Cursed

Chapter Seven

Jayden waited the rest of the school day for her response. He considered sending his again to make sure Adrienne got it, but stopped himself.

He’d never had any girl reject him before. The idea that this one might, made him want to laugh in confusion. Mickey was right. Girls threw themselves at him, if not because of his status as the leading high school quarterback in the country then because of whom his father was. Had he come across too strong? Not strong enough? Did he somehow offend her? Was she really angry about the lunch? Adrienne wasn’t exactly falling into his lap, like most girls, which left him a little confused and a little more intrigued than he liked.

Was she going to be more drama than Kimmie, whose emails hadn’t stopped all day long?

Jayden was almost angry by the end of the day. He’d met a beautiful girl, the first he ever really felt drawn to, and this was how it ended? Before he even got to know her? She’d seemed very … sweet, especially to befriend someone as unpopular as Emma and to put having lunch with the social pariah over lunch with him.

God is telling me not to get involved. At least, that’s probably what his mother would tell him. He hadn’t planned on it, until Adrienne started playing hard-to-get, tugging at his competitive streak.

Irritated, Jayden waited when the last bell of the day rang. Kimmie asked him to meet her outside the gym, where she was having her cheer practice, for one final attempt to convince him not to break up with her and take her to Homecoming. He felt less tolerant of her antics than normal as he grabbed his stuff from his locker. A glance at his iPad revealed half a dozen new emails. He was constantly talking to Mickey and others during class, usually about football, girls or the instructors boring them to death.

Slinging his backpack over his shoulder, he read the latest reminder from Kimmie to meet her and was about to delete the entire conversation when he saw that Adrienne had finally responded.

Jayden, I live in the Projects. I’m sure that that changes your mind, and I understand. – Adrienne

His opinion of her warmed immediately. He hadn’t considered what she’d grappled with as a scholarship student. He’d seen how mean some of the kids could be to the less fortunate students. He was at once irked that she’d assume he was like that and understanding that she had no idea who he was in the first place. They were virtually neighbors; his mother’s apartment was in the same ward.

He didn’t have a chance to respond before meeting with Kimmie. Still, he felt better knowing Adrienne wasn’t rejecting him. Jayden left the school for the sports complex. Kimmie was pacing outside the propped doors, waiting for him. His eyes fell not on her, but on Adrienne, who was trailing the cheer squad into the gym. If Kimmie wasn’t sure to get jealous, he’d tell Adrienne right then and there what he thought of her email.

“I knew you’d be late,” Kimmie said as he approached. “I’m glad you came, though.”

“You’re welcome,” he said. “Look, Kimmie, I haven’t –”

“- changed your mind,” she finished for him. “Still?” She searched his face, as if genuinely surprised that was the case.

“No.”

“Then who will you go to Homecoming with?”

“No one, at this point,” he replied.

“You’re going to be crowned the king. You can’t not have a date!”

“Do you have a date? You’re a shoo-in for the Homecoming queen.”

“Well…” She crossed her arms. “I have a back-up plan, if you’re serious about not going with me.”

“Not surprised,” he muttered under his breath.

“What?”

“I said, that’s good. Because I’m serious about breaking up with you, Kimmie. I’m done with the drama and the emails and the phone calls. Whoever your back-up plan is, go and be happy,” he said with more heat than he intended.

She appeared wounded, and he felt guilty, despite the fact that she was driving him crazy. After years of taking care of his mother and sisters, he hated, hated upsetting women. Nothing good ever came of a woman who was pissed.

“I don’t understand it. You should be …” She shook her head.

“Should be what?” he asked. “Harassing me isn’t really a good way to convince me.” He tried to make it sound like a joke, but it fell flat.

“No, because I bought a spell from a bokor. He said you’d fall in love with me!”

“Oh, god, more voodoo crap. You know that’s just a sham, right?” he asked. “Go get a refund.”

Anger glittered in her dark eyes. Kimmie whirled away and went into the gym. Jayden followed, only because he wanted to see what the cheer squad was doing with his angel. Kayla was showing Adrienne a routine. He’d heard Darla quit, but he hadn’t thought they’d ask Adrienne to join the squad.

Then again, it made sense. While smaller than the others, she gave any girl on the squad a run for their money in looks. Those green eyes and blonde hair were the talk of the football team.

As if feeling him study her, Adrienne glanced up. Her face turned pink, and she looked away quickly. He hadn’t responded to her email yet and wondered if that’s why she appeared embarrassed. She was waiting for him to reject her.

Jayden pushed himself away from the doorway and left. Tonight he was headed to his father’s. He spent the weekdays at his father’s and every other weekend at his mother’s, unless she called him drunk to pick her up. Then he usually stayed the night to make sure she woke up the next day.

His daddy was having friends over for dinner, and Jayden hoped it was the Tarinos, who had a son his age who played sports. His dad loved to brag about the All-American quarterback that was his son. Jayden went with it. He tried to keep both parents happy, which was often impossible, since they seemed to want different things.

He whipped out his iPhone, where he’d routed school messages to his personal email.

How did he reassure Adrienne he didn’t care at all about her being from the wrong side of New Orleans? He thought hard about it as he walked to his car. He slid into the driver’s seat and blasted the AC then typed a response.

Adrienne- I’ll pick you up at 10. Send me your addy. BTW- can’t wait to see you in your cheer uniform Fri at the pep rally. – J.

Too strong? Probably. He really couldn’t help it, though. He’d never been this attracted to anyone. It was almost like he knew her somehow.

Jayden left campus and raced across town to reach the highway before rush hour started at three. His trip home was all of ten minutes once he hit the freeway, and he drove slowly through the affluent neighborhood and the gate around his father’s property, parking in back.

Jayden went in the side entrance of the garden, not surprised to see his stepsisters trying to catch the last direct rays of sun before autumn. Tara’s half-sister, Chelsea, was short and a little on the chubby side. She was eight with light mocha skin.

With them was his sister, Isabelle. Also eight, she was tall, dark-skinned and skinny, an indication she’d end up close to six feet tall like their mother.

“Hi, Jay,” Isabelle called with a wave.

“Hey, Izzy,” he replied. He crossed to hug his sister. “Don’t you have cheer practice, Tara?”

“I skipped,” she replied lifting her sunglasses to squint at him. “Did Kimmie badmouth me for it?”

“I have no idea,” he said, not about to get caught up in any drama. “I just saw them teaching a new girl –”

“New girl?” Tara shot up. “That bitch better not be replacing me!”

“Oooooohhhhhh,” Chelsea and Isabelle said simultaneously.

Tara ignored them. She snatched her phone and started towards the house.

Aware he’d caused enough drama with Kimmie, Jayden intercepted his stepsister and plucked her phone free. One sister was bad enough. Three? There were full weeks when he had no peace.

Tara looked up at him, frowning.

“I broke up with Kimmie, so don’t call her and yell,” he said quickly. “Okay? She’s already pissed at me.”

“Finally. What took you so long?”

“To break up with her?”

“She’s a bitch!”

“Ooooooohhhhhh!” went the girls again.

“Shut up, Chels, Izzy!” Tara snapped.

“I’m telling mom you’re saying bad words!” Chelsea retorted.

“If you dare, I’ll tell her you both were in her chocolate stash!”

Chelsea took a deep breath, preparing to squeal at the top of her lungs in a form of angry hissy fit. Isabelle recently took up the habit, too, and Jayden was in no mood for screaming girls.

“Don’t start,” he chided the two younger girls.

“Jayden!” Chelsea objected.

“No whining, no screaming, no cussing,” he said firmly. “Y’all got it?”

Tara snatched her phone and stormed inside. The two younger girls nodded.

Jayden shook his head. His father married the girls’ mother seven years ago, soon after Izzy was born. He’d spent more time babysitting and raising the two little ones than their parents had. They listened to him.

Most days, Tara ignored him but helped out where she was willing. He was certain his stepsister and ex-girlfriend would soon be on the phone together, comparing notes about how bad of a person he was.

Did he really want a new girlfriend when he was constantly surrounded by women?

His phone dinged, indicating he had a new email. Jayden glanced at his phone as he took the stairs to the second floor two at a time. He paused at the top of the grand staircase.

The email was from Adrienne. Any thought he had of not wanting anything to do with another girl in his life faded. He opened it instantly.

Hi Jayden,

I don’t think I can go. Thank you for asking.

Adrienne

Jayden frowned. How did she say no? Had Kimmie said something to her during cheer practice?

Let her go, Jay, he told himself again.

But he couldn’t. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her all day, and he hated the idea of putting aside something that interested him before he’d satisfied his curiosity.

“Tara!” he called, striding down the hallway lined with the rooms of all four kids.

“What?” she shouted from inside her room.

“Hey, can I ask you something?”

“Fine.”

Jayden opened the door to her room. Like his, the massive space was filled with a four-poster bed, heavy furniture and paintings chosen by his stepmother. All similarities ended there. Tara’s marble floors were covered in pink and teal rugs, the mantle above her hearth decorated with awards won by the cheer squad. Her bedspread was fuchsia and the rest of her room adorned by girly colors and objects.

Slung across her bed in her bikini, Tara was on the phone. She held up her finger for him to wait.

Jayden did so impatiently and checked his phone, reading Adrienne’s email again.

They had chemistry. He felt it. Didn’t she?

“Okay what?” Tara asked, lowering the cell.

“What’s the deal with the new girl on the cheer squad?” he asked casually.

“You had to ask.” She rolled her eyes. “They’re not replacing me.”

She was quiet, content.

“Yeah and … ?” he prodded. “She’s replacing Darla?”

“Not really. Darla got pissed, but she’ll be back next week. She did this like, five times last year.”

“So Adrienne is just subbing for the week?”

“Why do you care about the cheer squad?” Tara pinned him with a glare. “Kimmie told me you broke up with her right before Homecoming. You’re an ass, Jay.”

“So she’s a bitch and I’m an ass?” he asked, crossing his arms. “Which is it?”

“Both!”

“Just tell me about Adrienne.”

Tara’s brow furrowed. She gazed at him for a minute then sat up, interested.

“You like her,” she accused.

“I don’t like her,” he retorted. “I heard her sing. She seems too nice to hang out with Kimmie.”

“And I’m not?”

“That’s not what I meant,” he said with tried patience.

“I can’t stand Kimmie. I’m glad you broke up with her.” Tara pushed herself off her bed and crossed to her cavernous walk-in closet. “I haven’t met Adrienne. What’s she like?”

“Small, blonde. She sings real good. She got a scholarship to –”

“Scholarship?” Tara poked her head out from the closet. “You’re serious?”

“Yeah.”

“You better not tell Daddy.” Tara considered for a moment, then ducked back into her closet. “Then there’s no way Kimmie will let her on the team. She’s probably just pranking her.”

Jayden frowned. “Kimmie would do that?”

“Duh. You remember how last year, she wouldn’t let Lori Jenkinson try out, because her parents mortgaged their house to send her to school there for her senior year?”

“I don’t even know who Lori Jenkinson is,” he replied.

“Well she did. Her parents almost had no money. Kimmie won’t let a scholarship student on the team,” Tara said. “If she knows you like this girl, she’ll prank her even worse.”

That much Jayden didn’t doubt.

“You want me to find out tomorrow?” Tara asked.

“Would you?”

“Only if you admit you like her.” Tara emerged from her closet in jeans and a t-shirt.

“I’m just curious about her,” he hedged.

“Then I won’t.”

“Tara!”

She grinned.

“Fine. I think she’s pretty,” he admitted. “If you tell Kimmie, I’ll tell dad to shut down your credit card.”

“Whatever.” Tara rolled her eyes. “I’ll find out tomorrow.”

“Thank you.” Jesus! Why is everything so hard?

“I’m glad her voodoo spell didn’t work,” Tara added. “I don’t want you to marry her.”

“I have no intention of marrying Kimmie,” he said with a sigh.

“Because you like the new girl.”

“I’m not marrying anyone!”

“Don’t fight!” Chelsea shouted from the doorway. She was trailed by Izzy, who clutched a stuffed animal.

“I’m going out,” Tara said. She snatched her purse and breezed by Jayden.

“Curfew is nine,” he reminded her.

“You’re not my father.”

“No, but I’m the only one who will bail you out without telling our parents,” he shot back.

“I put the twins to bed last night. It took me an hour, Jay, because they wanted to play some silly game. You deal with them tonight,” Tara said then grinned. “I love you, big brother.”

“First day of school and I need a vacation,” he muttered.

Tara walked out cheerfully, no doubt on her way to spend more of their parents’ money on clothes she didn’t need. Jayden envied her.

“Jayden, I lost my Georgie,” Chelsea reported, her face growing long.

Jayden turned to her. “What is a Georgie?” he asked, accustomed to being the household savior of stuffed animals and dolls.

“We found a frog!” Izzy all but shouted.

“A real one?”

She nodded.

“Let’s find it before dad’s dinner party gets here,” he said. He shooed them away from Tara’s doorway and down the hallway.

His phone dinged. He trailed the two girls, reading the newest message.

Hi Jayden. Okay, maybe this weekend is okay. Adrienne

Her second email was followed quickly by a third.

Hi Jayden.

I’m not crazy. I promise. I’m just … ugh! I really can’t go with you this weekend. There’s no way I can make my Cs with this Algebra and World History and I have to work on weekends or I can’t stay in school. There. I said it. I can’t have a life.

Sorry.

Adrienne

He almost laughed. He’d begun to think it was him, a thought he’d never entertained before in any aspect of his life. He achieved any goal he set his mind on.

“Girls, start looking for your Georgie,” he said, eyes on the phone. “I’ll be right down.”

They went.

Jayden paused at the top of the stairs once more, this time to type a response.

A-

Don’t stress. I can help you with your math and history. Can you do evenings after school instead of weekends?

J.

He hit send and started down the stairs. A moment later, squeals came from the direction of the kitchen. Jayden walked in just as Chelsea dropped a huge bowl over something on the floor. Izzy was screeching in excitement.

“Here it is, Jay!” Chelsea shouted.

The chef appeared, less than pleased to have his solitary duties interrupted by frog and girls. Jayden went to the bowl and lifted it, quickly snatching the green-brown creature that tried to leap away.

“No more frogs, Chels,” he told his stepsister firmly.

He straightened and trotted out the back door, through the garden and onto the landscaped backyard. When he was far enough away, he set down the frog and tugged his phone free to see if he’d missed Adrienne’s response.

J.

Ok. We can do that.

A.

Was she interested? Reluctant? Just trying to make him happy? He couldn’t tell. Jayden debated for a moment, accustomed to the women in his life leaving no room for interpretation. From Kimmie to his mother to Tara to the girls: they were all demanding. Adrienne was … confusing.

But maybe that was good. Maybe that meant she was interested.

Whatever. He shook his head. On a whim, he sent her a quick response.

A-

Cool. I can come tonight. ;-)

J.

What if she said yes? He had a feeling she’d turn him down with another excuse. If so, then she probably wasn’t as interested in him as he was becoming in her. It would be a warning for him not to get entangled with another girl who would just twist his feelings every which way.

It would be for the best. He wouldn’t have to hide her from his father or make up an excuse as to why he had to break up for her, if they ended up dating until the end of the year. She was everything his father didn’t want him to date: poor.

With the frog issue resolved, he returned to the house, curiously awaiting her response.

Why couldn’t he get Adrienne out of his mind?