The Parallellists : Genesis

Chapter 2 As Red as Lava

The school bell rang for the end of the day, Jake and Ethan stood by the lockers, talking about Amberly. Jake was busy putting away his books away in his locker while listening to Ethan complain.

"She is so hot!" cried Ethan flaying his hands about. "And you're telling me she's off limits! Why are you doing this to me!!!"

"I'm just saying," replied Jake holding up his hands to calm Ethan down. "Something about her seems off. I think it's best if we don't get too frisky with her. And by 'we' I mean you."

Ethan places his face in his hands, groaning in frustration. Then suddenly, he looked up with a look of realization and smiled mischievously at Jake.

"Oh," chuckled Ethan crossing his arms. "I see what's going on. You like her, and you don't want me flirting with her because you want her all to yourself, Romeo!"

"What!" cried Jake, his cheeks burning. "No I don't!"

"Yes you do! Oh, my little boy is all grown up. Finally!" said Ethan hugging Jake so hard his ribs cracked. "I thought this day would never come!"

"Bruh ...what are you talking about?" wheezed Jake as Ethan let go of him. "Anyway, aren't you supposed to be a baseball practice?"

A look of horror appeared on Ethan's face. He grabbed his gym bag from out his locker and ran, calling back to Jake over his shoulder. "You win this round Winslow! But we will continue this conversation later!"

"We'll see about that!" Jake shouted back, watching Ethan disappear around the corner. He laughed softly and said to himself. "He'll forget within five minutes."

He looked around the hallway to see if Amberly was around. But there was nobody in sight.

She must be outside, he thought.

He took his bag and placed it on his shoulders. And then, just as he was about to walk outside the main doors of the school, he accidentally bumped into someone coming inside. Almost on instinct, Jake reached out and grabbed the falling person around the waist and pulled them towards him. He moved his head to get a better look at the person he had bumped into, and his cheeks heated up.

For there, pressed up against his body with her hands on his chest; looking up at Jake with big, violet eyes; was none other than Kelly Monarch.

Jake looked into her gorgeous violet eyes, they shone like amethysts in the sunlight. He noticed her glasses were slightly skew and lifted his hand to straighten them on her delicate nose. He smiled awkwardly at her, but he then noticed that she was now avoiding his eyes and her cheeks had turned a bright red.

And then it hit him.

He looked and saw how tightly he was holding onto her, if someone were to walk by and see them like this, they would think that ...

Jake immediately released Kelly and stepped backwards.

"Uh, sorry about that, Kelly." he said awkwardly shifting from one foot to another.

He waited for Kelly to shout at him and call him a freak or witch boy. But he heard nothing of the sort, aside from a calm, steady voice say:

"No worries, Winslow. I was the one who wasn't watching where I was walking."

Jake looked at Kelly in shock, he had never actually heard her speak before. Her voice was so unwavering and had a sense of authority to it, which matched her regal stance and the way she tapped her finger constantly at her side. She gave him a look that really made Jake uncomfortable, the way she was staring at him made him feel like his hair was on fire ( which was easy to assume as his hair did resemble fire). But she shook out of her daze and gave Jake a small wave before turning swiftly on her heel and rushing back out the door, unaware that she had dropped something on the ground behind her. It seemed to be some sort of bracelet with an teardrop shaped amethyst engraved. Jake knelt down and picked it back up.