Mixed Emotions

Chapter 6: Hell's Newest Victim

I watched intently as my crush leaned against the lockers--my locker, to be exact--with some random chick's arms around his neck. She was practically sucking his face off. I watched Jack's hand move from the lockers to her waist and I couldn't wait any longer. This was taking too long, and by now they'd attracted a small crowd. Seriously, didn't these people have anything better to do?

My stomach twisted. I walked up to my locker.

"Sorry to bother you," I said sarcastically with a fake smile, "I need to use your back rest."

Jack pushed the face-sucker off of him. "Ya...sorry about that." His face turned a little pink. But he still wanted me jealous. Jack turned around to his new "friend."

"See you tomorrow, Kennedy," he said before leaving me at my locker.

-

Thursday was nothing but feelings. Feelings that needed to be poured to friends. But I didn't have any of those, it seemed. I hadn't been telling them anything. I had shut them out and I felt bad. But I had more important things to focus on. Yesterday, the hottest man on earth kissed someone he didn't even know.

I was thinking of coming clean, but that would be too complicated. How do you even say that? "Hey, sorry I lied to you about dating Brian. Also I'm madly in love with your brother. What's new with you?"

I started to internally fall apart. I felt broken and I needed to figure out how to piece myself together.

I avoided everyone at school...or at least I tried to.

The loud hallways made me dizzy and I found myself stopping multiple times to keep the world from spinning. I felt anxiety ring in my head. My palms dropped sweat. The world wouldn't stop spinning. I stumbled over my feet and stared at the ground.

"Gracen!" I heard my name in my ear as I was pulled into a small space.

"W-what?" I stammered, regaining consciousness. The two hazy heads in front of me focused into one--Alexis.

"What's up?" Alexis asked sternly, "You've been acting weird since the first day of school."

"Nothing. I'm fine. Really." I said, shaking my head.

Alexis frowned. Best friends always can tell when something is wrong. I call it a Friend Radar. If the Friend Radar senses trouble, a mental alarm goes off and in comes help.

"No," she said, "something is wrong. This is it. We're meeting. Right now. All of us. Lunch tables. Be there in five minutes."

My head spun again. I couldn't take a friend meeting right then. But looking at Alexis's facial expression, I could tell I wasn't getting out of this one.

-

Olivia slid into the bench at the lunch table. "What's wrong?"

"Gracen's been acting weird. And we're all going to support her." Alexis stated, sitting next to Olivia.

I looked over at Brian nervously and he nodded, encouraging me to tell them the truth.

I slowly turned my head to my friends, then down at the table where my hands were nervously tapping together.

Brian turned to Olivia. "Gracen has something to share, I think."

I looked up. "Ya. Ya, I do have something to share." I breathed in to calm myself. "Brian and I..." I paused to look over at his reassuring face, "we were never dating." I sighed and looked at them.

"We know," Alexis said, causing my eyebrows to crinkle.

"What? How?"

"You would never date Brian. And plus, we know it's obvious that you like someone else."

I slouched and let out a sigh. "I'm sorry, guys."

"It's totally okay. I mean, we've all had a crush on him at some point." Alexis said.

"You--what?" I asked, confused.

"Ya," Olivia continued, "I mean, who doesn't like Nick Graves?"

I sighed on the inside. My secret was safe and so was my friendship.

-

I couldn't stop shaking. It was finally Friday and Jack was coming over to work on the project. I wasn't shaking because I was nervous, but I also wasn't shaking because I was excited. I didn't know how I truly felt. I wasn't prepared for the awkwardness that I knew was in store for me.

DING-DONG!!!!

The stupid doorbell went off, telling me that I was Hell's newest victim.

I opened the door. "Hey," I said, cursing myself out mentally because of my awkwardness.

"Hey," came Jack's deep voice that made me remember why I was attracted to him in the first place. He walked in my house and I shut the door behind him.

"Um...I guess we can start the project in my room if you want?" I asked awkwardly, again.

"Ya, sure." He followed me up the stairs and into my room. He sat down on the floor and I grabbed my laptop from the small dresser it was on.

"Wanna start the report first?" I questioned, sitting next to him.

"Sure."

I turned on my computer and started to open up a document.

"So," I began casually, "you made a new friend the other day?"

"Oh," Jack said shyly, "you mean Kennedy?"

"Ya, do you enjoy your face being viciously ripped off?" In my brain, I was punching myself. What the hell did I think I was doing?!

Jack let out a small laugh. "Not particularly. Kennedy just wanted to make her ex-boyfriend jealous. I didn't think she was gonna do anything more than hold my hand."

I smiled. At least that made me feel like I still had a chance. It was a small chance, but I decided I'd take what I could get.

I felt a pair of eyes burning into my head. I stupidly turned to look up at his gorgeous blue eyes. My heart pounded out of my chest. I looked down at Jack's hand that was inching closer to mine. I slowly put my hand next to his and he put his over it.

I looked back up into his eyes and felt his face move in, centimeters away from my face.

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😱 WHAAAAAT?!?!?! Woah, again a lot just happened. Are you guys enjoying the book so far? PLEEEASE COMMENT PLEASE!!! If I don't get any comments I'm assuming y'all hate it and I'll DELETE IT NUUUUU 😭😭

Aaaaaanyways hope you guys liked this chapter!

Bye my lovelies ✌️
-H