The Boy in Black

F O U R

"Don't talk to him."

"Don't lay eyes on him."

"Don't think of him."

"He's dangerous."

Mattie's mothers words replayed inside of her head as she looked at Jaxson from the corner of her eye. He was looking at her with the end of his pen between his teeth, slowly twisting it with slightly hooded eyes.

Part of Mattie wanted to listen to her mother and steer clear of the boy in black, but another part of her, the part that she would keep hidden, wanted to straddle Jaxson right in his seat before bravely throwing the pen from his fingers and kissing his full lips that were practically calling her name.

Her thoughts seemed to cloud her vision, and it finally focused when she turned her head slightly to the side to meet Jaxson's eyes. He winked just then, and Mattie smiled before turning her head back to the front of the classroom.

"For your poetry projects, you may all pick a parter, but I advise that you choose someone that you can concentrate and get work done with." Mr. Hopkins said with his wrinkled hands folded together, and the class instantly flew from their seats to go to their friends.

Mattie hated when the class was told to pick partners, for she didn't have many friends to get paired with. And that was only because she simply didn't have the time to make friends.

Or, that was what she had told herself to feel better.

She then looked up when Tony stepped up in front of her desk with a piece of paper and pencil squeezed in-between his nervous hands. He was a skinny blond with a cardigan and khaki shorts that ended just below his knees.

He would often stare at her as well, but she didn't enjoy it like she did with Jaxson. For Jaxson's stare gave her a wave of confidence, while Tony's gave her a headache.

"Hey Mattie, do you wanna-"

"She's got a partner." Jaxson interrupted Tony by stepping in front of him and setting himself in the chair in front of Mattie, turning it to face her.

Tony looked from Jaxson to Mattie, visibly confused before slowly turning to walk away. Mattie felt sad for him, but at the same time felt happy that Jaxson had chose her instead of the other girls that practically threw themselves at him.

"I thought he told us to pick partners that we can concentrate and get work done with." Mattie challenged, ignoring the stares of the girls around her.

Jaxson's shoulders bobbed up and down with a laugh at her words, and he cocked a brow with a look in his eyes that had Mattie curious to know what wandered inside his dark mind.

"Oh, we can get work done alright." He winked again, and Mattie pushed his shoulder slightly with a laugh in reply.

"Very funny." She hissed in a whisper after tucking a dark strand of hair behind her ear as if someone was listening.

Jaxson focused his eyes behind her just then toward Tony that was now sitting directly behind Mattie with one of his friends.

He looked back at the boy in black only to look away seconds afterward, fear filling his chest. Just what Jaxson wanted.

"You and Tony?" He whispered under his breath, and Mattie's brows pinched together in confusion.

"What? God no." She replied after a moment with a chuckle, meeting Jaxson's eyes that have visibly relaxed.

"Good."

Mattie smiled at his words as her cheeks flooded with color, and he bit his bottom lip at the innocence that took over her. It was an innocence that he wanted to demolish, an innocence that he wanted her to have except for when she was with him.