I Think I Like You (Valgrace)

Chapter Five

Jason's P.O.V.

I walked into art class, still thinking about Leo. He looked thin, too thin. He probably doesn't eat much. I wonder if it's a choice he makes or if there's something else going on. Of course, I'm not going to ask that. But I could feel him staring at me. Was there something wrong with me? Something he didn't like? 

"Hi! I'm Hazel!" A girl with curly cinnamon-colored hair and startling golden eyes said to me. She wore a friendly smile. 

I smiled back. "Jason."

"Here, come sit by me! I can tell you everything about this art class!" She gestured for me to follow her. She sat down at a table in the back of the room. It was clear that there was something different about her because she had no table mates. I didn't mind at all. 

"Right now, we're drawing some still life," Hazel said. "As you can see why the bowl of plastic fruit, I'm sketching that."

"Oh," I said. I looked at her sketch and my eyes widened. "Oh my God, you're so talented!" I exclaimed.

Hazel blushed. "Thank you. I've been drawing since I was little." She slid me over a piece of blank paper and a pencil. "Here, you try," she said, smiling. 

I pursed my lips as I tried to sketch the outline of the bowl. "Why is this so hard?" I muttered to myself.

"So, where did you move from?" Hazel asked.

"California," I replied. 

"Wow!" Hazel exclaimed. "Why'd you move to here?"

I shrugged. "Guess my mom wanted a change of scenery, I dunno."

"Did you like it in California?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I did. I was so upset when we left."

"Do you have any friends?"

I looked up at her. "Yeah, I met a kid named Leo and he introduced me to Piper."

Hazel grinned. "You met Leo? Why, he's one of my close friends!"

I grinned back. "Really?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I could totally come sit with you guys at lunch tomorrow!"

"I'd like that," I said.

"Oh, do you mind if I bring my boyfriend Frank along, do you? I'm sure he'd like you," she said. 

"I don't mind at all," I said. "I'd like to make more friends!"

"How did you meet Leo?" Hazel asked.

I scratched the back of my neck. "Uh, well, I bumped into him trying to get into the school. I knocked him over and helped him up."

Hazel smiled. "That's nice of you."

"He's in my English class as well, so we talked a bit then, too." 

"I'm sure he's glad to have a new friend," Hazel said. "He doesn't have very many, y'know." She sounded worried; she sounded like a mother. 

"Really?" I said. "He seems like the type to stick out in a crowd."

"He does," Hazel said. "Some people just don't like that, I guess."

"I can't understand why," I said. "He seems friendly and nice and funny."

Hazel gave me a grin that I wasn't sure I liked. "Oh, tell me more." 

I chuckled. "No, no! You've heard enough!"

Hazel laughed. "Well, I'm glad he made a new friend. You seem like a pretty cool guy."

I nodded.

Then she gave me a serious look. The intensity in her golden eyes startled me. "Don't hurt him, okay? He's been through enough."

My eyes widened. "I won't hurt him!" 

Hazel's smile returned. "Okay, good."