THRUST

Chapter Twenty

When it's dark out, Alice and Ang drop me off and I rush inside, peeling my clothes off, searching for a more comfortable choice. I throw on a hoodie, some soft shorts, my high tops, and I quickly slide out through the back.

Hopes of seeing Briggs tonight send little flutters through my belly as I walk through the backyard.

Touching the velvet irises as I pass, I come to the pine fence. The redwoods and pines tower above me as I push open the creaking gate. I follow the stepping stones through the mulch and pad down the trail that leads me to the familiar home so similar to my own.

This has become my normal routine. I hate sleeping at my house alone, so lately I've been making the trek to hers instead.

I don't knock, I walk right in, and Jess is already there, expecting me.

Excited to see me, she jumps up, pulling me into a hug and drags me by my wrist into the living room. She's talking fast, making excited hand gestures and she goes through animated faces while telling me how Seth came over with Briggs earlier.

Her light brown hair looks pretty tonight, it's styled and shiny and her smoky blue eyes dance with wonder as she talks.

"Bella. Have you seen how hot he is? How did I never notice him?" Her eyes are big and her smile is wide.

She's amped on him... major.

And Seth is cute, I'll give her that. He looks a lot like Jake, except younger. Tall and lean, with a sweet face, a polarizing smile and dresses like a modern day greaser from the fifties- like he's cooler than anyone else on the block.

"When they came in, Seth just stood there, staring at me with a smile on his face, while Briggs went upstairs. I didn't even know what to do with myself!" She bounces up and down in her seat as she finishes.

I laugh at her, "So what did you do?"

"I said hi to him and smiled. I didn't know what to say."

"Okay, then what?"

"Then he walked over to where I was sitting and sat beside me, calling up to Briggs, asking him where he'd been hiding this beauty."

"Reminds me of someone."

"Who?"

"Jake." I say to her, smirking at her with a look that says, I told ya so. "They all seem to have that easy confidence about them."

"I don't think Seth is anything like Jake."

"How do you know, Jess? Do you even actually know him? Or just the stories you've heard of him? Sometimes, I feel like he gets a bad wrap. The only Jake I know is a sweet, kind hearted guy."

"I don't know. I mean, yeah. I've heard stories, and I guess you're right. That's all I know. But back to Seth, we're talking about Seth."

She's electric right now. But this is how Jess gets about any guy she likes. She's one of those that falls fast and hard, which always makes me skeptical, but I don't let on that I feel that way. Why spoil someone's fun with a shitty attitude.

She continues on, how Seth took her hand and rubbed his fingers over hers when he introduced himself. I listen on as I think about how shocked I am that she's stooping to my level of interests. She's been on some next-level judgery towards me lately, so this new attraction comes as quite the surprise.

Sometimes, I can tell by her tone, that it bothers her when I hang with Alice and Angela so much. And Rose? I think Jess hates her. She's never liked how close Briggs is to his inked crew either.