Jessie Chpts 1& 2

I looked out the window at the trees wizzing by and rolled my eyes. Dad was on the way to one of his hippie friends houses, and of course since they had a kid about my age, I'd been made to come along. I just knew it was gonna be another one those prissy girls with the long blonde hair and pink polo shirts. I shook my head and sighed again as we pulled up to the house. I swear sometimes the man forgot he had another kid and could drag his son along to the next place. I got out and checked my hair in the window for all the good it would do, these people always looked at me like some kinda princess. I was a lot of things, but a princess was just not one

I looked up at the place and sighed,

"Great, I get to spend the afternoon whacking bugs off me while some stupid blonde girl tries to kill me pretty pink lip gloss."

"For once, can you behave and just be nice," Dad ran a hand through his short hair and pulled me up to the door, "Jessie's an alright kid, you might get along with him, you never know."

"Him?" I glanced up at Dad with a groan, "Even better, I get to listen to some guy tell me how if I acted like the pretty pink princesses I'd be prettier."

Dad just rolled his eyes as a woman with jeans and scruffy hair answered the door and smiled at Dad,

"It's 'bout time y'all got here. This must be your little girl. Well ain't she just a doll."

I looked over at Dad with an I told you so look as we made our way past her to the living room, and was suprized to find that this one didn't have little bugs all over the place. She looked over to the hall way calling out for the nightmare son I'd be stuck entertaining all day,

"Jessie, get out here boy, Taylor and Violet are here."

"What the fuck? I'm busy, " A guy in a worn black wife beater and ripped up jeans came out of the hall, pushing his messy long out of his face, "I ain't got time to be followed around by some wanna princess bitch all day."

My eyes went wide, I might not be much a girl, but even I'd never heard anybody talk like that. I looked over him and stiffled a groan. Nope, from the looks of this one I'd spend the day rolling around in grease pit or something. I think I'd perfer the blonde who kept attacking me with make up. My eyes went a little wider as his gaze raked over me. Holy smokes, Nobody'd ever looked at me like that before, they'd looked at all my friends like that, but never me. I was the tomboy who didn't wear make up, and hated pink. I shoved my hands in my pockets to keep from fiddling with them. The last thing I needed to do was show this guy a case of nerves was hitting me like a mak truck.

"Well, what the fuck you waitting for, girl, an invitation? Get your ass in here. I ain't got all day," The guy nodded his head toward a room near the back.

"You sure you guys don't need me in here?" I looked at Dad for a save from this hoolagin and watched him shake his head no.

"Nice try, Cinderella," He rolled his eyes, "Let's just get this over with. I ain't no happier than you are to be here. At least you ain't babysittin' all day."
I gave in and followed him to the second room to the left in the dirty looking hall way. My eyes went wide when I saw the inside of the room he led me to, I didn't do drugs, but I knew what they looked like. This guy had a bag of pot laying on the top of the table by his bed. He looked at me and smirked,

"What's the matter, kid? You see a bug? Get in here and close the damn door, Cinderella."

"My name is not Cinderella, jackwad," I closed the door, looking for a clean place to sit, "And I am not a princess."

"Jackwad?" He rolled his eyes and lit a cigarette," What are you fuckin' twelve? Is that purple nail polish?"

"Bite me," I pushed some fowl smelling clothes off the bed and sat down, "And not talking like some kind of filthy muck mouth does not make me twelve."

"The fuck it don't," He knelt next to the table, shoving the pot into a bag and sticking it in a drawer before he glanced up at me, "What you doin' on my bed? Maybe you ain't such a princess after all."

I tucked the loose strands of hair behind my ear and scrambled off the bed,

"If I was gonna do something, it wouldn't be with some dirty mouthed street rat like you."

"Yeah, what the fuck ever you say," He kicked back on the bed and shook his head, knocking some ashes into a can by the bed, pulling out a bottle of whiskey,"You want some?"

"No," I leaned against the wall, picking at my nails, "Daddy would kill me, and all my friends say it's nasty."

"You do everything your fuckin' daddy says?" He pulled a two liter of coke and glass off the table the pot had been on, "You ever try it?"

"No, I never really wanted to," I shifted a little against the wall.

"Now I know you're fucking lyin',"He poured some whiskey into the glass with some coke and held it out, "Everybody's at least fuckin' curious. Just try it."

I looked at the glass and then back at Jessie with a grimace. He rolled his eyes and pushed his hair back out of his face,

"If you try it, I'll leave you fuck alone about it."

"I don't know," I inched closer to the wall, "If Daddy caught me..."
"I got another two liter in the closet," He pointed to the the mass of clothes falling out of the door across the room, "Your precious Daddy will never have to know."

I reluctantly took the glass and looked at him again,

"What's it taste like?"
"Like Jack and Coke. Just down it all at once," He looked over at me nearly pasted to the wall, "And you can sit the fuck down. I ain't gonna rape your pretty pink ass."
"From the look of this place, you'd have to clean off someplace to do it first anyway," I eased toward the bed and sat down, looking over at him.

"It ain't gonna disappear, kid," He pointed to the glass in my hand, "Drink the damn thing already."

I held my breath and downed the drink in one swallow, coughing as I handed the glass back to him,
"God, you drink that for fun. That must be the stuff they serve in hell."

"I don't think they been good enough to get this stuff," He laughed at the look on my face and turned the bottle up, taking a big drink, "What do you do besides paint your nails, Cinderella?"

"I don't know," I shrugged and wiggled my fingers at the sudden warmth running through me, "What is there to do around here?"
He grinned, taking another drink from the bottle and sticking it under the bed,

"I got just the thing for ya, princess. Let's get outta here."

"Where are we going?" I hopped off the bed, following him out the door fiddling with my necklace nervously.

He looked over at Dad and his mom as we passed through the living room,

"We're going up to the hill, if he ain't here when we get back I'll take her home."

He pulled me out the door to the a rusty looking red truck, and suddenly we were off. I looked around the truck as the trees buzzed past us outside,

"Where are you taking me?"
"I got a little suprize just up a ways up. Hope you left your high heels at home," He glanced over at me with a smirk.

"I don't wear high heel for your information," I rolled my eyes, "And that doesn't answer my question."

He pulled onto a dirt road, and grinned over the wheel at the trees getting closer and closer together. I looked around and inched closer to the door. It wasn't the woods that were making me nervous, it was the weird grin on Jessie's face after he had me in them. We drove for another two hours before he pulled over into a cluster of oak trees, and hopped out with a grin,

"Let's go, Cinderella. We got another half mile to go. Can't get the truck up the rest of the way."

I climbed out and slid my feet to the ground, glancing around for the first time. The forest stretched out for what looked like miles around us and the knot in my stomach was getting a little tighter. I wasn't crazy about the idea of being in a thick forest with a guy who looked like the singer from the band my science teacher used to play all the time. I could never remember his name, Jim something. Nevermind the fact that he kept drugs and alcohol by the side of his bed, I swallowed past the lump in my throat and followed him through the zig zags of trees with ease. I stayed in the woods behind my grandma's house enough to know to watch out for the roots that were sticking up out of the ground. We were about half way up when he looked behind me as I ducked under a long limb,

"You ain't bitchin' yet? I figured I'd end up having to drag your ass after the first five minutes."

"My grandma's got some woods behind her house I stay in to keep away from my Aunt Francisis," I shrugged, "She keeps trying to turn me into her version of a girl."

"Sounds like you ain't like the other prissy bitches my mom sticks me with," He pulled his shirt up to wipe the sweat off his forehead, "They woulda kicked a damn fit when they seen the forest."

"I hate those girls," I hopped over a big root and shook my head, "The last one I got stuck with kept chasing me around with lip gloss saying it was too pretty not to put on."

I never thought I'd see it, but he actually laughed as we neared the top of the hill,

"I hate prissy bitches. They're more trouble than they're fucking worth."

"Can't argue with that," I grabbed a tree limb to pull myself up to the top of the hill, and stopped cold when I looked over it, "Where are we?"

The trees cleared at the top the hill, and there was a creek running through the middle of the grassy meadow with rocks big enough to be couches all through it. I thought he was taking me to some kind of greasy pit with trucks and broken down vans rotting all over the place, but it wasn't. It was a clearing with some kind of old shack in towards the end of it.

"It's a place me and my buddies found," He ran down the hill at top speed, as I hurried down after him, "Where the hell'd you think I was takin' ya? To make ya a drug mule?"

"No," I rolled my eyes, "Grease pit full of broken crap maybe, but not a drug mill."

He headed into the shack at the end of the clearing and came out with a cooler, sticking it on one of the giant rocks in the middle of the creek. I popped the top of the cooler off and looked at the bottles like the aliens they were to me,

"What is that?"

He looked at me with a raised brow,

"Now, Liquor I can see you never trying, but you tellin' me you never had a fuckin' beer?"

I looked down at the brown bottles, and shrugged, sitting next to the cooler,

"No, Why?"

He popped the top of one of the bottles and handed it to me,

"Day of firsts for you ain't it? Give it a try. Ya never know, ya might like it."

I took a tiny sip, expecting the worst and pulled it back to look at it, then took another sip,

"That's not bad, actually."

He looked at me like I'd just sprouted another head, and took a big drink of his own,

"You actually fuckin' like it? Well I'll be damned, miracles do happen."

I tried for a drink like he'd took, and swallowed trying not to gag as he watched with a laugh,

"Easy, kid. I take ya back drunk, and ya dad'll have my ass."
"I'm not a kid, You're only a year older than me from Daddy told me,"I leaned back on the rock, taking another sip.

"You're seventeen and ain't ever had a beer?" He shook his head, "What do they do? Keep you under a damn rock?"

"I make my own decisions thank you," I rolled my eyes, "I just didn't want it."
"But what if your Daddy found out?" He mocked sobbing, "He might not think you were his little angel anymore."

I scowled, shooting him a dirty look,

"Geez, you're a buttwad. I could've done it if I wanted to. I just didn't think I'd like it."
"Asshole, kid," He tossed his empty bottle back in the cooler and grabbed another one, "I'm an asshole. Ya talk like you're fuckin' ten."

"I do not!" I tossed the empty bottle at him and got another one out of the cooler, "I just don't talk like some muddle brained mud mouth that doesn't know english."

He grinned and downed the second bottle with a smirk,

"Chug it. You'll feel it faster."

"I don't know," I glanced up at him and then back down at the bottle in my hand.

"You'll never know if you don't try, Cinderella," He grabbed another one and grinned kind of lop sided.

I was really beginning to hate that word. I was not a princess. So I turned to bottle up downed it, and then grinned at him like an idiot,

"Cinderella that, Jessie."

He grinned at me and lit a cigarette,

"Not bad, kid. Not half bad."

"That's right," I grinned and reach for another one, laying back with a laugh, "I can be just as bad as you can.""Yeah right," He knocked some ashes into the creek, "You're a long fucking way from that, kid." He knocked a cigarette out of the pack and held it out, "Wanna try one?"
I grimanced and shook my head,

"I don't think so."

He laughed and layed back on the rock,

"Bad as me my ass. You ain't ever gonna hit my level, kid. You're too scared to try anything fucking new."

I pushed myself up with shaky arms, and grabbed the cigarette,

"If you can do it, so can I. I'm not scared. How do I do it?"
"Come here," He crooked a finger,"Lemme light it for ya."

I leaned down over him with a laugh,

"Like this?"

"That's right," He stuck to tip of his cigarette against mine, trying not to laugh, "Puff or it's just gonna burn."

I puffed the cigarette and coughed. He jumped when it hit him, yanking his shirt off when it burned through, laughing,

"Damn, kid, you're supposed to burn it not me."

I laughed and looked him over,

"Sorry."

He picked it up, and handed it back to me,

"Let's try this again now that I ain't gonna become a damn ashtray. Just puff on it. It ain't gonna kill you."

I took another couple of puffs and coughed again,

"How do you do this? It doesn't taste good, It's kinda nasty."

"You just gotta get used to it," He reach over and picked up the clip that had fallen out of my hair, "You lost this," he looked over at me and tossed it in the cooler, "But you don't need it. Looks better without it."

"You think so?" I ran my fingers through my hair and laughed, "But it's all in my face now."
He grinned and leaned over me, pushing my hair out of my face,

"There, that better? You ain't got no hair in your face now."

"Not half bad. Ashtray and a hairclip. You're pretty useful after all," I laughed.
"More useful than you know," He sat up and finished the bottle in his hand, "I better get ya home before you're dad thinks I left the damn country with ya."

"No, Let's stay a little longer," I laughed and leaned against the cooler, "It's pretty here."

He looked at me and laughed,

"I think the beer's goin' to your head, kid. You're dad's gonna have a shit fit if you're late."

"I don't live with my dad," I shook my head and tried the cigarette again and managed not to cough this time, "I live with my mom. My dad just gets me on the weekends. I can just call and tell her I'm out with my friends."
"You don't think she'll have a damn fit, you bein' out with some rough hoolagin like me?" He flicked the cigarette into the creek, and glanced over at me.

I blushed, and it wasn't just the beer,

"Sorry about that. I guess I was wrong. If this is being a hoolagin, I could get used to it."

He grinned and shook his head,

"You feelin' alright, kid? You're talkin' kinda crazy."

"I am not. I just don't wanna go home yet," I layed back on the rock and sighed, "Mama isn't always the nicest. It's kinda nice to just chill for a while."

He looked at me and nodded, grabbing another beer and sitting back down,

"My dad ain't either. He's a mean son of bitch. He works me like a dog when I see him. I don't go down there if I ain't got to."

"I wish I could stay away from her, but she got me when dad left," I sighed and grabbed another beer from the cooler, "Sounds like we oughta lock my mom and your dad in a room and see what happens."

"Maybe they'd fuckin' kill each other," He laughed and tossed the empty bottle away, "You hungry? I'm fuckin' starvin'."

"Me too," I shook my head.

He grinned when I stumbled my way up the hill, and picked me up,

"I knew I was gonna have to carry your ass at some point."

The next thing I knew, we were in the truck, whizzing down the road past the building down the highway before he pulled into a drive thru at Krystal. I rubbed my eyes, and looked over at him,

"How long was I asleep?"
"You passed out on me half way up the hill, and I buckled ya in let you sleep it off," He rolled his window down as we hit the speaker, "You still hungry, kid?"

"Yeah, I'm starving," I stretched a little, looking over at him with a yawn, "Thanks."

"No problem," He ordered a sackful of Krystals and pulled to the window, "You're a damn light weight, but you ain't bad, Kid."

He paid the girl at the window, who looked at Jessie like he was some kind of god, and I didn't deserve to be on the same planet with him. He glanced over at me and then back at the blonde at the window, and pulled me closer, wrapping an arm around me. He grinned as she glanced out from the bagging area and whispered something to her friend at the counter. He grabbed me with a smirk at the girl and pulled his lips to mine. I didn't see it coming, and considering my mom kept me firmly in my room on Friday nights, I had no idea what to do. He pulled back with a grin and whispered,

"Don't think so hard. Just go with it."

I looked him over, swallowing past my heart beating in my throat, and leaned back against the seat as the girl came back to the window, and cleared her throat. He took the bag and sat it back in the floor with a glance in my direction. He turned back onto the road and flipped on the radio,

"Which way, Kid?"

"Off Rupurt Street," I figgeted with my necklace, "Just up that road."

He turned the other way and parked under the woods down the street, setting the Krystal bag on the seat. I looked over at him and sighed, settling back against the seat, and then I did something that surprized even me. I put my food aside looked over at him for the first time, not at the guy with the pot and whiskey by his bed, but guy who'd carried me up the hill when I'd had a few too many beers, who'd bought me dinner to get the beer out of my stomach so Mom wouldn't find out, and took the drink out of his hand.

"What the hell you doing, kid?" He looked at me, "I thought you were hungry."

"I just wanna try something," My hands were shaking as I pulled his lips to mine, running my hands through his hair.

He pulled me closer and laughed,

"You crazy, Kid? I ain't the kinda guy you want. I ain't nothing but trouble or maybe you just lost your mind in that field."

"Either way, it don't matter, right?" I grinned up at him.

"That's damn right," He laughed and pushed a couple of Krystals at me when I sat back down, "You're crazy, Kid."

I polished off a few Krystals and we headed toward my house. I looked at the dark windows and shook my head,

"She's gonna kill me if I wake her up."

Jessie hopped out of the car, and told me to follow him with a low whisper,

"Which room is yours?"
I moved around to the back of the house with a shrug,

"This one, why?"
"I got a way to get you in, and she never has to know you were late," He pulled a pocket knife out and headed toward the window.

"Um, I think she might notice if you cut a whole in the wall," I looked a little confused.

"I keep forgettin' you're a damn rookie," He pulled the screen out of the window and stuck the knife under the windows edge,"You never had to sneak in before have you?"

I watched as he popped the window open and grinned,

"How did you do that?"
"Don't worry about that tonight," He shook his head and gave me a boost in through the window, "Just get some sleep. I can show you later."

"So I'll see you later?" I leaned out the window with a glance around.

"Ain't getting rid of my ass that easy, Kid," He laughed, "I'll see you around."

I sat on the side of the bed and listened to him head around the house to the truck, and take off down the street. I pulled off my jeans and tank, slipping into some pjs with a laugh as I looked at the clock. It was three fifteen in the morning, and I had just snuck in through a window with the help of guy who'd gave me beer and helped me smoke a cigarette. I laid back into bed, watching the ceiling spin just a little as I drifted off with a grin.

I woke to my alarm clock going off what seemed like minutes after I'd fell asleep, and slapped the button to turn it off. I rubbed my eyes, getting out of bed and taking a quick shower. I riffled through the closet, and pulled out some jeans and a white tank top out and pulled them on, pulling my hair back out of my face, and running out the door to catch my bus.

I was sitting in Biology when I glanced up out of my notebook to see a familiar face in the back window outside, and looked down to see my phone vibrating in my lap. I hit the button and stiffled a laugh. He wanted me to sneak out of class. I'd never done it before,but I was willing to give it a try. I raised my hand, and clenched my stomach with the other one,

"Mr. Harrison, I need to go the bathroom."
He took one look at the fake misery on my face and waved me on. I grabbed my backpack and faked a very nausous walk out the door, and hit the call back button as I hit the hall way, whispering into the phone,

"What are you doing?"
"Getting you the fuck outta here. C'mon I'm right out the side door. Parked right outside," He laughed on the other end of the line, "Just sneak out the door, I can see you through the window."
I looked up and saw him on the stairs with a grin on his face,

"I'm coming. I'll be right there."

I glanced around and headed toward the doors at the end of the hall, trying to be calm. I'd never snuck out of school before, I'd never snuck out of anywhere before. I slipped the door open and looked at him with a grin as the door closed behind me,

"Where we going?"

He grinned over at me, and lead me toward a motorcycle by the side of the building. I looked at the bike with wide eyes, and glanced around,

"Where's the truck?"

"At the house," He looked at me with a smirk, "You ain't going all Cinderella on me ,are you, Kid?"

"No," I looked the dirty chrome of the bike over, and then back at Jessie, "How do I..."
"Just slide on behind me," He got on the bike with a smirk,"And I can get ya settled," He slid his hand down my leg and slid my feet where they were supposed to go, "Just hold on tight."

I found out as the world went by around us that it was hard not to hold on to him going seventy down the highway. He grinned when I slid my arms around him as we took a corner at sixty. If you'd told me a week before, I'd be sneaking out of school for somebody like Jessie, I'd have showed you to nearest asylum, but there I was pressed against him on a motorcycle going near seventy miles an hour up a country road, as I watched the world whiz past us as the time passed. I don't know how long we were on the road, it seemed like only a moment had passed when he pulled to a stop, and I have to admit I was little disappointed the ride was over, until I saw what we'd pulled up in front of. I looked around him at him,
"Where are we?"

I looked around and it was what looked like a big wall of bushes and ivy. It smelled musty and dank from the morning rain, and I looked at Jessie like he'd lost his mind when he slid off the bike and headed toward the big wall looking trees,

"What are you doing?"

"Check it out, Kid," He pulled some of the branched apart with a grin, "It's an old cabin we found one night when we needed some place to party."
I looked between the branches and laughed. There was a cabin, it looked like it hadn't been used in years. The windows were dirty and I realized with a grimace, that the musty smell I kept catching was coming from it's direction. He looked at me with a smirk as he headed through the brush and leaves,

"You comin', Cinderella?"
"I'm not a damn princess," I scowled and followed him as he grinned at me.

"I'll have to remember that you ain't no damn princess," He laughed and headed toward the door of the cabin.

I looked around at the dirty wooden sides of the place, and the musty smelling brownish windows as we headed to the door. I couldn't believe anything that wasn't dead would live in a place like that. I knew it couldn't be a good idea even as I headed in after he jimmied the door open. I looked around and was half right. The window were so dirty that it was almost dark inside, and the old furniture was as rusty as the hinges on the door. I looked around a little more when he clicked on an old kerosene lamp and led me toward the back of the place, past a couple of broken windows and battered looking door frames and more broken furniture. I saw a light near the back and fought not to get ahead of him and run towards it. It was coming into view as he suddenly stopped and looked at me,

"You know, I ain't ever brought nobody but my boys up here. It's kinda like an escape when everybody and everything pisses me off."

"So why'd you bring me?", I pushed the hair out of my face that fallen on the ride here, "If it's a secret?"

"You ain't like most people," He looked in the doorway and sighed,"And I kinda figured you could keep your mouth shut about it. Right?"

"Yeah, of course," My eyes shifted a little at the thought of his showing a place no one else knew about, "I won't tell anybody."
"Good," He headed in the door way toward the growing bright light, and led me in, pointing to a spot in the floor, "There's a hole right there, careful, Kid.'
I sided stepped the hole, and looked around the room. The stuff in here wasn't new by any means, but it was better than the stuff in the other side of the house. There was an old black leather couch with a few rusty springs sticking out in places, a couple of half busted tables, an old black and white tv, and, of course, another old cooler. He slid his jacket off and settled back on the old couch with a grin,

"Well, whatcha think, Kid?"
"It's not bad," I laughed and slid my backpack to the floor by the half broken door frame, "How'd you find this place?"

"My dad was being a real bastard," He lit up a cigarette, and tossed me one, "He'd beat me up pretty bad, and I need somewhere to cool off. I was high tailin' down the road when I saw somethin' through the trees."

I plopped down on the old battered couch beside him,

"My mom hits me sometimes. My friends don't know who does it, but they help me cover it up with make up when she does."

"Two of a fuckin' kind," He pulled a beer out of the cooler and tossed me one, "I woulda thought you're idea of abuse was not gettin' to go to school dance or some shit."

"My life isn't perfect," I popped the top on the beer and took a sip, "Reguardless of what everyone else seems to think. I got problems just like you."

"Maybe you ain't such a kid after all," He looked over at me and shook his head, "You ever need an out, kid, just gimme a call. I know how that shit feels."

"I will," I tucked my legs up under me and looked around the place again, "So what do you do here?"
He looked over at me and grinned for a second,

"Whatever the fuck I want. No body here to tell us what the fuck we gotta do or where we gotta go."

"I've never been there before," I shook my head, "They keep me under lock and key in a bad kinda way."

"I've noticed that," He looked over at me, "Last night in the truck, you've done that before, right? I mean, I'd hate ta think ya got your first kiss at the drive through to piss off some prissy bitch."

"Um..." I shifted in my seat, suddenly not wanting the guy that made my heart beat out of my chest to know I was that sheltered, but apparently I took too long to answer.

"Fuckin' Christ," He looked me over, looking a little shocked, "A girl like you, and you ain't never had a guy want ya like that?"

"Not that," I shuffled my feet under me, my eyes going from the window to Jessie, "I just..."

"Well, I can't have that being the only thing you got to go on, " He crawled over to me on the couch and pulled me against him, pulling my lips to his, burying his hands in my hair.

I nearly melted. I'd never in a million years thought that a guy as cool as Jessie would ever want someone like me. I wrapped my arms around him, and just melted into it. If I was gonna have a kiss with a guy like him, then I wanted the full experience of it. I sighed a little when he pulled away, and looked at me,

"That's what it shoulda been like, Kid. Not some peck on the cheek."

I looked at him and for the first time thought that as bad as I'd always thought I was, I was wrong. He pushed my hair back from my face, and grinned,

"What's the matter, Kid? I know it couldn't a been that good."

I cleared my heart out of my throat and tried to look like I was cool, like it was no big deal, but I was just not that good a liar. Cause he grinned and laughed,

"Or maybe it was, I really do gotta start stealing you away from those bastards more often."

"I could handle getting away," I laughed and sipped my beer again, "This place is pretty cool."

"Come here, " He pulled me off the couch and toward the door that led out back, "I wanna show you something. I been sneaking out here since I was a kid. There's something out here I want you to see."

I stepped out the door behind him and smelled pine trees, there was another little brook bubbling up right before you hit the massive wall of trees, and the smell of tree sap was there like natural perfume covering the air around us. He did one of those high pitched whistles my grandma so famous for, and I watched in amazement as what looked like a wolf or a wild dog came padding out of the trees. Jessie looked back at me, pushing me behind him slowly,

"Don't move, don't say a word. She's familar with me, but she's still wild. Her jaws are like steel, she could still snap us both in half like twigs."

My breathing deepened a little as I watched him go towards her. This couldn't be happening, the guy was stroking the salt and peppered furred muzzle of a wolf. I stood perfectly still, just as he'd said to, until he turned to me with a whisper,

"Come here, very slow, no sudden movements. Just be very calm."

I eased in almost a stony silence toward him. Moving slow enough to make no noise or spook the animal in front of him. I had led a pretty sheltered life, I couldn't even drive, so the last thing I needed was that wolf to snap and try to rip his arm off. I took easy, slow steps, I eased my breathing as I got closer, trying to calm myself before I finally got to them, knowing most animals can sense tension and fear. I got to him, my hands shaking just a bit as he took my hands and pulled me slowly to kneel in front of him, whispering again,

"She'll smell me on you this way. You won't smell like a stranger. You can pet her, just gotta be real easy, and not move too fast," He eased my hand toward her, "Very slow," He glided my fingers over her speckled fur.

I leaned back into him a little and whispered,

"Oh my god, I can't believe this. It's amazing. She's so soft."

He eased us up and back away from her. My breath caught in my throat as I watched her sniff the air and take off back into the forest. He looked down at me,

"You alright, Kid? I think your heart damn near stopped there for a second."

"Yeah," I laughed a little, my breath coming a little shaky, "I can't believe I just did that."

He grinned, sliding an arm around my shoulders and leading me back into toward the house,

"Thought you might like that. You look like might actually need that beer now."

He tossed me one as we got back to the couch and grinned,

"Relax, kid, you ain't ripped to shreds. You got to learn to relax a little and just take things as they go."

"I do," I took a sip of my beer and laughed, "Sometimes. I just like to know what's going to happen."

"What's the damn point of livin' if you're whole life is planned out for ya?" He lit a cigarette and kicked his feet up, "Part of the rush is shit that takes you by surprize. The kick of doing something you never thought you could. Ain't you ever wanted to just cut loose and do somethin' crazy?"

"I've done crazy stuff before," I sighed as he lit another cigarette and handed it to me, "Me and a friend of mine once found a cat and put it in our basement without asking anybody."

"Oh fuck, a cat," He put on a look of faux shock, "That ain't crazy, Kid," He pulled his shirt up over hip for a second, showing a skull tattoo with a grin, "That was a crazy night."

I looked over at it with a laugh,

"Didn't that hurt?"

"I don't really remember," He laughed, "After a bottle and a half of Jack, I say it'd be weird if I did remember that shit. There ain't nothing you ever wanted to do that your parents woulda just killed you for?"
"Well," I leaned back, pushing my hair behind my ear, "I always wanted to get my name tattooed on my shoulder."

He raised a brow and grinned,

"Damn, Cinderella's got a bad side. That's doable. If I could find someone to do it, would you?"

"Only if you go with me," I looked over at him with a laugh.

"Yeah," He took a big drink of his beer, "Like I'm gonna leave ya alone with my buddies. Not tonight, but I got a friend I can call for ya. Meet me tommarow morning at the diner, and we'll figure something out."

"I have school tommarow," I peeled the label off my bottle.

"So do I, but I ain't goin'," He grinned, "Two days ain't gonna ruin it for ya, Kid," He nodded toward the cigarette in my hand, "It's burning down, Vi, don't waste it."

I looked at the cigarette and tried again, and to my surprize didn't cough up a lung this time,

"I think that's the first time you didn't call me kid. These aren't so bad after a while."

He leaned over me with a grin,

"I guess you're movin' up the damn totem pole then. I told you, just gotta get used to em."
"What are you doing, Jes?", I laughed and ashed the cigarette.

"Like you said, I just wanna try something," He crushed his lips against mine and ran his hands down my sides.

I held back a groan, and wrapped my arms around him, letting the feel of his hands on me sink in for a minute before running my hands through his hair. He pulled me closer, pressing his body against mine and running his hands down my hips. The feeling hit me all at once, like some piece of a puzzle I'd never known was there just clicked into place. The warm feeling of his skin as he pulled his shirt over his head and captured my lips with his again was like a wave of the warmest ocean running over me as he kissed his way down my neck. I could almost feel my heart threatening to beat out of my chest when he ran a teasing hand up my leg and nipped my skin with his teeth, and stopped to look down at me. He had this dark look in eyes, like he was getting some kind of prize I didn't know about, but from his reaction I had the same look in mine as pulled away from me with a groan, "I can't do it here. Not like this. Your first time ain't gonna be in some broken down shack in the woods on a rusty old couch."

My breath was ragged as I realized the feeling coming from my stomach wasn't shock, but disappointment as he pulled me to against his chest on the old couch,

"Don't take it the wrong way, Vi, but I just can't do it like this. It ain't right, ya know?"

"I know, Jes," I nodded with my head still on his chest.

"Lemme get ya home before your moms notices," He looked up at me and pulled me up off the couch with a grin, "But did I mention you don't get to walk?"

"The hell I don't, " I kicked my feet as he carried me out to the bike, trying not to laugh.

"You want me to put you down?" He grinned at the loose dirt we were fast approaching near the wall of trees

"No, no no no no," I wound my arms around his neck in refusal to get down, "Jessie, don't you dare."

"I wouldn't do that, Vi," Jessie peeled the tree limbs back and stepped through, "You're gonna be pressed up against me on the ride back. Ain't gonna get the leather dirty," He slid his jacket back on and grinned.

"Right, can't get the goods dirty," I shook my head and grinned right back at him,"It looks like it's about to rain, Jess."

"That just means I gotta drive faster," He slung a leg over the side of the bike and pulled me on with him.

"I thought I had to ride on the back," I looked at the view from the front and laughed, "Isn't gonna be a little hard for you to see with me up here?"

He settled me on the seat and laughed,

"If you weren't four inches shorter than me it might be a problem, but since you are I can make do, Kid."

"Back to being Kid, huh?" I laughed and shook my head.

He grinned and pulled me against him, kissing down my neck till my eyes fluttered shut,

"If we wasn't about to get caught in some piss pour rain, in the middle of backwoods no where, I'd show you just how much you ain't a damn kid," He slid my hands under his on the gas and the clutch taking off down the road with a grin.

Again, the ride that I knew took at least an hour didn't seem to take minutes as I held on to him. He pulled up to the side of the house and turned to look at me with that lop sided grin with the rain falling down around us,

"If I didn't think you're moms would have a shit fit, I'd just take you back to my place."

"I don't don't even think she'd notice to be honest," I sighed and looked at him.

"You don't gotta go in there if you don't want to," He slicked my hair back from my face, "You can go with me if you want, Vi."

I looked over at the house with the rain falling down on it, and my heart hammered in my chest at the thought of getting off this bike and never knowing what could've happened if I went in there and let Jessie drive away without me. I had that fluttering in my stomach as I put my arms back around him,

"I wanna go with you."

He pulled my lips to his with a grin,

"Then we better get home. It ain't far from here."

My heart was racing as he pulled back on to the highway, and I watched the place I'd come to know as a nightmare grow smaller and smaller. I didn't know what would happen, but like Jessie said, what was the point of living if everything was mapped out for us? I wanted to take that crazy turn and see what Jessie's world had to offer, and as the bike went running down the road as the rain fell down on us in sheets, I didn't care. I'd take what he offered, and all the wild things it sent flying through me that I'd never even given a chance before. My heart was almost beating out of my chest and my breath was a shaky mess when he pulled the bike into the drive way and hid it under an old tarp.

I realized as we headed inside that the scent of aftershave and cigarettes was quickly becoming a comfort as he pulled me close to show me in the house. I noticed his mom passed out in one of the chairs as we passed through the living room to the hallway, I'd went through what seemed like an eternity ago, even though it was only a few days. He led me back into the room we'd been in days before, and I didn't look at and see a mess with clothes everywhere and whiskey by the bed. I saw him, scattered about the room in bits and pieces, the clothes had been causally tossed into a pile in the closet and I didn't hesitate this time. He grinned at me and slid his jacket to the floor,

"Come here, Vi," He crooked a finger at me, pulling me into his arms, "Ya came with me. Ya didn't have to and ya did."

"I couldn't stand the thought of going in that house and never knowing what could have happened," I looked up at him with my heart still racing, "You're always telling me to take chances. I guess if finally sunk in."

"No, I saw in ya eyes," He ran his fingers through my hair, "Ya came cause ya wanted to. Ya wanted to stay with me."

I didn't know what to say. My heart was racing faster than ever before as I pulled him close and pressed my lips to his. It finally clicked, this was it. This was what had been missing in all the perfection everyone saw. I didn't know what that warm feeling in my chest was, but I knew what it ment, and the words just kind of spilled out,

"I love you, Jessie."

"I love you too, Vi," His hands were shaking as kissed me and pulled me close into the safety I'd come to know.

I'd found my home. Not the one with walls and floors and ceilings, but the one that made you sigh with comfort at finally being able to fall into it, and know you were alright now. It was the one thing I'd never know in all the shelter my parents had kept me in. It was Jessie. He was what I needed, and I just knew everything would work itself out. What I hadn't seen coming that we were going to have to work too, but not on how we saw each other.

**********************************************************************************************************************

I stretched and glanced at the clock, scrambling out of the bed in a near panic. Tossing clothes around the room looking for mine,

"God, I'm gonna be late."

"Vi, you graduated last night," Jessie yawned with his eyes still closed, "You don't gotta go anywhere. Unless you're in a hurry to get to see your moms."

"I'm definately not looking forward to that," I sighed, crawling back into bed, "I moved out when she was passed out. She's gonna flip again."

"You're eighteen," He pulled me into a kiss and shook his head, "There ain't nothing she can do now."

"I know, it's just...it's my mom you know," I wiggled closer to him, "It's still kind of scary to me."
"If she so much as lays a hand on ya, I'mma pound her," He yawned, pulling me close again with a lopsided grin.

"I know you wouldn't let her hurt me," I couldn't hold back the laugh, "I can just see it."

"I'm goin' with ya, " He ran his fingertips over my side and grinned when I laughed again, "So lay back and stop worrin'. We got two hours before we gots to be there."

"I know," I turned in his arms and leaned in to kiss him just as there was a knock at the door.

"C'mon guys," His mom, Angel came knocking at the door, "Breakfast is gettin' cold."

"Of course it is," He whispered to me, shouting out to her, "We'll be out in a minute."

I heard footsteps heading down the hall, as he crushed my lips against with his with a grin,

"Better get out there or she'll have a fit. She didn't cook before ya moved in."

I shook my head and pulled on my red pajama pants and snoopy tank, pulling my hair up into a messy bun with a yawn,

"How does she get up so early?"

"What chu' talkin' for? You was up at seven thirty, runnin' around like a chicken with ya head cut off. She just made eggs."
"Food sounds good," I grinned over at him sliding his jeans on.

"That's just cause ya got a good work out," He kissed my neck, pulling me out the door,"And now ya need to refuel."

I blushed, I couldn't help it. Did I mention it had been the best three months of my life too? I followed the scent of scrambled eggs, bacon, and coffee to the kitchen, with Jessie padding in after me, "Good morning, Ms. Redding."
"I told ya a thousand time, honey," She laughed, "Call me Angel. Y'all hungry? I made breakfast."

"Smells amazing," I poured some orange juice for me and Jessie, and headed to the table, "I'm starving."

Jessie looked at me and shook his head,

"Geez, Vi, don't encourage her. It's going to her head."

"You just shush," She laughed and spooned some eggs on our plates , laying a big plate of bacon in the middle of the table, "I love this little gal. You finally found one that don't go in a gutter somewhere."

"Thanks, Ms....I mean, Angel," I tried not to blush, but it just didn't work, "I'm supposed to see my mom today. I'm a little nervous."
"Well, then a good breakfast oughta do ya some good, honey,"
She smiled at me and put some coffee in front of us both.

I shook my head. I loved this place, it was just the most cozy place ever. No one yelling, no one hurling things across the room, and I woke next to someone who only seemed to smile for me. I grinned and bit into the bacon with one of those oh so hungry smiles. The last few months had been amazing. I'd moved in with him and his mom to escape the viciousness of mine, and I already loved the woman. I guess all she needed was a little sun in the other wise darkness of her life had provided her to perk up a bit. There was never much conversation at breakfast. I might have gotten away from the hell I as living in, but I definately hadn't gotten away from my appetite. It seemed to have sky rocketed over the last few weeks, and I couldn't seem to get back to normal. It didn't really matter. I was getting so much...exercise..that I hadn't gained a single pound. I'll admit the giant grin that plastered itself across my face at that thought, but I pushed it aside, I had to go back to find the person I'd come to think of as nightmare.

I'd gone back home about a week ago to talk to her, and I'd been met with something even I hadn't expected. Even after my moms years of of drunken abuse, I never saw it coming. She'd been waitting. She'd been waitting with a rage I'd never seen. I'd called Jessie after she'd passed out, and when he saw me, he'd taken me to the hospital. My arm had been broken, my eye had been black, my ribs had been bruised, and the doctor had taken her name, and ensured I was going home with Jessie before he'd release me. They'd sent the police, and within hours I'd recieved a phone call from her, screaming for me to come and get her out. I'd hung up the phone with Jessie's arms around me, and cried as his mother made me promise never to go back there. She'd taken me in, and I was adjusting well from what everyone said, but I had to go see her today. They'd put a restraining order on her for me, and the only thing I had to do was show up with the bruised that were still present and the cast that was on my arm for next nine weeks.

"Hey," He pushed my hair back from my eyes, "I'mma be right there. Don't chu' worry,Vi."

"I wasn't," I shook my head, trying to be strong, "I guess I just need some more coffee."

"I know ya better than that," He pulled my lips to his, kissing me lightly, "Ya worry like ya breathe. It's gonna be alright."

"I'm goin' too, honey," His mother smiled like the angel her name said she was, "And I ain't about to let nothin' happen to ya."
"I know," I shook my head again, this time trying to clear my tangled thoughts, "My mother's never been pleasant under the best of circumstances. I'm just not looking forward to this."

I winced a little when my arm bumped the table as Angel kissed my forehead,
"Don't ya worry about a thing, darlin'. Those people ain't gonna let nothin' happen."

"I just need to calm down," I took a sip of my coffee with a shaking hand, " It's not like she can do anything in the middle of a court room."

"Your dad's comin' too," He watched me head to the coffee maker with a sigh, "He was pretty upset when I told him. He just wished ya woulda told him."

I sighed,

" I Know. I don't know why I didn't. It would've gotten me out of it."

"Like I said," He pushed his plate aside, "Don't be worrin'about it. It's over now."

I sighed, watching the coffee pour into my cup, realizing I didn't really want it. I didn't want Jessie to know how afraid I was. The thought of being in the same room with again after her nearly beating me half to death was terrifing, and I didn't want him to see how my hands were shaking at the thought of it. He knew though. I knew he did, but not letting him see my hands shake made me feel better. I don't know why, but it did.

"When's Dad coming? Is he Meeting us there?"

"No, he should be here anytime," He got up and slid his plate in the sink, "He wanted to be with ya when ya got there."

"I should go change then," I looked down at my cast, "This thing makes everything harder than it should be."

"Go get ya stuff picked out," He kissed me, "I'll be there to help ya in a second."

"Do I have to wear the skirt?" I looked at him and blew a puff of air to get my bangs out of my eyes.

"I know you hate em, Vi, but ya gotta dress up for court. I gotta do it too."

"I know. I just feel like I'm playing dress up again. It feels like Amber should be here trying to put make up on me."

"Go find ya clothes. I'm right behind ya."

I headed to the bedroom, stepping in with a deep sigh. I didn't want to do this, but it was the only way I was going to be able to close that chapter of my life. I need to put it behind me to be able to look at the future and not flinch. I had to move on. I was happy, and I was safe now. I pushed the closet door open, and pushed my way through the mass of clothes in front of me to find the only skirt I owned. It was one my Aunt had gotten me for Christmas a few years ago, and it was, of course, pink. She'd been trying to girlie me up since I was fourteen, and had been picking out my own clothes. I was just not feeling the look of the ruffly pink skirt when Jessie walked in,

"Ya just gotta wear it until we leave the court room. I got some jeans for ya in the car. Ya can change as soon as we leave."

"I know. I just hate this color, and the ruffles that barely hang past my thighs are not helping," I pulled out a red fitted tee, and some shoes, "I cannot believe I'm wearing high heels."

"It's just till we leave. I'm not diggin' the idea of this anymore than you. We just gotta get through it, and then we can move on to somethin' better, right?"

"Right. It's all about moving forward, and getting past it," I heard the knock on the door, and Angel scrambling to answer it, "We better hurry. Sounds like Dad's here."

I pulled on the skirt and tee with a grimace at the shoes. Leave it to my grandma to buy me pink high heels, and actually have me end up wearing them. It might only be once, but this was the only way I'd ever end up putting them on. I heard him in the living room with Angel, that deep voice that had put me to bed when I was a kid, and kissed my cuts and bruised when I was hurt. Dad was here, and he was the only thing I claimed as a parent now. I was learning quickly that family wasn't blood, it was people who loved you and wanted you to be happy. It was the ones who made sure you were okay when you weren't. It was people like Jessie and Angel who took me in when the only family I'd ever known had almost killed me. The woman I was going to see wasn't family. She just wasn't. I pulled my hair up into a clip, and pulled some down to frame my face before heading out to the living room with Jessie at my side.

I headed into the room, the scent of coffee and cigarettes drifting on the air from the two of them. I smiled. At least I wasn't the only one i clothes they weren't comfortable in. Dad was in a stiff blue button up with brown dress pants, and Angel was in dress she was clearly not used to wearing, but was doing her best to not look shifty and uncomfortable. When Dad finally looked up at me, he had tears in his eyes,

"God, why didn't you tell me? I would've got you out of there. What happened to your arm? Is that a black eye?"

"She broke it when she hit me with the table leg. The black eye's when she punched me. I called Jessie, and he took me to the hospital, and brought me back here," I took Jessie's hand in mine and squeezed it.

"Thank you for saving my daughter," He looked at our hands with an unhappy look in his eyes, "I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to her."

"I'd never let that happen," Jessie looked at him, "We better get going if we wanna get there in time. We're taking the truck. You can do what you want. C'mon Vi. Let's get goin'."

I headed out with Jessie, my stomach in knots from the look in my dad's eyes. I wasn't ready to tell him that he'd brought me to Jessie, and no matter what I had to do, I was staying with him. I sat in the truck as my stomach churned. I'd been starving at breakfast, and now I was starting to regret my choice of bacon this morning. I swear the stuff just made me sick lately, no matter how much I wanted it. I watched as the trees whizzed by as we came into town. It didn't take long to get to town from the house, but it seemed like we were moving in slow motion as we Jessie looked over at me,

"Your dad don't like it."

"Doesn't like what?" I looked over at him, still slightly nausous.

"You and me. He doesn't like me being with you. You ain't gonna tell me you didn't notice."

"I don't care what he likes or doesn't like. I love you, and he's just gonna have to get used to that."

"I ain't ever had nobody say that about me before. You don't treat me like most people.."

"I'm not like most..." I clutched my stomach, "Geez, I feel sick."

He looked over at me, easing the car into a parking spot,

"You okay? What's a matter?"

"I don't know. I just haven't felt good for a couple days. I'm okay. We're not going to be here long. They said we had the first appointment thing anyway."

"If you need to go, Mom can talk to one of the cops or something. As long ya sure ya alright, let's get this over with."

I climbed out of the truck with a groan. I'm not sure if it was the food or the fact that I was about to face the monster that had controlled most of my life when that had my stomach in the knot, but I could almost feel the calm Jessie was trying to keep as we headed in the court house, going through the revolving door toward the metal detectors. I took my keys and necklace off, sticking them in that little dish they always hold out for you along with Jessie's lighter, and heading through the plastic looking door. I don't know why I always squint my eyes when I go through one of those, but to my relief it didn't go off. I grabbed his hand with my good one, the knot in my stomach was tightening as I saw Dad and Angel head in through the doors we'd just finished with. I just closed my eyes, and hit the button for the elevator. He pulled me into the elevator and grinned at me,

"C'mon, kid, where's the tough that tough broad I know? You ain't goin' Cinderella on me are you?"

"No, hell no," I grinned back at him, "I just need to get this over with, and go home, have a beer, and kick back with you and Angel."

"That's my girl," He slid an arm around my shoulders and grinned, "Let's go keep me and your dads from deckin' ya moms and joinin' her in here."

He opened the door and led me to our seats. I looked around, and spotted her right away. I'd know her anywhere, the orange jump suit aside, she looked down right horrible. I let out a sigh of relief when Dad and Angel made their way in beside us. It was then the judge slammed his grovel down and started things up. I wrapped my fingers around Jessie's and sighed as they they started down the list of people who would be there to get their orders of protection as well. The judge looked over at us with a smile,

"We'll begin with Ms. Violet Adder if she can make her way to the front, please."

I stood, making my way to the front with my hand shaking, I had on my sling, and even with police all around her I was still nervous.

"Ms. Adder, I can see the extent of the injuries your mother has caused you. I find it deeply appauling when a parent abuses their child, but being of age, you have requested a no contact order of protection to keep yourself out of harms way. You have a place to keep residence in?"

"Yes, Your Honor."
"Given the circumstances, I see no reason to give Mrs. Adder the floor. I would assume this is not her first offense of the crime, Ms. Adder?"

"No, Your Honor, It's' not," I held my hands in front of me clasped together.

"I will hold the trial on the first week of March. As for you , Ms. Adder, I will not require you to attend. I am granting you the order of protection based on the diagnosis I was given by the doctor at Jackson Memorial Hospital."

"Thank you, Sir."
"You are most welcome. I do wish you the best of luck. Thank you."

I headed back to Jessie, Dad, and Angel, ready to head out the door, and put this nightmare behind us. The bruises were healing, and I was trying to do the same. It was just a matter of time. I just needed to get out of this court room, out of this skirt, and out of these heels. Jessie took my hand, and led me toward the hallway, but Dad stopped him,

"I just need a minute with her."

"We'll be right outside, Vi," Jessie kissed me and headed out to the hall with Angel as Dad glared at him.

"What's going on, Dad?", I looked over at him, "And Why do you have such a problem with Jessie? You were the one who told me to give him a chance. I did. He took care of me, he was there."

"I don't like the way that scumbag looks at you," He shook his head, "He looks at you like you're..."

"A woman?" I finished for him, "I'm not a kid anymore, Dad. I love him."

"You've known him for a week," He scowled, "You love the motorcycle and the way he wears his hair. I'm your father. You're going with me."

"I love the fact that he's there for me," I felt my eyes tear up, "I love the fact that when I call him, he shows up instead of telling me that he has a golf game and didn't drop me cause some skanky blonde didn't like me. He loves me, and all you ever did was make excuses not to. I'm going home with Jessie and Angel."

"If you go with him, don't call me when he screws you over, and you've got no where to go."

"I won't," I pushed the door open, "He won't run out me like you did."

I headed down to the elevator to find Jessie and Angel waitting,

"Let's get out of here, guys."

"Ain't we waittin' for Taylor?" Angel looked at him standing in the inner doors of the court room.

"No," I shook my head, "He brought his car. I just wanna go home."

"What'd he do?" Jessie looked at me and back through the doors at my dad.

"I don't wanna talk about it," I shook my head as we got in the elevator, "I never thought I'd say this, but I need a cigarette."

"I gotcha one when we get outside," Jessie slid his arm around me, and I leaned in against him as the elevator played that catchy music it always did.

I sunk into the seat of the truck when we got out and away from his mother. He looked over at me, and lit a couple of cigarettes, handing me one, and starting the truck,

"What happened?"

"He kept saying that I didn't love you, and you were just going to screw me over. and it was just gonna leave me with nowhere to go," I sunk it to the seat, taking a drag from the cigarette slowly.

"I swear, if that guy wasn't your pops, I'd slug that dirty son of a bitch," He started the truck and pulled a pair of jeans out from under the seat,"Didn't think I'd forget did ya?"

"Thanks, Jes," I unzipped the skirt, and slipped it off, slipping the jeans up over my hips with a sigh and settling back down to zip them.

"I know how much ya hate a skirt," He pulled out of the parking lot and onto the highway.

I shook my head and reach into my purse, pulling out one of his old Guns N Roses tees out and tossed it to him,

"I know you too."

He just shook his head, and eased to a stop at the light, pulling his button up over his head, and tugging the t-shirt on with a grin,

"Vi, You ain't supposed to be takin' care of me today, it's s'posed to be the other way around."

"I knew you'd forget," I shook my head and grinned,"You were too busy consoling me on wearing my skirt."

"You know I managed before you," He lit a cigarette and shook his head, "And you know what happened?"
"You forgot your t-shirt?" I glanced over at him and grinned, "It's inevitable that you would before I came along."
"Everybody loves a smartass, Vi," He shook his head and grinned.

"That's right," I leaned back and grinned as he turned the truck in the wrong direction, "Where are we going?"

"It's inevitable that you wouldn't know till I came along, " He mocked me with a smirk, "If I told ya I'd have to kill ya."

"Make it quick then," I laughed, "Where are we going?"

"You'll see soon enough," He grinned over at me as he made another turn, "Just relax. Have I killed ya yet?"

"Not yet," I shook my head as the road became more narrow, my stomach became more queasy, "But from the looks of this road that could change."

"You okay, Vi?" He looked over as I clutched my stomach.

"I just don't feel good," I leaned back in the seat with a grimace. "I don't know."

"Let's get you home then," He turned the truck around, "Maybe Angel'll know what's wrong."

We went back home, and he put me in bed, but what neither of us could know was that this was something that would take a while to get a hold on. I know what you're thinking, it wasn't cancer or anything so tragic. It was terrifing and beautiful all at the same time, and neither of us were ready.