badnews { jace norman }

four

We walked through the shut down, dark town for a while. It was quiet, and from the time I've moved here I would have never thought this town could be a ghost town, but sure enough, 12:30 in the morning, there wasn't anyone.

"Where are you from Margo?"

"New Hampshire"

"Jesus. Why'd you move?"

"Good question" I looked down as we walked.

"You weren't always like this were you?"

"Why must you know everything"

"I can read you like a book Margo Porter"

I sighed "believe it or not a few months ago I wouldn't be caught dead in black."

"You wouldn't?"

"There's just some things I don't like to talk about you know?"

He nodded. I knew that he understood, I barely knew him yet I knew there was a lot more going on in his mind then what he made out to be.

The awkward silence grew as we walked down the sidewalk. There wasn't any wind, making the sound of our skidded footsteps on the pavement unbearable.

The town was nice, small, with shops perfectly made for window shopping, it'd explain why everything was so ran down, nobody actually ever went in I'm assuming. But it had charm, something that I had always missed out on in New Hampshire.

"Where are we going?" I asked

"I donno. You hungry?"

"Nah"

"There's not really a place then"

I didn't respond was we passed by the near by gas station. Three kids sat in front of the building. Hoods up, their obnoxious laughs drew our attention. The guy was playing with one girls hair while the other was attempting to light a cigarette, but her head wouldn't stop looking up at the sky and looking around.

"Is that girl looking for Jesus or something?" I met Jaces glance as he looked down and smiled "Do you know them?"

"Nah" he laughed as we walked past out of sight. "I mean not really- they go to our school, but they're normally too high to notice. I don't really talk to them"

"You don't talk to them because they're drug addicts?"

"Well" he sighed "Look, im not saying that I've never done it, once or twice maybe,  but just for the experience you know? These people, it's an every day thing for them. They're not bad people, I just don't want to be associated with them."

"It's a whole different world out here" I shook my head "In New Hampshire, we didnt have this. A group of people that sat around doing drugs. Maybe it was because I grew up in a rich neighborhood and the kids there were too stuck up to throw themselves away with drugs, I don't know but, nobody ever even mentioned it."

"You don't seem stuck up?"

"I'm not- well anymore, the move has had a few effects on me."

"I just can't-"

I stopped him when my eyes shifted upwards to the street ahead
"That's a cop"

"What?"

"There's a cop right there" I motioned towards the stopped police car a block or so down at a currently changing stop light.

The green light glared in his eyes from a distance as the car was approaching. "shit" He mumbled.

Grabbing my wrist he pulled me to the right, a tight fit between two buildings we quickly made it to the back of them to an empty parking lot.

"You think they saw us?"

"Nah" he shook his head "they're probably goin for the high kids at Corner Coes"

"If we get caught I'm telling my parents that you kidnapped me. Just letting you know now so that it's not as big of a shock" I sighed leaning against the brick building.

"Were not gonna get caught calm down" He walked up next to me at the wall. "Speaking of which, how'd you get out if your windows are locked?"

"The front door" I looked at him and dragged my words as a response to the the stupid question

"Okay. But when are your parents getting home?"

"I don't know" I sighed "I should probably go home before I get drug there by the police though. Walk me home?"

He nodded as we decided to take a few back roads back to the park. As we past we made our way down the hill from the bench, avoiding the occasional pine tree.

"Doesn't look like they're home yet" I spoke up, looking at my house a few yards away "the lights aren't on"

"That'll save you from getting your ass chewed then"

"Yeah"

As we approached my house he walked up to the door steps with me. I opened my front door a crack then turned around, looking back at him.

"Thanks for walking me home"

"Yeah no problem"

We stood looking at each other  awkwardly for a second before he grew closer to me, almost inches away. Too close for my liking for that matter. But the smell of his cologne and the color of his eyes lost me for a second. I hadn't realized how vacant his eyes looked. He stared back at mine and resting his hand on the side of my neck, causing me to flinch.

He grew closer, making me strangely uncomfortable, was he going to do it? Kiss me like he's known me for years? Like he's some kid that's had a crush on me since the second grade? I didn't want him to. But I didn't find myself stopping, pulling back.

He stopped. His glance moved from my lips to my eyes once again before letting out a grim smile.

"Goodnight Margo"

He pulled away and walked off my front porch, down the driveway, and was gone.
I stood confused. He was playing with my feelings like no other. I knew those kinds of guys were bad news.

What had I gotten myself into.