Broken Wings

Chapter 28: Girlfriend

I eventually attended school again the next week. I was nervous but Jesse and Chris would be there to help me.

So would Gabrielle and my other friends.

I was a nervous wreck when Chris parked his car beside the school.

"You'll be fine, alright?" He reassured me.

I breathed out a huge breath and nodded. I don't know why I was nervous to go back to school. I mean, I have my friends with me all the time.

There was only one class I had with none of my friends. Or maybe that was one that Chris could fill, or maybe Jesse was in that same class as me.

We walked together for the school entrance ahead of us.

This was only my second day at Western, once I really thought about it.

"All the ladies are staring at you." I smirked at Chris.

"I know, right? I'm so hot." He bragged.

I rolled my eyes and observed a girl walking up to us.

She stopped beside Jesse and handed a piece of paper.

"If this is your number, I'm going to have to tell my girlfriend." He said.

The girl was speechless for a minute before she took the paper back and ran off.

I snickered. "How long have you been doing this?"

"Ever since I started here." He looked up into my eyes and I saw it there again.

The look that he wanted something. He wanted me.

"Jesse, I can't."

Chris held the door open for us and we stepped into the long hallway that led us to the counselors office at the end.

"Why not?" He asked, a tone of sadness in his voice.

"You know why." I hung my head low.

If he had given me that look all summer long, I hadn't noticed because I was just staring out a window all the time and too busy anguishing over Paula...and Luke of course.

It was almost every day I was weeping over them.

I learned that sooner or later, I would begin to remorse kicking Luke out of my life. But I didn't have the time right now.

Right now, I just wanted things to go easy and smoothly since it's been far too rough for the past eight months.

"Well, I'm really sorry." Jesse opened up his arms for me.

I grasped onto him tightly while he stroked my back with his one hand while the other hooked around shoulder.

"Thanks." He beamed when he released me. "I needed it."

I playfully slapped his chest and he unanticipatedly seized it and held it there.

I could feel his heart beating rapidly. "That's how you make me feel."

I sensed the whole school eyeing us as I blushed in humiliation.

Then Jesse did something that made everyone think something I didn't want them to.

He pulled my hand up to his lips and kissed it softly. "I need you to know that I still love you."

The nervousness churned into a more overwrought feeling.

"Jesse..." I trailed off, not knowing what to say.

"Say it. Say you love me." He begged quietly.