The New Rules

Little Spoon

Jackson's arm was draped over Clara like a coffee table that had sunk to the bottom of a swimming pool. It was heavy, and impossible to lift without waking up.

She grabbed her phone and looked at her reflection in the screen. She was relieved to find that she was still fully dressed; hair still in bobby pins and makeup smudged underneath her eyes, false eyelashes half-glued on.

He was the only boy that her parents allowed sleepovers with. Grace and Jack knew Jackson's parents, Martha and Bill since Clara was four years old. Martha loved Clara, and treated her like the daughter she didn't have. She was plump, and kind, always baking treats for the boys, and offering Clara the chance to ice the cake, or help her in the kitchen. Clara knew that Martha has secret hopes that Jackson and Clara would end up together, but she never pushed it. Clara usually slept in the guest room, but she must've been too drunk at prom, because her last memory is dancing in the bathroom with Amy, and then, nothing.

When she tried again to wriggle out of bed, Jackson woke up. He also, was unaware of where he was and jolted upright.

"Clara, what are you doing here? We didn't? No, we couldn't have, could we?" he said. His round eyes were wide and his curly hair was smashed up against his sweaty forehead.

"We didn't. Look at me. I'm fully clothed my pantyhose are still on. We're fine."

"That's a relief, because you know, I wouldn't want our first time to be like this. I mean, if we ever had a first time, not saying that I want us to, but not saying I don't, you know what I mean."

She felt nervous, and fidgeted with a bobby pin that was dangling from the side of her head. He knew how to make her feel like she was the only person in the room, but sometimes his energy and eagerness was too much. It made her look away from his crazed stare.

Since they were kids, he intensely liked her, would do anything for her, maybe even loved her, but she never returned the feeling. Once she met Xavier, he stepped aside, like a good friend, and when she stayed home all those weekends, he'd pop by, and drop off her favourite bag of chips, or a bar of chocolate, and her mother would bring them up to her room. He knew she loved Xavier, but what he didn't know was that sometimes she thought how much easier it would be if she just chose Jackson.

How much simpler her life would be.

She loved his face, but he still hadn't grown into a man yet. He was short, almost an inch shorter than her, and his body was always lanky, and small, his waist a bit wider than her own. His face though, was perfect. His eyes wide, and almond, with lashes that fanned around them like an eagle. Martha was Thai, and Bill was Dutch, so the mix made his face the most interesting mash-up, striking to say the least. Jackson was going to college next year to become a lawyer, the same way his mother, father, brother, and sister were. It was the easiest, and financially stable path he could follow. Jackson didn't care about law though, he was good at creating, whether it be a pizza or a piece of furniture for the school play set, he was good at using his hands. There was no money in trade school, and if no one in an inner circle came from the trade industry, it was triple the tuition to get in. He continued to stare at her like she didn't have makeup smeared on her face and her breath didn't stink of tequila.

"I should go before your parents wake up," Clara said.

"Okay, but first, can we stay here a bit longer?" he asked.

Before Clara could respond, Jackson had spun her over on her side and scooped his arms underneath her shoulder. He used his other arm to pull her close to his abdomen, and placed his mouth close enough to her neck, so she could feel his breath, but not his lips. She breathed in and relaxed, it felt good to be held, even if her heart didn't catch up to her head.