Jo
"YESTERDAY, WE TALKED about how some human genetic disorders can be ascribed to the inheritance of single gene traits orâ" Miss Kate taps the whiteboard and circles the word 'Non-disjunction' repeatedly. "âsome distinct chromosomal changes such as Non-disjunction."
I look down at my table and circle the word in my textbook with a red pen. I flip to the next page and look back up when the door to the class bursts open. Craig Johnston strides in like a man who owns the world. As usual, he's putting on the swim captain varsity jacket and it makes me wonder if he never takes it off. He glances around like he's looking for someone and then has the nerve to smirk when he meets my glare.
"Craig, you're late." Our AP biology teacher says with a pointed look and he nods.
"I'm sorry. Practice took longer than normal today," he says like he's truly sorry.
A girl next to me swoons and rests her chin on her palm while staring at him. She probably thinks he's Jesus and doesn't know how much of a dick he is.
Miss Kate nods and waves him away. "Take a seat."
He sashays over to my row and to his luck and my misfortune, there's an empty seat right behind me. He pushes his table and chair forward until I can feel the edge of his table against the back of my chair and then he decides to take a seat.
I'm fuming without even realizing it. A few students turn to us and look away as Miss Kate drones on and I move my chair forward but it makes a screeching sound that disrupts the flow of her teaching. Heat floods my cheek immediately she and the rest of the class turn to me and she raises a brow.
"Everything okay there?"
I nod and look away, hoping all the attention can move away from me as fast as possible. It does but I'm still not satisfied because I'm not far away from Craig enough. His legs spread out from under his table and kicks mine. I turn my head around as slowly as possible and find him staring at me with a raised brow and a smirk as if asking me what I'll do about it.
"Stop it," I whisper harshly and turn back around. But that's the thing with Craig. He never really listens.
The first time I noticed him was in junior year. I'd just joined this class and he wasn't invisible like I was. Far from it. Instead, he was smart, easygoing and I thought he was really cool. Then I found out he was in the swim team and he'd offered to help me study for an exam. I had no idea it was all a facade and he sucked me in. And I fell pathetically.
"Any of you research those disorders like I told you to?" Miss Kate asks bringing my attention back to the class and no one raises their hand. I did but the last thing I'll do is raise my hand to answer a question in class.
"No one?" She looks round and folds her arms. Craig kicks my feet again and it takes every ounce of self-control not to snap at him.
"Alright then. I'm just going to ask," she says and I slouch on my seat.
"Tay-sachs disease?"
A girl's hand is up. Miss Kate nods. "Autosomal recessive."
Miss Kate smiles and leans against the table. "Oh, so you actually did a research? Meaning you all did and refused to speak up, right?"
The rest of the class groans and shoots the girl a glare and she shrinks back in her seat.
Miss Kate points at another girl. "Color blindness?"
She shrugs as she responds. "Sex-linked recessive."
"Huntington's disease?"
Craig shoots his hand up and traps my feet between his. I try my best to wiggle away but he doesn't let me.
"Yes Craig?"
"Autosomal dominant," he says gaining another round of swoons around the class. "It requires just one parent to pass the defective gene on a chromosome.."
Okay, so maybe he's still smart but that doesn't change anything.
The girl who swooned earlier finishes up for him. "Rather than a sex chromosome."
"That's good," Miss Kate says, feeling impressed and the girl briefly writes her number in a sheet of paper and tosses it over to Craig.
I almost scoff as I sink back on my seat and finally force my legs out of his grip.
"Anyone knows what it does?"
Craig pushes my chair a little too hard and the noise brings the attention of the whole class back to me again. I want the ground to open and swallow me up.
"Josephine? You have an answer?"
I proceed to shaking my head in the negative even though I know the answer but the douchebag behind me speaks up. "Yes, she just told me."
I ball my hands into fists and release a harsh breath. There goes my invisibility.
"Alright then. Josephine?"
I sigh and straighten on my seat. Everyone's eyes are on me. I ignore them and turn to the teacher.
"It's a hereditary, brain disorder that's progressive and is associated with the loss of nerve cells in the basial ganglia. Consequently, it inhibits movement, cognitive ability and causes disturbances in patterns of emotions and behavior."
Miss Kate nods in approval and I lean back on my seat and sigh in relief. "Josephine Pryce? Is that right?"
"Yes," I mumble and look down at my textbook.
She leans away from the table and stands upright, before going back to the lesson. I discreetly hide my phone inside my textbook and when she's not looking, I briefly shoot Flynn a text.
Jo: Where are you?
His response comes five minutes after.
Flynn: Swimming pool
I frown immediately I read his text. A hundred and one thoughts are running through my mind since he's no longer on the team but a shove from behind makes me tighten my fingers around my phone. I was with Craig for about five months and I know how persistent he is. This is the last period today and immediately the bell rings, I have no doubt that he'll follow me to wherever I'm going just to talk to me.
Flynn's reply is suddenly perfect. I hadn't gotten back to him yesterday because I'd been thinking about his offer. But now, with the boy behind me, unabashedly grazing his foot behind my leg, my mind is made up. So as soon as the bell rings and everyone stands up to pack their bags, I quickly shoot him my response before Craig can yank my seat back.
Jo: Perfect.
I get to my feet abruptly as though the seat burns and I shove my textbook and every other stationery on the table into my bag.
"Remember to turn in your assignments before the next class," Our teacher announces as we file out.
Craig is following closely behind me as I march into the hallway, past the throng of people and get to my locker.
"What do you want?" I ask without looking at him as I shove my locker open. He reaches out and closes it back immediately and I flinch without realizing it.
"What else?" he asks haughtily and I tighten my grip on the straps of my bag and turn to him.
"What?"
He grins. A naughty grin I want to slap away from his face. "What are you doing tonight?"
Christ, he's unbelievable. I turn around and walk past him. "Stuff."
"Like what?" He's hot on my heels. He doesn't let me respond because he falls into line with me until we're walking side by side. "Spend the night with me, today."
I laugh in disbelief and take a turn, hoping the swim arena comes closer than I envision it to be. "I'd be insane to do that."
"It's not like you haven't done it before," he bites back and I narrow my eyes at him.
"And I regret every minute of it."
He raises a brow, unaffected and then he starts to grin again. "What 'stuff' are you doing tonight?" He asks, ignoring my statement.
"Hanging out with someone."
"Who?"
"The man of my dreams."
He stops in his tracks and I smirk inwardly as I approach the door to the arena. He laughs like it's funny, crouches and places his hands on his knees and laughs like I've cracked a joke.
"You Josephine? You have a boyfriend?" He laughs condescendingly and cocks a brow but I don't react. I push the door to the arena open and walk in.
"And why are we heading to the arena? You're that desperate to see me swim again, aren't you?" He asks and tugs me back by the arm.
I abruptly turn around and glare at him. "He's not going to appreciate you putting your hands on me."
His expression darkens. "You're serious?"
"Very." I snatch my arm away from his and turn around, letting out a ragged breath as I do so. I look round and quickly spot Flynn leaning against the railing in front of the bleachers. He's wearing a black Tee as usual and dark pants. Plus a black cap I've not seen on him before and he's wearing it backwards. His back is to us and his attention is on the large swimming pool ahead.
There are a few girls in the pool and a ruddy freshman is sitting on the bench, looking all shades of exhausted. The Coach is a stout man with a dyed grey beard and a typical blue cap is sitting on his head. He's over six foot tall and Craig is a ridiculously spiting image of him. He blows the whistle and the girls slap their hands on the tiles.
"What the fuck is he doing here?" Craig curses under his breath, shooting heated daggers at Flynn who has no idea that we're hanging around the door.
Perfect timing.
I clear my throat and shoot him a look. "If you'll excuse me."
I turn around and leave him standing there. I head over to the bleachers slowly and approach Flynn. I've never acted before, apart from the little mermaid plays Drew, Woody and I used to act as kids which does not count right now, but I should be able to do this. I just need to pretend like I'm head over heels in love with Flynn and that's that.
As soon as I'm close enough, he still doesn't notice anyone behind him. He's staring at the pool with an expression I've never seen him wear before and his elbows are resting on the silver banister.
Okay. I tell myself. Let's do this.