20 Chapter 17 – Listless Pre-Conceptions

The intermittent blaring of the familiar school bell generally signalled a truly momentous occasion, the fabled end of the school week!! However my typical hysterical reaction in gleeful contemplation of the upcoming endless hours I'd spend breaking blocks or tediously farming for barely worthwhile units of virtual currency......Hold on a second...

Nevertheless today an overwhelming state of confused befuddlement had completely encompassed any other possible emotion as I hopelessly struggled to recall any information from the week's classes or interpersonal interactions. In fact the only lingering recent memory was Miss Valdez's inevitable accusations regarding the extent of my input towards the Summer Vacation Festivities. Sadly one of the most difficult tasks within this blessed life we live, is attempting to argue an undeniable truth........Perhaps I was too hasty in denying Eve's recent criticism regarding my lack of attention in class.......Or not.

Speaking of the devil, at that very moment I coincidentally received a message from my darling sister, (and no this definitely wasn't a purely pre-meditated plot-progressional tactic!!) Apparently my recently hearty appetite and subsequent inability to replenish said groceries hadn't gone down.....Particularly well with Eve shall we say. Strongly insinuating that were I not to immediately take a detour towards the fabled Cash-N-Go, I would likely be facing some extremely dire consequences, (I'll leave those consequences to your own vivid imaginations).

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Stood teetering upon the threshold and mere milliseconds away from taking that long and ridiculously overdue step through the famous doors of our local Cash-N-Go, the faint whiff of tobacco (seemingly originating from the alley towards the side) suddenly caught my attention, (baby you ain't nothin' but a Hound Dogggg – hound dog, blood hound geddit??? No......Moving swiftly on then).

Certain people would state that Shimon Creed has needlessly inflated levels of inquisitiveness, on the other hand the more sophisticated thinkers within society may insinuate that curiosity births ingenuity, however those within the know would merely state that literally anything and everything could divert Shimon Creed's attention away from the unbearably tedious task of shopping for groceries (and they'd be a hundred percent correct).

Stealthily peering around the corner in a careful attempt to remain unnoticed (utilising several hard-earned years worth of video-game training), I caught a glimpse of a relatively tall girl nonchalantly puffing away with her back facing towards me. Instantly recognising my own familiar uniform (minus the skirt, my legs aren't anywhere near flaunt-worthy), the girl's silky silver-highlighted ponytail perfectly held by an aqua-blue scrunchie flowed majestically towards her gorgeously slim waist, her unusually short skirt perfectly accentuating her physically toned thighs and unashamedly smooth legs.

"You really think I can't see you standing there like some sort of peeping perverted Asshole???"

Immediately retreating away from the irate girl's line of sight whilst my heart inevitably began thumping wildly within my chest, I began silently cursing my unforgivable lack of real-world experience in occasions such as my current predicament. Nervously gulping before taking a few deep breaths in a somewhat hopeful attempt towards calming my nerves, I realised only one option remained as I anxiously stepped out into the open. My eyes opening wide upon unexpectedly coming face to face with........The girl I was tasked with meeting.......Jenna Knight!! (I'm unsure why I'm shouting this within my head however I'm almost certain there's a point to it).

"What the hell are you doing creeping up on me like that Creed?" Apparently being the Student Council President's older brother had made me relatively well known around school, though judging by Jenna's reaction it definitely wasn't in the most positive light.

"I...I wasn't creeping around.......I thought something was burning and decided.....To....Look..." My iota of confidence dissipated without a trace as Jenna menacingly flicked her burnt out cigarette against the wall and marched towards me; Playfully sliding her fingers across my collar as I nervously backed up against the wall, her eyes twinkled mischievously as she coolly pressed up against me.

"You know Creed if word got out what you just saw.......I could be in bigggg troubleeee....And we wouldn't want that now would we??" Jenna rested her head intimately over my shoulder whilst speaking directly into my ear, the overwhelming smell of smoke coupled with her warm breath further served to intensify her threatening words as cold beads of sweat began flowing freely down the back of my neck. School rules in relation to smoking whilst in uniform fell under a zero tolerance policy resulting in immediate suspension and therefore Jenna's reaction was no surprise.

However almost instantly my demeanour relaxed, my heart-rate returning more towards it's normal rhythm whilst my resolute movements breathed of unshakeable confidence. The heart-rendering image of my precious sister wailing helplessly within my arms served to flood my senses with an unshakeable wave of resolve as I coolly stepped away from Jenna's grasp and gazed directly into her eyes with a new found assurance.

"I'm not some kind of snitch Jenna." My words were steadfast and gaze unwavering as we silently stared deep into one another's eyes. Eventually after what felt like an eternity Jenna's sparkling glossed lips pursed into a wry smile; Playfully swaying her hips as she began strolling gleefully towards me:

"Well well well, I never know the Creed family had someone so ballsy, I'm almost impressed."

Jenna suddenly stopped walking as we both stood shoulder to shoulder facing opposite directions, my heart racing uncontrollably within my chest whilst my breathing became infrequent and heavy as I contemplated what was to arrive. All of a sudden Jenna placed her hand tenderly across my shoulder whilst turning her face towards me uncovering her wide grin, before slowly removing her hand away and walking directly past me into the alleyway......Excuse the profanity but Thank Fuck for that. Wiping the sweat from my brows whilst desperately attempting to exhale away my nerves, I was just able to make out the quiet sound of giggling from behind me:

"Come on Super-Creed, your buying me some deodorant and drinks........And standing like that you look like you could use some new underwear." Jenna's uncontrollable laughter lingered in the gentle breeze as she strolled casually into Cash-N-Go, her assured arrogance instantaneously reminding me of Rea's newly confident swagger. Exhaling a soft sigh whilst tightly clenching my fists, I found my legs autonomously following behind this girl as if her tender grasp around my shoulder had magically bewitched me towards her mysterious feminine wiles.

Walking hesitantly just behind Jenna with grocery basket in hand, making sure to grab any necessary groceries for myself and Eve, (facing the wrath of two strong-minded females would almost certainly lead to my final uncompromising breath). Jenna mean-whilst shot a disapproving glance in my direction before grabbing my hand and dragging me close beside her:

"Were not in some weird BDSM relationship Creed, you look like a dog following behind her master."

My cheeks suddenly blazed a shade of red commonly seen lighting up the sky on Guy Fawkes night or possibly the 4th of July, as I desperately attempted to match Jenna's sprightly pace by power-walking beside her. However a conflicted concoction of emotions boiled within, as her unusually tender grasp around my hand, for the slightest of moments emitted a comforting feeling in similar fashion as to how a mother would bestow upon her beloved child. Shaking my head in dismay, I found myself hopelessly unable to gauge the underlying motives of this seemingly vicious young female cheerfully prancing about her business.

Mean-whilst the contents of my shopping basket worryingly began to resemble a (very comfortable) couples weekly shopping trip, as Jenna casually dropped in some feminine deodorant, two bottles of vanilla Coke (which I'm actually quite fond of), and three boxes of feminine hygiene products.......Let's just say I implicitly refused a receipt upon being asked; Explaining the contents of my shopping trip to Eve would have been...Eventful to say the least.

"Thanks Creed your far more interesting then I was led to believe....Guess I'll see you around."

Judging by Jenna's carefully cherry-picked choice of words, my personality (or lack thereof apparently), was a hot topic of interest within school. More importantly though, Jenna had already begun walking away as she spoke and therefore once again my inability to engage females in conversation had seemingly wasted the most perfectly presented of opportunities. Suddenly however, (as if a mysterious omnipotent being felt the need to take pity on this pathetic soul), Jenna suddenly stopped dead in her tracks:

"Say Creed......Are you possibly busy just now?" Jenna's refusal to turn around coupled with her unusually hesitant tone of voice piqued my curiosity, once again finding myself unable to gauge the motivations behind her choice words:

"Not particularly.....Why do you ask?" Jenna warily spun on her heels; Carefully avoiding my gaze as the faint hint of underlying self-consciousness tainted her nervously spoken words, the undeniably cute plush scarlet colour of her cheeks bore a striking resemblance to that of a familiarly gorgeous class rep.

"It's nice out....Plus I've got two bottles of vanilla coke...How about we go to the park and kick it for a while??

The hesitation lining Jenna's words had me questioning my sanity; Had I been transported to an alternate reality whereby this terrifying female whom moments earlier had me resembling a skittish dripping pool of jelly, suddenly transformed into a self-respectable yet self-conscious decent excuse for a human being?

Sighing exaggeratedly I tenderly placed my hand on Jenna's shoulder whilst walking beyond her, my lips pursing into a wry smile as her face contorted into a picturesque image of understanding in regards to my little playful pre-meditated stunt.

"Follow me Miss Knight......The park's this way."

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Interlude:

Phew exactly what the doctor ordered, a warm and (extremely well-deserved) relaxing bath filled to the brim in scented foamy vanilla bubbles....Dying is no longer a prerequisite to visit Heaven.....I'm already in it!!

Were Onii to see me now, I'd almost certainly require a restraining order to keep him away. Soft and foamy bubbles enticingly dripping off my perfectly toned butt.....Damn my sexiness has reached such unimaginable levels, frankly I'm even starting to turn myself on!! My lips pursing into a knowing wry smile as my hand slid smoothly across the arrow pierced heart tattoo seductively positioned on the side of my hip.....Maybe I'll tell him about this one day.......Or if he's lucky he might just see....

However the gleeful smile instantly vanished as my fingers brushed past the small yet noticeable cut across the back of my hand...How....Why hadn't he noticed??? Regardless of it's size, it's presence hadn't even registered in his stupid pea-sized brain. Perhaps perceptiveness and being able to look beyond the surface remains a facet eternally beyond his reach.

Wearily squirting a liberal amount of shower gel onto my familiar bright pink squeegee (I do love pink), and massaging it deep within my tightly knotted muscles; Pausing suddenly as a heavy sigh escaped my lips. Glancing solemnly towards the clock proved a pointless task, nothing of importance would occur within the coming few hours. Momentarily closing my eyes, I can almost picture myself carefully leaning over Onii and tenderly kissing him on the cheek....Yet I just hope......With every fibre of my being....That kiss wouldn't turn out to be a final kiss goodbye.