innocence // jai brooks

chapter 2

I walk into school the next day looking for something. I'm not exactly sure what for though.

"Ariana!" I hear a Australian voice call from behind me. I sigh and pick up my pace.

Jai runs only faster and puts his hand on my shoulder to stop me. "Look, I know my brother was a total jerk yesterday and I should of stood up for you, but what can I say. I'm sorry"

"Jai, you don't have to pretend to be nice to me so you can hook up with me. That's not going to happen so find another girl.."

"I don't want to hook up with you," He tells me.

"You don't?"

"I mean I do. Who wouldn't? Look at you you're gorgeous. But you're the only girl who hasn't acted like a total slut when I talked to her. You're pure and I could never take that from you. I just want to be friends," He tells me.

I take in his words and close my eyes for a second. "Look, Jai. You don't know me. I'm the girl who goes unnoticed by everyone, and honestly I'm okay with being that girl. Don't waste your time on me,"

"I'm not waisting my time..." He starts, but I quickly cut him off.

"I gotta go to class, Jai. See ya around," I turn from the boy and head to my next class, Spanish.

I walk in Spanish and instinctively head towards the back row.

"Hey, Allison," I hear an accent say from beside me.

I turn to see Beau staring at me.

"It's Ariana..." I say quietly.

"Right... so I apologize about what I said yesterday. I was just jealous, you're mad hot and I want some," He winks.

I shift uncomfortably and try to ignore him.

"Andrea," Beau whispers 10 minutes into class.

"It's Ariana!"

"Right... So what do you say? You and me? After school we can come to my place?"

I try not to gag, and thankfully (for once) our teacher interrupts.

"Ms. Grande. Mr. Brooks, do we have a problem?"

The whole class turns towards us and I sink in my desk.

"No ma'am," Beau smiles.

I roll my eyes as our teacher does the same.

"Don't make me assign a seating chart," She warns. Little does she know, I would LOVE that.

~

At lunch, I go to my usual table with my friends.

"The Brooks boys are so hot! I can't get enough of them!" Erin says staring at, who I assume, are the boys. My back is turned towards them, thankfully.

"I hate them. I don't hate a lot of people, but they are #1 on my list. Especially, Beau! He's the worst," I tell the girls.

Erin shrugs.

"Um..." Casey chimes in.

"What?" I ask.

My question is answered when Jai sits next to me, separating me from Josie.

"Hey," He smiles at me.

"Jai, please don't do this..." I beg.

"Do what? I just wanted to sit next to my friend at lunch,"

"We aren't friends! How many times do I have to make it clear that I want nothing to do with you!" I say loudly. Loud enough for some people to start noticing.

"I think you made it clear this time. Sorry for bothering you..." Jai says quietly and walks back to his table.

"God, Ariana that was kind of harsh, don't you think?" Erin asks.

"No. I don't want to be his friend. He's obviously nothing but trouble," I explain.

"I know I said he's probably trouble, but, you should've given him a chance, at least," Josie tells me.

Annoyed, I leave the table and go to sit by my locker. A few minutes later, Josie approaches me at my locker.

"All I'm saying is that you of all people know what it's like to be judged instantly, so it really shocks me that you are judging this kid because of a few tattoos and piercings," Josie says.

"It's not just the "tattoos and piercings" It's that he has been to jail, not once, but twice! And his parents kicked him all the way to America... He's not someone I want to be associated with," I explain.

"You don't know what any of those kids has dealt with,"

I shrug, while silently dismissing her.

"You can't stand the idea of someone actually liking you! You're so scared of rejection that you would rather push everyone out of your life! You have to learn how to deal with rejection," Josie says.

I hear her out, but I still don't agree with her. "It's not rejection I fear, it's the idea of passion that fills everyone with 'love',"I explain.

"And why would you be afraid of passion?"

"I fear that I would love someone so passionately and they would mess it up so badly that it would break me so much that I don't think I could ever heal,"

"So you're afraid of betrayal,"

"Yes,"

"You can't truly fear betrayal, unless you've felt betrayal before,"

She's right. She's totally and 100% right. Who am I to judge Jai? "I'm going to go find him," I walk right up to his table and call out his name. His friends turned to me and each of them gave me glares. I clear my throat as I feel my face redden. I have never had this much attention on myself. "Can we talk?" I ask Jai, much quieter than I wanted.

"Talk," He states without looking up.

"Alone..."

Jai stands up without a word and walks into the hall where the lockers are. I follow him immediately ignoring everyone looking at me.

"What do you want," He growls.

"I want to apologize. I honestly don't know what I was thinking. That was so awful of me to say to you..." I say quietly.

Jai's face softens and he almost even smiles. "I just didn't expect that from you. I mean I know I like don't know you... at all, but you just seem so different I felt like you saw me as someone different then just some rebel who's been to jail," He shrugs.

"I do! I just... I don't know I guess I was scared,"

"Of what?" He asks.

"I thought maybe you were using me I don't know. Boys don't really talk to me," I explain.

"That's crazy, you're gorgeous," He says.

I blush.

"Stop blushing Grande, we're just friends," He winks.

I laugh. "Just friends," I agree.