Chapter Three: Diesel Von Schwartz

School that following Monday was...weird.

First and foremost, Rap Hatcher, Solar City High's principal showed up at the orphanage doors with a large, toothy grin on his wrinkled face.

 

"What do you want?" I scowled at him. Anne was, surprisingly, no where to be found, so I had no choice but to drop my business and answer the stupid door.

How useless was she?

He leaned up against the doorway and raised an eyebrow, "Lose the attitude kid, I came to take you to school."

 

I was tempted to slam the doors in his face and tell him to go shove it, but he was my principal. If I pissed him off too much, he might just decide to expel me, friend or not. I yanked the door wide open and granted him entrance, though I made sure to give him the dirtiest look I had in my arsenal.

 

"School? Really? I'm surprised you even remember where I live, seeing as you didn't come see me when I was...I don't know, unconscious for a whole week!" Okay, I didn't mean to shout that out, but from the look of surprise that quickly turned to guilt, I'd say it served it's purpose. Rap sighed and rubbed his forehead, "Jaks."

 

"Don't Jaks me." I licked my lips, "you shouldn't lead me on like that, making me think that you give two swats about me when you really don't."

 

"Would I be here trying to make it up to your punk-a*s if I didn't care?" he countered quickly. "Look I wanted to come okay, I just...." he trailed off, "Anne and that...man," he spat and I instantly knew who he was talking about, "wouldn't let anyone get near this place. They said you didn't want visitors, load of bull if you ask me."

 

I kept quiet, taking in his answer. "So, you really did want to come?" I hated the way my voice was so soft and sounded so vulnerable, but I needed to know. This whole time I thought that he didn't care about me, that I was just some other kid he was trying to set on the right path, only to find out that it was all Anne and Pierreson's doing? Rap couldn't see me because of those two idiots? Oh no, they were gonna have to pay.

 

He ruffled my hair, retracting his hand just as I tried to bat it away. "Yes, Jaks. You of all people should know that. I care about you kid." He squeezed my shoulder, and I had the strong urge to leap into his arms and hug him until he lost his beer belly.

 

Would that make me too much of a girl if I did that?

 

"I'll let you off the hook just this once."

He chuckled, amusement shinning in his eyes and he slapped me on the back as he calmed down. "Glad to hear it." He looked around the house, not seeing any sign of a living soul other than me. "Speaking of the devil's mistress, where is she? The rest of the kids already took the bus? And why the heck are you still here?"

 

"Well, you see," I laughed nervously and backed away from him as he narrowed his eyes, "I was gonna skip."

"Not today you aren't. Get your bag and get in the car."

"But--"

"No buts, school..today...now." Rap said and pointed toward the front door. "Get in the car and don't touch nothing, got it?"

"Whatever." Stomping all the way upstairs, I yanked open the door to my run down room and grabbed my knapsack. The blue monstrosity had seen better days, and I really needed to get a new one, but like all other poor children, I had no cash to blow on things that I liked.

 

It sucked being parentless.

 

I hoisted it on one shoulder and shot out my room like a bat out of hell, slamming the door shut once I was all the way out. No one would be here to hear it, beside Rap, all the other kids were on their way to school on the bus, and Anne? Who cared where she was this early in the morning.

 

She's probably with Pierreson plotting ways to kill me...Yeah, sure. Not if I got to them first.

Rap was waiting by the stairs and looked really, really annoyed.

"What's wrong with you?" I asked when I reached the bottom.

"That--that woman is not here. I can't find a trace of her anywhere!" I could've sworn he was going to start cursing. His face was red and his eyes glinting angrily the longer he kept trying to think of words to call, who else, Annette.

"I'm not surprised. C'mon big guy, let's go before you pop a vein." I grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the door.

 

"Does she do this a lot? Leave the kids by themselves?"

That made me stop and think. Should I lie to him, or tell him the blatant truth? "No, not really. This is the first time." Which, wasn't really that much of a lie. But it wasn't the complete truth either.

Rap nodded slowly, accepting the answer.

Still gripping him, and plenty surprised that he let me touch him for this long, I opened the front door and was preparing to pull him out...

 

"Where are you going?" Annette's firm voice said from in front of me.

I stopped in my tracks, disappointment quickly setting in when Annette furrowed her brows and looked at me with open contempt that she tried to hide once she saw Rap standing behind me.

 

"To school." What did this woman expect? My backpack was hanging off my shoulder and the principal was right behind me.

 

She pursed her lips. "You were supposed to already be there. Why did you not go with the rest of the children?" She fisted her hands and planted them on her thin hips, glaring daggers my way.

"'Cause I didn't feel like it?"

"Why you inso--"

"Ms. Baker." Rap cut in before Annette and I had a shouting match in broad daylight for everyone to see. "I came to take Jaks to school." he shot me a look that screamed be nice and smiled charmingly at Anne, "she's missed so many days already. I don't want her to fall behind anymore than she already is."

 

Low blow! Did he have to say that? I mean, I knew that I wasn't the smartest pea in the pod, but I didn't think I was that far behind in my school work. Seriously, one week? I could catch up to those smart, preppy kids easily.

It's so good to know that Rap had no faith in me at all. Did he think I was stupid? Incapable of being smart? I gritted my teeth, I'll show him when Anne gets out of the picture!

 

Anne's features softened slightly, but she took one look at me and they hardened again.

 

So much for that, she's gonna say no to Rap, I just know it.

Tuning them both out as they duked it out like the old bags that they were, I looked around Anne, immediately spotting Rap's old red station wagon. I stole a glance at Rap who, seemed to have forgotten that I was even standing in front of him in the first place, then back to his car. For a middle aged man with a lot of money, he sure did have an old, beat up ride. I thought for sure he'd have something like a porche or a ferrari at least, but instead was greeted with the sight of this chipped, beat down car. I could see the red, chipped paint flaking off the side of the passenger door from here, and swallowed my tongue. If the man was going to give me a ride, in that, I'd bare with it. There must be a good explanation of why the ancient tin can was still gracing the roads after an explicit amount of years.

 

I snuck away from both adults after sneaking peeks at them, and noticing once again, that they were not paying me any sort of attention. Anne, if anything, looked to be flirting with Rap. I cringed. Didn't she know he was a married man? And she's still going after him? How...disgusting! I knew the woman was crazy, but to go after a dude that was taken? She had no tact at all!

Halfway across the bug infested yard to Rap's car, a sleek black limo passed by slowly, the tinted window in the back rolling down to reveal a mop of dark-brown, almost mud colored hair.

 

It's him.

 

Even without seeing the rest of the person's face I knew who it was, but I only had to wait about a split second before the window was all the way gone. The monster close to the window blinked slowly, as if trying to reassure himself that he was seeing right, before his eyes lit up, the light floating away just as quickly as it came.

 

"You live...here?" Diesel asked slowly. He stared at me with no particular emotion on his face, his voice unwavering and cold to the point of being deadly.

 

I stiffened instantly and clenched my fists. "Yeah. What of it?" The hostility in my voice scared even me. Was it this normal for me to get so defensive? Or was it just because there was a smoother than smooth ride sitting right outside my front yard?

 

I felt ashamed. I didn't want Diesel to see the run down place I called home with weeds and snakes running free as can be in the yard that no one was ever allowed to play in. He was rich, my guess was, considering the limo he was sitting so comfortably in, and I, was poor. Dirt poor. I'd probably die being dirt poor and there was nothing that could change that.

 

Figures, rich boy like him would never be friends with a poor ole gal like me.

Wait...What? My eyes widened and I blinked stupidly. Where the hell did that come from? I wanted to be friends with him? Since when did I decide this?

Since you met him idiot!

 

Oh god, now I'm even talking to myself. I was seriously starting to lose it.

"Nothing." he replied quickly. I saw his eyes dart around the yard and I couldn't help but to shift nervously. My fingers curled around the bag strapped on my shoulder, and I started to bite my lip, waiting for him to be done.

Finally, "Hop in." The back door popped open. Diesel was looking everywhere but at me, but the corner of his lips turned up slightly.

 

I swallowed and kept chewing on my bottom lip like it was the last meal I was ever going to have. "Why?" It was a simple question, but why did I get the feeling that his answer was going to be a lot more important than either of us realized?

 

The jeapody theme was playing in my ear as I waited, and to my horror I was starting to sway to the beats of the song. Diesel still wasn't looking at me, but...

"Ready brat?" Rap's voice sounded right by my ear.

I knew I jumped about a mile in the air and clutched my heart, trying to calm the organ from working itself into an early retirement.

 

"Dude! Don't do that! You could seriously give someone a heart-attack!"

He grinned. "That's the point. Why're you just standing here?"

I cocked my heard. What's he talking about? Didn't he see the massive super limo on the dirt road no more than five meters from us?

"What? I was just talking to..." my voice trailed off as I pointed toward the large black ride, only to see it...gone.

 

Beside me Rap shook his head slowly. "Yeah. Is this something I'm gonna have to get used to? Your recent dosage of insanity?"

 

I glared daggers. He continued. "That lightning bolt must've messed you up more than that doctor thought cause, kid there ain't no one there." He paused, "but air. And my car." He furrowed his brows and gripped my shoulder, "Sure you don't need to see a therapist?"

 

I closed my eyes and counted to ten, trying to calm down from the rage that was slowly taking over me. "No," I gritted out, "I need you to take me to school." I exhaled slowly and bit my lip once again to keep from stringing curses at my old friend. "Now."

He shrugged, but I could tell that he wasn't at all affected by my mood swing. If anything, he was starting to get amused. "Whatever." we walked the small distance to his car and hopped in. However,

"Really, if you need a therapist..."

I banged my head on the dashboard and kept doing it until we reached the school, continuously gritting my teeth as Rap cackled like a madman the entire ride there.

-------

Anton was standing directly in Hatcher's parking spot when we pulled up to the faculty parking lot, and Rap, half annoyed that he wouldn't be able to park, gave me a look that screamed: move him now, or I run him over.

 

Crap, I was hoping to avoid him again. And yes, I was still plenty mad at him for not believing me the other day. Maybe it was a bit juvenile of me for holding unto my anger this long, but I couldn't help it. It was practically ingrained into my DNA. The engineer that wired me made a drastic mistake and didn't feel like going back to undo it. What? I have nothing else to say for myself.

 

"Why are you sending me out there?"

"Cause he's your boyfriend." he said dead-panned, and I could have died.

I was speechless. My mouth was wide open and no sound was coming out. I eyed Rap like he'd just grown seven heads and plastered my back to the passenger door. "He's...he's....ahh!" I screamed and pushed open the door.

 

Now that I look back on it, opening the door while the car was still moving was not one of my better ideas.

 

So caught up in what Rap had just said, I pushed the door open, lost my grip on the handle, and went rolling in tumbles on the asphalt. Faintly, I heard tires screeching and chalked it all up to Rap stopping his car, but once the ground grazed my face and banged the rest of my body, my ears stopped working.

 

Wonderful Jaks, just jump out of a moving vehicle why don't you? It's not like you're mortal and completely breakable like normal people. No, you're made of metal...Yeah, that's it. Metal. Want to try it from an eighteen wheeler this time? If I could wrap my fingers around my conscious and squeeze until her head popped off like a bottle cap, I would. Believe me. I would. But seeing as I was now face down on the ground and kissing the dirty, gum littered asphalt that was the teacher's parking lot, I had to leave my plot for murder for another time. And place, Inner Jaks reminded me.

 

I'm so stupid.... A moan escaped my lips, and the next thing I knew, I was being turned over on my back. What felt like soft, long fingers crawled on the surface of my cheeks before pressing down on both sides of my face in a light, firm grip, and the moment I shot open my eyes, there was a pair of deep brown, chocolate orbs staring me down in concern.

 

"J? Jaks are you okay?" Anton's soft voice flitted to my ears. His eyes were wide and emotional, and his blond hair was hanging freely from his head. His glasses was steadily tipping unto the edge of his nose, and his colorless lips were tilted in a small frown.

 

"I'm alive." my voice wavered as I croaked out. My best friend was holding unto my face like he was going to kiss me, inquiring about my health, and that's all I said? I was so insensitive! I couldn't help it though. The way he was hovering over me, holding unto my face, his nose almost touching mine as he continued to gaze at me with sad, sad eyes, it....I felt my cheeks heating up and I had to do something to make it stop.

 

I pushed his chest, getting him to release me, all the while wondering, since when did I start thinking of Anton as a kissing buddy? He's my best friend for crying out loud, we used to walk around in stinky diapers together! He was...he was Anton! No, no, this is not happening. I shook my head and willed those crazy thoughts to go away, fixating him with a glare. Hey--at least I got him to move, right?

 

"Are you trying to kill yourself?" he asked hotly.

I stood up, I wasn't in that much pain--it wasn't anything that I couldn't handle. "You do know that Rap would've run you over right?" I informed him.

Before he could even respond, Rap ran up and tapped me harshly on the back of the head. "What the hell were you thinking? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" He almost shouted. His voice was heated and stern, and he glared down at me.

 

"Heart attack? I got him to move didn't I?" Anton looked affronted as the realization of what I said started to sink in, "besides, now we're even." I said smugly.

 

Rap's glare darkened before a ten watt smile overrode his system. "Good, now both of you, get to class. The bell will ring in precisely--" he looked at his watch just as the school bell chimed, signaling the beginning of school, "now. Keep standing here and you'll both be tardy." he finished sweetly.

 

Anton and I both blinked before we turned towards the school and took off running, weaving in and out of the crowd of high schoolers who were also, like us, unfashionably late.

-------

 

I made it to homeroom before Mr. Dangers.

Thank God. That man was seriously scary. Like his last name--he was dangerous and was known to never tolerate laters to his class--usually me, and took it upon his self to give me the hardest time possible. Which, was fine by me since I only had him for homeroom.

 

I stepped onto the marbled-floor classroom and was about to shut the door was a darkly tanned hand stopped me.

 

"Hey! Get your grubby paws off m---" my rant was cut short as the same tall, tanned man I met with Diesel came into view. He was dressed in another dress shirt, white this time, and released me as recognition of who I was floated into his dark eyes. He stepped forward, I backed away until he was fully into the room.

 

"Ah..um...hello?"

He nodded my way, and I turned quickly and started walking to my seat in the very back.

"So the rumors are true then. Ms. Champion is still alive, and has decided to grace us with her presence."

 

I stopped midway in the aisle, ignoring everyone in homeroom as they stared at me, some curiously, the other's as if they'd seen a ghost, and turned to stare at my homeroom teacher, Mr. Peter Dangers. The door to his personal room was wide open, So that's where he came from. He was standing behind the teacher's desk, his face carved into it's usual frown, and watched my form like a lion watching a fat zebra. His eyes, a gloomy shade of grey, hardened like steel the longer he kept watching me.

 

Wonderful, not even back for two seconds and he's gonna give me crap. This had to be my lucky day.

 

Mr. Dangers walked around the desk, "Take your seat Ms. Champion." he said before directing his gaze to the chocolate giant now watching me in open curiosity. I dropped my backpack under the desk and slid in, gritting my teeth when everyone was still staring at me.

 

What the heck? I wanted more than anything to just yell out What? and find out what their problem was, but the tall man was holding my gaze and, oddly enough, when Dangers caught him staring me down, he rushed to explain.

Like it was any of his business.

 

"Ms. Champion? Oh yes, she's returning to class after almost two weeks of being away." He looked to me, his voice laced with sincerity, yet his eyes was telling me everything I needed to know. "She was struck by lightning, but was fortunate enough to survive." Those malicious grey eyes was telling me that he wished that I never did survive that encounter,and it was unfair that I was the only one able to see it.

 

The giant gazed me down, a look of surprise passing over his tanned face as Dangers sprouted my business to the rest of the world as if it was no big deal.

Yep Peter, want to tell them what color underwear I'm wearing and what I eat for breakfast too? I knew there was a reason I hated the man's guts, now being the perfect example. Still, I held my tongue. Rap would have me on a serving platter and be real disappointed if I got in trouble already...and it was only homeroom...

 

I should at least wait until lunch to start a riot.

 

While I was busy cursing Dangers and trying desperately not to fly off my seat and strangle him like the wayward teacher he was, Diesel strolled into the room, stopping only when he was directly beside the giant who, I knew to be his father.

 

They were nothing alike; Diesel was pale and his eyes cold, and the giant? For some strange reason the man kept trying to smile at me. It was...unnerving but,

I smiled back.

 

How stupid was I? This man could be an axe murderer with a fetish for children and he could be choosing me as his next target, and all I could do was figgit in my seat and grin at him like he was my own dad.

Diesel's eyes swept round the room and stopped on me.

 

I dropped the smile quickly.

 

His eyes were boring into mine and I started to squirm a little bit more in the chair. The urge to duck beneath the seat and hide was getting stronger and stronger the longer he kept looking at me, and I looked away, breaking eye contact.

 

"Class, may I have your attention please?" Dangers asked, speaking up.

No I mentally replied, but he continued on anyway.

"I'd like all of you to meet Diesel Von Schwartz. He's new to our school, so be nice."

Diesel Von Schwartz huh? That's a mouthful to say. Not like Jaks Champion's any better, but at least mine didn't sound so...complicated.

Dangers turned to Diesel and smiled brightly, "You may sit anywhere you'd like." Diesel reeled back at the large smile the man was giving him, and a snicker passed my lips before I could stop it.

 

Thankfully no one heard me.

 

He nod his head to Dangers and scanned the room, walking towards an empty seat directly up against the only window in the small classroom. Dangers was started yapping to his dad, and as he sat down and turned my way, that's when I saw it again.

 

His eyes, Diesel's eyes changed color. They were bright and yellow, and as he looked at me, three, good sized black bird kept flying in circles right outside his window.

 

I was sure they were the same three birds that was sitting on the telephone pole right outside the orphanage the same day I decided to grace the world from my week long coma.

 

Okay, this was not normal.

Now I knew for sure that I wasn't seeing things. I snuck a peek at him again and decided right then and there that I had to find out what he was.

 

I had to get the dirt on Diesel Von Schwartz.

 

----------------

 

Stalking: to...observe any one person consistently out of...derangement.

I was not stalking Diesel Von Schwartz. Not, capital N.

Okay so maybe I was, but...in my defense I was only doing it because he was no where near normal. I was sure of it. And P.S. I wasn't deranged.

 

Point #1: Those yellow, demonic looking eyes of his. Ever since I caught another glimpse of it when he started school, which was exactly a month ago today, I'd been unable to get them out of my head. I never spoke to him, and he never attempted to even so much as say Hi to me, but whenever he was off on his own(and I would know cause, I followed him then too), I would catch him holding out his hand in mid air. One or all three of those birds would swoop down from the air or whatever tree they were lounging in, and land right on his arm. He would then sit there, in the middle of nowhere, and talk to the birds as if they could actually understand what he was saying, and his eyes? Yep, bingo...yellow and bright again. Always.

 

Point #2: The birds? I swear, they weren't normal either. All three of them would look at me when I followed Diesel, and the look they gave me with those beady eyes sent a prickle of fear down my spine each and every time. It's like they were on to me or something, and though it scared me a lot more than I wanted it to, I kept up my newest activity: Diesel stalking.

 

Point #3: He was a different person when he was hanging with the buzzards. In school--around everyone else, he was quiet and gave off the aura of mystery. He didn't talk unless he absolutely had to and gave everyone the evil eye so they'd stay away from him.

Who did he think he was fooling? The chicks of this god-forsaken school(except me of course) didn't seem to take the hint very well. They kept flocking to him like flies to a carcass each and everyday he pulled up in that sleek limo. The first few times was fun to watch. Anton and I had cracked up for hours over his bad luck, but now? It was grating on my nerves.

 

"Do you like him?"

The noise level in the cafeteria paled in comparison to the defeaning thump of my heart hitting my stomach. I gapped at Anton. "W...what?" The fork I was holding dropped to the table with a loud clang.

 

"Do.You.Like.Him?" He pointed to Diesel who was sitting on the opposite side of the canteen--by himself. Again.

Anton's lips twisted into an angry frown and he was glaring at Diesel as if he wanted to kill him.

"No." I answered quickly. What was wrong with Anton all of a sudden? That question just came out of nowhere! "Why?"

 

"Because!" he started in an accusation, "You keep looking at him. It's all you've been doing this past month!' He was starting to get louder and louder, and a few bystanders looked to us when they heard him.

I had to curl my lip and give them the glare of doom. They looked away.

"That's crazy Anton. I don't like anybody," pause, "except you of course." I was quick to add.

 

"Then why--"

"Cause he's weird."

"Got that right." he muttered. He scooted close to me until our shoulders were practically kissing, his eyes still on Diesel. What was wrong with him?

"I don't like him."

I looked at him sharply. "What?"

 

Anton took his eyes off Diesel and trained them on the table. "I don't like him." he said again.

"Why?"

He bit his lip and looked at me, his cheeks staining pink as he started talking. "Cause, I think he likes the same girl I do." he whispered.

I blinked stupidly and gaped like a fish. Anton likes someone? And he never told me? Since when?

 

"Well, who is she?" I asked once I'd gotten over the bombshell he just laid on me. He licked his lips and his blush deepened. "I can't tell you." he said without stuttering.

"And why's that?" I was starting to get mad.

"Because you'll beat her up until she admits that she likes me too!"

"No I wouldn't."

"Yes, you would. I know you J. There wouldn't be anything of her left when you're finished, then what am I gonna do? " he said knowingly.

God I hated when he was right. It pained me to admit it, but it was true. That did sound like something I was more than likely to do.

"I'd only do it for her to pull her head out of her butt! You're a great guy, any girl would be lucky to have you."

His eyes widened. "You...really thinks so?"

"Duh. You're like the perfect guy--well, almost perfect."

"Almost?"

I threw an arm around his shoulder. "Yeah, almost. You gotta learn to fight!"

He furrowed his brows. "What does fighting have to--"

 

"Chicks dig guys who can protect them, or at least I think that's the way it goes. Something about seeing a guy fight for their honor and all that crap." I cut him off and explained it in the best way I could.

He seemed to be considering what I said. "And you? Do you like guys who can fight for you?" he asked so softly that I had to lean closer to him to catch it.

 

"What? No! I don't want no guy fighting for me, I can fight for myself thank you very much. Having some dude do that only shows how weak I am--and I ain't weak!"

"But--"

"But nothing. I ain't some weak little girl."

He bit his lip. "I know that. I just...wanted to know what you'd like."

I smiled for him, and squeezed his shoulder. "I know. I don't even know what I like, but..."

 

He looked to me wearily, as if knowing I was gonna say something that demanded some real thinking. "What?"

"If I ever do like a guy, I'll let you know....but only if you tell me who this girl is that has your attention."

 

He was speechless for a time, then..."Why?"

"Are you serious? So I can help you snag her, that's why!"

"You'd do that? For me?"

"I'd help you cart the chick off to Vegas just so you can marry her if I have to. I want you to be happy!"

He smiled gently, knocking his head against mine. "Thanks."

I smiled in response. "Welcome. What're friends for? Hey--I gotta go pee pee"

 

He recoiled from me quickly, "Don't share that kind of info, please!"

Cackling, I stood up, ruffled his hair, and took off.

It had nothing to do with Diesel standing up and leaving the cafeteria just two seconds before me...

 

Nothing at all.

 

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Reviews

[Just Me]

Still just as awesome as the other chapters. I loved it.