Black Isn't Just For Rebels

Chapter 3

As Jupiter was locking up the store, she heard a belch from behind her. It was a loud one that sounded like a sheep making the "baa" noise, and like a frog making his ribbit noise. What kind of thing made that noise? A frog-sheep hybrid?

She turned and jumped back, her heart rate rising. The Riot was sitting on the curb outside the shop. The same one that bit her neck and got arrested earlier at school. He was just sitting there, smoking a cigarette and drinking a tall glass bottle of soda. What was he doing here? How had he known Jupiter worked at Rex Apothecary? Had he come to finish the job?

He wasn't really paying attention. He gazed at the shop across the street, and Jupiter saw that he looked distracted. If she could just slink by and...

"Well, well, well," he said, interrupting her plans to escape. "If it isn't little miss sunshine. I can see you in the reflection, stupid."

What reflection? She followed his gaze to the shop and realized he was staring at her reflection from the window. She saw herself, standing by the apothecary's door, and the Riot boy, looking at her. He had a little frown on his face. Jupiter wondered what he was doing here since she didn't think he knew what an apothecary shop was.

"Can I help you with something?" she asked.

The Riot snorted. "Can't a guy take a break and sit for a minute without a woman pissing down his back? What makes you think you can help me?"

"I didn't say I was going to," Jupiter snapped back. She was never usually this angry but this...jerk was making her upset by the second. She clenched her teeth to keep from saying something that would get her in trouble. "I just asked a simple question."

"I just want to smoke," he said, holding up his cigarette. She looked at the smoke swirling from the orange embers. Was he really throwing his life down a drain by letting tobacco decide what was best for him: the product itself? She had an uncle who had died from lung cancer-only because he could never give up cigarettes and said cigars were safer.

"Well, then have a good day," she said. She pushed her book bag farther up her shoulder and turned to walk down the sidewalk. As she passed him a cold hand grabbed her ankle. She stumbled and barely had time to throw her hands out before she hit the ground. Pain moved up her forearms, like she had popped a vein. Ouch. The Riot boy pulled her back and she turned to smack his hands away from the hem of her dress. Thank God she was wearing leggings.

The Riot let her go and gazed at her with a passive expression. "You're not so tough," he said, "like you make yourself to be."

"I'm not as tough as you would like to think," Jupiter replied. She tugged her dress down and folded her legs as she leaned against the curb. The Riot put the cigarette back in his mouth and took a long drag before breathing smoke out of his nose. Jupiter watched before turning her head away to cough as the smell drifted towards her. What was she doing sitting here, talking to him? Hadn't he attacked her only yesterday? Now they were what, companions? Acquaintances? Be it as it may, she couldn't accept that she was talking to one of her school's rebellious kids. Who did that?

"So you proved," the Riot said. She found him looking at her neck, at the spot where he bit her and left a hickey. "Did it heal already?"

"I had to cover it." She cupped the side of her neck with her right hand. Then she cast her eyes down to the street. A car passed by and kicked up leaves and dirt. She blinked a few times until her hair settled down. The Riot remained emotion less , but his cigarette smoke had blown in the other direction.  They sat quietly, counting their own heartbeats, steadying their own breaths.

"I want some ice cream" the Riot suddenly said. "And you're buying me some."

"I'm not buying you anything," Jupiter said, suddenly turning to look at him. He snorted and finished the last few drops of his soda. Then he turned the bottle so he was holding the lip and smashed the bottom part against the curb. It broke with a sharp crack and Jupiter immediately jumped back as the Riot turned to her with shards of broken bottle in his hand. He held it out like he was going to stab her with it.

She turned and fished her wallet out of her bag and tossed him a few dollar bills. "There. That should get you a sundae and something for a bus fare so you can go to a crazy house."

The bills gently hit his chest and he looked down at them before laughing. Jupiter frowned. He was truly crazy. He doubled over laughing, the broken bottle still in his hand. The bills still on the ground. Jupiter still staring at him with wide eyes. She was still shivering while all he did was laugh.

Finally, the laughing fit ceased and he raised his head to look at her. There was a mischievous flint in his eyes that made them pop. Jupiter frowned at him. What was he trying to do? Taunt her? Make her feel stupid after his stunt yesterday?

"Gee, you sure love to donate," he said, picking up the few bills she threw at him. Then he stood up with a small jump in his spring and he looked down at her. She looked up at him with a scared expression. Then he grabbed her arm and hoisted her up.

                                  ***

"I can't believe you're still mad about the bottle," the Riot grumbled. He was scooping up spoonfuls of chocolate ice cream in his sundae. "I bought you a milkshake."

The milkshake sat in front of Jupiter, untouched. The Riot used his spoon to push it closer to her. Her hand reached out and grabbed the glass. Then she began to turn the milkshake with her spoon.

"What do you want?" she asked him softly. He paused in eating his ice cream and looked up at her through half-shut eyes. His brows scrunched up slightly, and then he was shrugging his shoulders.

"I wanted ice cream," he said. "It's your fault I got in trouble earlier."

"My fault?"

"One little snitch from chess club told a teacher he saw me making out with you yesterday. Since they couldn't find you they got me and sent me to the principal's office. And also because I was tagging on the school, but that's up for a different debate-"

"It's not my fault you got in trouble. You came on to me. I'm the victim."

"Oh boo-hoo, cry me a river. The point is-I'm supposed to apologize but I'm shitty at apologizing. So I decided to call a truce over ice cream."

Jupiter raised a brow. "Ice cream that I paid for?"

He raised a challenging brow. "Sounds about right."

"Oh."

"And I call dibs," he said, leaning forward. He grabbed her from the shoulder and bit into her neck, the same place where the bruise was. She hissed and tried pulling back but the Riot stuffed a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth and said, "Truce."

A/N: Okay, I know a lot of people just Emily Rudd as kind of like their character inspiration (girl in the picture) but hey, she really does seem like a Jupiter to me. Especially the shy look. We'll see how that works out.

Oh, and a chapter for you!

                                     -Redbird