Reckless

Chapter Two

        My alarm went off and I woke with a start. My eyes flung open and I pressed the off button on the little clock as I sat up, then made my way to the bathroom to begin my daily morning routine, brushing my teeth, washing my face, getting dressed, and pulling my long golden hair back in a ponytail, my bangs framing my face. After I was done, I shoved my phone into my pocket and made my way downstairs and to the kitchen where my school bag was laying on the counter. I grabbed my bag and walked over to the fridge, grabbing a monster from my personal stock of them, and pulled my phone out of my pocket just in time to see the text from Rachel saying she was outside. I smiled as I popped the tab on the can and took a sip, walking out the front door and locking it, then I walked to the passenger side of her car and got in. I looked at her and before I could even open my mouth for a good morning greeting, I kept myself silent seeing how tense she seemed to be.
        "Ready?" she asked in a flat tone that wasn't her normal self at all.
        I sank in my seat a bit as I nodded. "Yeah."
She pulled out of my driveway and began heading towards our school, and the drive seemed longer than usual due to a highly uncomfortable silence. I kept opening my mouth to say something, but at first, I couldn't find the words to say. For a lasting five minutes, she kept silent until finally pulling into the Sonic drive, parked, and asked what I wanted. I mumbled a bit and told her my order, then she placed it, and once again there was silence until it was unbearable and I finally had to say something.
        "Um... Rachel? Did I do something to make you mad? Or did someone else?" I asked sheepishly.
        She whipped her head to look at me and it caused me to sink back a bit more, and it must have worried her because her rough expression softened then she put on a smile. "No love. You didn't do anything wrong, I promise. You've never made me mad. It's just... Someone else." she said in her normal sweet tone, but with a softer edge.
        I relaxed in my seat and sat up straighter then looked at her with a raised brow. "So who's ass do I need to kick then?"
        She laughed slightly and shook her head. "No one. It's a family issue. My cousin came to visit last night and it started out good but, it quickly went downhill and it freaked Chandler out. You know how he is with stress... He wound up getting a fever and is currently with my aunt so she can look after him while I'm at school today. My cousin felt bad but as soon as Chandler fell over gagging with a fever, he left barely muttering an apology. I love my cousin but sometimes I just want to put his head on a pike." she growled out, and I could feel the stress radiating from her as she spoke of the incident.
        "That sounds like something you'd actually make happen. Wait a minute." I said, as something in my mind clicked. "You told me you have two cousins, and one aunt and uncle, who all live in Rome. Are they visiting?" I asked curiously.
        I'd grown up with Rachel, and while she'd met quite a few people in my family, I'd never met anyone in hers aside from her little brother and her parents. At one point she told me she had two cousins, an aunt and an uncle who lived in Europe and moved around quite a bit. When I'd first asked, they lived in London. I hadn't asked too much since then, but a few times I'd overheard conversations between her parents while sleeping over that they'd moved to Paris, and the last I'd heard was Rome. Though I found it odd, what was even more odd was there were no pictures, at least not out for display.
        "No. Wait I never told you they moved to Rome?"
        "I overheard your parents one night. Anyway, so are they visiting?"
        "No, they... Moved here. Anyway, we will save that for a different discussion at a different time. My cousin was over last night and things didn't go well. That's really all there is to it. Jacie, if you don't mind, I'd rather not talk about it. It's just frustrating."
        I looked at her for a moment then nodded. "Yeah of course. I'm sorry."
        "Don't be. I know you were just being a friend, so thank you," she replied as she smiled at me.
        Our food finally came out and rather than eating on the way to school, we parked away from the order screens and ate, then headed to school. When we got there, Rachel mentioned needing to take care of something before class, so she dropped me off at the Junior's and Seniors hall and I went straight to class, even though there were still twenty minutes before the first bell. I walked into Mr. Lassitor's class and walked over to my seat and sat down. Lassie wasn't in his class but seeing as how the coffee mug he always kept on his desk was missing, my guess was he was in the teacher's lounge. I pulled out my sketchbook and a pencil and flipped to a blank page, then stared at it while tapping the eraser against the desk. I tried to think of something to draw but my mind kept drawing a blank and I groaned, set my pencil down, slid into my seat, and leaned my head back, groaning. I stared at the ceiling, then sighed and closed my eyes. I tried to think of something to draw so I wouldn't be sitting bored for twenty minutes, but nothing came to mind. Come on Jace, think of something. It isn't THAT hard... I thought to myself.
        "Don't sit so still. Someone might think you're dead."
        My eyes snapped open at the sound of a deep, strikingly familiar voice, and I sat up quick in my seat to see who was here, and my heart stopped as I locked eyes with the new kid. His deep mesmerizing eyes stared through me, an almost analytical expression on his face as if he were studying me. For a short moment, my body forgot how to breathe and I had to force myself to inhale, slowly, and exhale the same way. "Anyone who would believe that is beyond downright stupid. Clearly, if I'm breathing then I'm not dead." the words escaped faster than I could think, but I let them.
        He stood just a few feet away, dark hair, fringed and framing his face, almost hiding his eyes, tall, and I'm sure built rather than big. I couldn't tell from his black jacket and slightly baggy jeans, but his face was chiseled, yet slightly smooth, like it was easy to tell he was a man, not just a boy, he even looked a bit older than I'm sure he was, yet he still had a young look to him. For a moment, I could have sworn there was a lively spark in his eyes, and a smile played at his lips, but it went away and instead he shrugged, and that smile, shifted into a slight yet obvious smirk.