[ C h a p t e r - S e v e n ]

Chapter 7

I slowly peeked out from behind the tree. I was hiding in my front yard, avoiding Jeremiah’s rage. It was 9:26 PM and I’m waiting for him to bring out the trash. When he does that, I’ll dart inside and all will be well. Well, that’s if I make it to my room.

Jeremiah exited the house, whistling cheerfully. He glanced around for my car; which I sneakily parked a block away, which is out of sight from here. When he reached the trashcan, I dived out from behind the bush and raced inside. I heard my brother’s footsteps behind me but I continued running.

When I reached the third flight of stairs, I was already tired. Sneak attacks take a lot out of you. The only thing I want to be attacking is my bed. “Come back here, Savannah!”

I whimpered as I slipped out of his grip and raced into my room, slamming my back against the door. I heard the blood pounding in my ears and my heavy breathing was the only other thing making noise in the room. I quickly locked the door before sliding my back down the wooden barrier.

I know one person scarier than Jeffrey Shaw when he’s angry.

Jeremiah Harp.

***

I sat down at the lunch table, a fresh layer of snow coating the floor lightly. I ignored it and continued opening my juice. I heard the familiar squeaking of the bench beneath someone, and that someone is Jonah.

“Hey," his cheerful voice annoyed me even more. I barely got out of the house today because of him.

My brother is still harassing me about how he thinks I have a crush on this idiot. I had to stay in my room all of Sunday, which I don’t mind much but having to have my mother squeeze a plate through the door wasn’t so pleasant. Times like these, I’m glad I have a connected bathroom.

“What?” my usual snappy retort had been long gone, now I was just being vicious.

I glanced up at him. His nose is red and his hair is blowing with the heavy winds. Snowflakes dropped onto his hair before slowly melting away. His cheeks are grazed with a light pink due to the cold. His light pink lips were pursed and his eyebrows were slightly furrowed. He’s so hot. I clenched my teeth.

Idiot, idiot, idiot. And I don't know if I'm talking about him or me.

“Did I do something wrong?” he asked as he unwrapped his burrito. I rolled my lips into my mouth and tore my gaze from him.

“Yes,” I hissed, glaring at the table.

“What did I do this time?” he asked. I felt his eyes fix on me but I ignored them as I moved my burger around on my plate. I lost my appetite, which I spent all day building up. My stomach had formed some other filler the moment I looked at Jonah and I wasn’t too happy about it.

“Well, firstly, you’re still hanging around me and it’s the third week of school for you. Secondly, you talk to my brother. And thirdly, he thinks I like you,” I tightened my grip on the ketchup packet in my hand. It threatened to pop so I loosened my grip on it, but still kept it nestled in my hand.

Jonah was silent. “Isn’t it obvious that you don’t like me?” he asked.

“Yes, but he thinks I like you," I let out an annoyed sigh.

“Liking as in a crush?” Jonah sounded amused. The idiot sounded amused. Of all things, amusement was not the right thing in this situation. My head snapped up; another wrong thing to do in this situation.

Jonah’s lips were pulled back into an open mouthed smile, revealing his white teeth. How many times does he brush them? He had a bottle of Sprite in his right hand. His left hand was under his chin. His playful eyes locked with my narrowed, angry ones; he quirked an eyebrow before running his tongue across his lips.

I shook my head before glancing back at my burger. My stomach feels weird. I think I might be getting sick. “We all know that’s not going to happen, right Savannah? You totally don't like me, right?”

I kicked Jonah in his shin at his implication. He thinks I like him. “I’m going to tell you something right now, Jonah, the reason why I’m always mean to you is because I don’t like you. Would it really make sense for me to be mean to you if I had a crush on you? I insist that you find some friends because I’m done talking to you. Stay away from me, okay?”

Instead of waiting for a reply, I opened the ketchup packet and unleashed it in his dark, fluffy hair. Fluffy? I then stormed off into the school building and to my next class.

***

Jonah didn’t sit next to me in history. Instead, he sat next to Waverly who was drooling in his presence. Jonah's hair was damp and it was obvious that he got the ketchup out, but I bet his hair still smells like it. I turned my glare from Waverly to my paper. Why was I even glaring at Waverly? She didn't do anything wrong! I wasn't the only one glaring at her, though. Lindsay was tucked in the back of the room with a sour look on her face.

Mr. G was a bit confused, too, like myself. He thought that Jonah and I were ‘besties.’ I know what I did was bad. I realized that five seconds after I did it. But then again, he would've assumed I was crazy if I dumped ketchup in his hair and then frantically apologized before helping him get cleaned up. Right now, I feel like slamming my head on a table. Why did I do that?

Francis found the pained and annoyed loook on my face amusing. He even looked happier than usual. “What happened with you and lover-boy?”

I glared at the boy in front of me, my eyes narrowed. “We were never ‘lovers’ and I told him to get lost.”

“Waverly happily found him, don’t you think?” Francis snorted as my gaze turned to Jonah and Waverly. Waverly was giggling and curling her hair around her finger. She was honestly a pretty girl, maybe she wore a bit too much eye makeup but she was pretty, nonetheless.

She had curly brown hair, unlike my frizzy, untamed brown curls, and her blue eyes were way better than my dark brown ones. Her eyes held curiosity and kindness while mine held anger and danger. Why are you comparing yourself to Waverly? She laughed at something Jonah said. I can’t see Jonah, just his back. I narrowed my eyes and glared at my desk; she didn't do anything wrong. I did this to myself. I'm the one that wrecked Jonah's fluffy hair with ketchup. He could be sitting next to me right now if I hadn't done that.

“Do I sense jealousy?” Francis laughed. I turned to him and glared at him.

“Why would I be jealous?” I asked, genuinely curious.

“You’re no longer of his interest. He’s replaced you with Waverly, who is, no doubt, hotter than you are,” he looked at Waverly before looking back at me.

“Whatever, good to know," I rolled my eyes. Me? Jealous of Waverly? For Jonah’s attention? No thank you.

***

The looks I got in the hallway were different, too. Instead of people ignoring me like they did when I was with Jonah, they were now staring at me as if I was the cover of a new Seventeen or ESPN Magazine. I even heard a few remarks, ‘Jonah finally came to his senses and ditched her.’ I also heard my fair share of, ‘Jonah’s on the market? Great.’

Their words annoyed me. I felt my anger flowing as I slammed my car door. I tossed my bag into the backseat carelessly before turning to see Francis watching me with amusement from outside of the car. I rolled down the window.

“Are you sure you’re not jealous?” I clenched my teeth as I glared down at Francis. Instead of answering him, I just pulled out of my space in the parking lot and drove onto the road, heading home.

***

Another thing that isn’t helpful is the fact that my brother still has a burning hatred against me ever since I gave him a shiner. It’s still there, just not as prominent. I still have to sneak around the house.

When I walked inside, I accidentally slammed the door out of anger. I looked over at the dining room doorway to see my brother sitting at the table, staring at me. He had a bowl of cereal in front of him and from the looks of it, it’s soggy.

I immediately panicked. I don’t know where to go. I have this huge jacket to weigh me down. It can also block out hits pretty well. Good point. My eyes darted around the living room for a place to hide.

“Calm down, I’m not mad at you anymore,” he sighed. I gave him a curious look. Is it safe? “Come here.”

I slowly walked over towards him, my feet dragging along the floor. I dropped my bag down beside the chair across from my brother. “How was school?” he asked me.

Confused with his question, I blurted out the first thing that came to mind: “Terrible.”

“Why?” My brother motioned for me to take a seat. I shed my large coat and placed it on the back of the chair before sitting down. I rested my hands on my face.

“I got into an argument,” I blew a strand of hair out of my face. My brother furrowed his eyebrows.

“With Francis? Again? Do I have to beat this kid up?” he asked protectively. I shook my head, allowing a small smile to slip onto my face.

“No, it wasn’t with Francis. It was with Jonah.” I shrugged, sitting on my right leg. My feet didn’t touch the floor. I was only 5’2”. If anybody asks though, I’m 5’3”.

“What happened?” Jeremiah inquired.

“I told him that you think I like him and he insinuated that I did, but I don’t! So I told him to stay away from me and I kicked him in the shin and then I poured a packet of ketchup on his head. So later on, he sat with Waverly instead of me,” I explained, realizing that I sounded like a first grader.

“Don’t get angry; but do you think that you might have a tiny, teensy weensy, miniscule, microscopic, diminutive, infinitesimal sized crush on him?” My brother asked, scooting away from me slightly. I glared at him, patting my pockets for hot sauce packets. I came up empty.

“Think of it this way, every day you have a little puppy following you around. This goes on for three weeks, and one day; the puppy just starts following someone else,” I explained.

“Well, maybe if you didn’t kick the puppy he would still be following you,” my brother muttered.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I snapped.

“All I’m saying is that you need to learn how to treat someone nicely, especially if they’re trying to be your friend,” my brother sighed. I glared at him. He wiggled his eyebrows. “So…does this puppy happen to be cute?”

“Bye, Jeremiah,” I told him, standing up and walking away.

“He’s cute, isn’t he?” my brother called after me.

“Bye, Jeremiah!” I shouted as I ran up the steps.