Window Shopping Is No Fun...

[Lord_Shadow]

(Jennifer Steinman cotinued from Lab Day, Timothy Walker continued from Sunscreen and Ice Cream)

Jennifer wasn't even sure why she had come to the mall alone. It wasn't like she didn't have plenty of friends who would be more than willing to go with her. But for some reason, she had just wanted to go by herself. She didn't have anything in mind that she wanted to get, so window shopping it was. She was just walking around the mall, going from store to store checking stuff out. Wandering aimlessly, as if she wasn't even really all there.

Which wasn't true. She knew why she was here; why she was at the mall all alone. Her brother was back in town, and he was getting married. And of course the whole family was fawning over him and dad was super-proud and everyone wanted to get the know the bride-to-be and frankly Jen was sick of it. Stupid bastard of a brother only came back when it suited him. And yet no one ever seemed to care about that but her. Even though she was her mother's favorite, even her mom was going about John's tune this time.

"What's so great about that douche-bag anyway?" She said, furrowing her brow. He was always so arrogant and insufferable around her, treating her like a kid and never taking her seriously. But sneaking out by herself and going to the mall wasn't exactly mature of her. She was acting like a kid, and she knew it. But wasn't it justified? Everything in her entire life was second-string compared to John. "Dick" she muttered under her breath.

"Guy trouble?" a voice asked? Jennifer turned around to see who it was. It was Timothy Walker. Hadn't one of her friends, Izzy if she remembered right, said he was creepy or something like that? She was pretty sure that was it. "Unless you're talking about a girl, in which case I don't think your word choice applies that well."

Jen suddenly became aware she had said her thoughts out loud, at least loud enough for this guy to hear them. "Oh. No. It's nothing. You just misheard. It's nothing at all. Go away. Go away. Go away. I don't want to deal with you right now." Hopefully this Texan creep would get the hint and leave.

[Lord_Shadow]

Timothy Walker was just minding his business in the mall, he had already gotten what he came for. But he couldn't believe his eyes when he spotted Jennifer Steinman walking through the mall, alone. He had never seen her at all without being surrounded by people. This warranted further study.

He walked right up but she didn't seem to notice. She was preoccupied with her thoughts. "Lost in though huh? Just over what, I wonder?" He waited for her to finish her thought before he brought his presence to her attention.

She tried to brush him off, claimed he had misheard. But he wasn't going to let this one go. "Woah there miss. Don't turn me down just yet. Chances are I might be able to help you out. Boyfriend trouble I assume. Why don't you just lay it on me and I'll see what I can do."

"Right right, because I need a Texas wannabe smooth criminal to solve my problems for me. Are you always this smugly egotistical or is today a special day?" She replied dryly.

"Words can sting too dame, and trust me those stung. Now I realize I may be butting in but I don't think that was called for. Just what has got you on edge?"

He studied her for a moment. Something about her demeanor, he knew whatever she was feeling right now was genuine. It wasn't like the few other times they had interacted. Those times were hollow and superficial. But this was real.

She glared at him for the longest time before answering. "You're getting on my nerves you know. But if it'll get you to drop your interest in this I'll fill you in what little capacity you have to understand. Not here and not now though. Food court, fifteen minutes, got it?"

"Understood Steinman, understood." He smiled. The day just got more interesting.

[Lord_Shadow]

Jennifer sat at one of the tables at the far end of the food court. She wasn't sure why she was humoring this guy. Actually she was sure. Jen was already forming in her head a plan to use this guy to take care of her problem.

He arrived, goofy grin on his face, with a tray with burgers and fries. He left for a second and came back with drinks. She passed on his offer for lunch. "I'm only here at this moment to get you to leave. Now sit still and I'll tell you what you want to know."
He listened attentively.

"I'm a middle child. My older brother is the kind of guy for whom everything comes easy. Extended family favorite, you know. Only problem is that no one but me seems to notice he doesn't care about the rest of his family at all. Total self-absorbed smug snob."

"Don't know what that's like myself. Can't say I ever will. Go on. The boy with the hat smiled and took a sip of his soda. The thought of him just being near her already repulsed her. But if she played him right, Jennifer was sure he could work for her goals.

"I personally, am fed up with him. But I have to play nice for the family. He's getting married, see, and everyone is bending over backwards to accommodate him and the bride-to-be."

He stared blankly at her for a second. "And here I thought you said you wanted me to leave. You want me to sabotage the relationship? I can do that. I won't without good cause and compensation, but I can."

"What? No! Are you crazy? She's a nice person. Bad taste in men but a nice girl. I don't want you to ruin her day. Just his. Destroy him." She said, narrowing her eyes. This guy went straight for her train of thought, if a bit off target. "It's simple, you are going to go and make him absolutely miserable. If he breaks it off with her on account of you, that's on him."

He cocked his head to the side, unsure if he heard that correctly. Or so Jennifer thought, Walker seemed to be studying her intently, eerily quiet. He stuck his hand out, she cautiously took hold.

"Conditions: One, I do this for you, you gotta do something for me down the line. And I ain't talking easy. This ain't an easy task, so no cutting out short on your end. Two, you be straight with me through this. No jerking me around with the showbiz, we clear? Three, you don't tell another soul. You do and I'm out. I don't care how bad you wanna gloat, I am no one's fool. I'm doing this as a favor for a favor. You treat me like one of your 'friends' and we're done."

"Terms accepted. Funny how you agreed without knowing what it is you're doing." The boy chuckled when she said that. "I figure, until the wedding, you're going to play my boyfriend. Ready to hear the details?" She shook his hand, he shook back.

[Lord_Shadow]

Timothy was surprised by how ruthlessly cold Jennifer was toward her brother. She must have really hated him. Personally, Tim could care less but the idea of her owing him a favor was one he couldn't pass up. She had connections, she had people ready and willing to do what she told them. And he could use that. "Now forgive me if I'm slow on the uptake but I don't see how doing that for you is going to help me do what you need me to."

"Simple. My boyfriend would be privy to go with him and his buddies and prepare for the big day. You guys would hang out, have some fun, do guy stuff. The only thing is you'd be actively ruining it for him, everything. And he can't get rid of you, because you'd be such a sweetheart to me. No one, not even my dad, would be okay with him badmouthing you or trying to exclude you when you make me so happy." Jennifer smiled.

"Uh huh. Well that seems like something I could do. Of course, if I end up getting the stuffing beat out of me you realize that I'm going to make your life hell right? So you better be damn sure he won't do anything to me. Now, when the day comes I take it I'm to go out in a spectacular fashion, right? Really make a spectacle so you can watch him squirm." Tim adjusted his hat, the brim coming down over his eyes. So far, Steinman was turning out to be every bit the kind of person he always suspected she was. A fake, phony, someone with a real good poker face who made you think they were no threat. But when you got in the way of their game they would take you down hard. She was someone he wanted to at the very least be neutral with, if not amicable. Keep friends closer, enemies closer and all that.

"Yeah. I would see just how horrible you'd been to my big brother and we'd break up. The family would all come closer together, with me coming out blameless and seeming oblivious to just how bad a guy you were. Everyone would feel sorry not just for him, but for me as well. And although he'd suspect me, he'd have no proof. Smug jerk would always wonder just how much I had to do with ruining him." Jennifer took the other soda and took a few sips. Just thinking of the look on her brother's face when he would realize it all made her smile warmly. The jerk would get what was coming to him for all those years he cruised by without enduring any hardship.

Tim shook his head. Jennifer narrowed her eyes. He wasn't thinking of bailing on her, was he? She couldn't be sure. "It's not like you'd be all work with no benefit. We'd have to act the part too. And why would anyone turn down the chance to be with one of the most popular girls in school? Come on, even if it's fake it would increase your reputation with all the students."

"Not what I'm worried about. This, this has bad luck blowback written all over it. Can't be good for our karma, no sir. Now I ain't afraid of bad luck, I take it with the good. It's just the way lady luck rolls. But someone like you, would definitely not last the returns on this hand. I gotta ask, you sure you want to go through with this?"

"Positive."

"Alright then. Hope you're prepared for the inevitable backlash, cause it will come. And it'll be big time. Let's do this then." He got up, so did she. He took her arm in his, and they walked out of the mall. "You really have no idea what's coming. Fate don't like it when someone screws someone over this bad for no reason. I would back out but this is all too interesting to leave now. Gotta see how this plays out. I wanna see just how you react when fate turns the tables on you. Cause my observation tells me, it ain't gonna be pretty. Oh no it won't be."

(Jennifer Steinman continued elsewhere. Timothy Walker continued elsewhere.)