PART II
Jaimee gently kissed Lisa's exposed shoulder and cuddled closer to her. It was their own version of post-coital bliss, where they lay lazily on top of each other on the cold, hard floor.
"Hey, we need to get dressed," she said.
"I know. Let's do it later," Lisa replied sleepily and it brought a small giggle from Jaimee.
"I really like holding you like this, honey, but we need to get dressed before Mr. Castor opens this door up."
"I knoooow..."
Jaimee looked at the smaller girl who bathed in the moon's soft glow and couldn't help but feel her breath being taken away though she knew she couldn't stare at the girl forever. Lifting herself up into a sitting position, she then began to collect Lisa's clothes around them. She stood up and held Lisa's hands, pulling her up to sit, but the small girl let her body become limp and heavy making it difficult for Jaimee to pull her.
"Oh come on Lisa," she tried to frown but she just couldn't. She giggled and let Lisa go before diving back on top of her.
"I'm sleepy. You really tired me out," the girl mumbled.
"How about I make you a deal? We get dressed, then you can sleep all you can."
The smaller girl nodded and Jaimee kissed her before standing up and getting her clothes before handing it to her. Slipping into her underwear, she noticed Lisa's head bobbing like a bobblehead doll. She chuckled and went closer to her.
"Let me do that for you," Jaimee offered before she took Lisa's clothes and put them on her. She couldn't resist. She placed another tender kiss on Lisa's lips.
"You are absolutely adorable," Jaimee whispered against the smaller girl's lips. Then she let Lisa lie down before finishing to put own clothes on. Jaimee laid down beside Lisa and put her arms around her, spooning her. She had planned on just dozing off for a few minutes but before she knew it, she had fallen into a dreamless sleep.
The two slumbering girls were roused when they heard the noisy sound of the janitor's cart echoing in the hallways. Jaimee immediately bolted up and went to the door, banging it loudly.
"Hello? Is someone there? Please open the door. It's stuck!"
The noise stopped before they heard footsteps approaching the room. Then, they saw the knob wiggle and finally, the door opened.
Mr. Castor's head popped out from the door. "What the—Were you stuck here all night? Why didn't you call anyone for help?"
Jaimee lifted an eyebrow and put her hand on her waist. "If we could call for help, we wouldn't be stuck in there now, would we? Stop staying stupid things and get out of my way." Then she stormed off past Mr. Castor, stopping a few feet away and looking back at Lisa. "Well? Let's go."
Lisa scuffled towards Jaimee, mumbling a small 'I'm sorry' to the stunned janitor before they walked away together, leaving Mr. Castor scratching his head.
They both didn't say anything, but she gasped when she felt Jaimee hold her hand.
"What? I can't hold your hand now?" the teen asked, her tone soft and almost playful. It was different from the one she used on Mr. Castor.
Lisa shyly looked down and smiled. Jaimee is so unpredictable.
They walked out of the building and Lisa felt the morning breeze hit her face. She took a deep breath and glanced at Jaimee, only to find the other girl watching her with a small smile.
"What?" she asked, immediately getting conscious of how she looked.
Jaimee shook her head. "Nothing," then she gripped Lisa'a hand tighter and continued to walk towards the parking lot. They stopped when they reached Jaimee's car and Jaimee let go of Lisa's hand so she could unlock it.
Jaimee reached down to get her phone from the dashboard. "Oh, lookie here. It's only 5:45 a.m," she announced, grinning. "I'm going to drop you off at your house."
Lisa's cheeks flushed. "You don't have to do that. I can just take the bus."
"Oh, I insist. And I'm kidnapping you anyway."
But Jaimee wanted to know where Lisa lived. She was extremely curious about Lisa and she had the urge to know everything about the girl.
"Hop in," Jaimee winked and opened the door for Lisa.
Lisa liked the smell of Jaimee's car. It was feminine and it smelled like gardenias with hints of citrus. It wasn't suffocating. Lisa remembered the time she hitched a ride on their elderly neighbor's car on her way to church and it smelled like she was being smothered by a pillow of lavender.
"So, where do you live?" Jaimee asked as she started the car.
Lisa told her her address and they quietly drove off. They didn't talk much; they only threw each other meaningful glances along the way. When Jaimee tried to maintain eye contact, Lisa would look away and blush, making her smile. A few minutes later, they pulled over at a small, yet cozy-looking house. Lisa didn't live far from the school.
Out of hospitality, Lisa asked if the other girl wanted to go inside and have a cup of something warm. She wasn't exactly expecting Jaimee to say yes, so imagine her surprise when the cheerleader grinned and said, "Sure."
So they both got out of the car and went inside Lisa's house. They didn't need to knock since Lisa had her keys and so they just went inside where they found Lisa's mom sitting on the couch.
"Hey, Mom," Lisa greeted, a bit surprised that her mom was already up. But then again, her mom was always overprotective of her.
"Lisa? Where have you been? I just got off the phone with the police, but they said you need to have been missing for a full 24 hours in order to file a missing person's report. What kind of stupid—oh. You have a guest," that shut Lisa's mom up real quick.
Meanwhile, Jaimee took in Lisa's mom and she stared in disbelief. The woman doesn't look a day over than 25. When she recovered from her initial shock, she cleared her throat.
"Hello, ma'am. I'm Jaimee Reed and I'm your daughter's... friend," she took a quick side glance at Lisa and winked. "We both got locked inside a classroom at school and didn't get out until just this morning."
Lisa's mom gasped and reached out to hug her daughter to death. "Oh my god! Are you okay, baby? Were you scared? I know there was a blackout last night so you must have been terrified. You haven't eaten yet too, right?"
"Mom! Mom this is embarrassing," Lisa's cheek flushed as she looked at Jaimee who's clearly amused at their mother-daughter relationship. "And yes, I was terrified with the blackout but... I was distracted."
Jaimee knowingly grinned at her and it made Lisa's cheeks even redder. Suddenly, Jaimee's stomach rumbled and she shyly looked at the pair.
"Looks like someone is hungry. Well then, I hope you like cereal, Jaimee. That's all we have to offer at this moment." Lisa's mom finally broke away from her. "But I have a big shipment next week and I invite you to join us for a small dinner. A friend of Lisa is always welcome in our house."
Jaimee smiled and nodded. "Thank you, ma'am. And I would certainly be okay with cereal for breakfast."
Lisa's mom smiled. "Oh, by the way, call me Elsa. Ma'am is too formal."
Then, Elsa both led them to the kitchen/dining room which was literally just a few steps away from the living room. The two teenagers sat down as Elsa gave them bowls and passed the milk and cereal.
"Excuse me, Elsa. I know it's rude to ask a woman her age, but just how old are you? You couldn't possibly be any older than 25."
Elsa smiled and sat down across them. "Actually, I'm 32. I got pregnant when I was very young. But I got Lisa as a daughter and I couldn't be any more thankful."
Jaimee smiled and nodded her head. "Lisa is really great. You should be proud, Elsa."
That seemed to have lifted Elsa's mood even more. They spent breakfast chatting and after a plethora of topics and a thousand questions about school, Lisa looked at the clock on the wall and interrupted their little discussion about cooking.
"Ladies, I'm sorry to interrupt you, but we have school at 8:00 and it's already 7:10."
Elsa's eyes widened. "Oh my goodness! I didn't notice the time. You have to go, Jaimee. I don't want you both to be late."
Jaimee smiled and assured Elsa that even if she was to run late, the teachers wouldn't care. After graciously thanking Elsa for the breakfast, both teens went out.
Lisa stood just outside the door while Jaimee stood beside her, not really wanting to leave.
"So," Lisa started.
"So?" Jaimee grinned and put an arm around her.
Lisa blushed again. "So, what will we do at school?"
Jaimee removed her arm around Lisa and faced her. "We'll see each other around."
With a final kiss on the lips and a wink, Jaimee left Lisa.
*****
Lisa went through the front gates of their school, feeling every last one of her nerves tingle. She entered the exact same gate for about a thousand times now, but this time felt different. She went to school with a smile on her face whereas she would often go with her head hung low. Normally, she wouldn't care about her surroundings either, but today she even noticed how nice the weather is. Even the surly security guard couldn't sully her mood.
So this is what it feels to have a girlfriend.
Lisa quietly grinned to herself. She didn't want to get ahead of herself, assuming that she and Jaimee were a couple, but if she was to guess how being in a relationship feels like, it would be this.
But Lisa really liked Jaimee though. Lisa's isn't sure if she's gay, or bisexual. She could also be only into Jaimee, but she sure does like the blue-eyed cheerleader. Jaimee is still dating that jock Josh, but Lisa hoped the other would be with her eventually. They both felt the connection. And she told her they'd see each other.
And so she went on her merry way, attending every class with renewed vigor. But so far, she hadn't caught a glimpse of the other girl. It was still fairly early, so she didn't worry. They also didn't have any classes together so she really wasn't expecting to bump into her.
Until lunchtime, that is.
Lisa never really liked eating in the cafeteria because she always gets pushed around. And a couple of times, she got picked on by some bullies. So she prefers eating outside, or sometimes, skipping lunch altogether.
But today, she braved the cafeteria looking for a certain gorgeous blonde. And she did find her. In fact, the other girl wasn't really that hard to see.
Jaimee was on her usual table, surrounded by her friends and some football players.
But she wasn't sitting on a chair. She was sitting on Josh' lap.
Josh.
Jaimee's boyfriend.
She watched Jaimee laugh at a joke her 'boyfriend' told her. And just as the first few cracks appeared on Lisa's heart, her eyes shed tears as she saw Jaimee reach out and kiss Josh on the lips.
And at that moment, Jaimee became another first for her.
Her first heartbreak.
Lisa didn't know how long she just stood there, paralyzed, until some brute walked past her. The guy bumped her shoulder causing her frail body to topple. Without even acknowledging her, the jerk walked away as if she was invisible.
The fair-haired girl just stood up, used to the cruel treatment. She dusted herself off before glancing at the table once more, this time meeting Jaimee's blank gaze. Lisa threw the blue-eyed girl a sad look before turning around and running away.
Lisa found herself silently crying by the bleachers. The gym was empty, which she knew was a good opportunity to cry her heart out.
She removed glasses wiped her tears away. She had never felt so humiliated like this before. And she knew, in her rational mind, that she should just forget about Jaimee, hate her even, but...
Why does the idea of letting Jaimee go bring so much pain in her chest?
"Here," she heard a deep male voice and her eyes fell on a white hankie. She looked higher and she saw Keith Hallin, one of the more popular kids in their school. He's a pretty decent guy from what she's heard.
She didn't reach for the hankie or did anything, really. She just stared at him.
He smiled and Lisa was surprised how good-looking he actually is. She heard rumors and whispers about the guy, but she wasn't interested.
Keith sighed and tilted her head up before he started to wipe her tears himself. "Girls shouldn't cry. They should be treated like queens," he smiled again, showing his perfect set of teeth and dimples.
At the mention of 'queen,' she burst out crying.
"Hey," then she felt him sit down beside her and start patting her back. "It's okay. It's going to be okay."
She continued to cry like a baby, "It hurts."
"Cry it out. I'm sure your boyfriend and you will work it out."
The sheer irony of it made her stop bawling and regain her composure before replying to the guy, "I don't have a boyfriend."
"Then why were you crying?" he asked, curious.
"It's something personal," she sniffed for the last time.
He gave her a comforting smile. "I'm sorry again. I hope you're feeling better now."
Lisa nodded and smiled. "Thank you."
He grinned, "No problem. I'm Keith," then he held out his hand.
"I'm Lisa. Listen, Keith, I really have to go. Thanks a lot for everything," Lisa tried to scamper out of the embarrassing situation. After putting her glasses on and standing up, she began to descend the bleachers.
"No problem, Cinderella," she could hear the amusement in his voice.
She looked back, confused, "Huh?"
He pointedly looked down and she followed his gaze, finding her left shoe on the ground. Face heating up, she went back and slipped the shoes back on her foot.
She left the gym, clearly very embarrassed.
The rest of the day felt like a blur. Lisa was clearly not herself. Even a few of her teachers noticed. But anyone who is interested enough would see the heartbreak in her eyes if they just looked closer.
She only became aware of her surroundings when she spotted a tall blonde enter the comfort room. She knew that person and would recognize her a mile away. Without thinking, she entered the comfort room and saw Jaimee in front of the mirror, fixing her makeup along with some other girls. Their gazes met at the mirror and Lisa felt her heart literally skip a beat.
For a second, she thought she saw a flash of emotion pass through those beautiful blue eyes, but those orbs hardened before she could even blink.
"Out. All of you out!" Jaimee demanded.
All the girls scrambled out without any qualms. She was about to leave too when she heard Jaimee's chilling voice.
"Except you," without even turning around to look at the teen, she knew she was talking to her.
She took a deep breath before turning around and coming face to face with the blue-eyed beauty. "Yes?"
The cheerleader crossed her arms and frowned. She looked so different. Still gorgeous, but her eyes were cold and it felt like Lisa was staring at a completely different person.
Not the girl she spent the night with.
"Why are you following me?" Jaimee asked icily.
"I-I..." she stuttered.
What was she supposed to say? That she was undeniably in love with her? That she thought they had something going on? They just slept together, for goodness' sake. It's not like they were married last night.
Jaimee raised an eyebrow. "Are you going to say something or will you just stand there, pathetically stuttering?"
Lisa didn't understand. Why is the other girl acting like they didn't know each other?
"Why were you avoiding me? And why are you so mean to me? It's not like I told anyone about us-"
Jaimee scoffed. "Us? Oh please, there is no such thing. You were just something to pass time and to play with. Did you really think I would like you? Look at yourself. God, you are pathetic."
Lisa felt like someone just stabbed at her chest. It didn't take long for the tears to fall from her eyes and into the floor. She didn't dare look up at Jaimee, who she knew was still glaring at her.
"You're wasting my time," the other girl walked past her and got out of the bathroom. Lisa fell to the floor, a weak pile of just flesh and bones.
A few days had passed since they last interacted with each other. Jaimee seemed to have completely forgotten about her, based on her actions. In fact, she no longer glared at Lisa whenever they passed each other on the hallway. She just acted as if Lisa didn't even exist at all.
And that hurt Lisa more.
Lisa wouldn't mind if Jaimee started to bully her.
Shoved her.
Picked on her.
Threw her around.
Made her life miserable.
At least she could still say that they have some sort of relationship. She sighed and chose to lay down. Good thing she was on the 'reserved' part of the library. No one ever goes out there. She closed her eyes and forced herself to nap. She still had two hours before her next class.
"Hey, Cinderella. Don't tell me you're going to become Sleeping Beauty now?"
Her eyes snapped open. She recognized that voice.
She snapped her eyes open and found the dimpled charmer standing before her.
"Hey, Keith," she gulped when the boy sat down next to her and promptly lied down.
"It seems that you also want to escape from reality for a while." He stated.
The petite girl nodded and continued to observe her unexpected guest.
"Do you have a test this afternoon?" He asked yet again.
"No. Why?
"Do you want to skip school with me?" And waiting for Lisa to reply, Keith stood up and went outside, dragging her along with him.
"Hey, where are we going?" Lisa asked.
"To a place where we both can have some fun," then he grinned.
She watched curiously as he held her hand. Lisa knew they must be an unusual pair to look at. And judging by the strange looks they were getting from the hallway, they were indeed strange.
Until her eyes caught an unforgiving glare.
The unforgiving glare of one Jaimee Reed.
Her breath hitched at her throat and she suddenly felt guilty.
Why the fudge would I feel guilty?
Jaimee looked at her like she was the one who wronged her. Like she was the one who broke Jaimee's heart like glass and trampled on it a couple of million times.
She tore her gaze away from the confusing teen. From this day onwards, she swore she would cast Jaimee off her mind.
Keith ended up taking her to a local ice cream shop. It wasn't that far from their school and within a few minutes of conversing with him, Keith wasn't at all an asshole. But she was still wondering why he chose to hang out with him. He's a popular guy. Couldn't he have asked any of his buddies to go out with him?
"Matcha is so good," Keith commented while rubbing his chin in astonishment and examining his ice cream.
"If it's so good, why aren't you eating it?" Lisa asked the boy.
"I like the color green. It brings out the color of my eyes."
Lisa stopped eating from her cup to subtly examine Keith's facial features. Aside from the striking attractiveness, he really does have bright green eyes which seemed to shimmer under the lights. It reminded Lisa of Jaimee
Lisa dejectedly sighed and went back to eating her strawberry ice cream.
"Hey, you still feeling down?"
"I guess. Thank you for the treat. I'll pay you back when I get paid at my job next week. I promise," Lisa works at a little pet store during the weekends. She doesn't do much at her job. She bathes the dogs once in a while, but she mostly manages the store and takes care of inventory.
"No need to. It's nice hanging out with you. Plus you needed cheering up,' he replied, chuckling.
"Why me, though?" Lisa probed, not knowing why someone like Keith would hang out with her. Even being seen with her isn't good for reputation.
Jaimee certainly made Lisa know that.
As if knowing what she was thinking, he said, "Why not? I'm more of a quality over quantity kind of guy, and I happen to think you're amazing. I'm following your research and I donated a bunch of times."
Lisa's eyes widened. One of her major sponsors is the Hallins. Kieth Hallin. Of course!
"Oh, I know your company. Thank you so much for the donations," Lisa said in disbelief and for the first time, she smiled at Keith. "It was really helpful."
Keith chuckled. "You're welcome."
"Still, I'm gonna pay you back for the ice cream," Lisa stubbornly insisted.
He grinned, showing the deep dimples on his cheek again. "Let me drive you home. Then, I'll think about your offer."
"No, I can just—"
"Then I won't accept your payment."
"But—"
"No buts. Take it or leave it."
Lisa groaned. Keith is hardheaded. "Fine. But—"
"Great!" Keith stood up, ready to leave, "Let's go!"
And 45 minutes later, they were outside Lisa's front door. Lisa said that Keith didn't have to 'escort' her to her own house, but he insisted.
"I swear you are the most hardheaded person I have ever met," Lisa complained.
He just chuckled. "I just want to be invited in."
A moment after they knocked, the door opened and what came out froze them in shock.
No, not what, but who.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't little Lisa and her boyfriend," Jaimee spat out with venom in her voice and eyed them with hate.
"What are you doing here?!" Lisa and Keith asked at the same time, both surprised by the fact that the teen was there and the fact that the other seemed to personally know Jaimee.
The annoyed cheerleader crossed her arms and raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "I was invited to a dinner, remember?" she looked pointedly at Lisa. Then, she looked at Keith, "You, however, weren't. You should go."
Keith was about to bid farewell when the door swung open again and revealed Lisa's smiling mom.
"Lisa! Oh, good that you're home. Jaime said you had to tutor some students. I told you, I don't want you to work too hard," then Elsa noticed Keith.
"And who is this?" she smiled at him.
Keith returned the smile and offered his hand, "I'm Keith Hallin, I'm Lisa's friend."
Elsa looked pleasantly surprised while she shook Keith's hand. "Lisa, you have any more of your friends hiding somewhere?" Elsa joked, opening the door for them. "Come and join us for dinner. We have enough food for everyone."
Lisa was a little overwhelmed at how fast things were going. Jaimee was here, Keith met her mom, and now they were going to have dinner together.
What is happening?
________________________________________________________
A/N: Hello everyone. It's been four years since I wrote this book, and upon rereading this, I found out that some parts no longer reflect my thoughts and views as an author and as a person. People grow, and writing changes. Also, someone said they didn't cry enough when they read this.
I took that as a challenge.
Prepare to cry harder than the first time you read this.
-Potato