The Popular Plan

Chapter 8

song of the chapter: locked away// r city and adam levine

After school, I walked slowly to the houses where my new found friends lived. When I walked with them, I realized something a little peculiar about their houses. They lived in the projects of the town, where sometimes, most people got into bad trouble.

"Hey, Jean!" A kid called out. "Where are we putting McKenna? Like, who gets to hang out with her first?" I kept my head straight forward, because to be honest, these kids started to become a little bit on the creepy side.

"I think she'll hang out with me first," Jean replied. "Thanks anyways!"

Soon, we separated from them and Jean led me to her portion of the housing project. It was a simple white door with windows on either side of it and two more windows above it. Before she walked in, she smacked her forehead.

"We forgot to get bread. Oh well!" The door swung open and I was revealed a tiny living room with stairs on one side and a kitchen on the other. "Mother, me and my new bestie have arrived home!" She plopped down on the dusty couch and kicked off her shoes.

Jean flipped on the TV and I saw a TV show on that I never wanted to see again. The title was, "Hot Wild Babes Get Freaky!" Jean rolled her eyes and switched it to another channel. "My mom usually always watches that show. She tries to get... Ideas for her shows."

I nodded awkwardly and smoothed out my shirt. Jean reached over to the coffee table and took a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. She tossed them back and forth in her hand before finally picking a cigarette up and lighting it. She put it in her mouth, blowing smoke everywhere across the room.

"Want one?" She asked, taking another puff.

"Oh no, I'm good. I don't smoke," I said as politely as I could.

"Really? You are missing out, Honey," Jean said, blowing smoke into the air. I could physically feel my lungs dying with each breath I took in. Jean got up, and walked over to her kitchen. She went into the fridge and took a bottle of beer.

"You want some of this?" She asked me again. Politely, I said no, a little disgusted.

"Oh, babe, you are missing out! I love beer. Every Saturday my friends and I play spin the bottle beer version. You spin the bottle and whatever drink it lands on, you have! Do you want to join us this Saturday?" She wiggled the bottle of beer in her hand.

"No, I'm good, I have plans with my, um, family," I lied.

Jean shrugged and sat down on the dusty couch. She went back and forth between the alcohol and cigarette. We sat there watching a random TV show until I heard footsteps coming down the stairs. A middle-aged woman in a very skimpy woman was at the bottom of the steps.

"Mommy!" Jean exclaimed running over to her mother, cigarette still in her mouth. She dropped the empty beer bottle, making the glass shatter everywhere. Her mom didn't seem to care or notice.

"Hey, baby girl. I gotta get ready for the show tonight. Expecting big crowds because someone has a bachelor party. I'll be getting a lot of money tonight! Anyways, who's this girl?" Jean's mother walked over to the front of the TV.

"I'm McKenna, I just moved to this district, but not this part of town."

"Oh, then welcome, babe!" Jean's mom exclaimed. "Like my outfit?" She did some posing, and I dropped my eyes to the floor. I felt really uncomfortable and wanted to leave. Maybe Jean wasn't someone I should be hanging around with after all.

"It's.... Nice," I said calmly.

"Oh thank you darling. Want any wine?" She walked over to her wine fridge and pulled out a bottle. I shook my head no. Why was I so afraid of these people? I had a reason to be uncomfortable, but afraid? I was being a big baby.

"Anyways, babe, my name is Dolly. I'm forty two. I got dumped at age thirty, when Jean was only three. I had no job, no money, so we moved here. That's when I started to work in the clubs. I got more money, but my daughter loves it here with her friends. I lover her friends too. Now you," she booped my nose, "are another one of her friends!"

I nodded and looked around the room. Was it just me, or was it actually shrinking?

"Let's go upstairs, McKenna," Jean whispered.

I nodded as Dolly started singing her rendition of "Call Me Maybe." Jean had a tear in her eye, probably because she was embarrassed of her mom's behavior. She called me babe. She offered me wine. She told me her life story. If that didn't scream uncomfortable, I don't know what did!

Jean led me to her small room which was across from her moms. There was a bathroom next to her room. Her room smelled of smoke and it was literally a junkyard. Clothes and papers and cigarettes lay everywhere. There were also some other things that shall not be named.

"I'm sorry, about my mother. She's a creep most of the time. Yeah, she works at a club doing, well, I think you get the drift. I'm sorry she made you so uncomfortable." I nodded at Jean once and sat down on her bed.

I checked my phone. The time was 3:28.

"Jean, today was fun, but I gotta go home. I promised my mother I'd be home by 4. Nice to see your house and meet your mother." I smiled and got up off the bed.

"Ken, it's only 3:30. You can stay longer..." Jean trailed off.

"Oh, no, I was planning on walking home. Sorry." I bolted to her door, but Jean stopped me, again.

"You can stay a little longer and my mom can drive you home?" She said.

"No," I replied. "That's alright. I wanted to walk home to be able to see my new town. Thanks anyways!" I walked down the steps and quickly out of the door. I walked out of the projects and onto the streets of the busy town.

There was a 7 11 across the street from the projects. There were a lot of people that I recognized hanging around in the shop. I picked up my pace and felt my stomach jiggle from all the fat. Tears stung my eyes as I took a right into the nicer part of the town.

Today was awful. I didn't make any friends until last period, but that person was a drinker and smoker. Her mother was vey open too, and I didn't like that very much. I hated being rude to Jean, but she just wasn't cutting it out for me.

I paused on the street to take a deep breath. I never walked this fast or this far. Sure, I wasn't healthy, but I did get in some exercise. On my daily walks, I never walk this far. My house was only a couple more blocks down the street. Add the pressured wait of my bookbag with some homework, and I was a disaster.

I started down the street again. The houses got increasingly nicer as I went along, until finally, I reached my street. I walked onto the long road and found my house. I walked past David who was outside and into my house, sighing.

My mom came running over as soon as she heard the door slam shut. "How was your first day?" She asked.

"Crazy," I replied with a laugh. "And I have a lot to tell you."

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Why I chose Locked Away: Because at the projects/ghetto, people are usually inside their houses locked away from the outside world since the ghetto can be dangerous. Plus, it was on the most outer skirts of town so they're kind of locked away from everything.

This story is back! Hope you didn't miss me too much. ;) I finished Stranger, so maybe you can go check that one out too! I'll be focusing solely on this one and updates will be more frequent. The "Plan" will start to come in soon. These first few parts just set up the story!

Vote, comment, and maybe follow? Can we reach a goal of two comments and three likes?

Bye guysssss!