There's a Thin Line Between Love and Hate (Jesse's POV)

Jesse's POV (43)

Jordan's eyes dropped, and she sounded as though she was going to start crying. "I was the girl that was... kidnapped along with Alexandria, and a day doesn't go by when I wish that it was me that was killed instead of her."

Someone next to me started to tear up as Jordan turned to her friends. I could see her breathing settle before she started talking once more. "And the other... was Jesse Jacobsen."

My eyes widened as I listened attentively to what was being said about me. She wrote this all herself, and since she didn't know I would be here, anything could be said.

"Some of you might remember him as the loud, obnoxious boy that always seemed to be there when you didn't want him to. Some of you might have remembered him as the cool, popular boy that didn't really seem to care about anything at all... He would always annoy me and make my life miserable, but as the time passed I realized that he wasn't that bad of a guy, and he didn't deserve to go the way he did. I called him my enemy for these past four years, but I'm starting to wonder if that was always what he really was..."

Her voice was shaky again, and she looked down for a moment as the tassel on her cap swung back and forth. "So I'm here to thank Jesse and Alexandria, and I hope that... wherever they are, they're happy."

Jordan's eyes dropped to her speech, but she didn't say anything else. Her breathing was off, and my eyes widened.

"I'm sorry," she gasped, her voice cracking a little. "I just... I can't do this."

As people exchanged glances, my eyes travelled around the room. When I was turned around in my seat, I saw something that made my eyes widen greatly.

Hunter stood at the back of the room with his hands behind his back. He had a smirk on his face, and I felt my eyes narrow when I saw how he was staring at Jordan. I stood up, trying to make it seem as subtle as possible. Jordan had moved toward the microphone again, getting ready to say something else.

"I'm not supposed to be valedictorian," she sighed. "Jesse is. And just because he's... dead... doesn't mean I can just take it from him. It just doesn't feel right."

I didn't even think about what she said as I made my way to the side of the stage. I didn't think anyone noticed. If they did, nothing was being said.

"Guys," Jordan whispered, and I looked for Hunter again. When I found him, his hands weren't behind him anymore. "I... I... should have told you this a long time ago." They were in front of him, and a gun was now being held in his right one. I didn't think twice as I ran toward the stage.

"Jesse and I... Jesse and I were-"

My body collided with hers, making us both fall to the ground with myself on top of her. A gunshot rung throughout the room, making people either stare in shock or start to panic.

Jordan's hat fell off, and mine did as well. The sunglasses fell shortly after I began running, making my face completely visible. Once Jordan saw it was me, her eyes widened. I continued holding her, making sure she was alright.

"He's alive?" Someone shrieked as I jumped up, pulling Jordan to her feet. Well, now they knew. Hunter did as well, and I figured this would get a lot more complicated. More people discussed things about me, but I think the most shock was present on the friends of Jordan. Not only was I alive, I just saved her from getting shot. It's not exactly something an enemy would do, but they had to have known that something was different.

People were jumping from their chairs and heading toward the exits. But they were stopped when every exit was slammed shut.

"What's going on?" Jordan asked, turning to me with a scared expression. People were screaming and shouting, some began crying, and I wasn't sure what I could've done to help. "Why are you here? What was that sound and why can't people get out?"