I decided to change Armelle's character from Gigi to Jordyn to switch things up a little. I'm saving gigi for another story so sorry for any confusion.

P.S. This will probably be the longest chapter in this whole book so please don't expect the length of them to be over 2000 words x

published// Saturday 6th January 2016

edited// -

-

»ONE«

Bad Boy Jake

Armelle:

"I'm so sorry but you're not the kind of tenant my husband and I are looking for." Said the old blonde lady who was sat in the seat opposite mine - or well, what could have been mine. Her brown eyes grazed over me, with distaste as she placed down the phone, on the glass dining table, which she had used to call her husband.

It's cause I'm black isn't it.

She probably thinks that I'm going to steal something, which I'll assure you I wasn't thinking of doing or planning on carrying out. Ughk, stereotypes.

"Is it cause she's black?" Asked the boy who sat beside me who was hesitantly dangling the keys to his new home on his pinky, as if he was ready to drop them if the lady replied yes. He got here before me and I didn't pay much attention to him as he appeared to be much older; not like the student I was expecting to meet. So I assumed that he had either finished uni or had dropped out - and this flat was supposed to only be for student accommodation, and didn't care to see if he was a threat.But seeing as he was basically sticking up for me, I turned to look at him to only notice how cute his was, he had a sharp jaw and golden locks of curls that scattered themselves across his forehead which were no longer than past the tops of his ears. Judging but how the lighting made his hair shimmer,  I'm guessing that his golden locks would probably tickle if you hugged him, which is what I wanted to do right now for sticking up for me. Normally in our area, racism would just be brushed of like the trash that the street cleaners picked up, so it was rather refreshing to see a person who is not of colour stick up for a person of colour.

The lady sat quiet, only to look down at her hands, but her face didn't seem to wear an expression of guiltiness or shock despite the accusation that was openly said. I knew it. Well, it wasn't like it was unusual to find a racist where I lived

"Well then I don't want to stay in a place where I know that my landlord is openly racist. You'll understand when you decide to grow up." He then lobbed the keys at the baffled old lady, who was still silent, and signaled for us to leave. At first I hesitated to leave, as he is a stranger and from when I was four and up until my mother's death "stranger danger" was beat (not literally) into my head (She'd always remind me that I was her only child), but then again... what good was it to stay here? So I got up and went to grab my coat and bounded out the door after him.

And I followed him down the stairs and to his car.

He took out a cigarette and began to smoke it, which surprised me at first since on first glance, he looked like when he was in school he did his homework and got good grades, but then as soon as he took of his jumper to replace it with the coat he got out from his car, I knew that he was anything but the goody two shoes that I had originally type cast him to be. I couldn't help but stereotype him which was the one thing I should have learnt by now to not do. His arms were laced in sleeves of ink, which probably shared a thousand and one different meanings and or interpretations. I couldn't help but stare in awe as I had always wanted one but a) grew up in a Christian family home which told me that tattoos weren't good and b) had never liked the sight of blood - one of the many reasons why I couldn't fulfill my childhood dream of becoming a nurse.

After he had zipped up, he got into his car and turned on the radio. He began to roll up the passenger side's window before adjusting the driver's mirrors and then he began to drive off.

I started to run after the car, frantically waving my hands in the air as if to say goodbye, but really, I just wanted to learn his name. But he didn't stop. So I gave up and turned around and began my ten minute journey to the nearest bus stop, phone in hand.

-

About halfway between the flat and the bus stop sat a mini high street which contained a few fast food shops, an off license and a barbers shop along with that shop you walk by that sells African food. You know, that shop that has the oranges and plantain lining the front of the store and that's on the street which is usually sheltered by a canopy. Anyway, there was a chicken and chips shop that had an available table so I ordered and sat down.

They were fast and called me to collect my food in under 3 minutes.

"Boss, can I have some sauce?" I asked the guy who was placing my food in a bag which I didn't ask for, cause I can balance stuff on my head (I'm joking, although I'm sure I would have learnt to do so if my "dad" had finally decided on giving me up to my grandma and shipping me off to Nigeria), as I had told him that I was eating there.

"Sauce is twenty p." Really, I have to pay for sauce.

Raising my eyebrows I began to question the guy further. "Where's the nearest McDonald's?" Because they give free sauce; you can just walk straight in, heading for the pumps, and pump out all the barbecue and ketchup you need. What idiot would pay if if a McDonald's was only a few minutes away.

"Quite a while away, look you're holding up the line. Are you paying for sauce or not?" He impatiently asks whilst collecting the fiver that the person behind me slid him.

"I'll leave the sauce." I say, remembering that I was supposed to pick up some soothers for my soon to be ex-roommate Hannah, and I wasn't willing to use the note I had.

"I'll pay for the sauce, can I have the number 2 and 3 wings?" A deep ring came from behind.

"Ah, Bradley. What about your usual?" The guy behind the counter asked.

"I don't want it." Was all the guy who is paying for my sauce replied, and for some reason I was curious as to who this Bradley person was so I turned around.

"Oh god!" I said in shock, my heart leaping at the sight of him and how much more he'd matured, I thought he'd left the country after all the rumors I'd heard saying nonsense like the most popular one which was spread by Lindsey McFallon and her Bratz dolls (who I still unfortunately have to deal with in Uni). She went round telling everyone in the first few weeks after Brad was "reported missing" saying that Brad had been abducted by aliens which I can't believe some people believed. The only other people in our neighborhood that agreed with me on the fact that she was crazy (I believe that some juju Queen or something was angered by her mom or something and so cursed her to be stupid for as long as she lives - like some of those fairy tales - and that's why she chats nonsense) were the police.

"Mel, is that you?" He asked whilst his devilish dark eyes raked over me in recognition, so no he wasn't checking me out.

I collected the ketchup sachet and popped it into the plastic bag and rushed out of the shop. As expected, he didn't chase after me.

Brad never chases the prey.

-

"Oh God, please allow me." I mutter whilst running, which I'm not that great at, after the bus. Chicken and chips in hand, my legs pumped as fast as possible whilst I prayed to the Lord that the bus driver would be nice and would stop and let me get on.

But that was not the case.

There's always that one bus driver who is very sad and so waits at the stop only to deny the person on the other side of the door door access to the bus and then just drives off. Or the ones that shut the door in your face. 

This driver showed me a combination of both, only dampening my mood further. And my next bus was coming in 27 minutes. 

Great! What a prick.

And then all the buses that you don't want start popping up, sometimes six in a row. Yes I'm exaggerating but it does actually feel that way, especially when there are three in a row and then a different bus and then another of the same two. My chicken and chips disappeared before the third bus drove by.

To fill up the time, I began to play a game and then I ended up texting Hannah to tell her that I couldn't get her the lockets. I was about to beat my high score on subway surfers when a honk decided to scare me which resulted in me loosing and dropping my phone.

Theirs a great big crack on it.

Great!

But it was the blondie from earlier. "Need a ride babe?" He asked flashing me a pearly white smile which happened to also contain a gold tooth which I didn't pick up on earlier.

"Need one? No. Want one however? Yes." I say smiling cheekily.

"Get in." He says, opening the passenger seat's door and motioning for me to get in and I obliged. He then began to walk round to the driver's side.

"You didn't shut the door after me. Are you not a gentleman?" I asked playfully, a playful grin lay on my lips as he shut his door.

"Oops, sorry your royal highness, I didn't mean to upset you." He sarcastically responded in a posh accent. He then lent over me, putting on my seat belt in the process, and shut the door.

If I was white, I'd probably be as red as a potato.

Rolling my eyes I told him to get me home.

Hannah: The landlord has thrown your stuff out Hunn. I'm sorry, I tried to stop him but what can a sick girl, who can't get out of bed, do when up against a bodybuilder?

Xoxo, H

Shit!

I really need a place to stay. I frustratedly run my hand through my hair thinking of places to go. One place I know that I definitely can't go is to his.

"I never caught your name, not did I thank you for sticking up for me today. So thank you." I smiled at him.

"It's Jake." He said. "And you don't have to thank me babe, I haven't done anything to you yet that you'd thank me for." He said with a cocky smile playing against his lips.

Noticing that I wasn't laughing, his smile turned upside down and then a form of an apology was blurted out. "Too soon?" He asked.

"No, I'm not all that bothered. I know that I am too hot for you anyway." My face now held the smirk that was previously plastered on Jake's face. "My name is Armelle."

"So Armelle, have you noticed that I've been driving around in circles for the past two minutes? I need your address." He said, but when I didn't respond he continued "Need a place to stay?"

Taking my nod as a yes he began the short drive to his home.

-

When we got there he opened the car door on my side and motioned for me to get out. We then walked to the front door and into the lobby but surprisingly we didn't take the lift.

"We don't need the lift babe, my apartment is only on the second floor."

When we got there, I was absolutely shocked as to why he'd any to leave here. "Why on God's earth would you want to leave this place?" I asked as the flat had been clearly renovated.

"It's none of your business." He growled out, slamming the empty glass of water, which he had poured as soon as his had kicked his shoes off at the door, on the shiny marble counter. He got really defensive all of a sudden so I must have hit a spot.

"Guest room is there." He said, pointing at the door next to the door that was next to the fridge.

"Ok. Thank you so much Jake, for everything. You can't even start to imagine how thankful I am for everything you've done for me and for how much you've helped me." I say, wrapping my arms around him. Someone began to call him.

He awkwardly patted my back and then kind of pushed me off of him softly, picking up the phone whilst excusing himself and walking into what I assumed was his room.

I decided to plonk myself on his coach, turning on the TV and logging into put on the newest episode of pretty little liars because I was quite a bit behind.

Three minutes into the episode, Jake came out of his room and joined me on his sofa.

"I hope that you don't mind, but I have a friend coming over."

"No, not at all. This is your house after all." I say.

"You're looking for a place to stay right?" I nod, I mean I'm desperate for a place to stay. "Well, my friend that's coming round is currently looking for a ten-"

There was a loud knock at the door.

"-ant. I guess he's already here then." Jake said, strolling to the front door.

"Brad, my man." Brad initiated the bro hug-shake thingy.

"Mel?"

-
First chapter is done.
Opinions?
2300 words long - this is the longest chapter I have written so far.
Thank you for the support.
Since the chapter mentions pll, what do you think about Spencer and Caleb??

• VOTE • COMMENT •

| KING MB |