A year to remember

8. Sam

Chemistry was already my fifth least favourite subject. Yes, I was sitting behind Jared, but unfortunately for me, he was sitting next to Scarlett. So, naturally, she got all of his attention and I had to babysit the ditsy cheerleader beside me. At least I could take in his godly form from behind. 

His muscles rippled underneath his pale blue t-shirt today. His arms were lightly tanned, the sunlight catching the golden hairs along his arm and making them shine and glitter in the sexiest way possible. He wore a thick silver ring on his right hand, his fingers long and slender, absent-mindedly twirling a pen between them.

"Hey Scar, I was thinking we should hit up Betty's tonight. You in?" Jared asked casually and my ears pricked up at the sound of his voice and the mention of the Burger joint the elite usually visited. I noticed the cheerleader beside me perk up too. She leaned forward in her chair, as though she were interested in the class, when really she was leaning forward to better hear Jared and Scarlett's low conversation. What an amateur. 

"No, I can't," Scarlett replied simply without looking at him. She was focused on the task at hand. I'm not sure what she found interesting about 'chemical fundamentals: structure, properties and reactions' but it had her attention and Jared didn't. 

"Got plans?" He asked, turning to face her. She ignored him, looking straight ahead, a feat that I found impossible. A knowing smile spread across his face and I melted with lust at the sight. I wondered how long it would be until they finally listed him as the eighth wonder of the world.

"Hot phone sex with Tyler?" He teased. Tyler, of course, was the college boy Scarlett had been dating since Junior year. 

"Shut-up!" She smacked his arm away, but not in a flirtatious, playful way that most girls did, but in an annoyed way. Like she actually wanted him to leave her alone so she could remain focused on the teacher. How odd. I couldn't imagine anyone smacking Jared away like that, and yet here she was, doing just that.

Jared only smiled broader, like he enjoyed getting a rise out of her. The cheerleader shifted slightly in her seat, no doubt uncomfortable with another girl getting Jared's attention. She must have been one of his past conquests. Of course she was; almost every girl in the school was.

"Come on, Scar. You never come out." Jared complained. I would do anything that boy asked me to do, and I would do it in a heartbeat. 

"That's because you always decide to go out when I already have other plans. Maybe you should ask me more than a few hours before its time to go."

"You know I don't make plans that early, Scar." Jared laughed, like this was common sense. Of course he was spontaneous. 

"I need more notice, otherwise I'll keep saying 'no'." Scarlett retorted, clearly still trying to focus on the lesson. 

He leaned back in his chair, and I watched, almost although it were happening in slow motion, as he casually lifted the pen he was twirling between his ring-clad fingers to his lips and bit down on it gently. The cheerleader beside me let out an involuntary, soft moan. Scarlett however, remained unaffected. 

"Okay, next weekend?"

"No," she replied quickly.

"What?" he said, a little loudly. The teacher looked his way and he rewarded her a quick smile.

"Oh," the teacher seemed to stutter over her words. Was she surprised that Jared was paying attention in her class, or was she too under his spell and found it difficult to talk in his presence? "I was just saying-"

"It's okay, miss. I get it now," he smiled again and the teacher turned her attention back to the class. 

Scarlett turned her body away from his, covering her face with her hand and letting her hair fall down across her back. Jared regarded her for a moment. I bet he wasn't used to having girls turn their backs on him. In fact, I was quite certain that no girl had turned her back on him intentionally before. 

Jared started prodding her with his ring-clad finger, slowly, then with increasing persistence until Scarlett spun around, her green eyes and perfect eyebrows creased with annoyance. But Jared continued their conversation on with ease, seeming unfazed that she was clearly annoyed with him. 

"Why not?" he asked, his voice low again, the conversation intended only for her. "That's a week away. How much more notice do you need?"

"That's Mila's party," Scarlett replied. I made a mental note of that and I could see the cheerleader smiling slyly to herself, no doubt concocting a plan to get herself invited.

"Oh yeah," he smiled again. "That's gonna be wild."

The cheerleader intentionally dropped her pen off the front of her desk. 

"Oops," she gasped, and I had to stop myself rolling my eyes at her obvious cry for attention. It was a smart segway into their conversation though, I had to give her that.

Jared leaned down casually to pick her pen up, and I was rewarded with a flash of tanned, toned skin as his shirt hiked up briefly. I could have fainted at the sight it. He swung back lightly on his chair, passing the cheerleader her pen.

"Here you go," he said, passing it to her.

"Thank you so much," she smiled, leaning forward on her elbows, pushing her breasts forward for him to see. Of course she did, because what boy could resist boobs in his face.

Jared flashed her a charming smile and rewarded her with a quick wink. Then he turned his attention straight back to Scarlett and I internally cheered as the sullen cheerleader sat back in her chair, deflated. 

As the bell rang, signalling the end of class, I could see the cheerleader beside me pack her things up quickly and stand up, her eyes on the prize. Unfortunately for her, Scarlett spoke first, so she had to patiently wait her turn for Jared's attention.

"Hey, I've been meaning to ask," Scarlett said in a low voice as she slowly packed her things away. She looked up and met Jared's expectant eyes. "How did it go Saturday?"

 Jared let out a low sigh and ran his fingers through his hair.

"It was weird." He said after a beat. "I've never seen her like that. She still isn't sleeping."

Who were they talking about? I waited patiently for them to let a name slip, to give this story further context.

"Jake was there. He even went back and got her shoes and bag for her. He had to go to the hospital to have his shoulder looked at properly, so he was there the next day handing them in and giving his statement."

It had to be the new student, Jake Crawford, that they were talking about. And Alyssa, who had asked him how his shoulder was doing and blamed herself for his injury. But what was he doing with her shoes and bag? And what did they mean by 'giving his statement'?

"He's a good guy," Jared said, obviously impressed. "Like, a really good guy."

"I saw his face," Scarlett added. "That must have taken some guts. God, I'm just so glad he was there to save her."

Then it slowly hit me. Alyssa must have been mugged! And Jake Crawford, the perfect hero, had saved her.

They finished packing their books away and slowly stood up.

"Hey, I've been meaning to ask," Jared said slowly, a mischievous smile playing at the corners of his lips. "How did it go Saturday?" He then he raised his eyebrows suggestively, and I could only infer he was talking about Tyler.

Scarlett laughed lightly and smacked him again. But this time, I noticed, it was playful and flirtatious.