Love Happens (Stopped)

Eleven - You're screwed man

Jason:

I couldn't stop thinking about her. A million scenarios ran through my head while I sat through my after lunch lessons. I still couldn't believe she slapped him. Jules. That fncker. He deserved it. And he just had to go running to the principal like a little b!tch. 

What if Jennifer gets suspended?

No. She couldn't get suspended. It had barely been two weeks since she started school here, at an actual school. Oh God. She must think that high school sucks now. I had to find out what happened to her. I had to find her after school before she went home. The bus usually takes off thirty minutes after school ends so that was my window. I couldn't blow this. I had blown it too many times so far and the thought of her growing to resent me kinda made my heart ache. 

When did I become such a sob? When I met Jennifer. 

That was it. Jennifer had put this sad feeling in me. Only she could get it out. Then maybe I'd be back to normal. I was in the middle of an English Lit lesson when I had this epiphany. Our teacher was talking us through the "intricacies of Shakespeare" and had been going on and on about Romeo and Juliet in particular. Normally I would think it's a bunch of BS that someone would ever kill themselves for love, but now it sort of made sense. Plus back then there were probably so few people that a lover was irreplaceable. I looked around the room and saw dozens of girls.

I could get any one of them if I wanted to. But I didn't. The girl I wanted wasn't here. 

* * *

The bell rang signalling that school was over. Also signalling that I had to go on my wild goose chase looking for Jennifer. My first thought was her locker. I rushed to where it was but she was nowhere in sight. I dashed through the hall with my eyes scanning the place like I was a madman. Still she wasn't there. My last option was to check for her by the bus stop. There would be lots of people there and the last thing I wanted to do was make a scene but screw it I had to talk to her. There were already several students waiting by the bus stop by the time I got there. 

Jennifer wasn't one of them. 

I stood there watching for a while, waiting for her to pop up. I was about to leave and go to the parking lot when I saw a blonde head bobbing up and down the staircase that led out of the school doors. 

Jennifer!

Boy did my heart skip a beat. I felt more at ease seeing her smiling. That beautiful smile of hers that makes everything seem right with the world. She was with that girl from that table at lunch. I wished she was alone. I walked up to the two of them trying to come up with an opening line that wouldn't scare her off or make her mad. Before I knew it, I was standing right in front of them.

"Hi", was all I managed. 

"Hey", they said simultaneously. Had they already gotten that close in a matter of hours? 

"Jason this is Asha", Jennifer said, pointing at the girl with her hand.

"Nice to meet you Asha"

"Funny, I can't say the same", she stared me dead in the eye with a menacing glare. "Jennifer I'll be by the bus stop if you need me", she gave a small wave to Jennifer before walking off. The only friend of the girl you like hates you, you're screwed man. 

"I don't have a lot of time until the bus gets here. Talk", she looked me square in the eye, her eyes narrowed. There was a hint of anger behind that olive green, and a bit of sadness as well.

"I... I wanna apologize"

"For what?" I felt like this was a trick question.

"For everything. I shouldn't have made you sit with those guys at lunch. It was stupid of me". Her narrowed gaze widened a bit, almost as if she was scanning me to make sure I was genuine. Or maybe they widened because she'd mellowed. There was a long silence filled with anticipation on my end and Lord-knows-what on hers. I wished I could crack open that little head of hers and find out what was going on in there. 

"Fine. I forgive you. But you totally owe me now", she smiled before turning her head to the side. I realized she was looking at the bus stop. "Wait here", she said before running to the bus stop where Asha was standing.

I observed them as they spoke. Asha rolled her eyes at some point, no doubt at the mention of my name. At one point Asha was waving her hands around frantically. Jennifer laughed and threw her head back. God she was gorgeous when she laughed. Then the two girls held out their pinkies and linked them. A pinkie promise. I wasn't sure what I was feeling as I watched them. A part of me thought maybe it was jealousy. I wanted Jennifer to be that happy when she was with me. They hugged, heads resting on each other's shoulders. The hug was light and their bodies weren't really close together. 

If that was me I would've closed that gap to an airtight squeeze. Heck I would've hugged her till I was inside h...

"Hey, I'm back", sh!t I hadn't noticed her walking towards me. She laughed when she noticed how startled I was. "What are you thinking about"

"I was just thinking of ways to make it up to you", I lied.

 If she knew where my mind really was I'd probably be left having to apologize again. Or she'd never talk to me for the rest of my life. She bit her lip and thought for a moment. As cheesy as this sounds almost everything this girl did had the ability to make my heart race. Even when she bit her soft pink lips. 

"Yeah that's a tough one", she said. "I'm hungry, slapping people really does work up an appetite. Do you know any good places to eat?" I laughed at her comment about hitting Jules.

"I know a great pizza place in town. Come on let's go".

We walked to the parking lot where I'd left my car in the morning. We were side by side. She had a smile from ear to ear, not minding the few stares we were getting. Maybe she didn't care anymore, but the amount of attention I get is not something one gets used to in a matter of hours. Early on in high school it used to annoy the heck out of me when girls would follow me around school. I eventually just learnt to brush it off and act like they were  little mosquitoes which I could just swat away if they came too close.

Plus some of them came in handy when I was looking to have a little fun if you know what I mean. 

Yes, I have been labelled as a player. I'm not proud of it.

 At least not anymore.

We got to the car and I opened the door for her. She giggled, probably remembering I had done the same thing for her in the morning. I got another sweet view as she climbed into the SUV. I could open doors for her all day. I went to the driver's side, opened the door and sat in my seat. 

I started the car and held the shift to change the car from park to drive. In trying to take my hand away I accidentally grazed her thigh. She looked at me with a serious expression on her face which then turned to a smile. 

"You can put your hand on it if you want to. That's if you can drive with one hand", she said.

"I can. Wait you want me to?"

"It's not something you haven't done before", she chuckled. So without further ado, I put my hand on the soft smooth skin of her thigh. I thought she kinda shuddered a little, but then got used to it after a while. Then she did the cutest thing. She took my hand and raised it higher up her thigh, closer to the hem of her shorts. I got a little confused about what she was trying to do here, but then she just held it. 

Our fingers were entwined.

This had to mean something. But I decided against asking anything and just enjoyed the moment. Why am I thinking like such a girl?

We rode in total but comfortable silence before arriving at the pizza place I always went to with the boys. Just because I had a falling out with them didn't mean I couldn't enjoy pizza at our favorite place, right?