I was sitting on my bed, flipping through channels, when Alex opened the door and walked, rolling his eyes.
"Dude, stop being such a hermit for once and go outside," Alex called out, making me roll my eyes. "I swear, people are going to start thinking there's something wrong with you."
"Says the guy that used to be in a gang," I called back.
"You used to be in a gang, too!"
"It's not the same," I smirked, waving my hand, dismissing the topic. Alex rolled his eyes, shuffling uncomfortably. I was going to ask him why he was acting jumpy, but he spoke before I had the chance.
"I have a surprise for you," Alex sung, and it wasn't until now that I noticed he had his hands behind his back.
"I'm not in the mood for surprises," I grumbled, not bothering to look at him. "Don't you have to go ask Lexi to the prom or something? You better hurry up before some other guy does it."
Something I was familiar with? Oh, yeah.
"But you'll love this surprise," I noticed him grinning out of the corner of my eye. A warning sign went off inside my brain. "I know you'd rather have her come out of a giant cake wearing nothing but a-"
"Okay, shut up," a new voice snapped, and I turned my head to see Jordan step out from behind Alex. She looked slightly embarrassed, but Alex had a look of amusement on his face. "I don't want to hear whatever you had to say."
"But it's really funny! I was going to say edible-"
"Ah! Okay! Shut it!" She had her hands covering her ears. After she dropped them back to her sides, Alex continued blabbing.
"Anyway, Jordan here has something very important she wants to tell you."
Jordan stared at him flatly. Clearly, she had had enough of this idiot, and I was going to say that I felt the same. "Why don't you just tell him yourself? You seem willing enough."
She wasn't happy about what she had to tell me, which was making me anxious. I had to tell myself to stop thinking about the worst possible scenarios and just allow her to tell me. Ignoring her previous comment, Alex whispered something in her ear before stepping back.
"Go ask Lexi to prom," Jordan glared at him.
"All in good time," he waved her closer to me, but she didn't move. My full attention was focused on them, but I didn't want to show how I felt. Scared and confused. What if Jordan was going to tell me she didn't have any sort of feelings toward me and the last few times we kissed meant nothing to her?
Jordan let out a sigh, turning toward me with an ashamed look on her face. "Well, Jesse," she let out a breath. "I-"
"She's pregnant with Dallas' baby!" Alex shouted from behind her, causing Jordan to give him a hateful look. I didn't do anything. I couldn't do anything. Until the words finally sunk in.
What the fuck?
My fists clenched, and I was ready to go and kill Dallas. When did this happen? When did they find out? Alex knew before me, and he didn't tell me? Jordan and Dallas?
"Alex!" Jordan cried, still facing the blonde.
"Alright, alright, I'm joking," Alex laughed, turning Jordan back around to face me. I should've guessed. Why would I listen to anything Alex says? "She just has this very rare disease and she's going to die in two weeks..."
"Alex!" She shouted again, not bothering to turn around and face him this time. "Go ask Lexi to the prom!"
He didn't say anything, and I figured it was because he was waiting for Jordan to tell me the real reason. After the first two things he said, I'm sure it couldn't be that bad. She let out a breath, facing me once again.
"What's wrong, Jordan?" I asked, looking between her and Alex again. He was staying still behind her, without a smile on his face. Whatever Jordan was about to tell me, Alex already knew. I didn't understand why he was still here. Is he expecting to see a horrible reaction come from me? Did Jordan ask him to stay because she's worried I might lash out at her? Does she need him as a bodyguard?
Overthinking. I had to stop doing that.
"It's about prom," she said, twiddling her thumbs as she stared at her feet. I was sort of expecting Alex to jump in and start laughing, saying it was a big joke, but he didn't. This was serious. "I went to go tell Pete that I couldn't go with him because I was going with you, but he got really upset and almost started crying and I felt really bad so I said that I'd go with him."
So she was choosing someone over me. Why did she always choose someone over me?
She continued, "I'm so sorry; I just felt so guilty and I-"
"Jordan, Jordan!" I cut her off from her rant, clearing my throat to get rid of the lump that had formed when I heard her speak. "It's alright, it's fine. I understand. You're just too good of a person to hurt that junior. It's fine; doesn't matter to me. There are plenty of other girls that I had my eyes on to ask."
Jordan looked relieved, but as soon as I said the last part, her eyes widened and she looked hurt. "What?"
I wasn't sure where those words had come from. They fell out of my mouth as if I had rehearsed them a hundred times.
"Yeah, I was thinking of asking Aimee," I shrugged, falling back onto my bed and grabbing the remote. Of course I wasn't actually thinking of asking her, but I was speaking out of anger. The one topic I knew that would make Jordan as upset as she was making me." She seems like the kind of girl that you could get into bed pretty easily..."
The thought itself disgusted me. Jordan spun around, not wanting to look at me. I wouldn't blame her, I didn't want to look at myself either. My eyes were glued to the screen of the TV. I didn't want to look at Alex, afraid of the look he might give me.
"Yeah," she agreed, although she wasn't facing me. I was trying so hard not to pay attention to her, but I kept glancing to the side.
"Jordan," Alex said, stepping closer to her.
"Go... ask Lexi to prom," Jordan spoke quietly, so I wouldn't hear her. But I did, and I hated hearing the hurt in her voice that I caused.
"But, Jordan-"
"Go," Jordan insisted. "Just go ask her."
I looked up for a second, only to meet Alex's gaze. The look he gave me hurt more than it should've. He looked surprised, like he didn't expect me to react that way, but he also gave me a What the hell, Jacobsen? You're being an asshole look. I didn't disagree with him.
Alex left the cabin a few moments later, leaving Jordan standing in the cabin. We were both waiting for something to happen.
"I'll see you later," she said, not bothering to turn around and face me. I was glad. If she had looked at me, I wasn't sure I'd be able to handle it.
"Later," I settled on a channel, trying my hardest to focus on the show instead of the girl who couldn't care less about me. Jordan ran out of the cabin, and it gave me a little breathing room.
Maybe I was right, about how I should just stay out of her way to let her have the perfect prom. She deserves it, and with me out of the way, I'm sure it will be amazing. Did she even want to go with me at all? When she had been thinking about prom, was I even in the picture? Or did she imagine me wallowing in my own self pity?
I didn't believe it. The dock, the funeral, the party, it was all too real. She had to have felt something, too. It couldn't just be me. Jordan wouldn't have chosen Pete over me just because she wanted to. She had a reason, and instead of listening to her, I shut her down.
I needed to talk to Jordan. I'd break it off with Pete for her if she wanted me to. I hopped off the bed, wanting to find her before it was too late. If I had actually hurt her, I had a feeling she'd do something to help cope with the pain. That's what I did. Back at Cambridge, I used to always do things with the gang to get my mind off of her. I couldn't exactly do that now.
The door of the cabin swung open just in time for me to see Jordan's lips pressed against Dallas'. Of course. Fucking Dallas swoops in to save the day again. I didn't think twice before interrupting, the anger getting the best of me once more.
"As hot as this is," I said, causing Dallas to back away from Jordan in shock. I wanted to scream. "I'm afraid that I'm going to have to break this up."
The look on Jordan's face was one I haven't seen in awhile. She glared at me, with as much hatred she could muster. After everything we've done, she's back to Dallas. I completely forgot what I came outside to do when I saw them together. All I could see was a hurt girl who hated me, in love with someone I couldn't stand. It was like the ninth grade all over again. And the tenth. And the eleventh. And now, since he's back and their feelings are stronger than ever, the twelfth.
"I guess I'll see you later then, Jordan," Dallas sighed, shaking his head. He leaned it once more, kissing her softly. "I probably won't see you at prom."
"Won't be the first time," I sneered, scowling at my counsellor. Both Jordan and Dallas turned around to face me and glared. Dallas huffed, turning away from Jordan so he could make his way into Cabin B. Before he had the chance, Jordan grabbed his arm, turning him around and pressing her lips to his.
She had to be doing this to upset me, and I hated to admit it, but it worked. I was angrier than ever, and I knew I needed to calm myself down before I didn't something stupid again like punch a wall. It was a terrible idea, but right then, it sounded so good.
My eyebrows furrowed and I cleared my throat as obnoxiously as I could. Jordan pulled away from Dallas, and I could tell she was wondering what would happen if she gave him another kiss.
"I'll see you later," Jordan forced a smile. Dallas gave her an amused smirk. He looked surprised by her actions, and at that moment I couldn't care less how I looked. She turned around and began walking away. I should've stopped her. But I didn't. Instead, I walked all the way to Aimee's cabin, and I knocked on the door. She answered, and all I said was one word to get her squealing.
"Prom?"