♥Chapter 7: ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ꜱʜᴇ ɴᴇᴇᴅꜱ ᴛᴜᴛᴏʀɪɴɢ♥

✿Kennedy✿

My eyes open in the middle of the night once again and I find myself getting annoyed at this. There must be something cursed about this bed.

I slide down the bed and creep towards the door. Trying to be extra silent, I walk out. Gazing at Jake's shut door for a while, I decide on whether or not to barge in pretend to be the S.W.A.T team.

He'd kick me out of the house.

I creep downstairs and almost scream, noticing a shadowy figure in the dark living room.

"Oh mama, I don't think my heart wants to go back into my body after you scared me like that." I place my hand on my drumming heart, taking in a breath of relief.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Jake glares at me from the dark.

I can't even see his eyes but still, he manages to turn my cheeks warm.

I can only see the outline of his large body stretched out on the couch.

"I couldn't sleep," I reply and walk over towards him. 

I can't see crap in the dark.

Finding my way to the couch by touching around and feeling stuff, I sit down. My butt sits on something large and warm and for a moment I think I sat on one of my toys. Until that thing moves.

I spring up with a gasp and catch whatever I sat on. Hard and warm skin rubs against mine and it takes me two solid seconds to realize it's Jake's hand.

My cheeks flame in embarrassment, "Sorry for sitting on your hand. I didn't see it. You know? Cos of the dark."

He doesn't reply and I think he isn't going to. But then his voice says lowly in the dark. "I didn't mind." It makes weird things flop around in my stomach.

What would happen if Jake sat on me?

I shake my head. Why am I thinking that?

Realizing I'm still holding Jake's hand, I quickly let it go. I didn't want to though. I want his hand to touch me. What's wrong with me?

After making sure there are no more hands, I place my butt back on the couch.

"So?" I start, smiling, "'Sup?"

I can feel his glare on my face. It still kinda hurts that he hates me.

"What's your last name?" I ask.

I expect a 'shut up' or 'get the eff out'. 

"Knight," he replies instead 

Wow. Hot.

"And your middle name?" I ask.

"Archer." He replies, his voice deep within his chest.

"So your initials pronounce JAK. It almost spells your entire name." I laugh. "My initials pronounce KEK. Kennedy Emerson Kinsey. Kinda sounds like cake, doesn't it?"

"Should'a fuckin' named you blabbermouth." He snaps.

"Should'a freakin' named you Grinch." I fire back.

His hand clamps down on my bare thigh, and I almost squeaked.

I quickly send a prayer above. 

"Uh, Miss?" I say, my cheeks turning warm. "Your hand is on my thigh."

"I know." He replies.

Oh.

I wish I could see his face, but I can only make out the outline of his head and shoulders.

Without even thinking, I place my hand on his shoulder, feeling him.

His body goes rigid at that while I remind myself to slap the living daylights out of myself after this.

"What are you doing?" He asks.

"You have strong shoulders." I blurt.

I wonder if he could carry me on his shoulder.

Nope. Stop thinking about it.

When he doesn't respond, I take it as a slight invitation and squeeze his shoulder. Oh mama. He's got some dang muscles. My hand doesn't even cover up his entire shoulder.

I continue giving his shoulder gentle squeezes that turn out into me massaging his shoulders. His body loosens and I internally give a smug look. My hands have magic.

A few moments pass and I grow slightly uncomfortable with the position I'm in. I can't reach his shoulders properly with me sitting beside him.

Two arms clamp on my waist and for point two seconds I thought some snake is grabbing me in the dark. Jake pulls me towards him until I'm straddling his lap. My face grows hot with my eyes wide as the moon.

"Better?" I question.

He leans his large frame back onto the couch, finding my hands in the dark and placing them on his shoulders. "Continue."

A gulp goes down my throat as I continue massaging his shoulders.

My body goes slightly tense when his hands fall on my sides, resting on my hips.

Yeah, I got some dang hips. Feel those curves.

For a while, I continue massaging his shoulders while he rests relaxedly. I'm pretty sure I look like a teddy bear on his lap.

My arms start to hurt, and I let them fall off his shoulders. Jake lets out a sound that almost sounds like a groan of protest. He wants me to continue?

But my arms will fall off if I do.

"Oh, I just remembered," I say. "I didn't use my inhaler in a while."

I move from his lap but gasp when his hands tighten on my hips.

"You don't want me to move?" I ask.

The outline of his head shakes.

"But then I'll start coughing at your face."

His hands slide up to my waist, tightening his hold. He doesn't mind people coughing on his face? He must catch a lot of diseases then.

"Why were you awake?" I ask.

"Stop talking," He grumbles and I almost scoffed. He's rude even in the middle of the night.

"Then what do you want to do?" I cross my arms against my chest. "You won't even turn on the lights so I can finally stop feeling blind, you don't wanna talk, you don't wanna sleep, you don't wanna-"

His lips peck mine.

My mouth falls open with my hand covering it as my eyes grow wide.

Did Jake just touch my lips? With his?

Am I still sleeping and dreaming?

I can't even see his face in this stupid darkness.

"D-did you just kiss me?" I blink.

His shoulders shrug, "You asked what you wanna do."

He wanted to kiss me?

My first kiss.

I try calming myself down. Chill, baby. It was just a peck. We didn't get all smoochy. So it doesn't have to be considered a kiss, right?

I want to kiss and lick his lips.

Where did that come from?

"So you did that?" I ask.

"Want me to do it again."

Yes, please.

My face turns hot, "Um...I guess I'll just go to sleep or something now."

Or probably roll around the floor and think about what just happened.

"Oh now, you wanna leave?" His tone suddenly drops to a nasty one making me confused.

Did I do something wrong?

Was I supposed to peck him back?

I furrow my eyebrows, "What?"

"That's all you wanted right? Fucking attention. Been hogging my back since you fucking got here? If you want more than that then I'd happily give it to you, fucking attention beggar." His nasty vicious voice continues.

I don't want to sit on his lap anymore.

I don't want to see his face anymore.

I don't want him to touch me anymore.

My eyes tear up and I shamefully get down his lap.

What have I done to him?

Did I do something wrong?

I walk up the stairs one by one, a heavy feeling of sadness enveloping my chest.

Am I really an attention beggar? 

All I wanted was to make a friend.

Loneliness seems to attack me instantly once I'm in my room with the door closed. The tears fall quicker, and I've never wished for my parents right now more than ever.

Sometimes I think about why God took away my parents and left me alone in this world.

Maybe it was to punish me for something I've unknowingly done.

And maybe the punishment is in the form of Jake.

Since I couldn't stop thinking about him or help but feel attracted towards him.

Am I really an attention seeker?

I just feel alone.

I mean how else are you supposed to feel when the two most important people in your life are suddenly snatched away from you?

Alone.

Maybe I am supposed to feel that way for a little longer before starting to make new friends.

All alone.

✯✯✯

I walk by myself to the breakfast table and sit down to eat.

Alex sits across me eating a piece of bread and coffee. He's dressed in his police uniform while I'm dressed in a mini floral blue sundress.

"Why are you so quiet?" Alex asks after a while, looking at me. "Not that I want you to start talking. It's just unusual of you to remain quiet."

Because whenever I speak, your son tells me to shut up.  

I give a small shrug, nibbling on a donut. "I'm just a little down today."

His eyes turn a bit worried, panicked even. "Something wrong?"

I shake my head, assuring him with a smile. "Nothing's wrong, don't worry. I'm just not in the mood today."

Why's he panicking?

He nods and smiles back, looking back to his newspaper. People still read newspapers?

I make a mental note of walking around eggshells with Alex since he seems to get worried about things too easily that concern me or Jake.

Jake.

I take a huge bite of my donut while imagining I'm biting off his head.

Bite off his nose and mouth.

Where did that come from?

Almost on cue, the person going around in my mind comes into view and walks, as usual, silently out the door without a greeting or glance.

Doesn't he have breakfast? I've never seen him eat anything.

Stop thinking about him.

I look over to Alex who was biting his lip, unknowingly gazing at the front door from where Jake just walked away.

He must feel alone too without Jake giving him any time or anything related to the son-father thing.

Kennedy to the rescue!

"Alex." I turn towards him, a smile brightening my face. "I need to buy something, but I don't know where the stores are. Will you take me after your work?"

He immediately nods. "Yeah, yeah, sure. Want me to come early?"

I shrug, "Any time is fine."

"I'll take you wherever you want." He says.

I nod back and smile.

Maybe telling Alex to come with me was just an excuse to be not left alone. 

I walk-or limp-into the school hallways after Alex drops me off to school.

I walk into English class and notice Mr. Mark behind his desk, sipping on a cup of coffee.

I wish I could drink coffee, but Gary stops me from it, saying I shouldn't be addicted to those kinds of things. Also, it's bad for my asthma.

Gary has a serious case of mouth diarrhea.

Mr. Mark notices me enter the class and shoots me a wide, strange kind of smile. I hesitantly smile back and sit down in my seat.

Maybe that's just the way he normally smiles.

I remember a man smiling very crookedly because he got punched near his mouth and couldn't lift up a corner of his lip.

Oh, wait that was just Gary when I accidentally swung a TV remote at his face while trying to show him an extraordinary coloured button.

Poor man never smiled at me after that.

He did heal within a week though.

After school, I limp out of the building to see Jake's car already waiting for me.

My body turns a bit rigid at the sight of him through the car window.

He has such handsome features.

But such a rude personality.

I don't want to get into that car with him there.

I do want to get into the car with him.

Should I make a run for it?

Would Jake notice me and run me over with his car?

He better not. I still have a full life to live.

Right when I'm coming to a final decision about what to do, an annoyed voice calls my name.

"Kennedy!"

I look up to see Jake's glaring eyes pierce mine through the now open window.

"Quickly get the fuck in!"

His yell attracts a few people's eyes around us, and my cheeks turn red in embarrassment. Does he have to be vulgar in front of everybody?

"Ayo! What are you doing here again?" A different voice yells charmingly and I look up to see Corey crossing the street from his school towards Jake's car. "Failed college and came to repeat high school?" 

"Ah fuck." Jake groans.

"Ah fuck to you too," Corey reaches in and slaps Jake's head.

Do guys have to talk that loud? I'm standing quite a few feet away from them, but I can still hear them talking. 

Corey notices me and lifts his hand to wave at me. "Hey."

I wave back before walking in his direction.

From how much I know Corey, he's the social butterfly.

I wanted to be a social butterfly too, but I can't bring myself to sit in one place and stare at my phone for more than a few minutes. I just have to constantly move around.

Before I can near Jake and Corey further, someone stops me from behind.

"May I speak to you?"

I turn around to find my English teacher, Mark Shane, smiling down at me.

I smile back before asking, "Yes?"

He fixes his glasses on his nose, "I've been noticing something about you during class."

My fingers fiddle with my hair, "What?"

"You seem to be a little weak in my subject." He speaks.

I'm weak in every subject. No hiding there. 

But I try being good at English. I try reading books, I try reading articles, I try reading other people's chats.

"I heard from the principal that you've skipped a whole year of school." Mr. Mark continues. "Maybe that's why you've fallen behind."

"Um maybe." I bit my lip.

His smile stretches. "I have a solution for that."

"What?"

"You need extra tutoring."

I never thought about having a tutor. Maybe I should have one. I don't like failing any class. Dad always used to tell me to smash and pass each and every class and that if I fail, he'll smash and pass my weekends.

"That sounds nice," I say then brighten up when an idea pops into my mind. "Maybe I can ask Corey to be my tutor. I'll even try to make him my friend. Then I'll make Toothy also my friend." I want to say Jake's name too but seeming that he wants nothing to do with me after last night, I keep quiet.

He makes a face without meaning too, "Corey? Trust me, if he tutors you, you'll never graduate. Toothy? She's a better option or maybe..." he says, "why don't the teacher himself tutor you? I'll teach you everything and explain every topic as per you want." 

"Oh, really?" I blink, not expecting that. "I don't know...I don't want to disturb you."

He smiles again, "It's not disturbing when a student wants help from a teacher."

"Yeah..." I nod thoughtfully then shrug, "As long as I'm passing my classes, right?"

He nods then fishes out a piece of paper from his folder and hands it to me.

"There's my number." He says as I take the paper from him. "Message me during the weekends and hopefully we'll be starting with your extra classes."

I nod, reading the numbers on paper. His phone number doesn't have a zero in it. 

"Very well then." Mark says, "Off you-"

"For the last fucking time!" Jake suddenly yells. "You coming or should I leave your ass here to walk home all alone?"

I turn around with my cheeks turning pink to see Jake glaring at me. Corey and Toothy are looking at me too.

"Jake Knight," Mark mutters something unhappy under his breath. "My old student. Smartass," He says before looking at me and giving a nod.

When he walks away, I walk to the car getting ready to hear more of Jake's angry complaints.

"What did the asshole want?" Jake glares as I wave Corey a 'hi' and stand beside him.

I tuck my hair behind my ear, not meeting Jake's eyes. "He said I need extra classes because I'm falling behind in his class."

Jake's eyes narrow, "Oh yeah?"

I nod.

"I know I'm bad at Math," Toothy speaks, playing with a ring on her finger.

"That's a nice ring," I say.

She blinks in surprise, her hands hiding the ring from my view, "Uh thanks."

I offer her a smile but she doesn't return it, looking highly uncomfortable. Instead, she turns around and sits in the backseat of Jake's car.

Corey bangs the bonnet of the car, getting Jake's attention. "Drive us, fucker."

Jake glares at Corey but says nothing as Corey and I get into the car.

✄ ✄ ✄ ✄

What's your reading goal this year?

Words: 2,860

Date of posting: 21st March 2022