HEAD OVER HEELS - J. BREWER

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄: 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒?

Our teacher happened to be picking up some photocopying when I got into the classroom the next morning. Jack smiled a little when he saw me, then literally wiped his mouth when he realized he was smiling at me and tried to just play it cool. I turned around right as I sat down.

"So, I assume you have some math for me?"

"Indeed I do. Here you are," he says as he hands it to me. "All done. Coming by the dojo again today?"

"If that's okay with you guys."

"For sure. We just have a practice right after school, which Rudy says you should come to, but if you can't that's fine too, and you can just come later so we can study."

"I should be okay to come to practice today. I'll have to start practicing with you guys sometime soon anyway."

"Very true. Do you want me to just wait for you after school? What do you have last?"

"Gym, and sure. Whatever you want to do."

"Well, I have English, and our teacher always lets us leave early, so I'll come by and grab you at the end of the period."

"Okay."

He smiled again before realizing his mistake for a second time, and hid his face behind his hand. "Cool. Sounds good."

I grinned at him and winked before turning around, settling back in my seat with a smug smile. Who knew I could get Jack Brewer smiling, and then hiding said smile? It made me feel stupidly powerful. And the wink? Even better. His little blush that went across his cheeks was just the cherry on top. How it started at his nose, then crept down under his eyes and finally all the way across-

Yeah, no. I was not going to spend my entire math period thinking about Jack Brewer blushing. So I thought about my mom instead, which was a horrible plan, because then I was worried to the point of being nauseous. I sent her at least three texts that period alone just to make sure she wasn't in a bunch of trouble or having issues or anything. Not that I'd ever be allowed out of school if she was. I would just have to sit through the rest of the day knowing that the most dad would do would be send the neighbor over to check on her.

Jack threw some paper at me a few times when I put my head down, which I didn't realize until later was so I didn't miss what we were learning. And surprisingly, I didn't. I actually got the questions done in class with no problem, which Jack pointed out as we left. With a smile, I might add.

"Any homework?"

"None. Did all of it in class. I think the review of the basics yesterday really helped me connect it to what we're doing," I replied with a smile of my own. "So thanks."

He raised his hand above our heads, which I smacked with my own. I was surprised when he held on a little. Weird. Weirder than him smiling at me, even. Which was pretty crazy in itself. "No problem. I'll see you at the end of the day, Cerys."

"Bye, Jack!"

We went our separate ways, and mine just so happened to be in a class with Frank. Who was about a foot away when Jack and I high-fived.

"So that's what you abandoned us for?" he snarled as soon as I was close enough for him to grab my arm. "You went to Bobby Wasabi's? Really?"

"Oh, shove off, Frank," I replied as I pulled him off of me. "I can go wherever I want. It's not like any of you rats wanted me to stay at the Black Dragon, so why do you care?"

"That's because you're ugly and bad, but that doesn't mean you needed to sink so low as Bobby Wasabi's."

I looked him up and down a couple of times. "Ugly and bad? Coming from you? Really?"