~Almost Apologies~

I furiously began trying to brush the flour out of my hair when I heard it. A snort. Coming from the shower.

Rage rippled through my body. I stormed over in the direction of the shower and shredded the curtain across the pole, nearly breaking it off. The one and only Jaxon Bennett was curled up in a ball, holding his breath. As soon as those brown eyes met my hair, he broke out into a fit of laughter. I just stood there, not knowing what to do. My hands slowly curled into fists as a couple moments passed.

"Yo-your... ha, hai.." He continued laughing and pointing. In one swift motion I grabbed his arm and forced him to stand up. The laughter died immediately. I searched his face, my teeth gritting together.

"Jaxon. Sweet, sweet Jaxon" I said in a calm, menacing voice, "You shouldn't have done that." He had expected me to have a meltdown, so this was evidently a shock. He raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms, masking the fear.

"It was an accident, I swear. Don't believe me? Fine. If you would be so kind and step aside..." Jaxon took a step forward, only for me to push him back. He put his hands up in surrender, looking pleased at my reaction.

Now, here's the part where I would grab the nearest object and chase him around the house, screaming that he has to apologize or else. But at this time, I knew that's exactly what he would want. Jaxon was the sort that likes to get a rise out of people. And I was not about to be one of them. So, instead of allowing my anger to take control, I released the breath in my chest and stepped aside.

".....Thanks." Jaxon hesitated.

I shut the door behind him, and leaned against the counter. There was no way he would get away with this. If there's one thing you should know about me, it's that I get pretty competitive. You can ask my friends; I always get the last slap, the victory march, the final hurrah. He has no idea what he's started.

I turned on the shower and hopped in. The water was scorching hot against my skin, but I hardly noticed. I was too busy plotting my revenge. The flour in my hair came out and turned the water pale.

My shower only lasted two minutes. I briskly dried myself and got redressed, hoping the kids were still alive by the time I was done. As soon as I stepped out, a loud crash of thunder shook the house. Then the lights began to flicker.

I took the stairs one by one, praying the power wouldn't go out. The same thing happened last week. California has been getting heavy rainstorms coming from the pacific ocean all April long. Some of them last for days, and we have to stay home to avoid getting struck by lightning. I always thought it was fun; watching the lightning through the front room window and rating each one. But today was different. That thunder was a lot more powerful than the storms we've had all month.

Thump! I jumped the last three stairs and walked towards the side door leading to the backyard. As the knob turned, a strong gust of wind blew the door open all the way. It was a bluish-black sea of rain. There were small waves running across the patio. In fact, the entire backyard was submerged with water! Blinding light tore across the sky directly above me. I shrieked and slammed the door, rushing to lock it. Looks like I won't be going anywhere anytime soon.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

After getting off the phone with Heather, I sent a text to my mom. She agreed I should spend the night because Heather was stuck at a hotel and the streets were closed off. I wasn't very pumped about sleeping over though. In my eyes, it meant you-know-who would be just down the stairs.

Where are the kids again? I listened intently. There was a movie playing somewhere in the house. I tracked the noise down to the basement. As I ascend the stairs, the sounds become more vivid. Is that... gunshots?

At the doorway of the basement, I could hear the movie playing full blast. Screams and gunfire could be heard through the cracks of the door. Curious, I pushed open the door and took in the scene. It was horrific.

All of the boys were curled up on the couch with a Pepsi in their hands, watching one of those rated R war films. Men were being shot on the screen and pushed off a bridge into a lake colored red with blood. I watched poor Tommy cover his eyes whenever another guy was shot. Who would ever think this is appropriate for children??! Of course.

In the middle of all this chaos was Jaxon, chuckling and sipping on his soda. How could he be so immature? Pissed off to the point of murder, I stomped over to where he was and slapped the pepsi out of his hand. It went flying across the room and crashed against the wall, bubbly water spraying everywhere.

"What do you think you're doing?! The kids aren't allowed to watch this!!" I hollered over the noise. I'm pretty sure the look in my eyes said I should belong in an insane asylum, but who could blame me? He had crossed the line. Jaxon opened his mouth to reply, but I cut him off.

"And you gave them caffeine! How am I ever going to put them to bed tonight?"  I gently pried the soda's from the kids hands and tossed them in the trash.

"Chill out. We were just having a little fun" Jaxon interjected. He leaned back on the couch and kept watching the movie, as if my presence didn't bother him one bit.

"How about you" I jabbed my finger at him angrily, "Act your age for once and stop ruining everything with what you believe is a good time!" He tried interrupting me, but I shouted over him, "Shut up and leave us alone! Come on boys." With that, we all exited the basement and marched up the stairs. Jaxon called my name a couple times, but I was too infuriated to care.

As soon as the kids were put to bed, I sighed in relief. While I cooked them dinner and put on Finding Nemo to calm them down, Jaxon never bothered us. I wondered if maybe I had been a little harsh on him. Naw, someone needed to deflate that big head of his. He could use a reality check.

I grabbed a couple blankets from the hamper and laid them out on the floppy couch cushions. It looked super uncomfortable, but it would have to do. I decided against using a random person's toothbrush and hopped into my makeshift bed. But as soon as I hit the couch, the cushions slowly slid off and pushed me onto the floor. Groaning, I rolled over and got back up, fixing my "bed".

"That's never going to work, you know." I jumped at the sound of his voice.

"I got that" I replied timidly, whipping my head around. He stood at the top of the stairs in nothing but some boxers. I chucked a pillow at him and looked away, "Put some real clothes on." He caught the pillow and laughed softly.

"I can see that's what you've done," He said, looking me up and down. I frowned.

"It's not like I keep pajamas with me at all times." He smiled and I turned away again, trying to stay mad at him. I combed my fingers through my tangled hair, and continued constructing my crappy bed. As I refolded the blankets, I could feel his eyes drilling holes into the back of my head.

"Follow me" He said casually. I looked up in confusion. He caught my eyes and winked, then disappeared down the stairs.

I weighed my options. Do I follow him? Can I trust him? I looked down at the uninviting blankets and cushions piled on top of each other. Anything is better than this.  I reluctantly crossed the living room and started down to the basement. I knew this wasn't a very smart decision, but who am I kidding? Dumb decisions are my forte.

It was pitch black at the bottom, and me being me, I underestimated the number of stairs and slipped on the last one, landing on my rump.

"Ouch" I said to myself. The basement was also dark except for a light at the end of the hallway. I weaved through the furniture, the song "Wake me up" popped into my head. I hummed the tune quietly until I reached Jaxon's room.

His room was messy. I know that guy's rooms are usually said to be messy, but this was taking messy to a whole new level. Clothes and shoes were scattered across the room. The desk in the corner had piles of garbage covered in a layer of dust, and there were wrappers and soda cans sprinkled throughout the room. Not mentioning his bed sheets were buried underneath all the junk. I took it all in while Jaxon searched through his dresser drawer, oblivious to my reaction.

"When's the last time you cleaned your room?" I wondered aloud, hovering by the doorframe. There was no way I was stepping into that dump. He shrugged, picking some clothes out of his drawer and stepping over his things to get to me.

"Who said I ever cleaned it?" I raised an eyebrow. Jaxon smiled crookedly and handed me some clothes. "What's this-"

"You can wear them for the night" He said, cutting me off. Then he smiled. An actual, genuine smile. It sent my head spiraling and my thoughts racing. How do I respond? Where's the cocky, arrogant Jaxon I know?

"Um, uh, thanks" I replied weakly. My cheeks flared up as I looked at the ground.

"You can sleep in the guest bedroom next to mine. Or, if you want, you're welcome to share with me..." He trailed off. I gasped and punched him in the shoulder. His laughter rang through the bottom floor, echoing off the walls.

"I'll take option one, thank you very much" I said, giggling. Before he could make things any more awkward, I opened the door to the left and walked in.

It was a small white room with a queen size bed in the middle and a little nightstand on the side. I shut the door and got dressed quickly, fearful that Jaxon would walk in while I was in my underwear. He had given me some sweats and a large band t-shirt that smelled faintly of cologne. Once I was fully clothed, I took a running start and leaped into the bed, automatically sinking in to the mattress. Thank the heavens these things were created.

The dim bedside lamp illuminated the room. I was scrolling through my instagram, liking my friends latest pictures, when the door creaked open. Jaxon tiptoed in, shutting the door behind him. I couldn't stop the nervous stomach-twisting feeling when he sat on the edge of the bed. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it, seeking the right words. I sat there patiently, my interest in what he had to say growing.

'Bayley, I-" He hesitated.

"Yeah?" I pried, expecting him to get straight to the point. He held a look of concentration... it was all very strange and new to me.

His shimmering brown eyes met mine, and for some reason, I couldn't break away.

"I, uh.... jkljaslkjdsfvchnfo." Huh?

"Huh?"

"Um... just... nevermind. Goodnight." Wait, what were you going to say???

I watched him trudge across the door and stand by the door. The curiosity was killing me in the inside. My brain was full of questions, except I couldn't verbalize any of them. But before he left me to sleep, he spun around and added,

"You look sexy, by the way. Really diggin the new look." My face turned cherry red as he vanished into his bedroom. Isn't that just the perfect ending to a perfect day. Jaxon, you are quite the character.

I pulled the covers up to my chin and turned on my side, rationalizing the situation. He was so hard to figure out. What did he want to tell me? Why couldn't he have just come right out and say it? Why was he acting.. nervous? Right then, I made a goal. I was going to uncover the mystery behind him, find out what made him this way. Just as I was about to sleep, a lightbulb appeared overhead. What am I doing laying bed, when I have the opportunity to get revenge? A brilliant idea came to me and I smiled evilly. All I needed was some makeup and brushes and a camera.

Whoop de doo da that was really long. Hope you enjoyed it! Please vote and comment, make my day! Thanks for reading :D