Somebody Loves You by Betty Who
Picture of Luna Kale

On Monday after skipping more than most of the day in school Jesse decided to man up and approach his first choice girl, or well only choice. He knew that if any girl would say yes that it would be her, she was oblivious to everything Jesse was anyways.

He knocked on the front door of her house waiting impatiently for someone to open the door. Finally someone did. It was a little boy, probably in elementary school Jesse guessed, given his Spider Man shirt. He was the only superhero who didn't deserve a t-shirt. Jesse noticed right away that he had the same bright blue eyes as Aurora.

"Who are you," the little boy asked snappily.

"Is Aurora here," Jessed asked instead.

The little boys calculating eyes roamed over Jesse's body. "Are you dating my sister," he asked bluntly.

"No," Jesse snapped. "I just need to talk to her."

"Well she's in the shower," he remarked. "You'll have to wait outside."

"Like hell," Jesse growled, pushing the boy inside and walking into his house. Jesse noticed the moving boxes stacked in the hallway to his left and the dirty plates on the coffee table in front of the TV. There was another boy sitting in front of the TV, a little bit older it seemed like who was holding a remote in his hands.

"What are you doing inside my house," the other boy asked defensively.

"I'm here to talk to your sister."

"No, he's here to kidnap her," the other boy said. "It's illegal to walk into some one's home you know."

"I do a lot of illegal things," Jesse said, making the boy's eyes grow wide.

"Like pot," the older one asked shocked.

Jesse analyzed the boy who had seemed to forget all about the game he was playing. "Why? Do you want some? I know a guy."

"What the hell are you doing here," a voice shrilled from the hallway. "And are you offering my little brothers drugs?"

Jesse turned to see Aurora standing in the hallway, a towel wrapped around her body as well as her hair. Jesse had to admit that he liked what he saw so far but that wasn't the point.

"I never offered and I need to talk to you," Jesse said.

"Can it wait," Aurora snapped. "I'm busy here."

"I can see that and no," Jesse said, "it can't. I have to go to work soon."

Aurora sighed and said, "Fine, let me get dressed first." She turned to go into a room farther down the hall. Jesse stayed where he was, not liking the stares he was receiving from her little brothers.

"Do you play football," the younger one asked.

"I used too," he admitted.

"Do you want to play in the yard with us? We just got a ball yesterday," he said excitedly.

"I said I used to," Jesse muttered, "not anymore."

"You're mean, you know that?"

"No," Jesse rolled his eyes. "I have never noticed that before."

"Well it's true!"

"Eric," the older one grumbled, "he's being sarcastic."

"I knew that," Eric said, his face flushing red. He pushed past Jesse and hopped over the back of the couch, landing next to his brother.

The older one said, "I'm Chris by the way, this is Eric. What do you want from my sister?"

These kids are to blunt. Jesse began to figure out that Aurora's attitude must run in the family. "I want to talk to her," he repeated through clenched teeth.

"Jesse," she called from down the hall. "Come here." Jesse followed her commands, leaving her two brothers alone.

"Leave the door open," Chris called once Jesse stepped inside her room.

Aurora huffed and slammed the door shut, making it shake the entire house. Jesse smiled, she was a perfect choice. Keenan has never done well when people talk back to him or have an attitude just as big as his.

"I'm telling Mom," Chris yelled from the living room.

"Ugh, little brothers are the worst," she grumbled, turning back towards Jesse. "Do you have any? Maybe we can burn them together."

"Only one older brother," he said, sitting down on her bed.

"Lucky," she muttered. "So why are you here?"

"I need to ask you something but first I need to know more about you."

"Okay," she said reluctantly, sitting down in the chair of her desk. "I'm ready."

"How do you feel about the outdoors, camping more specifically?"

A smile spread across her lips and Jesse knew he had the right girl. "I love it, I used to go camping all the time back home."

"Great," Jesse said, more excited. This was actually going to work. "Are you a virgin?"

"Oh whoa," she said, shooting up from her desk and away from Jesse. "Too far buddy. It's not any of your business anyways!"

"Just tell me," he said blandly.

"Why," she snapped. "Are you going to sacrifice me? I know this town was creepy."

"Since you're not answering me I figure that you are a virgin than," he said amused. This girl was only getting better and better.

"No actually I'm not," she said defiantly.

Jesse's smile faded slowly. He thought that if he brought a virgin than she would be more reluctant to sleep with Keenan if he tried. "What?"

"I lost it to my boyfriend before I came here. Just last month actually."

"Boyfriend," Jesse asked, his day brightening in front of him. "You have a boyfriend?"

"Why do you look so damn happy about that," she asked suspiciously.

"Because," Jesse paused, trying to form a believable lie. "Well you see I'm going on this camping trip with my friends next week and I was wondering if you would come? We really only need you to keep the numbers of boys and girls even, you will of course be sleeping with the other girls," he lied. "Besides, we need an expert as well."

"So you thought the Canadian would know everything about camping," she asked angrily.

"Yes," he bluntly said.

"Not every Canadian knows the wilderness but I do lucky for you but unlucky for you," she said, making Jesse's heart drop, "I don't want to make any friends in this stupid town. I have friends, I have a boyfriend, and the second I graduate I'm going back home to Vancouver to them. I don't need anything here to keep me down."

"But Aurora," Jesse pleaded for the first time in years.

"No," she declared. "I'm not going with you and don't bother to ask again. Now please leave."

Jesse huffed and stood up tall, leaning over her in her chair. "You have no idea what you just did woman."

"Tell me that again when I care," she seethed, kicking at his shins to make him back up. So far she hated Jesse and the entire town.

Jesse mumbled 'stupid bitch' under his breath before stomping out of her house. Only when he got to his own house did he realize that he was completely screwed.

...

"Keenan," India asked shocked after he opened the door to her office. "What are you doing here?"

"Your Dad let me in before he left for work," he said, stepping into the room and sitting down in the chair at the desk. "I hope you don't mind that I decided to stop by."

"Not at all." She smiled and exited out of her homework on the computer. "Is there a reason you came by?"

"Um well," he said, scratching the back of his neck with a grimace.

"You're not in any kind of trouble are you," she asked concerned. "Do you need money? Oh of course you don't."

"No," he laughed. "I wanted to invite to you some place but I want you to keep an open mind alright?"

"It's not a party is it," she asked skeptically. "I'm not allowed to go to those, my father says it dangerous."

"It's not a party," he laughed. "It's a camping trip, with me and my friends."

"A camping trip," she asked confused. "I've never been before. All I know is that it's in the wild and you have to eat gross food."

Keenan laughed again. He had always loved how innocent India was. "But you also get to eat s'mores. They are what makes camping fun after all."

"S'mores," she asked, suddenly excited. "I haven't had one since I was little. Oh I want another one!" She clapped her hands and jumped in her seat, clearly excited.

"Then come with us! It will be fun and you can have all the s'mores you desire."

"When is it," she asked.

"Over spring break, it's a weeklong trip up at a camp site a couple hours away."

"A couple hours," she asked.

"Okay," he sighed, "it's six hours away but it's a very safe place. Hardly any wild animals and there are forest rangers all over the place."

"I don't know though," she said sadly. "My father will never let me go. Why do you want to bring me anyways?"

"Because we're friends India," he said, reaching across the desk to grab her hand. "It's what friends do and let me deal with your father. I can convince him."

"Oh can you," she asked amused. "Look if you can get him to actually agree to this whole thing than I'll go with you."

"Really," he asked, very happy. She nodded and he jumped out of his seat in joy. "Well than you better start packing your bags now because I'm about to swoon your Dad so hard he'll get down on one knee for me."

He left her laughing in her office like a little school girl as he went back outside to his car. When he got in and had started the engine he had Aiden already on the phone.

"What's up man?"

"Luna Kale is your third option girl right," Keenan asked as he pulled away from the curb.

"Yeah but now I guess she's my second. Lucy has mono apparently," Aiden said sadly.

"No actually she's your first option."

"What do you mean?"

"You want me to beat Jesse right," Keenan asked even though he knew the answer.

"Of course."

"Then get Luna Kale to go camping with you. It will help me a lot."

"Anything to make Jesse lose," Aiden said.

Keenan had the perfect plan and no one was going to upset that. He would win and when he did he would make Jesse not just lose one thing he loved, but all of it. He was going to make sure Jesse left Greenfield and never, ever returned.