Adding Kisses

Chapter 2: The Unexpected Confession

My phone rings in my back pocket when I hand the 20 dollar bill to the cashier. "Hello?" I say into my phone. It's a number I don't have in my contacts. "Who is this?"

"Who the fuck do you think?" a familiar voice says. "The police?"

"What the hell, Jake?" I nearly yell into my phone and the cashier looks at me strangely. I mouth, "Sorry," to her before turning back to my number one arch rival. "How'd you get my number?"

I can see that smirk of his stretching across his lips. A sexy smirk, I must admit. I scold myself. I can't be having thoughts about how attractive Jake is, not in the store or anywhere, as a matter-of-fact.

"Hello...?" Jake says. "Are you too busy thinking about me?"

"Shut up," I reply back, a blush starting to spread across the face. The cashier hands me my change and receipt, and I head out the door. "Am not."

"Awww, is little Harpie blushing?" he says with a chuckle.

I can feel my face heating up even more. Clenching my fists, I growl, "Get the fuck away from me. You're not welcome." I slam the phone back in my pockets, ignoring the vibrating that follows. No way in hell am I forgiving him.

When I get back home, Harry is sound asleep in my room. My mother is nowhere to be seen. "Mother!" I yell as loud as I can, and I turn up empty. My chest bubbles with the anger I can never express. Doesn't she know that she can get arrested for leaving a baby alone?

I groan. Of course she does. But does she care? No. It's always no. Because she knows that I won't ever tell the police. I don't have the guts to.

I walk down to the kitchen, place the baby food in the fridge, and throw the plastic bag in the trash can before grabbing a loaf of bread. I take a big bite from it once I've spread the butter and take out my math textbook.

Math hasn't always been my strong suit, so I'm hoping to start early so I don't fall behind. Hopefully, math won't bring my average down too much. I can't help that I'm a perfectionist that will scream if I don't at least get a A average.

I scan the book for a few minutes and give up. My brain buzzes with numbers and equations I'll never understand. At least, not today. Why not just take a break?

I make sure to wash my hands before touching my computer. My laptop is the most treasured possession I have, the one that stores all my data, and I'm hoping for it to last a few years before I'll have to get a new one. I'm not exactly rich, if you haven't noticed.

I log onto FaceBook, hoping that one of my friends are online, but it's just my luck that they're all missing. Just as I'm about to shut my laptop off, a notification pops up. "Recommended people: People who you have mutual friends with," it reads. I click on it.

There's only one person on that list who is currently online__a boy, I think. I shrug and decide to strike up a conversation. I'm only friends with a few people from school, so I guess it's alright if this person and I talk, right? I mean, I wouldn't do anything not safe.

"Hey," I type. "Who are you?"

JRD is typing too, according to FaceBook. A moment later, a message sends. "Who are you?"

"I asked you first!" I reply back. When the person doesn't reply, I say, "Besides, can't you tell from my profile?"

"I'm Blake's friend," the message reads.

"Blake?"

"Yeah. He sits next to you in math."

"Oh," I type and feel the urge to say, "He's kinda cute." I chew on my nails, waiting for his response. I know I don't have a chance. I'm not like him, nowhere close, as a matter-of-fact. But a girl can dream, can't she?