Jesse's Girl

Chapter 22

    It was bound to snow – sometime today or even any minute. Staring outside the window of my math class told me that much. Though I wasn't fazed by it, because I expected it.

    With a few last words on the subject, Mr. Harrison finally established that no one was listening to his lecture. Most of the snobs in the back had their phones out – talking to their friends at a certain level of noise that was getting on my nerves. The few in front were the ones who barely said a word in class – and if they did, it was only on the lesson we were learning, and I admired them because of it.

    And I wasn't just saying that because I snuck answers from them on tests.

    When the bell rung, I jumped up from my desk at the sound of reassuring freedom. But when I stood up and started to dart for the door, I had forgotten the contraptions I was using, and almost fell over for the hundredth time today.

    Snatching my binder off the desk and slinging my bag over my shoulder, I walked out of the class – slower and steadier than I was used to.

    The cold wind blasted through the main doors as I opened them, and I shivered from the temperature. I hugged my arms to my chest, ignoring the way my teeth clattered together.

    Another noise, other than the purring of engines in the parking lot and my teeth, were my shoes.

    I looked down, trying to step more on my toes so that the heel wouldn't make that clacking sound. It was maddening to hear it from the girls around the school – but knowing that I was the cause, was just plain sad.

    At the door of my car, I paused at the sight of my reflection. I didn't look normal – or the way I used to. The faint gray eye shadow, the red lipstick, and the way my skin seemed pale in the weather scared me.

    Of course, I had never been the 'tan' girl. But...the sight petrified me nevertheless.

    As I was about to open the door to my car, a pair of arms wrapped around me from behind.

    My breathing started to speed up, and acting out of sheer instinct, I started struggling against the hold. Though there wasn't really much I could do with a pair of heels I could hardly move in.

        "Hey, let go!" I was compelled to struggle more, since they obviously weren't listening. "Let go, you creep!"

    Out of options, I let myself jerk my elbow back – but at the moment I was about to do some damage, someone caught it on time. Somehow, the way their hand touched my skin seemed familiar. "Now, who ever said violence was the answer?"

    My eyes widened. I knew that voice anywhere. "...Jesse, I...I uh—"

    He released my elbow, and hugged me to his chest again, automatically making bile rise in my throat. "Shut up, Carson."

    Once again, my eyes widened.

    What was going on?

    Didn't I repel him away? Wasn't this over and done with? Why was he acting as if I wasn't dressed to go pole dancing?

    That sounded bad...

    But it was true.

        "Let go." He must have thought about doing the opposite, since his hold on me tightened.

        "Why? I thought this was what you wanted."

    Crap.

    With a mental slap in the face, I relaxed into his arms – ignoring the clench in my stomach, from allowing him so much as to touch me.