Loved By Danger

Chapter 9

    Jo stood in her room watching the morning news. It was Saturday, which meant she would find something to do.  Her father's henchmen were still peeking in on her every so often, and she didn't feel like she lived there as a family member but rather a prisoner.  Amy had things to do this morning, and it made sense because apparently, there were Lycans spotted on the grounds.  Jo didn't think it was that, though, but possibly her furry friend she met the other night.  Nothing was threatening that night, at least not to her.  Her mother came in before she left for the day complaining about how Jo always left her windows wide open.  The news was exaggerating everything as usual, but she was going out to sightsee today either way.

    Jo picked something simple from her closet and made sure to dress for the weather.  She completed her outfit with a hat, hoping to hide her face.  This was a game she liked to play, seeing if she could escape the house with whatever disguise she could come up with.  With Derrick being away and not bothering her, she was able to walk out into the morning sun.  The garden glistened and swayed in the chilled wind, and she grabbed her motorcycle.  She called it shadow, and since she was never allowed to have a pet, this became her companion.  Making it herself, she read up on old books, and they had something similar to what this was.  It was her past time, and when the bike was done being fixed, she rode on it for hours.

    Jo took shadow through the streets.  When everything else around her was powered by electricity, she used fresh diesel.  People looked at her with disgust.  The nerve she had to be riding something so ancient.  She turned down different streets and cranked up the speed, letting the wind caress her face.  This was freedom.  Finally, she reached a spot that seemed to have many local teenagers crowding the front door having conversations and carrying on.  The sign said "The Grease Trap," and the owner was called Neko.  Jo parked her bike out of the way, giving some of the other kids a good view of it.  This must be the lower part of the city because there isn't as much color around this area.  Many greys and dull colors, and not many the shops screamed designer but rather small mom and pop shops that looked like they were trying to stay afloat.

    Jo walked into the Greasy Trap and was greeted by all different kinds of people, they looked at her with one look, and she must've fit the scenery because she too was wearing the dull colors they were wearing.  They went back to their business as she walked over to the counter.  A large and older-looking gentleman was standing there giving orders to none other than her classmate Aden, who was staring at her like he saw a ghost or something.  She gave him a small smile, and the older gentleman looked to where Aden's attention had gone to.

    "Well, I'll be," said the man, "If it isn't one of the Terrells' gracing us with their presence.  I'm Neko, and this is my establishment.  Are you sure you would want to have anything from here?  I'm not sure if we carry anything that might satisfy your pallet."  Jo could feel all of the sarcasm in his voice.  If she were him, she wouldn't like someone like a Terell in her part of town either.  Neko looked at her as if he was trying to figure her out, and she gave a small smile, letting him know she doesn't mean any harm by being there.

    "I'll take the best of whatever you have," she said to him, "I've heard about your own juice creations and that there aren't any like them anywhere around, so I came to try them out."

    Neko gave her a nod and started on her drink.  On the other hand, Aden almost dropped the glass he was cleaning when she finally looked at him, and Creed was trying his best not to look in her direction.  The atmosphere was calming, with low music playing, and the murmurs of conversation filled the room.  The place wasn't large, but it wasn't small either. It gave a homey feeling to whoever decided to walk in there.  It was a nice change of scenery for her.

    "So," said Aden walking over to her, he must've finally found something to talk to her about, "Are you going to make any more paintings for the festival?  I would love to see another piece of yours.  Particularly the one your brother was talking about."

    Jo sighed, remembering the embarrassing moment her brother placed her into yesterday, "Oh...that.  Well, I was only doing some people watching, and you came to my view is all."

    "I wondered what was so great about me that made you want to paint me."

    Jo didn't have the words for that, "I'm not sure.  Maybe you were far more interesting than everyone else around you.  Like you really weren't present with the world but in your own world."

    "I tend to be in my own world a lot.  It's the easiest way to escape.  For instance, like you, why are you on this side of the tracks?  I'm sure your world is better than mine."

    "Just because my parents have money and a better life doesn't mean I'm happy.  That's their life, not, not mine."

    Aden can hear the annoyance in her voice, "Sorry, I wasn't trying to offend you.  I just figured that you lived far more comfortably than anyone around here."

    "You would be surprised.  If only you knew.  This is the most I have ever gotten as far as freedom, and I had to take this time, almost steal it."

    Aden leaned in closer to her, "I know what you mean."  Jo looked into her faraway eyes, hoping to see whatever he saw in them.  He was mesmerizing to look at.  It was funny how none of the girls in school surrounded him by the minute because of how handsome he was.  But no, he was always either by himself or with his friend Creed.  But oddly enough, he has taken an interest in her as well.

    Neko placed the drink down in front of the two of them, "Get back to work," he barked at Aden.  Aden rolled his eyes, and he and Jo shared a small chuckle.  Though Aden greeted her with warmth, she couldn't say the same for his friend.  He was looking at her like she was some kind of imposter like he was waiting for her to do something wrong so he could pounce.  Jo just gave him a look back, not backing off because she didn't want him to think that she was some weak-minded little girl who couldn't hold her own.  He might now be a threat, but she knew something was brewing behind his eyes, and it wasn't pleasant.