Joost klein Hearts of Fire

Stalking with the enemy

As I was walking home I replayed Mia's words in my mind : "Oh, she's definitely having a secret affair."

Like what?! No! That's the purest form of betrayal! Plus we pinky promised each other when I was 9 , that we never EVER would be holding a boy's hand, because they were gross. It felt special to me , even if she didn't pay attention to my words back then

I finally got to my house. My stomach churned with a mix of anxiety and determination. I knew I had to know the truth. I quickly opened the door and ran up to my mom's bedroom.
"What if I find something, I can't unsee?" Ew.
Don't think like that.

I slowly opened the door and looked around her room. It was pretty modern. As my eyes scanned the room , they landed on a purple notebook. It's cover was embossed with the word "planner" in gold letters. My heart raced as I looked at the notebook.

"This could be it!" I opened it and quickly flipped through the pages, searching for today's date, hoping to find some sort of clue.

Yes! I found it!
"Meeting with Mr. Jansen."
Who the fuck is that!!!

I quickly grabbed my phone and called Mia.

"Uhh... hi girl. I wanted to ask you... do you know someone called Mr.Jansen? I know it's a super weird question but-"
"Oh, yeah I know him."
"Really?"
"Yeah , why?"
"Uhh..I think that's the guy who's with my mom."

"Oh damn I'm happy for you."
"What do you mean???"
She sighed.
"Just so you know , he's filthy rich. He's like a highly skilled oncologist and.. he just divorced his wife."
"Wha- how did you even find that out?
"Eh, I basically stalk every hot and rich doctor's facebook in town, to see who's going to be my future sugar daddy."
"Oh damn ,we'll do you know his address?"
"Obviously, it's the Tulpenlaan 17 street. It's like a 40 minute walk, though."
"Can you come stalk with me , pleeease?"
"I'm sorry I can't, my mom made me take anger management classes, cause I threw my phone out of the window."she said casually.
"Okay, thanks." I hung up.

I don't have the money for a taxi and I'm DEFINITELY not going to be walking 40 minutes. Ugh. What do I do?

Suddenly I heard a knock downstairs. Huh? I thought mom wouldn't be home till tomorrow.
I quickly ran downstairs and opened the door.

"Joost?" I said in a bit surprised tone.
He looked kind of worried.
"Uhh.. hey I'm sorry for leaving you in the rain, but I really need you to help me with math.."

"Hey do you have a car?"

Okay why the fuck did I ask him that!!

"Yeah?" he said with a confused expression.
"Um.. im gonna help you with math tomorrow if you drive me somewhere. Now."
"Sure?"
"Oh? So we can go now?" "I responded with astonishment in my voice."
He shrugged.
"I guess."

He had a shiny, black BMW, the kind that looked like it belonged in a car commercial with its polished exterior and low, growling engine.
The car ride was pretty silent, save for the hum of the engine and the occasional whoosh of passing cars. The city outside was a blur of neon signs and the soft glow of street lamps, casting fleeting shadows.

I liked the silence; it meant I didn't need to talk to him. I stared out the window, watching the world go by, lost in my thoughts. But finally, Joost spoke up, breaking the quiet.

"So, why do you want to go to that rich neighbourhood?"

I tried to think of an excuse but nothing came to my head so I just talked back.

"It's none of your business." I said in a confident tone.
"It is my business, cause I'm wasting my gas driving you there."he rolled his eyes.
"Fine you wanna know why? I'm stalking my mom." I sighed.
"The fuck?!" he took his eyes off the road , his face twisted into a very confused expression.
"Look at the road!!" I Said cautiously , pointing with my hand.
"Fine , damn! But what do you mean?"
"I think my mom.. has a boyfriend, but I have to make sure so.."

Why am I opening up to him?

"So?"
"So?" I said asking him to continue his sentence.
"So what if your mom has a boyfriend? How is that any of your business or problems?"
"Gosh, you don't understand anything."
"I don't,"he looked at the road,"we're here."

I looked around through the window to see the neighborhood. And oh my gosh, it was so luxurious. My jaw literally dropped. The houses were grand and elegant, each one unique yet equally stunning. They were like miniature palaces, with perfectly manicured lawns and intricate wrought-iron gates. The driveways were lined with sleek, expensive cars, and the gardens were bursting with colorful flowers and meticulously trimmed hedges. It felt like I had stepped into a scene from a movie, where everything was pristine and perfect. And the biggest house, was Mr. Jansen's.

"Thank you." I awkwardly smiled.
He nodded.

I got out of the car and slowly started walking towards the front door. How hard could it be, right?

"Hey, I'm not like an expert or anything, but I don't think that you should stalk someone while going through the front door." unexpectedly Joost yelled.

Huh?

I ran to the car while he opened the window.

"You should climb on the sunroof."he said with a slight smirk.

"What?! I'm not climbing on there! I'm gonna fall."
"I can help you." he said casually.
"Is there a catch?"i said in shock.
"You gotta do my homework for me."
"Fine , lazy ass." I rolled my eyes as he got out of the car.

We were walking with Joost to Jansen's house when we found the perfect place to hold on. I started climbing up, but it was tough. I looked down and called out, "Hey, help me!" Joost rolled his eyes and, with annoyance, said, "Fine!" He helped me get my legs up, and I finally made it onto the roof. I quickly looked through the house's sunroof.

The living room was beautifully decorated, with plush, cream-colored sofas arranged around a sleek glass coffee table. A grand piano stood in the corner, and the walls were adorned with elegant paintings. The room was bathed in the warm glow of a crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

"Where is my mom?" I wondered aloud. "Hey, aren't you going to help me?" Joost yelled from below. He looked very small from the top. He slowly started climbing up, and I grabbed his hands and pulled him up. A loud bang echoed when he fell onto the roof. I glared at him angrily, and he looked back at me innocently.

I glanced through the window again and saw a man enter. It was probably Mr. Jansen. Okay, Mia wasn't lying—he looked very handsome. He had dark brown hair with a few strands of grey and some signs of aging, but still. He was wearing a dark blue suit. Why so formal?

Suddenly, the door opened again, and of course, there was my mom. Her hair was curled, and she had put on a pound of makeup. She was wearing a mini dark blue skirt with her white blouse that she kept for special events. Joost nudged me. "Hey, you saw what you needed to see. Let's go." I looked back at my mom, who was smiling and talking with Mr. Jansen, and said, "Okay." I didn't really feel good. Okay, that was my mom's love life and all, but still...

Joost had already climbed down and was yelling for me to follow.

I slowly started to climb down when suddenly my feet slipped, and I fell.