Cameron emerged from his house with alertness about 45 seconds later. I limped across the street to him and he hugged me.

"What's wrong, is everything okay?" He asked frantically. "You wrote in like, all caps."

"Everything's everything. I really need you to drive me around the corner though," I pleaded with him.

"What's happening around the corner?"

"Hopefully nothing too bad."

We hopped in his car and I directed him to Sammy's house. When we got there, I saw Jack's scooter and knocked on the front door with the quickness. There was no answer, not even a sound from inside. But then I heard a thud and some grunting. I realized it wasn't coming from inside, but the backyard. There was the sound of a ceramic pot smashing and soon Sammy's puppy began to bark obnoxiously.

"Imogen," Cam whispered back by his car. "Let's get out of here, I've got a bad feeling about this."

"If you wanna go, then go," I whispered a little louder.

I went toward the side gate and let myself in. Cam seemed troubled, not knowing if he wanted to stay or go. Sammy and Jack weren't just having a little fight, I saw blood. Jack's nose and mouth were bloody while Sammy was bleeding from his forehead and knuckles. They were tumbling and rolling. First Jack had Sammy on the ground, then vice versa.

"Stop it!" I yelled. I caught Jack's immediate attention but Sammy saw it as a chance to punch him in the face.

Regardless of the pain in my knee, I charged at Sammy the best way I could. But he was too strong and he pushed me down, not long before kicking Jack in the side.

"Sammy," Jack groaned. "This isn't you."

"Now you fucking know me?" Sammy shouted down to him.

I felt arms around my waist, picking me up. It was Cameron.

"You okay?" He whispered. I nodded.

Cameron tried to be sneaky by coming up behind Sammy, but then he stepped on a twig and Sammy turned around to punch him square in the nose. Cameron dropped like a hot potato and stayed there, clearly knocked out. Sammy started walking toward me.

"Sending your friends after me, Imogen? Really? I can clearly take on all of you." He takes his shirt off and throws it off to the side. It became a deja vu moment when he pinned me against the cement column, both his hands holding my wrists against it. "We could've been great you know? Bonnie and Clyde type of shit. Badasses gotta stick together. I mean, I fucked you good, right?" His heavy breathing was pulsing against my sweaty neck.

"Get over yourself, we fucked one time," I muttered.

"And you loved it," he said as he pressed harder against me. "Yo Jack, you wanna watch while I fuck your girl against this pole? Making her moan and squeal my name instead of yours? Would you enjoy the show?"

Without thinking I spit in his face and it pissed him off. He quickly wiped his face but then without hesitation, started choking me. His grip was too hard and I had no success loosening it. I even tried to knee him in the balls but he kept blocking me. But I was able to use my flexibility to lift my leg high enough to take my spiked sneaker off and hit him over the head with it. They're clearly not true sharp spikes but they were enough to inflict some sort of pain to where he finally let go of my neck.

Suddenly, Jack gets to his feet and grabs Sammy, holding his arms behind him so he couldn't move much.

"I don't wanna fight you anymore Sam," Jack said to him. "What the fuck has gotten into you?"

"What the fuck has gotten into you?" Sammy repeated.

"I'm still me, dude. But you? You've changed ever since you started dealing. Walking around like you're some sort of drug lord. I didn't become friends with Drug Lord Sam!"

Cameron finally started to wake up but remained on the ground, groaning.

"And now you're abusing girls?" Jack continued. "What would your fucking mom think about that?"

"She would think she needed to have a very long talk with her son," said a familiar voice behind me. I turned to see Sam's mother, in her scrubs, standing in the back doorway. Her eyes were wide and her lips were pursed. I'm pretty sure she was trembling with anger.

Jack lets Sam go and Sam has turned more pale than he already was.

"Inside. Now." She demanded. "The rest of you need to leave."

Jack was nice enough to help Cam get off the ground and we all made our way back to the front.

___________

I invited Jack up to my room, regardless of if I'd get caught or not. I knew my Aunt wouldn't get home until 6 AM. Cousin Jack didn't care. Especially since his dad finally mailed all his video games he accidentally left at his house. I gathered up some bandages, peroxide, cottonballs, and bags of frozen vegetables & locked my door.

Jack was observing all of my little trinkets I had unpacked and placed on the bookshelf. I tossed him the frozen bag of peas for wherever it hurt.

"Thanks," he said, taking a seat on my bed. He placed the frozen peas on his swollen knuckles while I stood before him and wiped the dried blood off his face with a wet washcloth, gently. He looks up at me with those beautiful eyes.

"What were you thinking," I said softly.

"It was bound to happen sooner or later." His voice was a little raspy. He breathed between his teeth when I ran over a small open wound on his nose with the cloth.

"There's the bastard," I said. I soaked a cottonball with the peroxide and gently cleaned the wound. Jack winced as I did so. I placed a bandage over it and kissed it. "How's the rest of your body?"

"Eh, I'll feel it in the morning I guess."

I finished cleaning him up and tossed the blood-stained rag in the trash. With the 35 other washcloths in the house, I doubt my Aunt will miss it. I went to examine his face if there were any other cuts and he touches my wrist.

"Hey," he whispered. His hand traveled up and behind my neck, pulling me down to his lips. "You were worth all the blows."

I blushed uncontrollably. We laid down next to each other and kissed for what felt like forever. Even when his hands graced the parts of my body that ached, it hurt so good. But we were gentle with each other and nothing went past a little rubbing. Even his tongue took its time against my neck, persuading me with the line: If I kiss it, it'll make it better.

We fell asleep with his arm draped over me and my face buried in his firm chest. I had woken up in the middle of the night and listened to him while he slept. There was a low growl everytime he exhaled, it made his chest vibrate. For some reason, it made me feel safe. I've never felt anything remotely close to this and I didn't know if I should allow it to continue or be afraid for what was left of my sanity. He took a deep breath and pulled me in closer. He hummed in his sleep and it almost sounded like a moan. I put my leg over his and fell back asleep.

I woke up to the sound of the front door closing and immediately panicked.

"Jack," I whispered while nudging him. "Wake up, my Aunt's home."

"Your what gnome?" He said a little too loudly.

"Shh! My Aunt's home! We have to sneak you out somehow," I said.

He finally realized the urgency of the situation and woke up fully. I heard the footsteps come up the stairs and made Jack stop moving. My doorknob rattled but thank goodness I had locked it last night. It wasn't long until she went in her room, shut the door, and turned on her shower. I took a sigh of relief and quietly rushed downstairs with him. I took him to the back sliding door since he had parked his scooter in the backyard like last time.

He kissed me before he walked toward his scooter, paused, and came back for another kiss. I couldn't believe how much he's been making me smile.

"I'll call you later," he winked.

After a few more hours of sleep, I put on a turtleneck and went down to the kitchen. Aunt Sophia was there, making a smoothie.

"Hey, have a seat, Genie. I wanna talk to you," she shouted over the blender.

I took a seat at the breakfast bar. "Genie? You haven't call me that since I was-"

"Ten years old, yep, I remember." She turned the blender off and poured her smoothie into a glass. "Want some?"

"No thanks. I like my fruit in full form."

She shrugged. "Anyway, so I talked to Mrs. Dallas..."

"Yeah?"

"Got a good report. And speaking of reports, your progress report came in on Friday and I must say...I'm proud of you. It's not straight A's but it's passing."

"Well I'm glad you see it as such." I tapped a beat onto the granite countertop with my fingers.

"I'm putting your curfew back to 10 PM. You only have a couple more weeks until your birthday, then you have your freedom in a way, I suppose."

"Yeah you can't really ground me at 18," I chuckled.

"Oh I can, but I won't," she said, finishing her smoothie and tightening the sash on her robe. "Just be responsible. If you're gonna be out all night, text me. If you need me to come pick you up, call the hospital and ask for me. If I can't do it, I could find someone who can. I'm not sure what you're used to but I'm here for you, Imogen. I care about your safety. So does your Cousin Jack even though he's sleeping half the time."

"Heard that!" Cousin Jack shouted from the living room. "But I do care, Imogen!"

"See? Just...meet me halfway here, alright?"

I nodded and she came around for a hug. It's been a while since I got a hug from a family member. Sometimes I wonder if she's only this way because once upon a time, she wanted a daughter after she had Cousin Jack, but never got one.

I heard my phone ring and I rushed upstairs to answer it. It was Jack.

ME: Hello?
JACK: Hey you.
ME: Hey yourself.
JACK: (sighs) What are you doing?
ME: Just woke up not too long ago, you?
JACK: Me too. But now I'm thinking about you and I may or may not be touching myself.
ME: ...Go on.
JACK: (chuckles) I wish you were here. Taking care of this for me.

I stood up and locked my door, placing a towel where there's a crack under the door. I stripped down to my bra & panties before hopping back into the bed.

ME: And how would you like me to take care of that?
JACK: Depends on how bad you feel like being.
ME: I'm always full throttle.
JACK: Then I want you to come ride me after you suck me off.
ME: Oooh...never heard you talk like that before.
JACK: I'm full of surprises. What are you wearing?
ME: Hold on.

I took a quick photo of myself showcasing my blue polka-dot bra & a tiny bit of the matching underwear. I sent it to him. I know he got it when he did a low & seductive laugh that drove me crazy.

JACK: Matching panties?
ME: You know it.
JACK: I wanna take those off with my teeth.
ME: What else do you wanna do?
JACK: I wanna fuck you hard until you feel it in your stomach.
ME: Well then, Mister Gilinsky, I might need to sneak you back into my room.
JACK: Then I hope you know as soon as I get there, I'm picking you up, flipping you upside-down and eating you for lunch. And I'm very, very hungry, babe.
ME: (whispered) Fuck...

The conversation went on and got raunchier. Once I started moaning my sentences, it made him do the same. And it was the sexiest thing one could ever hear. I wish I could've recorded it for...another time. Hearing him orgasm was even better. There was a bit of silence before he sighed dramatically.

ME: What?
JACK: I didn't wanna do this over the phone.
ME: I know, I know. Maybe I can come over after school or something.
JACK: No.
ME: No?
JACK: I mean, that's not what I was talking about.
ME: Um...okay you're making me a little nervous.
JACK: Nah, nah, relax. I just really, really want you to be my girl. Officially. And whatever is giving you reservations, I promise I'll stick by you through whatever they are. I just need to know if you're down for me 110% or not. I really need you to let me know.
ME: Um...

I slapped myself in the face, truly unsure of what answer I wanted to give him.

________________

Author's Note: Vote & comment!! Working on 15 tomorrow and it's going to be crazy! xx