By the Books

Chapter 5

We got into another car that Rubin didn't drive in to get to the gala. It was a sleek black Mini Copper. Rubin got into the driver's seat and started the car. We drove out her neighborhood to the tune of her radio that was also set to the same station.

We finally stopped in front of a loud house. I could see kids from our school overflowing the surrounding property of the house.

"So, what are we doing here?" I asked. I wasn't really one for a party, especially after the long gala were just at. She got out of the car and I quickly got out and followed her.

"We are going to follow someone for a client." She said, inspecting the front yard for whoever she was looking for.

"Does this have to do with your so called 'business' that you run when I'm not looking?" I asked as she now began to walk up the front door of the house. She looked back at me and smiled.

"I guess that I have to tell you what I do now." She said, but continues into the house. The music was loud, and pounded in my ears. The temperature inside of the room was much higher then the cooler night outside. Everyone was grinding and dirty dancing, as I would want to say. I tried my best to continue following her through the people, but their hands reached out for me. Soon, I was lost in the sea of pressing bodies.

I finally pushed my way to the kitchen, was slightly relieved to see that it much less empty then the other room. But, it was really no better. There was a few couples making out over the counters of the kitchen, and others chugging down more cheap liquor. I finally saw something that looked like Rubin outside in the back of house. I walked over and saw her taking pictures.

"What are-" I was stopped by Rubin glaring at me and quietly shushed me. I nodded and kept my mouth shut . I walked up to her, as silently as possible and looked to see what she was taking photos of. I squinted to see through the dark and finally saw that it was a guy and girl. They were in the middle of a fierce make out session.

"About my job occupation..." She said, and took another picture. She turned her head to me and grinned. "I help catch secrets and cheaters." She took one last photo and we started to walk back to the house.

"What do you mean?" I asked and she grinned at me devilishly again.

"Well, I'll break it down better for you. A client comes to me with a request or demand, depends if the person has manners. But anyway, they asked me to spy on someone, if the reason is valid of course. And I do the grunt work of finding the information for them." She explained, and I looked at her. I mean, she just explained that she was a blackmail middle man.

"Are you saying that you blackmail people?" I asked her. She shook her head.

"Nah, it's more like, I'm the middle man." She said. And that was exactly what I had thought. We walked through the house again. This time, for more promising measure, I held onto the hood of her hoodie as we walked and we finally made it to the front door.

"Gosh, you were slow. You nearly made me choke." She said glaring at me, holding her throat after I let go. I shrugged and we got into the car. We drove off and she handed me the camera. I started to look through them and realized that they were actually really well taken.

"Hey, I know who this is!" I said looking at the girl's face. She is Leslie. She sits at my table as a cheerleader. "But who is that?" I asked. She is definitely dating Kris on the baseball team.

"That is why I was taking the pictures. Kris is a client." She said and smiled at me. I looked at her surprised.

"So your saying that your costumer is Kris?" I asked, still surprised. She shook her head.

"He is one of my costumers. I take more than one costumer at a time." She informed me pointedly.

We finally stopped in the school parking lot, and I looked around confused. She took her camera back and got out of the car.  

"Why are we here. Especially now?" I asked. Continues to walk to the school, o I just followed her, seeing that she knew how and where to get into the school.

"I have to load the pictures onto my computer, and I left it here. Plus, I can work on another project that just needs wrapping up ad I could use another person's help with it." She told me. She led me to the side of the school where there was the exit door for the left of the school. She took out a key and unlocked the door.

"Who gave you that?" I asked her. She smiled.

"That's a secret I'll never tell." She said, winking and leading us on into the school. We went up the dark stairs to her room.

But, once we were in there, neither of us went to turn on the light. The room was well lit by the street lights and moon that wasn't blocked by any clouds. I sat right down the velvet loveseat and turned on her tablet that she uses to put movies on the big screen. She herself, went to the desk that she always works at and opened her laptop.

After about thirty minutes, she finally finished. I was in the middle of watching a NCIS episode, and she stepped in front of the screen.

"It's time to help me now." She said grinning, and holding and thick stack of papers.

"What are we doing?" I asked, now pausing the episode and getting up to help her with what ever she needed help with.

"We, are going to decorate the school a little." She stated wickedly, handed me half the stack of papers and tape. I looked at the top paper and read, 'Someone has been a very naughty person *tut tut*'' and a picture of two people making out. I recognized the guy, I have seen him a couple times around halls. But, as for the girl I didn't know.

"Why are we doing this again?" I asked. Rubin shrugged.

"Costumer's request." She said and we left the room.

"Aren't you afraid that someone will want to beat you up or something?" I asked. She started to stick up the first paper.

"No, there's a form that says that they cannot reveal who I am or what I have done for them. Plus, I have taken self defense classes, kind of." She said and put up another poster. "Now, I'll go this way, and you go that way. When we are done, we'll meet back up at the room. Okay?" She said and she left me in the dark hallway.

---

After I finally finished with my stack, that I had blindly distributed around the part of the school that I was supposed to do, I headed back up the stairs. At the room, I found that Rubin was already there. She had turned back on the episode that I had on before we left the room, but she was nearly fast asleep on the couch.

"Hey, your finally back?" She said quietly and sleepily, not moving from her corner of the couch. I nodded and headed towards the closet.

Since it seemed like we weren't leaving tonight, I pulled out a big blanket and a pillow and went over to the couch. I laid them down the ground, and prepped to sleep there.

"What are you doing?" She asked, moving a little.

"Sleeping down here." I said and she shook her head slowly.

"No. Sleep up here. There is plenty of room here." She said and I got up, looking for a way to fit on the couch without getting too close to her. "Don't worry I don't bite." She said and moved over a little for me to somehow squeeze in with her.

I put the pillow down and laid down. I put the blanket over us and she started to move. It first it was just nudge, then she started to twist around more. And finally at the end, she was finally at the position of lay on me. Her head was nestled in my chest, her arms grasped together in her chest and her legs tangled with mine. I slowly started to wrap my arm over her and we fell asleep.

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Hey hey! I wrote it a bit longer than I usually do. I am trying to write longer, but I just never seem to quite get there, sorry. But anyway I hope you like the chapter and I will write sometime soon. Bonus on my end, I made a Gossip Girl reference. I am amazed with myself.

Hey, and comment if you watch NCIS too!

-flowerweb