I Love You Ms. J!

Chapter 12: Transformation!

           

The next day I went to the university as planned, with Bella's outfit in a bag. I styled my hair the same way Bella did the day before and added just a hint of color to my face. I even put in some stupid earrings. The effect was the same as yesterday. And like I had predicted, I kept getting a lot of stares from people in my classes.

"Jessica?"

A girl had called me after a lecture. I recognized her as Aiko, one of the girls who confessed to me before. She was also part of the group that surrounded Miya yesterday. Like everyone else her eyes were glued to my appearance. I pretended to take a carefree air about me, though in reality I was feeling so nervous.

"What are you wearing?"

"Clothes?" I tried to sound casual.

"I can see that... but you're wearing girl's clothes."

"I am a girl. I told you before..." I looked at her annoyed.

"I know but..." Aiko had a confused look on her face.

"You're making me feel weird." I told her and turned to leave.

"I saw you kissing that Bella girl though."

"So what." I told her without stopping. I didn't want her to see my face turning pink. "If you want to ask her out, don't bother, we're already seeing each other."

I could feel her watching me as I left, but I made a point to try and ignore the feeling. I wanted everyone who was going to gossip about me to think they had it wrong the whole time that I wasn't lying to them. Which was the truth, but I had to look confident. At least that's what I wanted to pull off anyway.

" Jessica!"

Relief filled my body when I heard that voice. Bella had appeared, also carrying a bag probably holding the clothes I left at her house the day before. When I looked at her, she looked a cute as always.

"Wow, you really came like that, didn't you?"

"Yeah." I smiled nervously. "It's been pretty troublesome."

"Come here."

She grabbed my hand and we went to a bench outside, both conscious of the looks we were getting from my classmates. After exchanging bags, we sat in silence, both pink in the face. Once again we were feeling awkward.

"I guess we really are going through with this." Bella spoke in a small voice.

"D-Do you not want too?" I blurted out.

"No! I didn't mean it like that. I just... you know."

I did know. It was weird having everyone looking at us. Even now that we separated from the group, we could feel their eyes looking out windows at us. This sort of thing was weird for us.

"I like your outfit." Bella said quickly, breaking my thoughts of paranoia.

"Do you?" I looked down at the outfit I was wearing. "It's not as good as your clothes."

"This look suits you, I think." Bella continued. "I guess I'm still used to you in boy clothes though..."

I was burning red now. "You don't have to compliment me, you know."

"I know I don't." Her eyes were locked on me. "I thought some positive feedback might make you feel better."

"To be honest, I feel really uncomfortable like this. I've been hiding too long in boy clothes." I told her, then added. "I just couldn't take hiding anymore."

"I keep looking at your neck thinking it looks kissable." Bella said, then almost as if she realized she said that out loud she clasped her hands over her mouth. "Sorry!" A muffled squeak came from her hands.

"Kissable neck?" I asked.

"I know, it's embarrassing." Bella was still was hiding her mouth.

Oddly I didn't find it embarrassing. I found my form-fitting jeans more distressing. "Well maybe you can kiss it later. Do you think you can settle for a normal one right now?"

Bella lowered her hands looked slightly miffed. "Don't make fun of me!"

I laughed a bit, but lean towards her and gave her a small peck on her cheek. It remained its pink color. "Sorry, I had too."

Bella sighed, slightly, then took my hand. "Teasing aside, I wish we had a class together."

"Me too. I never can find you." I unwittingly admitted, accidentally giving away I had been searching for her before. "Uh-"

"I know your schedule, but that's because I was stalking you from before."

"Stalking?"

"Not really stalking but... anyway." Bella was looking frustrated at being the one embarrassed all the time. "I can write down my schedule for you, if you want."

I nodded, and she let go of my hand, reached into her backpack and produced a notebook and a pen to do just that. I watched her, studying her face as she wrote. Then I realized I was doing this, and turned away, not wanting to make her feel weird. As I did so, I caught a glimpse of the gossip girls adverting their eyes.

"That's really annoying me." I murmured. "You'd think they never saw a couple before."

Bella giggled. "A couple? It's so odd to hear that. That I'm your girlfriend."

"Yeah." I realized it was the same for me. "But they still shouldn't stare."

"Let them." Bella said bitterly, then ripped the paper she was writing on from her notebook and handed it to me. "I wrote down other stuff about me, like my apartment number, phone number, that sort of thing."

"Oh. Thanks." I folded the paper and put it in my pocket. "I'll text whatever you want to know about me to you later on, if that's okay."

"I have to get to a class in a few minutes, but... I was wondering if you wanted to go out and do something after school?" Bella asked, not that embarrassed anymore. It seemed the longer we were together the reality of the situation sunk in. It was just those times a part and reuniting that was the most awkward.

"Yeah, I'd like that. I have one more class too." I informed her.

"Let's meet by the front gate, where I first asked you out, okay?"

I agreed and we both went to our classes. Unfortunate for me, my next class had a good amount of those gossip girls in it. I had a hard time focusing with them looking at me the whole time. Normally I would have talked to them, but I found their curiosity and looks really aggravating. If I talked to them today, I'd have to give them the whole story about Bella and myself, and I wasn't ready to blab about that.

After class, I packed up and went to the arranged area where I was to meet Bella. Sadly Aiko followed me. It seemed she was the gossip scout. I really wasn't in the mood for this, and had thought about leaving and just texting Bella to meet me somewhere else. But I'd still have to find the paper she wrote on in order to do it, so the girl would just corner me anyway.

"Hello Jessica." She called out to me.

I sighed and turned to her. She looked nervous. Really nervous. Now what?