The Referee

Chapter 26

JAMIE'S POV:

Great. She heard. She knows. She's going to reject me. I put my head in my hands as I sat in the back seat of the twins' car.

All these years, I had ben keeping my feelings for her a secret. I watched her get hurt by Shawn and now Jason. I watched her get bullied by Katie and Emma. 

And I did nothing.

What kind of a person was I?

Every single time she slept over at my house, I told myself I would make my move. I never did. Ever. I wimped out.

Nick knew... he was mad at first, we were still kids in eighth grade, but now he likes the idea. He wants to get us together. But she doesn't like me. She never will.

We arrived at school. Nicole got out of the car first and rushed to her locker. I had to talk to her. I ran after her and grabbed her wrist. She spun around and I noticed she seemed... confused.

"Nicole..." I started.

"Jamie, we need to talk, but not now." She said quietly, so no one could hear but me. I nodded and let go of her arm. "Chem room later, ok?" I nodded again and slumped against the wall, watching her walk away from me. She turned around a gave me a smile before she disappeared into our first class. Advanced Functions.

With Jason.

The butthead.

NICOLE'S POV

Jason slid into the seat next to me. 

"Nicole..." He started. "I'm sorry and I want you back."

I ignored him and pulled out my textbook. Flipping to the chapter we were learning today I started reading. I got a few sentences down the page until the book was snatched out of my hands. I sighed and turned to face Jason.

"I'm really not in the mood to deal with you right now." I said as calmly as I could. Reffing really prepared me for moments like this. "Please give me my book back."

"No." He said and scowled at me. "I want you back, and I'm not taking no for an answer."

"Jason, you're acting like a child. You messed up. You lied to me, you manipulated me, you cheated on me. Believe me when I say I want nothing to do with you." I snatched my book back and tried to continue reading. Jason snatched it again and threw it across the room.

"Jason!" I exclaimed. He had almost hit a small girl in the end. "What is wrong with you?!"

"Nicole, you better do as I say." He growled. "I know people who can make your life even more miserable than Katie or Emma ever did."

"That's enough." Jamie's deep voice rumbled through the room.

He walked over to me and Jason and grabbed Jason's shirt by the collar.

"She said she wants NOTHING to do with you." He told him. "So I suggest you change seats within the next five seconds or there will be an issue."

Jason went white in his face and nodded. Jamie let him go and he picked up his books, moving to the back of the classroom. Jamie took the seat Jason was in and gave my hand a squeeze. I blushed and got up to get my textbook from where it was so dangerously tossed earlier. I was almost back at my seat when I felt a hand grab my wrist and spin me around. I found myself centimeters away from Jason's face. He did the same thing as he did on Friday, smushed his face against mine. I heard wolf whistles and loud hollers as I tried to shove him off of me. I didn't have to try hard though, since once again, he was pushed off by Jamie. Jamie held his fist in the air and was about to punch his lights out, until I screamed.