Jenalyn: Daring to Defy (#1)[Complete]

Chapter 17: Jenalyn

Tuesday, 6:01 P.M.

By the time we finally make it back to Anthony's, I have myself convinced something bad happened to Dane. Like, seriously convinced. 

I was able to skip out on an appointment, have a semi-normal day at school, meet up at a friend's house after school, travel to his friend's house to film and edit a 6 minute long video contest submission. Even still, I made it back to the friend's house without hearing or seeing a thing from Dane? 

I know Dane has been a little... indifferent with me lately- but this? This is some different level type shit. Is he breaking up with me?! 

"You smoke, right?" Anthony asks as he opens the front door to his house, pulling me from the panic of my thoughts. His dad lay passed out on a recliner watching infomercials, and a big black dog immediately pokes his head up from a sofa- but decides us not worth the trip to the door. 

"Uh-huh," I nod my head, trying not to show my eyes wandering over to the coffee table where numerous needles lay. "But I was just about to go anyway-"

Anthony is quick to cut me off, offering a quick laugh as he shuts his front door and urges me toward the hallway. "It's okay, he's not gonna wake up."

Reluctantly, I follow him down a dark hallway to a bedroom I could tell belonged to a high school boy even if I just stumbled unknowingly upon it. He urges me to his sloppily made bed, clearing sports gear from the blue quilt to offer me a seat.

I watch nervously as he rushes around his room, assumingly to retrieve the weed he tried to lure me to his room using. I'm not usually so nervous in a social setting, but honestly it's been a long time since I've submerged myself in one- and Dane has been a factor since... 

It was one thing to do the video. I know it's not Dane's favorite thing- he's the first person to remind me that no matter how beautiful my voice is, Hollywood would never take in a delinquent from Philadelphia. And I mean, it makes sense... Harlee Gold? Recording a song with me? She'd probably think I was a lunatic or something- I'm way too far from perfect. But I would be able to shimmy my way out of it, because he knows how much it means to me to try.. I'm not supposed to know that about him, but I do! 

It's another thing though to come back to Anthony's room... I wouldn't be able to shimmy my way out of that one.

If Dane cared, don't you think he'd have been here by now? Or even bothered to message you? The voice in the back of my mind practically taunts me. Memories from the other day, when Dane told me to do what I want because he's done- they're quick to flood my mind before Anthony's voice once again inturrupts my thoughts. 

"I don't have any blunts, so papers it is!" he says enthusiastically, overexaggerating his movements as he rips a paper from the small cardboard box. 

I force a smile on my face, and take my phone from my pocket. An unsettling feeling begins to arise in my stomach, but the voice in the back of my mind is quick to drown it out.