User blog:SodaCat/Style - Chapter 12: Broken Dam

 any chapter with jason is a good day for me lol

"Where are we going?"

The question hung in the air, left out to dry, for the third time since Jason Griffith had wandered into Burger and convinced Alexis to follow him into the dark, without any sort of idea as to where he was taking her. She should've known better than to go off with some guy she didn't know like that. Cautiously, she reached into her jeans pocket, already planning out a message to Peanut.

"You don't gotta do that," Jason said, not bothering to look back at her as he strode at a slightly faster pace than her, hands shoved deep into his pockets, "I'm not gonna like, kidnap you or something."

The way he spoke made it sound as if he was being sarcastic about everything and mocking her ever so slightly. Still, Alexis retracted her hand from her jeans and returned it to its place in her leather jacket pocket.

Struggling a little to keep up with his rapid pace, Alexis jogged up to him, glaring. "If you ain't trying to kidnap me, the fuck you want me for?"

As abruptly as they'd started walking, Jason stopped, turning to face her. He studied her for a long while, eyebrows furrowed as if she'd done something wrong. Uncomfortable, Alexis looked around.

"The lookout? What, you tryna get in my pants or somethin'?" she complained, crossing her arms over her chest, irritated.

Chuckling, Jason raised his hands as if being held at gunpoint. "You caught me. I was bored with my otherwise so interesting life, so I decided to head to the nearest shitty burger joint in hopes of picking up some chick to take her to the lookout at three in the morning in fucking snow, 'cause I thought hey, why not get laid?"

Annoyed by his blatant patronization, Alexis shook her head. "Alright, sunshine, then I repeat; what the fuck do you want?"

Casting his gaze over to the mountains and ocean inlet beyond the lookout fence, Jason crossed his own arms, an eyebrow raised as if he were in deep thought. "I'm guessing by that ratty-looking leather jacket you're wearing that you hang with Vincent and his goons, am I right?"

"They ain't goons," Alexis countered, immediately infuriated by the insult.

"Right," Jason replied, rolling his eyes. Greasers. So stupid. "So, yes. You do run with that wrench monkey."

He made his way over to one of the benches, sitting down on the floor in front of it and spreading his arms along the actual seat. "So, what are you to him? Little sister? Voice of reason? Piece of ass on the side? What?"

Even further angered, Alexis let out an aggravated sigh, looking anywhere but the tattoo-covered asshole sitting in the snow in front of her. Realistically, she should flick this kid off and turn around and head back to New Coventry. Hell, even if none of the boys were up and able to keep her company or unlock a door to a building for her to crash in, she could always head to the Vale and sleep at Jimbo's. Not like he could deny her entry, anyway.

Still, she remained, and Jason nodded as he pieced things together with the information he and his kids had gathered. "I see. Darling little Johnny boy too blinded by big bad Lola to notice dear, sweet Alexis, huh?" he crossed his legs in front of him, watching her amusedly. "What, did he kiss you and then run back to her? That's sad, isn't it?"

"Screw you," Alexis interrupted, his words stinging. What, did everyone in the school know about the way Johnny acted around her?

Laughing, Jason shook his head. "You're a piece of work, aren't you? This guy does whatever he wants with you. It's cute, how you're just willing to be his lapdog."

"Shut up," Alexis commanded, feeling more and more like a little girl the more she tried to get him to back off. Still, he gave her that same asshole grin he'd been giving her from the moment she guessed at his intentions. She'd never be able to understand why so many girls were into this kid; at least the Tyler kid was a nice guy. This guy was a prick in every sense of the word.

Just like that,  the smile was wiped off his face as if someone had gone over it with a rag drenched in cleaning solution. "You're pathetic," he said, snapping her gaze to him. Something about the streetlights mixed with the moonlight made his eyes look golden, like a cat's. It was both captivating and intimidating at the same time.

Shaking her head, Alexis uncrossed her arms and put her hands on her hips, a habit she'd formed when she was a little kid and Johnny or Larry refused to tell her what they were doing on the basis that it was 'no girls allowed'. "Just what the hell do you want from me? she asked finally.

"You already know. I was trying to get a shot at getting laid."

"I'm being serious, asswipe."

Bringing a knee to his chest and setting his forearm on it, Jason studied her again, the same stupid one-eyebrow-raised look he'd been giving her earlier. Calling up her bitchiest stare, Alexis glared right back at him, acting as if she were studying and looking into his damn soul or whatever, too.

"I wanna know why," Jason said finally, his gold-looking eyes staring right into her green eyes.

Shivering in the cold a little, Alexis gave him a confused, bewildered look. "Why what?"

"Why do you put up with it?" Jason repeated, standing and approaching her. "Why do you let that guy do what he wants with you and then crawl back to that whore? What are you, some sort of greasy masochist?"

Backing away a little from him, Alexis looked off at the mountains, uncomfortable. "I don't give a shit what Johnny does."

"Bullshit," Jason replied, annoyed.

He reached into his pocket, pulling out a cigarette and a lighter. Lighting it, he held it out to her, unsurprised when she took it and immediately took a drag from it. Tripp and Gage had reported on the kid's nicotine addiction. Pleased with their work, he took out a cigarette for himself, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Tell me," he commanded.

"He's my best friend," Alexis replied quietly, looking down at her feet. "Been so since we were kids, you get how that is?"

Jason nodded, watching her closely.

"And then one day he figures out he can count on me every time some broad breaks his heart. He's such a fuckin' jerk. Hated the girls first, y'know? Patti. This one. But then I realized that it ain't girls huntin' me down, it's him." She shook her head, taking a long drag from her cigarette. "Goddamn vulture."

"Then help me," Jason urged, his own cigarette hanging from his lips. When he saw her confused, angry look, he shook his head. "Don't get your panties in a bundle. I don't give a fuck about taking the kid down, least not now. I want my turf in Coventry. We had an agreement, and your boy's on the verge of breaking it."

Alexis shook her head a little, unsure. "I don't know about plottin' against Johnny."

"He's not gonna get hurt," Jason snapped hastily, annoyed that this was taking longer than he'd planned. "Just hang out with me. Show 'im we got mutual friends."

"What's in it for me?" she asked finally, bringing a smile to his lips as he finally saw he had her.

"You don't got to live in Lombardi's shadow anymore."

"...Deal."