Our Little Secret

Chapter 10

"You are worried about me," he whispers, barely audible.

"Yes." I say just as silent and look down at my hands. Jack continues to be quiet. I keep looking down at my hands; they are clasped so tightly together that the knuckles are turning white. Suddenly Jack puts his hand around my chin, forcing me to look at him.

"Why?" He demands.

"Because I care about you." I whisper, I have no other reasonable answer to give him.

"What?" Jack breathes and looks at me stunned. "You care about me?" He repeats puzzled when I don't say anything.

"Yes." I whisper and resist the urge to snap my head away.

"I thought you hated me."

"I am not heartless, Jack." I laugh bitterly and Jack remains silent.

"So you are worried about me?" He says one more time, making sure that he heard right. I nod.

"Don't."

"Excuse me?" I blink at him.

"I don't need anyone to care about nor worry about me. I am a grown man and can take care of myself," he says and turns to look in front of him. His jaw is clenched and he looks really pissed off.

"Can you really though?" I ask calmly and I know that I shouldn't have said it, because now he is looking furious.

"Now look here you little bi-." Jack starts to say, turning towards me again, but stops in mid-sentence. "Don't worry about me, Sarah," he says hard.

"But-."

"No. I have told you once and I am doing it again; I don't want your pity." He turns to look in front of him once more. "Just drop it," he snaps and then starts the engines again. The rest of the ride home is silent and I fidget with my jeans the whole way.

Arriving home, Jack cuts the engines and we walk up to the house. He waits in silence while I unlock the door into the house. After removing my jacket and shoes, I head into the kitchen. The first week of school has passed and I already have a ton of homework. My math teacher, Mr. Ling, thought it was a good idea to start this semester with a test containing everything we learned last year. Since I have the worst memory ever when it comes to math I now have to dedicate my weekend to study math. Feeling a bit suicidal, I sit down at the kitchen table and take out my books. Then I remember that Jack also studies math and, if I am not mistaken, he also has Mr. Ling.

"Hey, Jack?" I call out.

Not long after he shows up in the doorway.

"Yeah?" He says dully.

"You have Mr. Ling in math right?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Do you also have that test next Tuesday?"

"Yeah, so?" He sure has a big vocabulary.

"Aren't you going to study?" I ask him, raising my brows.

"I don't study, Sarah."

"What if you fail?" I frown.

"Then I fail," he shrugs.

"Don't you care?"

"Not really, are you done? There is currently a stripper pole dancing on the TV and I rather not miss it.''

"Okay." I say silently and then he goes back to the living room.

How can he not care about school? It affects his future and he acts like it isn't important.