Living With The Bad Boy [COMPLETE][VERSION ONE]

Chapter 10

Okay, so maybe that was the wrong way to start the conversation. Jase looks positively murderous.

"What is wrong with you?" he yells the second he sees me. His jaw is tensed and his fists clenched like he's going to punch the car.

"Says the guy who ditched me on the side of the road this morning! You can't exactly talk about taking the moral high ground here."

He rolls his eyes. "You know why I had to do that!"

"No, actually. I don't know why you had to be a jerk, Jase."

"Yes, because you're a self-centered narcissist."

"That's like the pot calling the kettle black. And I'm not a self-centered narcissist, by the way. I just appreciate revenge when I see an opportunity for it," I shrug.

"Whatever, Red," Jase says, walking away.

My heart flutters in my chest and I try to open my mouth, but I can't. I don't know what I would say, even if I could talk. Would I apologize? Or just yell at him some more?

Whatever. It doesn't matter, because he's already gone.

When I get back up to my room, I try to focus on my physics homework and not the flicker of guilt in my chest. It's not my fault he got legitimately worried... right? I just wanted to play a prank. And he probably wasn't legitimately worried anyways. Because that would imply he cared about me.

Which he doesn't. Obviously.

Sighing, I give up on my Physics homework. Ms. Pine will just have to wait. I need to put an end to this whole stupid Jase thing, once and for all.

Dear Jase, I write on a piece of stationary. Then, rolling my eyes, I scratch the words out. I don't want to write to him, that's the entire point.

The Jase Turner Articles, I rewrite.

To take into effect immediately after 12/2/19

A compendium of grievances written by Sienna Brown:

The guilty party is a scumbag

The guilty party has kicked Sienna out of his car for not being cool enough

The guilty party is a misogynistic jerk

I could go on forever about Jase's wrongdoings but I don't want to take up 10 pages.

Jase Turner shall henceforth and hereafter be removed and stricken from any and all spaces in Sienna's heart, mind, and anywhere else he should never be allowed. The guilty party shall not

I shook my head, realizing just how idiotic and cringeworthy this must be. Especially because I don't even need to write it down. All I have to do? Is vow to myself that I will never, ever fall for Jase Turner.

Which should be easy.

Just don't fall for him, I tell myself. Promise yourself that.

The next day, Jase doesn't even bother to argue with me as I get in the car with him. Just turns up the radio to some Kanye West song I've probably danced in my bedroom to 1000 times (Though if you mention that to anybody, I will kill you). I'm not dancing now, though. No way I would let Jase see that.

Speaking of Jase, he's rolling his eyes at me. "Have you even heard this song, Little Red? It seems a bit... mature for you innocent ears."

I glare at him. "That was uncalled for. And I do know this song, thank you very much."

"Wow, I'm so impressed."

"Why are you being such a jerk?" I ask, my voice shriller than I intended.

He smirks. "I'm always a jerk, right? That's what you all think, anyways." He stares at me, and normally I would yell at him for turning away from the road, but it feels like he's studying me, like this is some sort of test. I don't doubt that I'm failing miserably.

So I turn away and don't say another word for the rest of the ride.

Jase drops me off twenty minutes from school again, but this time I'm prepared. I have $10 that I scrounged out of my piggy bank from when I was literally five, and a cup of coffee calling my name. Smiling, I head to Newman's, Summer's best (and only) bakery. The warm smell of bread and pastry hits me as I open the door. Aah, I've missed this. Mayah and I came to Newman's practically every day after school last year, until she decided that she'd rather be out partying or playing music than sitting with me and eating croissants.

But it's fine.

I make my order (a vanilla soy latte & one of Newman's world famous blueberry muffins), sitting down on a tall stool overlooking the river to wait. Through the frosty crystals formed on the window, I can make out the bridge where people are walking. A couple strolls by, holding hands and giggling at each other. The two girls kiss as they reach the end of the bridge, the taller one waving goodbye as she walks into a restaurant, probably for work. A man walks across, pushing a baby stroller and checking his watch. I watch approximately twenty people in blazers cross the bridge together. I smirk as they all check their phones worriedly. Summer is the small town directly between Vernon and Glendale, and I assume that these people are probably confused at the lack of skyscrapers and strip malls.

"A vanilla soy latte and blueberry muffin for Sienna?" a soft voice asks from above me, abruptly breaking me out of my thoughts. I whirl around, startled, to see a guy about my age standing above me. I think I jump about five feet as my face turns brick red. "Yeah, um... that's... that's me." I smile up at him awkwardly, and blush even harder (if that's even possible) when I see his face. He has big, brown eyes that are probably the definition of warm, deep caramel colored skin dotted with freckles on his nose, short black hair, and a general laid-back, kind, and friendly vibe clear in his dimpled smile.

"Um, the last time I checked, this is the kind of cafe where you pick up your food at the counter." I feel bland and boring as I say it, but he grins. "True, but I just had to make an exception. It's not every day that I come across a girl like you." His eyes flit up and down as he talks, and I can hear the lilt of an accent, though I can't pinpoint exactly what it is.

Wait, hold up, what did he just say?

My face breaks into a grin and I look down, hoping that I wasn't embarrassing myself as much as I thought I was. "Well, it's nice to meet you. Are you new to Virginia?"

He nods. "Yeah, I moved here from Atlanta last week to stay with my uncle. And before that, it was England," he says, setting my plates down and taking a seat next to me. "I'm Noah, by the way." He reaches out a hand, and I take it. "Sienna."

He grins, dropping my hand. "I already knew that." He points over at my to-go mug, seeing my confusion. "Coffee order, remember?"

"Oh. right. I knew that." I feel my face get hot again. "Also, you wouldn't happen to be going to-"

"Noah! Get your lazy ass over here! These coffees aren't going to make themselves!"

Noah winces, standing up. "My aunt is... a tiny bit impatient," he jokingly explains. "Well, it was wonderful to meet you, Sienna. I hope I can see you around sometime." He walks away, giving me a small wink before he leaves.

Did that really just happen?

a/n:

hey guys! short chapter today i knoww, this is kind of a filler chapter before some dRaMa goes down. I appreciate every single one of you who's reading this & thank you for sticking with it!

-lemon zest :)