Natalie

Something Crazy

Alright, I'm expressing Jason and Chess's love interest, so hope you enjoy it muchachos and muchachas! Helpful comments are encouraged! I'm here to learn!
- LS

Song- Spit on a Stranger- Pavement

Chapter 4: Something Crazy

My apartment is something most people wouldn't expect. Normal people have family heirlooms and photos up on display. I, however, have whatever I have left of my family in a shoebox, placed on the top shelf of my closet so I would never be tempted to look at it.

The house is clean, mostly because I don't have hobbies or a tendency to leave dirty dishes in the sink. It also smells like the soap I use, Irish Spring, which smells just as good as it sounds. I'm already in my "pajamas", which consists of a loose long-sleeved button up shirt and sweatpants.

While I place a pile of folded jeans into my bag my doorbell rings.

I peer through the peak hole, then hesitantly open the door.

"Hi," I awkwardly say, my hand rubbing the back of my neck, "Sorry I said I was sick, I assume August told you the truth."

Chess looks a bit ticked off, her ginger hair is more firey than normal. She is still wearing her nice dress, but I notice
A small blot of ketchup on her skirt.

"I can tell that your happy when your with me, so why do you avoid me?" She asks, her eyebrows lifting, "Why do you avoid anything that makes you happy?"

Her words feel like they hit me in the gut,"Now that is the million dollar question."

She gets closer to me, almost directly in front of my face but she is slightly to short, "What's your problem Jason? I know you know how I feel! Like it isn't obvious! Hell, I make it obvious on purpose! Why can't you just admit what you feel for me?"

"I want to be around you! I swear I do! You're beautiful Chess. I want to be the reason you laugh instead of some other prudish jackass. But I can't like you like that." I shout at her, my voice slightly cracks.

Chess's eyes widen, all of her anger seems to magically drift out of her as she takes my hand in hers, holding it softly, "You are so brave and quiet I forgot you were suffering."

I can't stop myself from becoming mesmerized, "What?" I lower my tone. My other hand brushes subconsciously on her satin-like cheek.

"Ernest Hemingway."

"Did you just throw a stupid quote at me?" I growl, though I'm not really annoyed at all. My face is somehow mere centimeters from hers.

"I like to throw them in whenever I get the chance." She says a bit defensively.

My mouth curls into a smile by its own accord, "That is one very good example of why I like you," I say, completely accidental. I make a shocked face the second it comes out my mouth.

"So you do like me?" She says questionably. Her face began to hover dangerously close to my own, and my body is resisting my pleas to pull back.

"No, I mean yes! I mean, I don't know," I stutter.

"Give me a one word answer," her piercing blue eyes were staring into whatever I had left of a soul.

I stay silent.

She frowns, pulls away, and turns with an intent to leave. Her beautiful, fire red hair lightly tickles my nose as it swoops by my face.

For the first time in my life, I do something crazy.

I grab her arm and pull her back into me. Quickly and unexpectedly my mouth is on hers. I kiss her desperately, because she's the only thing that's keeping me from falling apart.

I grip her tightly around her waist pulling her up so its child's play for our lips to touch, and in return she grips me around the neck, melding with my every move like a figure skater melds with the music. Her hands inch up into my black hair, and she pushes it and pulls it as she pleases.

I break away, slowly, so I can look into her eyes again. They were wide and sparkling, though she looked out of breath and, frankly, a bit shocked.

I tilt my head and press my lips against hers one last time, just for a second, then I look back at her.

"Any questions?" I ask.

She shakes her head, a tad bit in disbelief my guess, "I'd got to say, your feelings are very clear now. " she jokes and runs her hand through my hair.

I smile, and pull myself away. A bit shaken myself, I tussle my onyx- black hair into what I assume is its original position.

In a sudden flash I remember what I'm going to do tomorrow, "I know this is going to be a huge mood-kill but, I'm leaving tomorrow morning to go to.... a job meeting thing." Probably best not to tell the girl you like about your questionably moral side-career.

She frowns, and questions my vitality, "A job meeting thing? Where?"

My hand goes up and rubs the back of my neck, our relationship is finally going somewhere and I already have to lie, "it's in Austria."

"I thought you were a history teacher."

"It's a school trip, it won't be more than a week or two." Or possibly longer.

"Well," she inches towards the door, looking flustered, "then I'll see you when you get back or something."

"Chess-" I say, finally able to manage my composure, my hand drops back to my side, "do you want to help me pack? I have a bottle of wine and a large pizza coming in 20 minutes or so, and, no matter how hungry I feel, I probably won't eat the whole thing."

She stops in her tracks, "Alright."