Part 16

“Hey Danny,” Louis greeted.

“What are you doing here? We had some pretty good shit saved for you,” Danny said. Louis shrugged slightly.

“Not today guys thanks,” Louis brushed them off and looked back at me. I looked at him nervously as his friends took a seat beside us.

“What are you doing with her?” Danny asked looking me up and down. I avoided his eyes by staring at Louis.

            “I believe it’s called lunch,” Louis said sarcastically. Danny gave him a cold stared looking from me to him.

            “Don’t tell me you’ve gone goody goody on us,” Danny said in disbelief. Louis shrugged it off stealing a bit of food from me and put it in his mouth.

            “So what if I have?” he asked without a care in the world. His friends started to laugh and chant goody goody at him, real immature stuff if you asked me.

            “Don’t worry guys I’m not worried, he’ll be crawling back to us in no time. Enjoy him while it last sweetheart,” he said to me. I glared at him.

            “Bugger off mate,” Louis warned. Danny looked back at him and put his hands up in surrender.

            “See you soon Lou, because you and I both know you’re not a goody goody. You’re a misunderstood outcast with no real future and no chick is going to change that. See you soon,” Danny said then pushed himself to his feet and walked off with his friends.

            Louis let out a deep frustrated breath as he glared at their back. I took Louis’ balled up fist in my hands.

            “Don’t listen to them Louis, you’re better than that,” I told him. He huffed looking away still a hard glare on his face. “Is there anything I can do?” I asked worriedly. Louis ignored my commented and soon the warning bell to go to class signaled. Louis sighed deeply shaking his head. “Louis,” I questioned watching him as he stood up taking his hand away from mine.

            “I’m fine Jenn, I have to go to class,” he said dully. I nodded slowly as he stepped away from the table and shoved his hands in his pockets as he walked out of the cafe. I sighed watching him for a moment before getting up myself, tossing my things in the garbage and making my way to my last class of the day.

            When school was over I reluctantly went to my detention. I’d be happy to have these over and done with. I took my spot near the back and started the long boring wait for it to be over.

            I stepped out of the school when it was all over and noticed someone skateboarding out front of the school. I walked over to him recognizing the familiar tattooed arms. Louis noticed me walking towards him and he pushed his board over to me.

            “Well aren’t you a site for sore eyes,” he said grinning. I chuckled a bit.

            “I didn’t know you could skate board,”

            “There’re a lot of things you don’t know about me love,” he commented with a smirk.

            “I’m all ears,” I told him smirking back.

            “Well for starters I’m great in bed,” he said. I laughed rolling my eyes.

            “What are you doing here you goof?” I asked crossing my arms. He shrugged as he picked up his board tucking it under his arm.

            “Thought I’d walk you home,” he offered.

            “What if my dad sees?” I questioned nervously. He shrugged again.

            “We’ll cross that bridge if it comes to it,” he said lacing his fingers with mine. I smiled gripping his hand back and walked down the street to my house with him.

            “So are you okay about what your friends said earlier?” I asked. Louis huffed a bit looking away in annoyance.

            “They aren’t my friends,” he said. I nodded slowly. “They’re wrong, they don’t know who I am only what I’ve led them to believe,” he explained. I nodded in understanding.

            “You don’t need them,” I told him. He gave me a small smile and nodded in agreement.

            “Is there any chance I can see you tonight?” he asked. I looked up at him thoughtful.

            “Maybe, if I say I want to go for a walk or something but knowing my dad he’ll probably follow me,” I said with a sigh.

            “Could we at least try? I really want to see you tonight. We can go to that park,” he suggested. I nodded my head.

            “I’ll try,” I told him. He let go of my hand for a moment and pulled out his cell phone.

            “Put your number in here, I’ll text you later, maybe around 7,” he told me. I nodded my head and quickly added my number to his phone. He smiled taking it back and laced his fingers with mind again after putting his phone back in his pocket.

            We got to my street and my house was only a few away. I turned to Louis and looked up at his kind face.

            “I’ll hopefully see you later,” I said. He nodded.

            “If not then at school tomorrow,” he told me. I nodded. Louis took my hand and pulled me in closer wrapping the other tightly around me. I smiled hugging his back feeling nothing but safety and security in his arms.

            “You’re turning into a softy,” I teased whispering in his ear.

            “Am not,” he joked as he pulled away and gave me a light nudge. I rolled my eyes smiling at him. “See you soon,” he said softly with his genuine smile. I nodded smiling back.

            “Bye,” I said with a small wave as I slowly started walking backwards down to my house. He waved back then tossed his skateboard back on the ground. I turned fully around hearing his ride off back home.

            I walked into my house and my mom was making dinner. I ran up quickly to my room tossing my bag on my bed then went back downstairs into the kitchen

            “Hey sweetie, how was school?” my mom asked. I shrugged taking a spot at the dinner table where Emma was coloring.

            “It was alright, how was work?” I asked picking up a marker and reached for a piece of paper.

            “It was good thanks,” she said as she shopped up the vegetables.

            “Look Jenn it’s us at the park,” Emma said showing me her pictures. I smiled.

            “Looks good Ems, you should draw a big pretty sun up top though so it’s during the day,” I suggested to her and passed her a yellow marker. I went to work drawing my own picture which ended up pretty dark. It was off a girl sitting on the floor in her room crying because she was trapped in a life where her parents controlled everything she did.

            “That looks sad Jenn,” Emma commented.

            “It is, it’s of a girl who got into trouble for a silly reason and she’s forced to be locked in her room day and night and she’s really lonely,” I explained to her.

            “Jenn,” my mom warned.

            “Well it’s true,” I said looking up at her and folded my paper up so my dad wouldn’t see. My mom sighed.

            “You know why you’re being punished,” she said.

            “Actually I don’t think I do. So what if I was with Louis, he’s a good guy, just because dad doesn’t like his tattoos doesn’t mean he’s a delinquent,” I said crossing my arms.

            “We don’t trust him Jennifer, we’re just trying to make sure you’re safe,” she said.

            “I’m 18 years old I can look after myself,” I said.

            “Jenn you got into trouble for hold someone else’ joint that’s not acting like a responsible adult there for you will not be treated like one,” my mom explained.

            “I took it from him and put it out so he wouldn’t do it how is that not responsible?” I asked getting more and more annoyed.

            “It’s only for this week that you’re grounded so just grin and bear it okay,” my mom said with a sigh.

            “Yea till dad finds another reason to get mad at me,” I grumbled.

            “Jennifer enough,” my mom said sternly.

            “Hey my beautiful family what’s going on?” my dad interrupted as he walked in. He kissed the top of Emma’s head making her smile and kissed my mom sweetly before looking at me. I glared at him. “Jennifer how was school?” he asked picking up a piece of the food my mom was cutting and ate it.

            “Fine,” I stated looking down.

            “What did I just walk in on?” he asked my mom.

            “Jennifer is just being a teenager and disagreeing with her punishment,” my mom explained calmly. My dad sighed.

            “Sweetie we’re only trying to protect you. I don’t trust that boy so I don’t want you near him,” my dad said firmly.

            “What do you think is going to happen dad? That we’re going to date have unprotected sex and he’s going to knock me up? Thanks for having faith that I know how to handle myself,” I snapped. My dad sighed giving me a hard stare.

            “I do trust you Jenn but it’s that boy I don’t. Boys his age have awful things on their mind and you’re being completely naive and ignorant if you don’t see that,” he explained.

            “Not everyone is like that. Just because you were a pig when you were young doesn’t mean he is and you know what he has a name you know and it’s Louis and he’s much more of a gentleman that you’ll ever be,” I snapped and got to my feet leaving the kitchen.

            My parents didn’t bother me as I locked myself in my room. It was just unfair I hated society’s view of Louis. He wasn’t that bad. Sure he dressed like a punk kid but he’d be the type that would return someone’s wallet if he saw them drop it instead of stealing it.

I felt my phone go off in my pocket and I opened it up to see an unknown number. I opened it up thinking it was mostly likely Louis.

-Hey love, just checking to make sure I have the right number. Can’t wait to see you- he wrote. I smiled opening up a text to him.

-Yea I’ll save your number to my phone. Yea about seeing each other tonight.. that may no happen. I kind of just got into a fight with my parents- I wrote back. I turned on some music and laid back on my bed waiting for him to respond. I smiled when he did.

-What? No why did you do that L- he wrote.

-I’m sorry they just get me so bad. I hate this house it’s like a prison- I wrote to him.

-I’m sorry to hear that one day you’ll be free-

-I wish that day were today. I really wanted to see you again-

-Sneak out then-

-Are you crazy I can’t do that- I sent him that text then looked at my window. Even if I wanted to I’m on the top floor there’s no way I could get out.

-Yes you can, I can meet you at your place later tonight- he wrote to me.

-I’m on the top floor I can’t go through my window and my dad always stays up late on the couch- I wrote to him.

-I’ll help you. I’ll be there when it’s dark out- he wrote.

-Can you bring food? I kinda screwed myself out of dinner..-

-No problem, see you in a bit J- I smiled and stared up at my ceiling counting down the moment till I could see him again. I still didn’t know what we were. Maybe I should ask. Or would that be pathetic?

I slowly drifted off to sleep but was soon woken up by my phone going off. I jumped a bit and picked up my phone putting it to my ear.

“Hello?” I asked a little breathless.