Peyton Griffin's POV
"So, do we have a deal?"
As usual, a lot of things are at stake here. For every deal I make, I put a lot of asses on the line, but this might be the most sensible one I have made all year.
When the call ends, I turn to face a sober Shane, which is very unusual, he is the most hyper person I have ever met, and his sister takes after him.
What is the China man playing at?
"Mind telling me, what's going on in that coconut of yours?" I cock a brow in his direction.
He sighs again and turns to face me, "Promise you won't freak out."
I give a look which says, 'unless, you did a dick move, I can assure you that you will have the ability to reproduce when we step out of this room.'
"Has someone ever told you that your facial expressions are too readable?"
"Has someone ever told you that you are horrible at stalling?"
"Touché, remember that text I sent you?"
I nod. "Well, here's the thing, Charlie told me about the situation with Jordan. So I went to the estate, and you wouldn't believe what I saw?"
"You met my fathers doing the doggy style." I grin wickedly.
"No, but you really do resent those two."
"More than you know it."
"I saw Joey and Jordan in a heated conversation, I didn't get the opportunity to eavesdrop, but money and some weird code name were said severally. Then I got you this."
He hands me an old brown leather book that might just save us from this mess. I grab the book; with childlike wonder in my eyes.
This book was my mother's journal; Father dearest would kill to get it. When I say kill, I mean that man wouldn't mind being the queen of hearts and screaming "off with her head".
"I would kiss you to say thank you. But only heaven knows where those lips have been in the last twenty-four hours." I shudder.
"And I'm the insensitive dimwit," He sighs and looks at me. "Just give me the word. I'll show you where they have been."
"At least we have proof that you went to school instead of fooling around with the herpes gang." I smile sweetly at him as he shudders and gets up, ignoring the last part of that statement.
"Come on, lets' go. I can already see Danny, Charlie and Lola playing rock, and paper scissors. Betting on us having a horrid make-out session here." It's now my turn to shudder.
Shane stands up and follows me out of the room and into the hall leading to the car park.
Today was Mrs Sandel's release on some new clothing line for men. Shane is wearing a black button-up dress shirt with a pair of white jeans, some fancy shoes and a burgundy blazer. The only part of this dressing that Mrs Sandel hoped to showcase is the fedora that is now perched on my head.
I got stuck watching it from backstage. Honestly, the reasons ranged from gawking hot men with abs and any other reason my brain can think of.
In a blink of an eye, we arrived at Danny's home and luckily, I was met by the sight of the three people I love in this world watching Coraline.
"And to think if we got my father to sew some buttons into his eyes, we would be free from this trouble." Lola sips her drink.
No people, no alcohol. The carbonated drink, the one that has enough sugar that could give kids a head start in temple run.
"I win." Charlie cries out when we walk in and block their view of the TV, "Peyton got back, and Shane still has his lips where we last saw them." She says with utmost glee.
"And this is why you are my favourite person in the world." Shane grins at his sister and pulls her into a hug.
Even a one-eyed monster would not miss the side yet longing glances that Shane and Lola exchange.
I will do everything in my power to ensure these three airheads get their happy endings. And if it means getting some buttons, a talking black cat and a small door, then so be it.
"Guys, I'm moving out." Yea, I am not known for being subtle at all. "Shane got the book for me before Jordan could get it for me, so that deal goes off the table."
Danny furrows his brows in confusion, "That's great and all. But what does that have to do with you leaving town?"
"You see, no matter how much I hate to admit it. Jordan is no fool. Sure he's an incompetent idiot but not a fool, so when he gets to the estate and realizes the book is gone, he'll know I played a fast one on him."
Shane continues for me, "Technically, that was my bad. I will not allow that nutshell with some loose screws to tamper with my future sister...."
I nudged him in the stomach before he could continue with that threat. Judging by the matching smirks that Danny and Charlie are sporting and Lola's reddened face, that mission was intercepted, and the Intel got out.
"Anyway, Jordan will come after me, but I can buy us some time to get father dearest off our backs. This is the part where I leave town."
"So if you leave, who's to say that Jordan won't come after the rest of us?" My other half gestures to herself, Charlie and Danny.
"That's true dear sister, but he won't. For all he knows, we keep Charlie out of the loop most times, so he wouldn't even bother meeting her. Danny does not give a rat's ass about what he does even if he were made to watch a porn film where a dozen redheads are doing all kinds of positions, and he can't touch any of them." The glare that Charlie throws my way is cold, but she knows I'm right. That is a nightmare come true for my dear stepbrother.
"What about me?"
Shane inconspicuously takes the seat beside her and throws an arm around her shoulders. As sly as he was, this action made the rest of us raise brows.
"Jordan still believes that I am still angry at you for not telling me who got you pregnant, so you should be fine," Shane says, keeping his eyes locked on her. Right reason, wrong pronouns or is it?
"What about you?" She cups his face to make it seem that they are in their own personal bubble.
"I'm leaving with Peyton." He looks down at her lips and back to her face and edges closer to her.
"I swear if you two kiss. I will make you two exchange genders." Danny threatens.
Lola hides her reddened face into Shane's shoulder, who does nothing but chuckle.
"You'd be doing us a favour."
"Speaking of which, promise you won't freak out?" I voice out while looking at Danny. I gulp because I know he won't be too keen on where I am planning on moving to.
"Don't freak out, but I'm going to Miami," I state simply.
"Isn't that where Caleb Parks lives?" Charlie asks with a devious glint in her eyes.
"And apparently your brain too, dear sister," Shane tapped Charlie on the nose.
Danny shot up from the sofa, disgust evident in his face, "Dude, I have no idea where you have been for months. Do not, and I repeat, do not! Do all this lovey-dovey shit where you act all caring." He storms out of the room.
"What crawled up his ass and died?" Charlie glanced at his retreating figure.
"I think the squirrel wants his brain back," Lola added with a snort.
I had an idea, but first, I had to leave here.
"Okay, guys, I'm going to pack. I'll be back soon."
I call off my shoulder as I walk out of the room, "Please don't have a threesome on that couch. I can barely sit on that without finding a lock of red hair every darn time."
Charlie responds by throwing her comb at me, but it misses my head. Narrowly.
I get to my room and see Danny throwing a baseball at the room's walls.
"Is this supposed to be your version of an intervention? Just instead of alcohol-free lemonade and gingers in lingerie, you have a ball to whack me upside the head to keep me from going."
He shifts his focus to me for a second and continues trying to deconstruct my room in his home.
"If you're going to ignore me, at least do it in a room that I don't own in this house," I complain; he glances at me again, not wasting more than a minute, then goes back to hitting the ball against the walls of the room.
I look heavenward and climb onto the bed; I grab the ball from his hand and throw it out the window. Then I lean against the headrest.
He looks at me for more than a second, but I pay him no glance.
"Now that I have your undivided attention," I state dryly, "I know that you're worried about what will happen to me if I leave, but nothing you say will change my mind. I get that many things are riding on what I do next, but I'm only human. You can't expect me to stay here and allow time slip by and let Father dearest win this."
I look him dead in the eye now, "I want you dumbbells to get your happy endings even if I have to restart your brain to remind you that Shane and Charlie are siblings, and he is not the enemy here."
"What about you? Don't you get a happy ending after everything you've sacrificed for us to have survived this long?" Yes, the silent ogre finally speaks.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
I turn my head to the group picture of Danny, Charlie, Lola and me in the corner of the room. We went to Disney land right before I dyed my hair; we all had laughing expressions on our faces. The sight of Mickey Mouse going down on Daisy Duck is not every child's dream, in the employee's lounge, where they forgot to lock the door.
Still looking at the picture, a smirk grows on my face. I say, "Not all heroes get a happy ending in their stories."
-
Walking out of a private jet and into the hot scenery of Miami. Normal people would be buzzing with so many thoughts that could fill a jelly jar.
But am I normal? Far from it, what was I thinking about, you might ask? I thought about how I would spend the next bloody months listening to Caleb bloody Parks sing.
Sure I came here to avoid my father and Jordan. I also need to get some extra cash, but I need to stop and have a little chat with my tongue, brain and self-esteem if a few cells getting damaged were worth it.
Meanwhile, Shane was grinning like a loon beside me. That grin increased when we stepped out of the arrival gate.
I could see Shawn holding up a play-card with my name on it and a man. I am not sure who he is standing next to him.
Shane walked up to the two; he had a fist bum with Shawn and a bro hug with the unfamiliar guy.
"Dare I say that the tan is doing a good job on your skin." Shane grinned at the unfamiliar guy.
I did a double-take; he had caramel skin. He also had his hair in that weird hairstyle the guy that sang Rolex had. He was lean and a bit muscular but in a more subtle way. His dimples stood out as he smiled at Shane.
Shane dragged me to his side, "Peyton, I want you to meet the brother of the cul-de-sac, Jack Guave. Ed meets Peyton Griffin, don't be deceived by that shy smile she gives you with this mouth. That mouth will cut you in pieces if you hurt a hair on her head." He finished the introduction by planting a light kiss on my head and began backing away.
"And where in black's name are you going?" I turned around and raised a brow at the China man, who walked backwards with a playful grin.
"I said I was coming with you. Not staying," He said. "I hope she is in good hands."
Jack mock saluted him like an under-covered spy. He wore a pair of dark shades and disappeared into the crowd of tourists milling around.
"Shall we?" Jack gestured to the doors.
I followed him out and got into the uber that was waiting for us.
Not wanting to have an unbearable silence with someone who is clearly friends with my employer. I decided to make small talk.
"So, what should I expect when I begin working for Caleb?"
"Well, nothing really. A pervy Jacob, sarcastic and emo Marci, overactive Abigail, quiet Shawn, friendly Caleb. And there's me who cannot describe myself in one word." He broke down everyone's personality for me.
"When you say pervy, how bad are we talking here?" I seriously don't need another version of Danny that will not think twice about coming at me with some inappropriate jokes.
"Let's just say I hope you have loud headphones." He snickered. "And an effective tongue."
I grimaced and said, "So I'm still not clear why I was the only one that this job description fits." In my head, what I really wanted to say was, 'Caleb bloody Parks is the same net worth of a small part of the pacific. Why in the name of black did he choose me?'
I would have said that I think he may be sensitive to swearing, so my tongue and he in one room would be an epitome of disaster.
"Not really. You've met Gail. Not everyone has the same patience that could handle this kid, and we can't just allow someone we don't know to take care of her. Apart from that, you will also help out in the orphanage home." He explained.
"In other words," I touched my chin as if to think, "You are all clueless about how to take care of a six-year-old girl," I smirked.
He let out a breathy laugh to that, "You're smart. I'll give you that. Actually, the only other female in the house is Marci, and she has school."
"What about Abigail's former sitter? what happened to her?"
Shawn turned from the passenger seat to give me a "now you've done it" face. I had no clue what he meant until Jack's demeanour changed.
It's like he and Shawn switched personalities at this point. Jack immediately became quiet while Shawn started talking.
"Basically, your requirements met the fit. And we are on a schedule, so let's all get down from the car."
It was then that I noticed that we had stopped in a building that was only fit for rich people. The press outside started taking pictures of me and yelling different questions, ranging from my non-existent love life to my father's dearest wellbeing. Who would have guessed the Griffins were famous in more than one state?
When the three of us made it to the elevator. We were out of breath. I knew missing the gym for a whole year was a bad idea.
"You never told me you were popular among the buzzes." Shawn glanced at me as he entered a code and did a fingerprint on a pad at the corner of the box-like the room we were in. The elevator jerked a bit and began moving upwards.
"Trust me; where I'm from gives a new meaning to the popular." I scoff with an eye roll.
"It could not be that bad." That was the last thing I heard.
When the elevator doors opened. I was greeted with the sight of a strange dude and a woman in a maid outfit. She was on her knees in front of him.
"Is this pervy Jacob?" I asked clearly the couple before we had yet to figure out that they now had an audience. Honestly, I've walked in on worse. Two words Danny Torent.
"Unfortunately, yes," Jack says. "Oi Edd might wanna cover that up real quick. We have company."
Jacob turns around and shoots a glare at us. I returned a favour. Mine flared more out of pure disgust while he was from being cock blocked.
To be fair, I felt we were doing the maid a favour until she sent us a glare that matched Jacob's but was more heated.
Blame me, but am I the only one thinking that; they gave 'feel the love tonight' another meaning that I'm not sure Walt would want to know where it was going.
"Damn," Jacob swore, roughly removing his junk from the maid's mouth and zipping his pants. He then turned to face us fully. "If I knew that computers did no justice to people's looks, I would have stayed cleaner till you got here."
If he is implying what I think he is. He might want to rethink having grandkids when I'm done with him.
He took a taunting yet predatory step closer to the trio that had just come out of the elevator, which was Jack, Shawn and me. Shawn let out a scoff. It did nothing to deter Jacob from his destination, me.
When we were inches apart, this Gorilla that clearly lost its way from the set of Tarzan had the boldness to attempt some cliché move where the guy puts the girl's hair behind her ear. Before my hair and his hand made contact, I gripped it and spat venomously. "If you plan on masturbating and not with a hook, I suggest you drop that hand down before I give Peter Pan a new villain to sic the crock on."
I have nothing against the men in this world but the specimen in front of me is just proving right why the facts that women are better off being lesbians than sharing the same air space as this Johnny bravo before me are valid.
"I see you like Disney; I can be your personal tour guard when next we visit Disneyland." The double meaning didn't go unnoticed by me.
"And I can be the nurse that helps the doctor dissect that peanut down below before giving it to the unfortunate vultures that swarm Africa." I seethe. Clearly, he has as many manners as a coffee machine. They only spew stuff; at least the latter spits relevant things.
He decided to step closer, "You know that nothing lasts forever. Can you be my nothing?" This Shriek winked at me.
"Can you make yourself useful and use the door? Your presence is shortening my life span by a year." I take my time to really look at him.
He was easy on the eye as he was a bit darker than Jack. He looked like those jocks back in high school that flocked around Lola.
Lola was always the social butterfly among the two of us. Some even said she was prettier than me, and I was just her shadow. But if we are keeping things real here, I could barely handle being around Charlie while Danny made high school a hell on earth for me. So why would I want to add another maggot to the growing dump heap that was my life?
Honestly, it still is just that these flies are helping me get out of this heap and take a big middle finger to nature as our way of saying that we made it.
We set the record straight when a bunch of jocks from the sports team cornered me in the car park while I was waiting for her to finish Cheer practice.
Let's just say father dearest had to part with a few million to calm the angry parents of said boys and to stop the press from finding out how we did a gender trans-operation with the use of pompoms and a handy pencil case.
"Something's wrong with my eyes because I can't take them off you."
I didn't have a second to spare because he kept saying these lines that won't even pick up a pickup truck, with no curvy girl in a maid outfit waiting for him.
"It's like we're werewolves because you are my second half."
"Did it hurt when you fell from heaven because you, my friend, are an angel?"
"Are you a doctor? because my heart just missed a beat when you walked in."
"You put the watch in my wristwatch because time stops when I look at you."
"Were you born at midnight? Because Darling, you are as mysterious and beautiful as the night."
"Aside from being sexy, what else do you do for a living?"
I think the last line hit different because I saw myself leaning up to him and whispering into his ear, "Aside from being a cripple, how loud are your screams?"
Before he could process my question, I taught his crotch a cool handshake with my knee. He went down on his knees before spouting out curse words that could make snails move faster at the rate he was going.
Sure enough, I strutted to the stairs as if I owned the place and began climbing them. As I climbed them, I called over my shoulder, "Hush up, dear. You'll wake the neighbours." With a satisfied smirk, I arrived at a corridor with different doors. There was no way I would go back down there just so I could ask which room was mine.
"Right this way, Peyton," I spun around to see a grinning Shawn opening a door at the far end of the corridor.
I walked in. A vanity desk stood in the corner next to a small bookshelf. A golden chandelier stood above a queen-sized bed in front of the window. A large closet with a fancy bathroom was on the other side of the room.
"Is this the part where I say I love the room?" I say with a sly smile on my face.
Shawn let out a quiet laugh and closed the door.
I remove the pins from my hair and jump headfirst into the bed. I think I'm gonna like it here.
-
Remember the last statement I said last night? Scratch it out of your memories right now.
Waking up Abigail and getting her ready for school has to be the worst chore I have ever encountered. My dear friends, I have had to walk into Danny's hookups going down on each other just to entertain him. All I wanted was a bowl of ramen noodles. Again I should have been a plastic doctor.
After a trip to the bathroom way too many times, Abigail was dressed in a cute checkered skirt with a short-sleeved vest and a turtle neck under it.
Getting her to eat breakfast was as entertaining as participating in the hunger games. Safe to say, someone has to go grocery shopping later.
-
To say that I am furious right now would be an understatement. Caleb pulled some stupid stunt in the kitchen. And for some awful reason, I keep seeing his Hazel eyes whenever I blink. No people; it's not my subconscious torturing me to death. It's the posters of America's upcoming music artists.
The emo girl beside me has been giggling silently all through the ride to her school; while exchanging knowing looks with Shawn.
"Mind sharing the joke?" I quirk a brow at her while taking in her all-black outfit, making sure it's decent enough for school. Marci reminds me of when I got into high school, and the frustration of dealing with my father was getting too much. I developed a love for dark clothing. Sure I still go all black at times, but as they all say, it's a phase.
Unfortunately, Marci was saved by the traffic light. Note the sarcasm. She hurried out of the car and went into the school. Abigail dragged Shawn and me out of the limousine and got into the school.
It was nothing too flashy, just a first graders' classroom. Pictures of rainbows were covering the walls. The only thing that was far from being PG-rated in this room was the dark brown-haired, dark blue-eyed woman who sat behind the desk with the first few buttons of her button-down shirt undone, giving us all a few sneaks at her cleavage.
Is she supposed to be a teacher?
When Abigail bounced into the room, her blue eyes got even darker but when they zoned in on Abigail's hands gripped onto mine, the fury in her eyes was unmistakable.
"You must be the new nanny." She got up from her desk and didn't even bother to adjust her skirt as she sauntered over to us in the death traps on her feet.
Her accent was clearly someone from the coast of Australia. I thought the sassy bitch type only existed in students, but this woman proved me wrong.
"You must be the school cleaner." I returned her handshake with more force than needed, but she asked for it.
This is why you should take the brains your momma gives you when in the womb. It's either her mom was missing a few screws, or she was dropped one too many times as a kid.
She kept glancing at the door while Shawn escorted Abigail to her seat. The class was slowly filling up unless she had a star pupil she was waiting for. The lust in her eyes could only be for one person.
I would like to point out that I used coloured words in my statement. I am not falling for Caleb bloody Parks unless it would bring my mother up from the grave.
"Miss Beatrice," I read the board by the side. With the mention of her name, her lust-filled eyes became distant as they looked me over with irritation. "Caleb said to not waste extra energy in making Abigail the centre of your world to get to him and put all that attention into your looks, Seems like you need more than one trip to the beauty parlour a day; if they allowed you to leave like this."
Without waiting for a reply, I nodded at Shawn and exited the school.
I walked towards the Limo and got in. The driver started making his way to the Parks' orphanage, where I would continue the rest of my day.
I've only been here for about twelve hours, and I've had more mood swings than a pregnant woman on a plane above the north Pacific.