Close Your Eyes, Mr. Player

Close Your Eyes, Mr. Player ~ Chapter 7

Chapter 7

I barely recognized the shout of surprise that escaped my throat, and everyone around me. In about one second, I was across the cafeteria, trying to pull Jesse off of Palmer, but it was no use. He had a tight grip on Palmer's jacket, and I could hear the crack every time his fist hit his jaw. 

"Jesse! Chill out man!" Damien said as he tried to help me lift Jesse off of Palmer.

I winced as a loud crack filled the cafeteria, and Palmer's eyes fluttered closed. "Jesse!" I screamed, causing everyone in the room to instantly shut up. 

Jesse just sat there for a minute, still holding Palmer's limp body. He wasn't dead, but his jaw was dislocated, and his face was black and blue. Then he looked up at me, and I noticed his glasses were gone. I could see all the pain and guilt in his eyes.

"Did I.... Is.... Is he dead?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

I cleared my throat. "No. Someone call 911, now!" I shouted. I saw a few people reach for their phones, and the rest started to leave. I then turned to Jesse, laying my hand on his arm. "Are you alright?" I asked him, checking his face for anything. He had a few bumps and bruises, but I didn't see any blood. I suddenly felt relief wash over me. 

He nodded. "Yeah." I noticed recognition on his face as he stared right at me. "Melody?" he asked, his tone frightened. 

"Yes. It's me," I said, my hand still on his arm. 

He shook his head, and I could imagine what he was thinking. He knew I'd seen everything. He probably thought I was afraid of him even more than I had been. I could've sworn he was about to cry. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that... I'm such an idiot," he said, dropping his face into his hands. 

Before I could stop myself, I pulled Jesse into my arms, securing them tightly around his neck. "It's okay, Jesse. It's okay," I said in a soothing voice, holding him close. I didn't care about anyone watching.

And then, he did something that completely surprised me. He slipped his arms around my waist and hugged me back. I tried not to let myself smile as he placed his chin on top of my head. 

"Thank you," he whispered, his voice cracking as if he were about to cry.

I pulled back a bit, and this time I did smile. Even though he couldn't see it. "Your welcome," I said, and I quickly let him go. But before I could walk away, he reached for my hand. "Jesse, what are you doing?" I asked him.

"Can we go somewhere and talk?" he asked, rubbing his thumb against my palm.

I nodded. "Alright."

A little later, we found ourselves at the back of the school. We did bump into the paramedics on our way out of the cafeteria, but we told them that Palmer had come after Jesse, and he had just been defending himself.