♥Chapter 21: ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ꜱʜᴇ ᴋɪᴄᴋꜱ ʜɪᴍ♥

❆Jake❆

Red strands of autumn hair cover the side of Kennedy's face. Soft sunlight pours from the window and falls on her form making her look every bit of an innocent angel.

If angels drool and fucking yell in their sleep that is.

Her constant murmurings and twitching woke me up hours ago.

I heard about people talking in their sleep but yelling?

She scares me half out of my fucking wits.

Last night when I asked her to sleep with me, I tensed at how she would take my words. I do want to fuck her but last night I only wanted her on my bed.

Of course, she'd think of my words as something like having a sleepover.

Last night, it took me hours to calm my bitch of a heart and get over the fact that she was actually on my bed.

Obviously, I'm still not over it since the same jittery feeling crosses my stomach every minute.

She looks so small, harmless and so innocent. She makes me want to wrench out my heart and hold it out to her.

It took me hours to fall asleep and even if I did, I couldn't rest properly with her beside me. My hand clutches her firmly, loving the feeling of her small and soft hand in mine.

I want to touch every part of her.

I want to feel her.

The first girl to sleep on my bed.

Kennedy stirs again in her sleep. She moves every five fucking minutes.

This time her eyes flutter open and squint as sunlight enters them.

She stirs again and moves closer to me where my body makes a small shadow on the bed.

My stomach clenches with her soft frame this close.

I restrain my hands from grabbing her and pressing her against me.

She rubs her eye with one hand, the other one still clutched in mine. There's so fucking way I'm letting her hand go yet.

Her bright green eyes blink up at me, still in a sleepy haze.

"Jake?"

Fuck.

Her voice.

Low and soft and so fucking perfect.

I caress my thumb on her palm in response.

She closes her eyes again and does a small stretch, "God, what time is it?"

"Seven," I answer.

Her eyes pop open and she gives me a look of disbelief.

"Seven?" She asks before shaking her head and closing her eyes. "Nope, it's too early. I'm going back to sleep. Goodnight, Jake."

My lips quirk up into an amused smile.

"You have school," I say, gently.

"What's a school?" She questions, still keeping her eyes close.

"Deepest pits of hell."

She chuckles, "For that, you win 'Who wants to be a millionaire?' with a million dollars."

A moment passes and then she lets out a sigh, opening her eyes.

"I hate sleeping while knowing that I have something to do." She says. "It doesn't give me a peaceful sleep. Also because once I wake up it's hard to go back to sleep."

I nod.

She lets her body stretch on the bed again before sleepily sitting up.

She moves to get off the bed but stops.

She looks at me and waits.

I stare back, admiring her morning face that glows softly with her hair wild and messy around her face.

"Jake," She says.

I raise an eyebrow in response.

"You're holding my hand." She says.

"I know."

She bites her lower lip, "You need to let go for me to leave."

"I don't want you to leave." Why the fuck do I sound like a kid?

A small laugh comes out of her mouth, "Trust me, spend a few more days with me and then you'll be booking my flight back to California."

"In your fucking dreams."

"I'm warning you." She gives a warning look. "I get really annoying."

"Like hell that's going to drive me away," I grumble.

That's true.

I'm already fucking addicted to watching her and couldn't keep my fucking flutters under control just watching her sleep.

She bites her lip again, smiling before giving a sorry look. "I'm sorry I drooled on your pillow."

"I'll wash them," I answer.

She nods, "Okay."

She goes to get down from the bed again but lets out a sigh when I don't let go of her hand.

"Jake, I have to pee!" She exasperates.

I give out a scowl before unwillingly unclasping my hand from hers.

She gives a smile of appreciation before hopping down from the bed and walking to the door.

I watch her small frame the entire time as she opens the door and walks out, closing the door softly behind her with a smile in my direction.

✯✯✯

I sit on my bed, rubbing a towel on my head after taking a shower. My thumb scrolls through my phone.

Someone yells downstairs.

I jolt in my place as Alex yells something followed by a wicked laugh.

With a frown on my face, I stand from my bed and rush out and down the stairs.

My legs slow down when the sight in front of me comes clear.

Alex is running after Kennedy who's running around the house with something glinting in her hand.

Alex's gun.

"Ken, child, please! That's a gun!" Lines of worry crease Alex's face as he runs after Kennedy. "I'll get you a toy one. Let that one go!"

Kennedy's response was to give a loud wicked laugh.

God, she's wild.

"I finally found your gun, Alex!" Kennedy states proudly then squeals when Alex almost grabs her hand.

She twists away and runs into the kitchen.

Alex chases Ken while she tries keeping herself across from him with the kitchen counter in between them.

How is Alex, a fucking police officer, not able to catch someone that small as Kennedy?

"I'm going to rule over the world!" Kennedy hollers.

"Kennedy!" Alex calls out to her.

"Who should I shoot first? You?" Kennedy points the gun at Alex but yelps and stumbles away when Alex almost catches her.

Finally having done, Alex jumps over the counter in a fluid motion and appears behind Kennedy. He grabs her arms and pins them to her sides.

With one arm, Alex keeps Ken pinned while the other hand untangles Kennedy's fingers from the gun.

Kennedy struggles but the gun eventually drops from her hand and onto Alex's.

Alex lets out a sigh of relief, letting Kennedy go while she scowls.

"These things are not safe, kid," Alex explains, noticing Kennedy's scowl.

"I just want a gun," Kennedy says, plopping herself on the barstool and picking up a donut. "You don't even let me touch the knives. Where are they by the way?"

She reaches into her pocket and pulls out her inhaler, taking two pumps from it.

Her eyes lock with mine.

She smiles immediately, "Jake."

Alex's body tenses a bit before turning around and noticing me on the stairs.

I straighten up, keeping a blank look on my face and nodding in Kennedy's direction.

"I held a gun again!" She grins at me, putting her inhaler back in her pocket.

Alex's eyebrows crease in confusion, "Again?"

Kennedy blinks before she realizes what she said.

"Uh yeah," She says, "I held a toy gun before. Let me tell you, it was fine plastic."

Alex believes her and sighs, seating himself on a chair.

Kennedy locks eyes with me again and smiles, "Breakfast?"

A tense feeling crawls up my spine. It's different being with Ken right now with someone else in the room.

More specifically, my father.

"Alex made waffles and you can share my donuts," Kennedy rambles on completely missing the uncertain moment going between Alex and me.

I forget what I used to do every morning.

Right, I used to get dressed and walk out.

Dress and walk out.

Dress and walk out.

Why am I not fucking walking out the door?

I start walking with the purpose of walking to the front door but curse and glare internally when my feet stir into the kitchen making Kennedy smile brightly and for Alex to tense up even more.

I sit beside Kennedy trying to ignore the sudden tight space in my chest.

I pointedly ignore Alex's eyes glancing at me from his breakfast.

"So I have a question," Kennedy starts, playing with the colourful sprinkles on her donut.

Alex and I wait for her to speak.

"Would I drown if I drank 10 litres of water, or would I just burst like a water balloon?"

Alex and I stare at her.

Kennedy stares back at us.

"I'm asking for future precautions," She says.

Alex and I look at each other and a small question goes between us.

'who's gonna answer her?'

I clench my jaw, looking down at my lap that clearly says that Alex should answer.

Alex sighs and looks at Kennedy's awaiting eyes, "Well, first of all, it's not possible to drink ten litres of water all at once. So I guess you don't need to worry about it because you can't."

"But what if someone's forcing me to drink?" She asks.

Alex gives a little smile, flicking his police badge with his fingers, "I'll come to your rescue."

"Thank you." Kennedy nods and smiles.

Alex glances at me once again and something tightens in my stomach.

"Why aren't you eating?" Kennedy asks and pushes a donut in my direction.

I look at the donut and can't bring myself to pick it up and eat it. I have nothing against donuts but something about right now is making me fucking uncomfortable.

Alex clears his throat, shifting in his seat "So...how is everyone doing?"

"Good," Kennedy smiles.

I feel Alex's eyes on me, but I don't say anything.

After a moment, Kennedy notices my silence and nudges my leg with her foot.

I look at her and she gives me a look that clearly says, 'Answer him'.

I slightly narrow my eyes. 'No'.

She nudges my leg again. 'Yes'.

My expression turns a bit hard. 'No'.

She kicks me this time. 'Yes'.

I kick her back. 'No'.

Her next kick comes harder. 'Yes.'

I kick harder too, and she yelps.

She quickly covers her yelp and gives Alex a nervous smile while rubbing her shin under the table, "Ants these days." She chuckles.

Alex furrows his eyebrows in confusion, "Ants?"

"Yeah, it bit me," Kennedy says, giving me a secret sideways glare.

"Want some cream or something?" Alex asks, moving to stand up.

"No, it's fine," Kennedy stops him. "It's just an ant bite."

Alex sits back, looking a bit uneasy before looking at his food.

Kennedy turns towards me and narrows her eyes.

'I'll get back at you.' She mouths.

A smirk lifts my mouth.

She looks away and picks up her half-eaten donut.

✯✯✯

✿Kennedy✿

I pack the rest of my books and zip up my bag. After taking two pumps from my inhaler, I walk out of the classroom and into the hallways.

It takes me seven seconds to realize that someone's calling my name from behind.

I stop and turn around in confusion.

A girl with short black hair cropped above her shoulders with black eyes walks up to me with a smile on her face.

She's at least a head taller than me with perfect curves that I could only imagine having.

"Hi." She stops in front of me with a bright smile, "You're Kennedy, right? The new student."

I blink at her, "Uh yeah."

"I'm Eve." She introduces herself.

"I'm Kennedy," I smile. "Oh wait, you already know my name." I laugh.

She smiles at me, "I've been wanting to talk to you, but I get busy all of a sudden."

"Really?" I ask.

I wonder how more people wanted to talk to me but got busy.

I get excited that she wants to talk to me.

"Yeah," Eve smiles before we start walking out of the school building.

"Where you from?" She asks me.

"Los Angeles, California," I answer.

The honk of a car gets my attention and I turn my head ahead to see Jake looking at me, impatiently.

"Get the fuck over here before Corey comes out!" He yells across the school lawn through his open window.

"Did someone say my name?" Corey pops out of nowhere from behind Jake's car, grinning and shining like his usual self.

"Ah fuck!" Jake grumbles, holding a hand to his forehead in resignation.

"Hello - bruv a!" Corey greets Jake in a British accent.

"Where the fuck did you pop out from?" Jake glares.

"My mom's vagina," Corey answers, flatly.

Jake narrows his eyes and Corey laughs.

"I was heading right this way before you called out to, Ken."

Why do boys talk so flipping loud?

The whole school can hear them.

"Hi, Ken!" Corey waves out to me.

"Hi, Corey!" I wave back.

"Kennedy!" Jake yells, "Why aren't you walking over here right now?"

"What's wrong with waiting for five minutes?" Corey asks, propping himself against Jake's car and talking to him, "Toothy left home early cos of a food poisoning thing. Ergh, she has the nastiest vomits."

"Corey and Jake." Eve lets out a dreamy sigh, standing beside me.

I almost forget she's standing beside me. I'm not used to having people around me except for Jake, Corey and Toothy now.

"You know them?" I ask.

She gives me a look as if I said I don't know what grass is.

"Know them? Obviously." She gives me a wide-eyed excited look. "I mean look at them. Jake's an old student, football star and Corey is so damn charming and famous and hot. They're both just so hot."

"Yeah, they're nice." I play with the hem of my dress. For some reason, I don't like her tone when she speaks about Jake.

"You must be really lucky," Eve gives a pout in my direction. "You get to hang with them all the time, being friends with them and all."

I actually live in Jake's house...

"Yeah, it's great," I say, keeping my replies short and clipped.

"I really like your eyes," Eve continues, "I've always wanted green eyes."

Don't.

Don't.

Don't.

"Thank you! I really like your eyes too! They're so pretty!" I grin with excitement.

Dang, it!

Eve smiles and stops when something catches her eye, "Here comes my boyfriend." She says looking at a guy walking towards us, "Wanna exchange numbers before I go?"

Stranger danger!

I smile, "Sure,"

We exchange numbers and she detaches herself from me and walks toward the guy with glasses and black hair.

"Shut. The fuck. Up!"

Jake's yelling catches my attention and I turn my eyes toward Corey and Jake.

Making my way over to Jake's car, I see him glaring in annoyance.

"Wow you came too fucking early," Jake grumbles sarcastically as I stop in front of him.

"I was talking to this girl," I say.

"Done?" He asks and I nod, "Now get in. And you," he looks at Corey, "piss off."

Corey gives him a sour look, "Geez, man. Someone shit in your cereal?"

"He doesn't eat cereal," I say.

Jake and Corey stare at me.

"Right..." Corey nods before giving me a smile and a salute, walking away.

I get into the car and buckle my seatbelt.

✄ ✄ ✄ ✄

Words: 2,500

Date of posting: 29th March 2022