack!"
Still, no reply.
I sigh, and reach down, unplugging the radio from the wall. Jack turns around, getting to his feet, scowling at me. I am suddenly aware of how small I am compared to his height.
"Your music is obnoxious and too loud." I snap, "Please turn the volume down."
"Why?" He asks, his voice like a drawl.
"Because it's loud and obnoxious." I glare.
"So?"
"So it's annoying!"
"And?"
"Can you speak in anything other than conjunctions?" I explode, throwing my hands in the air.
"You tell me, sweetheart." Jack smirks at me, and my face goes red.
I have never known such disrespect. I have never known this feeling of hatred. My hands curl into fists, and I take a deep breath, speaking in a calm, collected voice, like Mama.
"You are speaking to me in a very rude and disrespectful manner. All I ask is that your turn down your music, please." I say.
"You don't like it?" Jack asks, pretending to be hurt.
"Not particularly."
"Hey, listen to the meaning, before you judge the screaming."
"Think of others first, before you do your worst."
"Nice." He grins at me, "But I don't think that'll cut it."
"Then what will?" I demand.
"Taking a flying leap might work. "
"Ugh!" I stamp my foot and Jack starts to laugh at me. "How can you be so rude? And, anyways, if I actually did jump, you would go to prison for telling me to commit suicide!"
"Please, I'm used to juvie." He rolls his eyes, "In fact, I would rather be there than here!" Jack pulls a cigarette and lighter of out his pocket.
Smoking? In my house? Under Papa's roof? How dare he!
"You are not going to smoke in here!" I hiss, "Give those to me!"
He laughs.
"I'm in charge while Mama and Papa are gone, so give them here!"
Jack lights the cigarette, puts it in his mouth, and inhales, blowing out a puff of smoke in my face.
"How dare you!" I scream. He uses his finger to flick the ashes onto the carpet.
"Oh, little girl," Jack laughs again, pushing me out of the room, "I dare do all things."
The door closes in my face. I stand there for a moment, and then kick the door as hard as I can. The music starts up again. It's louder this time.
I stomp back to my room, slam the door, and throw myself on my bed. I bury my face in my feather pillow and scream like banshee.
Anna rushes over to me and gets under the blankets next to me, using another of my pillows to cover her ears.
I have never wanted anyone to die before, but now, I wouldn't care if Jack takes a flying leap. That sounds cruel, and I don't like feeling cruel, but...
This... This boy had better not turn me bitter.
No. He won't. I won't let him.
Because I'm not going to play his game.