Melody's Crush

Chapter 3

The hinges on my window screeched causing me to sit upright like a jack rabbit. Jake was standing over me looking down his perfectly shaped nose with concern.

"Hey, sleepyhead!" he yelled a bit too loudly.

I looked up cupping my hands from the offensive sunlight pouring through the window and gave him my best 'kiss my ass' look. But he only pushed my forehead causing me to fall back on the bed.

"Guess I'll be driving my beamer today?"

Bolting from the bed, I pushed him out of the way, headed to my closet, stripped off my pajama bottoms, pulled on a pair of jeans, left my tank top on and just slipped into a button down shirt. Moving quickly to my vanity, I pulled back my hair into a ponytail not bothering brushing or braiding it. Slipping into sandals, I grabbed my book bag, glasses and headed out the bedroom door. It wasn't until I was halfway down the hall that I noticed Jake wasn't following me.

"Jake?" I called out.

When he didn't respond, I headed back to my bedroom.

"Jake, let's go," I stated. But he stood planted staring at my closet door as if stunned or something.

"Hey! You coming or not?" I asked before my eyes began furrowing at what possibly could have caused him to go slack-jawed again.

He shook his head and I noticed he swallowed a bit too loudly.

"What's gotten into you?" I insisted.

His mouth opened as if to give a response, but no sounds came out. Blinking a few times, he finally moved to pass by me heading toward the kitchen.

Raising an eyebrow out of confusion, I turned on my heel and followed after him.

It was odd how quiet Jake was. For some reason, he avoided eye contact with me. His constant teasing in the morning was normally something I looked forward to and today, things were just a little off. Eyebrows together, I pondered over and over in my mind what caused him to be so indifferent. Lifting a hand to my hair, I pushed back a few strands that just wouldn't stay in the hair contraption no matter what I tried.

Noticing my frustration, Jake reached his hand across the table and pushed the offensive curls behind my right ear. A chill rushed down my spine as his finger brushed the outer shell of my ear, the gesture lasting a bit longer than anticipated.

My eyes flittered upward to rest on Jake's features. Jaw tensed, his eyes danced back and forth as if he were trying to read my thoughts. Quickly, I turned my focus on anything else in the room but him. No matter what, I could not let Jake see how much his touch affected me.

"Mom, did you sign the permission slip?"

Why I chose that topic of all topics was beyond me. I winced when she lifted it from the counter and shook it as if to say, "It's here."

Mom was already getting her second cup of cream-laden coffee before starting in on the sleeping arrangements for my 'husband.'

Walking over to the table, she pulled out a chair purposely letting it scrape against the floor which sent chills down my spine. Always the chair scraping when she wanted my attention. It was like raking fingernails down a chalkboard... or so I've been told.

She sat down like a general about to lay down the law to a soldier. Elbow popping on the table, her hand clenched into a fist before flicking up a finger for each sleeping arrangement rule. "No locked bedroom door, no physical contact and no, and I mean no, sleeping in the same bed."

I spit out my juice.

"Mom!"

"Seriously, Mel. He gets the couch."