Leading To Love

Chapter 2

"What the hell?" Jan found herself muttering into her phone.

"Hey, don't take your anger out on me, I'm just the bearer of the news." Beth said into her phone. Jan felt her hands clench into tight fists.

"He can't stop Countdown." Jan said. Beth made an 'um' sound.

"Technically he can as he's the one who started it. He simply said it. And it was off."

"We'll see about that." Jan said through gritted teeth.

"Jan just let it go. Serena's gonna go on her own at this rate, don't interfere. Plus Nolan is higher up the food chain, you get? I'm begging you Jan, don't do anything."

Jan hung up on her.  Usually, First Class that were richer than her never interfered in her business. So this stupid Nolan guy couldn't just pop out of nowhere. Jan threw her phone into her bag. Stepping out of her Audi, Jan glanced around the First Class parking looking for him.

A voice came from behind her. "I assume you must be looking for me." Jan whirled around to face Nolan. She found herself scowling when she tried to smile. And she had to say, she tried really really hard. 

"Don't bother. You look constipated." His reply made her glare, he cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, that was a joke, a bad one I'll admit. I actually came here to apologize about canceling countdown, but, it's gotten pretty out of hand." He was smiling so someone facing him couldn't say they were having anything but a pleasant conversation. But anyone facing her would see she was seconds away from killing him.

"You had no right to interfere, that's the rule about Countdown-"

He cut her off, holding up his hand. Jan was horrified she kept quiet, she tried to open her mouth but her brain refused to comply.

"What rules? Who made them? I started Countdown, but the intention was never to post nudes about someone, or make someone leave school. Countdown began as a dare between people of the same class, not a euphemism for oppression." He cocked his head to the left, letting his blue-black hair partially cover his gray eyes.

He made it sound like she had done everything personally, she didn't bother with stuff like that, just began the torment and let the Second Class deal with the dirty work.

"But what I say still stands, Countdown is off. This isn't what I want people to say I started. And that's final." His tone made it obvious that he was serious and Jan huffed as he said a quick 'Bye' and walked away to some random idiot who'd called his name.

Taking moments to calm herself down, Jan waited before walking into school.

There were four doors to enter Caxton, manned by several security guards. The North was used by the First Class to enter and the South to exit. The East for Second Class to enter and exit and the West for Third Class.

She unknowingly stormed through the West.

***

"Jan!"

Jan didn't know if people were dumb, or they just decided to be annoying. Deciding she couldn't take the bugging anymore, she whirled around to face Dianne, a glare on her face. "What?" She asked harshly, her eyes narrowed to slits.

"Why were you ignoring me?" Dianne asked, her pearly white teeth flashing brightly. Meaning that Di knew she was annoying her but didn't mind, for that, Jan felt like she could've slapped her right then.

But before she could answer Dianne, something hit her hard on the head, the pain was sharp, successfully distracting her. Her grip on her desk tightened, her knuckles turning white. Slowly she turned, but everyone was looking at her with their mouths open.