Chapter Twenty-Two
Jared
I knew I shouldn’t have switched our Spanish tests. Now, Juliet who’s got the most confused expression on her face is going to know what I did for her. I couldn’t watch her fail a pop quiz especially one I know she would have aced if she weren’t so distracted by what this day meant to her.
So, I wrote her name on my test and mine for hers. Not a big deal. Mr. Chivers waits for us to make our ways to his desk and says, “I don’t know what is going on here but clearly one of you really cares about the other not losing their class spot. Yes, I’m aware of you two being neck and neck in academics.”
I pretend I have no idea what he’s talking about. “Are either of you going to say anything about this?” Mr. Chivers asks.
Juliet and I both remain silent. Mr. Chivers raises a brow. “Really? Nothing. Fine. I know you switched tests. I know your handwriting Jared just like I know yours, Juliet. This is me telling you that you both need to read over the material tonight and write a paper why I shouldn’t turn you into the office for helping a student cheat?”
I glance over at Juliet. Her skin pales and she says, “It was all my fault, sir. I promise not to coerce Jared into doing something like that again.”
“Wonderful. You two may leave now,” Mr. Chivers says.
Juliet bolts from the room before I even have time to stop her. I follow but she is hulling. She obviously doesn’t want to be around me right now.
I reach my locker grab up my gear and head to the weight room. Guys are already in there changing. Some from baseball, lacrosse, track, and soccer. I grab a seat on the bench near Tyler and Austin. Chase is on the other end of the bench glaring at me. “I thought I told you to leave her alone!” he screams.
“Whoa! Dude, settle. This isn’t an episode of pissy teen zone,” Tyler says as he puts his hands-on Chase’s chest blocking him from coming any closer to me.
Normally I’d react, throw down, something. Today, I’d actually let Chase kick my ass.
“He started it! I told him to leave my best friend alone. She’s been through enough. I had to hear how you switched your tests to save her but ended up getting her in trouble anyway. Way to go moron.”
“Aww,” Tyler glances back at me then shakes his head. “Wait. What? You switched your tests. Are you insane? Your dad is going to eat you alive.”
I shrug. “It doesn’t matter. We both have to read the material and we have to write a paper. I got her in more trouble instead of saving her from getting a terrible grade. Now we both get a shit grade. Yay me.” I change into my things. “If it helps, I won’t bother her anymore. In fact, first thing tomorrow I’ll request a new lab partner in chem and seat changes in my other classes.” Because obviously whatever I do makes things worse. If that’s not a sign to leave her be I’m not sure what is.
Chase nods but Tyler just gaps at me like I’m a lunatic. Austin slaps my shoulder suddenly, “Ready to bust these reps.”
“Yeah.”
We walk into the weight room and of course, the first person I see in there is her. Juliet is standing over by the leg presses. I indulge in this small moment then I break my stare and head to the area we’re working out in.
“Grab a bench, boys. We’re going to do dips,” my dad hollers.
Some groans break out. I do as my dad says because no amount of moaning and grumbling will change his mind. I place my hands on the bench and extend my legs out. Lifting my gaze to find a focus spot on the wall but that’s a mistake.
Directly in my eyesight, a pair of sexy long legs that haunt my dreams every night. I shouldn’t focus on them, but I do. The whistle blows, and I start my dips. Everything is fine until Juliet bends over to change the weight on the machine she’s about to reuse. My concentration falters causing my hands to slip and my butt slams on the ground.
My father blows his whistle and shoots me a haughty look. I’m so dead.
“What the hell was that?” He asks.
“I slipped.”
“I don’t give a shit. Get back up there and do it again. Correctly this time. Don’t be lazy!”
I usually shake off a screw-up, but her eyes are on me. There is no coming back from this. She keeps catching me in these awful encounters. The few incidents at school before she dated Mark, at my house, and now here in training. She smiles but I stop gazing at her. Distractions will ruin me and she’s a terrible one.
“Again.” My father blows his whistle and we’re doing our dips. I keep my focus on the tops of my tennis shoes.
I continue throughout the training keeping my attention on anything other than Juliet. Tyler nudges me before we switch for sled. “What?” I ask.
“What happened? The girl you’re madly in love with is in here bending, sweating, and lifting and you haven’t checked her out one time. Yesterday I would have had to clean a puddle of your drool off the floor beside the sweaty machines we’re using.”
I shake my head. “Let it go.”
“I can’t. I have this obligation as your best friend to bust your balls when you’re being an idiot. And right now, my friend, you’re being an idiot. What is going on?”
“I just realized that she’s never going to go for someone like me.”
I’m fully expecting him to rag on me, but he doesn’t. He just says, “All right, man. Get in there let’s get this shit done.”
I nod.
“Hey, Jared,” Rachel says as I come out of the school sweaty and not really giving a crap about how bad I might smell. I just want to get home, shower, and forget about this entire day.
“Hey, Rach. What’s up?”
She smiles and closes the distance between us. “Well, I was wondering … would you take me to the Valentine’s Day dance?”
Before I can answer a throat clears and Rachel and I both shift to the noise. Juliet rocks on her heels and stares up at me. “What the hell, Juliet? Can’t you see we’re talking?” Rachel snaps.
“I see. I just need to ask Jared about our Trig. We have that other partner sheet to do and I was wondering if we could do it at my house.”
“No. I um … I’m going to ask for a different partner. I think it’s for the best, don’t you?” I say.
Juliet blinks. “Oh, okay. Have a good night.” She shoves past me and Rachel. I should go after her. Every cell in my body is telling me to but I can’t. She doesn’t want someone like me.
Once she’s halfway down the sidewalk I turn to Rachel. “I can’t. Sorry.”
“It’s her, isn’t it?” Rachel asks with a sadness in her tone.
“What?”
She laughs. “Don’t play stupid. You like Juliet, don’t you?”
“It doesn’t matter. She’s into someone else.”
“She’s not as smart as I thought she was then,” Rachel says.
Rachel and I part ways and I head to my mom’s car. I’m not even out of the parking lot before my phone is blowing up.
“Hello?” I say because I didn’t bother looking at the caller ID.
“Justin needs you to go pick him up and you two are to head straight home. We’ve got a lot of work to cover,” my dad says.
“Okay. Where is he?”
“By the mall.”
Right. Justin gets to have some kind of life while I have to be a prisoner in mine. I hang up and drive toward the mall.
It takes me fifteen minutes to get there. I hop out, instead of waiting out front and go inside. The last time I’ve been in a mall was two summers ago, and I was on a double date with Laura Bryant and Tyler was seeing some girl from Westerville. It was the worst date of my life because all the girl wanted to do was talk about our football season.
Smells from the food court draw me in. As I move closer, I see her again. It’s like seeing a ghost. Juliet’s everywhere. I swear I’m trying to leave her be but she’s in the mall. Like a creeper, I watch her make her way to the bookstore.
I slip my phone from my pocket and text my brother Justin.
Me: “I’m here. Going to get a book. Meet me in the court in 30 mins.”
Justin: “All right.”
I enter the bookstore and scan the store for Juliet. I spot her messy dark hair bun bobbing around a corner toward the back displays. Making a beeline to that section, I dart behind one shelf from where she is and peer over her area. Books surround her in a circle. Some in piles possible series, others are single novels. She picks up one book from the stacked piles and studies it then she looks left and before her head turns right I jump back behind the safety of the shelf shielding me from her.
I count to ten then peek over the edge again. The camera on my phone aimed in her direction. I snap a few photos then tuck my phone in my pocket. Her shoulders rise then fall like she’s shrugging at the array of books circling her. I’d give anything to be in her mind right now.