6:30 am on a Friday. As I run a comb through my hair, heading to the kitchen for some cereal, my phone buzzes with a new message.
Unknown: hi ♥
Me: ?
Unknown: it's me ♠
A grin spreads across my face. I quickly save his number before replying.
Me: Hey, how did you get my number?
Ace ♠: I've got my ways.
Ace ♠: Heard you're running for class president. Impressive stuff!
Me: Doubt I'll win. I'm the new kid. Probably just a prank.
Ace ♠: Modest, huh? Hehe
Me: Not really.
Ace ♠: What are you up to?
Me: Having breakfast. Why?
Ace ♠: Finish up and come outside.
Me: What? Why?
Ace ♠: I'm in your driveway. Waiting for you? Hehe
I wolf down my cereal and head out, finding a stunning guy leaning against a sleek red convertible.
"What are you doing here? How'd you even find where I live?" I ask as I approach.
"I'm picking you up. Let's just say I have connections," he winks and opens the passenger door.
The ride is lively; we talk about upcoming practices and he fills me in on the team. When we pull up at school, I spot Kate and Hanna stepping out of a bright pink Volkswagen, looking every bit like life-sized Barbies.
"The Barbies have arrived," Ace nods towards them.
I smile, silently praying Kate and Hanna don't notice me getting out of Ace's car.
"Hey Hart! Sweet ride," Kate called out playfully as she approached, and yes, they'd seen us together.
"So, what's going on between you two?" Hannah asked, her curiosity piqued.
"I gave her a lift," Ace replied.
"Thanks for the ride, Ace. See you at practice," I said, waving as I practically pulled Kate and Hannah towards my locker.
"So, you and Ace?" Kate probed.
"There's nothing between Ace and me. He's just being nice," I insisted, trying to convince myself as much as them.
"What did I miss?" Charlie chimed in, eyeing me closely.
"Nothing!" I snapped just as the bell rang. Saved by the bell.
"See you later," I waved them off, feeling their eyes on me. I headed to chemistry class, hoping the rumors about Ace and me would have faded by lunchtime.
I quickly took the empty seat in chemistry and was surprised to find Jonas beside me. Sitting next to him always left me feeling a bit uneasy; he was an enigma.
"I'll look forward to seeing the finished project at our next meeting," Ms. Hastings announced just as the bell rang. Jonas stood up immediately, seemingly ready to bolt without acknowledging me. On impulse, I grabbed his wrist.
"Wait, aren't we going to discuss the project before you rush off?" I asked, a bit irritated.
"I'm in a hurry. Got a pen?" he replied. I handed him a pen, intrigued by his urgency. He quickly wrote something on my hand. Did he just write on my arm?
"Here's my number. Text me your address, and I'll swing by after practice. See ya!" he winked.
Why was he always in such a rush? It felt like he was signaling that he wasn't interested in talking to me. He was becoming annoying, but that didn't change the fact that I was more curious about him than I was about Ace.
At my locker, I began saving Jonas' number in my phone to get rid of the smudged ink on my hand when I was interrupted by someone.
"Hart!" Ace called out.
"Hey," I replied, still trying to scrub off the marker ink from my hand. Why did I give him a marker instead of a pen? My face started to flush.
"What are you doing?" Ace asked, looking curious.
"Your best friend decided to turn my arm into his personal notepad!" I said, dripping with sarcasm.
"Jonas?"
"Do you have another best friend I should know about?" I shot him a sidelong glance, tinged with annoyance.
"He's a good guy, you know. Just can't resist being a bit of a jerk sometimes," he chuckled. I rolled my eyes and continued trying to remove the stubborn ink.
"So, what did he write? Here, let me help," Ace said, taking my arm and the cotton ball, trying to wipe away the remaining ink.
"His number," I said flatly.
"His number? Why? Are you two texting now?" Ace's voice held a touch of hurt.
"We have a chemistry project due next week. He said he was in a rush to discuss it, so he wrote his number on my arm instead," I explained, conveniently leaving out the part where he invited himself over later.
"Don't worry, he takes his studies seriously. You'll be fine with the project," Ace reassured me.
"There, it's gone," he said, smiling proudly at his handiwork.
"Wow, thanks!"
"I've had plenty of practice removing ink from my skin," he chuckled.
"What do you mean?"
"The guy loves doodling on people... I swear, one day he'll become a tattoo artist," Ace said.
"Oh..."
Later that afternoon, I found myself missing my friends, who were all caught up in their squad practices. Feeling a tug of nostalgia, I decided to drop by the gym to see how they were doing. The familiar atmosphere of the gym almost brought tears to my eyes. Not wanting to get emotional, I quickly left and headed home.
With Mom away on a business trip, I figured I'd just order dinner later. I tidied up my bedroom to make it presentable, wondering when Jonas would show up. He hadn't even bothered to respond to my earlier text to confirm his visit. Just then, my phone beeped.
Jonas: Hey, I'm here.
Me: Be right there.
"Hey... I was starting to think you'd stood me up," I said when I opened the door.
"I'm a man of my word, Prescott," he replied. "So, can I come in?"
"Of course... Let's head up to my room."
"Wow, you're pretty quick, aren't you? I guess you're not as shy as you seem," he remarked with a hint of arrogance.
"Don't jump to conclusions, Jonas. Keep your mind out of the gutter!" I snapped.
"Yes, Ma'am!" he said, mocking me with a salute.
YOU ARE READING
My JanSport Dude
Teen Fiction"I just want to go someplace where no one knows my me." Just like that, my wish has been granted. My mom and I will move to a new place, I had to leave my former school, being a cheer captain is no longer for me. I can finally run away from my pos...
