Teenage Troubles (Prequel for Teenage Baby)

Chapter 30 | The captors

Chapter 30 | The captors

"Honestly I think the drug addiction phase you keep reminding me of is the most ethical I've been. At least I wasn't breaking into people's houses or kidnapping a boy. Or stalking one."

"It's not called stalking. I just wanna know what I need to buy for my baby. Now shut up and look out for Aaron. He might come out any second."

Lou sighed and leant back in the passenger seat. It was around time classes were over and kids had already started filtering out like prisoners proven innocent.

The minutes passed by torturously slow. Lou relaxed and closed his eyes, only to have that moment of peace broken by Cara whisper-yelling, "Look, my baby!" and shaking his arm.

He jerked forward, squinting until he caught Aaron. He walked out of the school gates with his shoulders hunched and brows set in an ever-lasting frown. Kinda like the entire world—including the sky above him or the ground beneath him—had done him injustice and he didn't want to speak of it.

Lou's soft smile was both mocking and admiring. "Does he do anything other than frown?"

"He's just sad." Cara focused on Aaron. "I promise Mommy's gonna make it better, baby. I'll make you smile—" she stopped. Frowned. Then she jerked forward and squinted harder. "—who the hell is that?"

"Who?"

"That stupid girl beside my baby."

Lou frowned until he noticed a brunette walking beside Aaron. "I don't know. His friend probably."

"No. My baby doesn't have friends. He shouldn't have. He needs me." Cara watched Aaron and the girl pass by. "Hey. Hey. They're out of sight."

For the hundredth time this day, Lou sighed. "They're going into the park."

"Cool. She's taking him away."

"How is she—"

Cara turned the car on and drove off, rounding the curve of the park. She parked there, behind the bench and pond where Aaron and the girl stood, obscured by some trees.

Lou watched Cara and Cara watched Aaron. A perfect loop. Lou flinched when she jerked back in her seat and slammed a hand on the steering wheel.

"Lou," Cara said whilst facing forward. "Lou, look at that. Isn't that Aaron's jacket? Why is she wearing his jacket? It's cold. My baby needs it."

Lou glanced at the girl. The sleeves of a black jacket coiled around her hips, kinda a stylish clothing choice? "Not sure. He probably offered it."

"I don't care. That bitch is keeping my baby cold. And why the hell around her hips? Did she just use his jacket for a style?"

"Is it even his jacket? Maybe hers."

"I'm sure it's his. My poor baby's probably cold now and that stupid girl doesn't care."

Lou didn't respond. He didn't care about the girl, but he couldn't have mistaken the glint of jealousy in Cara's eyes and that was concerning. "Calm down," he coaxed. "Maybe she needed it to cover a stain or—"

"Oh my God. She did not just do that." Cara hunched in her seat, shoulders tight and tense. Her jaw dropped, brows slanting in time like she'd been offended in front of an audience. She grasped Lou's sleeve and tugged. "Lou! Look at what she's doing."

Lou alarmingly glanced at the two. He tried discerning anything wrong but he couldn't spot anything other than two regular friends. "I'm not sure what you're talking about." He relaxed in his seat again. "Nothing's wrong."