A Misfit Should Be...

Chapter Three: Jeremy

“The Misfits have done what?”

Rory Llewelyn, better known as Riot, the attractive and charismatic lead singer of the Stingers turned to gaze at his keyboardist in surprise, a look of decided displeasure on his face. “How can they? They’re supposed to cut a record with us…how dare they insult me in this way?”

“From what Rio has told to me it was Jetta and Pizzazz who did the insulting.” Minx, the flirtatious German-born keyboard player of the band told him in her delicately accented tones, her expression one of decided amusement. Minx was not fond of the Misfits or the Holograms, but if they provided her with entertainment she was always glad to join in the fun and turn it into even more chaos. “Apparently Stormer is staying with Jem at the Starlight Mansion.” Her eyes became big. “Do you think that it is for always?”

“For always? Of course not.” Riot dismissed it with a wave of his hand. “I’ll go have a word with Pizzazz and it will all be sorted out…but the negative publicity is not good for the image of someone as physically flawless as myself. I must ensure that she understands that it must not happen again so long as the Misfits are part of the Stingers’ plans.”

“You think of everything.” Minx told him, well-practiced in the art of keeping Riot’s ego happy. “I know that Pizzazz will listen to you, Riot. The silly girl will jump through a hoop if you tell her to do it.”

“Well, that’s as it should be.” Riot shrugged, getting to his feet and moving across to examine his reflection in the mirror, something he did fairly often in each day. “Still, it cannot be allowed to happen, Minx. Thank goodness the Stingers have a sense of professionalism – it would greatly displease me should you or Rapture ever act in that way.”

“We belong with you.” Minx shrugged, as if there was no other answer to make. “Where else would we go?”

“Indeed.” He agreed. “Where is Rapture, any way?”

“Oh, she’s gone to some palm reading thing.” Minx shrugged her shoulders, idly flicking a lock of her long blond hair over her shoulder. “I think she wants some tips – she said to me something about a new hobby.”

“Or a new way to make money.” Riot looked appreciative, for Rapture was one of the best con-artists he had ever set eyes on, not to mention a capable guitarist. “Very well. I must go, Minx, I have something I must do. Don’t wait up, all right?”

“If you go to chase after Jem once more you will have no luck tonight.” Minx pulled a face. “She is out with that drip Rio…I do not know where they go.”

Minx had never forgiven Rio for being the first man to ever resist her obvious charms, and Riot disliked him because of his clear closeness to Jem, the object of his own affections. He frowned at this.

“Jem should be with me.” He murmured. “Can she not see that a perfect man such as myself needs a perfect woman to accompany me?”

“I think she needs her head read.” Minx responded, rolling her eyes. “Maybe Rapture could do it for her – I think she would make it an improvement.”

“Indeed.” Riot laughed. “Now I must leave, Minx. I must speak with Pizzazz about this ridiculous behaviour right away, before the press get to know about it. I will not have the publicity of the compilation record slurred by a childish tantrum. Excuse me.”

And he swept out of the room, full of his own importance, leaving Minx behind him to hide a smile.

“But Riot will sort that idiot Pizzazz out with no trouble.” She said to herself, settling down on the sofa and flicking on the television set. “Now…what is this? Bah, the news. Is there never anything interesting on?”

Her hand on the set to change the channel, something in the reader’s tone made her pause.

‘Jeremy Burns, the Kensington Jewel Thief is free from jail for the sixth night after breaking bounds at a maximum security London prison. It is believed he has fled abroad, possibly to America under an assumed name. Police in London are believed to be offering a substantial reward to anyone with information on the whereabouts of this thief, and the F.B.I have been contacted to join in the investigation.”

“A substantial reward?” Minx looked thoughtful, toying with the ends of her long, blond hair as she considered the situation. “Very interesting. I wonder whether or not this jewel thief is anywhere near here?”

*********

The intruder eyed his driver with a lazy smile, making himself more comfortable in his seat as he did so. “Don’t you have a hug or a hello kiss for your own brother then, Sheila?”

“Who let you out?” Jetta demanded. “And don’t call me that! You know I go by Jetta now…I’m not your little Sheila anymore, so you’d better remember it, else I’ll knock your block off. Got it?”

“Okay, okay, I got it.” Jeremy shrugged his shoulders, seemingly not at all concerned by his sister’s agitation. “And as for who let me out – noone. I let myself out.” He grinned. “What can I say, I missed my family so much.”

“You’re a fugitive?” Jetta’s eyes widened. “Hell’s bells, Jeremy…what have you done? And why are you here? I can’t be seen with a fugitive, I have a reputation to consider!”

“Charming.” Jeremy observed. “Three years has changed you, little sister. You never used to be so mouthy with me as this.”

“You let us all down when you got banged up. I’ve nothing to say to you now.” Jetta’s voice was low. “Get out of my car, Jeremy, before I turn you over to the Police.”

“I don’t think you’ll do that.” Jeremy’s grin widened.

“Why not?” Jetta looked suspicious. “Why shouldn’t I?”

“Well, I’ve been tracking you for the last couple of days, ever since I discovered where you were and what exactly you were doing.” Her brother responded. “You’ve done good for yourself, Sheila.”

“I told you, don’t call me that!” Jetta brought her hand across her brother’s face hard, her expression one of anger. “And so what if I have? It’s no business of yours what I do.”

“I thought you might have some cash to help out your poor brother.” Jeremy responded, touching his cheek gingerly. “Well, you still have a mean right hook.”

“Dumb enough to leave your car unlocked.” Jeremy responded. “In any case, Sh…Jetta, I know where you’re staying, and I paid a little visit there myself just before I joined up with you at that luxurious mansion you seem to have an attraction for. All my stuff is there – if you go to the Police I’ll tell them you shielded me and when they search your room…” he made a beheading motion. “That’ll be that for Jetta of the Misfits.”

Despite herself Jetta’s heart skipped a beat. As a child she had allowed herself to be coerced by her older brother, after all, she had idolised him, not realising how dangerous and manipulative he could really be. She had learnt a lot of her tricks from him, but he was still the expert, and she knew that he had her. She sighed heavily.

“If I give you some dosh, will you leave me alone?” she demanded.

“That depends.” Jeremy shrugged. “On how generous you’re feeling.”

Jetta scowled. For a moment she hesitated, then she scooped up the bag of money she had ‘borrowed’ from Pizzazz’ home (Most of the money had been owed to her from the music company’s swindling on payments, she had reasoned), tossing it in his direction.

“There.” She snapped. “Happy now? Thanks to you I ain’t gonna have even a roof over my head tonight. Now get lost…I don’t want to see or hear from you again, you got that?”

“We’ll see.” Jeremy swung open the car door, getting out. “Thanks for your kindness, little sister.” He smiled. “And you needn’t worry about the hotel. That was all a bluff – what kind of stuff do you suppose an escaped convict has to dump, anyway?”

And with that, he was gone.

Jetta let out a cry of rage, thumping on the steering wheel in her frustration.

“When I get my hands on him…” she threatened out loud. “Now what am I supposed to do tonight? Camp under a bridge? God I wish I’d never been born into that waste of a family, I really do. So much for coming to America to get away from it all. Choose a new name, they told me. Be someone else, they said. Hah. Fat lot of good it’s done me. First I get humiliated by that blighter Pizzazz and now my own brother…” She let out another cry of anger. “I hate this world!”

“Are you all right?”

She glanced up to see someone looking at her, and as she recovered her composure she realised with a heavy heart that the someone was one of the Starlight brats that Jerrica Benton thought so much of. She had no idea which one, and cared less, but it unnerved her rather to be stared at like that. She hoped the kid hadn’t heard her exchanges with Jeremy…or seen him, for that matter. That was one twist she did not need.

“I’m fine.” She snapped. “Didn’t anyone ever teach you not to pry into other people’s business?”

The girl merely grinned at her.

“You’re a Misfit, aren’t you?” she observed.

“What’s it to you?”

“Well, one of your band is staying at my home.” The girl, whose name was Deirdra, responded. “And…”

“Stormer’s at the Starlight Mansion?” Despite herself Jetta’s eyes almost popped out of her head. “How come?”

“She’s a friend of Kimber’s.” Dierdra eyed Jetta thoughtfully. “Don’t you have anywhere to stay either?”

Get lost, kid.” Jetta responded darkly. “I don’t have time to sit around chatting to you.” She put the car in gear. “Go on, scram.”

“Hey, I'm going..” Dierdra agreed, nevertheless stopping and watching as the car pulled, away. Then, grinning to herself she headed off home. It had been funny to watch Jetta momentarily lose her grip on sanity. Like most of the Starlight girls she had no love for the Misfits.

“Dierdra, where have you been!” Raya, the band’s percussionist, greeted her on the front steps. “You should have been back an hour ago – it is almost time for dinner!”

“I’m sorry, Raya, my watch has stopped.” Dierdra responded, hurrying into the house and leaving the Mexican-American girl to follow her. “I didn’t realise till ten minutes ago.” She slipped into the recreation room, settling herself down on the settee. “You’ll never guess what I saw in town, anyway.”

“What?” Ashley, Dierdra’s close ally demanded, setting down her table-tennis bat and turning to look at her friend.

“Wouldn’t you like to know.” Dierdra was determined to be infuriating.

“Tell us or we’ll tickle it outta you.” Krissie, one of the eldest Starlight girls demanded. Dierdra giggled.

“I saw one of her friends.” She said, pointing at Stormer, who was sitting and playing snakes and ladders with Laura, Kimber and Marianne. Stormer was a softie at heart with a love for children, and so she had been easily roped into playing to take her mind off all that was going on in her life.

“What, one of those dumb Misfits?” Ashley demanded. “So what?”

“She was with a guy. I think they had a fight.” Dierdra’s tone became deeply confidential. “Maybe she has a boyfriend.”

“Which Misfit?” Krissie asked, her curiosity piqued.

“The one with the weird accent.” Dierdra shrugged. “I don’t remember her name.”

“Stormer!” Ashley raised her voice. “Stormer, Dierdra says she saw Jetta in town and she was with a guy…does she have a boyfriend?”

“Jetta?” Stormer looked up from her game, a startled expression on her face. “A boyfriend? Not as far as I know. Maybe he was just a friend.”

“Didn’t look like it to me.” Dierdra said smugly. “She slapped him round the face and kicked him out of the car…she was in a total paddy.”

“That’s not unusual for Jetta.” Kimber commented. Stormer nodded.

“True.” She admitted slowly. “But not usually with a guy.” She shrugged. “Well, her life is her life. Not our business to pry.”

“You know, for a Misfit, you can be a real drag, Stormer.” Dierdra settled herself down more comfortably in her seat. “Don’t you want to know what’s going on? It could be hot gossip, you never know.”

“Dierdra, that’s enough of that.” Raya intervened at that point. “Stormer is our guest.”

“Spoilsport.” Dierdra pulled a face. “I want to know!”

“It’s probably something boring, anyway.” Ashley shrugged. “Drop it, Dierdra. After all, it’s only a Misfit.”

Dammit.

He had come to the Starlight Mansion in the hope of finding something valuable to steal, but upon discovering that the house was occupied by so many people he had decided against it, and had just been leaving when he had heard his sister’s name mentioned.

“That stupid girl, making a scene as ever.” He muttered. “Now I have a complication to deal with. That kid can’t be allowed to find out who I am…she can’t be allowed to identify me.”

He frowned, considering. Abducting the kid was not a problem, he had enough contacts on the dark side of society to get away with it without any trouble. The problem was, what to do with a hostage. She’d only slow him down…

“I’ve no choice.” He decided finally, clenching his fist in rage. “Damn you, Sheila, for making that kid suspicious! It’s a good thing for you that I’ve not the time to hang around and deal with you…else you’d be for it, you really would.”

His gaze fell once more on Dierdra.