HIDDEN

CHAPTER FIVE

JASMINE HASTINGS

After Lorenzo dropped me off at my house, I thought about the whole incident with Danica lying about Clair not wanting to take the spot when she did want to.

As always her dreams are always crushed by the devil herself. She's the worst human being to exist. Why is she so rude?

At the same time though, It was nice knowing that I wasn't the only one acknowledging Clair would be a great treasurer. Lorenzo thought the same thing about her. She is true smartness for this position and she really needs to get it. I cross my fingers.

I hope Lorenzo finds a solution.

Moving on to the point. I thought it was such a strange moment meeting Lorenzo, when he's nowhere to be caught around in the campus. I hardly see him but I know of him— particularly everyone knows of him. He is popular, and he is the vice president. The school is always mentioning him.

Can I confess this? I think at some point I had a mini crush on him sophomore year... before I found out that he was Nathaniel's best friend, of course. Which was so weird... especially after what happened at the library.

He was acting very strange, the eye contact he gave me as he was trying to tell me a message that I couldn't quite get. It was like he was afraid of me. If it was because of Danica, I swear, she needs to get over it. I don't like him anymore, it's all in the past. He's nothing, it was just like a short thing that existed in my world of delusion.

I'm so over this old drama that I didn't even know it existed.

"Jazzy you're home?" I heard my mother burst in, coming from the kitchen. Looking down at my dripping clothes that are draining through the floor as I stepped inside. I sighed.

Great.

"Oh my gosh, you're all drained. How bad was it raining?" my mother questioned worried as always.

"A lot." I answered as I walked past her, "I'm going to shower ok? I'll be right down." I said as I walked past her, going up to my room.

As I shut down the door behind me, I blew out a breath.

Being home is never easy, especially when me and my mother don't have a great relationship. When my dad moved out, it was like a missing piece of a puzzle you can't find anymore. Everything was different. Having to pick between living with the both of them was difficult. It wasn't fair. Especially when seeing the hurt in my fathers eyes. I wanted to go with him but I couldn't just leave. I only stayed because I had already started my future at school, I also had Clair, I couldn't just leave everything behind.

Getting clothes out of my drawer, I stepped into the bathroom, letting the warmth water run by as I stripped down my puddle of clothes and hopped in.

------

The next morning was different. The clouds were a very cloudy grey sky. The bus arrived so late that I was for the first time late to class. It was like my day has just been switched with such bad time.

I blame the bus, if it wasn't for it to come so late, I wouldn't have to be walking shamelessly to my first period at all. The whole class stared at me and it was the most embarrassing thing to experience in that moment.

but I'm now on lunch so it really doesn't matter because half of my day is already over and I'm ready to go home and lock myself in the room and just suffer from humiliation.

"so you're telling me that you took a ride home in Lorenzo's car because you missed the bus?" Clair asked as I stuffed a curly fry into my mouth.

I nodded, "and what? there wasn't no other particular reason because you do know we have a second bus that rushes over in case it rains or something that causes people to miss it. People like you" she cleared out.

"Huh?" I asked in confusion because I did not know that. How did I not know that?

"Yes they do, so just admit it. You just wanted to go inside Lorenzo's car" she wiggled her eyebrows with a smirk on her face. I huffed at her, "What? No! It wasn't like I wanted to, I had to. The opportunity was there so I took it. I wasn't going to walk home in the rain either, You know I live far" I stated and she rolled her eyes, not believing a word I said.

"But you did have a choice. You could've called me. I have a car too." she said and she got me there, I totally forgot she did but in that moment I was just so caught up with the whole missing the bus and him.

"so do you have a crush on him now?" she asked and thats where I snapped,

"What? okay--you're talking crazy now." I said crossing my arms together, she laughed, "but you're not denying it." she pointed out and I rolled my eyes.

"I do not have a crush on him!" I whispered-shouted. Even though I used to.

"well, what did you guys do?-- talk about?" she corrected and I sighed taking another piece of a curly fry and stuffing it into my mouth, "well actually, it was about you." I said and she furrowed her eyebrows, "me? what?" She asked in confusion, I nodded, "yeah, it was about you." I said as I finished swallowing my curly fry, then taking a sip of my drink.

"what about exactly?" She asked, getting focused and serious.

"Now you're calm." I said sarcastically and she scoffed under her breathe, "shut up" she said

"but it was just about how he was actually the one who asked Danica to tell you to be treasurer," I said, but continued, "and apparently she told him that you said, you didn't have time for that." I finished.

"that bitch." she angered.

"Lorenzo however, said that he's going to find a way to make you treasurer now that he found out Danica lied. So you're going to be seeing him around." I smiled, teasingly.

"Oh my god, "Her eyes widen with a smile. "I am so honored to be the topic of your guys conversation—I mean I can't believe I'm going to be treasurer. All thanks to you. I'm really glad you got into the car with him, Jazmine. I really am" she squealed, happily.

as I was about to say something, she pauses me, "you know have I ever told you that you have such good taste since Nathaniel." She squinted at me with a glare and I stumble back, throwing her a piece of my curly fry.

"He's not even--"

and just like that, with a twist of a turn, I couldn't believe this day was just going to get better with such surprises and exotic because there she stood with a look that almost looked deadly right at me. Her Jaw was clenched with crossed arms folded together, her eyebrows wrinkled against each other with her lips parted together so straightly and her eyes getting more scarier as I stared.

Danica.