Omens (wattys2016)

Seventeen.

I stare blankly at the black board, scribbling down today's assignments and struggling to figure out how I can going to get all of this done and manage to work my shifts at the cafe. I am successfully doing neither of them. There is so much on my mind lately I feel as if my brain could explode at any moment. On the plus side, there have been no more episodes of me turning into a human taser, so there's that.

Daphne pokes me with the tip of her pen and I realize I have been zoning out again. I really need to pull myself together. The last thing I need this week is to space out during class and have a email sent to Dr. Hughes about my "in class behavior." Last time that happened she had spent most of our session trying to convince me that I should go on something to help me focus better. The thought of having to take anymore pills in my life is enough to snap my back into reality.

"What's wrong?" she asks, leaning out of her desk and halfway in the isle. I shrug my shoulders and yawn in response. I am exhausted, but that's not the actual issue. I just don't know if I can manage to come up with another lie today. She has been barraging me with questions about Jackson and whether or not I have any plans to see him again since the beginning of the week and each time I've had to find a new creative way to change the subject. Lies and half-truth have been the only things to spill from my lips this week. The whole thing sucks seeing as this is the one time that Daphne and her vast knowledge of men would be useful.

Jackson was gone by the time I woke up, a trend that had been developing for the last four days, every since he had so quickly stopped our make out session from going any further. He had tried to bring it up a few times and I had been quick to shut him down. I didn't need to hear his excuses to know why he had stopped. I would not give him the pleasure of trying to make himself feel better by apologizing for allowing it to go that far. Every night he would sneak into my room, opting to sleep on the floor rather than the bed and every morning he would be gone before the sun came up. I guess his babysitting duties didn't extend into the daytime. At least I had a few hours of peace each day before the awkward silence we spent most of our time in.

The bell rang signaling the beginning of class and Ms. Hall bounced into the room, overly peppy and wearing one of her signature fruit-themed sweater vests. She couldn't have been older than thirty and I could not for the life of me figure out why she insisted on dressing like a middle-aged PTA mom. Then again, I wear the same black hoodie on a daily basis, so who am I to judge?

"Class," she announces, "I'd like to introduce you to our newest student." She motions to the opening door. I almost all out of my seat when Jackson saunters into the room. Compared to the sub-par guys that fill the room, he looks like a god among men. He stands confidently next to Ms. Hall, dressed in well-fitting jeans and a long black thermal. Whispers erupt through the room as the girls in my class get a good look at the good looking guy. I hear Daphne gasp loudly, followed by a giggle.

"This is Jackson Amare and I expect you all the make him feel welcome here. He and his brother moved here a few months ago from Washington. Jackson, you may take the empty seat next to Ms. Vita." She motions towards me. I grip the edges of my desks, knuckles turning white from the pressures.

"Oh my god," Daphne mouths when I shoot her a 'save me' look. She gives Jackson a friendly wave as he makes his way down the isle. He has the attention of every girl in this class as he slides into the seat next to me.

I refuse to glance over, even though I can clearly feel him staring at me. This is the last thing I expected to happen today. I chew on my fingernail, hoping he won't give out any hints that I have seen him more than just that day at dinner. Daphne might actually kill me if she found out I had been hiding that information from her.