Pause

by CJ Adler

  “I can't believe you actually fainted. I thought you were kidding about that,” he tells me. “You were out for a while.”

  I pull away from him and cup his face in both my hands. I smile up at him tauntingly. “Are you saying that you were worried about little old me?” I tease him, rubbing it in just a little.

  Instead of humoring me, his expression turns serious. His eyes begin to glow with affection, completely bringing out the silver streaks entwined in the blue. His gaze is unreadable and locks me dead in place. He doesn't waste another second to press his soft lips to mine. I feel his hands materialize around my waist as he tugs me forward.

  I place my hand on his chest, feeling his racing heart beneath my fingertips. I smile and hesitantly break the kiss to breathe.

  Jay places a kiss on the nape of my neck, the tips of his hair tickling my skin.

  “Jay,” I drawl out lazily as he reluctantly tears himself away from me to hear what I have to say, “I'm tired now,” I yawn, placing my hand against his forehead as

  I push him away.

  He frowns down at me playfully. “Mood killer.”

  I stifle my laughter. It had to be done. “Yeah, yeah, shut up and take me to bed,” I demand as I deliberately collapse into his arms. As expected, he catches me and holds me up while I put all my weight on him.

  “You can shop for four hours but a ten-minute run kills you?” he asks as he drags me to the couch, forcing me to take a seat.

  “I said, my bed!” I clout him over the head, correcting his actions.

  “I'm not done speaking,” he informs me as if I'm supposed to care. “Besides, we have to talk.”

  I groan at hearing the last part. “No, we really don't.”

  “Yes, we do,” he argues. “It's important.”

  “You know what, let's just continue making out. I'm down for that. Are you game?” I ask him, not at all meaning it. Whenever Jay says that he wants to talk, it's always about something awful.

  “Aqueela, I'm serious,” he complains. “But I'll take you up on that offer later,” he quickly adds after having processed my words.

  I give in, feeling vulnerable all of a sudden. “If you're going to try and break up with me again—”

  “I'm not breaking up with you…not stupid enough to slip-up twice. I don't plan on letting you go.” He stops me in my tracks.

  “Then what is this about?” I question.

  “Graduation is around the corner. I'm just keen to know where you're at.

  Where do you plan on studying? What do you want to do? Where will we stand?”

  “Why am I being interrogated?”

  “We haven't ever talked about the future before,” he says, pointing out the facts.

  I wave the matter aside as I adopt an optimistic outlook on this particular situation. “That's because I live for the present and my present is you,” I admit as a small smile curves his lips.

  His smile falters before fading away completely as he ponders on something. “And what if I'm not your future?” He voices his thoughts.

  “You will be. Now shut up, come here, and let the future worry about itself,” I say and tug him down beside me.

  “So bossy,” he comments under his breath.

  I place my head against his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat, trying to hide my smile.

  Chapter 54

  Team Elite

  “Lame.” I sigh from beneath Jay's fuzzy blanket as I switch channels. “Boring.” I yawn, relaxing on the couch before changing channels again, my eyes focused solely on the TV screen. “Oooh! 'New Girl' is on!”

  Today is that awful day I call my birthday. I'm feeling down. My thoughts keep going back to that man. I can't help but linger on the memory of my father.

  I don't want to go to school today, not that I ever do, but I know that if I don't go, I can expect a personal phone call and lecture from Principal P for missing so many consecutive school days.

  Principal P, having a handle on my history, will know exactly why I'm absent. Still, he'll most likely tell me that my reasoning is inexcusable, especially with graduation just around the corner. I can't afford to miss any more school days.

  Then there's Bells—she will, no doubt about it, make sure that it's my last birthday if she doesn't get to see me at school today.

  I just about jump up out of my seat when I feel someone's hands settle on my shoulders from behind me. I toss my head back and look up to see Jay hovering above me. A grin takes over my features at the mere sight of him. “Morning, JJ!”

  “Morning,” he greets, leaning down to kiss my collarbone. “Happy Birthday, Klutz.” He smiles against my skin. “Here.” He steps back and hands me a mug of hot chocolate with only white marshmallows, just the way I love it. He knows me so well.

  I was really hoping he wouldn't remember that it's my birthday today, however, I'm positive that Bells has reminded everyone I know with like a bajillion text messages.

  “Naaaw!” I coo at Jay's actions. “You never make me hot chocolate,” I say. “You're too cute.”

  He scoffs at that. “Am not,” he stubbornly disagrees before crossing his arms over his chest in a defensive manner.

  I give him a deadpanned stare, waiting rather patiently for him to cave.

  He averts his gaze from me and sighs. “I miss the days old days when everyone feared me. I feel like I'm lacking in the 'intimidating department' these days.”

  I ignore his ranting to check my phone. It's constantly buzzing with birthday messages from all my friends. Everyone has sent me a birthday message, even Uncle Jeffrey, and my insane grandparents. The only one who hasn't sent me a message, spoiler alert, is Grey the ferocious ferret.

  I open up the video sent to me by my grandparents, only to see them both singing 'happy birthday' to me, that is until Gramps coughs into the camera, making my phone screen look like it has spit all over it.

  “See. This is exactly what I'm talking about. In the past, no one would ever ignore me. Grey is right. You've made me soft,” Jay continues on with his rant.

  I lift my eyes from my phone to give him the attention he's so obviously dying for. “Grey's the one to talk. You should see him 'round Nancy. He can't even voice his true opinions in fear of offending her,” I say as I remove his blanket from me and stand up. “Plus, I like your soft side,” I admit as I gently place my hand on his cheek. “It allows me to see the real you and I really like the real you.”

  “I should hope so. After all, you're stuck with me, by choice,” he replies, placing his hand over mine—the one resting against his cheek.

  I laugh, aware that I've made a good choice. My history is full of bad choices, but Jay…he's probably my only good choice, the only good choice I've ever made.

  He smiles at the sound, his blue eyes brightening. “I know today is going to be hard for you, but promise me that you'll try to enjoy it.”

  My eyes find his as I stare up at him for a second or two. “Fine,” I give in to his pleading expression. “But only because you asked.”

  “Just take everything as it comes, and that includes everything that your crazy best friend has planned,” he advises. “And come to me if you want to talk about it.”

  I nod at him, grateful that he's so understanding. “Okay,” I agree hesitantly.

  “Thank you,” he whispers with sincerity before mischief sprouts in his eyes. He playfully pushes me away from him. “Now stop flirting with me and go get dressed before we're late for school.”

  ***

  There's loud clacking of heels against the school's tiles. I duck my head in hiding, burying my face in Jay's chest, aware of who it is. Jay automatically wraps his arm around my waist protectively as he tugs me to his side. However, she still manages to spot me.

  A loud screeching fills the school's hallways before she's in front of me in a single flash, putting Barry to shame. “Happy Birthday, Aqueels!” she shouts before uncontrollably flinging herself into me, wrapping her arms aro
und my neck for a hug.

  I stagger back on impact as I return the hug. “Jeez. Excited much?” I tease when she finally decides to release me from the torture.

  She nods before turning around as if to beckon someone forward . It's then that my eyes land on Max. His gaze meets my gaze, a smile spilling over his lips as he skips over to us with a festival of colored balloons in his hand.

  “What's up, Maxi?” I grin at him.

  He responds by lifting me off of the ground to embrace me. “Happy Birthday to you, Aqueela Lawson, most annoying person I know!” he says excitedly before lowering me back to the floor.

  “You the one to talk.” I narrow my eyes at Max, unable to hold back a smile.

  Bell grabs the balloons from Max's hands before offering them to me. “Here you go!” She chimes all too happily as I take the balloons from her hand. It's always been our little tradition—to give the other a ton of balloons to carry around the entire day.

  “Thank you,” I say, appreciating her friendship. I would never have made it this far without her.

  “We'll pop them later at the cafeteria before Max and I give you your gifts,” Bell says, updating me on all that she has planned.

  I nod. “Got ya.”

  “We need to head to class, see you two lovebirds later,” Max bids us goodbye, swinging an arm over Bell's shoulders as he steers her to their next class.

  Jay walks beside me. I eye him warily. “Don't you need to get to your own class?”

  He nods.

  “Aren't you worried that you will be late?”

  Jay scoffs at my words before going along with it. “Yeah, I'm so scared, I'm shaking,” he replies, obviously being sarcastic with me.

  I raise a skeptical eyebrow at him. “So, you're just walking me to class?”

  “Yes,” he answers me with ease before glancing down at me with a teasing grin, “you're my girlfriend, remember?”

  “But you never walk me to my class. You're not the hopeless romantic, cheesy type,” I point out, puzzled. I love it when he does spontaneous things like this but it confuses me seeing as it's out of character for him.

  Jay frowns down at me, looking as cute as ever. “You don't think I can be romantic?”

  “I didn't say that,” I quickly jump to defend myself.

  “But you implied it,” he retorts back with a look.

  “All I'm saying is that romance isn't exactly your forté, you know?” I smile sheepishly at him for effect.

  “Psh, I'm all about romance,” he lies through his teeth. “You watch, next time, I'm going to go as far as carrying your books home from school for you.”

  I humor him. “You're totally going to give me your Letterman jacket too, right?”

  “Of course.” Jay nods fervently.

  I roll my eyes at him. “Stop flirting with me and go to class,” I order, pushing him away from me.

  He places his hand over his heart, putting up a pretense of hurt, and cocks his head to the side while staring down at me in disappointment. “That one stung.”

  I push against his chest playfully, shoving him back all the more. “Go already. I have to get class,” I laugh beneath my breath as I turn my back on him and enter the classroom.

  ***

  “Melinda, maybe cut it out now,” Laiken suggests. “Stop raging on her. It's her birthday.” Laiken, of all people, comes to my defense when Melinda keeps going on and on about how she can't understand how Bells and Jay put up with me.

  I turn to Laiken with a smile, still ignoring Melinda flat. “So, Lai, how's Susie?”

  “Who's Susie?” Lai furrows his eyebrows in confusion.

  “I mean, Lucy, how's Lucy?” I ask, correcting myself as I offer him a sheepish grin. “Force of habit.”

  “My sister is fine,” he answers. “She keeps asking about you and the others.

  It's weird. She has taken a strange liking to your group, except for Mills. She hates him.”

  “Is it really so weird for someone to actually like me and my friends?” I frown at him.

  “Yes,” he answers bluntly. “You're all a special breed of humans.”

  “I second that,” Melinda chips in, still trying to get a reaction out of me.

  “That's why we kicked you out the game,” Jason, over-hearing our conversation, glares at me. “You're annoying.”

  “Uh-huh. I concur,” Luke adds, nodding along to everything Jason is saying.

  Mason, who happens to be in my biology class too, shoots me an apologetic look but says nothing. His reputation in this school is the only thing that has ever truly mattered to him.

  “You three can shut the hell up. I don't remember talking to any of you,” Laiken says, scowling at Melinda, Jason, and Luke as if his eyes have suddenly been opened.

  Melinda turns back around in her seat with a frustrated huff. Jason and Luke butt out completely, knowing better than to anger Laiken Edwards.

  “Did popular Mr. Edwards just defend me?” I question, taken aback by Laiken's sweet side. He has to be the only jock in a Letterman jacket that isn't stuck- up like all the others.

  He shakes his head. “No,” he answers, quickly improvising, “they were just annoying me.”

  “Yeah right,” I tease. “Admit it, Lai, you took my side just then.”

  He shrugs, giving in. “What of it?”

  “Nothing. It's just nice that, at least, one of the football players isn't a complete jerk,” I tell him, sending Mason a look. He always sits back idly and allows Melinda to insult me left, right, and center.

  Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!

  I jump in my seat at the sound to see all but one of my balloons deflated. Leaning over the deflated balloons is Melinda with a pen in hand and a cunning smirk on her face.

  I'm gonna pop her head open like a can of soda!

  “Perhaps that will get a reaction from you.” Melinda sneers at me, malice evident in her eyes.

  “I can't believe you just did that. You actually stooped that low. Unbelievable. I don't know what I ever saw in you,” Lai says, shaking his head at Melinda, finally growing a backbone. “How childish are you?”

  Melinda falls silent under his gaze.

  Laiken turns back to face me. “Some people are so desperate,” he mutters to me with a small smile edging its way over his lips.

  “Don't I know it?” I go along with him. Pop!

  “Oops. My bad.”

  I glance Melinda's way to see that she has just popped the last of my balloons. I roll my eyes at her, choosing to ignore her. It's just balloons after all.

  “Tell me, Lawson, how's your father doing these days?” she asks, hitting me hard with that one. Still, I bite my tongue and refuse to give her the satisfaction of retaliating. “Oh, wait,” she edges me on, “that's right, you wouldn't know.”

  “That's the last straw,” I mumble to myself as I stand up. “Close your eyes, Lai, you're not going to want to see this,” I warn him just as my fist goes flying into Melinda's face.

  Her loud howl of pain fills the classroom as all turn to see what the commotion is about. I ignore the looks I'm receiving and keep my eyes focused solely on Melinda. 'Furious' is an understatement as to how I currently feel. I'm just glad the teacher is out.

  “There's my reaction!” I hiss.

  Lai laughs, leaning back in his chair, and claps his hands in amusement.

  “'Bout time. She had it coming.”

  Melinda leaps forward to attack me, fueled by Laiken's taunting. However, before she can get to me, she is pulled back swiftly. It's a good thing too; I would have killed her.

  I look up to see Mason holding her back. He motions for me to get out before I get another detention—no doubt Melinda will tattle on me again.

  ***

  “Why did you punch her in the face for no apparent reason?” Jay asks me as he mends my bruised fist with a bandage, his warm hands engulfing my own in a gentle manner as he works on my hurt hand.

  Not wanting to talk about
my father right now, I choose to avoid the subject altogether. “It's Melinda. I don't need a reason. She's not human.”

  Jay looks up from my hand upon hearing my words and offers me a small, lopsided smile. “I'm beginning to doubt that you are.”

  I change the subject. “How did you find me anyway?” He found me under our tree in the school garden.

  “Mason called me out of class. Told me what happened,” he explains. “Bells, being in the same class as me, told me to hurry up and find you.”

  I nod. “I see. Bad cop sent good cop over, huh?” I tease.

  “Something like that,” Jay mutters with a soft smile. “Although, I do miss the days when I was 'bad cop'.”

  I shake my head at him, feigning pity. “Now you're just 'sad cop'.”

  He glares at me for that.

  I nudge him. “I'm really impressed that you knew exactly where to find me.”

  “Are you kidding me?” he asks, flashing me a breathtaking grin. “This is our place.”

  “True that,” I agree with a smile of my own.

  He lifts up my injured hand and brings it to his lips, kissing my knuckles before pulling me up to my feet. “Let's head to the cafeteria before Bella gets angry,” he suggests. “She's really scary when she's ticked off.”

  Tell me about it.

  ***

  “She popped your balloons?” Bells repeats for the billionth time, her temper flaring as her breathing rapidly increases by the second.

  “That's what I said,” I answer again, exasperated.

  “Oooh,” Max winces. “Is it wrong to feel for Melinda right now?” he questions from his seat across me.

  “Yes!” I snap at him.

  “No,” Jay answers at the same time, his arm wrapping around my waist as he takes a seat beside me.

  “I'm just saying, I've been on the receiving end of one of your punches and it's not something I want to experience again,” Max states causally, his hands up in front of his face as a precaution in case I decide to punch him again.