Most parents tell their kids not talk to strangers and never, under any circumstance, get into a car with them. Well, I'm pretty much breaking both in less then ten minutes since talking to Jason and then following him to his car. Upon stopping in front of a gleaming silver Porsche, my jaw drops slightly. There is no way he could own this? It's such a small town where you wouldn't expect people to have fancy cars.
"This is your car?" He smirks and slides into the drivers seat.
"You like cars?" He turns the key in the ignition. The purr of the engine is almost like music. It's so calm and is making it easier to relax into he plush, leather seats.
"It's nice." I then remember that I'm supposed to be making things as difficult as possible. "But I've seen better." His proud smiles falls slightly, but turns his attention ahead of him and begins driving somewhere.
He doesn't even try to start a conversation so the only noise is the quiet music coming from the stereo. I don't mind the quiet as I stare out the window, taking in my surroundings. You know what I have noticed? There are a lot of trees. I'm not much of an outdoorsy person so this might make living here just a little worse considering I'm used to lots of buildings, beaches, concrete and the large number of people.
Seeing Jason turn onto a side road that's street sign had been worn from years of the weather. I finally turn to look at him.
"Where are we?" A smile graces his lips once again, but he doesn't answer. "Well?" I push, wanting an answer out if him.
"If I told you it wouldn't be a surprise." He states smugly and I narrow my eyes in suspicion.
"You're not going to kill me like some crazy murderer are you?" He bursts out laughing and almost loses control of the car, but I grab the steering wheel to keep us on the road. Once he's recovered enough, he swats my hand away to take full control back of the car.
"You're funny. Did anybody ever tell to that?" I frown thinking about my best friends back in California. We'd always joked around with each other all the time and I'm getting off track.
"It wasn't supposed to be funny. I was being completely serious." He chuckles and I punch him in the arm as hard as I can. Serves him right.
"Ow! What was that for?" He runs the spot I hit him and playfully glares at me. At least, I don't think he means it.
"For not taking to seriously. I don't even know you so it's a legitimate question."
"So, lets get to know each other then. I'll start. I am not some crazy ass serial killed." I smile behind my hand in attempt to hide it, but he notices it right away.
"Ah ha! She does smile!" The atmosphere in the car has instantly changes into a much happier one since I first got in. "Your turn. Tell me something about yourself that no one else knows."
"Well... I absolutely love to run." He raises an eyebrow.
"Don't girls usually hate running or any physical exercise?" I raise my hand to hit him again and he flinches before I even touch him. I laugh before covering it up with a small cough cough.
"Don't be sexist." He raises both hands in surrender and I freak out that he took both hands off the wheel.
"Hands on the wheel!" I yell and be complies, returning the vehicle back to the right side of the road.
"I wasn't being sexist, but I have been living with Lorelei since I was little and the girl wouldn't know the meaning of hard work if it hit he in the face." I laugh again, not even bothering to hide it this time. Jason beams and turns onto another road.
"Here I thought I might get along with her." I joke, thinking how awful it'll be to share a house with a total priss. My dad and I used to run almost every morning unless he couldn't. We started to do this once mom left to relieve some frustration or stress we might have had.
"Really?" He asks, sounding surprised.
"No." He shakes his head with a laugh. "Are we almost there yet?
"Your so impatient, almost worse then a little kid, but yes were here." I look out the window in time to see a sign.
"You're taking me paint balling?" Though I try not to, I smile.
"It's the best sort of entertainment for the guys and I around here, not including the movies or the mall."
"What made you think I'd like it?" He shrugs, pulling into a parking space close to the front.
"I kinda guessed. You stuck me as someone who would like that." He shuts off the engine and turns to face me. "We're early for the two thirty game. Wanna continue our game of twenty questions?" I nod. "Okay, what's you favorite type of movie?"
"Easy. Action. What's your favorite color?"
"Green."
"Me too! You are officially my new favorite person." He rolls his eyes at me.
We spend the next fifteen minutes just asking each other questions and I figure out pretty quickly that we have some things in common. We both like to run, the color green, action movies, and chocolate. He plays soccer for the school team and when I asked if he would get in trouble with his coach since he didn't go to school today, but he told me not to worry about it.
When it was two twenty, we head inside with the rest of the people arriving to suit up.
Jason greets the guy at the door and continues inside without stopping to pay. He gets me a pair of goggles, a pain ball gun, extra paint balls, and a vest to help with the sting when I get shot at. Yay for the last one.
"I feel really stupid right now." I mutter, adjusting the strap on the vest before sliding the goggles onto my face. I slip the extra rounds into the vest pocket and pick up my gun. My hair gets stuck behind the goggle strap, but at least it'll stay put of my face that way.
"You look fine." Jason rolls his eyes and picks out his own stuff, excluding the vest.
"How come you aren't wearing a vest?"
"Because I don't want one." He states like its the most obvious thing in the world.
"Okay mister macho man." I drag the first word out and start to follow the arrows painted on the floor without waiting for Jason.
"So are you ready to play?" He asks, bounding ahead of me to turn around and walk backwards so he can face me. It would be really funny right now if he tripped and fell over something.
"Is there anything I should know before we start?" He gets a serious look in his eyes.
"Shoot at others that aren't on your team, no head shots, and don't get hit." Gee, thanks.
"I couldn't have guessed the last one." I mutter sarcastically, pushing past him to be in front of him.
"Sarcasm isn't an attractive trait Tala." I roll my eyes and step through a set of doors leading to the area. Upon seeing guys, and I mean that they're all guys, almost killing each other with paint balls, I send a silent prayer to god. If I don't make it through this, please kill Jason for me. "You're not chickening out are you." He teases and I glare at him.
"Now way! Lets go." I hide my absolute terror behind a mask if determination and he buys it. Guess my acting, or as my dad calls it, lying is still believable.
"That's my girl! Now come on, the games about to start." He sprints off in a random direction. I follow at his heels, easily keeping up with him. It's another few seconds before I realize what he said.
"I am not your girl!" I hear his laugh from ahead and people look at me in question as I run by. He is so the first person I'm shooting.
Five minutes later, I'm crouched behind a wood wall trying not to be hit by anymore of the balls of death. I got hit in the arm and almost screamed bloody murder, but I bit my tongue to make sure I didn't. That's how I ended up where I am now.
I'm on the blue team and I'm supposed to find the blue flag somewhere here in the mess of guys, structures, and mud. Why me? Well, Jason blabbed his big mouth and said I'm a good runner so now my team wants me to be the one to get the flag. Fat chance of that happening. I'm good here. Just because I can run doesn't mean I'll be doing it in the direction they want.
A paint ball splatters right next to my head and as if on instinct, I shoot the guy who aimed for me. Blue paint splatters against his chest and he loses his balance for a few seconds. Before he can recover, I jump from my spot and hop over a carefully placed log. My shoes sink slightly in the mud, but I don't fall. I turn around for another few shots at him before taking off.
Adrenalin kicks in and soon I'm shooting every person on the red team I see. I haven't missed a shot yet and sweat is starting to drip down the side of my face. I wipe it away with my hand, probably smearing mud all over because I dove behind a small hut to avoid being hit again. That's pretty much my main goal here: Not to get hit again.
I round a corner, gun raised, and almost shooting Jason. Darn, I wish I would have.
"Whoa! I'm on your side! Thank god for that because you're shooting is amazing!" I lower my weapon slightly to smile at him.
"Thanks. Never even shot a gun before." I brag and he gapes at me. I see something move from over his shoulder and shoot it without a second thought. The paint ball goes directly over his shoulder and Jason stiffens in surprise.
"Son of a-" The guy I just hit says before another cuts him off rather loudly.
"Language!" Laughing, I rest my gun over my shoulder and look back at my friend.
"This is fun." Jason still hasn't closed his mouth and I roll my eyes. "If all you're going to do is stand there then I'm gonna leave you to go get the flag. I saw it from over there." I point to a platform elevated towards the center of the playing area. Yea, after I said I didn't want to get hit, I climbed up there to get a better view of the playing field. Still, I shot people and avoided all of their shots.
He finally snaps out of it and smiles slightly.
"I'll cover you. Lead the way my lady." What the hell? Oh whatever.
I stay low and move in the direction of a tree house almost on the outer edge of the field. The flag is hanging from on railing and hanging down the side on a rope. The only way to get it is to climb the ladder consisting of planks of wood attached to a tree. Either way, I'm going up and I saw at least two people up top guarding it.
Realizing Jason will get anyone aiming for me, I just run, focusing on getting the flag. I get to the tree and toss Jason my gun. His eyes widen in alarm.
"What are you doing?" He hisses, trying to give my gun back, but I shake my head and begin to climb. "Tala!"
I ignore him and peek through the gap in the flooring to duck a second later as a shot is fired at my head.
"No head shots!" I yell, motioning for Jason to toss me my gun. He does and I wait for the right moment to shoot.
"Where else am I supposed to sh-" I pop back up and shoot him and his comrad a few times each. They groan and I scramble through the hole and to the rail. I reach down and unhook the hanging flag quickly. My team mates let out a cry of victory all at once and I join them, hoisting the flag over my head. I laugh, happy and amazed that I won the game for my side. I toss the fabric to the guys I just shot, who are looking a little angry, and make my way back to the ground.
"That was amazing and to think you never did this before." I shake my head proudly and smile wide. "So are you ready for round two."
I reload my gun with ammo and smirk.
"Bring it on."
"That was the most fun I've had in a long time." I grab Jason and squeeze him in a tight hug.
"Glad I could help." He smiles down at me as I pull away. "And hopefully you won't have too many bruises tomorrow."
"Hopefully, but I wasn't shot all that much."
"I know. You were like an assassin in there." I laugh and open the passenger side door to slip back into his car. "And even though you didn't get hit with paint, you're certainly muddy enough." I scoff.
"And who's fault is that? You threw me into a pit of mud! I didn't even know it was there!" He cracks up at the memory and I shove him out of the car since he didn't close how door yet. He hits the pavement with a small thud.
"Do you feel better? You already shot me for it, even though I was on your team." He asks, brushing off his clothes and then hops back inside, starting the drive back to the place I don't want to go back to.
"A little, but you owe me a new pair of shoes." I bargain and he purses his lips.
"Fine, but then you have to give living here a chance." I shake my head immediately.
"Not happening."
"Why not?" He sounds like he's getting frustrated, but I avoid looking at him. I keep my eyes focused out the window.
"I had fun today, but its not you who I'm against here. I had to sneak out of the house and then walk to the mall just to get away from my mother. I had to freaking jump off the roof too."
"You what?!" He screams and I jump. Deciding to ignore his outburst, I continue. "I can't just accept my new life when I never wanted to be here in the first place."
"I get that, but in the long run you're going to suffer because of your lack of effort." I finally look at him, a little startled.
"I never took you as a deep person." He chuckles.
"Everyone has their moments." I'll say.
We sit the rest of the car ride in silence. I can't bring myself to say anything because, as much as I hate to admit it, he's right. And it absolutely kills me to even think it, but that doesn't mean I'll cooperate.
He pulls into the driveway and I cringe slightly to see my mom waiting outside. This will be good.
"Where have you been?! I knocked on your door and you never answered so I unlocked your door and-" Anger surges through me.
"You unlocked my door?! What's the point of having a lock if you can just open my door whenever you feel like it?!" She shrinks back slightly and I know I got her there. "I might as well just put a sign saying to come on in anytime you want to." I throw my hands into the air and some mud flies onto her shirt.
"You snuck out! What did you expect me to do and why are you covered in mud?" She gains her confidence back after looking over my body. I'll admit, I need a shower... Really bad.
"This idiot threw me in some mud and as to where I was, it's none of your damn business." I push past her and up the stairs to go to my room. Asher, as I have now decided to call my mom's new hubby, has just stepped out of his room. I glare at him as I walk by and just when I think I'm in the clear, I see Barron sitting on my bed... In my room... Looking a little pissed off. Great.
"Where were you?" He asks, sounding calm, but I know that's how he is when he's mad. It's like the calm before the storm. Eventually he'll let it all out.
"You're not my mother. I don't answer to you." I retort, grabbing some clean clothes from my closet. When I come back out, he's standing up with his arms crossed. Curse our height difference. It makes him much more intimidating.
"I'm not, but you don't listen to her either! You don't know how dangerous it is around here." He all but yells.
"What? Is someone gonna kill me? Well Jason's already "kidnapped" me so that's out of the way. You have nothing to worry about."I put air quotes around kidnapped because I went willingly. His nose flares at that and his eyes darken slightly in anger, but come on, I didn't think he'd take it seriously. What happened to my bro who I used to joke around with all the time? I guess he dies along with my parent's marriage.
"He WHAT?!"
"Relax. I chose to go with him. You've obviously forgotten how to take a joke." I roll my eyes and move to go to the bathroom.
"What are to going? We're not done here." I turn to face him with a challenging glare.
"To take a shower. Does his highness have any objections?" I mock him by asking in a British accent. This seems to make him realize he's overstepped the boundaries. He can't order me around and tell me what to do.
He takes a deep breath, closing his eyes and running his face with both hands.
"I'm sorry. I was just worried and Jason can be unpredictable." He mutters, glaring at my wall.
"Sure you were, but Jason was really nice. He didn't pry or try to make me like it here. Now can I go take a shower?" I ask impatiently and he nods. Just to make fun of him some more, I curtsey before running into the bathroom to rid myself of all this mud.
I'm not exactly sure if I was imagining it, but I think I heard my brother growl before I shut the door.
No, that's crazy. I must be tired from all the paintball. Only animals can growl like that.
Shaking my head, I shuck off of my ruined clothes, throw them into the trash can next to the sink and hop into the now hot shower.