Brown Eyed Boy

Tense (Jessie POV)

The night of the first football game and homecoming dance had everyone in a jumble of nerves. Every time Carlos looked at me or smiled, the word date floated across my mind and I couldn’t help but feel a ball of dread in my stomach. It wasn’t that I thought I was going to screw up but I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was going to happen. The feeling seemed to escalate more during lab class.

The furious tension that came off of Jared after the fight was almost tangible. It always seemed even more so in those fifty minutes he was forced to work across from Carlos. The most tension I had seen from Carlos was a tightening in his jaw when Jared irritated him in some way. But it never seemed to last long because the second he looked at me and realized I was watching, all the tension disappeared and he would smile.

During this lab class, they both seemed a bit more tense than usual and I guessed it was because of the first game. Carlos and Nicole worked on their lab together, speaking back and forth freely as Jared spit numbers at me to do calculations. Not wanting to deal further with his bad mood, I kept my head low down to my book and worked furiously on the calculations. A shadow came over my book and I thought it was Jared leaning over to check my work, but when I looked up my face was only inches from Carlos’. “Hey, do you know how to calculate number three?” he asked oblivious to how close we were.

“Um,” I said straightening up so that he was still leaned over the table divider but there was space between us. “Subtract two from one then times it by point five.”

“Really?” he said looking down at his own book. “Huh. They make it sound so much more complicated. Thanks.” He smiled brightly at me and for some reason it momentarily stunned me.

“No problem,” I answered after a pause.

“Yes problem,” Jared said flatly from next to me. “He has his own partner, let him ask her.” Carlos glared at Jared, prepared to respond but I reached out to his arm and shook my head when he looked at me. He sighed but quietly nodded.

“Hands on your pen and calculator,” Jared said through gritted teeth. “This is chemistry lab not relations.” Carlos narrowed his eyes at Jared in a thoughtful way and then looked at me, making me feel guilty instantly, though I didn’t know what for.

“So,” Nicole said obviously trying to break through the angry tension. “Are you guys ready for the game tonight?”

“Ready as I can be,” Carlos said, still looking at me.

“Yeah well let’s hope that’s good enough,” Jared said fiercely. “First game sets the tone for the season. If you don’t feel completely focused I’ll be willing to step in.”

“I’m sure you would,” Carlos turned his gaze on him.

“Okay then,” Nicole laughed nervously. “Well you both are obviously fired up for the game. Maybe you could, you know, save the testosterone for the field, yeah?” Both guys glared at each other and I groaned causing Carlos to turn to me.

“What?” he asked. I just stared at him and I guess he saw something on my face because he shook his head and looked away.

Nicole looked between us in confusion and said, “Right. Um… Oh hey, where are you guys sitting during the dance? Maybe you two, my date and I and Emmett and his date could sit together. Kind of like a triple date thing.” She smiled at me and Carlos, completely forgetting Jared until there was a clinking sound of a beaker hitting the table and Carlos’ eyes widened before reaching out and pulling me to the side.

“Carlos, what are you…” I started before I looked over at where I had been standing and watched as a liquid made its way to my book and burned through a piece of paper on its way; acid. I threw an angry look at Jared who stood on the other side of the counter with a look of shock. He dragged his eyes up from the acid spill to look at me and for a second I thought I saw betrayal in his eyes, but then anger filled them and I couldn’t see it anymore.

“Are you okay?” Carlos asked, urgently looking me over and turning my hands in his to check for any burns.

“I’m fine,” I answered.

“Are you sure?” he asked, meeting my eyes with his worried ones.

“Positive,” I smiled. “You pulled me out before anything touched me. Thanks.”

“Of course,” he smiled. “Anytime.” Then he turned to Jared and all traces of that smile were gone. “What the hell?”

“What?” Jared asked flatly.

“What?” Carlos repeated. “You just spilled acid in her direction. Don’t give me what.”

Jared blinked in silence and then his face grew dark. “You think I did it on purpose?” he said angrily.

“I don’t think it, I know it,” Carlos responded.

“Well then it just proves you’re an idiot and don’t know anything,” Jared said angrily. “It was an accident. Accidents do happen you know.” A chill ran up my spine at his words and the look on his face told me that he wasn’t just talking about in the lab.