Beautifully Designed

Chapter Four-Want to Play a game?

It was ten o'clock at night as I lay on my bed listening to Annie. We usually talk every night to catch up on things since I only saw her at lunch and English. Somehow, we've remained very close friends through all of middle and high school.

"So did you see him today?" Annie asked over the phone as I sprawled out.

"Hmm?" I veered, knowing who she meant.

"The new guy! He's just so hot!" Annie gushed as I rolled my eyes.

"Annie, you have a boyfriend." I replied, picking at my duvet.

Annie was always having little crushes on guys at our school, but she never dated them. The excuse, "He's so immature" has come up more than once, so she stuck to college guys.

"Yeah, but he's so immature." She muttered, voicing my thoughts and making me laugh.

"Whatever you say Annie, but I'm going to bed. Night." I said tiredly, and we both hung up.

I made my way downstairs for a snack when I heard quiet sniffling. Groping for the light switch, I flipped it to see my mom's short blonde hair spread out on the counter, head in arms.

"Mom?" It tugged my heart strings to see my mother cry, and a small part of me guessed the reason before I asked. "What's wrong?"

She lifted her head to reveal red, puffy eyes staring back at me. "Nothing honey, your brother called, that's all."

My thoughts were confirmed. My brother, Elias, was recently sent to jail for a drunk driving hit-and-run a few months ago. The boy he hit was severely hurt, and Elias only got one year behind bars. The fact that it wasn't rolled as manslaughter gave him a leg up. As well as my dad being the judge, but, what can I say? Elias was only twenty one years old and halfway through college, yet he already had a felony.

The whole accident has been hard on us all, but especially my mother. Elias has always been a mama's boy, and when she found out what happened she was devastated.

"When will he get out?" I chose my words carefully, as not to set off a fresh wave of tears.

"Two more months to go." Mom rubbed the apex of her eye and took a deep breath, "Enough about this, did you want to talk?"

"No, I just came down for some water." I lost my appetite after seeing her so broken, it made me want to curl up with her. Silently, I got a small glass of water and went upstairs after calling out a goodnight.

When I first got news that my brother hit someone, and possibly killed them, there was a part of me that hated him so much, and the other part hated myself. I was a factor in the whole crime; I knew Elias was sneaking out that night to go to a party, but I didn't do anything about it. Of course he didn't have to sneak out but he still lived here, so my parents' rules still applied.

Once we stopped hearing word of the boy's condition, we all assumed he was dead. The past six months have been a blur of school and...wondering. Is he okay? Who was he? Did I ever meet him? What are his parents doing right now? Did he have any siblings? A girlfriend? All the questions assaulted me every night I lay in bed, restlessly stirring. And I wasn't even the one driving that night.

*****

I trudged to homeroom the next morning once I arrived at school, we only had it once a week. So, once a week I could sleep for an hour or watch the back of Chase's head. Most of the times I stared at him, but when I felt as if it was a bit creepy I would try to read instead.

The first thing I noticed upon walking through the doorway was a familiar, yet unfamiliar, new face, sitting next to my seat. As I was setting my books down, it finally hit me; this flawless face sitting next to me was Jason.

As if sensing my stare he turned his green orbs upon me. I froze, unsure of what exactly to do. His brow furrowed in confusion, then his expression softened a moment later.

"Spencer, correct?" Jason asked politely, his voice low and questioning.

"Yes." I managed, but continued to study his features. He met my stare with the same curiosity, but didn't say anything.

"Hey! Jason!" Terri Weisz, Jared's sister, bounced up to him. My face felt a little warm as I tore my gaze from his and sat down. "I didn't know you were in my homeroom, this is great!" Terri rattled on, sitting on the other side of Jason.

"Hello Terri, how are you?" Jason asked.

She giggled and mimicked his tone, "I'm good and how are you Jason?"

He either didn't realize what she was doing or was just didn't care, but either way he turned to face the front of the room. After a moment she gave a little huff that he didn't answer.

I couldn't help the goofy smile that tugged on the corner of my lips. Well, at least someone put her in her place.

"What are you happy for?" I didn't realize Jason was speaking to me until he leaned forward and his broad physique filled my peripheral.

"Why do you think I'm happy?" I turned to face him. Who talks like that?

"You smiled, does that not mean you are happy?" He cocked his head to the side, making him look so engaging. The image burned in my brain, as I stared, dumbfound, not sure what to say.

"I-yo-...Some people smile because they are happy, and some people smile because they laugh." I said slowly, looking anywhere but his green depths. I didn't want to get lost in those again.

"Well if you are not happy, then why are you laughing?" The remark would have sounded so cocky coming from someone else, but the way he said it made it sound like he was just learning this.

"I-I don't remember." I said honestly.

He didn't seem quite satisfied with my answer, but he continued to stare. My face began to warm up again, but I stared right back.

"You still never told me how you do that." Jason slowly reached his hand up to my face, but before he could brush it Terri had grabbed his other arm and pulled him upright.

"Let's go to the library, I'm so bored." She grumbled, tugging him with her.

I watched them go, relief that Terri was gone but sadness that Jason was taken along. He was so peculiar, there was something about him that made me want to know more. He always sounded so intellectual and kind, almost as if you could hold a conversation with him all day.

My thoughts of Jason vanished as Chase twisted in his seat to face me. "Want to play a game?" He asked, a Cheshire Cat grin on his face.

I couldn't help but smile back, my insides doing little flips. How could someone be that handsome?

What about Jason? My brain whispered thoughtfully.

Jason who?