Waiting outside the lines

Chapter 20

I look at him confused. "You mean Jake. Jake has a record." I say emphasizing Jake's name.
"No Janet. Wayne has a record with the police." He says it slowly as if trying to help me understand his words. But I heard him clearly and he's wrong... Right?.. Yea he has to be wrong.
"No Jeremy you're confused. He would tel-" I stop realizing that must be what Wayne wanted to talk to me about. A rush of anger goes through me. Why didn't Wayne tell me before? He had plenty of chances to tell me! Why didn't he?
I laugh at myself for being so stupid. Of course he has a record. That's why he acts so weird around police and why Jeremy looked at him like he knew him. That's probably why he moved here and what Jake was talking about that one day in the mountains when Wayne didn't help me. All the pieces were coming together now.
Even though I was really mad, something in the back of my mind was telling me that Jeremy had to be wrong. I have a feeling Jake has something to do with it. I don't know how but he does.
I'm so into my thoughts I forget Jeremy's there.
"Look, I'm sorry that you had to find out this way but its better that you know." That made me mad.
"Oh my gosh Jeremy. Don't give me that crap." He looks at me with wide eyes.
I said that because he doesn't care about how I find out. He just cares that I know and that I don't see or talk to Wayne again. I know he doesn't like Wayne but he doesn't even know him!
Then I think of a question that I'm afraid to ask. "What did.." I sigh then decide to just ask. "What did he do?" I hold my breath waiting for his response. Jeremy shakes his head,"Jay, don't ask me that."
"And why not?!" I yell kinda loud.
"I'm not the one who should tell you!" He yells back.
"Oh now you care what you tell me?! You didn't seem to care when you told me about Wayne's 'record'" I use finger quotations when I say record.
"No it's not a 'record' it's a record okay! And I told you that because he wouldn't have told you and you need to know!" By now we're both yelling.
"Oh you don't think he was gonna tell me? Well for your information he was going to talk to me after I dropped my brother off." I give Jeremy a smirk but then realize what I just did. My smirk turns into a frown in a second. "Wait what'd you just say?" He asks.
"I.. asked if you really thought he wasn't going to tell me."
Tom and Lenny come back. Amazing timing! They must have heard us yelling. "Hey Jeremy, everything okay?" Lenny asks.
"Everything's fine, what did you just say Janet? You know where Wayne is?"
"I didn't say that." I stand there silent, hating myself for being stupid enough to say I was gonna meet up with Wayne. Especially when they're looking for him.
"What's going on Jeremy? The girl knows where the kid is?" Tom asks. What is with him and not saying names?
Jeremy puts his hand up as is if telling Tom to wait.
"Janet tell me where you're going to meet Wayne." I try to think and put a straight face on. "I didn't mean that. I just got mad and wanted to tell you off."
He looks at me, not convinced.
"Stop lying Jay. You know I can arrest you if you don't tell me."
I glare at him. "Oh so first you want to help me and now you want to arrest me. I guess my uncle was right. No cop does things just to help others. They do things to get something out of it later." He pulls me to the side away from Lenny and Tom. "Be quiet Jay. You know I did that for you guys and your uncle. I need to know where your friend is before he hurts someone else. You don't know what he did."
"Then why don't you.." I stop knowing no matter what I say he won't tell me. What I need to do now is somehow tell Wayne what's going on and that they're looking for him. I continue,"Just forget it." Then I get an idea and yell really loud,"SO YOU WANT ME TO TURN IN MY BEST FRIEND BECAUSE YOU THINK HE RIGGED JAKE'S CAR?! YOU REALLY THINK I'M GOING TO DO THAT?!"
Jeremy looks at me startled. Well I am yelling pretty loudly so I don't blame him. "Yes. You have to." He says trying to stay calm.
I start yelling again saying,"I HAVE TO?! FINE. FINE! I'LL TELL YOU WHERE WE WERE GONNA MEET SO YOU CAN ARREST HIM EVEN THOUGH HE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!! WE WERE GONNA MEET AT THE ICE CREAM PLACE OKAY!! ARE YOU HAPPY NOW?!"
"Yes I am." He says then start walking away.
I sigh, praying that Wayne heard my really loud yelling and got the hint not to go there.
I'm about to walk away but then Jeremy calls my name.
Dang it! I was gonna see if Wayne was still there so I wouldn't have to try to find him later.
I turn around and Jeremy walks up to me,"What time were you supposed to meet there?" Hmm I should give him time to leave and everything. "In about and hour, hour and a half." I say shrugging. He looks at me suspiciously then says,"Okay well you're going to have to come with us. We need to make sure he's actually going to be there and he won't go in unless you're there."
I can't go with them. I have to look for Wayne. "No. He'll go in and wait for me." Jeremy looks at me with a serious expression on his face and grabs my arm,"You're coming with us."
I get angry and roll my eyes,"Oh so now you gotta go all cop on me, huh? Fine. Whatever. Put on a show for your stupid police friends." I pull my arm away and walk towards the police car.
I walk to the cars and don't know which one to go into. I don't show it though. I walk with confidence and sass. I'm not gonna let these people think I'm unsure of myself or scared of them or anything. One because I'm really not scared of them. I mean the only thing that makes them seem"better" then me is the fact that they carry a gun around. When it comes to strength, speed, and pretty much everything else I beat them. And second they're just really dumb and pretty annoying.
"Should I take the girl to the place? While you stay here." I hear a raspy voice ask. It was Tom of course. Him not using names is really getting annoying.
"No. We're all going." Jeremy responds with his low 'I'm a cool cop' voice then gets into one of the cars. Because I know it will bother him I decide to go into the other car. Jeremy looks at me confused as he sees me open the door to the other car. I smirk at him, sit down in the car, and close the door. Then I hear Tom say,"What is the girl doing in our car?" I don't know if he thought I couldn't hear him or he just didn't care if I did.
"I don't know. And keep your voice down! Those windows aren't sound proof."
At least Lenny was trying to be quiet. He wasn't quiet enough but it was still nice.
"Okay let's go." Lenny says as he sits in the passengers seat. Then Tom sits in the drivers seat. Just to bother Tom I ask Lenny,"You're really gonna let him drive?" emphasizing 'him'. Tom growls (literally growls) at me and Lenny laughs.
"Don't get on my bad side, girl. It's not pretty there."
I laugh,"Well first of all, my name's Janet. Okay? And second of all, are you sure you even have a good side? Cause really all of your sides aren't pretty. I'm having a hard time believing one of them is."
Lenny loves that and starts cracking up but Tom isn't as happy. I can see him glaring at me through the front mirror but I don't care. I just sit there, my arms crossed, a smirk on my face. He turns the car on and starts driving. The ice cream place isn't that far away so the ride shouldn't take too long, thank goodness. The drive is kind of awkward though because no one's talking. But I'm fine with that. I don't feel like talking to these people anyway.
Apparently it's not fine for Lenny because he keeps trying to strike up a conversation. "So how long have you known this Wayne kid?" Tom laughs. Probably at the fact that his partner is asking about the guy they need to arrest when I know him. I respond,"Are you trying to subtly interrogate me or something?" I see Tom smile through the front mirror. "No, no, no. I was just.. Never mind." It's quiet for a minute or so until Lenny says,"So you and Jeremy know each other?" Tom groans at Lenny's horrible attempt to try to start up a conversation again. "No I just yell at all policemen." I say sarcastically. Tom starts laughing and Lenny tells him to shut up. "See it's no fun being told off by the girl, huh?" Tom says, still laughing. I glare at him through the front mirror and I guess he sees me because then he says,"Sorry. Janet." Hm I think this guy is starting to grow on me. "Thank you." I say smiling. As everyone is silent again, I start to think that I should have gone in Jeremy's car. I still have to tell him about Jake. I don't know if he'll believe me but I have to try. Maybe I can just tell him while we 'wait for Wayne to come'. That'll give me a good two or three hours before they finally give up.
I don't know if Jeremy's going to want to talk to me though. After me yelling at him and telling him off. Then I realize, maybe it is a good thing that I'm in this car because I can get on Lenny's and Tom's good side and they can tell me stuff. I don't know about Lenny but I think Tom's starting to like me. Lenny seems like the forgiving type though so I'll just apologize to him later.
"Okay we're here." Lenny says as we turn into the ice cream place. Jeremy's already standing outside his car, probably waiting for us.
Tom and Lenny get out but I stay inside, hoping this all works out. I mean about Wayne not coming and me telling Jeremy about Jake and being able to find Wayne later. Just everything pretty much. I hear them start talking outside but still don't get out but then the door opens. It's Tom opening the door for me. I look at him surprised and so does Jeremy. "There you go, Janet." Tom says smiling at me.
"Oh thanks. I wasn't waiting for someone to open the door for me but thanks a lot." Him opening the door kind of made me blush but I try to hide it. I don't want them to think I'm weak when someone's nice to me. I know I can't trust them.
I look inside the building to see if Wayne's there but he isn't. I relax a little bit and then realize," Don't you think you guys should hide the police cars?" It probably sounds stupid that I'm telling them this but I have to gain their trust or else I won't get anything out of them. Lenny looks at me like he wasn't expecting me to say something smart like that. Then says,"Yea. I'll take one behind the trees over there and Tom you take the other one to the trees over there." He points to two places far away from each other. Then I say,"You should keep one here just in case you have to leave all of a sudden." Lenny looks at me funny. "Well how are we going to do that? You just said to hide them and now you're saying to keep one here?" I laugh a little which bothers Lenny. "There's a parking spot over there in the corner." I move my head in the direction of the spot and they all look that way. "No there isn't." Lenny says.
"There is though. You can just park it back there. It's really hard to see."
"And what if you're little friend walks over there? What about that?" It seemed as if Lenny and I were fighting now. We're not but I just go with it because I'm kind of enjoying myself.
"Use the car cover Jeremy has." I say with a smirk.
Jeremy looks at me weird,"How did you kno-"
"I saw it when you got into your car." Tom laughs and says,"I like this girl!" Then puts his arm around me in a playful way which makes me feel a little uncomfortable but I just go with it. "You know I can drive too." I say.
"Nooo. How old are you?" Tom asks in a kinda flirty way.
"15. Turning 16 in a few months."
"Geez. Why don't you take the car to the trees then?"
"No I don't think that's a good idea." Jeremy says.
"It's okay Jay. I'll go with her." I guess they call Jeremy by his last name.
"It'll be fine, Jay."
"Okay fine. Drive safe though Janet." I nod at him and get in the drivers seat. Tom gets in car too and I start driving.
"Okay just go to the right."
"Don't worry I know where it is." I decide to take another route which is longer so we can talk more and I can maybe get something out of him. At first we don't talk until Tom says,"Wow you're an amazing driver." I smile until I feel him put his hand on my leg.