The girl behind her smile

- 7 -

Riya turns to look at me, as I continue, "I'm not having him fall back, not when we've just returned to somewhat of a normal life."

"Well, one thing is for sure, Jasper is fucking hot when he fights." I shove Riya, letting out a snort.

"Hey! I'm just saying aloud what everyone was thinking," She points out, sitting back up, "no harm in appreciating God's work."

"Riya, you need to stop," I groan. Just as I was about to drop the topic, a sudden thought springs into my mind, "Oh my gosh, I have a double period with him next" I let my head fall onto my hands, "What am I going to do?!"

Riya empties the last pieces of the packet into her mouth and scrunches the rest into the palm of her hand, she aims for the bin in front of us, "Nothing, just sit back and ignore him, easy." Her aim is accurate as always, and the plastic bag falls in.

"No Riya, not 'easy', I think you forgot he's the one who punctured the side of my face an-" I stop myself before letting out a vital piece of information I never mentioned to Riya.

The kiss.

Just thinking about it triggered the feeling of the weight of his lips against mine, and once again like clogs, my heart rate picked up and the warmth in my cheeks had increased greatly.

"And what?" Riya asks, not thinking too much.

"And, his hatred towards my brother is apparent, which makes me a target of his wrath once more." I sigh.

"Like I said, just ignore him, don't poke the bear, and the bear won't harm you." 

"Not if the bear is a psychopath that has some vendetta against your brother." I mumbled under my breath.

-

To calm my busy thoughts, I decided to enter the classroom a few minutes earlier, obviously at the back of my mind I am well aware that this will not really help me with avoiding him, but it is easier if I go in first and he comes in after me, after all, he is my desk mate. And the less of him I have to endure, the better it is for my mental health - possibly physical too. 

A question had been gnawing at me since my talk with Ezra, how on earth did Jasper end up in the fields? Both me and Ezra had received it on the same day through our lockers, but Jasper wasn't in at all that entire week - other than my first day of school. That leads me to conclude that either he was the one who arranged this meeting, on purpose, or the mastermind behind this knows Jasper personally to have had to delivered to him when he was out of school, maybe it was mailed to his house? Whichever one of those statement is true, I'm not sure, but it is evident that the sender is acquainted with Jasper.

Distracted by my thoughts, I had not seen the figure that was sat at my desk, until I had entered the room. It was too late for me to turn back now as the door had closed behind me, alerting him of my presence. He didn't once raise his head to look at me though, it could be because he was sleeping, which if he was, would play in my favour. As I don't have to worry about talking to him when I sit down.

I gulp quietly, and make my way to my side of the desk, taking quiet steps as I do. I manage to sit myself down without too much noise. I peer over to look at him out of curiosity. His head was facing my direction. Thin strands hair were dancing by his eyes, which was covered by a small beam of sun light that had seeped through the blinds. He looked better when his mouth was closed - not to mention less threatening. 

"Take a picture."

His eyes shot open, and readjusts himself to sit up leaning his head onto he palm of his hand, all whilst maintaining eye contact with me. I avert my gaze fumbling with the zipper on my bag.

"Why'd you come to class so early?" He asks, it was such a normal question, he was acting like nothing happened yesterday. I mean, I wasn't sure what I expected from him really, maybe an apology, or another one of his threats, possibly even a joke. But I know that no matter what had come out of his mouth, I would still be just as tense. He makes me nervous, and not the good kind.

"You're here." I mirror his words from last week.

"Well, I have a feeling it was to avoid me." He answers his own question.

"The world doesn't revolve around you." I retort, annoyed by his presumptuous, yet truthful statement.

The bell rang, and soon people started to pile into class.

"Yours does though," He gives me a lazy smile and people start to pile into class, "I mean, the high and mighty Eliza, coming to class early to avoid me, after one little kiss we shared."

I could feel multiple eyes give me quick glances, from each corner of the room. 

He continues, "That sounds like you cared."

"I don't. And if you don't shut the hell up, I will drive this fist through your face, and we'll have matching bruises, seeing as you're so obsessed with me, you wouldn't mind that would you?" I finally turn to look at him and flash him a smile, one to cover my heart that had picked up it's pace, and one to cover the fact that I was running my hands along my trousers to wipe the sweat off.

The teacher walks in before he could give a reply, and I have never been more grateful in my life. But before I turn away I notice a slight lift on the right side of his lips.

-

The rest of the two lessons continued without much disruption, just the odd nudge here and a stupid comment there, it was when we finished the last lesson that he started to act up, if I didn't know he missed basically all of last weeks classes, I would have said he actually almost cares about his education.

I finish packing my back by the time most of the students have scattered from the class. All that remains is basically just us, once again. 

"I'm surprised your weren't the first person to dash out of this room." Jasper comments.

I heave a sigh, already tired, "Why should I?"

"I don't know, the very same reason you came here early?" He stands up from his char, just as I do, "To run from me."

"Can you please stop talking, you genuinely have no clue what you're on about." I start heading towards the door, with him following right at my tail. Just as I reach for the door handle, he pushes my hand away and grip the handle himself, preventing me from grabbing it again. I turn around to looks at him.

"Don't I? From the way your face is heating up, I'd say I make you nervous."

"Let go of the handle."

"Why? Are you nervous because I kissed you?" He continues, ignoring my demand.

"Jasper, stop."

"I can't believe one stupid kiss can make you so... edgy, tell me Eliza, was that your first kiss?"

My lack of response gives him the answer he's looking for.

"No way! No fucking way! Well, I mean it's no surprise why you haven't had one before me, with an attitude like that and no pleasing visuals, who would want to f-"

His mocking words were cut off by my sudden urge to slap him. The sound of my palm meeting his skin resonates throughout the classroom, and it takes even more power to stop my tears from falling. He holds his face in position of the direction of my hand. His jaw clenched.

"Don't you ever make vile comments like that about me again."

That creeping feeling of sadness was crawling up my throat, I did everything I could to keep my tears in place as I left the room. 

I will not cry. I chant in my head over and over again in my head, aggressively wiping my eyes as I make my way down the hall.

___

Hey guys,

Hope you enjoyed today's chapter, please don't forget to VOTE and COMMENT any errors in my writing.

Thankyou

Elle x