Twisted Connections

Jase

Jase watched the three witches pull into school from the back of some jocks car. The guy was in the process of flipping through his leather wallet, to find the cash for the small packet of pills in between Jase's fingers. To stop himself from boiling up at the wad of notes in the wallet, Jase counted the three heads. Tessa, Danny and Adley. The guy pulled out a $100 dollar note. "I can't find anything smaller", he said. Jase knew he had picked right. "I don't do refunds. You either give me the money now, or you don't get the goods." Plus Jase needed to lose this stash. The guy's face became a look of annoyance for a second, and then he pushed the note into Jase's hands. "Fine, keep the rest. This stuff better be good man." Like he could tell the difference.

Jase left the car, stuffing the money into the pocket of his duffel bag. He watched Adley walk into school, her hips swinging as if she owned the place. Jase felt distinctly annoyed. He saw her walk over to Fred and Roland, and a smirk grew on his face. Little did she know that her boyfriend had gone through enough weed in the past month to pay the rent on Jase's crappy trailer. If Jase had money like those three witches...he didn't indulge in the thought. Swinging open his locker, he felt a hand ram against his shoulder.

"Hey man." Max. His hair was ruffled, and his eyes red-rimmed. Surprisingly, out of all the guys Jase hung out with, Max wasn't a stoner. He didn't even smoke. "My little sister was driving me nuts last night. I swear to the frickin Virgin Mary. She was just talkin and talkin and talkin about some stupid pony she watches on the TV and I was just thinkin Lord above when is this bullcrap gonna end. Honestly, when I did sleep, I was dreamin about the same frickin pony! It was like freakin torture man." Jase laughed, and slapped his friend on the back.

"You sure it's your sister that loves this pony?" Jase teased. Max pushed him back, but his hands found the bruise on Jase's ribcage and he winced. Last night, his brother's friends had found him and wanted to know where he was. Like Jase had even seen his brother in the past month. They thought Jase was lying. 

Walking into English Literature, Jase saw Fred at the front of the class, sitting with Roland. For a second, he locked eyes with his past best friend, but then simultaneously they looked away. Jase and Fred hadn't spoken since...well Jase couldn't even remember. Max wasn't with him, so he took his usual seat at the back of the class and pulled out a cigarette, letting it dangle limply between his fingers. The bruise on his ribcage throbbed, and for a second, Jase considered ditching class, but then the teacher walked in, and he sighed with annoyance. 

His annoyance grew more pronounced, as the third witch came rushing into class. Tessa. Adley had already taken a seat next to Roland, and Danny, the almost obligatory gay best friend, was sitting next to her. With a sigh, Jase realised the only spare seat was next to him. He didn't have anything against Tessa herself, but he knew her type. Rich, conceited, wispy. People that swayed in the wind, and still made it through life without a hitch. Jase couldn't sway. He had to have a plan. As his bruise sent out another flare of pain, he corrected himself. He had to have a better plan. 

Tessa's eyes didn't react to being placed next to him. She smiled at her friends, who Jase could tell had made a sympathetic comment, and slowly she weaved her way through the seats of pupils to sit next to him. Jase turned away from her, and lit up the cigarette.

"Jase Rivera, you are not allowed to smoke. Put the cigarette out please," Dino said. His real name, of course, was Mr. Dianopolis, but everyone called him Dino due to his balding hair and ancient voice. That guy should not be allowed to teach. Still, he put out the cigarette.

Dino began the class, and weirdly, Jase felt strangely aware of the fact Tessa was sitting next to him. He could smell the scent of vanilla coming off her skin, and the hair on his arm, resting on the table, was standing on end. He swivelled towards her and looked her over. 

She was pretty, that was undeniable. Her hair was dark, like his mother's had been, and she had long slender limbs, with tanned skin. Her face was defined, like she was some 60s actress, and she had full lips, with bambi like eyes. Upon Dino's instructions, Jase pulled out his copy of Romeo and Juliet, and heard Tessa mutter something next to him.

Immediately defensive, he assumed it was something to do with his copy of the play, which was battered after having been in the library for ages. Jase had managed to sneak a copy before class. But soon he realized that she had forgotten her own. What had he said? Swayer. Grudgingly, he leaned close to her and spread his copy between the two of them so that they could share.

"Thanks," she said. Jase was surprised that she talked to him. Most girls, and to be honest, most guys didn't. "I'm such an idiot, I was literally reading it last night and I completely forgot." Her voice was warm, and for a second Jase stared at her.

"We didn't have to read before class." For a second, her eyes widened, like she had slipped up on something, and then she let loose a dry chuckle. 

"I know, but it's one of my favourites. And I was stressed..." Her voice tailed off, and for a second Jase felt her stiffen next to him. "I love it anyway."

He felt another surge of annoyance. What could she be stressed about? Her ribcage wasn't throbbing. But surprising himself, he nodded. "Shakespeare's good. But Romeo and Juliet, not a favourite," he whispered back. He watched her turn to him, and saw the flicker of surprise in her eyes. Not many people knew that he was smart. Not many people knew him.

She looked like she was about to say something, when Dino's voice spoke over them. "Pair up, and prepare to write an essay debating the nature of Mercutio and his role in the play. The pair with the winning essay will receive academic points, and something to put on their college applications." Jase almost smiled. It was easy to get points in English Lit, and he needed something to add to his college CV. In reality, he knew he wasn't going, but if he could get a scholarship...

"Wanna pair up?" Tessa's voice interrupted his thoughts. He looked over at her, surprised. She wasn't the type of person to want to pair up with him. She also could bring down his grade. Most of the popular type flunked class. Jase needed this essay.

But her face was warm and hopeful, and he could see flickers of doubt in her kaleidoscope eyes. And she did read Shakespeare... "Sure." Why not. Maybe Jase could sway too.