Hell Hounds

I mentally curse the sky as it unleashes an entire ocean upon the Earth. The thunderstorm is pretty bad. The kids that dash outside to their cars are getting soaked pretty bad. I curse at myself for not checking the weather this morning. I hadn't brought an umbrella, just a hoodie that was bound to get soaked along with my undershirt anyway. Eliza is next to me, staring at the world ending as well. She hasn't said a word since we arrived at the school's front doors.

"I-I'll pull the car around the front."

I pull out my phone, it was time to busy myself with something. When I don't hear any footsteps, I look up. Eliza was standing with her hands on her hips.

"Only if you promise to come to the movie night with me and Michael." My breath hitches and I inwardly sigh.

"Um, actually I'm waiting on my mom to pick me up. Maybe next time?"

Eliza studies my face for a long time, before turning: "Fine, but I'm holding that against you." Michael briskly walks up and opens his umbrella, and Eliza eagerly grabs his arm. The two of them are all snuggled up all the way to Eliza's car. I open my phone and call Stephanie, the only other girl I knew at the moment who could drive, but she isn't answering.

"Hey, you've reached Steph. Leave a message." I hang up in the middle of the beep, I hardly ever left voicemails.

"Afraid to get wet kitten?"

I jump and Jet is suddenly there next to me. His eyes have curiosity written all over them, but his lips are smirking. I huff and look away from him, staring back at the droplets beating the ground mercilessly.

"Aw, don't be like that. I just wanted to give you a ride home."

I look at him, he must've seen the hesitation.

"I'm not the big bad wolf here darlin', it just seems like you don't have any way out of here and this should be the last place anyone wants to be trapped in."

Jet waits a few minutes and takes off his coat when I don't answer. He holds it over my head.

"Come on," he mumbles in a low voice and begin walking. My face heats up again but my legs begin moving. It's a slow pace at first but soon the both of us are running through the parking lot, the raindrops sound loud.

I don't know anything about cars, but I know Jet's car is . . . vintage. I plop myself on the leather seats and look over at Jet who's completely soaked. His hair had curled slightly and he was breathing hard, some droplets had fallen from his face. I look at my legs, the bottom half was soaked.

We both take a moment to catch our breath before Jet put in his key and started up the car. He pulls out of the parking lot.

"So where ya live, kitten?"

I stay silent for a long moment before deciding to tell him my address. It's quiet. Jet doesn't have the radio on, and I'm used to Eliza screaming her head off to whatever pop song is blasting through her speakers.

"You know you can talk to me, I don't bite kitten."

"S-stop calling me kitten."

"Only if you keep talking."

" . . ."

"Kitten," Jet sings in a teasing tone.

"I-I'm not much of a talker, it's harder to think of something like this."

"Hmm . . what about that book of yours you were reading earlier? What's that about?"

I hold my breath and look at the window but it's fogged up. I guess Jet had the heat on high, I guess it was pretty cold considering it was October.

"Kitten?"

"I-it's a ro-romance novel."

"Oh? You like romance? I guess every girl fantasizes about that huh?"

" . . ."

"Don't go quiet on me again kitten. What's else? What's the plot?"

"It's a girl who's with this werewolf guy I guess, lots of fighting."

"I didn't think you were reading Twilight . ."

"-No, it's nothing like that." My face flushes as I realized I said that way too quickly. Jet looks like he's about to burst into laughter, and I stare out the window again.

" . . . It's hot in here," I pull my jacket over my head and place it into my lap.

"Oh sorry," Jet flicks on the AC. To my surprise, the heat wasn't even on . . .