Here Comes Trouble

Chapter Seven - Friends

Selena's POV

I stumbled up the stairs and haphazardly into my room. My fingers shaking around the doorknob. I could hear my heart pounding in my ears, and feel the phantom weight of Justin's lips on my mouth.

This was never part of the plan. I was supposed to play around with him. Flirt and joke and skirt around the idea of maybe, possibly ever getting a kiss on the cheek. We weren't supposed to make out, let alone empty our hearts out to each other.

I shivered, wrapping my arms around myself, and sliding against my door. Fuck.

The thing is, I never hated Justin. In fact, I liked messing with him, and seeing his thick eyebrow tweak in irritation. I liked talking to him, and seeing the astonishment on his face, when I referenced a comic book or video game. I liked the way his sandy brown hair fell on his forehead in the morning.

I liked hanging out with him and Ryan, and even baby Zac Efron.

But classic Selena, has a ridiculous talent for ruining all the good things in my life. The last thing I wanted to do was tell him about my Dad. I never talk about him, not even to Jace or Maya.

God, fucking Jace. I don't even know where we stand. Somewhere I feel that same stirring desperation to be with him that I always feel. But, it's less intense now. Doesn't feel like a need more than a hunger.

I let out a strangled sound, and run my hands down my face. I fuck up everything I touch, it's inevitable.

----

I hop down the stairs, flannel flying and shoot Jeremy a sweet smile, that makes his forehead crease.

"What?"

"Can I hang out with some friends tonight?" I settle at the table, reaching for a bagel and ignoring Justin's stare. It feels like lead in my veins.

He hums, drinking his coffee as slowly as possible because he's a Grade A asshole, "Ryan and his pals having a get together?"

I weigh my options. I could lie like I usually do. Get Ryan to pick me up with his disarming country boy charm. That risked him finding out I was lying and grounding me to kingdom come, however. He had a stupid football game tonight, though. So the holes were easier to poke. Normally I would never tell him about my gang of misfits, seeing as they're still petty criminals. But the thought of spending a night alone with Justin, is terrifying.

"Uh, I was thinking my friends from home. There's this really cool musical festival and we all have tickets-"

"Absolutely not." He cuts me off sternly.

My mouth hangs open, eyes narrowing angrily. I was asking out of courtesy than anything else. This fucking douchebag thinks he has the right to tell me what I can and can't do? I've been on best behavior for the longest and he treats me like this?

"Are you fu-"

"We could go to the game together." Justin interrupts, swiftly, giving me a pointed look. I look back to him, slapping my hands on the table, disbelieving.

Jeremy keeps his eyes on me the entire time, bringing up the urge to jump across breakfast and rip his head off.

"Ryan asked us to go, anyway. You could bring them there." He adds, hastily. His eyes light up with a kind of desperation that sinks into my gut, and bundles under my skin. He only ever looks at me like that, and try as I might, it always rings of a promise of more. If only I would-

I want to refuse. Roll my eyes and sarcastically, harshly tell Justin to fuck off. Tell him without words that last night didn't mean anything and he would do best to remember it never would.