The Bad Boy • Jonah Marais

Chapter 10

Guilt. I'm so stupid and guilty. What if Kenny saw us? Why did Jonah even do that? I sat there eating my Rocky road ice cream right out of the container with Axel cuddled up beside me. I felt so awful. Ice cream made me feel a little better cuz it tastes good but I'm just gonna get fat with it. But I didn't care. I kissed Jonah.... AGAIN!

I took a deep breath. Then someone knocks on my door, I get up and reluctantly go to the door hoping it was a murderer to put me out of my misery. I open it and see Kenny with a big bag of my favorite foods. "Hey." He smiled. I totally forgot he always comes to talk to me after I meet with my parents clients. "How terrible was this one?" He chuckled.

"Kenny..." I shook my head.

He furrows his eyebrows together and puts the stuff down, "What's going on?"

Before saying anymore I lean in and kiss Kenny. This wasn't as a distraction, just something to remind me of why I like him. But it didn't, I didn't get the same fire as I did with Jonah. I actually felt nothing while kissing him. But I couldn't let Jonah in my mind. I pull away and smile at Kenny, "Just missed you." I keep lying to him but look how happy he is now. That smile. Absolutely adorable. "Now come on, let's binge watch Friends again."

**MONDAY**

We get to school and Tate immediately goes to Jonah. Who just so happens to already be here, early. I see Jonah and bite my lip, what happened between us and he goes out with Tate within the same day really hurts me. I thought he and I had something going on. I could barely kiss Kenny, who knows what Jonah had done with Tate? She's been following him around like a puppy. I took a sharp breath and tore my eyes away from the scene and looked at my friends who all seemed to be talking about something else. Instead of standing there and pretending to listen, I head to my first class.

About halfway there, someone catches up to me, "Hey Ava." Daniel smiles at me, "Have a nice weekend?"

That made me want to roll my eyes, but Daniel probably doesn't know what happened between me and Jonah so I played it cool. "Nothing exciting." I shrugged.

"So descriptive." Daniel says sarcastically making me laugh, "You should really write a book Ava, I mean, it's top notch stuff." Then we both just break out in a fit of laughter, "Nothing exciting just writes itself."

I can see why so many girls are so keen on him now. He makes you feel like you can feel normal even in a weird and tense situation. "I'm sorry, I'm just not that interesting."

He shrugs, "Well I had a great time, me and my family went out to the waterfront, after I finished my homework. Then we all just had fun and hung out."

"Sounds like a good time." I said to him. I didn't feel hurt or jealous by this, I had to get used to people doing things with their family even though mine never had time.

"I have to admit I miss your dog." Daniel tells me and we stop in front of my classroom. "He is really cute."

"I know right?" I giggled.

Daniel pulls his phone out, "While you're here, what's your Instagram? We keep hanging out so I might as well start following you."

"I'm sure your strict only double digit following and your 10,000 followers will love that." I said sarcastically typing my username into his phone.

He shrugs, "They'll manage." He requests to follow me and I accept following him back. "Let's go to class." He opens the door for me and I walk in. Nice to know Daniel could've distracted me from my problem.

**A LITTLE BEFORE SCHOOL ENDS**

I finish putting the last flier up for homecoming. Finally my volunteer hour is done. Then Jonah appears next to me and reads the poster, "Homecoming, Saturday the 23rd." He reads then looks at me, "You going to homecoming?"

I shrug, "Maybe." Then silence reaches us. I wanted to put my body against Jonah and do what Tate's been doing all day: being his girlfriend. Him whispering things into my ear and holding me and waiting for me.

I bit my lip and before I walked away Jonah brings himself against me and kisses me. I don't fight it and bring my arms around his neck to close the space, Jonah's arms snake around my waist. We just kept going, our lips moving in sync but then our need for air pulls us away. Jonah rests his forehead on mine, "I've been waiting to do that for so long."

I giggled, "Two minutes is not that long Jonah." Reminding him he was just making out with Tate.

He shook his head, "No I meant with you." His jaw tightens, "I wanna be with you."

I shook my head, "Jonah, we can't."

He takes my hands, "I know... you don't wanna hurt Johnson or Tate." I looked at the floor ashamed I've done this three times already. "But what do you want?"

I looked back up at Jonah, "What?"

Jonah smiles, "You're always doing things for everyone else." A light came to his eyes, this light drew me in closer to him. "You go out of your way to help your parents and you don't even see them. You help Johnson babysit, with his homework, and he takes it for granted, I bet he hasn't noticed something was bothering you lately." It's true, Kenny hadn't questioned me about it except for that comment on his Instagram. "And Tate, you do so much for her. She was going to fail three classes last year and you went to her house every night for a month to make sure she wouldn't disappoint her parents and she got good grades in those classes. When she realized she liked me, you made sure not to have her be alone with me because of my reputation and you're right, I probably would have." I look down at the floor, I must really be a pushover. "You're so selfless, you ignore what you want and make sure everyone else is okay first." Jonah tilts my head back up to look at him, "So this time, I'm asking you, what do you want?"

"To be with you." I said it without hesitation, without thinking about anyone else. But then I did, "But I can't be Jonah. Tate--"

"There you go again." He says softly chuckling.

"I'm so so sorry, I didn't mean to--"

Jonah shook his head, "No it's okay. We're just two people who like each other and are exploring that?" He sounded nervous, like he didn't know if he was gonna get rejected or not.

I giggled, "I'll think about it."

I walk away holding his hand to drag him with me but he pulls me back to face him, "Okay I'll see you tonight."

I giggled and leaned in then stop when our faces are only inches away, "I'll think about it." Then I pull away and walk off to put the fliers away. As happy as I was, the end of they day meant dealing with lying to everyone else.