They Could Care Less

15: To the Cardigan Girl

"Oh, that. It's nothing special," Thea said and placed her hand over her forehead carefully.

"Okay," Jackson mumbled lightly and started the engine. He carefully pulled out from the parking spot before he smoothly drove out from the parking lot.
The car slowly and carefully went forward before they got onto the road and Jackson drove faster.

"Slow down!" Thea screamed and grabbed onto the handle above her.

"Are you seriously scared? Do you really think this is fast?" Jackson asked before he chuckled to himself quietly. He lightly shook his head, but he still slowed down the tiniest bit.

"I don't drive around in a sports car every single day, of course I think this is too fast," Thea muttered, crossed her arms, and looked at Jackson through the corner of her eye. 

"Do you have the clothes with you?" Jackson asked and glanced down quickly at her bag when they got to a red light.

"Of course I do, they're in here," Thea said and lightly patted the bag.

"Okay, good. We'll be there in just a few minutes," Jackson said and drove along the familiar road with all the big fancy houses, the same ones she had gone past her first time in the area.

Thea instantly recognized Jackson's house and unbuckled the seat belt as he slowed down. Jackson pressed a button and the driver's side window went down.

"Ben, it's me," Jackson said with a casual tone into what looked like a small microphone, though Thea suspected that their butler already knew about their presence by the gates. Jackson looked over at Thea who was still staring at the tiny dot that was the microphone.

"I'm well aware, Mr Meyers," the butler Ben replied and the gates opened, shortly followed by the garage doors.

"Don't call me that!" Jackson shouted back as he drove into the garage. He lightly shook his head and turned off the engine. They got out of the car and went into Jackson's gigantic house.
Thea looked around and felt a pang of surprise hit her. Everything had changed in the house! The decorations, furniture, doors, simply everything!

"It doesn't look like the last time I was here... unless I have some memory problem," Thea said and took her black hooded sweatshirt off and hung it up with a hanger. She bent down to untie her shoe laces, but Jackson stopped her.

"You don't need to take your shoes off," he said and walked right in with his shoes still on.

"I feel more comfortable without my shoes,  and besides, I don't want to get anything dirty," Thea said and immediately regretted it as the words left her mouth. Now he thinks that I mean him, that he makes everything filthy! Thea took her shoes off and placed them by the door. She pushed her hair behind her ear and awkwardly bit her lip.

"Okay, I guess I'll take my shoes off too," Jackson said. He chuckled as he took his shoes off and placed them next to Thea's. He walked further into the foyer and Thea followed.

"Want anything to drink?" Jackson asked and nodded towards the kitchen.

"A glass of water will do," she answered and looked around. She had just realized how thirsty she actually was.

"Thought so, you can go down to the basement and wait there. The laundry room is down there, so don't call me a creep, it really is down there," Jackson said and walked into the kitchen.

"Where's the basement?" Thea asked way too quietly for Jackson to hear, and the doors to the kitchen had already closed behind him. She stood in the same spot and had no idea where the basement was. Thea turned around and saw the grand marble staircase go up. There has to be a staircase that goes down. Thea walked behind the staircase and saw a doorknob stick out from the white wall. Thea tried the doorknob and much to her surprise, behind the door was a staircase that went down. Just as I thought, Thea thought and went down the stairs before she threw a wary glance over her shoulder. The lights automatically turned on and Thea pulled the door shut behind her. When she got to the bottom of the stairs, she looked around and was more than surprised. The basement wasn't like the usual kind, the old creepy one with things everywhere. Their basement was more of a rich, modern lounge room.