Things Can Change In The Blink Of An Eye.(Now in Editing)

Chapter 2:New School And New Neighbors

I walk as slowly as I can as I near the front door. I unlock it quietly and open it at a pace just above snail speed, otherwise would creak way too loud for my liking.

As I open it to a small crack, I see two men around a small couch. Well, at least one man and a boy around my age. The older man has dark brown hair and sea green eyes. He wears a black polo and some black pants. The boy however, has chocolate brown hair that is a little spiked in the front. He is wearing a plain white tee and dark jeans with black Vans. Though I can't see his eyes because his back is toward me and he is leaning over.

The boy is holding his foot up, as though it is on fire. He is hopping a little to try to keep his balance and not fall over which fails as he falls flat on his ass still gripping his foot. I hear a few choice swear words I would use in this type of situation slip from his mouth. Around this moment I realize what had caused the loud bang. The boy must have dropped the couch on his foot.

"Excuse me?" I say opening the door a bit wider, trying to avoid hitting the boy and causing anymore pain to him. "Is everything all right? I heard a loud cra...?" At the sound of my voice both man and boy turn their faces toward me.

As boy looks up at me from his spot on the ground, I get a pretty good glimpse at his face. He has the brightest blue eyes I have ever seen in my entire life and the front of his blonde hair is spiked with brown roots at the bottom of it. Could this be...? Is Troy's dream coming true?

"Sorry to bother you." The older man says with a hearty laugh "we were just carrying up this old couch when Ashton here lost his grip and dropped it on his foot."

The boy (Ashton is what the man said?) just kept holding his foot like it was on fire. Although he kept his eyes trained on me. What?! Had he not seen a human girl before in his life? Or was something showing? I look down quickly and see I'm covered up on all ends of my body. Well then.... what is so interesting about me to him then?

I extend my hand out to him which he gladly takes, lifting himself up and wrapping his arm around my shoulders. I wrap my own arm around his shoulders before leading inside my apartment to the kitchen. He hops along as we go.

"Here," I say,letting him sit at one of countertop chairs "sit here until your foot feels better, ok?" He nods before squeezing his eyes shut as he lifts his injured foot into his lap.

"Thanks." he says looking pained. Even as I start look away I feel his eyes trained on me. My defenses lift up a bit higher at this, just in case he tries to start flirting with me or something

I turn toward his father pretending I didn't see him still staring "I almost forgot to introduce myself." I stick out my hand "I'm Jasmine. Jasmine Palmieri."

He takes my hand and shakes it "Nice to meet you Mrs. Palmieri! My name is Joseph Guerin, and this is my stepson Ashton."

As soon as I stop shaking hands with Mr. Guerin, I take Ashton's hand into my own. As soon as we touch, I think I fell an electric shock run through me from our touch. But I just push the thought away with a bitter taste in my mouth. I'm just imagining it like I did with my last relationship.

"Look," I say turning back to Mr. Guerin "I hate to be abrupt but I need to take my little brothers to school in" I checked my watch " like fifteen minutes. If you would like you can sit down for a while and rest your foot but I can't help with anything until I get back."

Mr. Joseph shakes his head with amusement. "You don't need to help out with anything young lady!" He say smiling a little "You just go about doing your business and we'll be on our way. Ashton and his sister, Destiny, will be moved in by the time you come back!"

I smile, not only because they would be moved in by the time I come back and out of my house, but I finally have a girl around that I can talk to! That is, if Destiny is 17 like me.

I thank them as I rush off to the boys room to see that Troy and Brice are ready to leave with their orange and green backpacks over their shoulders. Troy was tapping his foot a little impatiently

"Took youw wong enough." He complains starting out the door but I put my hand on his back and begin to push him and Brice faster.

"C'mon! C'mon! C'mon! Lets go!" Lets go! Lets go!" I yell pushing them out the front door "We're gonna be late!"

"That's youw fault!" Brice protests but I roll my eyes and keep pushing them forward. They finally break into a run for my car, a blue 1983 Chevy Camaro, and when they reach it , they're yelling for me to hurry up and are calling me a slowpoke.

I skid to a stop at the passenger side door and put them in their seats, buckle them up, then I hop into the driver's seat and start the car. I back out of my parking space, nearly hitting a car that was about to pass me, then I begin to drive for a nerve wracking 20 minutes down the packed interstate, watching everyone on the road to make sure that I don't crash because of an idiot driver.

I turn into the school, Lincoln elementary and pull the car into a visitor parking space. I hop out of the car and unbuckle the boys, looking at my watch as I do so. We have 10 minutes to spare. Brice jumps out of the car when I finish with his carseat before going to Troy's, and he begin's to huff in impatience. I pick Troy up and carry him out of the car and head towards the entrance with Brice at my heels.

I walk them to their teacher's classroom with a swift stride past all of the other parent's and their children. Most of them are crying to their mother's, begging them not to leave them. Others rush right in with a grin on their face. Troy, confident from our talk this morning, rushes right in along with two other kids to meet his teacher. Brice, however, grips to my pant leg like there is no tomorrow.

"Bri," I ask kneeling in front of him "what's wrong dude?"

He shuffles his feet a bit shamefully "I.... I'm scawed!" He said, tears brimming his eyes. "Jazzy I'm so so scawed! What if they don't wike me? What if people waugh at me?" I wipe away the threating water works quickly from his eyes, trying to stop them but am unsuccessful as he begins to let the tears flow quietly.

"Oh no," I say pulling him into a comforting hug, his tears hitting my shoulder "Brice please don't cry! Your so much braver than this, I know you are! It'll all be ok. "

He pulls back a little and sniffs softly, looking me dead in the eye." Are you twying to twick me?" He asked me. "Because that wouldn't be nice Jazzy."

I smiled kindly and kissed his cheek. "Of course not! Have I ever lied to you?"

"Well..." He says putting on a hard thinking face with a small, mischievous grin. He crosses his arms in a teasing manner.

"I mean about these kind of things!" I say laughing and pushing him lightly. He breaks out into small giggles, showing off his adorable dimples and his light brown eyes lighting up in happiness.

He smiles wider than ever in response and shakes his head with a great big laugh.

"Then I want you to move your tush into that classroom and be the best 'you' that you can be!" I say starting to tickle him.

He laughs even harder before kissing me on the cheek. He hugs me as tight as he can, then he runs into the classroom yelling "Hey! Troy, wait up!!!"

I smile as I head back out of the school and out to my car. I start the car up and back out of the parking spot and begin to drive back down the road toward home, wondering what Ashton's sister is like and why I can't stop thinking about Ashton staring at me earlier.