The Loner Princess and The Jock

Crossing Lines

Two weeks had passed and Tommy still hadn't said a word to me. Even in Health class I was getting the cold shoulder. I should be happy about that but I wasn't. I wanted to be a nobody, to be unnoticed. So why the hell did i miss our little interactions? i even missed the way he would find any reason to smile. I haven't seen him smile in two weeks.

"Alright shut up. For the next couple of weeks, you and your partner are going to working on a project" Coach yelled trying to get everyone's attention.

"What's the project finding what's between Kim's' legs? Nick some freshman asked.

"You wish loser." Kim shot back.

"Nick that's lunch detention for your smart mouth." Coach handed him a lunch detention slip.

"Your project is a Family Tree." As soon as Coach said family tree I tensed up and I could see from the corner of my eye that Tommy noticed. Now I wouldn't just be known as the loner freak but the loner freak with a murder for a father.

"You'll work with your partner and help each other with finding information about your family background." And again I tensed up.

"Jinx are you okay?" Tommy's voice was soothing to me, I have missed it.

"What...oh yeah, I'm okay." I lied.

After Coach passed out the packets on how our project was going to need to be played out, I watched as Tommy grabbed his things and stood up.

"What are you doing?" I asked, sounding a little too disappointed for my own liking.

"I'm making this easy for you. You clearly freaked out about having to do this project with me and I don't want you to get in trouble with your boyfriend because you're talking to me. I think its better if I take Kim up on her offer." He turned to leave.

"Wait, look I don't want you to suffer because I was being a bitch." I could have let him go and he wouldn't have found out about my dad, i wouldn't have to deal with my friends complaining about Tommy and i talking to each other but I wanted him to stay.

"You weren't being a bitch." He turned to face me. "What about your boyfriend?"

"Max?" I laughed. "Max is not my boyfriend, he's just a friend." Tommy sat back down grinning like an idiot.

"So you didn't look too happy this project, is it because we have to spend time together?" He looked at me intently.

"Its just my family is...really screwed up. I didn't want to scare you off". Oh my God, why did I just tell him that? Look at him with his stupid cocky grin. My thoughts trailed off to the memory of Patrick's stupid smile.

"What?" He asked.

"Nothing, its just that you remind me of someone I use to know."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" He asked, curiously.

"To be honest, I'm not sure. I haven't seen him in a long time."

"So the project, do you want to start on it today? I shrugged at his question.

"Well do you want to go to your house or mine?" I couldn't bring Tommy into that house not when every memory was flooded with nightmares. Tommy was too good for that, he was a good person, I didn't want anything from my past to overshadow his light.

"If you don't mind, can we go to yours?" My voice was low.

"Yeah. Hey, give me your phone." I did what he asked. I watched as he saved his contact info and then took out his phone and saved my contact info on his phone. "In case you want to hang out, call me." I smiled as he handed it back, why was I blushing?