Mr. Mendes

chapter 7 - jack's house

to Shawn:
Wish me luck, just setting off now :'(

from Shawn:
I don't see why you have to leave me honestly

To Shawn:
You're a teacher, shouldn't you be encouraging education?

From Shawn:
Not when girls and boys in the form of high school jocks are left alone together...

To Shawn:
But it's fine with a girl and a MAN hmm?

From Shawn:
Of course x

To Shawn:
Anyway, if I don't leave now I'll be exceeding the excuse of "fashionably late".

From Shawn:
Okay Elle, text me if you need anything x

I locked my phone screen and headed towards the door, catching a glimpse of myself in the full length mirror. I wasn't wearing anything special, after all, it was only a study session. I smoothed down my hair while my eyes scanned my outfit; I called it the black hoodie and running leggings ensemble.

Without having anymore time to waste I jogged out the front door and towards my car. Just as I was about to open the door, I heard a ping come from my phone. Yanking it out my pocket I soon discovered it was another text from Shawn.

It read:

From Shawn:
By the way, your ass looks great in those leggings x

When I looked across the street to shawn's new house, I saw him, stood there, shirtless, in the window, bearing a huge smile on his face.

The journey to Jack's was short and not particularly eventful, excluding the building sense of anxiety I felt when nearing his home. I pulled my car down his drive and parked up. Briskly walking towards his door as I was already on borrowed time. I raised up my right hand and knocked three times on the door. I was surprised when the door opened almost instantly, like whoever had opened the door was waiting for me.

To my own bewilderment, an older lady opened the matte white door. I'm guessing that was his mother.

"Ah!" She exclaimed, "So this is the infamous Eleanor Hill I have heard so much about!"

What? How does she know my name?

I stood and remained silent for a few seconds, trying to piece this together in my head.

"Well are you gonna just stand there or will you come inside?" She asked, a warm smile adorning her features.

"Yes, thank you Mrs Gilinsky." I replied politely, but still a little confused.

I was ushered into the dining room where a full dinner set was laid out on the kitchen table. Glasses had been polished and napkins folded; everything looked pristine. I began to wonder if they had guests coming while I was here.

I could just make out the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. Soon the owner of the footsteps, Jack, comes into the dining room. He looked flustered from running down the stairs so fast. I began to note his appearance, he wore smart black jeans and a button up shirt, that's weird, he said we were going to talk about history and school, which is not a task you would need to dress somewhat formally for.

"Hey Eleanor!" He said shyly. It's so odd, he used to be so calm with me, he had a really confident jock persona but recently he's different, more awkward and I can't, for the life of me, place why.

"Hey Jack, how's it going?"

"Good, um, can I talk to you, please?" He said while twiddling his thumbs

"Yeah sure, what's up?"

"Not here. Come with me." He said reaching for my wrist and grasping it, tugging me into his living room with some force.

He let go of my arm, leaving red marks on my wrist. After shutting the door he swivelled around on the balls of his feet to face me.

"Look. I'm gonna be straight with you." Jack said sternly, "you need to pretend to be my girlfriend for the night."

"I what?" I said, stuttering a little as I did so.

"You heard me." He spat, his eyes burning into mine.

"Why?" I questioned innocently

"My parents may seem nice but in reality they are harsh and strict, very strict. I once went out to a party when I was supposed to be studying, got really drunk and made the mistake of coming home. They saw that their picture perfect child wasn't all he was cut out to be, so now they won't let me out the house." Jack said, becoming visibly irritated.

"So, your point is?" I queried while getting a little more anxious.

"If I say I have a girlfriend, they'll let me go out on "dates" and other excuses that I can use to go and party with."

He had become closer to me, making me back up. I was now only a few inches from the wall.

"I still don't understand where I come into this, you could have had any girl in the school, why choose me?"

"Course you understand you dumb bitch," he pushed me back onto the wall, I winced. "You know I couldn't have any of the girls who throw themselves at me, they all have "no standards", according to my parents. Someone like you with an almost perfect GPA and doesn't make a fool of herself is the perfect solution to my problem, so this is happening whether you like it or not."

"I knew there was something behind this." I claimed, wagging my finger near his face.

Immediately he grabbed my hand and smacked it back against the wall, ouch, that's going to bruise.

"So you're gonna walk in there and play happy families, okay?"

"No, I won't, why would I help you, of all people?" I retaliated, I was now in his face.

"Because if you don't, I'll make your life a misery." He snapped, "I'll say that when you came over, you practically threw yourself at me, started kissing me and begging for it."

"You wouldn't dare!" I shouted, but quietly enough so that his parents didn't hear.

"Oh I would, and who do you think people will believe, hmm? Me, the one they all suck up to and idolise, or you, the desperate little virgin?"

My face felt hot as tears began to stream.

"Grow a pair!" Jack sneered as he dragged me back to the room in which this whole fiasco started.

All I wanted was Shawn.