"Not anymore." He said taking my shoulders in her arm again. "You and I are going on an adventure."
"I can't miss-" I started to say but he started steering me towards the student parking lot giving me a dubious stare. "Where are we going?" I said instead to which he gave an approving look.
"How big is your backpack?" He patted my mostly empty bag. I only had the one class but now it seemed I had no classes that day at all. Casting him a confused look he shook his head. "Don't worry about it." We made it to his car and he held out his hand at the trunk of his car for my bag. In the interior his trunk I could see a large paper sack. I hesitated but relented it regardless of my reservations. With a shift yank on the zipper he opened and turned it on itself, the continents spilled out. "How fast do you run?"
"How fast do I run?" I repeated his question in a perplexed tone. He didn't offer an answer but just a blank stare waiting for my response. "I ran track." Telling him finally. "I actually plan on going out for the team in the spring."
"Great." He pulled open the brown sack and began transferring the items into my own bag. He worked quickly so I couldn't get a good look at what he was doing. From what I could tell, he was pulling out cans of spray paint. He zipped my backpack back and thrust it into my arms.
"What are we going to do with all this paint?" I felt that I knew the answer before the words left my mouth but I wanted his confirmation.
"You'll see." Of course he didn't give it. "Get in the car." We drove for twenty minutes in stiff silence to a housing community It was middle of the day but not a soul was in sight. All the houses appeared to be shut up tightly awaiting those at work to return, breathing life into their doors again. I thought back to the spray paint now heavy in my pack.
"What are we doing here?" I asked of his plans again.
"Today, we're going to do some justice." Jackson replied as he got out of the car. He led me down the street another block to a three-story crème colored house. He walked me around to the back of the house where a side gate opened to the backyard.
"Whose house is this?" I asked him uneasily following him.
"Don't worry about it." He grunted taking my backpack from my hands. "Hey stay here and watch the back door." Jackson pointed to a spot with a perfect view of the sliding glass door. From here I could see into the dark house. No one was home, or at least no one was downstairs. He ran off to the back fence. I wanted to watch him work but I kept my eyes glued on the door for any slight flicker of life within. I waited; he sprayed, for roughly fifteen minutes before he came back to me placing a hand on my shoulder. I jumped and screamed loudly before he put his hand on my mouth. From over his shoulder I could see what he had painted. In all red block writing, the words, 'cheating bastard' shone on the tan picket fence.
"Jackson who lives here?" I asked him in what was barely a whisper.
"What does it matter." He shoved my backpack into my hands again.
"Is this your home?" This time he looked down at his feet but next thing I knew his lips were pressed against mine, and his hands were in my hair. I dropped the bag and kissed him back. Suddenly, I felt as if a new light cast off of Jackson Harris and he wasn't what everyone said.
CHAPTER TWO
All of us new sisters had to dance with our dates for the first official dance of the evening. It was held after the pinning and after everyone had a chance to congratulate us, maybe enjoy some refreshments. Jackson led me to the center of the room where he wrapped an arm around my waist and held my hand with his other hand. The music began to fill the room as the waltz commenced. Caitlyn was dancing with one of Jackson's close friends. It had been my idea for them to go together but as we moved around them on the dance floor I could see him wincing in pain as she stomped on his shoes with high-heeled feet. The dance ended in another round of applause.
"Lets go upstairs." Jackson told me with his lips close to my ear. A long time ago, or so it felt now, I told him that I wouldn't sleep with him until I was pinned. I wanted to focus on getting through the pledge process and school before I added sex to the mix. He wasn't happy but he respected that.
He led us through the maze of people and up the stairwell. I glanced around to see if anyone noticed us disappearing up the stairs, only one set of eyes found mine own. Caitlyn gave me a quick thumbs up. There were rules about boys being upstairs. Our housemother, strictly forbid any after hours visits and even during normal 'visiting' hours the door must remain wide open. Jackson had always pushed those limits. We often snuck him up the side of the house, if you climbed the tree, and jumped off the branch on to the roof. There were a few feet before you actually get the roof, but Jackson had become very skillful at landing silently. Caitlyn, who was my roommate, never once ratted us out. I would tell her; "I think the wind is coming tonight," and she would make some excuse to get her out of the house for the evening.