Lost in the Space Between

Chapter 4

Jackson's POV;

 As I'm sitting in health class, all I can think is: What in the bloody hell just happened. I kissed Oliver. Multiple times. In the boy's washroom. Why? I still have no bloody idea. I'm not even paying attention to Mrs. Marchiano talk about brain cells. My mind is swirling with too many thoughts at once. I mean it's not the first time me and Oliver have..kissed. It happened in the hospital. And on my front porch as well. But this time felt, I'm not sure how to put this into words, different I suppose. He's different and I've never felt something like that before. So in control. I assume I've always been like that: in control and on top of things. I know what I want and how to get it. I want Oliver, but I don't exactly know how to get him. He's like the prettiest flower in a maze full of thorns and prickly wires, and I need to find a way to get him. I slump in my seat, knowing that the period was almost over, I was prepared to grab my bag and leave as fast as I could. I want lunch to come sooner, quicker, so that I can see Oliver again. The only other classes we have together are AP Calculus and Language Arts, and we don't have those until towards the end of the day. But as seniors, me and Oliver can leave the school to go have lunch somewhere else. I try not to think of eating in Oliver's room, doing just more than just eating food..I snap out of my thoughts, not wanting to make myself elaborate on the topic any further. I only have two more periods until lunch comes around, then four more periods in the afternoon then I'll be done with the day. I'll head home, do my homework, and (hopefully) chat with Oliver. Oh I can't wait to see him again. I feel like a puppy who's waiting for their owner to return from work, and yes I know, it sounds silly and stupid, but it's true. The bell rings and I'm out of the room in a flash. Mrs. Marchiano stands outside the classroom and calls my name. "Mr. Scott!" I stop in my tracks and turn around slowly.

"Mrs. Marchiano!" I say this in the most cheerful tone I can manage. I start walking back towards her. "What can I provide for you on this.." I look outside at the nearest window and I see that it's pouring rain. Darn it. I should have brought an umbrella. "..gorgeous day?" She raises an eyebrow, and she knows that I'm being sarcastic.

"First you come to class late, which you never do," she says, counting my mistakes with her fingers. "Then you leave my class in a hurry, were you even paying attention Mr. Scott?" She glares at me for a quick second, but then her expression softens.

"I..I'm so sorry, I promise that it won't happen again," I hesitated telling her that I was in the bathroom. I make up my mind. "I was in the boy's washroom, ma'am." I make sure to make myself sound extra British. Mrs. Marchiano has always been fond of my voice, mostly because she's part British and she tries to relate to any British thing possible when she and I talk. Mrs. Marchiano smiled.

"Then I suppose you can head to your next class now, Jackson." I looked up at her in surprise since she never said my name, it was always "Mr. Scott!"

"Ah, right, I better. Cheerio then, Mrs. M!" I put on my winning smile and walk off to my next class. As I'm walking down the hallway, I spot Oliver at his locker, grabbing books and putting other books away. Even though Oliver practically begged me to call him "Olive", I just couldn't, I don't like giving people nicknames. He doesn't notice me, and I plan to sneak up on him. I start tiptoeing near Oliver when someone else pounces on him. I stop in my tracks.

"Boo!" They almost tackle Oliver into the ground. When the person stands back up, I recognize them. Language Arts, Simon Reed. He's a year older than Oliver (he got held back for bad grades) and I'm not sure what his relationship is with Oliver. Even though I have nothing to do with the situation, I feel angry. I feel jealous. I want to punch Reed right in the gut and tell him to back off. But I don't. Then people will get the hint that me and Oliver are together when we're not. Even though I slipped him the tongue and I pushed him up against the wall in the boy's washroom.