Looking After You

(14) Ages: 17 & 14

Ages: 17 & 14

James paced the floor of the Loren's living room for the tenth time and ran a hand through his disheveled hair in frustration. "Rex, you are such an idiot. Just get one of your teammates to drive you home." He listened to the other end of the phone for a second before responding. "No. No, man, I can't. It's Friday night, I'm bab-", he glanced over at Jenny and quickly changed his phrasing. "I'm looking after Jenny tonight."

Despite the fact that she was trying to look completely invested in an ancient English book, she smirked at his correction and continued listening to his conversation instead.

"Are you sure?" He groaned and finally decided to break his record breaking pace. "Fine. I'll come and get you but your ass better be in my parent's car within three minutes or there will be hell to pay!" He practically shouted into the phone before ending the call and turning to Jenny who abruptly stuck her head back in the book she had yet to flip a page in.

"Going somewhere?" She questioned subtly and James automatically took a deep breath out of predicted frustration. He shook his head while walking over to the coat rack.

"You're not going. I just have to drive down to the beach and pick up Rex because he's an idiot. His football team went down there to celebrate their win and I guess a few rival players decided to show up. They're causing some trouble and Rex left his truck back at the school."

"I love the beach," Jenny announced before grabbing her Hollister jacket from the coat rack.

James yanked the jacket from her grasp and placed it back on the hook. "You're not going," he sternly pointed out. He caught a glimpse of his parent's keys sitting on the hallway table and began reaching for them but before he could make contact, Jenny snatched them and began swinging them around her index finger with a sly grin.

"You're right." She nodded and drew out her sentence as one very well planned out threat adding a soft and innocent enunciation. "I guess I'll just have to tell our parents that you left me home alone so you could go to some beach party where I'm sure there were drugs and drinking and sex." She shook her head with a phony look of despair. "Who knows what could have happened to me."

His eyes narrowed in anger and he quickly plucked the keys from her finger. "Get in the car. You're giving me a headache." She clapped proudly and grabbed her jacket from the coat rack once more before rushing out the door.

~

Rolling the windows down with the heat on full blast in the middle of February had to be one of the best feelings in the world, at least that's what both Jenny and James had concluded. Jenny stuck her hand out the window, allowing the wind to take control as she moved her head up and down to the beat of James' CD.

"If heaven's grief brings hell's rain, then I'd trade all my tomorrow's for just one yesterday!"

Jenny flinched at James' sudden sing-a-long and laughed at the large grin taking up his face. She continued bobbing her head to the song and attempted to sing along with the female background vocalist, despite the fact that she had only heard the song once or twice before. She knew she was screwing up practically every word but neither of them cared and the chorus was worth every botched verse. The song ended, but their laughing continued throughout the car even after Jenny reached for the dial and turned down the music. After allowing the silence to take over for a moment, she took a deep breath. "So, why don't you play football with Rex?"

Laughter filled the vehicle once more and he turned to her with a dumbfounded expression. "Really? You know me better than anyone and you're asking why I don't play football."