Benefits

Ch. 9: Close

'Thank you.' I mouth to him again and give his hand a gentle squeeze subconsciously. Finally, I remove my hand from his and settle it back to my face as I look at the board.

"No problem." He whispers, making my cheeks redden. He seems to have some heart, and it warms me inside and out that he would do that for me. Even if only just a week ago, he was a dick to me. Even freaking yesterday when he humiliated me. It was weird and downright confusing as fuck. I can't seem to understand if he hates me, or he if likes me.

"Since none of you seem to know what the hell I'm talking about, I'm just going to say it. Love in Twelfth Night is different than any other love from anything that Shakespeare has ever made. It's comedic in a way. Yes. It's kind of sad. Yes. And it's different. Orsino and Viola find love. Viola didn't even know she was in love with him until it was almost was too late. Orsino was clueless to everything, probably denied every feeling he had for Cesareo. Thinking, of course, she was a he. In the end, if you read the book," He pauses, glaring at us all, knowing most of us didn't." It ends happily. Orsino was able to look past the lies, the despair, and see his true love. Now that's love. Despair. Heartache. Desire. Confusion. Lust. Lies. Passion. Out of all that, we describe love. Those are all in romantic novels.

---

"Jake! Hold up." I try to stop Jake as he tries to walk down the hallway. I grasp his arm, and he winces instantly instead of his usual edginess. My eyes widen, and I turn him around towards me. "What happened?"

His black shades bore into mine. "Just a fight." He shrugs his arm that had my hand on it as if it was nothing, and that it was a usual thing for him to be in a fight. "What?" He says slightly harsh. I cringe at his tone with the word what? "Sorry." He sees how tense I became. "What is it, Dawn?" His voice is slightly lower.

I close my eyes, waiting for the bashing I'm going to get from him. "You're forgiven."

"What?" He asks, the confusion evident in his voice.

I open my eyes again. "I just want to say a proper thank you, for what you did today, and I don't want you to be an ass when I do say it, so can you please just say you're welcome and be done with it?" He pauses, but he nods slowly. "So thank you." I grip my bag tighter against me.

"You're welcome."

"Awesome," I say. I walk past Jake and head towards the outskirts of the school.

"Wait!" He grips my arm pulling me around him fast. Usually, by these actions, I'd cringe away, but all I want to do is melt into Jake's body. I look up to him, my head nodding for him to proceed. "Why did you hang up on me last night?"

I look down to his hand that's still on my arm. His tight grip has decreased in volume, but I still feel the pressure; the roughness to his touch. He sees my slight discomfort, which only makes him let go of me — his bruised hand brushes over his hair.

I didn't want to answer his question, but I didn't want to not say anything. "Do you want to trade secrets?" I ask instead.

He chuckles, "I don't have anything to hide."

I gesture up and down his broken body of pieces, "Are you sure?" I look back to his glasses. A grin forms on my face, and I don't know what I'm feeling, but the only accounts are the victory. He isn't going to get me talking if I can't get him talking.

He's left dumbfounded at my boldness, which only makes my grin grow as I walk away from him again without him stopping me.

I've realized what I have been feeling since the beginning. It's just pure attraction, nothing more and nothing less. Maybe a hint of curiosity and mystery at that. An attraction that I'm sure will pass. Mentally I can't stand his confusing actions, and besides, he's a manwhore. Physically, I wouldn't mind having my way with him a day or two. Strictly lust.

.

Wednesday goes by quickly, and it's already Thursday. He agreed to meet in front of his car, so we can drive to my house and start this project. He gets there a few minutes before me. I see his bruises, and battle wounds have healed slightly. "Hey." He greets me.

"Hi."

"Are you ready?" He asks me steadily. I nod my head at him.

He unlocks the door, and I'm about to enter until I get distracted by a girl who prances onto Jake. "Oh hey, babe!" She coos to him.

"Not your babe." He says casually, but there's another emotion in his voice that I can't decipher. "What do you want, Kelsey?"

"Just wondering if you're going to the dugout tomorrow. We're all going to be there all day just doing the usual shit right after school until the night gleams." She giggles.

"No, I'm busy."

Her eyes stain pain. She turns to me, and her smile falls instantly." Is it with this stick you're busy with?"

"Yeah."

My eyes widen, I know we're working on the project, but I didn't want her to think of it in the wrong way." Just for a sch-school project; that's all." I try to reassure her. I've seen her around campus but not that much. She's usually flirting up a storm with Jake across the school grounds and twirling her curls to him.

Her eyes disconnect with mine, back to Jake's, and a teasing smile spreads across her face. "A-a-a project? Really?" She laughs to herself, all the while she makes fun of my stutter previously. "A project instead of hanging out with your real friends than with this stick."

Jake's fist grips the top of his car door hard, "Stop calling her that. Secondly, I said I was busy." He takes her hands off of him, that was on his forearms.

Amusement was away from her eyes, as she stares back to me. "Well alright. See you later Jake, and his little cru- I mean sti- I mean friend?" And with that, she walks away from both of us.

What was that all about?

"Are you ready?" He asks me again, agitation evident in his voice.

I nod my head and sit in the car.

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