A/N: This book has been entered into the Wattys 2018! Whoop!
Chapter Forty One: Operation: Get My Girl
Jackson was serious when he said it was a challenge.
One thing to support this statement strongly was his so-called plan which he proudly proclaims as "Operation: Get My Girl". Yes, I know. How freaking extra can he be, huh?
Well, I got the answer to that question when I entered the school today and found him leaning against my locker door in a relaxed manner. The girls were staring hard at him, whispering about him in hushed, excited voices but I knew I couldn't blame them—he looked wildly attractive today.
He was leaning his back on my locker door, crossing his arms in front of his chest. He held a small confident smirk on his face and he was in a loose navy button-up shirt with the first few buttons left unattended. His hair was messily styled and his eyes appeared especially blue and lively today. If I hadn't known I was in a high school, I would have thought I had stumbled into a model's studio.
I stopped in my tracks for a bit, contemplating whether I should continue my way towards my locker. I mean, I had to get my books. I can't be late for English class just to wait for him to go away or something.
I continued walking but slowed down when I spotted a girl talking to Jackson. She was petite, about 5"1' and you could see that she carried herself with elegance and confidence. She wore a nice violet dress which hugged her curves perfectly at the right places. Her hair was thrown in a low bun with light blonde strands hanging at the sides of her cheekbones. Her eyelashes were long and flirtatious with her lips plump and pink. She had a sweet smile as she talked. No one needs to look twice to know that she was gorgeous. Like really gorgeous.
She was Clarissa Madens, of course. The most popular girl in Linden High. The one who gets hundreds of boys and maybe even girls, falling head over heels for her without any effort. She was a natural beauty, unlike most of the try-hards in our school who apply layers of makeup and dirty tactics to climb up the social hierarchy in high schools. It is pretty stupid to know how far people would go to win the fame game.
When I saw her, all I could think about was that night at the party when I found her and Jackson madly kissing in a dark room. I shuddered slightly at the thought of that weird night. They could be madly in love with each other and yet here I was, getting ahead of myself, thinking I could ever be on the same level as Clarissa.
As much as I wanted to avoid the both of them, I willed myself some courage towards my locker nevertheless. I would kindly ask Jackson to step aside to get my books and leave there immediately before anything awkward happens again.
Jackson spotted me first and waved at me. I gave a slight smile and finally reached the both of them in front of my locker.
"Hey, "Jackson greeted me in a funny tone. It was as if he sounded a little out of breath even though he was just leaning on the locker door for the past few minutes.
I raised an eyebrow at him, confused at his strangeness. I glanced towards Clarissa who was beside him and felt myself grow smaller at her presence. I know it's kind of stupid but every time I stood near a very pretty girl like Clarissa, I could feel my self-esteem plummeting down from a zero to a negative hundred.
"Hi, Leighton," she smiled at me, her pearly whites showing. Dang, I wish I was born beautiful like her.
I cleared my throat nervously. "Hi," I replied, returning the smile.
She eyed Jackson and Jackson seemed less relaxed unlike before I appeared in front of them.
"Well, I guess I better get going," said Clarissa, still looking at Jackson in a certain way I couldn't quite put my finger on.
I was startled a little when she placed her warm hand on my arm for a split second. She gave me a charming smile and said, "See ya" before walking off, leaving the both of us alone.
I looked back to Jackson and he was already staring at me, waiting for a reaction from me.
"What?" I asked.
"I know you're thinking of what happened that time," he said slowly, as if coating his words with extra care. "I knew it was you who entered the room."
My body tensed as he spoke those words. Why is he bringing it up now? Did my face give myself away? I did expect him to know the idiot who closed their door was me but I still felt exposed. Anyway, it shouldn't be a big deal. Jackson's a playboy, everyone knows that. I didn't have the right to be jealous or the reason to hate Clarissa for anything. I don't think anyone could bring themselves to disliking her.
I stayed wordless and gestured for him to step aside so I could get my books from my locker. He obeyed and watched me silently as I organised my stuff.
"Are you mad at me?" Jackson quietly asked beside me.
"Why would I be?" I answered simply, placing my books into my sling bag and shut the locker door with an unintentionally loud slam.
Jackson flinched at the sound and sighed.
"You know...Lei," he started slowly. I looked at him. "You don't need to be jealous," he said, almost proudly.
I wanted to scoff at his face when he said that. However, he didn't spare me a chance to because he had me pinned down the next second. He placed his hand next to my head and another next to my waist on the locker door. His face was dangerously close to mine and our noses were just an inch apart from touching. I felt my heart rate accelerating as his warm mint breath tickled my cheek as he spoke.
"Because," he whispered lowly, only for me to hear. "I only need you, princess."
Heat immediately rushed up to my cheeks. He needs to stop doing that to my heart every time he came close.
"S-Stop calling me that," I mumbled, nervous. "Someone might hear you. And I'm going to get killed by your fangirls one day."
He let out a deep hearty laugh and I diverted my eyes from him. I didn't want him to figure out that his voice had such an effect on me.
He tilted my jaw slightly to make me look at him. His signature smirk was back on his face.
"You don't like being called princess? Fine, how about baby girl?" He asked, getting the most satisfaction out of my embarrassment. "And don't worry about the girls because if I win this challenge against that pussy guy, I'm going to announce to the whole school that you're mine anyway."
I almost choked on thin air.
I cleared my throat a little and looked into his blue eyes. "Don't be ridiculous, Jackson."
His face inched in closer and I felt my back pressing hard onto the locker door. He looked at me and thought for a short while.
"Actually...," he started again, his smirk turning into a more sly one, "I'm quite serious about it. I'm going to win the challenge to make you mine."
I looked at him, dumbfounded. Why would Jackson McLean like me? Out of all the girls? He can't be serious. What about Clarissa? I saw the way she looked at him. I saw the way they looked at each other that night.
I tried pushing him off me but it was pointless to even to try. He wouldn't even budge a bit.
"Leighton," he said, his ocean eyes boring intensely into mine. I couldn't look away this time.
With a smug tone, he continued, "I call it Operation: Get My Girl and my plan starts today." I really wanna wipe that smirk off him.
I scoffed, rolling my eyes. He even came up with a name for his plan. Great.
"You're being ridiculous," I told him.
He took his arms away from my sides, releasing me from his trap and lifted his hands up innocently. "You told me that before."
"And you never change."
"I don't need to. I'm already perfect for you anyway," he retorted. He shot me a wink and finger guns at me. One day, I swear he will be the death of me.
I sighed at his childishness and brushed past him as I started making my way towards class. He caught up with me easily with his long ass legs, of course.
"Why are you walking so fast?" asked Jackson innocently. "We're not late, y'know?"
I carried on walking, staring straight ahead. I didn't even want to see the glares I was receiving as I walked beside him. Talk about unnoticed now, huh.
We finally reached our classroom and I quickly got into a seat in the middle of the classroom that intentionally has no seats vacant around it. I smirked at him this time, teasing him. I didn't want him to sit near me. The last time he did, I was embarrassed in front of the whole freaking class and I didn't want to think about it happening again. I took out my books and started reading my notes, getting prepared for class to begin in a while.
Just then, I heard Jackson's voice, talking to the person beside me.
"Hey, would you mind if I take this seat? I can't really see that good from the seats behind," Jackson spoke to the girl beside me.
She was a cute African-American girl with freckles spread across her nose and cheeks. A pair of big glasses perched on her nose and she seemed very timid. Jackson shot her a charming smile, adding points to his stupid charm-talk. The girl blushed a little and nodded her head with a quiet 'Sure'. Jackson thanked her cheerfully and she proceeded to move to the other empty seat a row behind.
Jackson moved into the seat beside me, placed his bag on the floor and turned to me with probably the most smug face ever.
"You just won't give up, would you?" I sighed at him.
"Well, this is just the start. You shouldn't get so tired of me yet," said Jackson, smiling.
"How can I not?" I said, "You just ruined my chance of getting with a cute girl beside me."
Jackson raised an eyebrow at me, giving me a look. "Seriously? Because you're like, the most straight person I've ever met."
I shifted in my seat to face him completely this time. "You can't define how 'straight' a person is, Mr Know-It-All. I could be totally gay and you wouldn't know a thing." I tried my best to impersonate his best teasing smirk he has.
He chuckled at my attempt and then spoke, "Suuure, Lei. What about that time when you turned into a total tomato when I kissed---"
I nearly tripped over as I rushed to cover his mouth before he could complete his sentence. His voice came out muffled against my hand. His eyes widened and I glared at him.
"Do you want everyone to know about that?!" I whisper-shouted at his face as I pulled away my hand.
"Why not?" asked Jackson, using that annoyingly innocent tone of his. "It's not long before I win your heart over that pussy guy and then I'll announce it to everyone."
I got back to my seat after I noticed some girls looking at me weirdly. Jeez, it's like I'm stealing their boyfriend or something.
"Austin's not a 'pussy' guy," I replied lowly, keeping my eyes on the book in front of me. I glanced at the clock on the wall. The class should begin soon.
Jackson let out a soft exasperated sigh. "See? There you go again, defending him. I don't get why you're so nice to him," he grumbled under his breath.
"Don't be so jealous. He's nicer than you'll ever be," I said, watching him react with a dramatic vomit expression on his face. I bit my lip to hold back my laugh at him.
At that moment, our teacher, Ms Madeleine came into the room and so our class began. I sat straight up in my seat, opening up my notebook. She started her lesson and time seems to go on and on until...a note slipped onto my table. I glanced up at Jackson beside me and he was staring straight ahead at the whiteboard but he was covering a faint smirk behind his hand.
Considering how bored and distracted I already was in class, I was tempted to open the note. So I did. This better be good.
Scrawled in a boyish handwriting, it read: Is your mom a baker?
I groaned lightly. Not again. I turned to the back of the paper.
Because she made you a cutie pie.
I looked back at Jackson and saw him still smirking into the back of his hand. I bit my lower lip to stop myself from breaking into a grin. I scribbled back onto the note quickly.
Is your dad a comedian?
At the end of the paper I wrote, Because he made you a joke.
I slipped it back onto the side of his table discreetly. This time I was the one smirking and he was the one biting his lip, giving me a long glare. Then, in a dramatic manner, he clutched his heart and whispered 'Ouch' to me. I chuckled softly at his reaction.
He slipped another new piece of paper on my table and I opened it.
I think I'm in a museum.
Because I'm looking at a work of art.
I looked up at him, expecting him to be staring at me and be all cheesy and stuff but guess what? That little fucker was looking at himself, examining his arms and clothes all in a dramatic manner. I laughed at him, watching him bathe in his own pool of vain. What a narcissist.
I shook my head at his childishness and returned to paying attention to Ms Madeleine. A minute later, a ball of paper rolled lightly onto my table. Of course, he wouldn't leave me alone.
I opened it and smoothened the creases out on my thigh.
It wrote, Want me to give you a ride after school? I found a new diner recently and the place looks awesome. Wanna check it out together?
Seriously...is he asking me out? In the middle of a class? I blushed as I read the note over another time. I grabbed my pen and wrote my reply on it before I slipped it back onto his table, eyes intently observing Ms Madeleine as I did so.
I watched him write from the corner of my eye and he placed it back onto my table. I grabbed it and flattened it out carefully.
Too late. I've already told your mom that I'm sending you home today. And she thanked me gratefully, I must say ;)
Right. I forgot Mom had a good impression on him. Of course, she would let him. I groaned and crumbled the paper into a ball. Jackson snickered at my reaction, happy to be on victory's side. When teacher wasn't looking, I took the opportunity and tossed the paper ball onto his head with a thud.
He let out a soft 'ow' even though it was just paper. I laughed lightly at him being comedic as always.
I glanced at the clock and counted the time left before lessons end. I guess sitting next to him in a totally boring class wasn't really a bad idea after all...
In fact, I could feel my heart beating excitedly, thinking about where he was planning to take me after school. I shook my head lightly, willing myself to focus on the teacher's words. It was kinda silly, thinking about what could happen in another 6 hours' time.
Secretly, I sneaked a glance at Jackson beside me. He must've felt my stare as he turned his face to catch my glance. He gave me a warm smile—not a smirk—and it seemed so genuine and intimate that I had to look away quickly, feeling the heat rush up to my cheeks. I heard him lightly chuckle beside me. Unconsciously, I felt my lips tug upwards into a small smile.
I guess a girl can dream, after all.
- - -
A/N
TGU has reached 200k+ reads!!
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-Daphne x