Who are you Jill Smith?

Chapter 3

I've been teasing Jill Smith for about a week now, and believe me, I've been having the time of my life. I love seeing that jealous look of her face whenever I get too close with my buddy Finn. The way I could get close to him while she couldn't even take two steps towards him. 

The most satisfying feeling is when Jill would make this irritated look whenever I get in her way. Sometimes, I would go as far as bulling her, she wouldn't look at anything else but me. She would even accidentally hit herself with something because her attention would be too glued focus on me.

"Hey Justin, did you finish the project on our math class? The one you need to interview two students in every level in campus?" Finn asked.

"Yeah, I finished that weeks ago." I answered.

"Oh yeah, I completely forgot how easy it is for you." Finn winced a look. "Every girl in campus came right at you the moment they found out about that project."

It came out as a tease rather than a compliment.

"You must be enjoying the popularity, huh." he added. 

I winced at the thought.

I've always been aware of the wanted attention I get from the people around me—always receiving unsolicited kindness from people, always receiving special treatments and being acknowledged more than others. I learned from a very young age that people would always have that switch with me. From having a regular mood to having their eyes dilated, their voice would have that change of tone and their body language would either soften or tense up. In my brain I called it The Switch. I personally find it ridiculous that I even named it but it just happens so regularly that it just naturally registers in my head. To be honest, I don't even understand what girls really like about me. I'm a journalist, an introvert and had been known with anger management. And Finn was wrong about something; not every girl in campus wanted me. There's one girl who doesn't think of me that way. Jill Smith.

"Hey, Jill Smith a 9th grader." Finn said. I was thrown off with how sudden what was—it was the first time Finn had ever brought her up. I'm not proud of it, but a part of me held a small grudge with his last encounter with Jill, most especially how he never even brought it up with me.

"Why?" I asked him.

"Because I'm missing one more interview. One from the 9th grade." he answered.

"Dude. Why Jill?" I questioned with an attitude. "There are hundreds of kids in the 9th grade."

A part of me wished he didn't catch how defensive I sounded just now.

"I just want to. That's all."

"Why?" I pressed. "You interested in her?"

Finn pulled his head back. "No. It's not like that." I narrowed his eyes on me like he was trying to catch something, almost like he missed it the first time. "I just don't know anyone from the 9th grade much. And just a week ago, Jill and I had a conversation, so I figured why not?"

His explanation meant so little to me that I actually felt concern with how I'm turning out. I can tell I was really being an asshole in my head towards Finn.

"Ah." I replied regardless of the attitude I already thrown. "If you say so."

Finn is too much of a nice guy to notice the lack of decency I give him on the daily. He keeps his kindness at his sleeves like it's apart of him. Some days I wonder why he isn't the said popular one between us. He's kind to everyone and doesn't think twice to lend a hand to anyone who needs it. He's by far the most considerate person I have ever met and quite frankly, he isn't too bad for the eyes. I guess that's the reason why he's the only one I actually consider as a friend. He's the only person I could—I don't know if the word is accurate but—tolerant. He's the only person in the entire school that hasn't annoyed me in anyway. Well he does with his overly kind personality but other than that, he's good.