12. Kiss

The whole school was buzzing about something to do with Jordan and I was curious as to what it was.

First, this stupid Zeke and then Jordan. I guess, my life is a great mess right now.

"I don't know why Jordan would even think about coming back to school after how bad Hayden beat him up." Josh picked at his fruit salad while Clayton kept biting his Burger as if it would disappear if he didn't keep biting it.

"That was badass, man." Kyle joined in on the conversation.

Clayton was about to open his mouth when a sharp look from Allyson made him rethink and chew on his food silently.

"Do any of you know why Claire isn't with us?" Kyle asked after he was done looking around.

"Something about going with Zeke to get schoolwork which he missed." Allyson spoke with her eyes on her open book.

"Is she gonna be his secretary or something? Let the boy do stuff by himself." Clayton spoke up after completely chewing his food and showing Allyson his empty mouth, who nodded for him to talk.

"Something seems off about that guy, what do you think Hayden?" Josh looked at me and I just shrugged.

I had a lot of things on my mind but let's just keep them there.

I had occupied myself with doodling while the boys had changed their conversations to sports.

All I could think about was Claire and I would be lying if I would say that I didn't like seeing her happy. I loved seeing her happy and if that boy makes her happy, who am I to interfere.

A sigh escaped my mouth while I doodled her name on my notebook surrounded by a lot of hearts. Wow, I seem like a love-struck teenager.

"What you sighing about, Hayden?" Allyson's voice brought me out of my thoughts and I saw her smirking at me.

I shook my head and her smirk grew bigger when Kyle snatched my notebook from me and it was so sudden that I took some time to react. I stood up the moment I registered in my head what had happened.

"Ooh, Hayden wrote Claire's name in hearts." Kyle smirked and Clayton laughed followed by Josh while Allyson just kept her smirking.

You are so dead when I get my hands on you.

My eyes were like the blazing fire of hell and Kyle noticed it because the next thing I knew was that my notebook was back in front of me and he was sat beside me with his hands in his lap, looking like an innocent kid.

I rolled my eyes and sat back down.

A head full of dark brown caught my attention as I saw her walk with Zeke to a table further away from ours. I kept my eyes trained on the two and when I saw that someone else was with them, my breath hitched. My attention was only on how Jordan was smiling at Zeke and Claire while the two sat on the table which had Jordan and his friends.

"What are you looking at?" I heard Kyle ask but all my attention was on the uncomfortable girl that kept fidgeting between Jordan and Zeke.

I suddenly stood up from my seat and began to walk over to where Claire was, ignoring all the questions and shouts that came from my friends. I kept walking until I reached that table and everyone had their eyes on me in the cafeteria.

Jordan and Zeke looked at me as well while Claire had her eyes on her hands that were in her lap. Jordan stood up in a defensive posture while Zeke looked at me curiously.

I touched Claire's shoulder and she looked up at me before she frowned. I grabbed her arm and made her stand up before I dragged her away from Jordan's table. Claire just silently let me drag her to where ever I was going. Zeke shouted after us but neither I nor Claire looked back.

I exited the cafeteria with Claire and made my way towards the library which was my personal refuge.

Entering the almost empty library, I kept my hand wrapped around Claire's arm as we walked to the very back of the place.

The moment I got to the back, I pulled away my hand from Claire's. She looked at the ground and I looked at her.

I cursed myself in my head for forgetting my notebook. I got my phone out from my back pocket and typed away on it before showing it to Claire.

"Why were you with Jordan?"

Claire looked at the phone before her eyes met mine and she snatched my phone before dropping it to the carpeted floor. I looked at her with my mouth agape and was about to reach for my phone when she pushed it away with her foot.

"Now, what are you gonna do? You don't have your notebook or your phone." She stated as she began to walk closer to me. I backed away from her and she just laughed at me.

I clearly knew that she was changing the subject but what could I do about it when I didn't have my phone or my notebook.

She smirked evilly when I leapt to get my phone from the ground but her foot was neatly placed on it before I could get to it.

Cursing myself again internally, I stood up to face her. She had a victorious smirk on her face and I felt my heart melt from the beautiful view. Damn it, even in a situation like this, I think about her beauty.

I'm so whipped.

"So, what was that question again?" She asked, I shook my head and was about to walk away from her when she grabbed my arm and made me face her forcefully. When I did, I saw her smirk gone and her playful eyes replaced by sadness.

"Why don't you talk to me? Just talk, just say something." She had a pleading tone to her voice. I could only watch her with my eyes filled with the same sadness.

"I know that you can talk, Kyle told me that but I want to hear your voice by myself." She held my face in both her hands so that I couldn't even look away from her.

Our faces were so close that I could feel her breath on my lips and just like any other hormonal teenager, I only had one thing rotating in my mind at that moment.

What would her soft lips taste like?

My thoughts were broken by a sigh that escaped her lips as she began to let go of my face but my body had other plans which involved lip to lip contact.

My hand reached out to hold her waist and my other hand went to her neck when I crashed my lips onto hers in a soft and gentle kiss.

Her eyes fluttered close while my eyes flew open at the wonderful feeling, I got just from touching her lips with mine.

But just as the wonderful feeling came, it went away just like that when she pulled away breathlessly with her eyes still closed. I rested my forehead against hers and both my hands were now securely wrapped around her waist as hers were on my shoulders.

"Why did you do that?" She asked with her eyes still closed and I smiled at her before something happened that I was sure would never happen again.

"Be.... becau-se a-a kis-ss is some...something you do-oo with someone yo-ou love." My lack of speech made me internally laugh while her reaction was the complete opposite.

Her eyes flew open and widened before she giggled and hugged me tightly and I laughed. After a moment, she let go of me and blushed.

"You love me?" She asked and I nodded without any reluctance.

"I love you too." She spoke and blushed just after.

My heart swelled from her confession and I came in just to touch her lips again with mine.

Noting down something in my mind, I enjoyed our kiss and enjoyed her body in my arms.

I was definitely addicted to her.

....................................

Oblivious to someone spying on the two, Claire and Hayden kept up with their kissing while a jealous Zeke looked at the two with hatred which was completely targeted at Hayden.

Zeke was Claire's ex-boyfriend but he was her friend first and Claire never had strong feelings towards him.

Zeke had watched the whole encounter between the two and his mind began to look for ways on how to make Claire his again.

Only a single name came to his mind and his evil smile made him look like a monster.

Jordan.

First best is falling in love, second best is being in love. Least best is falling out of love. But any of it is better than never having been in love.

-Maya Angelou.