A Boy Named Jasper {Wattpad Featured Novel}

<Callie> A Girl Who is Lucky to be Where She is

                  

Chapter 12

<Callie Stevens>

I walk out from behind the tree and watch Jasper going back towards wherever he lives. I rub my nose on my sleeve and mentally curse myself for once again interrupting his music. My feet make no noise on the grass as I hold Jasper's notebook close to my body and begin to follow a few paces behind him. My eyes watch his tense figure as he sticks close to the winding curve of the train tracks, but thankfully, I'm far enough behind him that he can't see me staring. I try my best to remain silent, yet somehow, even though he can't see me, I get the feeling that Jasper knows he's being followed.

I watch as Jasper turns and begins to make his way up to a locked gate in front of an old farmhouse. He pushes the metal gate open and begins to walk towards a front door with peeling paint. I come to a halting stop behind a tree a few feet away from the gate. I wait until Jasper has closed the door behind him before I decide to make a move towards the gate. It creaks as I open it and begin to walk the long distance to the same front door Jasper has just crossed through. It takes a few minutes, but soon enough I'm standing on Jasper's front porch, my feet tapping nervously as I try to think of the best way to approach this.

"Lookin' for somethin', sweetheart?" A guy in a button down shirt and a pair of jeans smiles while he winds a loop of rope around his hand.

"Um," I mumble, my voice faltering slightly.

"You just seem a little lost." He says as he pushes his black hair away from his face.

"I'm not lost; I'm looking for Jasper." I explain and pray this person knows who I'm talking about. "I saw him go in here a few minutes ago."

"That would be because he lives there." The guy grins and then continues talking. "But you don't want to see what's behind that closed door."

"I understand, sir."

"I can take that to Jasper if it's why you're here." He says, indicating the notebook grasped tightly in my hands.

"No, it's okay; I really need to talk to Jasper." I say politely and begin to turn on my heel.

"Be my guest, but some things really are better left alone."

With that, the guy leaves and begins to make his way to the other side of the property. I take his well-meaning advice to heart, but knock on the peeling front door anyway. I rap my fists loudly against it a few times, but there's no sounds of movement from the other side; almost as if the people inside don't know how to react to a visitor. I wait patiently and then knock once more.

"Get your lazy ass out of the chair and open the damn door if you're so adamant about being the man of the house." Jasper shouts and I hear someone angrily clamor to get up.

My breath catches in my throat as the doorknob begins to turn, the splintered wood being jerked back harshly. Standing in the door frame is a scraggly man with an overgrown beard and sweaty, matted hair. He reeks of alcohol and smoke, his beady eyes glaring at me.

"We don't get visitors very often. So, what the hell could you possibly want with my humble home?"

I guess I can tell why...

"I'd like to talk to your son, sir." I say politely, looking him directly in his bloodshot eyes.

"Well, I can't imagine why he'd want to talk to your uptown ass." He chuckles, causing me to clench my fists slightly.

"Could I please just talk to him?" I exhale a deep breath and try to control my mounting annoyance.

"No, 'cause I don't want you in here, taintin' my house and neither does Jasper." The man stares down at me with an evil, drunken smirk on his cracked lips.