disposition. | jack gilinsky

| Chapter 2 |

I had to go to this thing in a room called 'The Rec Room' which is usually where a lot of after school clubs hold their meetings but you'd have to reserve it every week. I walked in at the same time with 5 other people and we sat in chairs set up in a circle. I hated this already. If I wanted to go to a church youth group gathering, I would've converted to Christianity & started giving a shit.

I sketched in my sketchbook in the meantime, waiting for the leader whose name was Manon. Turns out she was in there the entire time. She looked like one of us, very young, but I suppose more of a college appearance. She seemed so at peace, so zen, and she grinned as about 3 more kids joined us and took their seats.

"Hello again guys. I hope everyone had a great & safe weekend. I see a couple new faces...there should be a third but I don't quite...see...hmm." Manon sighs and claps her hands together. "Well then! Why don't our new faces stand up and tell us your name, what grade you're in, why you think you're in here, and what you aim to get out of this group."

Me nor whoever the other new face was stood up. Manon was about to speak again but the door opens. In walks Tall, Dark, and Handsome from the cafeteria earlier, his red flannel flowing with the draft behind him. He says nothing and finds a seat on the other side of the circle.

"Ah!" Manon says. "There's our third fresh face. Welcome."

He nods in annoyance and leans forward, placing his black backpack on the floor beside him & resting his elbows on his knees. I carefully study him while he licks his lips and looks around the circle at everyone. His eyes find mine and I didn't dare look away. His eyebrows furrow, wondering what I'm staring at, then he looks away. I silently chuckle.

"How about you in the grey t-shirt?" Manon asks the 2nd new face.

A boy stands up looking like the 5th member of the band Bastille. He immediately shoves his hands into his pockets and keeps his vision low.

"Um," he clears his throat. "My name's Aaron Carpenter. I'm a sophomore. I guess I'm in here because my mother doesn't understand the concept of being antisocial. And I don't know what to get out of this group because I feel like I don't need to be here." He sits down and Manon keeps a fake smile up. I try not to laugh.

"Okay! Well, how about you in the black shirt?" Manon asks. Obviously talking to me.

I shrug. "He can go first." I nod my head toward red flannel and smirk at him.

He takes a deep breath and stands. He was kind of like a tower, pretty tall but not too tall. Just right.

"Alrighty then," he says in a low yet sexy tone. I already had to squeeze my thighs together. "I'm Jack...Gilinsky. Senior. I'm in here because they think I pulled the fire alarm, and that I was having sex in the baseball field dugout, and...that I superglued the principal's rolling chair to the floor. Only one of those are true."

Some of us giggle.

"Maybe all three are true, I don't know. There's no proof on me but I was accused anyway. What I plan on getting out of this group is actually getting out." He smiles at everyone, landing on me. "Your turn."

I bow my head to him like you should to royalty. I dug his style, hardcore. I stood up, running my fingers through my dyed black hair. My mom hated what I did. I cut it short, so it stopped at my chin. I wanted to look a mixture of Matilda from the movie The Professional and vintage 1920's actress Louise Brooks. It's grown since then, now reaching the bottom of my neck. If anything, I'd say my hair is more flawless than before.

"I'm Imogen Riley," I began. "Just transferred here as a senior from Los Angeles...unfortunately. I'm here because I took the phrase 'do what you love' too seriously apparently. And like my new friend Aaron here-"

Aaron looks at me with confusion and a half-ass smile. He just looked uncomfortable as a whole.

"-I don't know what to get out of this class. That's all." I take a seat.

"What do you mean when you say you took the phrase too seriously," Jack asked me, now leaning against the back of his chair with one arm draped over the back. I paused, smiled, and prepared to give him the wildest reality check he was gonna hear today.

"Well, dearest Jack Gilinsky, I love to drink. I love to get high off various substances. And...I love sex. These things make me so happy but no one understands. Sure some things are more bad for me than the others but I love the taste of danger. Pretty much my motto," I explain to him.

A lot of faces, including his, have their eyebrows raised because I just openly stated that. A couple nodding in approval, including Aaron.

"Right on," Aaron said, raising his hand to me. I high-five him.

Jack smirks at me while Manon struggles to find her next words, clearly baffled at my explanation. I tried not to laugh. I love stumping people with real life shit.

After group, which was thankfully only an hour long, Jack caught up to me as I made my way to the sidewalk to walk 'home'.

"Are you gonna stalk me now or something?" I asked him.

"I think you're cool, new girl," he smiles.

"Everyone always thinks the new toy is cool."

"What are you about to do now?"

"I don't know. Probably go blow some shit up."

"There's no way you're that hardcore."

"I am...in video games," I tell him.

"Can I play with you?"

"Yes and no."

Now I had him confused but it was clear to me because I took his question to have two different meanings. Yes, he can play with me. No, he can't play video games with me.

"What does that even mean," he asked.

As I was about to answer, a red car pulls up and beeps.

"Hey orange soda!" Cameron shouted from his car. "Hop in."

I smiled at Jack and shrugged. "Looks like that's my ride. I'll see you tomorrow, Jack Gilinsky."

I'm sure at this point, Jack has no idea how I view him. He probably thinks I just shut him down and I did but not in the way he thinks. What I felt when I saw him was more than lust. And trust me, I know lust. But with Jack...I couldn't just fuck him and leave it at that.

I hopped in Cam's car and it had that new car smell. He nodded at Jack and we sped off.

"You like going fast?" I asked him.

"Maybe," he smirked. "So, where do you wanna go?"

"Where do you wanna go?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. Wanna hang out at the mall?"

"No." I tell him. Without warning, I take his right hand and place it on my thigh, moving up slowly. Soon, I didn't have to guide him anymore and he was taking control.

"My place it is," he said.

"Well, if you insist." I smiled.