{ N I N E } : F E E L I N G S.
The day had began incredulously.
"You should totally sit the entire day out, Jazz." Felicity had advised the moment Jazz got out of her bed.
Barely an hour into the school day, Jazz wished she had taken Felicity's advise. Surprisingly, the pair had bonded over the issue last night. Well Jazz didn't exactly go spilling all her secrets to her roommate even though she was rather high in her feelings.
Jazz Brown was a relatively secretive person.
She had singlehandedly fooled the entire Bubble Academy into believing her name was actually Jazz Brown. Even her tests results reported her name as; J. Brown. She never wrote her first name in full during exams because her student ID number mattered the most.
Her sight was gloomy, her tongue numb and her limbs weak but she was still determined to make it through today. She didn't intend to give Grey the satisfaction of knowing how much effect he had on her. She was strong and was going to prove it.
Grey Anderson was absent from class today. And every other person she came in close contact with were into sciences except Bonnie Black and Livia Solace.
Wondering what Aubrey would have said to motivate her as she sat in a trance staring at the dark green chalk board. Mrs Dayne's voice droning in the distance, she felt like she was underwater.
At least no one was taking about seven orphaned ginger cats today.
"America wouldn't have been America today if not for Amerigo Vespucci. He was a voyager and visionary but most importantly a legend, the new world owes him everything..." Mrs Dayne spoke.
The bell echoed in the hallway.
Finally it was time for recess.
Trudging out of the classroom with everyone, she took slow steps in the direction of the Brown House.
Every eye was perched on her brown body as she walked into the Brown House. Whispers erupted in the hall, sighing, she was only trying to grab lunch like everyone else because the last three periods had sucked her dry or maybe it was thanks to her emotions.
That's when she noticed the new snack vending machine. It was all black with white lights surrounding the edge of the show-glass on the inside.
The stares were beginning to bore holes into her back. Shrugging them off, she decided on grabbing a snack and drink and cascading out of the rather toxic atmosphere.
After securing three sachets of Cheetos and a can of Sprite, she made to flee but the doors to the refectory flew open and Grey Anderson walked in. A white notebook and printed paper in his hand. After not seeing him all day, her heart pounded faster in her chest.
Every head turned towards him.
But he was looking at one person. His death glare fixed directly into her soft ones despite the distance between them.
"What the f*ck, Jacqueline?!" He cussed as he approached her.
Jazz winced at the sound of her own name.
How did Grey Anderson know her real name overnight?
Everyone seemed to pause their chatter as his voice boomed through the atmosphere, their concentration on the two like they were putting up some waltz dancing show.
"Can we not do this here?" Jazz croaked out, apparently she was the only one who still had dignity to protect.
"Stop trying to play victim, after all you're not the one who just had your family's secret exposed to the whole school!" Grey said grimly, the white of his eyes already a light red. He was in pain.
"What are you talking about?" Jazz shook her curly haired head at him as her eyes burned behind her glasses.
A comforting hand rested on her shoulder.
"Stop acting innocent, Jazz! Was this your way of getting revenge? You're just as pathetic as your feelings. If you really cared about me or my own feelings you wouldn't have published this article." He paused and tossed the printed paper in her face.
"Here, you can have this stupid book as well." He said and chucked Aubrey's journal at her.
Jazz stood fixed on the spot, bewildered, dumbfounded and too embarrassed to squat and pick up the items.
At least Aubrey's journal explained how he knew her real name. Pretty sour of Aubrey to write that in there though.
Now it felt like it was just the two of them in the refectory, like no one else was watching.
Grey held her gaze fiercely for a long moment before finally turning without another word. He was really hurt and disgusted at her no doubt.
Wallowing in whatever was left of her dignity, she bent low and picked up the printed paper and Aubrey's journal. Turning around, she met the warm and sorry dark eyes of Head Prefect Allen.
She swallowed hard and glanced at the piece of paper.
Sure enough it was another article published in her name, talking about the Anderson family.
Divorce By Choice Or By Force?
Her stomach knotted and a tear escaped from her eye. Yes, Grey hurt her but she was wallowing in her grief all through the night, her roommate could testify. Besides she was banned from publishing anything in Bubble Academy till she graduated, she didn't exactly take pleasure in getting punished so NO, she didn't write the article.
Right now, her education was hanging in the balance.
It took just one look at her for Allen to know she didn't write the article but he couldn't help her in this situation, he had already tried. The best his position could allow him negotiate with their emotionally wrecked Head Mistress was pacifying Jazz Brown's expulsion to an indefinite suspension.
"I'm so sorry." He said.
| | |
Jazz stood before the school's disciplinary committee in Head Mistress May's office like a dumb broad. She didn't speak any word. She couldn't, her tongue was tied and her lips were sealed. She had no words to defend herself and even if she did no one was ready to listen to her.
Her honey eyes danced between the printed article and her stoic-faced Head Mistress.
The Head Mistress, the school's counselor– Mrs Payne Justice, Bubble's geometry teacher– Mr Ansley, Head Prefect Allen Pierce, Deputy Head Prefect Livia Solace and Grey Anderson. Luthor was poised to be here but yeah he was still stuck in the school's clinic.
"You're hereby suspended... Indefinitely." The school's counselor announced.
Closing her eyes, she gulped down the hurt.
Opening her eyes again, they landed on Grey. He looked away with a straight face and taut mouth.
Jazz clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth, nodding at the panel, "Very well, I'll go pack."
She exited the office and paced down the lonely hallway. Someone had followed her out of the office, suspecting it was Allen, she said:
"I'm fine on my own, Allen."
The footsteps continued behind her.
Her pain morphed into anger, she turned around only to drown in ever familiar blue eyes.
"Grey." She whispered in shock.
He stayed mute, instead he kept coming closer till he had her pinned against the wall. The look in his eyes, dark and enchanting.
All she could hear now was the sound of her own heartbeat.
A part of her wanted to believe that deep down he didn't mean all those words from last night or today at the refectory, that maybe he was just hurt like anyone else would be.
But her heart knew better.
"I'm sorry."
"Can you hear yourself?" Jazz laughed bleakly, her eyes glossy. "I'm sorry too you know. Sorry for letting myself fall for you."
With that, she shoved him off and walked away. Sniffing back tears and wiping the escaping ones as she took on her heels.
| | |
A written note was waiting for Jazz Brown on her bed.
Next time, learn to mind your own business.
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A/N: vote vote vote, what do you have to say about Grey and Jazz right now? kindly recommend my book to your friends, thank you and love you.