White Rock
"Jordan!" Juliet "Jules" Seago called as she padded around the cluttered house in tiny cotton shorts and an oversized Tshirt. Her curly brown hair was pulled into a mesy ponytail and she had no makeup on.
Before their mother had died, while Jules was home on breaks from college or Jordan's earlier memories of her still living at home, Jules had never left her room without her hair and makeup done to perfection.
"I'm coming!" Jordan groaned, coming down the hall with his backpack dragging on the floor. "Geez. I heard you the first hundred times."
Jules stepped into some flipflops and threw on a hooded sweatshirt.
"Let's go," she said, opening the front door.
Jordan and Jules hardly looked alike. Jules had always been tall for age while Jordan was short for his. Jules had thick, curly dark hair and Jordan had straight, sandy colored hair. Jules had brown eyes and Jordan had hazel. He halso had a beauty-mark style mole near his mouth that looked oddly nice on a boy.
He climbed into the passenger seat of his sister's car so she could drive him to school, as she'd done every morning for the past six months-minus the summer time when school was not in session.
"I'm making crockpot pork chops tonight," she said. "I hope they turn out okay."
"Pinterest?" Jordan guessed.
"What do I look like?" His sister snorted. "I googled 'easy porkchop ideas'."
"I miss Mom's pork chops," Jordan said. "She made them so good."
"Yeah, and chicken too," Jules agreed. "And soup. Oh my gosh! Remember her cheese soup she made with beer?"
Jordan smiled, nodding. "She made it every Christmas Eve."
It had been six months since the principal had pulled Jordan out of his sixth grade class and into the guidance counselor's office, where they both delicately broke the news to him (along with a police officer) that his mother had been involved in a car accident and had died. Six months since Jordan had stayed with the next door neighbor and family friend, Ms. Howard, until Jules' flight from Boston had come in late in the night. It was the only time they'd hugged and it actually meant something. The only time Jordan had ever seen his sister actually cry.
"I'll break into her recipe book and try and make that soup one day," Jules said suddenly. "Maybe on Christmas?"
Jordan didn't tell her that he didn't want her to ever try and replicate that soup, but he wanted to. They weren't like other sibling who could fight and bicker and make up. Their age gap was too great. Jordan was twelve, Jules was twenty-four. She was twice his age, and even as a teenager she had already seemed like an adult to him.
Not to mention that Jules was a wreck in the kitchen. Every homemade meal they'd eaten so far had either been overcooked, underdone, not seasoned enough, or incorrectly seasoned. They mostly lived on Hamburger Helper and takeout.
As they pulled up to the school, Jules shrugged one shoulder and said, "Have a good day or something."
"Yeah..." Jordan said, just as awkward. "You too."
He was glad to be out of the car and jogged up to the school entrance. His best friend, Forest Cooper, was already waiting. Forest was his name, but only his parents called him that. Cooper and Jordan had a history because their fathers had been best friends. Jordan's father had died before he was born.
"Hadsomes, twelve o' clock," Cooper muttered before popping an aspirin tablet. Cooper was bitter and neurotic and suffered from migraines.
Sure enough, the five 'Handsomes' as the clique was dubbed were standing around waiting for an audience. Victor Quinn was their leader. Quinn had gone through puberty without a single pimple and was already built like a grown man. He had thick, wavy black hair and groomed eyebrows. He had also starred in two different commericals. One of for toothpaste, the other for acne cream. He had been the 'after' results shot. The other Handsome members consisted of Blake-a coiffed-haired American Idol wannabe, Gabriel-a pretentious dancer who wore his curly hair natural and in a ponytail or headband all the time, Tawny- the sports star of the seventh grade with golden locks, and Jake-the 'big guy' who wore two polo shirts-one on top of the other, and those tacky puca shell necklaces. He never let anybody forget for a second that he was from Corpus Christi.
Jordan's brows furrowed and he couldn't help but snort as several girls crowded around them-flirting and laughing. Cooper shook his head and said, "I'm too old for this shit."
"You're thirteen," Jordan reminded him.
"Still?" Cooper groaned and took another aspirin. "Like I said, too old."
"Victor!" One of the cheerleaders, Jenny Cole, twirled some blonde hair around her finger. "Can I feel your biceps?"
Cooper made a face and asked, "Did she really just ask..."
"And we're walking," Jordan said, taking Cooper by the arm before his friend could go on a crusade.
"Sure," Quinn said, popping some gum. The other girls whined that they wanted to feel his biceps too.
It was at that moment that Lucille Campbell walked up, frowning. Lucille had always been a nice girl, but she was also the girl that didn't take any nonsense from anybody. She was chubby, but it was mostly in her face and puberty-given.
"Excuse me," she told the Handsomes in her monotone droll. "Move."
Quinn blew a bubble at her and said, "Lucille, lookin' good, Babe."
Lucille kept frowning at them, never breaking eye-contact. She was good at that. Jordan and Cooper watched, both of Jordan's eyebrows raised and just one of Cooper's.
The other Handsomes snickered and the girls fawning over them looked at Lucille like she was gum on their shoes.
"Whatever," Lucille said, and walked around them.
Jordan and Cooper went to sit in the cafeteria together. It was still an hour and a half before the first bell and breakfast was served to those who wanted it. After the bell, they would part ways. Jordan would go to Mr. Ruby's seventh grade class, and Cooper would go to Ms. Thread's eighth grade class. Jordan bought himself some cinnamon toast and a banana. Cooper asked the lunch line lady if she had any coffee in the back. She gave him a weird look and ignored his request.
Jordan remembered the days when his mother would get up extra early to make him bacon and eggs or French toast. He himself and Jules couldn't be bothered with getting up that early just for a homemade breakfast.
"After we eat, wanna hang around outside?" Jordan asked. "It's nice out."
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"Houston, let's go!" Dallas called impatiently, shifting her weight from one foot to the other as she waited on her twin. The pair lived close enough that they could walk to school.
Houston finally sauntered into the kitchen where they exited the side door every morning, dragging his feet and backpack. Both twins had thick blonde hair and gray eyes, but their similarities stopped there. Dallas was driven, ambitious, and loved to be involved in everything.
Houston could not get excited over anything and it was a miracle at all that he played at least one sport-basketball-his only hobby besides sleeping. Dallas played any sport in season. Not only that, but she also took flute, gymnastics, and was involved in several clubs- the history club, robotics club, cooking club, Future Leaders of America, and anything else that opened up.
It was no surprise because their mother, Jillian Brantley, was the mayor of White Rock and was constantly involved in community projects and public affairs. Their father, Robert Brantley, was a professor at the University of San Antonio, and a blogger on the side. He was a devout feminist and equalist.
It was a beautiful fall morning. The air was just chilly enough for a sweater and the sky was a mixture of pink, orange and gray. Later in the afternoon it would turn a deep, cloudless blue-something Dallas loved. She appreciated things like that. Houston only noticed the sky if it was raining, and on him.
"Race you to the corner," Dallas said, grinning at her brother.
Houston yawned. "It's too early for that."
"Oh, you would say that if it were five in the evening," his sister said. "Please?"
Houston groaned and hitched his backpack up, grumbling. Dallas got into position and said, "Ready. Set. Go!"
She sprinted down the sidewalk, and Houston half-heartedly jogged behind her. When they reached the cross walk at the corner, Dallas frowned at her brother.
"Really?" She said, catching her breath. "Really?"
"Yay..." He said in a flat voice. "You win."
They started walking again.
"Arent you excited about the Halloween dance?" Dallas asked, as if she didn't ask him a hundred times a day.
Dallas had weedled their mother into pestering the school about changing the usual fundraiser-a fall festival- into a Halloween-themed dance, and they'd finally caved.
"What are you going to dress like?" Dallas asked.
"A serial killer."
Dallas' brows furrowed. "How are you going to do that?"
"I'm not going to do anything." Houston shrugged. "They dress like everybody else."
Dallas threw her head back and let her eyeballs roll back in their sockets.
"You're killing me, Smalls!" She said, and they both laughed a little.
Dallas had been working on her costume for weeks with the help of her father's newfound sewing skills. Dallas always had a scary or beautiful or interesting costume. Last year she'd been a clown. The year before that she'd gone as a bathtub full of bubbles-covered in balloons. This year she was going to be Batgirl-Stephanie Brown, of course. Her father had been helping her to sew it and even found somebody to mold a cowl to shape her face.
"You should at least let me throw some zombie makeup on you or something," She told Houston.
"I just go for the candy," he said.
"So can I put zombie makeup on you?" She asked carefully.
"As long as I get chocolate, you can do whatever you want," Houston said. "Dress me in drag for all I care."
They met up with Dallas' best friend, Agatha Winters, halfway to school.
"Hey!" She greeted them cheerfully.
Agatha had been Dallas' best friend since preschool. Their friendship was an odd one because they were so different. While Dallas was eccentric, Agatha was very down to Earth, but was always willing to be her right hand woman in any crazy scheme Dallas conjured up.
Agatha was all kinds of ethnic descent, but was the 'All American' girl as Dallas put it because she was pretty, smart, polite, pleasant, and agreeable.
"Houston's going to let me zombie him up for the party," Dallas informed her.
Agatha smiled at him. "Wow."
"What are you going as?" Dallas asked.
"A witch," Agatha said, lips pursed thoughtfully. "I like the classics."
Dallas shoved her playfully and both girls laughed. It was a joke, almost, because Agatha went as a witch every single year with the exception of their seventh Halloween when Dallas had talked her into going as a bottle of mustard to match her ketchup bottle costume.
"There's that new kid," Agatha said as they approached the school.
She was talking about Benjamin Lennox, a kid in their class. He had recently transferred from up north and rumor had it he'd been homeschooled his entire life. He was sitting on the same exact bench he'd sat on every morning for the past week, his nose in a book, eating an apple.
"He's weird," Dallas observed.
"Give him a break," Agatha said. "He's new."
She shrugged thoughtfully. "And he's cute."
She wasn't wrong. Benjamin was lanky, with thick dark and dark eyes and he always spoke polietly and very formal. When he did smile at someone-which was rare-it was a nice smile.
"He'd better be careful sitting there," Dallas pointed out. "The dance girls like to hang out right there."
While cheerleaders were stereotyped for their meanness, it was the dance team at White Rock middle school that was ruthless. Not even the Handsomes messed around with them.
"Come on," Agatha said. "Let's go get chocolate milk."
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Benjamin turned another page in his mystery novel. He wasn't necessarily glued to it-though it was interesting, but he didn't want to seem lonely. Moving from Connecticut had been hard enough, but starting school? That was a whole new ball game. Benjamin, who'd been raised by his wealthy grandparents, had been homeschooled and educated very well. Even in Mr. Ruby's advanced class, he knew the material-it was the social skills he didn't have. He didn't know anything about Facebook or Snapchat or any rappers or sports stars. His grandfather had taught him about famous muscians, being one himself, and historical icons. His grandmother had taught him to enjoy gardening and antique shows.
Now they were gone, and Benjamin had been sent to live with a distant older cousin. He was left a fortune, of course, but had no legal guardian so to speak. So now he was living with David Brohm, a cop trying to make detective who didn't know the first thing about having a kid around. The first thing about anything really. Everything was backwards in David's house. He wasn't tidy, and they didn't eat meals at the tables or go to the symphony or even read by a lamp. The television was always on somewhere in the house and there were two big dogs- Sarge and Bear- who were allowed on the beds and the sofa.
He finished his apple and got up to throw it in the nearest waste bin. Nearby, were some of the girls from one of the athletic groups-maybe cheerleaders, Benjamin didn't know, perched on top of the benches that formed a circle rather than sitting. They got quiet when they saw him and one of them called out, "Hey, Kid, do you always read a book out here by yourself?"
Benjamin turned to her and nodded.
"I like mysteries," he said. "Right now I'm reading 'Clock Gone South' by E.T. Wittlinger. It's very engaging."
"Uh huh..." She and the other girls exchanged glances.
One of them, smaller than the others with short hair and big green eyes, hopped down and approached him. She was wearing a big coat with the hood up, but thin leggings and boots. She stared at his book.
"Mysteries, huh?" She held out her hand and Benjamin obliged, passing it over.
She skimmed through it.
"Do people get murdered?" She asked, handing it back. Some of her friends snickered and she shot them a look.
"Yes," Benjamin nodded. "A professor is trying to solve them using a broken clock that he found at one of the crime scenes on campus of the university he teaches at."
"Sounds...engaging," she said.
"You're welcome to borrow it," Benjamin said.
The girl seemed to be caught off guard by this offer.
"Um, thanks," she said, and he handed it to her again.
"I'll be here tomorrow too," he said. "I like to read in this spot. My grandfather always said the perfect place to read was somewhere you can enjoy being without reading."
"Yeah..." she shrugged and nodded her head. "Sure."
"Come on, Danny," one of the girls said, and they all got up. "Let's go to the dance hall."
"Be right there," she called back.
Benjamin watched them go and then turned his attention back to her. "Your name is Danny."
"Daniella," she said with another shrug. "But only my parents call me that when I'm in trouble."
"I'm Benjamin," Benjamin said. "I don't have a nickname. I just go by Benjamin."
Danny scrunched up her nose to one side. "How about Benny? I like Benny."
"You do?" Benjamin smiled a little.
Danny tapped him on the shoulder with the book. "I'll bring this back, okay?"
Benjamin nodded. "...Okay..."
"See you later, Benny." She walked off, and then started to jog, catching up with her friends.
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"So you guys were out late," Marius said as the odd little household sat down to eat breakfast. He smiled cheerfully as they dug into his homemade waffles.
"What'd you do?" He asked.
Jesse, Val, and Derrick exchanged looks.
"Bowling," Derrick said.
"I like bowling," Marius informed them.
Val smiled at him and said, "Go with us next time."
It was a fake smile. They all knew, except for Marius, of course.
"Thanks, eh," the Canadian exchange student said, making them all snort and pretend to clear their sinuses.
"God bless you," Marius told them, chewing his waffles and staring straight ahead as they all looked at each other again.
Jason entered the kitchen yawning. His big brother, Jesse, smiled at him.
"There he is," he said.
"Waffles?" Marius asked, and then winced. "Shoot! I forgot to sign it! Shoot! I forgot the sign for it...!"
Jesse signed, waffles and said to Marius, "He reads lips. 's okay, Mar."
Jason sat down and Jesse gave his cowlick a yank. Jason wasn't born deaf so his speech and lip-reading was very good. He had been deafened by a blow to the head by a werewolf when he was four. Caravaning with monster hunters was a dangerous life.
"I have basketball today," Jason said. Also because he wasn't deaf until four, he spoke in a normal tone and only had a strong lisp. People didn't even really know he was deaf until he told them. He signed this as he spoke.
"Practice, you mean?" Jesse asked, only signing the word 'practice'.
Jason nodded and told Marius, "These are good."
"Thank you," Marius said, dramatically signing it as well.
"We're gonna be late," Val informed them, getting up.
Val, whose real name was Valentina, had recently been 'adopted' by Jesse and Derrick six months prior. She had lost her parents to monsters, and had been solo hunting-something that was a big no-no. Val was an outspoken lesbian, independent tough girl, but weighed all of ninety pounds, including her Lorde-like hair that she usually kept piled on top of her head. Derrick had been in the same caravaning group as Jesse and Jason since they were kids and was Jesse's best friend. He was tall and broad-shouldered with short cropped hair and a couple of tattoos. On the inside, he was a big softy. Jesse and Jason looked exactly alike only one was twelve and the other eighteen, with matching cowlicks and blue/gray eyes. Marius was the only non-hunter of the household nor did he know anything about them. The principal of the high school (who hated Jesse, Derrick and Val and was always out to get them) had made arrangements for a foreign exchange student to come and live in their home, hoping something would happen and she would have a reason to get them in trouble.
Marius looked like a human puppy-a clueless puppy, and couldn't be more Canadian if he tried. He even was thinking of getting a maple leaf tattoo to prove his worth among his butch housemates.
Val, Derrick, and Marius rode together in Val's car, but since Jason had to be dropped off at the junior high, Jesse took him in his truck. It was nice to have those few minutes of brotherly bonding, so it didn't bother them. It was actually their uncle's truck-late uncle's truck.
"Tonight," Jesse said, signing one-handed because his other one was on the wheel. "There's a vampire attack happening. You still have 'Captain America'?"
Jason laughed, a slightly unearthy sound that his brother found endearing, and nodded. As kids, they had named their stakes 'Batman' and 'Captain America'. Now, Jesse used a pistol with wooden-tipped bullets.
Jesse suddenly made a face at his brother.
"Where are your hearing aides?" He asked.
Jason slumped in his seat.
"Where are your hearing aides?" Jesse asked louder, though he knew Jason couldn't hear him.
"I don't like to wear them at school," Jason admitted. "Especially at basketball practice."
"Does somebody give you trouble about them?" Jesse asked, ignoring sign. "I'll kick their ass, Jay, I swear to God."
"No." Jason sighed, frustrated. He always had to be facing someone to communicate, and this was one of those times he wished he didn't have to.
"I just don't want to wear them," he said.
Meanwhile, as Val, Derrick, and Marius got ready to head out, Marius spotted Jason's hearing aides near the microwave. . He gasped and grabbed them.
"Friends!" He jogged to the front door where Val was zipping up her sweater and Derrick was checking his phone.
"Trouble!" Marius said dramatically, holding the hearing aides up for them to see.
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As Jesse pulled up to the school, he tugged one of Jason's ears. Jason raised his shoulder defensively.
"Tomrrow, you wear them," Jesse said, and gave his shoulder a light slap. "Have a good day, Jay-Bird."
You too, Jason signed absent-mindedly before sliding out of the truck and jogging over to some of his friends.
Jesse drove to the high school blasting rap music and sat with his hands on the steering wheel, staring into space even after he'd parked and turned off the engine.
If it hadn't been for Aunt Elaine, he wouldn't even be at a senior level, academically. His own parents, like most Hunters, had not been involved with education. It wasn't until after they died that Elaine began homeschooling the boys from their little camper they pulled around Texas slaying monsters. Jesse hated school. He was spiritually too old for it, but he knew he needed to set an example for Jason. Aunt Elaine and Uncle Mark had left them their house in White Rock after they'd died, and Uncle Mark had written a heart felt letter for Jesse to read after his passing, filled with things about living a normal life and saving himself and Jason from a Slayer's life.
Jesse knew better, though. Once a Slayer, always a Slayer.
He was in Mr. Belle's class, an old portly man who always combed his handlebar mustache while he gave lectures. It wasn't very interesting. In fact, the only interesting thing about school was Hazel Summers. She was tan with frizzy reddish brown hair that she kept piled into some kind of up-do on her head, and wore the same bluejean jacket everyday with holes in the pockets that she continuously poked her thumbs through. She didn't sit still well, and seemed just as agitated with school as Jesse.
"Move your feet," she said to him when she walked into class. His desk was behind hers and his long legs were stretched out so far in front of him that he blocked her entrance to slide into her chair.
"Mornin', Sunshine," he dead-panned, moving his feet just a fraction.
Hazel rolled her eyes and sat down. Jesse kicked the leg of her chair with his shoe.
"Sorry," he said, grinning.
"Ugh." She made a face at him. "Jesse Rivers...bye, Felipe."
"Did you just 'Bye, Felipe' me?" He snorted.
This time she mouthed it and turned around smugly, her head held high.
"Alright, Gang," Mr. Bell said, already combing his mustache. "Let's get started."
Jesse's brows furrowed.
"Derrick?" He asked, not even bothering to whisper. "Where's Marius?"
He took the bus," Val volunteered, chewing on her pencil. "He had to make a heroic rescue at the junior high."
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"Hi." Autumn Summers aproached Jason Rivers in the courtyard. "Can I sit with you?"
"Sure." Jason said, and scooted over to make room on the stone bench.
"Mr. Ruby was so cool about Pre-Al yesterday," Autumn said. " Remember? We were all kind of falling asleep and he said 'That's it, everybody get your books. We're having math outside!' "
They both laughed a little. Jason thought Autumn was pretty. She had dirty blonde hair and blue/green eyes. She offered him a Starburst. He took one.
"Hey, Jason!" Jordan Seago ran up to him. "We're about to play football-just passing-before the bell. Want to play?"
Jason looked at Autumn and she nodded.
"Go for it," she said.
It was perfect fall weather to run around with a football and Jason was enjoying his time with the other boys so much that he didn't see Marius sprinting onto the grass at full speed, waving one of his arms around. He slowed down, panting when he got to Jason. He showed him the hearing aides.
"You." Marius said and signed in such a slow, exaggerated fashion that he looked ridiculous. "Forgot. Your. Hearing aides."
Jason forced a polite smile as his ears burned with embarrassment, knowing everyone around them was watching. He put them on and Marius smiled proudly.
Jason ignored the rest of the free for all football scrimmage and walked quickly into the school and up the stairs to go to class.