Chapter 12: Chapter 12

There was one thing I learned today: never trash a guy’s car; he’ll see you as more attractive than anything else.

Which was only half true, since if I trashed anyone else’s car – especially a car as old as Jesse’s – they would have went at me with a butcher’s knife. That would have been a tragic ending for me.

All I knew was that Jesse’s response had me wishing that I could read minds. But at the same time I didn’t, since he probably had vivid images in his head that would make professionals run away in sheer terror.

There was one room in the whole school I knew Jesse wouldn’t step one foot in – especially during lunch – and that was indeed the library. I didn’t know what I liked most about it, either the atmosphere where people were silently eavesdropping on hushed conversations or the thrill of being told to shut up constantly. Either way, it felt safer than I could imagine.

But all good things had to end sometime.

A book – a thick one by the looks of it – landed with a thud beside me. I turned and saw that someone had intentionally pushed it forward from the other aisle, and before I could start arguing for no reason, Katrina’s face appeared.

“What is going on?” She asked quietly, worry very clear in her features.

I set my things down and turned fully, so that her and I were facing each other through the empty space in the bookcase. “What are you talking about?”

“Uh, duh. It’s obvious, you guy’s seem to be the most cutest couple throughout the entire country.”

I made it a point to mimic her tone. “Uh, duh. I still have no idea what you’re talking about.”

She rolled her eyes, and moved another book so that she could see more. “Jesse is going around saying that you and him—”

Due to my lack of patience, I had jumped to conclusions, and yelled before she even finished. “He’s what?”

A librarian appeared at the end of my aisle immediately, and gave me a look that I usually gave to people who annoyed me. It was terrifying that such a nice woman could muster up such an expression. “Shh!”

I smiled nervously and nodded. When she left I turned back to Katrina. “What is he saying?”

“That the little ‘scene’ in the hallway earlier, was you agreeing to go out with him.”

I clenched my fist, and automatically started looking through my stuff for a pocketknife. Not that I carried one on me, but I needed something.

“What’re you doing?” By now, there was a huge gap in the bookcase, and Katrina was small enough to fit through easily so that she could see across.

I glanced at her. “That was far from what we were even talking about. And to be honest, if he thinks he could lie like that, then he’s dead.”

I stood up and started walking away. Katrina’s barely audible footsteps followed me from the other aisle. “You can’t just kill him!”

This time, the librarian shot her a glare, but only before we walked out the library. “He’s lying. That ‘scene’ in the hallway, was him meeting me after I mutilated his car at the beach.”

Her jaw dropped, but a small smile started form soon after. “Well no wonder he’s after you, you’re acting like a delinquent.”

I narrowed my eyes at her, but I had to admit she was right. Since when did I total cars? Or, hate someone as if they set my house on fire with my imaginary dog inside? Or much rather, trash someone’s car because they bugged me to no extent?

Never. I had never acted like a criminal before I started talking to Jesse.

“Where is he?”

She sighed. “Maybe you’re just overreacting.”

“Where is he, Katrina?” I asked again.

“The field, in the back of the school.” I started to head back to the doors, but before I could exit through them her voice filled the halls again. “Don’t try to do anything stupid!”

I don’t even need to try these days.

When I walked out, I saw him – right on cue though. It appeared as if he had just departed from his group of friends and was walking back inside alone while the others took another route.

It was when he looked up that a smile started to play at the edges of his lips. He had stopped, and stuffed his hands in his pockets and bowed his head a little so that I could see most of his face behind his hair. “Why, what’s the occasion this time, darling?”

I laughed humorlessly, and shot him a glare. My stuff fell to the floor loudly, and I whacked him hard on the arm with my book. “What’s wrong with you?”

He backed up slightly, and held his hands up. “What’d I do now?”

“Oh, you don’t know? You don’t recall telling everyone lies? Do you not realize how bad I want to choke you right now?” All he did was smile again, and I had to be honest, it was driving me mad.

He knew I was losing my temper, but it didn’t stop him from leaning toward my face and whispering, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

I crossed my arms, unfazed. “You’re doing this because of what I did, aren’t you? Because of your car?”

He shrugged. “What does it matter?”

“What does it matter?” I repeated to myself, before whacking him again, making him look at me as if he were annoyed. “Really, Jesse? I thought we were past this.”

“I never said I was.”

I went in to hit him again, but he caught the book in his hand and refused to let go. “Cut it out.”

I laughed again. “Or what?”

His response startled me, enough to say that I was on the verge of having a heart attack. He tugged on the book – not gently – but roughly, and made me stumble forward so that I was in his face again. The book dropped to the floor, making an awkward noise. Jesse’s hand had released it easily, and caught my wrist with ease. What made my fingers seep into my skin in rage was that our noses touched – indicating that the proximity was far too high for my liking. The difference between what happened earlier in the hall and now, was that there was something serious in Jesse’s eyes – the rare shade of sapphire I had seen before.

“Or I’ll shut you up,” he answered, staring right at me.

I was scared to ask how. I would have kneed him then and there, but then I processed his words more thoroughly.

I opened my mouth to talk, but nothing came out. For the first time in a long time, I was rendered speechless.

He saw that, and half-smiled, more than obviously amused. This time, he smoothly let go of me, and stepped aside so he could walk past me. I stood there, unmoving.

Though, before he could completely leave, I spun around and stared him down. “Why are you telling everyone that anyway?”

He merely glanced at me, and looked around – thinking. All he did in the end was look back at me, a smirk on his lips. “Because it’s the truth.”

I scoffed. “How is it the truth?”

“You already act like we’re together. I mean…you ruined my car because I was with someone else.”

I took a step toward him, my expression tired. “I don’t know what kind of vibe I gave you, but I didn’t—”

“Didn’t what? You did it because I was with someone else, did you not?”

I hesitated. “Well, yeah—”

“Then there’s not much to argue about.”

He turned to walk away, but I stepped forward and spoke before he could disappear in the school. “So you’re just going to walk off and pretend that we’re a couple, because you’re desperate?”

He turned to me, his eyes serious but his expression playful. “Who ever said we were pretending?”

And again, I stood there speechless. If I had a chainsaw I sure as Hell would have used it by now. “You really are desperate, aren’t you?”

He looked away for a second. “Maybe. But it’s not my fault you have a habit of playing hard to get.”

I laughed. “I’m not playing hard to get. I really don’t like you.”

His expression became amused, as if he was really trying to hold back his laughter. “You’re lying.”

“No, I’m not. I’m being serious.”

He fixed the collar of his jacket and turned around – ignoring me. “Whatever you say, Carson.”

“Jesse!” I had stomped my foot like ten year old.

He went through the doors.

“Son of a—”

In a state of rage and anger, I clutched my stuff in my hands as I picked them up from the floor.

Three cheers for sweet revenge. But this encounter had Jesse winning in points.

Two things that I needed went through my mind when I shoved open the doors and went into the building: anger management and desperate need of counseling.