What could go wrong?

Chapter 4- the one with the madman

"When you bumped into me you took something that I need. Could I please have my keys back?"

Jaxson pulled the cigarette out of his mouth and blew out some smoke.  "I do have your keys. I only took them so I could have a chance to talk to you."

"I don't have time for this. Please give me the keys." Jordan was practically begging Jaxson, she didn't want Tanner to catch them.

"No need to be in such a rush."

"Give me the keys. I don't have time for you to try and flirt with me. It won't work."

"Why because you're dating that asshole over there? I know what he's doing to you." Jaxson pointed at Tanner-who was making his way towards them-with his cigarette.

"Please give me the keys. I need them now hurry." Jordan was frantic. This could go downhill fairly quick.

Before Jaxson could say anything else, Tanner wrapped his arm around Jordan roughly, pulling her to his side. "So this is what you're up to instead of getting the keys? Caleb texted me and told me to come inside. He said I wouldn't like what I was going to see."

"Tanner it's not like that. Jaxson found my keys." Jordan didn't want to tell Tanner he had taken them. She had to make this as innocent as she possibly could.

"You found her keys? Then why haven't you given them back to her yet?"

Jaxson scoffed, he dropped his cigarette onto the carpet and smashed it into the carpet with his shoe. "Who the hell do you think you are?"

Tanner played football. Jaxson didn't, but Jaxson was bigger than Tanner. He was at least a head taller than him. Tanner was too stubborn to back down.  His anger was starting to take control. Tanner dropped his arm off of Jordan and he grabbed her hand. He held onto it hard. So hard that Jordan let out a yelp. She instinctively tried pulling away, but Tanner only tightened his grip.

Jaxson noticed Jordan's distress. He punched Tanner hard, there was no doubt that Tanner would have a black eye. Tanner stumbled backwards and let go of Jordan's hand. His hands shot to his eye. Jordan didn't know what to do. By now the entire party had formed a circle around them. Even Taylor and Caleb were watching. They both were drunkenly chanting 'Fight! Fight! Fight!'.

Before Tanner could attempt to fight back, Jaxson tossed the keys to Jordan. "Here's your goddamn keys." The crowd parted like the Red Sea to let Jaxson and his crew leave Caleb's party.

Jordan's heart was racing. She didn't know want to do. She decided to follow behind Jaxson and his friends to try and get away from Tanner. Tanner was too busy worrying about his eye to chase her. She was trying so hard not to turn her walk into a full out sprint. She couldn't bare being around Tanner for another second. Once she got outside she felt someone grab her. She instinctively tried pulling away. In a panic, Jordan looked up and noticed that it was Jaxson and he immediately let go of her.

"I didn't mean to scare you. Sorry."

"It's fine. I don't have time to talk. I have to go home." Jordan was talking fast. She was dying to get away from Tanner.

"Let me give you a ride. I'm assuming Tanner drove you."

Jordan's entire body was sore and she so desperately wanted to say yes to the ride. The only thing holding her back was the fact that Tanner had that stupid video. She knew she shouldn't run from him for that reason but she needed too. She didn't want to make it any worse that what it was already going to be.

"No thank you, I'll walk." Jordan started down the road with Jaxson following behind.

"Then I'll walk with you." He stopped following her and tossed keys to one of his buddies. "Don't crash my car."

Jaxson jogged over to Jordan and once he caught up he walked beside her. "I can't let you walk alone. It's already really late."

"I'll be fine I'm sure Tanner will come get me soon."

"But we both know you don't want that. And what he'll do to you when he finds you."

"Don't worry about what I want and don't want."

For awhile they walked in silence. Crickets chirping was the only sound. Jaxson decided to break the silence. He had a pretty good idea of what Tanner was doing to Jordan. "Look, I know it's not my place, but if he's treating you like this why stay?"

"You're right it's not your place." Jordan hissed. She could tell Jaxson knew something fishy was going on. That scared the living day lights out of her. "Look you don't need to walk me home. If I wanted to be walked home I would've had my boyfriend do it."

"Your boyfriend drove you to Caleb's. I can tell you don't want to be around him. You practically ran out of there. That's the second time this night I've seen you leave that house like the cops were there busting the party."

Jordan didn't say anything. She knew there was no point in defending Tanner or saying anything about it. She knew it would just make it worse. She just wanted to go home and go to bed. She was so physically drained. She felt like she'd just ran a marathon.

For the rest of the walk to Jordan's house no one said anything. Tanner hadn't shown up in a rage. Nothing. It almost made Jordan uneasy. "Well, thank you for walking me. I guess."

"Just making sure that my fellow classmate doesn't get kidnapped."

"Thank you," Jordan says as she unlocked her front door.

"Are your parents home?'

Jordan was almost hesitant to answer. "No, they're on a business trip. They'll be back Monday. Why?"

"Just curious. Well I gotta go." As if on cue, Jaxson's buddies pulled up in his car and Jaxson hopped in and the left.

Jordan shut the front door and locked it. She felt relieved to be away from everyone. But at the same time she was scared. It was only Saturday and her parents wouldn't be home until Monday. She knew that really wasn't a long time, but it was going to feel like forever with Tanner up her ass constantly threatening her.