Hidden

(LIV.)

As a girl, having your period shouldn't mean the end of the world. Of course, hormones could be such annoying, pesky things messing with the mind and twisting the emotions.

Jess was up on her feet as early as seven in the morning, showered and dressed, and taking a walk down the street. Her mom had decided to take that weekend off her period of punishment. Again, she wondered if she had to be ill to get her mom's attention.

Roar by Katy Perry played in her ears through her headset. It brought to remembrance her conversation with Doudall the previous day. An unconscious smile stretched her lips. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had this kind of feelings for someone.

Oh... yeah. She remembered. It had been Espen Halvorsen, a cute, Norwegian heartthrob in her eighth grade days. He was the last son and only child of Ingrid Halvorsen, a member of the board of directors in Microsoft. He wasn't one of the top clique in school, but he was still very popular, though.

Jess had watched him for three terms as he went on with his life and savoured the love of Michelle Dubois. There had been so many times when Jess had wanted to roast the girl alive, then claim Espen for herself.

She wouldn't blame herself. He had compelling sea-coloured eyes, and curly brown hair which Jess didn't doubt was soft enough to run fingers through. She bet there were times when Michelle had done that.

Unfortunately for her, being the "fat kid" meant that she had no place to be any guy's love interest in school. At first, she'd appreciated that spot, until she realised that she'd always have to watch Espen from the sidelines, and lose him forever.

After him, she didn't think she'd develop a crush on anyone again. Until Doudall came. And charmed her away with his sharp eyes and amazing wits. A part of her felt that he had feelings for her, too. Especially with what happened yesterday. The way he'd looked into her eyes with so much concern, brought more than chocolates to make her feel better. The gesture alone was enough to make her heart warm up so much and even melt.

She closed her eyes, still smiling, and thinking about him.

"Oomph."

The person she'd collided with held her shoulders before she could fall. She opened her eyes and started an apology. "I'm so-" But her words died off on seeing the person.

Suddenly, her feet became weak. The sky darkened in her imagination. She couldn't feel the air entering and leaving her lungs. The only audible sounds in her ears were her fast heartbeats.

"I thought that I would find you here," the person said.

Jess wanted to talk, but her tongue was stuck to the roof of her mouth.

"I see you got my message. That girl I sent-Amanda-she gave it to you, right?"

Still, she said nothing.

"Let's go sit somewhere." He looked around and spotted a small café opening up for early customers. "We might get breakfast while we're at it."

Jess stared at him, frozen to the ground. It was him! The ash-blond hair, the pale blue eyes, the thick, foreign accent. He even wore simple, normal clothes. T shirt and tracksuit bottoms. With Converse trainers. There was a towel in one hand and a water bottle in another. As if he'd been doing some jogging before meeting her.

No matter how simple he appeared, Jess could tell by his dense, dark aura that he was no ordinary man.

"Come, Jessica."

Crap! He knew her name. He knew her freaking name! This was bad. She reached into the pocket of her leggings, and turned up the volume of the song on her phone. Then, she stepped aside and walked past him.