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I walked away from him quickly again, knowing that this one aspect of my self-control was compromised, my hand smarting in the same painless way.
Hoseok was already seated when I arrived at the Spanish classroom. So was Ben Cheney. They were not the only two to note my entrance. I could hear the other students' curiosity, Jungkook's name thought alongside mine, the speculation.... Ben was the only human not thinking of Jungkook.
My presence made him bristle a little, but he wasn't antagonistic. He'd already spoken to Angela and made a date for this weekend. His reception of his invitation had been warm, and he was still riding the high. Though he was wary of my intentions, he was cognizant that I had acted as catalyst for his current happiness. As long as I stayed away from Angela, he had no problem with me. There was even a hint of gratitude, though he had no idea this was exactly the outcome I'd desired, too. He seemed a clever boy-he rose in my estimation.
Jungkook was in Gym, but as in the second half of yesterday's class, he did not participate. His eyes were far away whenever Mike Newton turned to look at him. He was obviously elsewhere in his head. Mike guessed that anything he had to say to him would be unwelcome.
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Guess I never really had a chance, he thought, half-resigned, half-sullen. How did it even happen? It was, like, overnight. Guess when Cullen wants something, it doesn't take him long to get it. The images that followed, his ideas of what I'd "gotten," were offensive. I stopped listening.
I didn't like his perspective. As though Jungkook had no will of his own. Surely, he'd been the one to choose, hadn't he? If he had ever asked me to leave him alone, I would have turned around and walked the other way. But he'd wanted me to stay, then and now.
My thoughts drifted back to check in on the Spanish classroom, and they naturally tuned in to the most familiar voice, but my mind was tangled around Jungkook as usual, so for a moment I didn't realize what I was hearing.
And then my teeth clamped together so hard that even the humans near me heard. One boy looked around for the source of the cracking sound.
