Fire and Freedom - Book One of the Café Latte Trilogy

Chapter Thirteen - Jasper

Chapter Thirteen – Jasper

"I can't do it."

"Yes, you can," Ross replied, pushing me out of the door. I felt a bolt of anxiety that he was going to drive off, but he got out of the car with me. He walked with me, half-leading me to the school gates, and then he smiled. "I know you can do this."

I squeaked in response.

Cyri and Tom rushed up to me with Rory, having been waiting for me. "Hey!" Tom said cheerfully, shooting Ross a thankful look that I didn't miss. "You clean up good!"

I smiled a little. "You, too."

"Hey, if you get bored in class you can always just take some of your pain meds and start tripping balls," Rory grinned, and then looked at Ross and did a double take. "Wait, isn't this the guy you-"

"Please do not," I groaned, turning him around and pushing him into the gates. "Go on ahead, I have to tell the reception I'm back in anyway, and you're going to be late."

"Alright, alright," Rory laughed easily. "Come on then, we'll walk to you reception."

I nodded, but when I tried to walk through the gates I started shaking and my throat began to close up. Instinctively I took a step backwards and tried to calm down, gripping my bag tightly for some form of support.

"Jazz?" Rory asked, frowning. "Are you alright?"

Before I could reply, I heard Ross suddenly say, "It's fine. I'll deal with it."

"I'm fine," I managed to say.

"Go to class," Ross said to Rory. "He'll catch you up."

Rory shot a look at me, and then sighed, nodding. "Fine - but if you're not there within five minutes of me getting there, I'm coming back out here to find you."

As I watched him walk off, I waited for Ross to say something. It wasn't until Rory was out of earshot that he said, "Jasper, you can't run away from it."

"I want to, though," I said shakily. "I just...I know it's pathetic. Lots of people get into fights. I just don't want to see him again."

"I know," Ross said, and I reluctantly turned around to see his face. "But you're going to get inside that school and do well, and then you're going to come home and take some deep breaths."

I swallowed. "I don't...I don't know what I should do."

"Do what everyone does when they're down," Ross shrugged. "Smile and pretend it's all fine. Then go to Café Latte and relieve Lucie. She's been worrying about you for days. And then grab a drink and go to Fruits."

I smiled slightly. "Is that an invitation?"

"If you like," Ross said, grinning. "But only if you go to school and do your work."

"You're not going for your Italian man tonight?" I asked him, raising my eyebrows.

He looked at me, and the corners of his mouth twitched. "He wasn't as good as I was expecting. I ended up missing this blond brat that won't do what he's told."

I resisted the urge to smile, and simply turned around so he couldn't see the expression on my face. "Maybe I'll see you there."

"Have a good day at school, and call me if you need anything, okay?" he asked. I blushed, wishing my face didn't light up with obvious signs of when I was crushing on someone, and nodded. He smiled, and leaned in, tilting my jaw up with his fingers delicately so he could kiss me. I closed my eyes, completely taken by surprise, enjoying the moment despite the slight sting from my split lip. My heart was now pounding, but at least it wasn't from anxiety.