He smiled, dimples showing. "You too." They disappeared. "Wait, no, that's not what I meant. I meant that you were cute just in general. You don't need to be nervous to be cute, you're automatically amazingly so and it didn't seem like you were nervous, but-" He closed his eyes and took another deep breath. "Sorry." He adjusted his glasses again.
She giggled again, a slight smile tugging at her lips. She checked her phone for the time. "I have to get to class." She adjusted her bag on her shoulder and started for her homeroom but paused. I might regret this but whatever! She kissed his cheek with a smile. "I'll see you later cutie." She walked off to class like nothing had happened.
All he could do was stand there, mouth hanging right open as she walked away. He couldn't even turn to watch her go. He just. Stood. Stars above, what just happened?
"Yo, Jackson, you okay there?" Hands on his shoulders shook him back to reality. His eyes focused on a face in front of him, dirty blood hair blocking the hazel eyes he knew.
"Oh, hey Zavian." He gave a small smile. Zavian was more popular than he was. In fact, Jackson wasn't even sure how they became friends. None of the other cool kids bothered with the "star nerd", but Zave had. Of course, he was busy a lot of the time with all the girls that followed him around. It was stupid how many of them were completely in love with him, but Jackson had gotten used to it by now, expecting every girl to see right past him to Zavian. That's what he found confusing about the simple kiss on the cheek. It was for him.
"We gonna head to class bud? We couln't afford for goody-two-shoes to be late on the first day, could we?" They laughed together and headed to class, but Jackson was still caught up with the slowly fading soft warmth on his cheek.
Ivy fought to mantain the intense blush on her face before she rounded the corner to class knowing she'd see a familiar face. And sure enough when she did, she was greeted by a knowing smirk she'd seen too many times to forget. "Hey Ives." "You saw?" "I see everything, of course I did. I'm just surprised, that's all." "Surprised?" "Out of all the guys you could've chosen, you went for Jackson. The star nerd." "Yeah? And?" "Well…I don't know he just didn't seem like the person you'd give your time to. I always thought you'd just turn into another Zavian follower." Ivy laughed. "Yeah right! I look for personality, not where they rank on the hotness scale, Jules." Julianna had been Ivy's best friend since 4th grade, although she had steadily grown more popular than Ivy by become the infamous school matchmaker. But they still stayed friends, shockingly enough. "Come on, physics calls." Julianna grabbed her wrist and dragged her down the hall to the classroom.
(Shall we skip to lunch where they meet again?)
(Yeah sure!)
(Are you gonna start the scene or should I?)
(Either way, what would you like?)
(Can you start it? I'm bad at starting scenes.)
(Yeah, sure!)
The bell rang releasing the massive crowd of teenagers just trying to get something to eat or to see friends or something. Jackson stood from his seat, still attached to his book, and began walking slowly to the cafeteria. They had discovered that morning that Zavian didn't have the same lunch as him, so he'd have to be "star nerd" alone this time. Which he didn't actually mind. Before Zave, it was always like that.
He found his way to the courtyard and sat down at a small table, not really feelining hungry. While he knew most of the stuff he was reading about, it still was fun to read.
"Stars are all made of the same molecular hydrogen from a gravitational collapse. Whole the collapse is happening, it splits into smaller masses. Each one collects into a ball that continues to collapse on itself…"
Julie and Ivy stood outside the cafeteria door. "Do I have to go in there Jules?" "Do you want to eat?" "Not really…" Julianna sighed. "I'll get something for you, you head out." Ivy squeezed her into a quick hug. "Love you Jules." "Yeah yeah love you too Ives." She grabbed her bag and headed outside, walking into the courtyard when she spotted Jackson. Oh hey look, I found him. She sat at the small bench across from him. "Hey cutie, we meet again."
He looked from his book. "Huh?" It's her."Oh, hey there." His wide smile found his face. "What are you doing here? I mean, not lunch, you're obviously getting lunch. Like, here, in front of me-" Idiotidiotidiotidiot He laughed a little "-Nevermind." He pushed his glasses up on his nose.
She laughed. "Do I make you nervous? Shocker." She brushed her hair out of her face. "I didn't feel like walking into the cafeteria and dealing with the bullying on the first day. My friend's getting me something. It's always nice and quiet out here, I thought it'd help me clear my head."
"Yeah, makes sense." He knew all about the bullying. Of course, it hadn't been that bad since Zavian. There was still the daily routine of laughing and mocking, but he was used to it by now.
She ran her thumb over the quote etched into her skin, one of her nervous tics. "I'm not a druggie." She mumbled to herself
"What?" His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Who says that?"
"Everyone." She shook her head to clear the memories of the bullied beatings.
"I don't think you look like a druggie," he muttered under his breath just so she could hear. He looked to her. "They're stupid as humans tend to be."
She smiled a little, still staring at the words on her wrist. "How sweet of you." I think I'm falling for you… (Meant to be loud)
Crap, me too…
"I- uh, umm.." He cleared his throat and paused for a moment. "What does it say?" He pointed to the saying on her wrist.
"Hmm? Oh, it says 'your story isn't finished'. It's a quote I found that I really like." Her phone buzzed, it was Julianna.
Jules: Got cornered on my way out, save me!
She sighed heavily.
Ivy: I'll be right there.
Jules: Thank you!!
"Looks like I have to go save my friend. I'll see you later, my star boy." She flashed a dazzling smile and went to save Julianna.
"I- oh, okay." He smiled like an idiot as she walked away. Star boy…
She rounded the corner to see Julianna cowered against a wall with three familiar figures. "Hey!" They turned, relief washing over Julie's face. "Get your filthy hands over off her before I break them off!" Two of the three did a double take when they saw who was speaking and took off, but the third didn't. "You don't scare me, little girl." He laughed. "I should though." He simply looked at her and before she knew it, the world went black.
~~~
She woke to whispers and white walls. The nurse's office with Julie by her side. "Ivy? Ivy! Oh thank goodness!" "What happened? Why does my head feel like a pound of lead?" "Shhh, don't talk. He got you pretty bad. He knocked you out and beat you up, I had to pull him off. And before you ask, I'm sorry but everyone saw cause the teachers had to carry you in." Oh. Lovely. She could practically hear the news buzzing through the school halls already. I wonder if my star boy will come see me…
The entire school had gone haywire in a way everything seemed quiet. Whispers were heard around the halls as he walked through the halls. "Yo, Jackson, did you hear?" Zavian came up behind him and pushed him a little. "Hear what?"
"There was this fight with this girl named Iris or Ivy or something. It was really bad. She's in the nurses' and everything." Idiotidiotidiotidiot.Immediately, his feet were moving, the rest of him with him. Every part of him went numb. Ivy. He almost flew to the office and through the doors. "Jackson!" He didn't stop. "Jackson, where are you going?"
He saw her laying on the bed all beaten up and his heart stopped. "Ivy," he whispered. He couldn't will himself to go any further.
Julie had since left for class, leaving her alone. She glanced up at him and smiled a little. Busted lip, brusies everywhere, black eye, cut up like a side of beef, she was sure it wasn't a pretty sight. She patted the chair next to her. Don't leave me alone…
He heard a wisp of some thought, but it wasn't loud enough to really hear it. All he hear was something about 'alone'…
"Hey there." He walked up slowly. Who did this?! He could feel the anger welling up inside him, but he kept it down as much as he could. A warm smile covered it. He collapsed into the chair beside there. "You oka-" Idiot. "Wait, no, you're obviously not okay. I mean, it's more of, like just, letting you know that I'm here for you and stuff because you know and I- Sorry I'll stop." He looked to her, slightly embarrassed he couldn't even keep control of his rambling when she was hurt.
An amused smile overtook her lips. She grabbed a small pen and paper from the table beside her. 'Stop worrying about me, I get enough of that from Jules. I'm just happy that my star boy came to see me. Also, I can't talk. Doctor's orders. But just don't leave me. Being alone in here sucks.' Her handwriting was small yet neat, the opposite of her personality.
He took the paper and read it quickly, his face getting red at reading "my star boy." He looked to her and smiled. "Yeah, well, I can't not worry about you. That's impossible." He chuckled a little.
'Really now? I think it's pretty easy considering you don't even know me.' Sad but true. Yet I'm still falling for you. I'm falling for a guy I don't even know. The words practically echoed in her head. (Which means they're loud)
Her thoughts struck him. And I for you…
"Well, I mean, I tend to worry a lot. About a lot of things. Too many most of the time." He thought for a moment. "I mean, we could get to know each other better." The bell rang right after he finished. My first absence.