by Maria Writes
"Can we just drive us to a drive thru and eat at the house. I'm not feeling good right now, I wanna lay on my bed."
"Ginger, are you okay? You know you shouldn't let those girls affect you. I'm not going anywhere. But if you don't want to dine outside, then okay. What do you want?"
Chloe sat on the passenger seat on a fetal position and stared at the window. Thinking of how to get rid of those twins and of course, what to eat. "I want Chinese food."
"Okay, we'll get Chinese takeout." They drove for a couple minutes more before they found a restaurant. They ordered tons of foods before heading home. There was an awful traffic so she decided to sleep on the car.
She didn't know how long it took them to get home, but when she woke up, she'll already laying on her bed. Jesse is sitting beside her playing games on her laptop. The scent of food invaded her nostrils so she gets up and went to the bathroom to wash her face and went back to her bed to eat.
Jesse put the laptop to the side then turned on the television for movies. And he took food as well. They're enjoying their foods while watching movie. They were silent the whole time. The only thing they hear are the sounds coming from the television and the sounds of the food as they munch it.
Suddenly, all the irritation she felt melted away. Jesse was right, no matter how hard Selene and Selena tried to break them apart because of whatever reason, it's clear to her that he's not going anywhere. He'll stay here with her no matter what. And it made her mind calm and at peace.
Finally, after they ate, they just laid down on her bed, talking. It's very relaxing that at the end of the day, Jesse's right beside her. Not caring if some people try and steal him away from her. Maybe because they both now that he will not let someone put a distance between them. And she will not let anything hinder what they have.
CHAPTER 16:
Always
The day for their play is coming so fast. Luckily, their solving every problem that comes to them. Jesse is now finished with whatever he's doing on his father's office. Katherine is now working with them on the play full time, all her debts on the school are paid, thanks to the alumni who helped her, and her father's already in a good condition.
Plus, not to mention their play finally completed, just a little polish more and it'll be perfect. The only thing they have to think is their classes and holding their play before they have their winter break.
They are now in the park having their lunch, some of them are practicing their lines, some are eating quietly, while the others are just messing around. Mike sat beside her and was panting.
"Chloe, please help me. It's Caroline."
At the mention of her friend's name, she quickly stood up, she's in worry. "Why? What happened to Caroline. Where is she?" She sensed Jesse stood up behind her and grabbed their bags.
"No, everything is okay with her. But I'm not. You see, we had this short skit that we did for Mr. Clarkson's class, and she kissed me. And I like her now. But she doesn't like me back. Help me please," Mike is pleading her.
She thought that something terrible happened to Caroline. Turns out she just had another admirer to add on her list. "Mike, I'm sorry. I cannot help you that. Maybe I could just talk to Caroline, but I cannot tell her what and what not to do. It's her feelings, not mine. If she does like you, then good for you. If she doesn't, then sorry. I cannot do anything about it."
"Mike, maybe we can manipulate a person's mind, but it's the heart that we cannot dictate. And, sorry to break this new to you in this way, but she already had Nate, our childhood neighbor. And they're doing pretty fine. If you try to do something crazy about that, you'll going to have to face me."
Mike's face and shoulder fell at the same time Caroline sat in front of her that made Mike ran away. This is going to be a conflict. And she doesn't like conflict in their group. It'll result to them tearing apart and she doesn't want that to happen. The best thing to do is to talk to Caroline and tell her to set things straight with Mike.
Caroline was eating silently in front of her while reading her book. She seems oblivious to the talk she had with Mike as she didn't ask any questions. She looked at Jesse who is just silently eating his burger.
She cleared her throat to Caroline's attention and luckily, she did. "Care, maybe we should talk ---"
"No!" Caroline exclaimed that made everybody on their table look at them.
"Caroline, you're driving him nuts. I think it's best if you talk to him. Set everything straight. Because he clearly likes you, and the kiss you shared deepened it even more. So, if you don't want anything to do with him and you don't want to hurt him, I think it's best that you set the record straight with him."
Her friend is lost for words before standing up and walking toward where Mike went. Well, maybe they're finally going to have 'the talk'. She got to admit that she loves helping her friends solve their problems, but sometimes, she's getting tired of being involve with their issues. She's getting tired of people constantly asking her what to do to solve their problems.
She took a deep breath and went to her class. She's still five minutes away before her class starts but she thinks it's best to head there early. Chloe will be having her class with Ms. Shallows now and she cannot wait to piss her favorite teacher again. There are a couple students inside the room. She took her seat at the very back of the room and save a seat for Jesse and Caroline.
It didn't take that long for Caroline and Jesse followed her to class and sit beside her. "Why did you leave early. You didn't finish your food. Are you not feeling well?"
"Maybe I'm just too exhausted." she laid her head on Jesse's shoulder and wait for their teacher to arrive. Caroline, who is sitting beside her, is very quiet and just drawing something in her binder. It's is so unusual for to be quiet. Maybe her talk with Mike didn't end well. But she decided not to say anything. It's better to keep her mouth shut.
Ms. Shallows entered the room and she sat properly. She doesn't want to make another scene in this class like what happened weeks ago. Their class started and it was the most boring and most uneventful two hours of her life.
She dropped herself on the bed after a very tiring day. Her head is spinning. Her visions are getting blurry. Maybe it's because of the exhaustion she's feeling. She's been going back and forth from her classrooms to the drama hall to check how their play's doing. Plus, the fact that she has tons of works on her plate.
Someone knocks on the door. But she doesn't have the strength to stand up and open it as well as shout for the person to come in. The pounding on the door is hurting her dead so she took a pillow and cover her face with it. She waited for the pain to stop but it never did.
When the knocks on the door stopped, she opened her eyes to see if someone is in her room, but she saw no one. After a couple of minutes, Jesse barged in her room with Caroline. They both looked worried but she cannot speak, afraid that pain will invade her head again. Jesse sat the bed and put her head on his lap.
Caroline exited her room and came back a couple of minutes with a tray in her hands. She placed it on her bedside table and went to sit beside her. Caroline went to touch her head as if feeling her temperature. "He has a fever, Jesse. She's burning hot."
Jesse helped her sit up and lean on the headboard. "Could you please get her tons of water, a lose shirt, and medicines. Please, Caroline."
"Sure." Caroline went out of the room to probably do everything Jesse ask. She's shivering. Her head in pounding and she feels numb. Chloe is squeezing herself to Jesse to make herself warm. He covered her with her comforter and wrapped his arms around her.
"Let's just wait for Caroline then I'll help you eat okay. You need to eat for you to drink your medicines." Jesse is now hugging her from behind. She's now leaning on his chest. She wanted to feel warm so she took both his arms and wrap it around her. Her body is very weak now and she just wanted to sleep, but she has to drink her medicines first because she still has a lot to do tomorrow.
I need to feel better tomorro
w morning.
The door opened and in goes Caroline. "Okay, I'm back. Here's some aspirin, water, and I'll just rummage in her closet to look for a shirt." She can hear Caroline moving across the room, while Jesse helped her sit up straight and lean on the headboard. Jesse, took the bowl of soup from the bedside table and feed her slowly. She tried to took the spoon from Jesse but she failed.
"I can do it. I can feed myself."
"No, Ginger. You're weak, you might not hold on to the bowl. Let me feed you."
She continued to eat with the help of Jesse. Caroline is in the bathroom running her a bath and preparing the clothes she's going to wear. She slowly finishes her soup and chug down her water together with the aspirins Caroline brought for her.
Chloe is now left with Jesse in her room because Caroline has to do something important. He led her to the bathroom to have a bath. Jesse's guiding her towards the tub where the water is ready for her to submerge. She was about to remove her clothes when she realized Jesse was still behind her.
"Get out." was all she said, and it made her smile when he obeyed. She stripped off all clothes and left it scattered on the floor. Chloe slowly climbs in the tub and let the warm water kiss her skin. With the help of the water and the soup she takes earlier, her feeling is slowly getting better.
"Chloe, are you decent? Can I come in? You're very quiet in there, I'm getting worried." Jesse shouted from outside the bathroom. She smiled and didn't answer. "Chloe!"
"Stay right there, don't come in. I'm fine." Chloe just sits on the tub silently and closed her eyes. She's feeling the warmth of the water wrapping around her skin. It's helping her feel better a little bit. When she felt her feeling sleepy, she drained the water from the tub and grab the towel near her.
She slowly walked outside the room and saw Jesse sitting on the bed. She grabbed her clothes and was about to go back to the bathroom when she felt very dizzy. Jesse held her when she's about to fell but luckily, she fell on the bed.
"Turn around, I'll just get dress here. I can't go back to the bathroom." When Jesse turned around, she quickly gets dressed and dried the ends of her hair that touched the water earlier. "You can face me now."
Chloe laid on the bed and so is Jesse. For the past few days that he's back from spending time with his parents, he's been sleeping her in her room. He lifted up her head and laid it in his arm. She moves closer to him and hugged him tight. The warmth coming from his body is making her feel relax.
Jesse is playing with her hair and quietly humming. He really has a nice voice. And she loves it very much. She's fighting her sleep because she still wants to hear Jesse's voice. But she failed. So before she closed her eyes she looked up to him and smiled. "When I'm already asleep, don't leave me." She reached up to his face and touched it. "I want to see you tomorrow when I wake up. If I wake up."
"Baby what are you talking about? It's just a flu. You'll be fine by tomorrow."
"Of course, I will. I'm just messing with you. But yeah, don't leave me. I want you to be the first one I see tomorrow."
Jesse sighed and kissed her on her forehead. " Okay, I will not leave you. I'll be right here when you wake up. I will not leave your side. Always."
She felt the contentment filling up her heart. Chloe closed her eyes with a smile on her lips. She knows that Jesse will not break her promise. He's been giving her his word ever since they started dating. Besides, it's just a simple request so she knows that Jesse will do it.
And she was right, when she woke up the next day, feeling better, Jesse's laying by her side. Snoring.
CHAPTER 17:
Forever
"Jesse, we are going to be late. Let's go!" she's at the bottom of the stairs waiting for Jesse to get down. Tonight, is his parent's anniversary and they are having a party. And Jesse, being Jesse, has been spending too much time in his room styling his hair.
After their classes earlier, they went home immediately to prepare for the party they will attend to. But Jesse is being a pain in the ass and he's been taking his time, styling his hair.
He's always like this when their attending parties. It always takes him half an hour, maximum, to finish his hair, while she just takes ten to fifteen minutes to do hers. She's getting very impatient, so she went to the kitchen hoping to see someone. Blake and Finneas was there drinking beer, while the others are messing around the kitchen.
"Hey, Blake can I borrow your car? Jesse is taking so long to get ready and we have to leave soon. Just tell him I'll see him at his parents' house."
"Sure." Blake said and took his car keys in his pocket. She took it and went out of the house. Inside the car, she removed her heels and started driving. She was a few kilometers away from the school when her phone rang.
She answered the call when she saw it was Jesse and put it on speaker mode, Jesse looked like he's been running because when spoke it felt like he's out of breath. "Hey where are you? I've been searching for you in everywhere."
"I told Blake to tell you that I already went to you parents' house. Caroline is already there waiting for us. I am halfway near you house, just drive yourself. It's your fault, you took too long to fix your hair."
The call just ended without Jesse speaking. She knows he is pissed. Well, it's kinda his fault because he moves too slow. She's still far from the Reeds' house but she's already starving. So, she looked for a fast-food chain with a drive thru and drove her way in.
When she rolled down the window, a familiar face welcomed her. Selene. Or maybe Selena. She's not sure. She's the crew in charge with drive thru assignment and she wanted to laugh at her situation right now but decided not to.
There's nothing funny about being a worker in a local fast-food chain, but she got to admit she wanted to roll her eyes at her. How dare this girl try and flirt with her boyfriend when she doesn't have anything to brag. Not that she's bragging the wealth she's been enjoying growing up, but if you don't have anything to show, maybe it's best not to be bitchy.
She took the paper bag from whoever the girl was and drove to her destination. Chloe is enjoying her burger and soda as she drives her way to Jesse's parent's house. It was a bit of a long ride.
When she finally parked the car on the space outside their house, she took the last bite of her burger and shove all the remaining fries in her mouth and pushed it all with the soda left.
Chloe looked at herself in the mirror before heading out of the car. The inside of the house is really loud because of the music. She walked toward the foyer and saw herself in the human size mirror. She looks great in her silver floor length dress, but her body is getting a bit fat.
"Oh my god, Chloe your already here. Mom is looking for you. And it seems like my brother is pissed at you because you left him in the boarding house yet he got here first." Caroline said while approaching her. She looks stunning on her beige colored dress.
She gave her a short tight hug before they walk towards their huge backyard where there was a huge tent where the party is happening. "You mean, Jesse is already inside."
"Yep, and I told you he's really pissed."
"How do you know that he's pissed. Maybe he's just not in the mood."
Caroline stopped on her tracks and faced her. "Well, he looked ugly. And Jesse has always been good looking. So that only means, ugly Jesse is pissed Jesse. Get it."
"Whatever."
When they went inside the tent her mouth her wide open to see how glamorous it was. She thought that it was just a small gathering but it looks like there's 300 or more people here. She startled when a hand wrapped around her waist and kissed her on her cheek.
"Mom's waiting for you, let's go." Jesse led her to the table near the bar where his parents are sitting. The party is so alive and it was very fantastic. Mrs. Reed caught her sight and went to give her a hug.
"Chloe, finally you're here. For a second I thought you ended up things with my son when I saw him without you earlier."
She smiled and returned her hug. "We're fine,
Mrs. Reed. Jesse took a little bit long to fix his hair than I expected so I left the house earlier. But surprise, he got here first."
"Just call me Emily, please. Sweetie, is there something you want to tell me and your father?" Mrs. Reed looked at Jesse then to her and back to Jesse again. Now they are both confused about what Mrs. Reed is trying to say. "Tell me you didn't got your girlfriend pregnant before you two graduated for college."
What? I'm pregnant!? What? Jesse and her shared a look. And the both laughed. They both know it is impossible because nothing happened to them. Yet. "That can't be true, Mrs. Reed. And it you're talking about this belly here. It's not a baby bump but a burger bump. I ate tons of fries and burger on my way here. Like literally shove it in my face as I drive. So that's explains the bump you see. I forgot I was wearing a tight dress."
"Sorry to disappoint you, Emily. But you and dad won't have grandchildren from me until after college. Maybe expect something from my sister." Jesse led her to seat on their table without letting Emily talk. He draped his arm over his shoulder and held her closer to him.