by M. Robinson
.
Chapter 4
<>Jackson<>
Out of nowhere, the car stopped and it took me a second to realize where we were.
“Jackson,” Dad said, turning around with a stern look on his face, pulling me away from my thoughts. “Enough.”
We were on our way to the End of the Road clubhouse for the Jameson’s weekly barbeque.
The MC hosted the family event every Sunday, rain or shine. Where the parents would bs about how great their kids were, and the kids would see how much trouble they could get in without getting caught.
I usually loved Sundays, being around a bunch of bikers who treated me like I was one of them. It was always the highlight of my week, except for football.
I’d been playing football ever since I could remember. Everyone always said I had one hell of an arm, so they made an exception to let me play for our city league. I was the youngest player at seven, but I was still the most valuable player.
Quarterback.
The best part of being MVP were the cheerleaders. They didn’t know I wasn’t twelve yet, and I didn’t tell them otherwise. Just one of the perks of being a football star meant I was popular in all the nearby school districts. Everyone knew who I was...
And I meant everyone.
Football was life in our small beach town and scouts were already looking at me for college and I was only in the second grade.
I was kind of a big deal around these parts.
Neither the bikers nor the coaches gave a shit if I cussed, talked about all the girls that liked me, or even when I needed to fix my junk in public.
Sometimes it was all three at once, and no one said a word about it.
It was guy stuff.
At the clubhouse, we’d have so much fun blowing shit up, shooting rifles, looking for trouble in the woods. Which dumbass, annoying, loud-mouth Harley Jameson always thought she could be part of.
“Why are we at the Gremlin’s house instead of the clubhouse?”
“Jagger, can you ride with Harley’s parents? Luke’s waiting for you,” Mom said to him while she turned and looked at me. “Harley’s mother and I thought it would be a good idea if we made the two of you spend some quality time together.”
Before I could say something about the stupidest idea ever, Jagger opened the door and got out.
“Traitor!” I shouted as he shut the door behind him.
Jagger and Harley’s younger brother Luke were complete opposites. Luke was the firstborn son of a biker Prez, and Jagger was the son of a surgeon, but it never stopped them from being friends.
I watched him get into their truck as Harley stepped out, all while Mom went on about something.
“Jackson, are you listening to me?” she asked.
“Uh huh.” I wasn’t listening at all. I was too busy watching dipstick walk over to our SUV.
Why does she always dress like she put her clothes on in the dark?
She called herself a “fashionista”, whatever that meant. To me, she looked like a ballerina who pooped out a unicorn. She was wearing a bright pink shirt, rainbow tutu, red heart leggings, and glittered purple Chucks.
She always wore Converse sneakers. She was a girly-girl who acted like a boy. Every time I reminded her of that, she’d hit me. Still didn’t make any damn sense.
There were sparkly cat ears on her head and a bazillion different colored bracelets on her arms that went from her wrists almost to her elbows. A mermaid backpack was slung over her right shoulder with a pink furry purse, that looked like a dead animal, hanging from the other one.
I sat there staring at the walking disaster coming toward me, shaking my head.
What the hell?
Once she opened the door, I quickly looked away and moved as far from her as I could.
“Hi, honey,” Mom greeted, smiling at her.
“Hi, Aunt Bailey and Uncle Aiden,” she replied in the sweetest voice with a nice big smile.
I rolled my eyes, wanting to throw up in my mouth.
She was not sweet or nice. She was the opposite of that, and I had her battle scars on my body to prove it.
Harley sat as close to me as possible, knowing it would annoy me, and I couldn’t say anything about it in front of my parents.
She knew it too.
She was doing it on purpose.
I hate her.
I knocked her arm with my elbow, and she knocked mine back harder.
“Loser,” she mouthed.
Grabbing my notebook from the seat pocket in front of me with her letters, I started a new one before throwing the whole pad of paper in her lap.
They r not your aunt or uncle. We r not your real family. We r way better than u. Y do u smell like the poop spray my mom sprays in the bathroom? U smell like a fruity fart.
–With all my hate for u, Jackson
She smiled, pulling out her stupid girly pen with the pink fluff on the end from her purse. I’d broken a few, but she always had more.
They ain’t your parent’s either cuz u were adopted. Did u not shower? I can smell your nuts from here.
–Not love, Harley
At least my parents wanted me. U were an accident turned into a big, huge mistake. U must be smelling yourself, ass face.
–With all my hate for u, Jackson
I’m so done with u.
–Not love, Harley
I’m always done with u. Blow me.
–With all my hate for u, Jackson
I’ll blow u over.
–Not love, Harley
“What’s going on back there?” Mom asked.
“Nothing,” we replied at the same time.
Stop breathing my air.
-Not love, Harley
Ok, I’ll strangle u, so u can’t breathe at all.
-With all my hate for u, Jackson
Y don’t u go play in trafic?
-Not love, Harley
Y don’t u learn how to spell traffic?
-With all my hate for u, Jackson
She punched my leg where my parents couldn’t see, and I tore the notebook from her lap.
U hit like a girl. Don’t hit me again.
-With all my hate for u, Jackson
If I hit like a girl, then y u being a big baby about it? Build a bridge and get over it. Besides u started it.
-Not love, Harley
I didn’t hit u, Gremlin.
-With all my hate for u, Jackson
Yeh, well u thought about it, Rudolph.
-Not love, Harley
I looked over at her and made a slicing gesture with my finger across my throat. Meaning it for her.
She grinned, squinting her eyes at me before snatching the notebook from my lap. Swiping right to my apology letters, like she knew they’d be there or something.
“Oh my God, Jackson! This is so mean and hurtful! Why would you give me this?” she exaggerated out loud, faking the offended tone in her voice. “Dear Harley Gremlin Jameson,” she started reading the first letter, the worst one my mom crossed out, for them to hear.
“My mom is making me write this apology letter to u. Like I would ever say sorry to the stupidest girl ever born. I don’t surrender to Gremlins, I eat them for breakfast. You r so ugly the ambulance should take u away, so u can’t get me in trouble anymore. I didn’t do anything but tell u the truth. I CAN jump higher than u off the swings. It’s not my fault u r just a stupid girl with no nuts, but even if u had nuts, they would be the size of raisins all shriveled up in your ugly face. Stop getting me in trouble or else I’m going to tell all my football friends u have a disease that’s going to make their balls fall off and no one will talk to u when u get to middle school.
I hate u.
U suck for life.
With all my hate for u, Jackson
The demon even made her eyes water as she wiped away her fake tears. There were none.
I should have seen it coming, but I blamed her horrible outfit blinding me. Based on the huge disappo
intment spread across my parents faces while they shook their heads at me...
I was grounded.
Again.
Making me hate her even more.
But this wasn’t the end. No, it was only the beginning.
It was now my turn...
To make her pay.
Chapter 5
<>Harley<>
“You have gotta be kiddin’ me?” I gasped, lookin’ at the stupid white tee my momma was holdin’ up that read in bright red letters, “Our Get-Along Shirt”.
“I’m not wearing that,” Jackson agreed, starin’ at it in horror the same way I was.
I thought my fakin’ in the SUV would’ve saved me from havin’ to be near him for the rest of the day at the clubhouse barbeque. Like his momma would’ve taken him home, not punish me by makin’ us wear this huge shirt together.
“It don’t even match my outfit,” I stated, shakin’ my head as fast as I could.
Jackson rolled his eyes, snappin’, “The Halloween costume you’re wearin’ don’t even match as an outfit.”
I stepped on his foot cuz he was copying my accent. “Imma fashionista!”
“Ow!”
“That’s what you get for makin’ fun of my southern twang, bully Pierce!”
“You just stepped on my foot, and I’m the bully?”
“Yeah! And I’ll do it again!”
“Enough!” Momma yelled out, makin’ us look back at her. Disruptin’ our hateful stares for each other. “Since you kids can’t write a nice simple letter to each other, Bailey and I thought this would be the next best tactic.”
“By punishing us some more? You already took away all my video games for the next month. Aren’t I suffering enough? Now you’re going to make me be stuck to her for the rest of the day? It’s only noon, Mom! I’ll die before the day is over.”
“If only I could be so lucky,” I sang, lookin’ at him.
“Do you see what I have to deal with?” He pointed at me. “What do you think is going to happen if we’re stuck together all day? I’ll end up killing her, that’s what.”
“Not when I kill you first, you douchebag!”
“I said enough!” Momma shouted again. “You can both work it out together. The whole family is over this thing the two of you have taken too far. You need to learn to get along, even if it kills you.”
“But, Momma—”
She shot me a warnin’ stare before throwin’ the shirt over both of our heads. Makin’ the sides of our bodies touch.
“Ugh...” I tried to move away but the shirt choked me. I had no choice but to stay glued to him. “He’s already makin’ me hot.”
“Ugh...” he repeated in the same voice I just used. “I’m already catching her stupid.” Hehead-butted me. “Scoot over!”
“I can’t cuz your big ass body is takin’ up all the room!” I shoved him.
“Harley Jameson!”
“It is! I ain’t got no room! You scoot over!” I shoved him again.
“Just let them work it out alone,” Aunt Bailey stated, grabbin’ my momma’s arm.
She nodded.
“Alone?” Jackson hollered.
“Yes, alone,” his mom answered, only lookin’ at him. “You aren’t allowed to be around anyone except each other today. All the other kids have been instructed to stay inside. You two are staying outside.”
“So, you’re going to make me sweat my nuts off too?”
“It’s not that hot out, Jackson.”
“But, Momma... Cash and Shiloh are already waitin’ for me! We have church today to talk ‘bout the moron standin’ next to me.”
“You’re so obsessed with me.”
“Ugh! Get over yourself. I’m not a stupid cheerleader.”
“Jealous, Harley?”
“Of the twat waffles who don’t got a brain cuz they like you? Puh lease...”
“Mom! I can already feel myself getting stupider just cuz she’s touching me.”
“That’s what she said, buttface! And you’re touchin’ me. I ain’t touchin’ you!”
They both just shook their heads in disappointment like always. That was the first time I realized everyone was inside and not runnin’ around the compound.
I couldn’t even find my daddy, which meant Momma musta’ pulled her superpower rank. Where Daddy couldn’t save me, or he’d get in big trouble too.
My eyes went to the window at the side of the clubhouse, and there was Shiloh and Cash watchin’ us. Lookin’ like I felt. Shiloh made a heart with her fingers for me, and I made one back for her. Except it was only half a heart cuz my other hand was inside the shirt, touchin’ the boy I hated the most.
Ugh! They are ruinin’ my life!
“Have fun and please try to work out your issues,” Aunt Bailey ordered before they both turned and left us there.
Once Momma was at the front door of the clubhouse, she shouted, “And don’t even think about taking that shirt off! We’re watching you on the cameras!”
As soon as they were out of sight, Jackson burped really loud and blew it in my face. The smell of pickles and onions went up my nose, makin’ me wanna puke.
I blew it back in his Rudolph face, but it didn’t have the same effect as it did on me.
“You are absolutely disgustin’! What did you eat for breakfast? Your own butthole?”
He smiled, big and wide. The kind of smile that made me wanna knock his teeth out.
“No, it smells like I ate yours.”
“I would never let you near my butthole.”
“If I wanted near your butthole, then guess what, Gremlin... I’d be in there.”
“In your dreams.”
“No, it’s actually in yours.”
“Oh, trust me, Rudolph... when I see your face in my dreams, it’s always a nightmare.”
“Oh, so you are dreaming about me?” he asked with a cocky smirk on his face.
“No, stupid. They’re nightmares like your breath. Now scoot over!” I turned to face him and pushed him as hard as I could.
He tripped a little, takin’ me with him.
“You jerk! You almost made me fall on you!”
“You pushed me!”
“Yeah! Well, you usually never move! So I must be gettin’ strong enough to kick your ass!”
“You wish! I could take you down with one finger.”
“Try it and watch how fast I break it off!”
“Oh my God! You’re going to make me deaf with your loud ass mouth that never shuts up!”
“You never shut up! It’s why I’m always in trouble, cuz of you and your big mouth!”
Out of nowhere he turned around and started walkin’ fast...
Draggin’ me with him.
<>Jackson<>
“You’re walkin’ too fast, butthole eater! I’m gonna fall!”
“So fall! Like I care!” I replied, annoyed and frustrated I was stuck to her whiny ass.
“If I fall, then you’re comin’ wit’ me!”
Before I could respond, she threw her arms around my stomach. The entire front of her body stuck against the back of mine.
“Get off me, you spider monkey!”
“No! Slow down or we’re gonna fall!”
I didn’t stop, I was too pissed. Instead, I started jogging.
“Jackson, slow down!”
“Never!”
I ran faster, and for the most part, she kept up. Holding onto me tighter and tighter with each step.
“I can’t breathe!”
“Good!”
“Harley! Let go!”
“Never!”
And then the little shit jumped on me, wrapping her legs around my waist with her free arm around my neck, choking me. It wasn’t that I couldn’t hold up her weight, I was used to dragging guys on me in football and she weighed nothing compared to them. It was the fact it had just rained that morning and the grass and dirt was still slippery.
My feet slid out from underneath me and the ne
xt thing I knew, I fell face first into the mud. Taking her with me.
Seconds later, I heard her laughing her butt off.
“Oh man!” She laughed harder. “That was so much better than I thought it was gonna be!”
When I lifted my head up from the nasty muck, she grabbed it and shoved me back down.
“That’s for my Ken doll, murderin’ his wife! He’s never been the same!”
I jerked my head back, holding it up with all my strength, knowing she would do it again if given the chance. I warned, “You better run and hide, Harley!”
“I ain’t scared of you!”
And with that, she grabbed a fistful of mud and slapped it into my face. Laughing again.
“Oh, it’s on!”
“Bring it, dipwad!”
Before the last word left her mouth, I sat up and rolled us over, so I was now on top of her. The shirt stretched as far as it could, giving me more room to show her who was boss.
She gasped, “Jackson Pierce! Don’t you dare—”
I smacked two handfuls of mud onto her face. “What was that, Harley Jameson? I can’t hear you?”
“Jack—”
“I own you! Don’t you ever forget that!” I smashed two more fistfuls onto her face. “What were you saying about kicking my ass? With what nuts, baby girl?”
In one quick movement, she pushed away, far enough to knee me in mine.
“Wit’ your nuts, fart face!”
I rolled onto my back, groaning in pain.
You think that stopped her? Nope.
“I own you!” she repeated, smacking me with a pile of mud on my face, one right after the other. “And don’t you ever forget it!”
“Harley Josie Jameson!” her mom screamed, making us both jump and knock heads. “Not even ten minutes! You couldn’t even make it ten minutes!”
“Uh oh,” she whispered, and I used her shock of being caught to knock her over with a huge fistful of mud to the side of her face.
“Jackson Ashlyn Pierce!” my mom added, the two of them rushing toward us.
“I win. Always. Get up. Now. They’re using our full names, so we’re really in trouble.”
Harley glared at me like she wanted to kill me, and I had the same expression on my face toward her.
“I. Hate. You.”
“Not. As. Much. As. I. Hate. You,” I reminded, meaning every last word.
