Cursed (13 page)

“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?

Tonight?

Adrienne’s breath caught. Was he serious? Or was the winking smiley face his way of saying he was joking?

She didn’t know him well enough to figure it out.

It was rush hour, which meant standing room only on the city bus. She was pressed between an overweight woman and another teen who looked like the gangbangers her father warned her about. She swayed with the bus and the passengers crammed in the tiny space. There was no way she could check her cards on the bus.

Lowering the iPad, she held onto the nearest pole tightly. The bus lurched to a stop then lurched again when it merged back onto the street.

Her heart was flying. She’d just had her first ever cheer practice, and the hottest guy at school wanted to come over to study.

Her senior year was going to be epic!

The bus reached her stop. Adrienne maneuvered her way through the crowd and emerged onto the street, grateful to be free of the confined space. She opened her bag to tuck her iPad into it and spotted the journal.

Does Jax love me?

It wasn’t a coincidence that she met a guy named Jax who knew her sister, and Therese had mentioned Jax in her journal.

Adrienne fingered the leather cover. Her eyes drifted upward, towards the alley whose entrance was open in the distance. It was around six, just before dark. She could look for Jax then still be home before her daddy.

Or maybe, before Jayden wanted to come over.

She tried hard not to smile, thrilled Jayden wanted something to do with her, even after learning she was poor. She tugged the iPad free and flipped it open then pulled up his email.

J-

Sure. ;-)

A.

She sent the response then closed the iPad, satisfied. Hopefully, her email was as confusing as his. If he was serious, he’d ask her address. If not, then she’d know for sure. Either way, she wouldn’t be stuck trying to figure out if he liked her or was just being nice.

Now onto her next mission: unraveling the last year of her late sister’s life.

Adrienne pulled out the journal and slung her backpack over her shoulder.

A dark-haired woman across the street caught her attention. She stood still, like a rock among a stream of moving people. Unlike most of the residents of the neighborhood, the woman was white, dressed in a white shirt that made her stand out even more. She seemed frozen in her spot on the sidewalk behind a black motorcycle.

She wasn’t alone, either. The Red Man hung back next to the wall, the rippling of his robes giving him the appearance of not being a part of this world.

Adrienne glanced once then looked back, pausing.

The Red Man was gone.

The woman seemed to be staring at
her
. She looked … trashed. Wasted or ill or something, with smeared make-up, glazed eyes and a blanched complexion.

Creepy.
Adrienne started walking again. She looked back when she reached the entrance of the alley where she’d run into Jax twice already.

The woman was gone.

A shiver went through her despite the humid day.

Probably some druggie.
Adrienne shrugged it off, not liking the sensation. She had something more important to think about – finding Jax.

Determined, she walked down the street to the alley and entered it for the third day in a row.

The same bums were in place beneath their shelters while Jax was nowhere to be seen. She started down the alley, glancing around to see where it was Jax came from the other two times. There were no doors or fire escapes within reach.

She turned halfway down the alley, surprised to see him between her and the entrance of the alley. Hooded and hunched, his face shadowed, like before.

He paused when she did, and fear made her stomach flutter. After a moment, she started towards him, hugging the journal with some trepidation. Her sister had cared about him. He couldn’t be that bad.

“I was looking for you,” she said.

“You shouldn’t,” came his smoky voice.

She paused. Even in full daylight, she sensed something otherworldly about him. It made the hair on her arms stand up on end. Maybe it was simply how quietly he moved or that he appeared whenever she thought of him.

“Are you following me?” she ventured.

“Not exactly.”

“What does that mean?”

“Like I said.”

She frowned.

“What do you want?” he asked.

A little nervous and scared, she giggled. “You’re following me, but you want to know what
I
want?”

He waited.

Adrienne cleared her throat. Jax had no sense of humor – that much was clear.

“I wanted to know about my sister,” she said.

“I can’t talk about her.” As before, he turned and started away.

Perplexed, Adrienne hurried to him and caught his arm. “Wait, please!”

He shrugged her off.

“Did you love her?”

Jax froze.

Adrienne flipped open the journal. “I think she loved you. She wrote about you in her journal.”

He spun so fast, she didn’t have time to move.

Jax snatched her arm and yanked the journal free.

Adrienne stared up at him, horrified by the sight of his face, until she realized he wore a skeleton mask.
While she couldn’t distinguish his features, she could see his riveting eyes. They were blue-green, bright, sharp and deep set.

Releasing her, Jax walked away.

“Jax!” she called, recovering from her surprise. “You can’t take that!”

“Go home to your daddy, girl.”

Adrienne trailed. “That’s all I have left of her.”

“Trust me. This way is better.”

“What way? You stealing from me?”

He didn’t respond.

They reached the end of the alley. Adrienne stared after him, distraught. She hadn’t gotten far with the journal, but it was her sister’s. Not only that, but the sticky notes were in there, too. All the clues to whatever mystery she was meant to unravel were in Jax’s hands.

“I’m not going home without her journal!” She scrambled after him.

“Don’t be stupid.” He tucked it beneath his sweatshirt.

“You said she wasn’t dead. Are you sure you’re talking about my sister?” she continued.

He said nothing.

“Jax. Jax!”

“You’re driving me crazy, girl. Go home.”

“No.”

He turned down an alley, this one displaying what looked like gang members huddled at its center. She paused, sensing it wasn’t the place for her. The tattooed young men greeted Jax with fist bumps and some complex handshake. A few openly wore guns in their belts and carried knives.

Jax had her sister’s journal.

Adrienne swallowed hard then stepped into the alley, following him. She drew close enough to see the tattoos of the boys. All wore veves of gods while a few had French sayings written on their forearms or in one case, across his forehead. She studied them. She’d never heard of a voodoo gang. Then again, she was new to New Orleans. It was a lot different from Atlanta.

As close as she was willing to go, she stopped and waited, following Jax with her eyes. He seemed unaware of her, as if he didn’t expect her to follow him.

“Who the hell is this?” one of them noticed her.

They all turned, two drawing their weapons while the others just stared.

“I’m here to see Jax,” she said clearly.

“Step right into his office,” one replied then laughed.

“You’re a little young for Jax.”

“Rich girl. You go to the private school. Your daddy know you’re out?”

They circled her as they spoke. Adrienne didn’t know what to say. She looked away quickly, eyes on Jax. His hood was facing her, though he made no move towards her.

“Hey. You sing at the Baptist church on Sundays.” This voice came from behind her.

Adrienne turned to face the speaker. He was ruggedly handsome, a few years older than her with hard, striking green-blue eyes that resembled Jax’s. Dressed in baggy clothing like the others, he was likewise armed with two knives. The tattoos down his arms were of various gods, though the most prominent was that of Ogoun, the warrior god.

“He asked you a question, girl,” one of the others snarled. “You too good to talk to us?”

“No,” she replied. “And yes, I do sing at the church on Sundays.”

“You’re not rich,” the guy with prominent Ogoun tattoos said, crossing his arms. “Your daddy lives in this ward.”

“I’m on scholarship at the school for my singing,” she said. “How do you all know where I live?”

“This is our hood. We know who belongs where.” The speaker’s blue-green eyes slid to Jax, who had neared.

“I’m taking this one home,” one of the others said. “Got a rite in mind for her.”

Someone grabbed her arm.

She gasped and tried to pull away.

“Back off, DeShawn!”

“You back off, Rene. I spotted her first.”

The two were soon shoving each other. Adrienne tried to find her footing, but was yanked between them. Fists flew around her as two more joined the struggle. Someone’s elbow caught her in the side of her head. She slammed into the wall, stars exploding in her thoughts.

Adrienne slid to the ground. She lay still, the sounds of fighting distant. Unable to pull herself out of the dark place, she tried to discern what was going on. The sounds of fighting faded.

“She okay?” someone’s voice warbled.

“Not sure.”

Adrienne tried to answer but wasn’t able to. She felt herself lifted off the hard concrete. For what felt like a million years, she floated in the in-between place, unable to fully enter consciousness or unconsciousness.

The scent of cinnamon rolls reached her. It broke the spell, and she breathed in deeply then opened her eyes. Fluorescent light glared overhead, blinding her for a moment.

Adrienne blinked and twisted her head to see a portly African-American lady seated in front of an ancient computer. By the look of the sagging walls, old technology and aging equipment, she was in a free medical clinic. It was the only type of doctor her mother took them to back home.

Adrienne pushed herself up.

“Those boys normally don’t bring in pretty little white girls whose daddies might sue,” the woman in nurse clothing said, glaring at someone across the room. “That’s a one way ticket to jail, Rene.”

“I wasn’t the one who hit her!” Rene, the young man with blue-green eyes, retorted. “This stupid girl walked into our territory like she owned that shit. Besides, police won’t touch me.”

“Yo’ mama know you cuss? Ima tell her. You lucky if all that happens is she beats your ass. Black man or poor man like you hit a white girl, he goes to jail. Forever. Look at my husband.”

“I’m okay,” Adrienne said. “Aren’t I?”

The large woman eyed her. “Yeah. You okay. Bumped your head. Take Tylenol if it hurts.”

“Okay,” Adrienne said. Her stomach was rumbling from missing dinner, and the smell was driving her crazy. “Are there cinnamon rolls somewhere?”

“Never fails.” Rene’s aunt hefted herself up. “You got insurance?”

Adrienne shook her head.

“I ain’t even doin’ a file on you. Waste of my time.” She walked out.

Adrienne touched her head gingerly. She had a headache and a bruise on one temple. She looked at Rene. He sat on a bright orange chair clearly bought from a school auction next to a counter with a peeling top. His striking eyes were on her. He’d put on a sweatshirt to cover the weapons at his waist and the tattoos on his arms. What made her blood race, the danger he radiated or the fact he’d carried her here and stuck around to make sure she was okay?

“You brought me here?” she asked.

“Yeah.”

“Thank you,” she said.

“What the f…” He shot a glance towards the door where his aunt had gone. “… hell were you doing there? You new in town? Didn’t no one tell you that you don’t just walk up in some alley in the Projects?”

“Jax took something from me,” she said firmly. “I want it back.”

“What he take that make you do something so stupid? You want to get hurt? Cuz that’s what my people do to little white girls like you alone in our allies.”

She flushed. “You helped me.”

“Once. You get one freebie for being ballsy enough to chase down my brother.”

“Jax is your brother?”

“Yeah.”

“Why has he been following me?” she asked.

Rene shrugged. “None of my damn business. Or yours.”

“Don’t you say damn,” his aunt said, walking through the doorway. She slapped him on the back of the head.

“It’s in the Bible, like hell!” he snapped.