Moonlit

fourteen

What was I like anticipating the arrival of an annoyingly gorgeous yet overwhelmingly sinful boy that my mother believed was the charm?

I was nothing but relaxed.

Well, I did my best.

I didn't intend to step out of the comfort of my house tonight, but I vaguely noticed that every time I set myself not to do something, I ended up doing it.

Shaking the thought away, I slid off my bed, set aside my book and walked over to my beckoning closet.

I glimpsed at my unlocked phone, the time reading 5:54 p.m. Six minutes until Jake had said he would turn up. I kept my ears perked, ready for the moment I would hear the growl of his motorbike.

I had it all planned. I would rush downstairs to inform mother that I didn't want to go, as I had an essential assignment to complete. She would care enough about my education to send Jake home and leave me be.

I may have secretly desired to spend some quality time with him, to hopefully to sift out some answers my burning tongue craved to ask. Although I was crippled by my sole curiosities and was greatly against not getting any explanations, I was also against allowing myself to go somewhere with someone that didn't deserve another chance. I was opposed to the second choice more than the first, so I settled with that.

I pulled out my extra large pyjama shirt, a peeling picture of Mickey Mouse printed onto the front, and draped it across one of two silver hooks attached to my mirror.

My eyes trailed over to the quotes written around my reflection, a line from a song beginning to repeat itself in my head. My gaze was glued onto the mirror as I stripped off the striped shirt I had changed into once the bus dropped me home.

Even though I was looking at my reflection, I wasn't actually looking at it. No - I kept myself from focusing on my naked torso or the small curves peeking out of my bra. It wasn't that I was "too fat" or "too skinny". I liked observing people. I didn't like observing myself. And I couldn't quite explain why.

Instead, I blurred myself out and squinted at the areas my sprawl of handwriting didn't cover.

I spontaneously bent down to retrieve the marker on the floor. Stretching myself back up, I scribbled the same quote that had been replaying in my head as my tongue ran across my top lip.

Once it was completed, I stood back to stare at the lyrics:

'I don't know if you feel the same as I do, but we could be together if you wanted to.'

I read it once. Then twice. The third time, my eyes widened in shock as I pieced Jake into the lyrical puzzle.

No, no, no. I pressed my wrist against the cool surface and hastily rubbed out any evidence of the quote.

During my panicked state, the vibration of my phone buzzed in the back pocket of my jeans. Slipping the object out, I found out that I had received a text message from an unknown number.

You okay there, kitten?

J x

I almost dropped my phone. As soon as I read my nickname, I knew who it was. How had he gotten my number? Did he know what I had been doing? Had he been watching me? Could he see me now? I cautiously peered around my room for any hidden cameras, even looking into the beady eyes of my stuffed owl.

Giving up, I texted him back.

How did you get my number?! Where are you?

I waited impatiently for his reply, again looking around the room. I jumped when my phone buzzed a bit after a minute.