The sound of Blink-182's 'Enema of The State' album provided a comforting soundtrack to my horrible history notes that I was currently revising on. Usually I would choose to study physics this late at night but seeing as I had a pop-quiz on Monday, physics got the boot.

Mumbling the lyrics to 'Adams Song', I heard what sounded faintly like stones clattering against my window. Brushing it off as some background noise from the music I continue studying my notes.

However, when the sound only got louder and more continuous I decided that maybe I was going crazy. Nonetheless, I decided to check if there really was someone there.

Walking towards my CD player and lowering down the volume, I could clearly see that stones were being thrown at my window. As I opened the window, I narrowly avoided a stone to the head as I ducked.

"Sorry!" I heard a familiar voice call from below.

I stuck my head out the window to see Jess standing below with a handful of rocks. He looked like he was wearing a dark green jacket that from up here just looked like one big blurry blob of green.

"What're you doing?" I say as quietly as I can, careful not to wake my mother this late at night.

Jess grabbed the ladder that was leaning against the house and propped it up below my window. "I'm coming up!" He warned.

I took a step back at hearing his loud clambering as he climbed up the ladder. When he came in and sat on the windowsill I sent him a glare. "Are you trying to wake my mum up?"

He jumped off the windowsill and took a look around my room. "Calm down will you, she didn't hear me," he says with his eyes glancing over the various band and movie posters on my bedroom wall.

I move to sit back in my chair at the desk to let him roam around the room for a bit. "Backstreet Boys?" He asks questioningly, pointing to the poster above my single bed.

"Hey!" I exclaim in protest. "I'll have you know that their music isn't half bad."

Jess shrugs as he goes through my cd collection. "Just didn't peg you as someone who likes Backstreet Boys and Blink-182. They're very far apart on the music scale."

"Says the guy who sang Destiny's Child the other day," I remarked.

He points his finger at me accusingly. "That was one time."

I get up from the bed to stand next to him. I push him aside playfully causing him to laugh a bit. My fingers rake though the many cd's I had until I found the one I was looking for.

I hold up the cd, showing it to him. "Here, you can have it back."

As I lean on the wall, he takes a few steps closer to me. "The Shins aren't to your liking?"

"Quite the opposite actually," I toss him the cd. "I love them, but it's yours. So here."

He shakes his head and throws the cd back to me. "Keep it, I've got another copy back home."

I give him a small smile along with a 'thanks' before putting it back in its rightful place.

I could feel Jess next to me as he spoke, his eyes still on the cd's. "You arrange it alphabetically?"

"Anyone who does any differently is a psychopath."

"Then I must be a real Patrick Bateman since I arrange mine according to genre," he comments as I let out a gasp.

"How is Patrick Bateman your go to psychopath?" I ask incredulously.

Jess faces me with the corners of his lips slightly upturned. "Who would yours be, then?" He asks.

"Hannibal Lecter, obviously!"

"No, absolutely not." Jess disagrees. "The Silence of the Lambs was way too dramatic, too much show."

How on earth could he think like that about one of the best thriller films ever made. "I can't even look at you," I joke as I walk away from him.

Hearing his deep laugh in the middle of my room brought me back to reality. Jess was in my room, in the middle of the night. I don't think I've ever had anyone up in my room besides Rory.

"What are you doing here?" I inquire with a raised eyebrow.

He shrugged. "Just thought you'd want to terrorise Taylor."

I stare at him. "It's two in the morning! How are we gonna terrorise him?"

"That will require us to stop by an art store," he explains before walking towards my large bookcase next to my desk. He took a book out and skimmed through its pages.

I place my hands on my hips. "What are we gonna do? Paint him the Mona Lisa?" I ask sarcastically. "Besides, what art store is open at this time?"

Without looking up from the book in his hands he replies me. "I'm sure we can find what we need at a 24-hour store." He puts the book back in the shelf before turning to me. "So, are you in?" He asks, looking at me with what can only be identified as pure mischief in his eyes.

I thought of my sleeping mother in the room across the hall. If she catches me out I'll be dead. Actually I'd be worse than dead I'd be disowned. I could already see the disappointment on her face. But then again, what she doesn't know won't hurt her.

"Of course I'm in."

Casting me a small smirk, he walks towards my open window. "Ladies, first." He gestures to the ladder that was barely visible in the dark. Suddenly, I was glad that I haven't changed into my night wear. The jeans and yellow sweater I was wearing was way better than my Winnie the Pooh pyjamas.

I sent him a small glare before walking over to the window. As I place half my body on the ladder Jess grabs ahold of it, making sure it won't fall backwards with me on it.

Now, fully out the window I look up at Jess. The light from inside the room illuminating his tan face and dark hair. "Don't let me fall." I warn.

"Wouldn't dream of it, Cherry."

~~~

"We came all the way out to Hartford, for chalk?" I groan as Jess picked up a pack of them before handing them to me.

The whole bus ride to Hartford Jess wouldn't clue me in on what his elaborate plan was. He kept saying it was a surprise and assuring me I would like it.

"No," Jess drawls out. "We also came for police tape," he holds up the roll of police tape in his hand.

"We're lucky they still have left over Halloween decorations," I add as we move towards the counter to pay.

Expecting to see Jess behind me, I was met with a face full of nothing. I looked around the aisles for him. I even call his name a few times only to have no respond.

"I will leave you," I threaten out, hoping he could hear me wherever he was hiding.

I waited for a few seconds to see if he would come but I got no answer. 'He'll find me,' I thought. As I turned around to leave I let out a loud yelp and dropped the chalk.

In front of me was the most horrid looking face I had ever seen. It looked like a face you'd see in your nightmares. The eyes were white as if they were blind. It's mouth was stitched together with a few drops of blood scattered here and there. The left ear was flopping uselessly by a bloody looking thread.

The figure in front of me laughed and took off the mask. Jess stood there with the mask in his hand with his head thrown back in laughter.

I glare at him as I bent to pick up the chalk. "That was not funny."

Jess tried to contain his laughter as he spoke. "Yeah, you were right," he started, giving me the impression that he actually agreed with me. "We're lucky they have left over Halloween decorations," he continued with a grin on his face.

I shake my head at him as I hold up the now broken pack of chalk. "Now, we'll need to change this."

Jess sighs at me. "You're no fun when you're tense," he joked. He took the pack of chalk from me. "You go wait at the counter, I'll go change them." He handed me the police tape.

"Really?" I ask unconvinced.

Jess nods. "I'll be a good boy, I promise."

When I turn around to start walking I felt a hand creep up on my shoulders. "Boo!" They said in my ear as I felt myself jump.

Slowly, I turn around to se Jess laughing away at my expense. "I'll be a good boy, I promise," I mock him before heading to the counter.

~~~

Jess laid down in front of the Doose's Market entrance. He had his arms and legs splayed out as if to imitate a dead body.

"Here?" He asked as I stood a few feet away to watch how it would look from afar.

"Just move a bit to your left," I instruct as Jess does as he's told. "Yup, that's great."

I took one stick of chalk in my left hand and began to trace the outline of Jess's body, starting with his arm. I carefully traced his elbow as I leaned over him, making sure not to fall on him.

"Y'know what I wanna know?" Jess suddenly voices out, making me swerve with the chalk ever so slightly.

"Shush! Don't talk, this is some of my best work."

He ignored me and continued to talk. "Did your dad leave you?" I stoped my movements as his words. He looked up at me from his place on the floor, noticing my lack of drawing. "Hey, you don't have to answer that." He quickly rushes out, no doubt regretting his question.

Looking down at his face that was inches away from my own, I began to contemplate how to answer him.

"I don't think I can really say that he left," I start as I continue to outline his figure. "I never even knew the guy. My mum told me that he left when I was like three days old. He went to get some diapers." As I was speaking I felt Jess' eyes on me the whole time.

When Jess got the note that I was done he began to speak. "If it makes you feel any better, my dad ditched us too," he said with a scowl.

I was almost finished with his outline, all that was left to do was his head. I took his head in my hand and tilted it so that it was straight. "Don't move," I ordered. I could feel his eyes looking at me once again as I traced him. His face was so close to mine I could feel his warm breath fanning my face.

"Dads suck." He commented, sitting up once I was done.

I turned my head to face him. "They really do," I agreed with a nod of my head.

He got up and took the roll of police tape with him. "Shall we?" He asked extending his hand to help me up.

I grabbed his warm hand, looking up into his eyes. "We shall."