three: TONGUE TIED
Jasmine didn't understand.
Jared had hastily offered to drive her to and from school every day for the past few weeks and even offered to have lunch with her. He was holding conversations with her, making jokes and even tried to comfort the girl in times of need, but when Jasmine asked why he did this all he said was "Why not?"
She had many ways to answer him; he had been fine ignoring her every day before, he had new friends that he cared about, and she had Riley. The words never seemed to come out though, she didn't respond after he said that just to make him happy. Jasmine would rather see her brother happy with her rather than sad with friends. She doubted Jared would do the same.
Green trees surround the car on the dusty road, a trail of fog ahead of the small truck Jared owned. Her eyes traced the clouds in the sky, taking in the shapes they held and how fast they were passing with the car. The woodland area held a fresh smell, something she's been craving forever. Ever since she lost her camera, Jasmine didn't go out in the wilderness.
A sweet tune of Maroon 5's 'She Will Be Loved' rang through the car, her phone vibrating in the cup holder. As soon as she say the word "Riles<3" she answered, hoping that the friend was just wondering where she was. Pressing the speaker button, Jared glanced at her as Jasmine said, "Hello?"
"So, why do I, your best friend, have to find out from Colin that Paul Lahote, your ex-best friend, saved you from falling over a cliff and brought you home to cuddle two weeks ago?"
Jasmine's eyes grew wide, her eyes staring at Jared like a fish out of water. His grip on the steering wheel tightened and his face was slightly shaking when Riley exclaimed that. 'Only a few more minutes, she thought, then we'll be at school.'
"That's not what happened! I-I didn't-he just-ugh!" she stuttered. "He just brought me to Sam Uley's and I slept on the couch alone." Colin Littlesea was one dead dickhead and she would make him pay for this.
Riley scoffed, "Oh please, Jasmine, you would have loved it if he did. We're friends, Jas. We tell each other stuff like this immediately, not two weeks after!" Riley's voiced gradually got higher and she could imagine her raising her hands while doing it.
Jared was almost to the school when, Jasmine took it off speaker and said, "It's not a big deal! That's the last time I'll see him. Don't throw a cow over this, I don't even like him."
"What? That's ridiculous just.."
"I'll see you at school," Jasmine muttered, ending the call which would make Riley get even more pissed than she was now.
Jasmine didn't see the problem, she didn't like Paul, she avoided him every chance she could. The situation was as insignificant to her as the Sharknado series that Riley made her watch and it was two weeks old. Two weeks. In the span of that time, Jasmine failed her Physics test, got her period, played Uno alone and fell off her couch. She forgot about Paul and swept him under the bed like her clothes and moved on. Which was what Jared didn't do.
As soon as the phone call ended, Jared had relaxed a bit and sat back in the reclined car seat. Hearing Riley talk about her sister and another made him repulsed, as if it was like a sour taste in his mouth. That day was still fresh in his mind as Paul couldn't stop thinking about it during runs with Jared. It was always how peaceful she looked sleeping or some crap that was too sappy for Jared to handle.
"I'm sor-" she started.
Jared sighed, "It's fine. I don't care." The car was now parked on the school lot and he had rushed out the car and slammed the door completely.
Jasmine rubbed her forehead and breathed deeply through her nose. It's like Jared never cared about her.
•
DEAR JASMINE VALERIA CAMERON,
Norway is the place where the Northern Lights can be seen the best. The lights remind me of you, in a way. Bright, beautiful and spectacular. You are my northern light.
With love,
L.P.
The sweet words affected her in more ways than it should. Seeing the northern lights was on her bucket list and L.P. seemed to know just how to make her day. It had been the first time in two weeks that a postcard came and Jasmine couldn't be more surprised. She brushed her hair behind her ears and bit her lips to try and hide a smile before letting a giggle escape her. She thanked God that Riley wasn't here to see her all giddy as Riley thought the admirer got bored and tired of Jasmine doing nothing to stop it.
Speaking of her best friend, she hadn't seen her yet or heard from her since she yelled at her in the car. Maybe it was the fact she hung up on her, but Jasmine didn't care much over the petty drama Riley gave. Her brain hurt when she thought of it and all of Riley's scandals across the years and this one about Paul hurt the most.
Glancing upwards and to the right of her locker, she saw a glimpse of Paul walking through the crowd towards her with his hands in his pockets and head down. Frowning, Jasmine pinned the postcard with the others in her locker and closed it shut, turning to face Paul just as her stopped his walk in front of her.
The smile on his face was enthralling as his cheekbones were lifted and created crinkles at his eyes. "Hey." He seemed to be everywhere she went, like a mouse and a cat. She hated it.
"Hi." A simple word for the boy who left her made Jasmine nervous, his aura did that for her in general. The smile from her face was replaced with wide eyes and a small gap her in mouth while she watched Paul's moves. Why is this happening, she thought.
He had one hand on his backpack while the other rubbed his neck and a blush appeared on his cheeks. "Sorry about your camera, I, uh," he removed his hands and looked into her eyes instead of the tiles. "I don't know how I can make it up to you. I can-"
"No! No,no, no, it's okay," she rushed. "My mistake, my problem." Her lips were in a tight grin. Jasmine didn't know how to talk to him or even how to look at him. He was her past and was supposed to not be her future, but Jasmine couldn't walk away from him in this moment.
Paul's head shook, his smile never falling, "There is no way I'll let you get a new one on your own," he paused briefly, his eyes shifting to someone down the hall. "Catch you later, Jas." He smiled wide before jogging down the hall behind her to whoever was there, Jasmine didn't care enough to look.
Jas. That was a name that shouldn't have effected her so much, but it did. It held love, friendship and kindness in that nickname and yet Paul saying it felt foreign. Paul talking to her in general was something new and Jasmine's mind was left in shambles because of him. A piece of her ached for the old connection they had, but the rest pushed against it. She didn't want the help for her camera (or need it at all. She could work for it) but her mouth couldn't form the words in time with his conversation.
The girl cringed and facepalmed, dragging her hand on her face while breathing deeply. Stupid, she thought. I am so stupid. And now she had to tell Riley or else she would be murdered by her own best friend.
•
hello lovies i am here, eating waffles at one pm. i am a sleep deprived sister!! anyways the beginning is a slow build and i hope you are liking jasmine being flustered around people she's supposed to hate! jasmine just doesnt know what to say around them so thats why shes so lost with words. hope you liked this chapter, have a great day
jade