Just So I Could Call You Mine

Chapter 18

     Jess

"Hey Jess!" Landon's now obnoxious voice bounds through the quiet library. The noise startles Reeves and I, who I was helping with his homework.

Reeves' shoulders visibly cave in and I wish I could do the same.

I ignore his thumping steps towards us and continue to explain Sophmore biology.

He grunts and stands on the opposite side of our table. I don't care to look at him so all I see is his school football hoodie in my peripherals.

He pulls the book away from us, ultimately forcing me to look up at his stupidly inviting face.

"Look babe, can we start over?" he pouts but I no longer find it charming. He doesn't once blame it on himself or admit his mistake.

It dawns on me me that he thinks nothing is his fault. He's so oblivious to all he did to me.

"Who are you calling babe?" I grit out of my teeth. "Do you notice that this is a library and you need to shut up."

Landon is not stunned into silence as I would have hoped. He starts blabbering some mundane bullshit that I don't want to hear one word of. His voice grates against my skin and ears, bringing me back to the events in the diner.

I fully lose it when he reaches out to touch me.

"Dude I said no. I said leave me the fuck alone, how much more do I need to say? Nothing! I shouldn't have to utter another word to get you to leave me alone," I'm seething as I stand up from my chair.

My hands shake uncontrollably which makes me hate myself even more.

I spot Mr Hall sweeping his way over to us. Mr Hall is a round, scruffy man, that I imagine lives in a wood cabin, and skins his own deer.

He just so happens to be on library monitor duty today. His mouth is in a straight line as he approaches but quickly brightens when he sees Landon.

The more sickening fact I note is how quickly Landon's face switches from pity, to anger, to disgust and now happiness.

"Landon!" he beams proudly. "I saw your amazing touchdown last week!"

He turns to me after he basically kisses Landon's pretty ass. I never noticed how much good attention he gets compared to other students.

"Detention for you Jess," he zeroes in on me, the smile falling from his face and into a disapproving frown.

"What?" I ask confused. I feel like I'm in a dream or I misheard Mr Hall. Detention?

"Detention. No foul language will be tolerated, especially directed at another student," his voice is stern and unwavering.

If this is some sick joke, well I'm not fucking laughing.

"Mr. Hall, he was harassing me, I don't see how this is fair," my eyes dart around the room for any sign of anyone else hearing this bullshit.

"Excuse me sir, he was," Reeves forces eye contact with Mr Hall under his mop of red hair, and I silently thank him.

At least someone has my back.

"I don't think so. Nice try Jess, detention after school," he points out the door and I can't fucking believe my life right now.

I'm about to object when Mr Hall clears his throat, indicating I'm done talking. Landon's secret cynical grin is right up in my face when Mr Hall walks away.

I turn on my heels, his victorious face still ingrained in my mind.

I'm practically shaking with anger as I leave the library with Reeves in tow.

"That was fucked up," Reeves voice is quite beside me.

"I know," I sigh defeated.

Liking Landon was a huge mistake. My messed up life is all thanks to me.

***

When I walk into detention at the end of the day, still rigid with defeat and anger, the last people I expect to see are Mac and Landon.

Landon seems to be nursing his bruised fists and a busted lip at the back of the room, while Mac sits at the front, his hood up, and his head resting on his hands.

Landon's scowl is as sour as lemons and I stand in the doorway shell-shocked. I don't want to be anywhere near him.

"Anyday now Jess," Mr Hall's mocking tone zaps me from my confused state.

I shoot him a hard glare and sidle into a seat as far away from Landon as I can.

For the next hour I write an essay and read two chapters of my book.

When we are finally dismissed, Landon does not hang around and leaves immediately. The sound of seats scraping the floor ring in my ears and I just can't wait to go home.

"You better fix that glare and attitude Jess, or I'll give you another detention," Mr Hall lectures me as I leave.

I nod and leave quickly, leaving to the sound of a few taunting giggles.

I scurry up to Mac, curious to why he was in detention.

"Hey!" I say loudly, getting his attention over the noise.

He cringes before turning around, his shoulders quickly reverting to normal when he faces me. Landon turns his head around while he's walking up, his attention on our exchange.

A noticeable scowl is on his face and I return it right back to him, before my gaze settles on Mac.

A red poppy bruise is starting to bloom high up on his cheek right cheek bone. I gape at him in shock. Mac's poor face looks sore and swollen and I feel so bad for him.

"Woah, what the fuck happened to your face?" my hand flies over my mouth in shock.

A little chuckle escapes from Mac's mouth. He drapes his long arm around me while pulling his backpack onto his shoulder.

"Nothing you need to be worrying about my sweet Jess," the low rumble of his voice makes the feeling in my stomach more severe.

Is this what butterflies feel like?

"Now why in the hell are you in detention, smart girl?" he questions.

I sigh, preparing my self to rehash the anger I felt earlier.

I tell him about Landon coming up to me and my not so good choice of words. I can feel Mac's protectiveness radiating off him as his grip on my shoulders tighten.

"I tried to reason with Mr Hall," I explain.

"Damn right you should've. He should have left you alone, and Mr Hall should have listened." He stops us in the middle of the corridor.

His soft green eyes fall down to mine. "I'm sorry this has happened to you," he says compassionately.

"Yeah, it's whatever at this point," a self deprecating hum laugh escapes my lips.

He shakes his head sadly. "No. I think you need to go to the principle and get this removed from your record."

I'm shocked he cares this much.

"But you've gotten detention a lot before, why would me getting it once matter so much?" I dissmiss the matter flippantly.

I do deep down care that I now have a detention on my record. It's shameful and taints my impeccably clean slate.

My 'good girl' shtick may be all I had once, but now....

"Because it's you! And you deserve a helluva lot more better than me!" he pauses. "In relation to getting into college and all that, I mean," he clears his throat awkwardly.

The way he is looking at me is indecipherable.

"Okay, I'll think about," I say quietly. He nods his head in approval and we continue out to the parking lot.

"So are you going to tell me what the hell happened to your face?" I ask, peering up at Mac's side profile.

He turns his head down at me, and I notice a faint hint of pain behind his gorgeous eyes.

My god, those eyes. Nobody else's could even start to compare.