CHAPTER 17
"Where are we going?" Amber screamed. The top of the car was down, so you had to scream to be heard. When Joey didn't answer, she just let it go. For some reason or another, she trusted the guy with his decision. She laid back on the comfortable, black leather seats, and looked up at the sky. It was a clear night. The stars looked like glittering jewels, and the full moon looked like a giant pearl in a sea of darkness. She closed her eyes, and relaxed, and soon drifted off.
Meanwhile….
"Justin where in the hell are you taking me?" Amee calmly asked. She was very good at handling these kinds of pressure situations. (LMAO. Isn't that right, Amee? =0)) "Anywhere that is deserted enough so we can talk." Came the reply. "Ahh, perfect." He said pulling into a dimly lit, empty alley. "We need to talk about the little incident this morning. I swear, I didn't know you were a girl. Jesse--- well, it's just one of those names." He finished. "Look, Justin, it isn't your fault." Amee answered. "It isn't yours either, though." Justin said, defending her. "Well, let's just blame it on somebody and get the thing out of our systems." Amee replied. Instantly both of them looked at each other and grinned. "Amber!" they both yelled at the same time.
After that was taken care of, talking seemed to come a lot easier. They laughed and chatted about everything under the sun, and before they knew it, it was well past midnight. "Well, I guess we had better go on back." Justin grudgingly remarked. "Yeah…" Amee said, agreeing with him. She would have said something else, but suddenly her whole body tensed. "What is it, Amee?" Justin asked, concerned. He followed her gaze and the scene in front of him made his blood run cold. Out of the shadows, somewhere around 15 kids emerged. They all sported matching black arm bands, and some were carrying things like switch blades, chains, or heavy-duty pipes. Wordlessly they began to surround the Mustang, and slowly moved in closer…..
Jasmine and JC walked along the streets, hand in hand, savoring the moment. "I love you." JC smiled down at her. Jasmine didn't need to reply, the answer shone in her eyes. Today was the first day and months they had seen each other, but they had two weeks left to enjoy more times like these, and both felt heavenly. She leaned against him and closed her eyes, as he wrapped his strong arms around her. Life couldn't get any better for them than it was at that moment.
"Joey, I'm serious, tell me where we're going!" Amber yelled. They had been on the road for about 3 hours, and she was beginning to get worried. Suddenly, he pulled over onto a dirt road, and followed it. Soon they found themselves located on a deserted beach. The water reflected the beautiful moon, and the salty smell of the air brought back so many memories, that the tears automatically sprang to her eyes. "What's wrong?" Joey asked, noticing the sudden change of emotion. "It's nothing," she quickly responded. "I-I- just used to live near a beach that's all." She choked back her tears, or at least, she tried to. They spilled over, and before she could stop herself, she ran out of the car, and down the beach, nearing the ocean. Joey naturally ran after her. "Amber, tell me what's wrong." He said, seriously, putting his arm around her shoulder. "Nothing." She answered, shrugging him off. Then he caught on. "It's your family, isn't it?" he pried. "I was an only child." She flatly replied. "Well, then, it has to be your parents." He continued. "They died a long time ago." She quietly responded. "Please, just leave me alone!" she sobbed, walking away from him. Even though the moon only had a weak glow, it still managed to catch her beauty. Her hair glinted a pale red, and her tear stained face made her look like someone younger than her actual age. To Joey, she looked like an angel. "Wait, Amber," he yelled, chasing after her. "Joey--" she began, as she turned around. "Amber, I love you." He blurted out.
CHAPTER 18
"What?" Amber whispered, unsure of what she had just heard. Joey couldn't have just said that. It would explain a lot of things, but it couldn't be true. "I love you." He repeated.
God, what had he just said? He knew his feelings for her, but Amber wasn't supposed to. But it was too late. In the spur of a moment, he knew he couldn't hide it anymore. Now was the hard part. How would she react? Only time would tell.
"I…I…" she grasped for words. What do you say to something like that? She was confused, and all torn up inside. She needed time alone, to sort out her feelings. Everything was just one big mess, and she needed time. Turning away from him, she looked down the beach, and just ran.
Meanwhile….
"Justin, what are we going to do?" Amee whispered. He didn't answer, mainly because he was too freaked out to speak. He was so stupid. Who would pull into a dark alley at midnight? Stupid, stupid, stupid. "Justin, we have to do something." Amee insisted. He was supposed to be calm and cool, but that sure wasn't the case. The kids were moving in faster now, ready to attack. They were groping for the doors, and Amee did the next thing that popped in her mind. She grabbed the steering wheel and started up the car, and blasted out of there. "Amee, what in the hell are you doing?" Justin screamed at her. The engine, however, sputtered and stopped after only going a few feet. The fuel gauge was stuck on the "E". "Oh, shit." He mumbled. "That was REAL smart, Ames. Now what do we do?" "Just shut up." Amee retorted. "I didn't hear you thinking of anything." Suddenly, Amee grabbed his arm. "RUN!!!" She screamed. Soon he saw why. A barrage of kids was running towards them, waving their weapons around like lit torches. Both of them scrambled for the door, but knew it was no use almost before they started running.
Joey sat down in the soft sand, wishing he could just melt into it. This qualified as the worst moment of his life. She didn't love him, and the future didn't look too bright. He stared into the ocean. This was supposed to be a peaceful place, but the sounds and smells were only wreaking havoc on his emotions. He stared up at the sky, wishing he could erase the night from his memory. Suddenly he heard soft footsteps approaching, and he opened his eyes just in time to see a female figure sit down next to him. "Joey…" She began.
* * * * *