Hey everybody, how was your week? Good, I hope?

My week was kind of shitty. I found out the girl that I liked now has a boyfriend.

That her parents completely love.

But you know, whatever.

Anyway, enjoy Next, Chapter 3.

Next: Chapter 3

The summer sun beat down on the front of my torso and the top of my legs as I lay in the middle of the front yard of the Atkinson home. And their front yard was not small at all. I swear you could put a farm of itself in their front yard.

Hell, you could put my house in their front yard.

And trust me, my house isn't exactly small.

I heard animals bleating from the pasture and the rustling of the trees all around me. Oak trees, huge weeping willows and multiple ash trees covered their property, so the noise was pretty much all I could hear. My skin tingled with the burn of the Sun's UV rays and my phone sat next to me, though it was probably dead by now.

It was serenely quiet out there, in the middle of nowhere, and I finally understood why JoJo offered to send me here. It was quiet enough that I wouldn't be bothered too much, but noisy enough that I didn't get caught up in my own thoughts and spiral.

For the first time in about three or four months, I actually felt semi-calm and relaxed. It was strange, yes, but true.

"Do you normally just lie in the middle of someone's yard, or is it just a special occasion?" I jumped up quickly and looked at the person who appeared out of nowhere. Unfortunately for me, she was standing in front of the sun and it fucking blinded me and I couldn't fucking see who exactly it was. "Oh, are you okay?"

Yeah, bitch; I'm just fucking peachy.

She grabbed my upper arm and helped me stand up straight. My vision was still blocked by the Sun's negative imprint on my eyes, but once it faded, I finally got to see who it was. "I'm sorry to have scared you; I shouldn't have snuck up on you like that," she apologized.

Oh, hey, it was Grocery Girl from Market Mart—yeah, I know, real original for a grocery store, but come on, it's Hicktown, USA. And it's another reason I really don't like this place; their sense of humor is shit—she was, like, checkout three.

Checkout three out of three.

Yeah, when I say 'small town', I mean that there's still a guy who pumps your gas for you and takes tips in coins.

Like I said: small town.

"No, no, it's cool, um…" I trailed, signaling vaguely for her name.

She smiled charmingly and offered me her hand. "Zoe," she stated cheerfully. "Zoe Chaffer," she paused and bit her lip in an insanely cute way.

Wait; did I just say 'cute'? Did I just say this… this Zoe person was cute?

What the fuck, Kitty; Marley is cute. This bitch is slutty.

Ha! She's slutty!

Oh, wait, she totally is.

"…Ken, right?" I only caught the last part of her sentence because, unfortunately, my brain is really, really terrible multitasker.

"Um, who's Ken?" I asked as I rubbed my thighs gently, already feeling the sting of a sun burn.

Shit, Kitty, manage your tanning time better.

"I, uh, heard Missy and Allen talking in the checkout about someone they called Kenworth. I figured Kenworth was a really weird first name, so I figured that it was Ken Worth. And when Missy and Allen were talking, they were talking about this 'new blonde girl' who was 'afraid of a little porker'." She gestured wildly with her hand that wasn't outstretched towards me.

Okay, so this bitch was not only a slut, but a slut who went on for-fucking-ever.

"Well, um, I'm not Ken or Kenworth. I'm Kitty," I took her hand and shook it gently. "And I'm not afraid of a stupid little pig," I huffed childishly and she laughed in response.

"Right, right," Zoe breathed. "Of course not, Kitty," Zoe chuckled as she sat on the ground at my feet. It was kind of awkward because when she looked up at me, it reminded me way too much of when Marley gave me oral those two or three—okay, six—times in the third floor bathroom of McKinley.

…Anyway.

I sat next to her—legs crossed at the angles, because, hey, I was a skimpy-ass bikini—while Zoe sat Indian style. She was, unfortunately, wearing short-shorts and I could see pretty much everything.

Like, I swear I saw a pubic hair.

I'm not even fucking joking.

C'mon, chick, are you serious?

You're really, really classy.

I mean, really, I bet guys are just busting down her doors to get that.

Front and back doors, if you know what I mean.

"I didn't think they called me Kenworth off of plantation grounds," I stated after a few moments of silence. I was fucking desperate to cut into the silence; the lack of noise was fucking destroying me.

…Wait…

Oh god, was she was a fucking serial killer who frequented this area and focused mainly on sixteen or seventeen year old blonde girls who tanned in only their bathing suits instead of going to church like everybody else in this fucking town? Was I going to get raped and murdered and left to rot in a fucking side-ditch along the highway?

Oh wait, that's right, I forgot I was in fucking Hicktown, USA and nothing ever fucking happens here. Therefore, I won't get raped and murdered and left out to rot on the side a not-so-busy highway.

Right?

Either that or I'm going to get murdered.

Hold on a second, why wasn't she in church?

"It's Sunday; why aren't you in church?" I questioned as Zoe lay back on the surprisingly soft grass. I mirrored her actions, except I lay on my stomach so I wouldn't tan on only one side.

That would be so, so unattractive.

"I don't go to church," Zoe whispered as she stared at the sky. "I'm not atheist; I just don't like to be taught the Bible. I feel like I should teach it to myself, you know?"

No, actually, I have no fucking idea what you're talking about.

"Yeah, I totally get it," I lied semi-convincingly. "I don't go to church either."

"Obviously," she laughed and I immediately wanted to punch her in the face more than I wanted to earlier; a lot more. However, rather than making a snarky/bitchy remark or death-glaring at her, I simply smiled at her relatively nicely.

"Yeah," although I didn't mean to, a little bit of bitch seeped through my subconscious and into my voice.

I mean, it wasn't like I cared, but still.

"I'm not atheist either," I fiddled with my fingers before continuing. "I'm just uncomfortable with going to church."

"Why?" Zoe asked. "Church is totally fun!"

Yeah, says the bitch that doesn't go to fucking church.

"I don't know; I'm just uncomfortable, that's all." I snapped back as I sat up quickly. She flinched backwards a little before frowning at my words.

Alright, Kitty, just because she's a slutty bimbo bitch doesn't mean you should be mean to her. Apologize and ask what she's doing here; nicely.

"Sorry," I whispered as I lay back down. "I'm just a little tired, I suppose," I muttered before sighing deeply. "What're you doing here, by the way?" I paused, waiting for an answer, though I didn't receive one. "Not to be rude," I clarified, stretching like a cat—ha, see what I did there?—on the summer grass. The expanse of skin that faced the sun was warm, but nothing that translated into a nice tan; just a temporary red. "I was just wondering, you know. We don't usually get visitors." She smiled teasingly and I fixed my comment. "You know, since I've been here."

She outright laughed at that and rolled onto her stomach, mimicking myself. She set her head on her crossed arms that rested on the ground and looked at me with slightly glazed eyes. "Well, I came here for Missy and I wanted to get here a little early. I guess I got here a little too early." She smiled at me in a somehow flirty manner and I almost got my phone out and showed Zoe a picture of my girlfriend.

Then, I remembered that I didn't have a girlfriend.

Marley and I weren't dating anymore.

It's still something I have to remind myself of on a regular basis.

Speaking of phones, though, where the hell was mine?

Oh, shit, was it under her ass. Damn it all.

"Oh, um, yeah, that makes sense," I slowly sat up and gestured towards her lower section. Her eyes lit up with a perverted shine and a lecherous grin split her lips. "Um, you're sitting on my phone." He face fell—quite a bit actually—and she shifted to the side slightly, revealing my phone that was, literally, right under her ass.

Seriously, bitch, seriously? Who in the fuck just sits on someone's fucking phone?

Oops, sorry, your bitch ass, obviously.

"Sorry," she whispered as she handed me the phone. "I thought it was a rock."

Oh my lord, she is a fucking moron.

I took my phone from her, making sure our fingers didn't touch, and tried unlocking the screen. Shockingly, the screen actually lit up and showed the 'New Message' insignia. I flicked my fingers across the symbol and read the senders box.

Hey! It's from Marley!

It was a picture message and as I tapped it, I read the message attached to it.

'Wish you were here', it read with a little smiley face emoticon at the end of it. I watched the little load bar as it went across my phone screen. When the photo finally loaded, I swear to you that I almost died. It was a picture—I mean, duh—of Marley laying on the beach wearing nothing but a barely-there, dark blue bikini. I forgot that Marley was in Florida with her mom for vacation. Apparently, though, it was really hot in Florida and Marley had only worn bikini bottoms and a super-thin tank-top for almost the whole time there so far. Me, of course; I'm fucking dead. Of course Marley would do everything she could to make me a blubbering and horny idiot, even from four states away.

"…And mine fell into the creek!"

Oh shit, was she talking this whole fucking time? Did she ever fucking shut up?

"Have you ever dropped your phone in a creek?" I was about to answer her stupid ass, motherfucking question with a stupid ass, motherfucking answer when my phone erupted in Selena Gomez & The Scene's Who Says.

Thank you, god and heaven and puppies and everything good and Abraham Lincoln and kittens!

"Uh," I interrupted Zoe—yeah, the bitch was still talking—"I kind of have to take this." I pointed to my phone before quickly standing up and walking away.

Does that constitute as rude?

Oh wait, I just remembered something: I don't give a fucking shit about what she fucking thinks.

I almost made it inside of the house when I finally answered Marley's call. "Hello," I asked, even though I already knew who it was.

"Hey, Kitten," Marley's voice came over the phone. "What's up?"

"Nothing," I murmured distractedly. "You saved me, thank you," I whispered even though Zoe was pretty far away.

What? I care a little bit.

Okay, I don't, but something about talking to Marley made me feel—dare I say it?—nice.

"I saved you? From what, exactly?" she laughed and I refrained from turning around as I told her.

"No, there a random ass bitch who, literally, came outta fucking nowhere and she's been talking to me ever fucking since." I heard her sigh before speaking.

"Two main things, Kitten: one, what did I say about cussing?"

"To not to," I responded, giving a reprimanded tone to my voice. Marley chuckled before she continued.

"And two: be nice."

I sighed before turning around and addressing Zoe. "I gotta go, Zoe; I'll talk to you later, yeah?" She nodded and wave before she started to talk again.

I ran into the house before she could get very far. "So, how's Florida?"

"Hot," she whispered and a rustling came over the line. "How's it in Mississippi?"

"Hot," I breathed and Marley laughed. "I mean," I began as I climbed the old wooden stairs, noting the loud creaking almost all of them projected. "If you go out in anything heavier than a bathing suit, you get heat stroke." Marley laughed yet again and muttered something to someone else.

More rustling and an opening and closing door later, Marley began again. "C'mon, Kitten, now I'm thinking about you in nothing but a bikini." I heard the smile in her voice, and I quickly copied it.

"I'd give you a visual, but, you know, distance and I'm all red from tanning. I looked at my legs as I strode into my borrowed room. "I'm a little lobster right now."

Marley laughed, "My little Kitty-Lobster."

"It sucks, though," I whined as I sat on the bed, flinching as the rough thread of the comforter attacked my overly-sensitive skin. Apparently, Marley had heard the sharp breath that I had taken.

"Did you use sunscreen?" She paused, and then chuckled softly. "Never mind, you were tanning. Though I still don't know why you decided to tan of all things."

"It's the only thing to do here, Bee," I rolled my eyes. Not in an intentionally bad way, of course, but come on. "There's hardly any internet connection on the plantation; I barely get cell service here, babe." I didn't stutter on the term this time, although I was pretty close.

"There are plenty of things to do there, even with limited internet connection and phone service." Of course Marley would start this, "unplug from technology and actually enjoy the natural world" shit. "You could go outside and climb trees. They do have trees, right?"

"Yes and no; I don't want to break something and die on the hour and a half journey to the hospital." I replied as I laid back on the cloud-bed.

"An hour and a half; are you joking?" she gasped.

"Not even kidding," I replied quickly.

"Wow, talk about middle out of nowhere," she whispered, and I hummed in response. "Alright, climbing trees is out…What about…" she hummed in thought before continuing. "You could write about your experience there."

I paused for a moment.

Fuck if I can write.

"Um," I started, trying to word it correctly in my head without cursing. Not seeing a good way out, I bit the bullet and said my thoughts aloud. "Fuck if I can write."

"Kitty," Marley warned.

"What?" I screeched. "I really can't write shit, Bee."

"Language," was all she whispered. "Uh, you could draw something."

"I can't draw either, Bee," I sighed, still bored out of my mind. Sure, Bee helped a little bit, but not enough to save me eternally from my boredom.

Like come on, this place is so fucking boring.

A knocking came to the door just as I was about to answer her. "Hey, Kenworth, you have a visitor."

Who the fuck?

Alright, next chapter should be up by next Friday, but if it isn't, don't freak, I'm probably just sleeping.

Or I'm dead.

Whichever.

Remember, leave a review, favorite and follow.

I love you guys, I really do,

-T