“No you didn’t!” I exclaim, looking wide eyed at Nicki. It’s lunch time and we are in the courtyard outside the dining hall. We didn’t get to talk after assembly, which ended way into the first lesson and we had to rush straight to class.
The courtyard is barren of students given the July cold that’s already creeped into the end of June, giving proper privacy for whatever juicy stories she has for me.
She giggles, throwing her head back. “I so did. It was all Simon’s idea, however, but I was glad to hop in.”
I pout. “Of course.”
While I had been lying all bored in my room on Saturday night, my two friends were sneaking out to attend a very illegal house party.
“And let me guess, Cole was there too, right?” I prod, trying to sound annoyed at the fact that I’m just finding out about th
I'm almost convinced that this last half of the term is going to be weird when I'm treated to the joyful sight of Simon and Nicki walking through the school gates, coming up the walkway towards the front doors. Together.I stop looking through my bag and stare, a smile breaking across my face.I was thinking I would have to play some reconciliatory role, but it appears I was wrong. I stop looking for my Math exercise book that I suspect I've left at home and wait for my two friends to get to me.The crowd of students going past me is decked out in warm clothing consisting of jackets, jumpers, and beanies. The sun hasn't graced the day with its presence yet, dark gloomy clouds spanning the sky instead. It's as if the weather itself is predicting the sort of trouble I'm going to find myself in if I turn up with no homework in Math."Oh my God, I love this one, how come I've never seen it before?" Nicki gushes the moment she gets to me, pulling
"Cold weather makes me sleepy,” I mutter almost an hour later as Jude takes me through a problem that I was stuck on in my Math assignment. Because of the weather, he suggested we have our session at Ma Bea’s, and I readily agreed.He has a smug grin on his face as he shows me how to work the problem, extremely smug that for the first time, he’s the one showing me Math.He looks up and gives me a stern look. “You’d better be paying attention, Jo.”“I am,” I mutter, wrapping my fingers around my hot mug. It’s warmer in here, and I wouldn’t mind coming here every other time. I don’t mind the free chocolate either. “Honestly though, doesn’t it just make you want to bundle up into your blankets?”“Warmer if you got someone with you,” he mutters, not looking up from my workbook. “Warmer if t
“Wake up, Avery.” Jude says for possibly the tenth time, following it up with a poke to my side.I grumble, eyes still shut, and swat his hand away. “Stop,” I warn. I turn into my side, snuggling my face into my folded hands.“Jo is sooo lazy,” Cole sing songs from my right.I make a sound in my throat but otherwise ignore him. Can’t a girl get a little sleep around here?“Tickle her,” a voice, belonging to my traitorous friend Nicki, comes from the spot right beside me.I shoot up from my space against the wall immediately, and in time too because Jude is already reaching out. I glare at Nicki and flash her the middle finger.Jude chuckles, chewing on his bottom lip. “Oh, so that’s the trick.”“Don’t you ever dare, not even once,” I wa
It’s one a.m., Jude is in my room, and he is drunk.Panic shoots through me as sleep deserts me and the situation sinks in. I slept with my lights on so I can see exactly how much drunk he is.At first I can’t make sense of what he’s saying, but when I do, my blood runs cold.“Sorry, Jo…. Sssorrry… Your sister… Saw me…”The words come out disjointed, but I hear him fine alright.He drops on my bed, huffing as if the effort of making that sentence has taken all his energy.My heart is pounding so loud in my chest, I can’t hear my own thoughts.Maybe that’s because there’s none. I can’t think.I crawl onto my knee and shake him. “Jude? Are you sure?”He lets out a groan, turns his head to the
I can’t remember the last time I slept undisturbed all the way to morning. There’s always sleepless breaks in between, either due to waking up from dreams and nightmares, or as an effect of my irregular sleeping patterns.I wake up from the former, a dream that makes no sense at all. I don’t get to really think about it however, because my mind registers two things instantly.The lights are off and I’m on my bed.There’s warm breath hitting my face, breath that smells sweet.There are arms around me.Before I can despair, I hear Jude’s low voice. “Are you awake?”I try to move my hands that are trapped beneath his. He moves and I free them, but that’s all the movement he makes.“Sorry about the lights, couldn’t sleep with them on,” he explains, the same
True to Mum’s word and thanks to Sam’s need to celebrate his birthday twice a year, evening finds the entire Hansen family huddled in their warmest clothes, standing to the side as Trey and I get popcorn and soda for the movie. Sam is running around with Liam, there’s no sign of Willow. Maria is standing a few feet away from Mum and Dad, glaring into space and looking as if this is the last place she would like to be at the moment. She tried to deceive her way out of coming, but Mum wasn’t taking any excuses. I can only imagine where she wanted to get to instead.Trey keeps looking around.I nudge him in the side. “Expecting someone?”He shakes his head. “No.”“That girl wouldn’t stop stealing glances at you back at the restaurant,” I tease, referring to a girl who had been at one of the tables at the restaurant we went t
After my second and last paper of the day on Monday, my mind is finally set on one thing.Finding Jude and getting an explanation.I’m halfway towards his locker when I realise he’s not alone.Bethany Hill — his once upon a time girlfriend (the only one, too) — is with him, laughing, touching him as constantly as possible, and I can tell, even from a distance, flirting the hell out of him.I almost take a detour.Almost.Bethany’s presence is intimidating, and she has been throwing rude scorching glares my way any opportunity she gets. But she isn’t the one I want to talk to.I have exercised maximum patience waiting this long to confront Jude and I don’t think I can wait one more second, not with Maria practically breathing down my neck with all the self importance in the world.&nbs
“Why are you in a pissy mood?”“I’m not in a pissy mood.”“Yeah right, that’s why this pillow is lying in the doorway…” Simon pauses and bends to pick said pillow. “Flew here, I imagine?”“It has feathers, doesn’t it?” I offer drily. “I didn’t know you were coming over.”He closes the door behind him and approaches the bed. “I was with Trey. And I need to convince you.”I groan and throw another pillow, this time at him, which he catches in his hand. “I’m not sneaking out with you guys.”“Come on, Jo. You’ve sneaked Jude in and out of this room numerous times. You can do it for yourself. Besides, your brother does it all the time and he has never…” he grimaces and pauses. “I didn&rsqu
"I need you to stay away from Jude." I stare at my father across his study desk and wonder whether I heard him right. "What?" I ask. When he called me to his study, I didn't think my boyfriend was going to be the topic of discussion. Maybe my plans now that high school is behind me and I have several months before leaving for university, but not this. Dad clasps his hands on top of his desk and leans toward me. "I'm his doctor, and I'm your father. I have both of your best interests at heart. He's like a son to me. And right now what's best for him is that he stays away from you." I press a finger to my temple. "We are not doing anything wrong, if that's what you're worried about," I say, my gaze fleeting to the ceiling. "And I don't want to stay away from him, he's my boyfriend!" He nods. "I know." I look back at him. "I love him, I can't just stay away from him." "Jude's not well--" "He's fine! His wound healed
'Don't get mad.' I stare at the text on my phone, and I can guess what else Jude is currently typing. Here it comes... 'I'm outside your window. ' Of course. I drop my phone and crawl out of bed. I pad to my window and pull the curtains apart. Jude smiles at me from the other side, as if he's aware that the little expression is enough to thaw me any time. I try to look as pissed off as possible as I unlatch the window and push it open. Jude climbs in. He shuts it behind him then turns to me, smile still in place. "I couldn't--" "Stay away," I complete the sentence for him. I've heard it almost a hundred times in the past month, half that time with him crawling through my window. He grins, then pecks my lips. "I missed you." I sigh and turn away, going back to my bed. I don't get there though since two strong arms come around me from behind. "Please don't be mad at me," he pleads.
"Am I interrupting something?" At the sound of Nicki's voice, my first instinct is to jump out of Jude's laps immediately. I don't get anywhere because his hold on me proves to be tighter than I thought. My flaming face turns towards my friend, who's standing at the top of the stairs, eyebrows meeting her hairline as she takes in the sight in front of her. "Don't let me interrupt," she says saucily, then proceeds to come forward. I feel Jude's face against the side of my head, his laugh muffled. He presses a kiss to my ear then finally lets go of me. "Hi, Nicki." I say, moving across the table back to my seat. "Hello, friend who didn't bother telling me she's been snogging her hot study partner all along." She perches on the table, facing me. "Other than that one time, that is." "I--" "What one time?" Jude pipes in, the amusement in his voice apparent. Nicki turns toward him. "The one time you both skinny
I can't stop pacing in my room, already regretting my decision to leave without checking on Jude.I should have stayed, even if only to make sure he was okay. Someone doesn't just lock himself up in a bathroom while not taking a shower for that many minutes if he's alright.Why did he get so mad?I refuse to acknowledge the voice that keeps telling me that he got frustrated because he couldn't get what he wanted all along.He said I rejected him. Did he really mean it? Did he really want to ask me out? Me, as his girlfriend? Girlfriend?Knowing that sleep will be a hard thing to get without knowing that he's at least okay, I dial Cole's number. It rings through the first time without a reply, but I hit the dial again. I know it's late, half past eleven, but this is Cole and the chances are he's awake.It almost stops ringing the second time round when it's picked up and a drunken feminine voice responds."Who are you, why are yo
My phone rings at a quarter before midnight and to be honest, I’m not surprised. It has become a routine for Jude to call me at insane hours of the night, and to talk about what? “I can’t wait for tomorrow,” he says now when I pick up. I smile at the sound of his voice. In a span of several weeks, it’s gradually managed to become my favourite sound. “Why?” I ask, rolling onto my back. I can’t remember there being any special occasion for tomorrow. “So that I can see you,” Jude responds. “And?” “There’s an and?” “I mean, of course you’ll see me tomorrow, we have school.” “Does that mean I can’t miss you?” I let out a small laugh. “You’re kidding, we were just together like, four hours ago?” “You’re not here with me right now, are you?” I refrain from making an audible ‘awww’ sound because I still can’t believe he’s actually saying this to me. I mean, I know by now that he does appreciate my company, but he’s sounding like we’re in a relationship or something, and we’re not.
My bright Monday morning is ruined when I spot Bethany standing next to Jude’s locker, clearly waiting on him. The smile that has been plastered on my face all morning drops instantly.Apparently, all it takes to demolish the castles I’ve been building all weekend is a single sighting of Jude’s extremely gorgeous ex girlfriend.Gorgeous and clingy.That sounds better.It shouldn’t even bother me since he said there’s nothing between them, right?I hurry up so that I can get out of here before I witness something that might ruin my day. In the name of Jude appearing and flirting with her like he has been doing of late. I cast one last look towards his locker…And almost drop my bag to the floor.My mouth goes dry when I see Jude coming towards me. My eyes dart behind him to his locker, where Bethany sti
"Wake up.” Shake. “Get up.” I press the pillow to my face and wish the voice away. What sort of human being disturbs perfect morning slumber? “It’s nine already, Jo.” “What?” I yell and fly up, shoving the pillow away. It’s not that late, is it? Jude is standing beside the bed, regarding me with an amused smile. He looks put together, like he woke up a long time ago. “Shit.” I hop out of bed. “I need to go home.” The last of that sentence finds me at the bathroom door. I get in quickly, do a quick clean up and put on my dress. When I get back to the room, Jude is sitting on the bed. He quirks his brow. “What’s the hurry for?” I give him a look of disbelief. “I don’t want to get into any trouble!” “Your parents already left for work by now, right?” I nod.
“Nothing different,” Jude persuades, pulling me into the room, walking backwards towards the bed. “Still a bedroom and still just you and me.”Yes, but before we hadn’t kissed, had we?His bed is a large white affair, and a part of me just wants to jump on it and cuddle in his bedding. He has a lot of pillows and my mind can’t help forming images of him asleep, blond hair fanned out on a pillow, pink lips in a pout…I break out of my thoughts when he sits me on the edge of the bed. He steps back and gives me an assessing look.“You on my bed. Beautiful picture, just one little detail we need to take care of.”I lift an eyebrow. “Yeah?”He points at Cole’s jacket. “Can you please get rid of Cole’s jacket?”I wrap my arms around myself, wanting to tea
Jude picks up the phone on the first ring, to my relief.“Look who’s calling me,” he says, amused.I manage a smile past the tears that won’t stop streaming down my face. I take in a deep breath and try to keep my voice even.“Hey Jude. I need a favour.”I fail terribly, sounding as if I have grains of sand stuck in my throat. My body shivers, a fresh sob threatening to surface.“Jo? Are you okay?” Jude’s voice drops the playfulness, becoming urgent.I suck in another breath. “No, I… Can you pick me up please?”“Of course,” he responds without missing a beat. “Where’re you?”“You know Ana Grace right? Do you know her place?”“Yes, yes I do, is that where you are?”