Atlanta And Him [BEING RE-MADE]

Six; Atlanta And Him

I was just about to protest when Jamie suddenly turned around to look at me squarely in the eye. "Would you like to walk there or take my car?" He asked, serious but there was humor deep in his eyes, and I knew he was referring to when we last walked somewhere.

Bastard.

"Look, didn't we already establish that we were strangers and it would be in our best interest that I not go to your apartment? And you can't drag me - I can just scream." I stormed, brewing inside about his stupid remark about walking.

"Fine." He sighed, exasperated with me. "But I'm still going to make sure that you eat something." Grabbing my wrist in case I wanted to make a run for it, he walked briskly down to the entrance of the school, past the office, pulling car keys out of his front pocket.

"But what about your job?" I asked looking down from guilt. "I don't want you to feel like you need to take care of me because you have to."

I ran into him when he stopped suddenly, right before the threshold of the school. Looking up at him, I found that he was halfway turned around towards me, assessing me carefully, his deep blue eyes gentle instead of smoldering. "I don't feel like you're desperate and in need of my help, if that's what you are asking me Alice." Jamie reassured me in his soft voice, a small smile playing on his lips as he spoke.

I still couldn't look up at him. "You have already done so much - you gave me back my wallet, you walked me home, took me to the hospital, dragged me to the nurse's office. I don't want you to think that I'm your responsibility."

I felt him flinch. I pretended not to notice.

Sobering up, he sighed again for the hundredth time today, running his hand through his hair. I suddenly burst out giggling, much to his amusement, as I thought of how utterly exasperating I must be to him! "What?" Jamie asked me, a crooked smile on his lips as he tilted his head to laugh at me.

I covered my hand with my mouth, clamping the soft dark brown sleeve of my jacket over my fits of laughter as I stared at him. Even where the racks of giggles hurt the left side of my rib cage, still couldn't seem to stop. "I-it's just t-that... yo-you're... so funny!" I was still laughing when I felt his hand on the non-hurt part of my forehead, feeling the subdued warmth.

"I'm glad that you find amusement in my struggles," He laughed as he started to walk out around the parking lot, more towards the street through the maze of the school's numerous stings of gates.

"W-wait, where ar-e we goin'?" I asked him breathlessly, sounding like a hopeless drunk as I walked dutifully behind him. The only part of him I could see was his broad back... I sobered quickly when I realized that I wanted to stare.

Jamie laughed once before he answered. "Starbucks. You need to eat something." He answered me without flourish, looking back at me once to wink. Whoa... he winked at me.... His wink got me to laughing again. It was... cute. Really cute... wait what? "And, it's not really that I feel responsible for you," He said quietly, interrupting and halting my silly musing.

I stopped right before the entrance of the school. The weather was calm but cold as the November breeze warfted past my chilled skin. Jamie also stopped to look back at me. "Then why? Why not just ignore me and carry on with your own life just like everyone else does?" I puzzled, watching his expression as it changed throughout my questioning. It stopped at wary.

He smiled at me, letting go of my hand. "I don't want you to feel guilty for me helping you - and was there ever a moment when you thought I was like everybody else?" He teased, taking his hand and gently ruffling my wind-blown hair.

No, this man was not like everyone else. As I looked into his Black-rimmed eyes, I could solidly confirm that.