Grace; misanthrope // Jai Brooks

Chapter 13

I stood in my bathroom, removing my makeup and getting out of my dress. I remembered I had received a text from Jai so I checked my phone.

"Thanks for your help tonight. Couldn't have done it without you."

I felt a smile form on my face, spreading from ear to ear. I bit my lip, trying to to think of what to say. I wanted to keep it short but meaningful.

"Of course. Couldn't have asked for a better partner in crime." I texted him.

A moment later, "Jai :)" popped up on my screen again.

"You really looked so gorgeous. Goodnight Grace."

My face was on fire, burning tomato red. I felt like such a school girl.

"Thank you! Goodnight Jai."

I could hardly sleep that night thinking about Jai's soft, plump, lips against mine in the hallway. And of course, Jai had said the words, "I teased you because I like you." Like, like? I was almost disappointed that it was the weekend and I'd have to wait until Monday to see Jai and hear everyone at school talking about the prank.

Thankfully, Monday did soon roll around. When I got to my locker before first bell I immediately noticed Jai and Chloe talking further down the hallway. They only talked briefly, but I didn't like how it made my chest feel. Was it jealousy rising inside me?

I gathered my things and headed to first period. Emma Cabot and the rest of the popular kids who sat in the back of the class were quiet. Maybe they felt threatened that two of their crowd had been targeted at the dance. They were finally put in their place. This made me feel some self satisfactory inside.

A little later I got to see Jai in study hall. When I went to pull out my chair to sit down, I realized my chair was stuck. Jai's feet were resting on it.

"Aren't you gonna let me sit down?" I asked him.

He gestured with his head, "Come sit here,"

I smirked to myself and did as he said, taking the seat beside him. I began to take my things out of my bag.

"I'm not gonna be able to get any work done sitting with you," I chuckled.

He watched me contently, propping his head on his elbow. "You like to do anything besides school?"

"What do you mean?" I asked him, as if it were impossible for people to do things other than study.

"Don't you have hobbies? You know, things you like other than doing school work all the time?"

My eyes wandered as I began to think to myself. "Um...." I hummed.

He looked at me with wide eyes and began laughing. I frowned.

"I dunno!" I rolled my eyes. "I like music. I like art. I like to spend time with my friends. That's really it."

He looked at me, smirking, almost as if he hadn't heard anything I said. He was just looking at me.

"What?!" I asked in frustration, laughing with him, now.

He shook his head and looked away. "Nothing,"

"What?! What is it?!" I whined. "Because I feel like you're judging me,"

He pursed his lips and was quiet for a moment. "Nothing. You're just cute," he said softly.

My eyes burned into his big brown ones. I could never tell what he was thinking, but thankfully I remembered we were still in study hall because I really wanted to kiss him then.

"Yeah? How come you weren't so nice to me a long time ago?" I mumbled.

A look of guilt crossed his face and he shrugged.

"I had to get your attention somehow." He flirted.

I scoffed and gently shoved his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," he whined.

"I hated you," I laughed.

"What?!" He threw his head back in a fit of laughter.

"I thought you were so stupid. But you're not. You're kind of smart when you want to be,"

I couldn't believe I was opening up to him. I felt so vulnerable. But, I felt safe whenever I spoke to him. He just watched me with soft eyes, head propped on his elbow.

"Can I ask you something?" I asked, looking at my lap.

"Of course."

"That morning when I accused you of telling your friends I tried to kiss you at the party. You said you didn't tell them anything... Why not?"

He paused for a moment. "I was never going to lie about what happened. I knew what happened, and I knew you were upset. Anyone who said anything about it either saw it first hand or heard about it from someone else. But it wasn't me."

I listened, feeling small and meek in my seat beside him.

"I know how my friends are... I already felt bad as it was. I didn't want to hurt you."

I smiled softly at him, realizing my heart was skipping beats. Was Jai confessing feelings for me? His face flushed for a moment.

"I'm sorry," I said.

"For what?" He asked puzzled.

"Sometimes I wonder what might have been different if I never left the party the way I did that night. I must have embarrassed you, as well."

"I was alright. I just felt like an asshole." He chuckled. "Things turned out okay though, right?"

"Like, right now?" I asked.

He nodded, somewhat innocently. I smiled and nodded at him.