Not So Different

Chapter 15 - Goodnight Princess

[A/N: I'm back to writing! I'm going to try something new out. I hope you guys don't mind if I stop using the filler words like "shiz" and stuff like that. I'm honestly just tired of seeing it all over the story and I've gotten older. I'm not saying that using the real words makes it any better, but I'm tired of feeling like I have to make the story G rated if you're picking up what I'm putting down lol sorry...... I need some help with new ideas though....]

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"So what's this thing you have going on with Daniel huh," Jack says with his mouth full.

"It's nothing," I say quickly. "He's just a really good friend."

My chicken nuggets are getting cold, but I'm not that hungry. Jack motions for me to eat some of them while he stuffs his face with a BigMac. I wave him off.

"Just a friend? Hm. That means you're available right? I mean, like, your current status," he says, tripping over his words.

My heart flutters.

"Yeah I guess I'm available," I say, blushing.

Does Jack have a crush? No, that's probably not it.

"Oh, well, yeah, I was just wondering because of," he pauses. "Your new abilities and stuff."

Honestly, I was hoping he'd say he liked me, but I do have that thing with Daniel going on. I don't even know what it is. I kissed him. He didn't kiss me first – I did. Since I kissed him first, I can't really ditch him. Maybe it was like a one-time thing. I don't know. Daniel is so sweet and I don't want to crush him. But then there's Jack here, sitting with me in a McDonald's parking lot and helping me with my new problem. Maybe I-

"Els? Were you even listening to what I just said?"

"Something about powers," I guess.

"No, I said that we can go back to my house because you don't want to go home and you can stay the night."

Stay the night? At a guy's house? Mom probably won't care considering that she doesn't want to see me and I don't want to see her. Anna could always call mom to go pick her up. Screw it. Why the heck not?

"Yeah, I'm down for that."

Jack starts up the car again and we head to his house. When we arrive, it's a lot bigger than I thought it would be. This is definitely one of the more expensive neighborhoods in the area. All of the other houses on the street are huge and new. Jack's is still big, but pretty old. It's like the other houses popped up around it, leaving his house sort of the odd man out.

Jack kicks off his shoes on the porch and tells me to do the same. He opens the door and the smell of pumpkin spice greets me. The inside is all homey and warm. The furniture looks very lived in and there are nails in the walls where pictures must have been.

Jack gives me the grand tour and every room seems to get bigger than the next. There's one room at the end of the long hallway on the second story. I make my towards the door and Jack stops me. He tells me that no one is to go in that room. He goes over to the door and makes sure that it's locked. Curiosity is calling my name, but I know better than to invade on his privacy.

We both walk down the stairs and he goes to the kitchen to fix us some tea. I find myself by the mantle of the fireplace where all of the pictures are turned face down. I pick one up. It's the portrait of a young boy with brown hair and milk chocolate colored eyes. He's smiling and holding up a turtle with an orange blotch on its head. His face resembles Jack, but Jack's hair is white and he has blue eyes. Maybe the boy is his younger brother. I spot a larger frame. I begin to turn it over when I hear Jack clearing his throat. I look over my shoulder. He's standing in the doorway of the kitchen with two mugs of piping hot tea.