Love Happens (Stopped)

Five

Jennifer:

How on earth was I supposed to face anyone after that? That was just about the most embarrassing moment of my entire life. This is the type of shit that happens when you invite a boy over to your house. This would never happen again. 

My mother knocked persistently on the door as I rummaged through my wardrobe looking for something to wear. I decided on sweatpants and an over-sized t-shirt. I couldn't even bare to look at my skin after that. My mom continued to knock even though I wouldn't open the door. She made several attempts to open it but I had locked myself inside.

''Jenny honey, please let me in," her voice sounded from behind the door.

''Is he gone?''

''No, he's in the living room waiting for you. He said something about a school project?''

She wasn't addressing the fall. I knew what she was trying to do. She was trying to be nonchalant about all of this, pretending like it didn't really matter. But it did. I didn't respond. I began packing back all the clothes I'd taken out of my wardrobe when I was looking for something to wear. My mother continued knocking.

''Do you want me to bust this door down?'' her voice had lost its softness now, she was losing patience. I was going to cave in at some point anyway, why not now. Reluctantly, I walked over to the door, unlocked it and pushed it open. Seconds later, my mother stepped in. Her face displayed worry. She sat down on the edge of my bed and I followed suit. 

''Why are you being like this?'' she asked.

''Like what?''

''You've never shut me, or anyone for that matter, out of your room. Is it because of what happened out there?''

'I think that's obvious mom', I snarl. She frowns at me, deepening the lines on her face. She kept staring at me and I found myself wishing I had the gift of mind reading so I could figure out what was going through that motherly head of hers. She was probably feeling sorry for her 'baby', and knowing there was pity behind that frown only made me feel worse. There was momentary silence.

'I know you're feeling embarrassed right now, but it's really nothing sweety. He probably didn't even see you'.

'That's a lie and you know it mom', my voice is high and agitated. I know I shouldn't be taking out my anger on her but I just can't help it. My face flushed red for a moment as I relived the fall in my head. 'Oh gosh, he's probably going to tell all his friends about this. I'll go from being invisible to being the laughing stock of the entire school'.

 I stood up and began pacing as my mother watched. I couldn't stop thinking of the horror school would be on Monday. Heck, maybe Jason was texting his friends right now and they'd all show up on my front porch so that the hell could start early. I was just thankful that Jason hadn't got the chance to take a picture of me. I would have died. 

'That may be but it still doesn't change the fact that he's still in that room waiting for you. He looked genuinely concerned when I told him you'd locked yourself in here...' she trailed off. 

Again, I didn't know what she was thinking but she probably already had a very high opinion of him just because of that. I clicked my tongue. 

'Alright, what about the project? Are you just going to forget about it and start failing in your first week of school. I don't approve of that', mother said sternly. I knew that once she got like this it was very difficult to wiggle out of doing anything. She'd played the sympathetic card first but that wasn't getting her anywhere, so bad cop it was. I sulked.

'Fine, I'll go'. She smiled at me victoriously. She always seemed to enjoy winning our little spats, is that what all parents do?

Jason:

I kinda started to regret not taking up Mrs Walsh on her drink offer, I was parched. I couldn't tell if it was because of the warmth or nerves. What reason did Jennifer possibly have for locking herself away? Was she really that embarrassed? I thought back to the moment when her smoking hot bod crashed onto the fall. It certainly made my day, I suppose it was the highlight of hers to but for a different reason.

 Finally, after what felt like forever, I heard two sets of footsteps sounding from the passageway. There she was wearing sweatpants and a large t-shirt, a far cry from how I'd seen her earlier. Her eyes looked red and puffy as though she'd been crying and some tear streaks had dried on her cheek. She wiped them away as if she knew that's what I was looking at.

''Hi," she sighed more than said.

''Hi." I stood up from the couch and nervously wiped my hands on my jeans. Jennifer turned her head to look at her mother who was making her way to the kitchen. 

''Mom how come you didn't offer him anything to drink? That's unlike you," she said.

''He said he didn't want one''

"Really? Interesting." 

"Actually I wouldn't mind one now Mrs Walsh," I said nervously. They both laughed. It was nice to see Jennifer's face lit up after... that. At least there wasn't any awkwardness between us or else we never would have gotten through the art project. 

Mrs Walsh started setting up some drinks for us. When she found out we'd be working with paint she suggested we do it in the backyard so that we wouldn't get the carpet dirty. As I was setting up the canvas, Jennifer sat on a lawn chair. She was fanning herself with her hand. The weather was unforgivably hot. 

'I'll be back in a sec', she said as she got up from the chair. Seconds after she left Mrs Walsh walked out of the house holding a tray with glasses and what I guessed was lemonade. She set the tray don't on a small table that was next to the lawn chair Jennifer had been sitting in. She stared at me curiously for a bit and I pretended not to notice as I continued setting up the paint. 

'So you like art Jason?' she said. I nodded with a smile. 'Oh. You know I never knew Jennifer was into this', she said gesturing at my apparatus. 

'Well she said it was either art or wood shop so...' We both laughed. 

'What's so funny?' Neither of us had noticed Jennifer walking back outside. Her sweatpants had been replaced by a pair of very short shorts which were barely visible from underneath the large t-shirt. 

'Huh, Jennifer', her mother yelled, her face red. 

''Relax mom, I have shorts underneath," she said with a slight chuckle in her voice. She lifted up the t-shirt slightly, revealing the denim shorts underneath but also exposing some skin. I found myself staring at her with wide eyes and and an open jaw.

 Did she want me to get a boner here, in front of her mother? Mrs Walsh shook her head dismissively before walking back into the house. I gawked as Jennifer's long sexy legs moved in my direction. Damn, what is this girl doing to me? 

"Alright Jason, we have some work to do."

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