Wanted

chapter 3: don't back down

I get out of Harry's car and walk up my front lawn, careful not to smash my mom's dying yellow roses. Some symbolic meaning there. I get my house key out of the back of my phone case and insert it into the lock. I can feel Harry's eyes glued to the backless design of the dress. My shoulderblades tense up right when the door slides open. I shut the door softly behind me, and desperately hope no one's awake. 

Much to my wonderful luck, Marcus is sitting at the island counter, his long legs propped on the stool and a thick textbook on his lap. He looks up as I come in, carrying my tiny heels. 

"Oh my god, Jade." He says quietly. 

His silence is a hell of a lot scarier than him shouting at me. "I can explain."

He laughs tiredly. "Explain then, I thought you were at the library." He points to Mom's phone on the counter. She must've left it there. 

"Niall took me--"

"Niall?" Marcus' voice raises a little bit more. Marcus knows Niall very well. They used to be the best of friends before Niall moved to Ireland to follow his dream of boxing. He didn't even get to say goodbye. But Marcus forgets, sometimes, that Niall didn't just leave him. He left me too. 

"He's back," I answer, hesitantly smiling. "Isn't that great?"

"I know he's back. He called and told me a few weeks ago." Marcus unbuttons the top of his collared shirt. "What I told him was to stay away from you."

"Why?" I ask, suddenly angry. "He's my friend too."

"He's bad news, Jade." 

"He's still our friend."

"Whatever. This is besides the point. Where the hell did he take you?"

"To some party." I try to brush it off like it's no big deal.

"Wearing that?"

Again, I'm self conciouss about the sparkly dress still clinging to my thighs. It also already brings back memories from tonight. I never wanna see it again. In fact, I might just burn the ugly thing and go back to sweats and band tees. "I'm sorry Marcus."

"Wha-What happened?" He stutters, his face etched with a deep set hurt that sends me crashing into self-pity and remorse but most of all wanting to hold him and promise him that I'll be good from now on. 

"Nothing. Nothing happened." I lie. "Niall decided to drive me back home only after an hour."

He nods. "Never do that again, Jade. I thought, well," He pauses, looking down at his notebook. "I thought I could trust you."

That does it. I run over to him and hug him, breathing in his familiar woodsy scent. "You can trust me, you can."

"How?"

"I had an idea..." I trail off.

He looks up at me, expecting answers. 

"Niall," Marcus flinches at his name. "Is training me to box proffesionally. My first match is next Saturday."

Marcus' eyes widen. "I knew you were into boxing, but proffesionally?"

I grin. "Ya, and we'll have the money to fix your car and--"

"What about Mom?"

"She doesn't know,"

"And she won't approve." Marcus finishes. 

"We can keep it a secret."

Marcus slowly nods in agreement. "It would have to be."

"So?"

He grins. "Let's do it."

____________________

School is a pain as usual, and it seems as if all time stops. I tap my pencil against my desk, waiting for every second that passes. The bouncy blonde in front of me turns to face me. 

"I saw you at the party last night."

I'm startled by the sudden topic. Usually people don't take any of their precious time to talk to me. "Yeah?"

"I suggest staying away from Harry. He's screwed like every girl who goes here, which means you'll be next."

"He's screwed you?"

She blushes. "No, but Brit--"

"Look, I don't care. I'm not interested in him."

"Then why'd you go with him?" She asks, her fake smile returning. 

I scrunch lower in my seat. "None of your fuc-"

She interrupts, suddenly looking scared. "You're right, it's none of my business."

I look up, trying to see what she's seeing that making her so scared. Harry. He stands in the doorway, his lean but muscular build perfectly tilted against the doorframe. His thick curly hair is tied up in an army green bandana that matches the immediate shade of his eyes. I can't stop staring at his tight jeans and his see-through white shirt. Every little tattoo he has looks beautiful etched into his tan skin. His eyes are searching, searching, staying on mine. About half of the girls in the class gulp, but Harry is paying no attention to them. 

"Excuse me, Mr. Styles, can I help you?" The teacher asks snobbily, eyeing his tattoos warily.

Harry's voice comes out deep and gravelly, his English accent an obvious undertone. I have to shake this dumb feeling, but I can't. I've never had these thoughts before.  "I'm here for class." It comes out slowly, not in the 'I'm stupid and I can't even form coherent sentences' way but in the 'I'm too intelligent to even bother sounding smart" way. It was the sexiest thing I have ever heard. 

Snap out of it, Jade. 

"Mr. Styles, you haven't been attending school for three months. Why the sudden change of heart?"

I want to literally rip my teachers throat out. How dare he--

"Well I came today." Harry smiles at the teacher. "Unless you want me to go right on back to ditching school."

The teacher begins to stutter, but Harry has already walked and sat down...right behind me. Of course. 

"What are you doing here? Come to ruin my life even more?" I hiss as the teacher goes on with the lecture, clearly flustered.

He leans in close and I can feel his breath rumpling my hair. "I'd say dragging your pretty ass out of that party last night was the closest thing to saving your life I've ever done."

"I didn't need your help." I say, still not turning to look at him. 

"Mmmm and I suppose your precious little Niall could've come to the rescue just in time, eh?"

"You're just jealous."

"Yes, I'm jealous of the guy who has to spend all his free time with you." He retorts rudely. 

"Why did you come to school today, Harry?"

He points to the empty page on my desk. "To take notes like you."

"Oh please, you don't even have a bag, much less books or paper."

"Maybe I came for the hell of it, or to see your pretty face again."

I roll my eyes and then remember he can't see the front of me do it. "I thought you said I was easy." I growl, anger starting to creep its way through the faulty shell where it lies hidden. 

"If you were easy, you'd already be in my bed by now."

I blush. "Than why'd you say it last night?"

"Godamn it, Jade you ask too many questions. I should've never came here." He gets up, the old desk creaking from his lanky form. 

Wait. I want to say. But I don't, I watch him leave the room, much to my bubbling idiot of a teacher's protest. He's hidden, like me. He doesn't want anyone to find out. But don't back down, Jade. Find him.