Not What it Seems

Chapter Twenty Five

~Cash~

I saw her walk into the cafeteria with Alex by her side, and I smiled.

There was nothing more embarrassing than singing What Makes You Beautiful by One Direction on stage in front of all your classmates, but I guess that was the price of love. It didn't matter what any of them thought. It only mattered how Jane saw me, and I hoped she knew that.

Everyone was laughing and hooting and hollering at me, and I saw Clarissa out of the corner of my eye, giggling like the song was for her, which I'm sure everyone thought it was. But Jane and Alex clearly knew it wasn't. Jane was crying, and I wanted nothing more than to wipe her tears away. Then, I remembered that nothing was stopping me anymore. I had decided to be my own person, and I needed to put that in action.

I got off the stage, my eyes set on her. "Baby you light up my world like nobody else," I sang, ignoring the mocking laughter of my friends. I could see Chris somewhere in the back, glaring at me, maybe even giving me one last undeserved chance, but I didn't want it. I reached Jane finally, cupping my free palm around her cheek, and when it became apparent that Jane was the one I was singing to, the laughter stopped and was replaced with total silence.

I finished up the song despite the silence, and when the last chords faded out I kissed Jane slowly on the lips.

~Jane~

Cash. Cash was kissing me. Cash had just sung to me. In front of the entire Junior class.

My thoughts were incoherent and scattered, trying to piece themselves together but failing miserably.

I wrapped my arms around Cash's neck, and, somehow, Alex took the microphone from him. Cash's arms wrapped around me completely, pulling me tight against him, and I smiled into the kiss. When he pulled away, there was nothing but love in his eyes.

"I'm sorry," he rasped quietly, although I was sure everyone could hear him through the silence. "I don't care what anyone thinks of me but you. I was so stupid, Jane, to think my reputation mattered so much. I-I want to be who I am. I want you to love me for me, and I don't want to be two separate people. I love you so, so, so much, Jane. And I'm such a fuck-up for not realizing how much I did."

I stared at him a moment, the suspense heightening until I grinned at him.

"You're an idiot," I said, laughing, and he looked at me hopefully. "But you're my idiot."

There was still so much left unresolved, but it didn't really matter. Cash had finally made a decision, and I wasn't bothered by what anyone else thought.

He pressed his mouth to mine, and there was some clapping around the cafeteria. It wasn't like those cliche movies where everyone suddenly accepts that the geek and the jock love each other. It was more of a few people, regardless of their status, taking this lone opportunity to support the two of us. It was more than just Cash proving that he loved me. It was about giving everyone an opening to be different if they wanted to.

Alex grinned at me over Cash's shoulder and we walked out of the cafeteria together, ignoring the stares of our peers.

Because truthfully, it didn't matter what they thought. It didn't matter what anyone thought of us but us. And I loved Cash. That was all there was to it.

Sometimes, things weren't as they appeared. You could look like a geek and really be a jock. You could look like you were rich, and really be poor. But that's the thing about letting others judge you. They don't know you. They'll never know the full story, and until they do, whatever they think doesn't matter. Because nothing is really what it seems.