First Punch ➟ Kellic

T W E N T Y F O U R

I wake up the next morning with a massive smile on my face. My life is actually pretty good right now. Carter's alive and the Triads have all been in such good moods ever since our hit on the Bloods. Jake and I are back in this weird, romantic fling again. And on top of all of that, it's Friday! Life's looking up. I've never been a very positive person, but if this keeps up I might actually look into the future and start making plans. I know, crazy.

I roll out of bed, oddly completely fine with having to go to school. It's already second period, meaning I'll probably wait it out and try to get there just in time for calculus. After brushing my teeth and freshening up for the day, I head over to my wardrobe to try and pick out what black attire I want to wear. It's pretty windy out, but I'm sure it'll warm up by the end of the day, so I'm not exactly sure what to put on. My eyes scan through my somewhat limited selection, double-taking on a pair of pants I completely forgot I had. A smile rises to my cheeks, pulling them out and on as fast as possible. They're not exactly my style, but I can't help myself. I look down at the silky black athletic material and three white stripes down the sides, feeling strangely comfortable even though I never would've picked something like this out on my own. I'm gonna wear Jake's pants.

I smile, pulling a hoodie over my head before grabbing my switchblade and phone, tying my bandana around my ankle as always and heading outside. I rush to school faster than I intended, annoyed by the wind and just wanting to be inside an inclosed building.

I reach the abandoned house with my mood somewhat depleted from the intense weather. I pull the brick out, happy to see Jake's knife already inside. I drop mine in and shove it back into place before practically running into the school. I hate wind. Mostly for the reason that it throws my hair all over place, and now I have to stop in a bathroom just to fix it. Although, I should probably be thankful because it helps me waste the last few minutes before the bell.

Once I'm satisfied with my appearance, I head back out into the hall and off to my locker. I want to pass by Jake's just to see him, but unfortunately I already had while he was probably still in class. Oh no, I'm already so clingy. I need to try and relax, because my heart shouldn't be beating this quickly just at the thought of him.

I grab my calculus book, taking my time as I make my way towards the math hall. I'm somewhat hoping Jake will catch up to me since my locker's kind of on the way to our classroom from his. Unfortunately, he doesn't, and I make it to the room without any sign of the guy I'm practically obsessed with.

I sigh a little, checking my phone just to stall going into the room. I'm not at all excited for this class, but I am excited to see Jake. I feel so attached to him already it's nearing unhealthy territory. I want to spend all of my time with him. He just makes me so happy. But with the Triads threatening his life and his friends hating me, plus the fact that neither of us are exactly 'out' yet makes that kind of impossible.

I have a bit of a frown on my face as I flip my phone shut, finally heading into the room. My mood had dropped dramatically realizing how hard this is going to be. Keeping us a secret means hanging out will be a big challenge. But as I see Jake settled in the spot next to mine, looking up and smiling at me, I know it's all worth it. Even if we can't see each other a lot, it's just going to make the few moments a day that we do even better.

I smile cheekily, my mood lifting as I drop into my seat. I'd almost forgotten what I even wore today, but as Jake's gaze strays to my pants I can't help but blush a little. It feels weirdly nice to be wearing something he'd given me.

"Hey," I say, catching his attention again.

"Hey," he replies, glancing up and down my body again and making my heart pound in my chest. "I like your pants. Where'd you get them?"