Surviving Cancer

Friday, November 17 Cont'd

MACI POV

"Have you seen Greg?" Jackie asked dropping her books on her desk with a thud. 

My heart was still recovering from Jared, I hadn't even looked around while I made my way to class. 

"No, is everything alright?" I asked.

She let out a sigh, turning in her chair.  I followed suit so our knees were touching in the aisle.  "No, Greg always meets me at my locker and today he wasn't there but I know he's here because I saw his car in the parking lot."

"Maybe he had to do something?" I offered.

She shook her head, not believing it.  "He texted me this morning like normal and never mentioned anything."  She bit her lip, thinking.  "Did Levi say anything?"

I shrugged my shoulders, "He came in early to talk to Emma.  Jared picked me up."

"Why are they fighting again?" She said rolling her eyes,  "Wait Jared brought you to school?"  I nodded my head, "Are you two like, a thing? What about Skylar?"

I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face, my cheeks flushing as I thought about the conversation Jared and I had this morning. 

"I don't know." I said, my smile getting bigger and bigger and a little giggle escaping.  "I mean sort of but we aren't at the same time."

"You're smiling like something happened!" Jackie squealed, "I can't believe you didn't tell me." She hit me in the leg lightly, "Spill."

I shrugged again, did I really want to tell Jackie everything or just ya know, something.  "Well Skylar knows about whatever is going on, to answer that question." I said.

"And the fact that Skylar knows is making you smile like you made out with Zac Efron? Call me a skeptic but I doubt that happened." She pressed.

I smiled, dropping my eyes to the floor to hide my blushing cheeks.  "We might have kissed."

"Might have? How about you did!  You little dog you, you come in here all "I'm new and innocent" and you sweep up two of the hottest senior's before the first semester's over!  I'm so glad I'm your best friend!" Jackie said, both of us going silent as the classroom began to fill up.  She dropped her voice down to a whisper, "When is Skylar supposed to come back?"

I shrugged my shoulders.  We left it at that turning out attention to the front of the room as Ms. Chilson started class. I had a hard time focusing, my thoughts wandering to Jared.  It was crazy how I had known him for months already but now all of a sudden he was on my mind and I couldn't get him out.  I mean it was just one kiss.  And it was just one hand holding moment.  And it wasn't like we hadn't had conversations before.  But I had this giddy feeling that was surging through my body, threatening to make me smile at nothing and giggle like a kid in a candy shop.  I had crushes before and there was Skylar but I'd never had that heart pounding, name forgetting, face turning bright red happiness at the thought of seeing someone again.  But yet there it was.  And it was because of Jared.  I wasn't sure if it was because he had this sort of rebel without a cause attitude about the whole whatever we were thing or if it was because he was so darn sweet or if it was because he was open with how he felt about me.  Regardless of why the thought of him had me suddenly melting into a puddle at an alarming rate, it was.  And I didn't totally hate it.
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I gathered up my books at the end of class, waiting for Jackie as she did the same.  We filed out of the classroom together.  Jackie's head was swiveling around looking for Greg and my heart was pounding with the idea that maybe Jared was waiting for me.  Instead Emma was standing there.  I cocked my head to the side as she smiled and waved.