Falling For Jackson Again ✓

20| HE'S ACTING WEIRD

"Definitely where that cute guy is," Sydney chimed in, and we all burst into laughter.

"What cute guy?" Jackson suddenly joined our conversation, walking alongside us, or rather, next to me.

Act cool, Mia.

"It's a girl secret, sorry dude," Ariel quickly replied, making Sydney and me chuckle silently.

"Ah," Jackson playfully raised his hands in surrender. "That secret, don't worry, it's safe."

Ariel nodded with a smile. "Well, guys," she removed her hands from us, "I'll see you there at 3 sharp." She looked serious, and we both nodded in agreement.

Sydney said her goodbye, as her mom was waiting outside, leaving me alone with Jackson.

"You ready then?" Jackson wrapped his arm around mine, and I could feel his strong biceps. I nervously removed my hand from his grasp. "Y-yes," I stammered. "Let's go then," I mumbled, trying to hide my flustered state, but he held onto my school bag to prevent me from running away.

"You're not avoiding me again, are you?"

His voice sounded deep and hot, sending shivers down my spine. I held my breath, captivated by his intense presence. I noticed that his voice had this effect on me, but it only seemed to appear when he was angry or serious.

"N-No... why would I?" My hands felt sweaty, and my forehead started to perspire. I tried to create some distance between us, but he wouldn't budge.

"Okay, then let's go." His expression suddenly brightened, which made me happy. I loved seeing his adorable dimples, and I couldn't help but imagine touching his face and kissing them.

Was that weird?

My pulse ran through the roof as his hand slowly intertwined with mine, and we began walking outside. I wanted to pull my hand away, but he tightened his grip as if he knew I would try to escape.

The stares from other people made me uncomfortable. That's what I disliked about school—rumors spread like wildfire. Before I knew it, someone would write on the board, "Jackson and Mia are dating."

And strangely enough, it didn't sound all bad; I might even like it.

No, stop! Don't get ahead of yourself. Jackson hasn't shown any signs of being remotely interested in me. He might be friendly, but that's just how he's always been, ever since we were kids.

That's why saying goodbye was always hard.

I noticed Maddy waiting for us by his car. She leaned against it, engrossed in her phone, as usual—she was obsessed with it. When she looked up and saw us approaching, her eyes landed on our intertwined hands, and a mischievous smirk appeared on her face.

I won't hear the end of this when I get home.

"What happened to your uniform?" Maddy's question caught me off guard, but I was relieved it wasn't what I expected.

"I fell into the pool," I shrugged, slowly pulling my hand away from Jackson's, and thankfully, he let go.

"Really? Hope you took some medication. I know how you are when you're wet, Remember the time at the beach when Miles pushed you into the water and you—"

"Okay, that's enough," I had to cut her off before she finished her sentence.

"Please, do continue, Maddy. What happened next?" Jackson's remark made me want to hit his perfect face. Maddy was ready to spill the beans until I spoke up.

"Don't you dare, Maddy. I know what you do to Miles' food when he's not looking," I smirked, feeling proud that I always had something against her.

"Oops, Jackson, I just remembered that I have a ton of assignments due today. We need to go home now," Maddy nervously said, scratching her neck.