Catching Jo Carter

Chapter 1

I can't stand that good for nothing brat, It's been six years since i last saw him but i remember just how much i hated him. How much i still hate him. I met him in Pre-K and last saw him in the fourth grade when he stuck gum in my hair on the last day. Thank goodness my hair was so long though, i only had to cut to just past my shoulders. None the less he's an annoying little twerp is what he is. If it weren't for Papa homeschooling me the past six years I think i would have lost my mind or gone to prison by now. Don't get me wrong, i'm not homeschoold because of him. I'm homeschooled because i just seem to learn better one on one. 

Pa found use to always bring me to the clinic while he worked, having the scretary look after me while he was with patients. But quickly he realized I loved being at the Auto shop with Dad so much more. It wasn't that i had a favorite parent or something, I just thought working on cars was much more interesting than helping the secratary sort files. I got a job at the shop eventually.

Anyway the guy i'm talking about is Zachariah Jaeger-Heichou, also known as Zac. But to me he's Jaeger. I'm not sure why I call him that, but to be honest i think it's because it sounds better when I yell at him or something. That seems to be the reason he calls me Kirstein. Oh, I'm Jo by the way. Jo Carter Bodt-Kirstein. I know it's a mouthfull, but hey, two last names will get you that. 

I was headed down the old wooden stair when i noticed a picture perfect scene at the kitchen table. Papa and Daddy were sitting down, each with a cup of coffee and my dream breakfast was waiting for me. Homemade strawberry pecan pancakes with nutella and whipped cream. This could only mean one thing. Somebody was dead.

"Good Morning Sweetheart, did you sleep well?" Papa asked, with his famous perfect parent smile. I gave Daddy a confused look, "Yeah...I did." Both of them just smiled back at me as i sat down cautiously. I wasn't falling for normal morning business for a second. "Good to hear." Daddy said, taking a sip of his coffee and exchanging a weird look with Papa. Like he was telling him to do something telepathically. "There's something we need to tell you." Papa set his hand on back and i knew this couldn't be good. "After a lot of talk we decided it would be best for you to attend Shiganshina High School this year."

"WHAT?!" I felt stomach flip and i practically choked on my pancakes. What were they thinking? do they have any idea what kind of strain that would put on my internet time?! "You need to spend time with kids your age, make friends." Daddy explained, and i just stared at both of them with my jaw dropped. How could they betray me like this?!! "Heidi's my age, and she's my friend."

"Yeah, friend. As in singular."

"Why would i make friends. When i can watch ten season of it online?"

"Don't get smart with me young lady. This is happening whether you like it or not."

"This is an act of war, I'm going on strike." Both of my parents face palmed as i stood up, taking my pancakes with me. "Good day to you sirs." I spun around my my heels towards the stair strutting off, sassy as ever. "Jo i-"

"I said good day!" and with that I slammed the door to my loft room. I had done it before, and i was going to do it again. It was like an apartment up here, I could last a whole month in here if i wanted to. I had food, a little kitchen, internet, and a bed. And i can just sneak down to the bathroom to shower at night.  When I said i was going on strike i meant it. 

(Four days later)

"Jean I'm worried about her, she hasn't been like this since those character deaths last month." Marco worried, biting the insides of his cheeks. He was sat beside jean as the two of them watched one of Jo's favorites. Corpse Bride. It was sitting in the dvd player so they said, why not? "It's only been four days though, Jo locked herself up for two weeks after that band of hers broke up."

"My Chemical Romance?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"Well while you were off on a business trip for the first week she played their albums over and over again. But i guess it wasn't too bad, they're pretty good." 

  

~In Jo's room~

"I mean yeah i'm glad we'll be going to school together but i just don't know how i'll be able to make it. Like what would i do if you were sick? i'd be all alone." I was hunched over, hugging my knees with a blanket covering me. I called Heidi on skype because some how she always knows what to do.

"I told you, I really think you'll hit off with Parker. He's pretty much my only friend at school. He reminds me of you."

"I guess I'll be okay as far as that goes...but it doesn't change the fact that IT will be there."

"You know he's pretty popular, so how bad can he be? you never know, maybe he matured." I gave her a blank look, "Did he?"

"No not really."

"Yeah, I thought so." I groaned and slammed my face down on the keyboard, "I hate my life." I lazily held my cheek in my hand and looked at myself on the screen. "And what am i going to do about these, they make me look 12." I complained, pulling at my freckled face. I didn't have too many as a kid but now i was just like papa. I mean it works on him because he's like...nice or whatever.

Do you have any idea how hard it is to look like an unapproachable moody teenager when you look like me. I mean, with the right side and the back of my head buzzed into an undercut I look pretty punk. But have such a friendly looking face, it's killin' me. So I've done everything, dark eyeliner, small gauges, nose ring, and dark clothes. Like for real, my wardrobe is simply black graphic tees, plaid shirts, jeans, hoodies, and three pairs of chuck taylor's i've had for the past four years or whatever.  "But I think they look good on you." Jeez this girl is way too nice to being hanging out with a kid like me. 

"Jo? Sweetie can we talk?" Papa was going to come into my lair, was he insane? "Di, I'll call back later Pa wants to talk to me. See ya later."

"Ok bye." I slammed my laptop shut and pulled the blanket all the way over me so i was totally covered. He was probably gonna turn on the lights and my eyes were no where near ready for that. "Access granted." I shouted, bracing for impact. Even though I was under the blanket the light burned my eyes, making me dive deeper into my dark mini cave. "You've got school tomorrow I think you should get to bed." he said, gently rubbing my back. "You're right, I should probably get some sleep before i march into hell." After the inevitable high school pep talk, I crawled into my Union jack themed bed, a window behind it, two low walls to the left and the right. I normally kept the shutters closed, making incredibly dark in here. That's why i went to the liberty to installing hundreds of glow in the dark stars to the ceiling. I count them on night like this, when i can't get to sleep. In just a few hours i will be at the mercy of gossiping, selfie taking, starbucks drinking, instagram posting, idiots. I read each on the dozens of posters on my walls, Fall Out Boy, My Chem, AC/DC, Guns 'n' Roses, Sum 41, Gin Wigmore, the list goes on. You know even after all the stupid stuff i did in the past I've always been obsessive when it came to being a grade A fangirl. I bet when i get to high school everyone's gonna be strutting around in Vera Bradley bags listening to songs everyone's heard a million times on the radio. No matter how i look at this, the next two years are gonna suck. 

I know I seem just like any other geek in the world, and although that may be true, that's not all I am. I'm not ready to be around that many people, I don't trust any of them. And they shouldn't trust me, not after all the trouble I've been in. It's only a matter of time before i fall again, I'm just walking around with my shoes untied. But I have no intentions of tripping up now, not yet.