CHAPTER SEVEN Jenny

I tossed my body to the other side when my heart skipped telling me it was one of those mornings. The one where you wake up to the noise of big city streets and the sun streaming through the window. No birds chirping but yet you feel like you're in the perfect soap opera.

I smiled and got out of bed almost tripping on the jeans lying on the floor. I screamed as I didn't know what it was alerting the house's security system.

My door burst open and I immediately saw Richie walk in with his gun ready to eliminate his target. My eyes rushed to the window where I saw troops descending on the walls of the house through their fancy rope things.

Wwhhaaatt??

"Everything okay madam???" Richie's hoarse voice asked as he looked around my room.

Before I could reply, his entire team walked in and my eyes widened.

They searched my wardrobe, bathroom and closet. This was not happening.

Seriously??

"What happened madam...we heard your scream from downstairs..." He turned to me and I sat on my bed and held my sides as I laughed.

"I tripped on my jeans...." I continued laughing as I picked the jeans and showed it to them.

"Eliminate those jeans!" Richie ordered and I thought he was bluffing but suddenly shrieked after one man from among his security grabbed the jeans and lasered them with his gun.

"OhMyGod ...was that a laser gun?" I walked towards him as I tucked in some hair behind my ears. I lost my favorite pair of jeans but I knew I'd have them replaced in less than a second.

"Why, yes ma'am...newly imported from Iran..." He replied.

"Hmmm...nice...impressive....Where's Anila?" I asked scratching my chin. They looked at me and at one another as if they didn't know what I was asking for.

"Bring her in on your way out...." I clicked my tongue and gave them a thumbs up before disappearing into the bathroom. I took a deep breath the moment I closed the door, still recovering from the fact that my jeans got lasered.

It seemed like some kind of joke but reality was really some hot piece of cake. I took my pyjamas off and sat in the bathtub as the water drizzles massaged my skin.

Memories filled my mind of how my life used to be. Peaceful, calm and collected; with Mom and Dad and my older sister Stacy.

Now, things were very different.

Totally different.

My mom was no more and I was living in a foreign country with a man I was forced and eventually learnt to call father because he affirmed my custody.

My biological father was living in our native country with my sister.

Am not sure if they were missing me but I think I was missing them.

I loved them so much.

I missed playing with my sister and having my dad to protect me.

I missed the afternoon outings and the picnics we used to have.

I miss our Fridays at the beach with us children burying dad in the sand.

I miss my life....

When my mother passed away, immediately I ended up five years ahead of time. Everything happened so fast that I don't have a memory of what happened after. All I remembered was her falling off the stairs and then I was living in some town in a city called Nevada in the outskirts of America. Just great....

"Ma'am...you're running late...." Anila banged on my door and I resurfaced from beneath the tub. I ran my hand over my face getting rid of excess water and jumped out.

Wrapping a towel around my body, I walked out and found my outfit already laid out for me. Advantages of being the boss.....

She helped me put them on and in a second I was downstairs and the next, walking into the Westwood doors. What I was doing here, I had no idea.

"I think you're lost....princess" the agonizing voice of Carlos Jeffrey squeeked from behind me. I definitely knew it was him. Even in the dark, or underwater or in a mist or even on Pluto, I'd know it's him.

"Excuse me??"

"The Ceramic Bear dorm is in the West wing of the school campus....not here..." He wore a sly smile and I read through his thoughts.

Hideous.

"I know.....am here to see Kris...." I ran my hand on my forehead and back to my head when I realised I had no hat on. The severity of the consequences ran through my mind and I knew my face got completely pale.

"Are you okay???" He asked. No hint of sarcasm.

"I am not wearing my hat..." I replied. No hint of sarcasm.

Then, he took me by surprise and laughed. I knew it was a bad idea. I looked around the hallway and noticed there was no one else around. Then why was Carlos here??? I pinched my ear under my hair just so he doesn't notice me turning my earpiece on.

Immediately, Richie came to me and I told him I needed the hat. He quickly took his phone and alerted his team of the emergency. I buried my face in my hands to the humiliation I was facing. What was going on? I definitely woke up from the wrong side of the bed.

"I need your hoody. Do you mind???" I gestured to Carlos the moment I realised he was wearing one. That would be a good escape for me in the time being.

"Excuse you...of course I mind! Am never going to lend you my hoody! You humiliated me in front of the whole school and do you really think I'd help you???" He showed his true colours and God, they were dull.

I couldn't believe myself. What was I thinking asking him for help? He was my arch nemesis! The enemy himself...

I hated him purely and deeply.

I was definitely out of my mind reaching out to him.

Definitely out of my mind.

"Am in the middle of a crisis right now....you're going to save my life if you give me the freakin' hoodie....now get it off and pass it to me!!!" I demanded completely forgetting we were two sides of the coin. Yin and Yang.

"I don't like saying no twice Jenny.....and whether you're really in trouble or not....IDC...I Don't Care!! You have an entire first class security with guns and weapons of mass destruction. They can ambush me in a blink and oh no....they don't have the least thing you need the most...a hat. How pathetic is that!!!" He smirked and turned around to leave.

Just like that.

He was heartless.

I wasn't worried but then decided not to. He wasn't worth it.

Then, I felt my head get into what seemed like a deep. I raised my eyes to see a hat perfectly placed on my head.

"Thank you ..." I whispered and demanded I be taken home right away.

I walked like Madonna as I went to my car. The entire replica of a police force behind me like I was a big bag of cash. Richie opened the door for me and as soon as I got in, I took a deep breath.

"Anold, home please....take me home...."

"Yes ma'am...." He replied and started the car.

When we arrived, I dumped myself in my room with a gallon of ice cream in between my thighs, on my bed while watching Zoe Valentine. And that was my to do list for the rest of the week while waiting for Saturday.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You're seriously insane. I'm talking mental institution insane, medicated and walls insane!! Take-a-pill crazy!....." I squeezed my cheeks and looked straight at Aurelia who was having her face done.

She shocked me when she said she once went to a middle school party and ended up puking in the punch and everyone was too drunk to notice.

Who does that??

And who throws parties in middle School??

The idea of me going to a highschool party immediately put my father off and it was a no from him.

Luckily, kailani was able to convince him I'll be fine just as long as I took Richie with me.

When I explained whom I was going with, my father demanded a thorough interrogation and background check. He refused to let me go with some two strangers which apparently I called my friends.

I watched quietly as he listened to the family's investigator regarding Isha and Aurelia. I didn't find it wrong at first but now that I've developed a sister bond with them, I found everything wrong with what we were doing. What if there was something private about their life I wasn't supposed to know??

'Fine....but Richie will go with you....' he laid forth his side of the deal and I knew I had no choice but to take it.

'yes yes...not only Richie, his entire team is coming with me. They'll surround the whole school and some will even be disguised as highschool students just to be with me the entire time....'

Convincing my father to let me go was the most difficult task I'd ever done in my life. He was overly protective of me and it was suffocating. But anywho, as long as he was my guardian, I'd have to live by his rules. He demanded that I invite my friends over before leaving for the party and I just had to agree.

'The driver will take you both to school from here...'

were his last words before he stormed off to his room. Oh dad! I smiled and went to mine.

"Me...insane??? Oh no...you're insane! Why you keep bugging over a handsome guy like Carlos?" I immediately choked on my breath and sput in my punch.

"Excuse me???" I asked and she smiled. She looked at Isha who looked back at her and I definitely knew they were communicating telepathically.

"Jenny....Everyone is talking about him. Carlos Jeffrey. He's cute handsome and definitely the Albert Einstein of this generation. He's a genius. He was a GPA of 5.0 and just being in his science group you must be fortunate...." She said assuringly, just like the Isha she was.

Again, my jaw dropped. With Isha and Aurelia around, I knew I had to book an appointment with a plastic surgeon as these two ladies will leave me with a broken jaw.

"Did you just say all the crap I heard you say??"

"Come on Jenny...the guy is sensational... And you know....him being a victim of bad publicity, he quite knows how to earn his spotlight. He used it to his own advantage and now he's on the map...." The paranormal Aurelia explained and I couldn't understand what was wrong with these two.

"Handsome?? Cute?? Genius?? Fortunate?? Oh please....he's the fortunate one to be in a group with me...this is a chance of a lifetime to him...believe me.. "

"Oh really??" Aurelia raised her eyebrows and pulled the nearest chair only to sit right in front of me and get all serious talky with me.

"Yes really. What's with you guys??? We were just about to discuss a comeback and you say all this???" I gasped and showed my disappointment in them.

How could they betray me like this.

Why were they siding up with Carlos Jeffrey?

"Girl....you're all bark and no bite. You talk the talk but never walk the walk..."

"Oh hello! That's exactly why am going to this party...." I looked at her hoping she'd see how much effort I was putting into this. She just had to see it. Instead, she brought her face even closer to mine as though in a threat and I popped my lips out and widened them at her.

"BACK. OFF" I said in the sweetest tone possible and fortunately, just as I thought she did and I felt good. Having people who always do as I asked gave me confidence and built the bossy spirit in me.

"Are you done?? We should get going...." Isha stood from her seat and placed her clutch on her shoulder.

"Thats right. We really should go. The last thing I'd want is to see is drunken normal teenagers ontop of eachtoher like frogs...that would totally piss me off.." the trios mistress Aurelia sput while applying eye liner to her already made up face.

Isha and I shared a look and burst out laughing. We both knew Aurelia was crazy but sometimes she took us by surprise.

"Trust me it's a sight you wouldn't like and wish your eyeballs would just fall off before so that you wouldn't go through it....", She concluded her look and gave Isha some space to deal with her face.

"Very funny Aurelia....", Isha nodded as she applied some pink lipgloss. "Although I do agree with you. I was met with such a scenario in middle School. Fortunately, it lasted a glimpse as my wise brain quickly added up the chain of images to get a clear picture...."

"Is that why you wear specs now?? To get a clearer view??", Aurelia joked and I slapped her belly. She was too much.

"Ew, Aura....I called the principal on them and they got suspended for the rest of the semester and to only appear on the day of the final exam...",

"Served them right", I decided to add in something despite being silent for most of the conversations. To this point, I think these two came to a conclusion that I was not a talker.

"What about you Jennifer, did you meet any weird scenarios in middle School?", Isha span the chair and turned to me. Aurelia, bubbled and also turned to me.

"Umm....I..", I tapped my knees and looked at both of them simultaneously. I smiled when their faces became gloomy and I quickly licked my lips.

"I...went to school online....so....", I shrugged my hands and Isha gave me a realistic nodd.

"Do you like have SCID or something??" The buttface Aurelia asked.

"Shut up Aurelia buttface...", Isha tossed a face brush at her and she secured a grunt.

"You said it girl...", I smiled at Isha and led them both out to the parking lot.

It was weird at first having company in my car. Used to driving alone, I realised there was so much that is been missing the entire time. The emptiness I'd been feeling in my heart was finally exposed making me realised how much I longed for someone's company.

Throughout the entire journey, Isha and Aurelia kept talking and telling jokes when on the other hand, I spent the time studying them.

For average teenagers like me, they sure had lived most of their lives. They had perfect families and surely nothing to worry about. Joking and laughing all the way without a single glimpse of pain reflected in their laughter.

I fancied them. I envied them....

I looked outside the window hoping they won't notice what was going on with me. I wasn't ready to talk. Some stories are hard to listen to while some are harder to even tell. Such was mine.

"Jennifer! we're here...." Isha held my hand and helped me out of the car. I smiled and followed behind her.

The moment we entered the main auditorium, I was shocked and surprised by the appearance of the entire place.

Unlike the school oriented place I knew, this one was totally different. It was decorated as though for a Halloween party and my intuition regarding my safety immediately dispersed.

My vision got blurred as the Disco lights dimmed making me wonder if this whole thing was really adult supervised. The music was so loud and echoed in my ears. I looked around and noticed a lot of people already scattered in the courtyard carrying red tumblers. Must be from the punch being served in here.

As we walked to the entrance to show our invites, my sight landed on that of two girls vomiting their guts out.

I knew who they were. The frivolous red haired slut and her grey haired minion. Thankfully, two hours only and I'd leave this place.

"Jenny!!!" Kris screamed from behind me. I turned around and almost lost my balance when she threw her huge body over me.

"Kristin...." I took her off of me and gave her my usual assuring smile. I waved at Jace, who was standing next to her and instead he pulled me into a surprise embrace.

"Don't worry...Kris won't eat you...." he joker and I laughed over his shoulder.

"Well don't be so sure...." she replied, causing me to spread my arms on Jace's back tightening the hug.

My eyes travelled to a human masculine figure emerging from the dark into the somewhat dim light that was in front of us.

Despite the instinct and hazy sight, I was able to recollect the bits and come out with a high definition picture.

Carlos Jeffrey.

"Oh My Yuck!!! What is he doing here???" I quickly let go of Jace pointed at Carlos.

"Oh dear" Jace mumbled and ran his fingers through his hair, before looking at Kris. I followed his gaze and when my eyes met Kris's, she only smiled.

"Did you just say yuck???" Carlos asked and I looked daggers at him having him silenced.

"Jenny...your invite said to come with two more...."

"Yeah....that's you and Jace...and him?? Why bring him of all people?? you know I so much despise him to get even a glimpse of his face!!!"

"Thank you" Carlos smiled and I slapped my forehead.

"It's fine Jenny...we can just tell them we had one more plus one...." Jace grinned and I tried no look at his take.

"Yeah...I think it'll work...." Kris agreed. "Don't you Jenny??"

I liked how she easily manipulated me into believing what she thought was real. My eyes turned to Carlos who seemed to be immersed in looking at me. The moment I looked at him, he looked away and started to whistle reminding me of the very first day we met.

He was such a disgusting boy. Who knew what his life would be if he were to continue like this as such an age. How old was he even?

"So what do we do now Jenny..?" Kris asked and I scratched my head trying to think of a much better plan but none that involved Carlos attending this welcome party.

He wasn't even a Ceramic Bear, his presence wasn't needed here.

What was Kris thinking inviting him over?? did she not know he was the guy I despised so much??

This clearly changes everything. I didn't want to remember that one day, I had to be in the same room with Carlos Jeffrey for over two hours. As real as it sounded, the chances of it never happening were very slim. It was likely to happen.

"Jenny...what are you thinking about??? Thirty minutes have elapsed already...." Kris jerked me and I gasped as I stared at her.

I swallowed the mint in my mouth and gave her one more look.

"I'll find Linda...she's in charge of the dorms...am sure I might get a key to my dorm and we can wait there until the party's hot then we can come out...."

"Thank you Jenny...." She smiled and hugged me. I didn't hug her back. I was frustrated because for once she didn't think of me. I felt like crying and a heavy burden weighed in my chest.

"You shouldn't have done that...." I whispered and turned around to leave.

I walked towards a hedge and called Linda, the dormitory authority I knew. She picked on the second ring and when I explained to her I wanted to access my on campus room, she said she would bring the keys to me in a moment.

I hang-up and turned around to walk to where my friends and enemy were when I ran into Jace who was behind me, seemingly the entire time.

"Jenny....am very sorry. It wasn't Kris's fault that Carlos came. I asked him to come. I figured you'd spend most of the time with Kris and I'd get lonely...."

"You sure must have a lot of friends, why him?"

"I figured I'd also make a new friend. My best friend Praveen, isn't in town and I wouldn't ask Ken to come. He's the kind that gets vulgar over a bottle of whiskey..."

I found myself laughing when he said that.

"Am sorry...." he repeated and wore just the expression to fit in.

"Oh Okay..." I shrugged.

"We're good???" he asked opening his arms for me. .

"We're good." I nodded.

I walked to him and managed to fit myself between the distance his arms made.

Jace was an interesting guy and I think definitely my type. Kris was one lucky woman.