The White Fox |book 1|

Chapter 4

I didn't bother to collect the rest of the crap that was left in our cave before we left, since basically all of our personal belongings and clothes were kept inside my backpack.

The thick awkward silence hung heavy in the air as we rode down the deserted highway in silence, until Gerard decides to break the silence.

"So, Jenna," he begins, not taking his eyes off the road with his hands firmly grasping the worn leather steering wheel. "What's your story, eh?"

I twiddle my thumbs in my lap a bit before I answer.

"Well, when I was 13, the Better Living Industries had just been introduced. My parents were suckers for that kind of stuff, so they conformed; but I didn't.

"The whole thing seemed fishy to me, like too good to be true, y'know. But my parents wouldn't accept that, so they ended up trying to force me into confirming.

"Me being the independent person I am, I ran away from home far away where they would never find me; where no one would ever find me. I've been living on my own ever since." I finish, keeping my gaze fixated on the distant sand dunes.

No one answers immediately, probably just trying to take in the fact that a frail 13-year-old had taken care of herself in the middle of this God-forsaken desert for 3 years.

"Wow..." Ghoul murmurs to himself.

"Jenna," I hear a new voice speak up. I turn around to face the boy in the yellow jacket with a motorcycle helmet in his lap. His hair was spiked up and he almost had the same jawline as Gerard. It was Mikey aka Kobra Kid.

"You're very brave," his voice was quiet and mysterious. Kobra seemed to be the quiet one of the group. I smile at him, causing his cheeks to turn a dark shade of red.

"Thank you, Kobra."

He nods his head slightly and looks out the window again.

"Ugh, Partyyyy," Grace groans, holding out the word 'Party'.

"Yes?" Gerard answers, raising his eyebrows.

"How much longer? Jet's elbow is in my kidney." Grace mutters, shoving Jet Star's elbow with her own.

"Sorry, I can't help it!" Jet Star defends, holding his hands up in the hair in surrender with Tommy perched on his lap.

Soon, after a few dreadfully-long minutes of riding in the obnoxiously-loud car, we arrive at what appeared to be an old comic book store or something.

The outside walls of the fairly-small building were splattered with every color of the rainbow and depicted faded paintings of various superheroes.

The glass windows were dimmed and faded, lined with old posters.

When the bunch of us walk up to the front glass door, Gerard pulls out a chunk of keys, turning it inside the lock of the door.

Within a few moments, the door opens. Gerard holds it open as we walk inside.

The inside was filled with posters. A couch and a TV sat in one of the corners, a mini fridge with a microwave, sink, and stovetop made up a small kitchen, and several mattresses and blankets lay in another corner, which I assumed was where they slept.

Suddenly, I hear a few voices and the loud sound of feet stomping up stairs. My attention turns to a door in the back, which swings open, revealing for people dressed similar to the way Gerard and the rest of the Killjoys were; three guys and a girl.

The four of them stand aghast as they lay their eyes on Tommy and me, casting suspicious glances to each other and Gerard.

"Who are they, Party?" A man with spiky jet-black hair asks, sticking his hand inside the pocket of his leather jacket and pulling out what appeared to be a handgun.

My heartbeat picks up when I see the weapon. Gerard must have sensed my fear; he places his hand on my shoulder comfortingly and turns to the man holding the gun.

"Wolf, put the gun away, you're scaring her. This is Jenna and Tommy; they wanna become Killjoys." Gerard explains to him.

The black-haired man slowly puts the gun away, rolling his eyes.

The girl, who had bright orange-red hair stepped towards me. "Hello, Jenna! Sorry about Black Wolf, he gets a pit irritable with strangers, but once you get to know him he's actually a cool guy." She holds out her hand for me to shake. "My name is Red Adrenaline, but you can call me Red."

I shake Red's hand, smiling warmly.

"This is Golden Threat." Red steps aside to let a man with blonde spiky hair and sideburns through. He waves and steps back.

"And this is-"

"I'm Confetti Bomb!" A short man with brown hair gelled up into a single peak exclaims, running towards me with an almost psychotic grin on his face.

Red Adrenaline shakes her head and laughs a bit. "Don't scare her to death, Confetti. We need as many recruits as we can get."

Confetti Bomb slouches his shoulders, looking like a puppy that had just been scolded, and returns to stand beside Black Wolf and Golden Threat.

Gerard then suddenly stands on top of a wooden stool and waves his hands in the air, asking for our attention.

All the Killjoys begin to gather around Gerard, looking up at him in anticipation for what he has to say.

"We have two new people who wish to be a Killjoy." Gerard announces, looking me straight in the eye, causing me to blush madly. I hope he didn't notice.

"And you may join us," Gerard finishes. "But," he pauses, "in order to achieve your Killjoy name, you must learn and pass the skills that come with being one. Starting tomorrow, you two will be taught in our ways in various activities."

Gerard jumps off of the stool and places a hand on my shoulder. "And then, you will be one of us." He whispers quietly in my ear, causing me to blush once again.

The rest of the Killjoys cheered our arrival, giving Tommy and me pats on the back and words of encouragement.

I start to smile. Maybe I did make the right choice on something for once. This is where I felt I belonged.