VII

"What do you want, Jackson?"

His smile fades. "Nice to see you too."

"Why are you here?"

His eyes fall for the slightest second. "I'm here because your mom invited me."

"Yes, I invited him." My mother walks out of the kitchen with a wide grin on her face. "Welcome back dear. I see you two have met."

I look at my mother. "Why are they so early?"

"They are not here yet, dear. Only Dylan for now. His father will be here soon."

"Why aren't you with your dad?" I ask. I look at Dylan.

"I wanted to see you."

I roll my eyes. Again. If I keep doing this, I might actually die from annoyance. If that's even possible.

My mother smiles. "Now, why don't you two go on ahead upstairs?"

I look at this woman in awe. She shoos us away, expecting me to take this boy to my room. The way she gives me out like it's nobody's business. At times, I don't even think she's my legitimate mother.

We begin to walk down the hall. When we get to the staircase, I take off my shoes.

"What are you doing?" he asks.

"What does it look like I'm doing?"

"Yeah, but why are you taking off your shoes?"

"Why do you think?" He looks confusedly at me. "Just take your shoes off, idiot."

He begins to take off his shoes, but I had already started on my way upstairs.

"Wait," he calls out. "What's your problem?"

I look back at him and cross my arms.

"What's my problem?"

What's my problem?

"Yes. What's your problem?" he starts. "You're rude and don't care about anything. You act like you know everything with your arms crossed and your eyes rolling all the time."

I roll my eyes and cross my arms. "I don't have a problem," I say and walk straight to my room.

He follows me and takes a seat by my desk. I sit on my bed and eye him down.

He's wearing a black jacket with a white shirt peeking at me. His shoes are white and his hair looks like it's gelled back. Funny how he chooses to get ready.

Silence fills the space between us until he decides to speak. "So, what's up?"

I look at him and then speak. "Nothing."

"You know that you can say more things than just: 'yes and no.'"

"Yes, I know."

Silence again.

"So how are you and Jeremy?"

"What do you mean?"

"You rushed over to him so quickly this afternoon, I figured you two were together."

I begin to laugh. He looks over at me, confused and I laugh even more hysterically.

Tears begin to form at the brink of my eyelids before I calm down. "We just became friends. And the only reason I ran over to him is because you were annoying me."

I wipe the tears that are flowing down my cheeks.

He looks down at his shoes. "I was annoying you?"

I laugh again.

"I bet you annoy a lot of people and just don't know."

"Well, no one really lets me know," he says, looking straight at me.

"Well, Jackson, I'm not no one."

He chuckles. "I can see that."

Silence soon falls once again and this time, I break it.

"I guess I do have a slight problem…"

He looks up.

"...to some extent and probably some people."

He smiles. "It's not slight, Stella."

"Rose," I say. "My friends call me Rose."

"Does this mean we're friends?"

"No," I say. "But we aren't enemies."

He smiles.

"For now."

He gets up and walks towards me.

"What? Why are you getting up?"

He hesitates. "May I sit next to you?"

I look at him then to the spot on my bed beside me. "Sure."

He sits down. "So what do you like to do for fun?"

"Just because we aren't enemies doesn't mean you get to ask me personal things, Jackson," I chuckle. I nudge him slightly. "But, I don't do much. You know, since my dad passed."

"Your dad died?"

"No, idiot, my dad passed me by when I saw him at the convenience store- Of course my dad died."

He looks down at his shoes and silence fills the room once more.

"I'm sorry," he says.

"It's not your fault," I say. "In fact, I don't even know who's fault it is."

He hesitates. "What do you mean? Do you think someone did something?"

"I wouldn't put it against anyone," I start. "He just collapsed all of a sudden. Then he was gone. If that's not suspicious, then I don't know what is."

Dylan thinks for a second before speaking, "Then, you need to find out what happened."

"What?"

"Not just for closure, but so that you know."

"Right. That's what I was trying to tell that idiot, Jeremy, but he kicked me out of his house."

"You went to Jeremy's house?"

"Yes, keep up, dumso."

"Okay, but why?"

"To tell him about it. My plan."

"What's your plan?"

"I am going to find the person that killed my father."

His eyes go wide for a second.

"And obviously, I'll need help, so I went over to Jeremy's house because he's the only friend I have, but all he does is talk about his ideals and how I can't expect him to do things because I want him to."

He stands up. I look up at him in confusion. "Let's do it together."

"What?"

"Let's do this treasure hunt together."

"But, why?"

"Well, for one, you need help. You're helpless in this town on your own."

I roll my eyes. "I lived here before. And I'm pretty sure you are helpless."

"Me?"

"Lying behind your father's back with no one but myself knowing what you're up to."

He squints at me. "You haven't told anyone, have you?"

"I can't make a promise I can never keep, Jackson. It's just the way of the world."

"I don't like you."

"Diddo."

"But since I have a secret of yours, I don't know if I can keep my lips sealed for very long. Unless…"

"Unless what?"

"Unless nothing happens to mine."

I wear a tight smile and slowly stand from the edge of my bed. "I hate you."

He smiles and I restrain myself from slapping him across the face.

"Let me help you, Rose."

I think for a second. "Stella-Rose. And fine. I will need someone local around here. Regardless if we are friends or enemies."

"Hey, come on, we aren't enemies."

"For now."

"Meet me at the barn in your backyard by 2 am later. We have a lot of planning to do."

I nod.

"Kids! Come down for dinner!"

We get up, glance at each other once, then walk downstairs, separately to have dinner with the general and my mother.