Marriage By Contract

Chapter 12: Throw That Party

I recently discovered that my parents and the Parker's filled the house garage with different cars. I couldn't believe my eyes. If they really expect me to spend the rest of my life in this house, they all had another thing coming. After our little conversation, Jason left the house. He probably went to see his girlfriend. I have no doubt in my mind that she's a slut. Jason has a reputation for hooking up with those type of girls. It's not like I expected better from him. After all, he is Jason. Jason Parker. I left the garage and sat in a chair in one of the living rooms in the house. Tears poured from my eyes suddenly. It was all so real. My new life. The house and the contract. The barks of Cocoa shook me from my thoughts. I wiped my tears and managed to find my way back to the dog's cage. The dog immediately jumped up, wagging its tail. Maybe he's hungry. I thought.

I opened the metal cage door and stood back up. I grabbed the food bowl and dog food. I began walking, trying to find at least one of the kitchens. I needed to pour water into the bowl. Cocoa followed my every move. I was glad to see he wasn't running around. I already have enough problems to deal with. After about twenty minutes of searching, I came to a kitchen. I went to the sink and poured some water. Then I poured the dog food in the other bowl beside the water. Cocoa couldn't stop barking. Once I placed the tray of food in front of the dog, it began to eat. I would leave to go do something else, but I was afraid the dog would wander off. Most importantly I was afraid I wouldn't be able to find the kitchen again. I sat on a nearby stool and watched the dog eat. He looked so happy. Once finished, I picked up the bowl and washed it. The dog continued to trail behind me. We walked back to its cage and I placed the bowl inside. I didn't want to put the dog back in the cage. Suddenly Cocoa was scratching at the door. I smiled. I opened the door and the dog ran out. I wasn't worried.  The house was gated. After peeing and doing whatever else he had to do, the pup ran back inside. I closed the door and looked around. I needed an escape. The library was my favorite room in the house. During the visit yesterday, it was the one place that captivated me the most. 

"Okay focus" I said to myself. Where exactly is the library? Maybe it's down this hall and to the right. No, no, no. That can't be right. I just took that way into the kitchen.

Okay, maybe it's this way then. I pointed to a left hall adjacent to the left staircase. I walked down the hall and ended up getting lost. The dog licked at my leg before scurrying away.

"Cocoa, get back here!" I yelled. I tried to keep up with the fast pace of the pup. I slipped at a sharp corner and fell.

"Cocoa, bad dog!" I yelled. I got up and ran after the small creature. The dog finally stopped and looked at me. I tried catching my breath. Realization dawned on me that we were in front of two huge wooden doors. I remembered these doors from yesterday. It was the doors to the library. I looked down at the dog to see it wagging its tail. It barked and stood up excitedly before falling. I picked up the puppy and opened the two large wooden doors. The smell of books greeted my nose. The place was larger than I remembered. There was an upstairs, four ladders, and different places to sit. There was also a fireplace and a chimney. I gasped. I set the dog down and it immediately jumped onto one of the chairs.

"Where to begin?" I asked myself. I decided on a bookshelf near me. I skimmed over the different books. Some were old and others were recent. My eyes landed on a book. Its ridge was a bit torn but nothing drastic.

"Opposites Attract" I read aloud.

Cocoa barked and I turned to face him. I walked over to the chair he laid on and picked him up. I sat down and placed the pup on my lap. I flipped open the cover of the book. Dust flew into my face and I coughed as I blew off the remaining that covered the book. The book was quite old, but with each turn of a page, I became hypnotized. The story being told was truly captivating, but what caught my attention the most, was how relatable and similar my life was to what was going on in the story. I looked up from the book, to find a sleeping Cocoa. It must be late. I checked the time. 6:35 pm

Shit, I must've been in here for a long time. I thought. I closed the book, remembering to fold the page where I stopped. Cocoa woke up as I held him. The puppy yawned as I set it down on the floor. I left the library with the book in hand. The house was quite dark and finding a light switch on the wall was beyond difficult. I turned on my phone flashlight and allowed Cocoa to roam, hoping he'll lead me to the front door. I followed after the pup and soon enough, we were standing at the grand stairs. I turned to ascend the stairs but stopped when Cocoa began to bark at the front door. 

"Shhh!" I hissed. That didn't seem to stop him one bit. The dog ran towards the door and barked louder. Soon the door knob turned to reveal a surprised Jason. The dog didn't stop barking though. He went to bite at Jason's ankle, but he moved away.

"Can you tame your dog?" He asked.

The urge to ask him where he went jabbed at my insides. I bit my tongue and reminded myself I couldn't care less where he went or what he does. "Cocoa c'mere" I ordered. The dog immediately ran over and licked at my leg. I turned and began my journey upstairs until Jason's voice stopped me.

"I'm uh- having a few friends over." I froze and turned.

"I hope you're not planning to throw a party" I said as I descended the stairs and stood face to face with him.

"Well, yeah, I was planning to throw a party" he said bluntly.

"Fuck no! It's our first day in this house and you're already planning to trash it. Don't throw that party" I warned.

His eyes darkened. "It's not only your fucking house. If I want to throw a party I'm going to throw a party." He smirked and eyed me.

I couldn't believe him. If he wanted to be a bitch, two can play at that game. I smirked and crossed my arms over my chest.

"Okay, Jason. You throw that party and you have a blast." I turned around and walked upstairs with Cocoa trailing after me. I recalled the way to the master bedroom and closed the door after I entered. The dog ran over to the couch I sat on when Jason and I had our talk.

Jason's going to regret throwing that party. I thought. And I'm going to make sure of that.