ROAD RAGE | Jaywon

Chapter 21: f u

JUNGWON

The darkness of my room seemed to close in around me, the only light coming from the faint glow of the streetlights filtering through the curtains. I lay on my bed, staring up at the ceiling, but my mind was elsewhere. Jay's face kept flashing before my eyes, his smirk, his teasing words, images that I couldn't seem to shake off no matter how hard I tried.

I rolled over onto my side, hoping that a change in position would help clear my thoughts. The events of the day replayed in my mind like a broken record, each scene bringing with it a surge of complicated emotions. Jay's unexpected gesture of returning the Angry Bird keychain haunts me. What was he playing at? Was it just another tactic to mess with my head, or was there something more?

And then there was the night he took me home. I couldn't understand why he did it. He didn't have to. He could've left me to find my own way back, but he didn't. He lifted me onto his bike with that infuriating mix of force, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Did he think he was doing me a favor? Was he trying to make a point?

The questions stayed at me, each one more irritating than the last. Why did he take me home? Was he just showing off? Or was there a side to Jay that I hadn't seen, a side that wasn't all smirks and banter? But why would he care enough to show it to me? The more I thought about it, the less sense it made. And then, acting like nothing had happened the next day, what was that about? It was as if the whole thing was just a game to him.

I sighed heavily, frustration knotting my stomach. This wasn't like me. I prided myself on keeping a cool head, on not letting people like Jay get to me. Yet, here I was, lying awake in the middle of the night, unable to silence the thoughts within me.

The school fair is tomorrow. Tomorrow was supposed to be about showcasing our hard work, about coming together as a community. Instead, I found myself preoccupied with Angry bird.

I glanced at the clock beside my bed. It was well past midnight, and sleep continued to escape me. My thoughts drifted back to Jay's face, his piercing gaze that seemed to see right through me. There was something unsettling about the way he could get under my skin with just a few words, as if he knew exactly how to piss me.

I rubbed my eyes wearily, feeling the weight of exhaustion settling in. Tomorrow was going to be a long day, and I needed to get some rest. Closing my eyes, I tried to focus on slowing my breathing, on letting go of the tangled mess of thoughts that kept me awake.

With a frustrated groan, I tossed and turned in bed, trying to find a comfortable position. Sleep seemed like a distant luxury, teasingly out of reach. I knew I needed rest for tomorrow's fair, but my mind refused to cooperate.

Eventually, exhaustion took its toll, and I drifted into a sleep filled with restless dreams. Jay's presence lingered even in my subconscious, a constant reminder of the unresolved tension between us.

I woke up to the blaring sound of my alarm, feeling the effects of last night's restless sleep. A mild headache throbbed at my temples, a lingering reminder of the overthinking and tension that had kept me awake. With a groan, I rubbed my eyes and forced myself out of bed. Today was the school fair, and there were no classes, which meant I needed to get to the booth early for final preparations.

Stumbling into the bathroom, I splashed cold water on my face, hoping it would jolt me awake. As I brushed my teeth, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had settled in my chest.