Just One More Kiss

We Meet Again

"Hey baby!" Celeste called as she ran up to Jordan in the halls. They had been together for six months and she felt as if they were 'so in love'. Jordan, on the other hand, just didn't want to be alone. He couldn't have the one girl that he had been pining after for years. Jessica Kofka was the girl of his dreams. She had been one of his best friends for years. Every summer, they spent at least a week or two at her family's cabin. They would have been together sooner if she went to the high school with him. But she didn't. She went to some ritzy boarding school. So, instead, he had to settle for Celeste Bulstrode.

His friends thought he was crazy for seeing it as 'just settling' for Celeste. She was the most popular girl in school. She wore all the latest fashions while in school but when she left, she changed into skate clothes: DC shoes, a pair of torn jeans, and usually a black, band tee shirt that she can wear while skateboarding with her boyfriend and their friends. Most people would consider her sexy: sleek, black hair; bright, blue eyes; lips that felt like satin. She was most guys wet dream. But, it was hard to tell which Celeste you were talking to. Was she the skater girl or the prissy girl?

"Hey Celeste," Jordan said as he turned his attention away from his friends to give his girlfriend a quick hug. He was not a fan of PDA. She was. He loved how it bothered her when he wouldn't kiss her in front of everyone. At least he let everyone know that she was his and off-limits. People didn't mess with the popular, power couple. Everyone wanted these two students on their side.

"Did you hear yet?" she asked.

"Hear what?" Sam, one of Jordan's friends, asked in a bored tone. Celeste was the one who always let them know the mindless gossip that went on around the school. None of the skaters cared about who broke up with whom or which pair of mindless idiots are now sleeping with each other.

"Some girl is transferring into this school. She arrives this morning, probably now," she said, a look of anger flashing briefly through her eyes. She glanced over at Jordan to gauge his reaction to the news.

"A new girl?" Kyle asked, saving his friend from the trouble that he knew his friend would be in if he showed any interest in the news. Celeste was a very jealous girl and was very protective of her boyfriend.

"Yeah, Jessica Coffee or something like that," she replied.

"Kofka?" Jordan said, snapping his gaze onto Celeste.

"Yes? I believe that's her name," she said, her look hardening as she stared into Jordan's eyes. "Do you know her?"

Jordan didn't respond. He grabbed his bag from it's spot on the floor, hopped on his board, and started skating down the hallway towards the main office. He didn't stop when any of the teachers shouted their complaints about skateboarding in the hallway or to the initial sound of Celeste trying to follow, the clicking of her high-heels getting more and more faint as the gap of their distance grew.

Jessica Kofka was going to be at his school. He had the chance to make her his. No more settling for Celeste.

***

"Okay, Little Sister, this is it," Gala said as she hugged Jessica after posing as her mother. "Try not to take too long."

"See you soon, Gala," Jessica whispered before Gala turned to walk away. Slowly, she turned to look around the main enterance. It was a large open area where students seemed to gather around to speak in their cliques and look at her, making her feel like the scared wildebeast to all of these lions. Cautiously, she began to walk down the hallway towards her new homeroom. From what she had been briefed on on the car ride to school, she was going to have almost every class with Jordan. Homeroom, lunch, and biology were the only areas that she wouldn't be in close proximity to her assignment.

As she watched the other students watch her, she realized how strange this normal place was in comparison to her unconventional school and home. Sure, her school had it's cliques; vampires, werewolves, witches and warlocks, blood and night elves, and even a few pixies; but the cliques would try to combine with one another. Jessica always had Julia, a pale, blue shimmering skinned pixie, flying around her. It was weird to not have her around now. At Chrisma, if Julia wasn't around Jessica when they didn't have class, something was probably wrong with one of them or their separate groups.

"Ah!" Jessica yelped as she fell to the floor. For a moment, she seemed to be knocked out of her mind. Her first day here and she was about to be pushed around. If only Korba, her best werewolf friend, was here to protect her. He would never let anything happen to her physically. She wasn't sure if he was like that because they were friends, he had a crush on her, or because the Royals made him. They believed that Jessica was going to be the next Royal. Gaina and Krono were going to 'retire' as soon as they found a replacement for Gala and Apalo, the Prince who also happened to be a werewolf, so they could take the place of the King and Queen. Jessica and Korba were meant to take Gala and Apalo's places only Korba was strong enough to not need a bodyguard. Once Jessica made her first change, she would never need a bodyguard again, she would be as powerful as any other vampire.

"I'm so sorry," she heard someone say from above her. "Here, let me help you."

She felt the tingle in her hand before she looked up at him to confirm that it was Jordan. She looked up at him and locked her eyes onto his. They seemed much brighter, much greener than she remembered. It had been a few years since she was able to see him over the summer like they had up until right before they turned 15-years-old. It's been almost three years. "Jordan?" she whispered.

"Jessica?" he said, just above a whisper. He helped her get steady on her feet before pulling her into a bone-crunching hug. "It's true. You're here. You're really here."

Her body almost felt as if it was vibrating from the tingle that rushed up and down her entire body; from her toes to her fingertips to the tippy-top of her head. She wondered if he could feel it too. "Yes, I'm here," she whispered as she hugged him back, feeling as if she was about to burst into tears from happiness.

He pulled out of the hug first but his eyes never left her stone, gray ones. He couldn't believe it. She was here, stranding right in front of him. It felt as if he was in some sort of dream. "What happened to the Academy?" he asked, kicking the end of his board so that he was now holding it. Slowly, he turned his glance from her and down the hall. The main entrance was beginning to thin out as students made their way to homeroom. "Where's your homeroom?"

She smiled up at him before glancing down at the schedule in her hands. Maybe this assignment would be easier than she thought if this was how he was acting towards her. "Umm...J-171," she said.

"Mind if I walk you there?" he asked. He still couldn't believe that she was there, standing right next to her. He could easily reach his hand out and hold her's if he cared to. He couldn't, not until he broke up with Celeste.

"I would love that," Jessica replied. "Besides, I have no idea where it is." She allowed a soft giggle to escape her lips as they walked down the hallway together. It felt natural being around him. Maybe that was why the Royals chose him for her first assignment. As a vampire, if one changed someone on an assignment like this, they usually became one's life-partner; whether they became their accomplice or their loved companion. If she was lucky, it would be the second option.

As they reached her homeroom, Jordan hugged her quickly again. "I can't believe that you're here," he whispered again. "What class do you have next?"

"Writing Comp, room B177 with Koppas," she said.

"Me too!" Jordan excalimed, his smile widening and getting brighter. He seemed so happy. "I'll see you there unless you would like me to meet you somewhere?"

"If I see you in the hallway on the way there we can walk together. But if I know you as well as I think I do, you're girlfriend will hate you going out of your way to help the new girl, even if we've been friends for years," she responded before turning to walk into her homeroom.