My heart squeezed a little at the insult.
I get it. I am not the popular girl in school and I definitely didn’t try hard enough to make my appearance at all attractive. To me, school was a place to earn my way to college. The less distractions, the better. I already had one major distraction. Caring about where I ranked on the social list was not something I welcomed or would be working on anytime soon… if ever, for that matter.
I got to my locker and quickly opened it to retrieve my lunch.
Hell, I even still brought my own lunch. Shoving the paper sack back into my locker, I slammed the door and headed to the girl’s bathroom. It normally was empty at the beginning of lunch when everyone was fending for their feast. Removing my glasses, I turned on the faucet and let cool water pool into my hands. I splashed my face a few times and then really looked hard at my features in the mirror. I was pretty enough. I had cool eyes that were a deep blue one sec and vibrant green the next depending on the lighting with touches of gold flickering in between. Long dark lashes, flawless honey colored skin, straight teeth due to four years of dental torture and my hair was the perfect color of wheat.
So why did guys not find me attractive?
Okay, so my eyebrows needed a little waxing and pulling my hair back into a braid every day was a bit boring, but on a scale from one to ten, I would easily give my features a solid seven. Hell, even an eight on a good day.
I heard the bathroom door open and I quickly returned my glasses and then reached for a paper towel to dry my hands and mouth. It was Tricia and her two cronies that seemed to follow her around everywhere she went. She eyed me up and down once and then let out a snort of disapproval. I rolled my eyes at her and pushed by. Like I needed an additional insult added to the previous injury.
After reaching the crammed lunch room, I scanned the sea of hormone crazed students for Jake but he was nowhere to be seen. I noticed through the lunch window in the courtyard, there were some guys playing hacky sack. Most likely, he would be there.
I pushed my way through the crowd and out into the courtyard. Sure enough, there he was.
A small beaned bag came hurling toward me. Instinctively, I popped my chest out stopping the assault letting the ball drop and then kicked the leather bag back into play. The circle of guys just stared at me with their mouths wide open as the hacky sack dropped to the ground with a resounding thud. Even Jake looked surprised.
“What?” I asked. “Like a girl can’t hacky?”
Walking through the circle, I headed toward the closest vacant bench as I muttered imbeciles under my breath. Plopping down, I crossed my arms and looked up, a number of surprised eyes still staring as if I had grown two heads.
Seriously, this couldn’t be that much of an anomaly could it?
I shrugged my shoulders and lifted my hands with a jerk. “What?”
They all turned back to each other and started hackying again without giving me another glance.
Why was it so hard to believe a girl could hacky? Argh! Guys were so sexist.
If they only knew the moves I could do when I was by myself kicking the bag out of frustration, then they would have the right to stare. It started the night after Jake left the hacky sack at my house after breaking up with girlfriend number eight, or maybe it was number nine. He kicked and popped it while talking about his frustrations of yet another failed relationship.
Seemed to work for him, so I started playing around with it and then understood why he did it. It was a great stress reliever.
Funny how I never shared that little secret with him.
It gave me little butterflies in recalling his dropped jaw. Covering a grin with the back of my hand, I giggled to myself.
“What are you giggling about?” Jake’s amused voice had me dropping my hand to my lap as I looked up to stare into those emerald pools. “Scooch over,” he commanded as he patted the side of my thigh. I obliged and he sat down.
It felt so nice having his body so close to mine. Our shoulders were touching and he leaned gently against me. It wasn’t unusual for him to invade me personal space, but he was oblivious to the effect it had on me.
Safe Melody reverberated off the inside of my cranium. My lips flattened into a straight line at the nagging reminder.
Looking around the courtyard, I noticed harsh stares coming from the girls around us. He didn’t seem to notice or care, but my skin felt like crawling as I could hear the whispering. They were probably wondering why someone like Jake would be sitting with someone like me.
Eh, who cared?
But even as I tried to blow it off, it still stung at my pride.
“I’m hanging out with the guys after school today so you don’t have to wait for me,” he said, ruffling my already unmanageable mane.
Disappointment made me bitter. “I’m not your babysitter,” I said a bit too harsh.
Second time today I caused him to look at me that way. Forcing a smile, I slapped him in the arm at which point he shoved my head slightly to the side. He smiled again and I felt better.
Somewhat.
Standing, he looked down at me and winked before rejoining the hacky circle. All I could do was watch in awe at his mesmerizing athletic ability. It did not hurt that his jeans hugged his thighs just right as he kicked and popped the bag. Afraid of being caught gawking, I averted my eyes but not before the heat had already stung my cheeks.
Jake was a different kind of jock. He wasn’t the arrogant football quarterback type jock like Kyle Warner. Instead, he was the soccer type and was the school’s most beloved medaled swimmer. Several times I had thought about joining the swim team just so I could be closer to him. But there was no way I would ever get through a practice with him in the same pool, wet hair, wet body and muscles, muscles… muscles. Just the thought of his exposed chest had the word pounce come to mind! So, I elected to join the debate team instead.
And of course to make my image that much brighter, I volunteered once a week after school at the Griffith Observatory giving tours to small groups. It was part of my community service toward graduation. Even though I had already completed all the required hours my freshman year, I couldn’t seem to give up my Thursday afternoons at the Observatory. During junior high, it was the most special of all places where Jake and I would spend countless hours making so many childhood wishes together.
But then, Jake’s mother felt we were spending way too much time together. So, our weekly visits dwindled down to monthly to every other month and then eventually to none at all. But I still went… alone. And I still made those absurd wishes that unfortunately haven’t come true to this date.
The bell rang interrupting my trip down memory lane and the students poured from the courtyard back into the halls and into the classrooms.
Three more periods passed before once again, we all emptied into the parking lot. I reached my mustang and fired her up. There were many admirable onlookers as I pulled out into the line of exiters.
Even my car had more popularity than I.
As I pulled into the driveway at home, I noticed Mrs. Kensington, Jake’s mother, getting into the back of a black luxury sedan. Waving was pointless as she really never acknowledged my presence. So, as usual, I refrained. The chauffeur closed the door, got into the driver’s seat and then drove her off to God knows where.
Why Jake’s mother disapproved of me was beyond me. It seemed every time she saw Jake and I together, her mouth would draw up as though she had just bit into a lemon or something.
On the other hand, Jake’s father actually seemed to genuinely enjoy having me around. He often stated loudly I was the daughter he wished he could have, but never did. Of course, this never pleased the Misses much. I guess it didn’t help that the relationship between Jake’s father and my mother was similar to how Jake and I were.
It seemed that they were best friends all throughout childhood and college which is why we were allowed to stay in the guest apartment when my mom left dad. It was only sup
posed to be temporary until my mother finished up her nursing degree working in anesthesiology, but we just kind of got used to being there and the thought of buying a house never came up. To be honest, I was thankful she never made the decision to move.
Resting my head on the steering wheel, I waited a few more minutes before mechanically opening the car door like I had done a thousand times already, grabbed my books and then headed toward the guest house at the back of the property.
After entering my room, I threw my book bag on the floor and just fell across my bed. Visions of Jake’s slackened jaw and widened eyes today made me chuckle. It was a great feeling to surprise him like that. I wondered what else I could do that would make his jaw drop again.
After finishing my homework, I headed for the kitchen and placed the permission slip under a magnet on the refrigerator so I wouldn’t forget to tell my mother to sign it in the morning. Hugging my arms and crossing my fingers, I prayed that it would be my name Jake pulled from the hat on Friday.
After cleaning up my dinner dishes, I headed back to my room, took a shower and changed into my pajamas. Looking in the full length mirror, I noticed that even my pj’s looked… safe.
When did I start caring about what I looked like before bed?
I flung the towel from my head at the mirror and plopped down on the bed. Hugging my pillow, I curled up into a ball, closed my eyes and for the first time in years, I fell asleep before nine.
The hinges on my window screeched causing me to sit upright like a jack rabbit. Jake was standing over me looking down his perfectly shaped nose with concern.
“Hey sleepyhead!” he yelled a bit too loudly.
I looked up, cupping my hands from the offensive sunlight pouring through the window and gave him my best ‘kiss my ass’ look. But he only pushed my forehead causing me to fall back onto the bed.
“Guess I will be driving my beamer today?”
I sat up again and pushed him out of the way, headed to my closet, stripped off my pajama bottoms, pulled on a pair of jeans, left my tank top on and just slipped into a button down shirt. I moved over to my vanity and pulled my hair back into a ponytail not bothering brushing it out or braiding it. I slipped into sandals, grabbed my book bag and glasses and then headed out the bedroom door. It wasn’t until I was halfway down the hall that I noticed Jake had not followed me.
“Jake?” I called out.
When he didn’t respond, I headed back to my bedroom.
“Jake, let’s go,” I stated, but he just stood there staring at my closet door as if stunned or something.
“Hey… you coming or not?” I asked my eyes furrowing at what possibly could have caused him to go slacked jawed again.
He shook his head and I noticed he swallowed a bit too loudly.
“What’s gotten into you?” I insisted.
His mouth opened as if to give a response, but no sounds came out. Blinking a few times, he finally moved and then passed by me, heading toward the kitchen.
Raising an eyebrow out of confusion, I turned on my heel and followed after him.
It was odd how quiet Jake was and for some reason, he avoided eye contact with me. His constant teasing in the morning was normally something I looked forward to and today, things were just a little off. Eyebrows together, I pondered over and over in my mind what caused him to be so indifferent. Lifting a hand to my hair, I pushed back the few strands that just wouldn’t stay in the hair contraption no matter what I tried.
Noticing my frustration, Jake reached a hand across the table and pushed the offensive curls behind my right ear. A chill rushed down my spine as his finger brushed the outer shell of my ear, the gesture lasting a bit longer than anticipated.
My eyes flittered upward to rest on Jake’s features, his jaw tense and his eyes danced back and forth as if he was trying to read my thoughts. Quickly, I turned my focus on anything else in the room but him. No matter what, I could not let Jake see how much his touch affected me.
“Mom, did you sign the permission slip?” Why I chose that topic of all topics was beyond me. I winced when she lifted it from the counter and shook it as if to say, “It’s here.”
Mom was already getting her second cup of cream laden coffee before starting in on the sleeping arrangements for my ‘husband.’ Walking over to the table, she pulled out a chair purposely letting it scrape against the floor which sent chills down my spine. Always the chair scraping when she wanted my attention. It was like raking fingernails down a chalkboard… or so I’ve been told.
She sat down like a general about to lay down the law to a soldier. “No locked bedroom door, no physical contact and no, and I mean no, sleeping in the same bed.” I spit out my juice.
“Mom!”
“Seriously, Mel. He gets the couch.”
“Mom, really?” I asked my voice a bit strained. “I’m already stressed enough about it. Can we not go there right now?”
“Don’t worry, mom,” Jake intervened as he buttered his toast a little too hard. His eyes stayed glued to the bread, flattening the poor thing as he continued. “I plan to speak with Mr. Lloyd about switching with whoever picks Melody, so you won’t have to worry about making room for anyone or worry who Melody sleeps with.”
It was my turn to drop my mouth.
Did he just say who sleeps with me? In front of my mother?
“Well thank you, Jake. That puts my mind at ease.” She smiled at him lovingly and then signed the permission slip, plopped the pen down and slid the paper over to me. “As long as it’s Jake, I’m okay with it.” She rose and then headed for the door.
What did that mean? Was she saying she was okay if Jake slept with me?
But I didn’t care really what she meant because every little nerve in my body rejoiced in happiness. Jake was going to ask Mr. Lloyd if he could… marry me! We were going to be husband and wife for a whole week!
All that wishing paid off after all!
Jake glanced at me for a second, smiled a nervous smile and then spooned oatmeal quickly into his face without making eye contact with me for the rest of breakfast.
I tried desperately to hide my excitement but my smile kept getting bigger and bigger until it was time to leave.
But it was soon deflated when he said he was driving his beamer to school. Something about the morning caused a change in him and I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Like a reel, I replayed the morning’s events over in my mind. At the stoplight, dawning struck and every cell in my body felt like it was on fire starting with my toes and moving all the way up, concentrating in my cheeks.
He watched me dress this morning. Or rather… undress!
Holy crap! What the hell was I thinking undressing in front of him? Popping the side of my head, I tried desperately to remove the image of a very shocked Jake staring at my empty closet, his eyes fixated exactly where I exposed my Hello Kitty panties moments earlier!
I wanted to bury myself! How the hell was I going to be able to face him today at school without turning every shade of red?
The light changed and the horns started blaring behind me. The drive from the light to the school took forever. As each mile passed, my foot lifted more and more off the gas petal. By the time I pulled in to the parking lot, the stang was barely crawling.
For the first time in my life, the thought of playing hooky crossed my mind.
Thank goodness today was a “B” day which meant we didn’t have health class. Even during lunch, I stayed far away from any place he could be.
Jake didn’t show up the next morning at my window. For the life of me, I couldn’t remember the last time he didn’t join me for breakfast. Thank goodness my mother was sleeping in as she was scheduled for another long weekend shift at the hospital. Tiptoeing into the kitchen, I grabbed a granola bar and headed out the door, craning my neck to see if Jake was still home. But, his car was already gone.
He must have really been embarrassed too. I mean, how would I have reacted if I had seen him
bent over in Spiderman undies? Closing my eyes, I tried desperately to erase the sudden image that flickered across my retinas. The sad part was that I actually liked the view.
Argh!
Frustrated, I headed for my car, alone, got in and pulled out my cell phone. The only reason I had one in the first place was to call my mom or text Jake… both were rare occasions. Mom wasn’t allowed to take calls when on shift and Jake… well, he just wasn’t the texting type of guy. But for some reason, I felt like I needed to send him a message.
After dragging my finger in a Z pattern across the touchscreen, the phone unlocked and my eyes looked at the little orange envelope at the bottom of the screen.
No messages.
I opened a new message screen and typed in Jake’s screen name, “Brother from another mother.” The flashing cursor winked over and over waiting for me to type in letters. Finally, my thumbs moved and I was able to spell out… sorry. Shaking my head, I backspaced until I was left again with a winking cursor begging me to type. Pushing the side button, the screen went dark and I tossed the sucker onto the passenger’s side seat.
Why should I be sorry?
It’s not like I told him to look. I mean, it’s my room for God’s sakes. What did he expect? That I change in the kitchen or something?
Determined not to let his lack of contact bother me any longer, I started the stang and headed to school.
Friday arrived too fast. The two days before, not once did Jake offer to drive me to school and he only showed up Thursday at my window. He acted like nothing ever happened. Like seeing my half naked body had no effect on him, whatsoever. He was back to his old teasing self which had my blood boiling.
Obviously, he was unaffected by my stripping in the closet incident and that slapped my ego a little. The whole time I thought I had embarrassed him as much as I was embarrassed. But, it was just me dancing alone in that imaginative corner.
Melody's Crush Book 2: KYLE - 1st & 2nd Installments (Young Adult Series) Page 2