Yay! Chater 9 is offically up! Enjoy, my lovely readers, and I apologize for taking so long to update! :) Landon Liboiron on the side as Spencer!

*unedited*

***

I think it's safe to say that Jacen was more or less extremely pissed at me, and decided that I was not going work that night.

I had asked him why not, and he said that after what I made him go through, I could miss a day. Plus with my amazing acting skills, I could make up a lie and get myself off the hook next time I went.

So now I am at his house in his game room, pacing furiously. Tonight I was supposed to be getting my paycheck for the month of August, but I guess I can't now. That's the money I was going to use to go shopping tomorrow. Now what am I going to do? I can't call another rain check on Jo. I mean I'm sure she'd understand since she knows about my situation, but that's extremely embarrassing to admit that I don't have enough money.

I huffed out an irritated breath.

"Will you sit down?" Jacen asked from one of the couches as he watched me, amused.

"Will you shut up?" I snapped.

I heard the couch groan in protest as he stood up. He gently wrapped his hand around my arm, pulling me in the direction of the couch. I moved loosely with him, wanting to protest, but too tired to do so.

"Sit." Demanding are we?

"God, this is so screwed up," I muttered with my head in my hands. My mind had wandered from work to the three day trip in three days.

I have more dire problems then not having a swimsuit. I had almost forgotten that I am roommates with the Devil himself.

"What?" Jacen said.

Does he know how to mind his own business? He doesn't need to know the answers to my life.

"Nothing."

"Your attitude has undergone a complete three-sixty from earlier. You're thinking about the trip aren't you?" He asked disapprovingly.

"If you already knew the answer then why are you asking?" I snapped, irritated.

"It's three days, you'll live," he said. That sentence just showed me how little he knew about the bigger picture. Even though he was probably clueless to the fact that that sentence was rather insulting to me, I didn't make me any less annoyed.

"Will you take me home?" I asked sharply after a short silence.

He looked at me as if he were trying to figure out a puzzle. "Why?" He asked.

"Is it against the law for me to want to return to my humble abode?" I asked spastically, fed up with all of his stupid questions.

"No but-" I cut him off.

"Then take me home."

Call me a brat, but I really needed to get my mind off of everything. I'm already ahead in my studies, so I have no homework. Which meant sleep. The second my head hits my pillow, it's not coming off until six forty-five tomorrow morning.

I made my way to the door, not pausing for a second to check if Jacen was right behind me.

I knew he was, because I could feel his stare burning a hole in my shoulder.

***

"Thanks for the ride," I said timidly after he didn't say anything once he cut the engine. He continued to look straight ahead. I felt bad, but wanted to give him some space.

Taking this as my signal to leave, I grabbed my bag from off of the floor, and placing my hand on the handle. Right as I was about to pull it open, Jacen locked all of the doors.

My head snapped over to him. "What are you-"

"We were being followed the entire way here," he said. He raised his hand and pointed to the black car at the corner of the street. I had to squint to see it.

Although I'm completely freaked, I applaud the strategy. Black car in the darkness, perfect for stalking.

"And you didn't feel the need to inform me about that earlier?" I asked. What's the point of waiting to get all the way to my house, and then telling me? "Now they know where I live you idiot!" I said angrily.

"Well what do they want?" I asked after he didn't answer me. He ran his fingers through his hair, something I noticed he does when he is thinking.

"Well I'm not positive, but I have a fairly good guess," he said glancing at me. It took me a while, but then I caught on.

"Me?" I croaked out, already knowing the answer. I don't know why I'm surprised; it should have been expected by now. Jacen didn't respond, just kept his eyes on the car visible in the rearview mirror.

He started the engine up once again, startling me. I pushed one hand against the car window and the other on the armrest.

"What are you doing?" I asked breathlessly.

"Starting the car," he said slowly as if I was four years old and needed to be talked to in that manner.

"You know, the sarcasm is not necessary." I rebutted.

He looked behind him after putting the car in reverse, backing the car out slowly.

"I meant what are you doing, as in what are you doing driving me away from my destination?" I looked at him once we had left my neighborhood.

"I don't know Zaph, let's see. Maybe I'm trying to make sure that the second you get out of the car, there isn't a gun being held to your head." he growled.

I looked at him with a giddy smile on his face. "You care about me."

Jacen cleared his throat, looking very uncomfortable. "I do not. Watching someone get killed three feet away isn't at the top of my to do list."

I think it would depend on the person. "Why are you the leader of the most feared group in school? You're more annoying than anything else. Plus, even if that were true, you're in a gang, so I think you'd have been used to people dropping dead at your feet."

Jacen's expression became stony as he said, "You never get used to it."

I shut up after that, feeling slightly guilty by his reaction that I had caused.

After I got bored of staring at the blurred outlines of trees, I looked in his rearview mirror. I don't now long ago it happened, but the black car wasn't following us anymore.

"Where are you taking me? The men are gone now," I asked him, turning back around.

"I don't want you to go home, I'm sure that-"

"My mom already wants to murder me for coming home late a few days ago, do you really think its a smart idea for it to happen again?" My voice rose at him. There was no way I was going to show up late again when my curfew had never been something for my mom to worry about in the past.

"Look Zaph, if I take you home now, there won't be anyone there to get mad at you. These guys, they don't stop until they get what they came for, even if it means wiping out everyone within a ten-mile radius of you. So until we get everything settled out, I think it's best that you just trust me," he pleaded but didn't really leave room for me to argue.

"Who died and made you King of the world," I said incredulously, staring him down. It had suddenly occurred to me that in situations such as these, I would put up a fight at first, but would eventually give in to his commands. As to why, I'm not really sure.

Considering how smart I believe myself to be, I should know better that to put my life in the hands of a brooding stranger.

He sighed in a defeated manner as he checked his rearview mirror, and slowed as he approached a crumbling curbside. He parked the car and sat back for a minute, before turning to face me in his seat.

I could tell that whatever was about to come out of his mouth was going to be important. The way his jaw kept clenching and unclenching, the way his knuckles were turning white from gripping the steering wheel, the way his taut muscles flexed beneath his navy blue shirt were all indicators of how serious the situation really was, and how much it was affecting him.

Although I'm not really sure which situation it was since there is also the whole thing with Axle and that group of guys that were beating him up, but I think have a pretty good idea.

The silence was deafening as I fumbled with my fingers as a distraction. I looked everywhere except at Jacen, whose eyes were burning a hole into the side of my head.

"Zaph, I need to know something," Jacen whispered. After a small pause he spoke up again.

"What happened with your father?"

Memories of my father flooded my memories. All of the times that he and I bought ice cream, took me fishing at the local river where I caught my first fish, and all my wonderful memories of the first father figure in my life. Jacen reminded me of those good times, which suddenly came bursting back.

But Jacen also reminded me of the time that he left. Just like that. He packed his bags, and without another word, left us without looking back.

No note, no warning.

However, within the silent getaway were a thousand unspoken words of understanding for my mom and I. He could spend all of the money in the world, but would leave the consequences of those actions for other people to suffer from.

And for making those old emotions resurface without preparation, not giving me time to build up my wall of protection, my resentment towards Jacen was steadily building.

"You're an asshole," I said, eyes burning with tears. Was he really that high on his pedestal that he believes he can just know the answer to my problems? He shouldn't even know who my father is, let alone what happened to him. I am starting to question whom the bad guys and the good guys are.

"Take me home." I rested my head on the car window. I felt sick.

"Zaph, you know you-" I cut him off.

"Can talk to you about anything? Stop saying that! You may think so, but I don't Jacen, and I really don't appreciate you bringing up a sore subject that you shouldn't even know about."

"You may not have the best people skills and I know I can't really talk either, but I assumed you would know better-" my breath hitched as Jacen reached up for my cheek, and for some reason, I didn't flinch or shy away; in fact, it felt normal, in some weird sense, and I sighed into his warm palm.

You're mad at him! And creeped out by his knowledge of you! My mind screamed.

But as I lifted my eyes to meet his, I immediately forgot what I had been ranting about about ten seconds previous to now. I placed my hand on his rapidly pounding chest, his breath coming out in quick pants. I guess the effect he had on me was mutual. My eyes met his and the moment our eyes connected, Jacen slowly leaned forward, his lips now an inch away from mine.

Dad.

And at that moment I snapped out of whatever trance I was in, pushing at Jacen's chest, and bracing my hands on the car door behind me. Jacen and I looked at each other in shock; my shock was from almost kissing him, whereas his was that I pushed him away with a strength neither of us knew I possessed.

"Whoa," he said breathlessly in between pants. We kept eye contact as I replied, "Uhh..."

"OK well, um, are we... are we going to a motel or something?"

Wow Zaph, A motel!

Try to be a little bit more thirsty.

"You know, not because I want to, like, do anything to you!" I yelled, frantic for him to understand what I meant, but screwing it up even more.

"Not that I would do anything to you," my sentence faded as Jacen's eyebrows rose and a tiny smile lifted on one side of his face.

"I'm just going to be quiet," I mumbled as I slid down in the chair completely embarrassed by what just came out of my mouth. "I'm still mad at you anyways," I added loud enough for him to hear.

After about a fifteen-minute drive, we pulled up to a decent looking hotel, and the second Jacen parked the car, I was a goner. I grabbed my purse and ran until I approached the revolving door, which was currently turning at a slow pace, the result of someone walking through a few seconds before me.

Jacen bumped into me, making me stumble forwards but quickly backpedal in fear of going through. Jacen turned when he saw I wasn't moving.

"What?" He said in a cranky voice. He always has an ugly attitude, that's for sure.

"I am not going through that," I spat out cursing the inventor of such an awful contraption. I fear revolving doors.

I had an unfortunate incident when I was younger, and after that, I vowed to never again go through a revolving door. Ever.

"Why?" Jacen groaned rubbing his eyes with his thumb and index finger, the signs of fatigue setting in.

"It's evil!" I shouted, pointing at the door.

"It's a door Zaph! Just hurry up and get your ass inside!"

I cocked my hip, placing a gloved hand on it. "Not with that attitude I won't!" I said, stalling.

"Sit in the cold for all I care," and with that, Jacen walked in the revolving piece of crap, and walked through the lobby to the counter, person guy, whatever it's called.

"I'm actually standing smart ass." I stood outside, now alone, trying my hardest to put one foot in front of the other until I am in the warmth of the hotel.

For September, it was pretty chilly.

"Ok," I started, about to give myself a pep talk. "All you have to do Zaph is step into a slot and push. That's it," I said loitering outside, probably looking like a patient that recently escaped from an insane asylum.

My feet were moving quickly as I prepared to go through.

"Excuse me young lady, I have groceries that I need help carrying, do you mind lending a hand to an old man? I know how you youngsters are today. When I was a boy-"

"I'll help!" I said cutting him off quickly. Not even in an alternate universe would I want to hear some stranger's 'when I was a boy' speech. They are all like two hours long.

"Thank you honey bun," he said turning around ever so slowly with his wooden cane.

He started walking off back into the parking lot, with me following close behind.

"So, are we getting any closer?" I asked at the man after a while. It felt like we had been walking for quiet a while, longer than it should have taken.

"Almost there," the man said. I couldn't place the emotion I heard in his voice, but it sent chills down my spine, and unfortunately not the kind I had earlier with Jacen in a close proximity.

"Umm ok," I said, but mainly to myself as I examined my dark and shadowed surroundings.

"Here we are," the man said, pausing when we were at the back of the parking lot. There were two black cars next to each other with empty spaces around them both. Why would one feel the need to park directly next to another with so many available spots around them?

I paused a few feet away from the car, my conscious screaming at me to turn around and bolt as quickly as I could. The man continued the walk towards the first black car, but not before I heard him whisper, "I'm sorry Zaph."

Yep, definitely time to bolt. This shit was becoming creepy too fast.

A car door opened, and then another door, and then another, and another, and soon enough there were about 15 men standing in front of me. They were all very sturdy looking, which made me wonder how they all fit into those two cars...

"That's why I don't help old people," I mutter to myself, before quickly turning my body in the direction of the glowing hotel and ran as fast as my legs would carry me. Am I the only one noticing a pattern of me being chased?

The men's heavy footsteps resonated throughout the rather quiet parking lot as they ran after me. Surprisingly, as I approached the revolving door, all of those fears flew out of the window. I think I was more afraid of what would happen if I didn't go through the revolving door.

I pushed as hard as I could, looking behind me for a quick second to see that the distance between those guys and me was simply a glass segment.

Thank God for revolving doors.

I glanced through the lobby, hoping to see the familiar overbearing figure of Jacen while the men behind me were in hot pursue. I wrapped my hand around a large and thick beige pillar, quickly changing direction as I spotted my target.

"Jacen!" I yelled out at the dark haired boy about to get on the elevator with his wallet and keys in hand.

I wrapped my hand around his and pulled myself behind him, as he crouched in a defensive stance in front of me when he finally noticed what the source of the racket was.

"C'mon Matthews, do you really expect to take on all of us?" A bulky man with an X tattoo on his shoulder said with a smirk, crossing his meaty arms.

"If you have forgotten, I have done it before Kurt," Jacen spat out, his voice dripping with hatred. I almost let out a chuckle. His name is Kurt? His intimating personality kind of lessened with that piece of information. The name Kurt made me think of curdled milk for some reason.

So this guy went from downright scary, to sour cow juice.

But I pulled myself back into reality since this definitely not a time to joke around, and also because I was curious as to what Kurt meant.

They had obviously met before, Jacen and Kurt, but where? I wonder if there had been some epic gang battle full of battle scars and shit. That'd be cool.

Kurt let out a low growl. "Xander knew this it would happen eventually, he just failed to fill us in--"

"Watch was you say!" Jacen shouted, his head turning slightly towards me. Kurt was silent for a moment before an ugly smile of realization flashed across his face.

He whistled. "You haven't told her yet have you?"

I spoke up at this moment. "Told me what?" Jacen didn't answer.

Kurt chuckled. "You are really in deep shit this time Matthews," he said, ignoring my question.

I gripped Jacen's bicep (and boy was that firm... I'm a perv...) trying to make him turn slightly in my direction. "Told me what?" I whispered to him. Jacen's eyes pleaded with me to understand something, but I couldn't' figure out what it was.

"I'll explain everything later, I promise ok?" Jacen said gently.

"How sweet. Sorry to break up your little lover's moment, but we came here for one thing, and we intend to get it before the night is over." Kurt said, inching his way towards us, his little minions were slinking forward as well.

Well, not little, but you know what I mean.

My heart rate increased as my breaths became shallow. I was definitely still afraid of Sour Cow Juice. "Zaph when I say go, I want you to run up the stair case on your left, and go up three levels. Run down that hallway and pull the first fire alarm you see, and if you get the reaction I hope you will get, I want you to go into any room you see, open the window and jump. Run until you see my car and hop in, it should be unlocked, but make sure you duck down." Jacen murmured to me.

How the hell did he have time to think this through?

Kurt then declared his impatience and took swift steps towards us, his hands extended.

But he only grabbed air, because in that exact moment, Jacen yelled go, and I was off, towards the staircase. Kurt let out a feral growl as he shouted to a few other men to follow him, and left the rest to deal with Jacen.

Please be safe.

I reached the top of the first flight of stairs. I was exhausted just from that one flight, but I couldn't stop. Not with Kurt so close to me.

I grabbed the railing as I pulled my legs up so I wouldn't trip.

I felt myself being yanked back as I had just reached the top of the second floor. I yelped in protest, as Kurt continued to tug on my shirt. I thank the lord for my hand on the railing or else I would have already toppled into him.

I pulled my leg up to my chest and pushed it back, kicking Kurt in his chest, hard enough for him to stumble back and grip the lifesaving rail for support.

I took no time in examining the damage I had done, which got me a slight lead, since I doubt Kurt had been expecting my kick.

I reached the top of the third floor, quickly pulling open the door to the hallway that led to the rooms.

Luckily, a fire alarm was located right outside of the door, so I pulled it and ran down the hallway as I watched confused and frightened guests running out of their rooms in the opposite direction that I was going in, fortunately taking some of Kurt's men away with them.

I quickly entered a random room, and locked the door, wedging a chair underneath it at the exact moment that the door started shaking.

I jogged to the window, and unhooked the rusty latch, pulling up the window that separated me from darkness.

I crouched down in a cat like stance on the windowsill, trying to prepare myself for the jump. However the men in the hallway had other plans, as the door burst open, the chair splinteing into pieces at the force.

"You better not-"

"Adios bitchachos."

I did a two fingered salute, pleasantly surprised at how I was able to smile at a time like now. I closed my eyes for a brief second.

And then I jumped.

Not much of a cliffhanger, but plenty of action in this chapter and more to come along to way!

xoxo,

jean margaret :)