Jasper looked at me carefully as he held my wrist tightly in his hand. I swallowed heavily as we met each other's gaze and we both froze, each watching the other carefully. I winced slightly, doing my best not to blink despite the severe urge to, as pain started shooting through my wrist from how tightly he was holding onto it. I gave in after another minute, blinking and that gave him a chance to step forward, pushing me back against the wall of the gym behind us.
I blinked again as I felt my back come into contact with the wall once more and I glanced behind me towards it. Before I could look back at him, I fell still as I felt something pressing against my neck. I swallowed heavily but remained still despite the urge to scream and start struggling as I heard a deep intake of breath from right beside me. I glanced towards it, my eyes widening when I saw that Jasper had buried his face deeply into the crook of my neck.
A rather surprised expression crossed my features as I watched him, afraid, and I'm ashamed to admit it but curious as well as to what it was that he was doing. Seeming to sense my eyes on him now, Jasper slowly moved his head away from my neck, moving back just enough so that he could actually look me in the eye this time. My breath caught in my throat as well as any smart arse comment that would have come out of my mouth as his eyes met mine. The colouring of them seemed to resemble the darkest shade of black possible, which completely baffled me because I knew that his eyes were in fact the most gorgeous shade of blue I had ever seen.
Seeing the confusion in my eyes, Jasper looked at me for a moment before he swallowed heavily and I watched his Adam's apple move in his throat when my eyes glanced downwards. I looked back up again quickly and his eyes seemed to seek out mine once more. Almost like a magnet, our eyes found each other's and that was where we ended up staying, our eyes locked with me pinned between him and the wall.
After what felt like a life time, I managed to pull my gaze away from his, turning my head to look away and anywhere but at him. I closed my eyes, my heart now beating too fast and too loud in my chest for him not to hear it. I had no idea that at this time he could hear it whether I wanted him to or not. It was my turn to swallow heavily now, trying desperately to coat my now dry throat as taking in air made me feel as though I was swallowing sandpaper and every breath of air made my throat burn. I glanced up at him as I heard his sudden intake of breath once more and I looked at him carefully, my heart now feeling as though it was beating against my throat.
The bell finally rang to signal the end of lunch and it caused both of us to jump. Only Jasper jumped away from me as though he had received an electric shock. I glanced over at him, leaning back against the wall for support and I could see that his hands were visibly shaking. He clenched them into fists and I was thankful that my next class I didn't share with him. I don't think I could make it through another two fifty minute classes with him without wanting to be on the complete opposite side of the school from him. That wouldn't happen as it was since the only free seat in any of the classes that we shared was beside me. The teachers had all learned the hard way in my classes that I do not, under any circumstance, share my desk. I am quite happy to pair up with people but I tended to move to sit with them at their desks. Anyone who would try to use my desk while I wasn't there would always, without fail, have something strange happen to them.
Quickly turning my back to him, I made a desperate dash for my locker, the cold wind nipping and biting at my face and hands as I rushed towards my locker. My shoes crunched in the snow that was covering the ground now and I nearly slipped and fell as I finally entered the corridor, my shoes not having the best grip on the entire planet. We rarely got snow where we were and when we did it was like it was now so none of our shoes were made for the snow. Catching myself before I could actually fall, I continued with my desperate dash towards my locker and when I was sure that I had reached it without anyone, namely Jasper, following me, I relaxed slightly.
Quickly twirling in my combination into my lock, I opened my locker and grabbed out my books for my next class. A chill suddenly began to rub down my spine, starting at the base of my neck and slowly making its way down. My shoulders shot up to my ears and I bit down on my lip harshly, almost to the point where I was chewing on it and drawing blood. I nearly let out a scream as I felt a hand come down on my shoulder and I whirled around, expecting to see Jasper there. I was relieved to see Laura was the one standing there instead and I let out a breath in relief and she raised an eye brow at me.
"You alright, Aria? You look like you've seen a ghost," she asked and I nodded my head quickly.
"Yeah. Yeah I'm fine, Laura. Just...A little skittish is all," I replied as I shrugged my shoulders. I certainly wasn't about to tell her what had happened or that I thought she had been Jasper.
"Alright. Come on then or we're going to be late and you know how much the teach hates us being late," she said to me and I raised a brow.
"You mean to tell me that you don't intend to make a dramatic entrance today?" I asked her, sarcasm completely covering my tone and she scowled at me, turning her nose up as she looked away from me.
"I don't make dramatic entrances," she said defensively and I couldn't help but let a chuckle escape my lips as we began to head towards our last class of the day.
I couldn't help but glance over my shoulder as we walked towards out last class. I was afraid that Jasper had definitely been given this class as well on his schedule an if he had I was going to say I wasn't feeling well and spend the entire class in the sick bay. But upon finding that the seat beside mine was vacant and would remain that way for the rest of the semester, I was able to relax and actually somewhat pay attention in class.
By the time class was over and school was finished for the day, I had gone from relaxed to a tightly wound coil. As the clock had ticked its way closer to the end of the school day, my heart rate had shot up from its steady beating to a more rapid and almost painful beat. I was packed up and ready to leave the room before the bell even rang. Laura gave me a weird look as I shot up and out of my seat when the bell finally did ring and I gave her a shy smile before darting out of the room.
I walked towards my locker, my head down and somehow managing to dodge in between the students and teachers as much as I could. They were all desperately trying to vacate the building and grounds as soon as possible. I was one of them as well, desperately trying to get to my locker so that I could grab my books and get home again before I had a chance to see Jasper or his siblings again. His brother and sister always gave me an overwhelming urge to turn around and run as far away from them as I could possibly get. And Jasper...Well he was a different story. I wanted to be near him but I didn't want to at the same time. I was conflicted with wanting to get to know him and staying the hell away from him.
Sighing and shaking my head at myself, I stood at my locker now, picking out the books I would need for my homework that night. I couldn't believe what was happening right now. There was something about Jasper that drew you in - I had seen it for myself with other students - but at the same time there was something that kept you at arms length. At least, that's how it felt for me. I hadn't seen anyone else reacting the way that I did with him. Closing my locker and turning around, I fell still and my eyes widened as once again, the trio of siblings sudden arrival in the corridor had brought the dull and rather annoying chatter of the other students to a complete stand still.
The three of them walked down the corridor as if they owned the place. Well...Roderick and Aranna did at the very least. Jasper kind of hung back slightly, walking behind the other two silently. Roderick and Aranna were talking rather animatedly with one another, laughing every now and again and slowly, the conversations in the corridor picked up once more, though it was slightly duller than it had been. I quickly flattened myself against my locker as I saw them coming closing and I tried to hide myself amongst the other students so that Jasper couldn't, and wouldn't, see me.
My plan didn't work - I know, big shocker there - and Jasper's eyes automatically found mine through the entire crowd of students. How he had even found me was a mystery and I wasn't about to ask him why he had decided to single me out from the rest of the students. Taking in a deep, and rather shaky breath I might add, I kept my eyes on him, barely daring to move or to blink as he looked back at me. Time seemed to stop in the corridor as we looked at one another before Jasper came to a stop in the direct line of sight from me. As if sensing that he was looking at me, the other students that were around me and between me and him separated, creating a path that led direction to either one of us.
I saw him take a step towards me and I took an involuntary step back. I felt the cool metal of the locker come into contact with my skin where it was exposed and I bit down on my lip, hissing at the sudden cold. I saw his eyes dart down to my lips and then back up again quickly, as though he was afraid to get caught in the act. I saw his eyes change colour ever so slightly as well, going to a slightly darker shade of blue than normal and I swallowed nervously.
Someone called out his name and I saw his eyes dart to whoever it was briefly. I took that momentary distraction to make my escape, hurrying in the complete opposite direction that he was going. I didn't know if he had looked back at me or not but there was no way in Hell that I was going to stick around to find out. I darted between the other students, desperately trying to get out of the school and back home as quickly as I could. I could feel my heart racing in my chest, beating a rather furious beat against my ribs to the point of where I was sure that I would end up with bruises the following day. I didn't know why I was so afraid of him when I had wanted to both get to know him and stay as far away from him as I possibly could. I knew one thing for certain at the moment.
I had to keep away from him.