Broken Locks

Promises Part 2

Haha, hope I got you guys, I just wanted to shake things up a little, and yes that was an unusually short chapter compared to my recent 1700 word range, the last one was only about 800 words like my first few chapters in this book. As for why it was so short, you'll soon see why. So get ready you guys! Here comes a treat ;)

  ⌬⌬⌬⌬⌬⌬⌬⌬⌬⌬Jack's POV⌬⌬⌬⌬⌬⌬⌬⌬⌬⌬  

I let her in a little bit last night, and she saw a side of me that not even the team has seen, I don't know why I had let her in, but I don't think it was really so bad a choice. I mean, we made some sort of a connection, we could actually relate to one another. She didn't show me pity and actually listened to me, even when all my walls came tumbling down.

I thought for sure she'd be awkward about it in the morning or tease me, but she didn't even bring it up. Instead, she compromised and wore dark clothes acceptable to the dress code.

Then when she got quiet and questioned me about if we had a chance of getting caught, I did what she had done for me last night, I gave her a promise and comforted her. It was the least I could do since she had been there for me when I needed it. 

I didn't make a false promise either, we wouldn't get caught, I wouldn't allow that to happen, especially to her. She had a normal life, but all that normalcy has been taken away from her. She deserves to have her old life back after we leave, if she gets caught, she won't ever get that.

We got to school and a storm of gossip kicked up when they saw we arrived together, and that she was dressed differently.

"This has to be hard on her, she has all this attention on her now." Sean spoke when we were at our lockers. 

I had looked over to Vivianna across the hall at her locker. Her back had been tensed, her head slightly ducked, her hands busying themselves as if she wasn't listening, but the look on her face said she had heard everything, and it was making her very uncomfortable.

She closes her locker and scurries off like a dog that's been hit. I don't particularly like that her boldness has been stripped from her so easily, and just because people are talking about her at that. I feel a twinge of something in my soul, something hot and firey.

I look away and respond. "She doesn't seem to be doing very well." I put my hands in my pockets and look down.

"You don't seem all too well either," Alex says looking up from his phone and actually putting it away. He eyes me "Your hands are in your pockets, you won't make eye contact with anyone, what's up with you man?"

"Yeah, you look uncomfortable too." Sean moves to block everyone's view of me. 

"I don't feel comfortable, people are saying we're a thing when we're not, Vee didn't want this to happen and she's been forced into this team." I pause. "She got upset this morning, she was worried we would get caught, we really gotta pull this off guys, if we get caught, Vee can't ever have a normal life again."

Sean nodded, seeing what had me so riled up. "Okay, I see that, but there's something else you're not saying."

"I don't know what you're talking about." I shake my head. 

"Communication is everything, remember?" Alex pushes me harder to tell them.

"Seriously guys, there isn't anything more to tell, so let's drop it okay?" I spin close my locker and head down the hall leaving them behind. The bell ringing for us to head to our classes.

The boys had caught up with me and we sat in our usual seats, Vivianna wasn't in class yet. Five minutes into class, she bursts through the door and apologizes to the teacher. Heading to the back of the class where we're sitting, she immediately relaxes. 

I look she turns around shortly after the teacher announced that she wanted us to do pretty much whatever assignments needed to be done. In other words, she didn't want to teach today.

"This is so not cool... people are hating on me now. I don't like all this attention." She shifts in her seat.

"Where's the sarcastic bold Vivianna we've encountered over the weekend?" Sean asks her teasingly. 

"Well, it'd be okay if Mari was here. She's always been my comfort in these awkward situations." She kinda says quietly, her eyes glistening a little before she smiles.

"You know, we could visit her after school if you want?" I say boldly, throwing not just the boys off guard but me as well. Why in the world did I just say that? We have training to do.

Her eyes light up and my regret quickly diminishes. "Really?"

"Yeah, a quick trip though, we've got more training planned today."

"Again, I'm still sore from last time, and bruised, that's also a concern." She says scrunching her nose up.

Alex pipes up. "That is why I stick to my phone."

Vee looks around nervously, no doubt still hearing the whispers and gossip. "Would you feel better if at least one of us stuck with you throughout the day?"

She mulls the thought over. "Well, I do have at least one of you in every class after this... that would actually make me feel somewhat better." She looks at Alex who's once again glued to his phone. "Alex has to be off his phone though, at least when he's taking his turn."

Alex's eyes snap up at that statement and looks over to me. "Please say no."

"Yeah, he can do that." I look at Vee who's pretty much dying of silent-held-in laughter.

After she calms down she speaks. "It's the shortest class we have Alex, I think you can survive 30 minutes."

♔ ♕ ♚ ♛♔ ♕ ♚ ♛♔ ♕ ♚ ♛

Sorry again for the mean prank I pulled. I will be combining these two parts at one point or another, maybe when I really do finish the book. 

I do hope you'll forgive me!

But for now.... let's all hit that little golden star, let's type something into the comments section, hit the share button, and let's all hit that winning follow button!!

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Love you all,

Julia Cooper