Paralyzed Love ✓

eighteen

Ava clears her throat and glares at everyone.

"Seriously," Melanie says. "I was just about to ask you guys."

Ronnie chucks her spoon at Jesse. He is holding Ava's hand under the table, and he is beaming brightly.

"Everyone," Jesse scans through the squad. "She is mine!" he says as he holds Ava's hand up in the air.

The whole table bursts into laughter. Ava frowns and gapes at him, but a trace of laughter on her lips replaces it afterwards.

"How long have you guys been, um, dating?" Elliot asks as he lets out a smirk.

Jesse tilts his head and turns to Ava, who is still staring at him. "Well, a week or so?" His face is smug, as though he has been planning something.

Ava looks away as she rolls her eyes and lets out a tiny snort, the corners of her lips still curling up.

"I knew it! But why didn't you tell us earlier?" Melanie asks and laughs.

Yes, Ava accepts the fact that she and Jesse are together, but she still hates being the centre of everything. She hates kissing in the middle of the hallway, and she hates that every time people see her and gossip about her dating Jesse.

"Here are the rules: You can hold my hand, but no kissing at school. Also, do not tell anyone about our relationship except people you know well."

That's what Ava told Jesse the day after their kiss when Jesse officially asked her out. Jesse tried to talk to Ava about allowing him to kiss her at school, but he understood that Ava is Ava. She acts like that, and he likes every piece of her.

"We have English later. You guys want to wait outside the classroom earlier with us?" Liam says as he stands up with Ronnie and Elliot.

"Sure thing, let's go," Jesse smirks at Ava and follows them. Ava walks behind them and she sees a tall figure approaching Melanie, who is dropping down her tray on the tray cart. Melanie turns to Gaten, her body lights with joy and love. She jumps up to Gaten and kisses him.

Ava smiles heartily. Everything seems to be sorted out, right?

Right?

Ava pulls her gaze away from them and notices that Jesse is waiting for her at the lunchroom exit door. She swiftly walks to him.

"Hey guys." A boy's voice grabs Ava's attention, and she sees Jacob standing in front of them. He gives Jesse a fist bump and he smiles at Ava. "Rachel's home tonight, want to join us for dinner, Ava?"

Jacob's question startles Ava, she blinks and looks at Jesse. Jesse grins and wraps his arm around her waist. "Yes, Ava's joining us tonight," he says.

"I didn't say yes-"

"Well, I'm part of you now, so yes you're coming." Jesse wraps Ava even closer to him that Ava almost loses her balance.

Ava sighs. "I have parents."

"Alright," Jacob says and looks at them amusedly. "You guys can talk about that, I'm not down for being the third wheel. Just don't forget that I-"

"You technically made us get together? Yeah yeah okay," Jesse finishes off the sentence for his brother. He rolls his eyes but keeps a smirk on his face. Jacob ain't wrong after all, and Jesse finds it sort of ridiculous that he actually owes something to Jacob for once.

Jacob throws the same eye roll, amused, and walks away.

"Please," Jesse glances at Ava. "You can meet everyone in my family."