Don't Play With My Heart - A Jai Brooks Fan Fiction (Watty Awards 2014)

Chapter 23: Better Than Words

*2 Months Later*

Tamara’s POV

I breathed a sigh of relief as I stepped out of the classroom from my final HSC exam. It had been tough but I was more than satisfied with my achievements. Over the last two months, Jai and I have studied our butts off, preparing for the exams that would make or break our future, as well as keeping up with all the work from our regular classes. Socially, we didn’t fare well but if we pulled this off and end up getting good grades and qualifications to get into the best university courses, then it would be all worth it. The next set of holidays were only a few weeks away and they would be stress free so I couldn’t wait.

Strong arms encircled me from behind and I lean into his touch.

“How’d you go?” Jai whispered in my ear.

“Amazing. I’m actually really confident about it all. How about you?” I answered, turning around so that I was looking up into his golden brown eyes. 

“I knew you would, you’re amazing. And me, well…fingers crossed, but I’m happy with how I went,” he said.

“You’re gonna get in. I don’t know, I guess I can just feel it. We’re on the home stretch. Just think, in about five months, we’ll be starting university together. It’s going to be a dream come true,” I gush.

I take his hand and we walk over to where we left our bags at our lunch table. Luke and Sami are already there waiting. The lunch yard is quiet because all year twelves are on special lunch times because of HSC exams. We only have a whole year level debriefing left today which sounds boring but at least it’s not another exam.

“How’d you guys go?” I asked as I sat down and graciously helped myself to my lunch.

Exams always made me hungry and I was starving at this point, after the two hour long exam period we had just come out of.

“I think I did well, but I won’t know until I get my results back. I’m just so nervous about whether I’m gonna get in; I don’t have a back-up plan if I don’t,” Sami says.

“What did I tell you babe, you’re going to get in for sure. It’s me you should be worrying about,” Luke says.

“Oh, trust you to steal the limelight brother. How did you go anyway?” Jai jokes.

“You know how I am with exams. I just hope I scraped over the line,” he answered.

“I’m sure you both did fine,” I said.

I let the rest of them go on with their casual chatter while I kind of zoned out, thinking about the exams I’d just sat. I was confident when I stepped out, but this was always the time where I sat down and thought about all the things I should have done and kick myself for not thinking about them in the exam. I know it was a stupid thing for me to do but I just couldn’t help it; I did it after every exam that I did. It was a terrible habit that I couldn’t seem to shake. The makeshift bell for the exam block brought me out of my thoughts and I put my lunch away and headed off with the rest of the group to the debriefing in the hall. I know I should have been listening to what they had to say but after the exam, I was mentally exhausted so everything that was said went in one ear and out the other.

We were let off about fifteen minutes early, so I literally skipped to the car. I couldn’t wait to get home and just relax. I impatiently tapped on the steering wheel as I waited for Jai and Luke to get to the car. I see Jai approaching and he points to where Luke is across the parking lot with Sami so I nod as he hops in and buckles up.