Project Popularity

Chapter Seventeen

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Quick Recap: Jamie, Luke and the gang were hanging out at the carnival. The guys wanted to go on the Tilt-A-Whirl but Jamie wasn't feeling so well so she decided to sit out and was surprised when Luke announced he was staying behind with her. 

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Chapter Seventeen

Jamie Vandeviere

My breath hitched in my chest when Luke abruptly made a grab at my hands. The touch of his fingers on my skin sent small jolts through my body, leaving my heart was racing and fluttering like a captured bird.

My eyes widened in surprise

“What are you doing?” I asked, my voice strangled with self-consciousness. I tried withdrawing my hand from his hold but his grasp on my wrist was so firm that it didn’t even loosen.

“I heard Lucy saying something about Summer scratching you and…” he trailed off, hints of anger in his voice as he traced one of the few scratch marks that I got from Gym this morning. “Jeez. I can’t believe she did thisto you.”

I couldn't remember exactly what happened earlier with Summer. All I could think was, He’s touching me!

I emitted a soft laugh to hide my jitters. In all honesty, I was shocked and moved by the fact that he was worried. This morning he just stepped out of the office like it wasn’t a big deal. And it wasn’t. I mean, I didn’t expect him to make a big deal out of it. More like I was surprised that he was checking up on me now.

“I’m fine,” I assured him, breaking free of his hold. “It’s just a couple of scratches. They’ll go away.”

He nodded and resumed staring ahead, the awkwardness in the air was as palpable as the smell of popcorn and deep-fried food roaming around us. I didn’t want it to be awkward because this was Luke, for Pete’s sake. I didn’t know what he thought of our friendship but to me, he had already earned a place in my heart as one of my most important friends. And friends shouldn't feel awkward around friends.

“So Aimee seems great!” I enthused, and it seemed that I had drawn him from his reverie since he looked slightly startled at the sound of my voice.

“Yeah, she is. She’s down-to-earth, funny, and she’s pretty mature for our age.”

I ignored the strange stirring in the pit of my stomach when he complimented her, not wanting to become one of those people that I hated, people that got jealous easily.. Instead, I smiled and nodded my head.

“Wanna walk around for a bit?” he suggested, his gaze flickering to a group of teenage girls standing a couple of feet away, staring at us and whispering things into each other’s ears. Judging by the way they were studying Luke I figured they probably went to Roseville High as well but my mind was too jumbled up together for me to recognize who they were.