Unexpected Gem #wattys2019

Chapter 12 Part 1: Date?!

"Jean please eat lunch with us?"

"Yea~ don't you want to?"

"C'mon Jean~"

The girls sat and stood around Jean touching on him and whining his name over and over again. Jean's head throbbed everytime the high pitched voice of a girl screeched his name. He ignored all of them and kept a watchful eye out for Naomi. Tapping his desk impatiently he finally saw her walk in. Her face was swollen but he assumed she used an ice pack because it wasn't as bad as yesterday. They made eye contact and smiled at eachother before catching themselves and looking away.

Naomi walked over and stopped at Jean's desk. She began to say something but he held up a hand to stop her.

"Could you all go away?"

The girls surrounding Jean listened to him immediatly and walked away whispering swears at Naomi and bumping into her. The only reason they took the time to bother Jean was because there was a substitute that hadn't arrived yet. She frowned and rolled her eyes before coming into contact with Jean's gaze.

"Why are you looking at me that way?"

Naomi fidgeted adding more emphasis to her uncomfortable feeling under Jean's gaze.

"I didn't expect you to come to school after yesterday."

"Well... I had to return this."

She pulled his blazer from her bag and set it on his desk. She nodded as she completed her task and turned to leave before being stopped by Jeans hold. He gently held her arm and smirked.

"I never said you could leave. Today after class meet me at the cafe where we met last saturday."

"I can't."

Jean frowned and tightened his grip slightly.

"Why is that?"

"Because I have a..."

"You have a what?"

"...date."

"A DATE?!" Jean yelled making the whole class turn their heads.

Naomi scrunched her eyebrows and frowned in surprise. She tried wrenching her arm free but he wouldn't let go.

"Yes I have to go somewhere after school today. Why are you acting this way?"

"Who are you going out with? I told you you belonged to me in the beginning! And you are going out? Where are you going?"

Naomi scoffed and shook her head while sucking her teeth.

"Why is that any of your business?!" She said with attitude.

"Watch your tone. You sure are getting snappy with me but you did nothing when those guys were touching you yesterday. Maybe you wanted it."

Naomi looked at him obviously hurt by his words. Jean immediatly regretted saying them but it was too late. She had already sat in her seat and the teacher had walked in frantically. The whole time Naomi was quietly taking notes with an empty expression. The lunch bell rang and Jean went over to her.

"Naomi look I-"

She got up and walked out of the room almost like she didn't even hear or see him. Jean ran after her but lost sight of her in the crowd of people.

"Shit..."

"Jeany~!"

Emma came from within the crowd and clung to Jean. He frowned and pulled her into an empty classroom and shut the door. Emma was flushed and smiling shyly.