Jasper and Poison

Four

What the actual hell is my life right now.  Literally the worst first day of school in human history.  

Miss Tyler gestured to the two empty desks at the back of the classroom, "You two can take a seat over there and begin discussion." Miss Tyler had already filled Jasper in on the assignment.  We were given a sheet of paper to fill out.  It had simple things on it like number of siblings, parents marital status, date of birth, that sort of thing.  Looking at the sheet, it looked like something you filled out at the doctors office.  I bet my dad had looked through thousands.

I look my seat as Jasper easily slid into the one beside me, "Aren't you lucky to have been partnered with me?"

I shorted, cute I know.  "What are you talking about? 'Lucky' wouldn't be a word I would use to describe this situation."

He raised one dark eyebrow, "Look around you, half of the girls in this class would be dying to be in your shoes right now."

I pretended to write on the sheet of paper, "Cocky, arrogant, self-absorbed, and egotistical.  Am I missing anything?"

Another cocky smile, "You forgot devilishly handsome, amazingly sexy, incredibly smooth."

"You're about as smooth as sandpaper.  Can we just get on with the project now please?"

He held up his hands in surrender, "Whatever you say Poison.  I'll go first. Where do you work?"

I narrowed my eyes.  Either he has taken one too many punches to the head or he is trying to annoy me.  "You know where I work."

"Just making sure our last encounter didn't make you quit out of fear."

I rolled my eyes, "My turn.  How many siblings do you have?"

"I have a 14 year old brother. His name is Josh."

I wrote that down and then moved on. "Pets?"

"None."

"Interesting.."

He laughed again, "Why is that interesting?"

I shrugged, "Oh nothing, I just expected you to have a pit bull or a rottweiler."

"I actually had a hamster as a child.  His name was Hammy."

I wrote that down too, not that it was important. 

He picked up the sheet, looking through the questions.  "50 more to go.  Do you have any siblings?"

I shook me head, "Nope, I'm actually an only child."

I saw him scribble that down and then he moved on, "How about your parents?"

I swallowed hard. "What about them?"

He continued, completely oblivious, "Are they married?"

How do I answer that one? "Um yeah, I guess so."

His nose and forehead wrinkled in confusion, "What do you mean 'I guess so'?"

I felt the tears burning my eyes for the second time today.  Why was this so hard? I didn't want to tell him and then for the rest of class to be awkward.  I wish nobody knew.  I wish everything about this day could just be normal.  

I decided to just avoid it. "Yes they are married."

Seeming satisfied with my answer he asked, "What are there names?"

Why couldn't he let it go? "My moms name was Adeline and my dads name was Eric."

Understanding crossed his features and he got that look that everyone gets when you tell them your parents are dead, pity. "I, um, I'm so sorry."

"Don't be."

Most people just change the subject awkwardly. Not Jasper though, "How long ago?"

"They passed away at the end of last July."

"How did it happen?"

He really doesn't quit.  "They died in a car crash.  I was driving." I said, looking straight ahead and trying not to completely loose it.

We didn't speak for a moment.  I think what I had just said hung around us like thick fog for a moment. He broke the silence, "What were they like?"

I smiled thinking about them, "They were amazing.  They loved each other.  They didn't just love each other though, they were in love with each other. They were the best parents a kid could ask for.  They supported me unconditionally.  My dad was a doctor and my mom was a lawyer.  We used to have family dinners all the time." I paused for a moment, "I miss it." It kind of felt good to talk about them.  Not just having someone mention their names accidentally but actually talking about them.  Whenever I try to talk about them to Piper or Emerson they get all awkward and they don't know what to say.  I don't blame them though, I barley know what to say.  Its actually oddly easier to talk to Jasper about them, a guy I barley know.  

I think it's because I don't really know him though.  I'm not worried about putting up a front or acting how I 'should' act.  I can feel how I want and say what I want because I don't care what he thinks about it.

"Do you live with your aunt then?" He continued.

"I live with both my aunt and my uncle actually."

He nodded, "Do you like living with them?"

I smiled, "I do but it feels wrong to say that I 'like' living with them. They are the best backup plan a kid could ask for though."  I decided to change the subject, "How about your parents?"

His eyebrows knitted together, "My dad left when I was 6. It's been just my mom on her own since then."

"That must be really tough for your family."  I refrained from writing things down, it just felt wrong. "Have you spoken to him since?"

He made eye contact with me, "No."

"Whats your mothers name?"

He smiled at the mention of her, "Her name is Jennifer." 

I wrote it down on the sheet.

"I know there's a spot on there for my fathers name so you can put down Dick as in Richard." I glanced up at him, he was smirking.

"Is that really his name?" I already knew it wasn't.

"No, but Dick is much more fitting, don't you think?"

In my opinion, not that it matters, but any man who would up and leave his wife and two young children was most certainly a dick. I sighed as I wrote his 'name' down.

The bell rang loudly, signalling the end of class. Miss Tyler stood beside the door, "Good job today everyone.  I'm expecting great things from you all.  Please make every effort to complete all questions by tomorrows class.  You and your partner must work together on this project or else major marks will be deducted.  Have a nice day everyone."

I threw my books in my bag, zipping it closed. "Can I get your number?"

He flashed me his perfect white teeth, "I knew you wanted me."

"For the project Jasper, get with it." I said while snapping my fingers at him. 

"Whatever you say Poison." He laughed, swinging his bag over his left shoulder as he walked away from me.

"Hey!" I called after him, "I didn't get your number!"

"You sound like every girl I've ever been with." And with that witty comment, he was out the door.

Furious, I stormed after him.  I walked into the hallway but he escaped through the sea of students.