The Iron Predators, Part VI [SAMPLE]

Chapter 5

JUNIPER

"Acid is right, you know," Lucy says while she's driving us home from school. "Don't trust guys that easily. They mostly just want to get into your panties. There are nice guys too, of course, but you need to learn how to tell the difference."

"Like Acid?" I ask her. He's nice.

She looks at me a little shocked. "You think he's nice? I mean, he's hot and all, so go for it, but if you want a nice guy, pick any of the other Predators. Acid is the less nice one."

"Oh, I don't mean like that. I just want to be his friend. I think he would be happier if he had more friends."

"Yeah," she says and chuckles sarcastically, "I'm sure he would."

She's silent for a while.

"Promise not to tell anyone, but I kind of have a crush on Pyro," she says, blushing a little. "But no one can know. Dad and Colt would forbid me to step into the clubhouse again, and I don't know if he's interested anyway. I mean, he's older than me."

"How old is he?"

"He's 25, like Acid."

"You should tell him, I'm sure he would be happy. I would if someone liked me like that."

"No, and promise not to tell anyone. I don't want to start a war in case he doesn't feel anything back and the others find out."

"I promise," I say, smiling, because I always keep promises.

When I get home, I help mom massaging in the ointment on her back and neck, then we walk to the clubhouse for dinner. She's still in pain, so she needs to rest, but it's a little better than yesterday. Walking a little, helps, and she just told me that Gunner had stopped by earlier and taken her for a short walk. She smiles while telling me, and I smile back because she looks happy. All I want is for my mom to be happy. Gunner seems like a nice man, and mom needs a nice man.

"Hi, June bug," uncle Bear says and hugs me when we walk into the big living room at the clubhouse.

"Hi, Uncle Bear," I say, smiling and hugging him back.

"I heard that some guys were bothering you after school today," he says and looks a little sternly at me.

"Oh, don't worry, Acid helped me," I say, smiling and looking at him walking down the stairs with that dark hair that's hanging in front of his eyes.

He's so cute.

He doesn't look at me, though. He walks past us and sits down at the dinner table. I walk over there and sit down next to him while uncle Bear is narrowing his eyes at him.

"Hi, again," I say happily and smile at Acid.

He has his elbows on the table, puts his face in his hands and rubs it a little, looking like he's having a really bad day again. The other guys are smiling amused at him.

"Juniper," he mumbles, but doesn't look at me, and then we start eating.

I love food. You can't tell by looking at me, like you can with uncle Bear, but I get happy when I eat good food.

"Mmm, this is so good," I moan a little while chewing on the most delicious steak that's melting in my mouth.

Acid turns his head to me with what some would describe as 'murderous look' in his eyes.

Doesn't he like steak?

Maybe food isn't the way to get him happy, then. I have to try with more cookies, though. I didn't see his reaction when he ate those since he took them with him.