How to be the Perfect Girlfriend #Wattys2016!

Chapter 3

- 3 -

THE HOUSE WAS EERILY QUIET WHEN I WALKED IN.

"Hello?" Silence.

Shrugging, I threw my book bag on the floor, and started to do my homework on my bed. I was disturbed that no one was home, but I enjoyed the time I had to myself.

I was halfway through my calculus book when my phone started to buzz. I picked it up, and looked at the caller ID.

Ring, ring.

Incoming call from Jackson Miller.

I stared at my phone. My heart started to quicken, and my hands became sweaty.

Jackson Miller was calling me.

My shaky hands pressed the 'answer' button and his voice crackled to life.

"Jess? Jess are you there?"

He knew my name.

"Hello? Shit—is this the wrong number?"

Snapping out of my daze I started to speak, scared that he would hang up.

"No!" I hollered. The house seemed to echo from the sound. "I mean, uh, no. I'm here. In my house. Doing my homework. Calling yo—"

"Wow, Jess, you're hilarious—"

My heart fluttered. He complimented me!

"—but I have something really important to ask you, so you're jokes should wait till the end, okay?"

My smile vanished and I nodded solemnly. "Sure, I guess." He seemed to be stressed . Maybe it was the English paper due tomorrow.

"There's," he tried to make his voice small, "There's this girl."

I almost dropped the phone into my kitchen sink in shock. "A...a girl?"

Jackson laughed. "Jess! I said leave the jokes for later. You'd think I'd date a boy? You're seriously hilarious."

I nodded to myself. "Yeah."

"Anyways," I took the phone and put it on speaker to hear better, "Do you know Mia?"

Not really.

"Of course I do!" I exclaimed dramatically. "We're, like, so close."

"Well, if you had a chance to talk to her, I was wondering if you could mention me? I know it sounds weird, but I feel a certain attraction towards her, but she's playing hard to get!" He said in disbelief.

My heart dropped.

"Oh." I was only able to whisper.

"Jess? Jess are you there?"

I didn't answer. He wanted me to talk to Mia, so she could give him a chance. How pathetic. I'm so pathetic.

"Um, y-yeah. I'll give it a try..." I said reluctantly. I heard a 'yes', probably from Jackson, and a quick goodbye before the line went dead. I sighed. Did I really think I had a chance?

I flung my phone onto the couch at the end of my room, then started to do my calculus with a lot less enthusiasm than before.

My phone started to buzz again, and I picked it up.

Was it Jackson? Did he want to apologize? I checked the caller ID.

Incoming call from Chase Hadley.

I groaned and flopped back on the bed, disconnecting the call. Let him go screw himself.

It started to ring soon after.