Underestimated [COMPLETED]

Chapter 24 - Zak's Shock

He had wanted to open up to Jasmine so much once she had awakened. Seeing her ope her eyes and look at him made him feel a relief so strong he couldn't even begin to describe it. She was so welcoming, so understanding of him.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t  be like that anymore.

It was Gems. He was scared, scared of losing her, scared of cheating, which he knew he would do if he didn’t distance himself from the beautiful creature which was, at this very moment, probably naked in his room. He didn’t want that to happen and he forced himself to stay away from the door handle. He knew that if he saw her like that again, that same image from last night, he would jump on her and never let her leave. She wouldn't really have a choice.

            Of course he liked Jasmine. That was obvious to everyone, even the people on his football team. Breaking the curse just emphasised the fact that there was something there. Gems couldn't have been pleased with that. Knowing that the curse was broken because her boyfriend liked another girl must have been hard to handle. He couldn't help it though, even if he did feel very guilty due to that fact.

He didn’t want to feel any more for Jasmine and he knew he would do if he continued being so close. He had to keep thinking of Gems, and thinking of Gems took him back to last night with the kiss, and then back to Jasmine again. It was a vicious circle he was finding difficult to escape.

            It was going to be hard, as he wanted her to touch his hand, wanted her to be close, and wanted her there beside him always. He wanted her to stay in his bed. It was so bad that he wished that she’d stayed asleep so that he could stare at her just that little bit longer without being accused of anything. He'd pretty much been doing that for the past two hours as soon as Gems had left for school.

He felt so angry and guilty for feeling the way he did. He pushed his feelings aside and knocked on the door. She had to be ready by now. He had a feeling that even though she was human, she was still very fast in comparison.

“Come in.” Jasmine replied as he pushed the door open lightly. She looked great in a white vest top and brown pleated mini skirt. He didn’t remember seeing them on the desk. His eyes darted there, where the other clothes lay, untouched, before he drifted back to Jasmine. He wasn’t even going to ask how she did it.

“Nice.” He said and looked away.

            She was beautiful, even more so now that colour was in her cheeks. He could tell that she was hurt from his dismissal. He looked up again and gazed into her eyes, which watched him, beaming green, before going over and hugging her. She held onto him and breathed deeply. Her hands tightened against his back and she rested her head on his chest.

“I’m sorry.” He said. “I just don’t want to…”

“…Cheat on Gems.” She finished and smiled up at him. “I understand. I will back off a bit.” They separated and Zak switched uncomfortably from foot to foot.

“I’d better get to school.” He bit his lip and glanced at her nervously.

“Yes. Okay. I’ll go.” Jasmine looked about for any stuff she had, which was none.

“I’ll see you.” Zak said and grinned shyly at her before picking up his school bag, flinging it over his shoulder and exiting the house.

*          *          *

            “Zak! I didn’t think you’d be coming in today with Jasmine and that.” Gems exclaimed as she ran towards him at break. He grinned and hugged her tightly, wrapping his arms around her and squeezing her firmly. She kissed him and they both went to a nearby bench where they sat down side by side. He kissed her forehead gently. This was the Gems he knew. The loving kind Gems. He’d missed her.

He kept hugging her, savouring every moment. Oh how he’d missed her.

“Jasmine’s up, she’s out of bed and she’s fine.”

“Is she coming in today?” She asked. He could hear it in her voice, the hope in which Jasmine wouldn’t be disrupting them. She’d hid it well but not well enough. He pretended to ignore it.

“No I don’t think so.”

“Shame.” She couldn’t disguise her relief. She put her hand on his thigh and his heart tightened. It was a good feeling…he thought. “About last night…”

“Gems don’t ruin it.” He interrupted and kissed her again.

            They ate together at lunch the way they used to do. They laughed. They kissed. They had so much fun together. Zak nearly completely forgot about Jasmine. It was as if everything was back to normal. They walked hand in hand down the corridors, people stopping them to say hello. After school, Zak waited for Gems before walking home with her. It was as if the last few days hadn’t happened.

            That feeling stopped as soon as they reached his house. Something wasn’t right. He couldn’t quite figure out what but whatever it was, it felt bad. They stopped outside and looked up at it. Gems held his hand and he could feel her eyes on him. The feeling must have made her pause as well.

“What do you think has happened?” Gems whispered.

            Zak held his breath and watched his bedroom anxiously. Had Jasmine been hurt? She couldn’t possibly… She wouldn’t have killed herself like she had said she was going to, would she?

What if someone had hurt her? What could have possibly gone wrong?

Maybe she’d just gone home. Nothing had happened.

He willed himself to believe it and failed miserably.

            He shook his head quickly and moved his hair out of his eyes. He approached his front door and turned the doorknob. It clicked approvingly as he opened it and stepped inside, Gems hiding behind him. It was silent. He checked around him just in case someone was going to jump out at him. There was certainly no blood anywhere in sight. Gems continued to grip his shirt just in case.

“Jasmine?” Zak called wearily.

There was no response.

He looked up the stairs and listened as hard as he could. 

Nothing.

“Jasmine?” He called louder.

Still no response.

“Maybe she isn’t here-” Gems began

“I think she is.” His instinct told him so. Why would she leave his house? She had nowhere else to go. She would have waited for them to come home. She wouldn’t have left. At least, he didn’t think she would have.

            His hands began to shake for no apparent reason and so he balled them up into fists to stop it showing. “Jasmine?!” He tried again but there was still no response. She was there. He knew she was. Maybe she had hurt herself. Maybe she was just about to. His eyes darted to the kitchen. A Knife had been removed from the wooden holder. “No.” He whispered.

“What?” Her eyes followed his gaze and then she gasped, covering her mouth. “She wouldn’t.”

“Jasmine!” He stepped around the sides of the walls to check the rooms.

Nothing.

No response.

Gems followed him. “Upstairs.”

They both looked at the stairs and then up above them at the ceiling, as if seeing to the higher level.

“Jasmine!”

He bounded up the stairs in four strides and ran to his bedroom, bashing open his door with a gasp.