Life's Fear

Chapter Six

"No Maxine?" came the voice.

I realised, being alone and with his voice too close to my ear for my preference, that it wasn't the sheer surprise of him being behind me and talking that made me jump that time. It was his voice... just his voice. I couldn't put my finger on it if it was his tone or just how little we were acquainted and he was getting up in my personal space. I ruled it down to the latter as he continued to speak.

"Are you going to keep those pebbles? Because I know where there's a stash so I can always retrieve more if needs be."

Max had more extra curriculum sports after school today. It may have been soccer today, actually, but a part of me wished she was here so I didn't feel so intimidated on my own. It was as though I was more vulnerable now to him and he was acutely aware of that feeling I was experiencing. I tried to conceal it and keep my voice natural, but I couldn't be sure it was working when I didn't have Max as a comparison.

"I'll see," I replied simply, shutting my locker behind me.

"Walk with me," he ordered the moment I'd closed my locker.

His voice was seemingly harder than when he joked about knowing where there's a stash of pebbles to throw at my window in the future.

If I had wanted to object and plead my case, it didn't occur. My feet were already moving on their own accord before I could process the movement. I was side by side with Jason before I knew it and students were actually turning their heads to get a glimpse of what they thought would never transpire. Now they had proof it was happening, though it still felt surreal to me.

"How did you know where I live?" I asked him, blurting the question out.

I knew if I'd had time to think about whether I should ask the question or not, I would have thought myself out of it and been too much of a chicken to finally pluck up the courage to quiz him on that. The fact that I hadn't initially thought about it was concurrently surprising and beneficial now it had been said and was out there for him to answer, though I couldn't count on his response being genuine. A part of me felt as though he was about to conjure up some lie or even just embellish on the truth.

"Guesswork," he replied, shrugging aimlessly as we made our way outside.

Students were now predominantly too occupied walking to their cars so they took no notice of Jason and I walking together, though I was conscious of the proximity. An inch closer and our arms would be brushing against one another, and that was not something I would prefer to occur. This whole ordeal was already becoming a little overwhelming for me.

"I think it was more than guesswork," I remarked, an edge to my tone.

Jason kept his eyes in front of him, a trait he appeared notorious for, I'd come to discern. He said nothing else on the matter, and I didn't think he wanted to elucidate anytime soon. Deciding it was better not to leave him drowning in ire that I couldn't quell nor knew how he could placate himself, I wondered if I should say something else and alter the topic.

Was his graffiti a remedy to his anger?

"See you tomorrow," he said, nodding briskly at Jesse waiting in the car near us, eyes intently fixated on us.

I didn't get a chance to say anything else.

I knew Jesse, and inevitably I knew when he was disapproving of something. The way he held the steering wheel with his hands and the emotionless expression. Yesterday he'd been bopping away to absolutely nothing because I'd only just realised that neither the radio nor his music had been on when I got in the car. Today he was oddly immobile and said nothing until I'd buckled my seatbelt.