The Crashing of Opposites

Chapter 8

Third Person POV

"Mom." Jenna gasps still looking at Jett as she realizes her shout reached the living room where her dad must have heard her.

Jett notices how Jenna's hands start trembling but she hid them behind her back, facing her mom. He also notices how she is trying to smile again but her eyes fill with fear and her how her jaw is clenched. 

He proceeds to look at her mom for an explanation to her daughter's poorly concealed fear. He finds sadness and concern as Jenna's mother nods ever so slightly, she then turns and walks to the others.

Jenna stands staring at where her mom was just standing, already dreading what is to come.

Jett reaches out to touch her arms from behind her in an attempt to bring her out of her daze but she flinches moving away as soon as his fingers graze her wrist. She turns to him with unshed tears brimming her eyes but a smile still present to somehow try and avoid the question Jett would undoubtedly ask. 'What's in there that you're so scared of?'

Yes, the question was on the tip of his tongue but for once he knew he would step over the line. He had caught a glimpse of her face with fear in class but the rest of the time, no matter what he said or did, she always held her ground, so at this moment where she can't be that arrogant and in some way strong person, then this moment is obviously a slip of the mask he knows she always wears. 

And honestly, he doesn't give a shit. So he shuts up about it and starts to walk upstairs instead, hoping she'll follow him this time.

She sighs as a tear escape and she rubs her trembling and sweaty palms together- just the thought of what is going to happen could do this to her body.

'Maybe he'll forget about it. I can still make dinner go well, so he will forget this happened.' she tries giving herself hope to get through with the night without being worried about the inevitable.

"You coming?" Jett' s voice brings her back from her motivational speech. They walk through the corridor and she shows him her dad's office, the guest room and her brother's room who is staying at her cousins 'to not ruin dad's reputation by doing what kids do'

Finally, they walk into her room. Jett glances at her room with shock since the room is not what he was expecting, perhaps a room similar to his sister's but this is far from it.

She gestures towards her balcony where chairs surrounding a small table are. Both of them sit on opposite sides silently taking in the ocean view for a while.

"Why so sweet today? You even smiled at me." Ofcourse he is curious as to why the arrogant, smartmouth bitch is actually being nice towards him for the first time.

"You're a guest." She states while watching the waves hit the sand and mutters the next part under her breath "My father would kill me if I did what I actually want to." But he hears her, confirming his suspicions. Instead of watching the ocean, Jett's attention is on Jenna's face. How her smile is now a more genuine one, her face more relaxed and her body less rigid. She loves the ocean.

Jett isn't clueless. He knows Jenna's living with a mask of false confidence. Masking her fear with arrogance. He still remembers the emptiness he had seen in her eyes the first time the two met or crashed in the corridors of the school. He knows all too well what empty eyes look like. What eyes filled with pain and grief look like.

When the silence becomes too heavy,  he breaks it. "What's on your mind?" 

She replies absent-mindedly, not knowing she is actually letting her thoughts slip past her lips.

"The ocean holds so many secrets. But appears so calm and collected." the envious side of hers was now obvious in both her voice and on her face.

"Why is everyone so scared of you?" This time it was Jenna's turn to question him.

"Are you scared?"

"You can't answer my question with another one, you know that's not how it works."

"Alright then... I guess it's because ..." for some reason he doesn't want her to know the cruel things he's done to the students who've crossed him or about his other activities. 

"I appear threatening and I'm rude. So, are you scared?"

She bites her inner cheek still facing the ocean. She is scared, Marlene had told her that Jet put a couple of students in the hospital just for angering him. He's capable of violence, something she has to avoid every day. But she also knows that admitting she is scared would make him even more of an asshole.

"No." she says in a strong voice in an attempt to convince him. 

"Are you sure? You were scared shitless just because I was going to open the basement door and you're telling me that you're not scared of me?"

Jenna's mood and body swiftly change from the relaxed one to her usually guarded and rigid one. Her anger clearly evident on her face as she turns to face Jett the first time since they sat down.

"You don't know me! Why don't you just mind your own business!" She yells, storming out of her room. As she walks back to the dining room, she glances at her wristwatch and sighs in relief as there is only a minute left to the 30 minutes being over in other words, spending alone time with an egotistical asshole has come to an end.

Jett frowns realizing her mask's back. He stands up following her to the dining room.