A Boy Named Jasper {Wattpad Featured Novel}

<Jasper> A Boy Who's Scarred

                  
*TRIGGER WARNING SELF-HARM*

Chapter 7

<Jasper Coven>

Of course she'd be transferred into this class. Karma really wants to screw me over.

I glare at the back of Callie's annoyingly blond head while my government teacher gives her all of the work she needs to catch up on. I try to focus on the chapter questions in front of me, but that's impossible with Callie right there, one seat away. I drive the point of my pencil into the paper and try to think of an answer, like maybe if I multitask then thoughts of her will quit plaguing me. I don't like how she gets under my skin and how she looks at me with the same gaze as Ms. Evans, her eyes boring into me like she's trying to figure me out.

Curiosity; that's what you hate, people being interested in you. You don't want to let anyone in because the minute they figure you out, they'll run in the other direction.

I continue to push Callie out of my mind, which is quite a feat considering she's a mere foot away from me, and instead read the textbook in front of me. The words blur together in my mind and all I can hope for is that my teacher will call time and go over the answers with us.

"Hey," Callie whispers from the corner of her mouth as she turns around, pretending to look for something in her bag.

"Screw off," I say in a clipped tone as I take extra care to not make eye contact with her.

"I was just trying to be nice, Jasper." Callie mutters in a frustrated way.

Thanks for telling her my name, Ms. Abney; now she's never going to shut up.

"You're going to wear yourself out trying to get others to be nice back." I hiss as Ms. Abney finally calls time and begins to ask for the answers to the questions I haven't completed.

~~~~~

"Mom, I have to go or I'm gonna be late to my study group." I state exasperatedly as I help my mom glue a shelf back into the pantry.

"Of course, Jasper; I'm sorry, sweetie. I don't want to keep you from that." My mom smiles and kisses me on the head. "I can put everything back on while you're gone. Thanks for helping."

"Anytime, mama. Are you gonna go to bed early again?" I ask, even though I already know the answer.

"I don't want any confrontation with him tonight; he just got started on the whiskey and you know how that goes." My mom rubs her eyes, accentuating the bags underneath them.

Apparently going to bed early doesn't help much if you can't sleep...

"I'll be home as soon as I can." I promise before grabbing my bag and my car keys.

"No, Jasper." She says firmly. "This is important; I'll be fine. As long as I don't antagonize him, nothing bad will happen."

"Please be careful. Call me if things start to get worse. I'll come straight home." I reiterate and pull her into a hug.

"You're too good to me, sweetheart. Just go, I'll be fine." She smiles and pushes me towards the door. "Love you."

"I love you too." I wave and walk down the stairs to my truck.

With the sun slowly setting behind me, I slip into the front seat and turn the key in the ignition while I buckle my seat belt. I drive down the dirt road towards the little town of Everington and its public library where my study group meets. My counselor recommended the group to me after my grades began to drop in sophomore year. What she didn't understand was that my grades weren't dropping because I was stupid, they were dropping because my dad got worse.