The Gray Zone

CHAPTER 6

The next morning I woke up with a big ass smile on my face, feeling oddly refreshed. Apparently the smile was too wide or unusual because my mom greeted me with 

"Did you win the lottery, or what?" when I walked into the kitchen. There were already some pancakes on a plate and I took one.

 "Nope, just happy."

"Well I haven't seen you so happy since we moved here." Yes, I thought, if things like yesterday would happen again, I'd never stop smiling.

When I arrived at school I wondered what Mr. Rutherford planned to behave like today. Ignoring me? Giving me a bunch of roses? Who knows? I smiled to myself as I walked down one of the halls to my locker where Sasha would await me like almost every morning. 

"Oh god Alex, it poured yesterday! Did you get home safe?" My blond friend interrupted my unconsciousness and I looked up into a worried pair of blue eyes and thought a bit about the question. 

"Yeah, I think I can say so." and then there was this smile on my face again. 

"I should have stayed with you anyways." Sasha insisted and I almost rolled my eyes. I already had an over-protective brother; there was no need for an over-protective friend. 

Then I felt an arm placing itself around my hip, seemingly out of nowhere. When I looked up to the right I saw no other than Jesse, a toothpick hanging lose in his mouth and his eyes fixed on Sasha. "Trust me, I took care of her, bro." 

By Sasha's gaze I could tell that the "Bro" was almost enough to make him punch Jesse. I didn't felt very comfortable, but I didn't shake Jesse's arm off. It was somehow nice though. 

"And I thought about taking you out for lunch today." my driver from yesterday turned around to me and his expression changed completely. I could feel the eyes of Sasha locked on me but alone by Jesse's smile I felt my cheeks turn red. 

"That'd be great." I said quietly. His smile got wider and all the other noises and people around us weren't existing anymore. 

"Nice, what's your last period before lunch?" He asked and the smell of his cologne alone made me want to kiss him again right on the spot. 

"Ahm, French." I stumbled. 

"Okay, I'll catch you after French." Jesse's hand left slowly left my hip again and when I broke the eye contact he turned around again and walked down the hallway. I was left with a slightly frustrated looking Sasha and a date with Jesse; it was very hard for me not to smile like an idiot. 

"You are really going to get lunch with him?" My Sasha asked almost sounding betrayed. 

"I guess so." He kind of frowned but the bell rang so I had to a reason to leave.

The time passed even slower than on other days. It seemed like the lessons took forever and everything was boring as hell. The only thing that got me through was the thought of being alone with Jesse again. His presence felt somehow dangerous and safe, but most of all exciting. My grades were good so far, I did all the assignments and everything but it was just because I hadn't any reason to not do it. No one was distracting me until now.

I was glad when finally the bell rang and French was finished and as soon as I followed the stream out of the classroom I could see him leaning against the lockers and waiting for me. He wore a red and black checked flannel shirt and a white Converse tee underneath it. When I stepped closer to him he greeted me with a smile, almost the same one as earlier this day. Sweet and warm but in a smirking, confident way. It was hard to describe.