Chapter Six
Juliet
Jared Black is not fooling me for one second. Getting all huffy and practically standing over me like some dumb skyscraper, he must be getting extra credit out of this. I overheard Tyler say something to Layla about Jared getting some extra points.
Then there is the huge gross factor that he’s into a person like Rachel Little. Any part of me that might have thought Jared was cute completely died right then when he let her hug him. I don’t care if she’s my sister’s best friend; she’s a terrible person. What Layla sees in her, I will never know.
When I reach Chase and Adaline, I’m so annoyed I throw the box down. “There has to be a way to get out of being his partner for the rest of the year,” I say more to myself than to anyone in particular.
Chase lifts a brow. “Who are you talking about?”
“Jared Black.”
Addy smirks. “Why would you not want to be his partner? He’s super hot, so hello, eye candy. And he’s way smart.”
I snort. “Smart? He may be okay in math but that hardly qualifies him as being smart.” Because he did save our butts from getting a D or F in chem today with his correct mole calculations.
Chase shakes his head. “You know he’s second in our class. I’d figure you of all people would want to be stuck with him because at least you’d know he’d do the work. Unlike the last few people you’ve worked with before,” he says.
As I’m cutting tape from the roll, the scissors slip, and I almost nip my finger as Chase’s words seep in. “No way. He’s not second in our class,” I say.
“He totally is,” Adaline says. “Trust me I’ve been trying to be second in class since sixth grade.”
How did I miss that? I knew he was in advance classes like me, but he never participated in any of the classes we shared. I just always assumed his dad had something to do with why he was in there. Before Mark, I thought just like Adaline. I mean hello, he was total eye candy in a boring lecture about the stages of photosynthesis and things like that. After Mark though, it made me flat out angry that people like Jared could just coast through the scholar classes.
“Whatever. You know that jerk is getting extra credit for being here,” I snap then I drop the scissors. “Oh my gosh! That sneaky tool.”
Adaline and Chase both shoot me looks. “What?” They both say.
“If he thinks he’s going to take my spot he has another think coming. I’ll be right back.”
Before either of them can stop me, I charge down the hall toward the direction of where that oaf went. I may be small, but I will throttle his neck. No one will take my future valedictorian spot without a fight. I will not just step aside for some cute face.
I round a corner, and my steps falter. Selena is pressed against Mark. His mouth dropping to hers. My heart clenches and I’m not sure why. I don’t like him anymore, but this sight is like rubbing salt in my almost healed wound. Just this morning that jerk was at my door begging for me to talk to him. Telling me what I saw was all my imagination. I’m done. Done with all these liars.
Forget giving Jared Black a piece of my mind. I stomp toward Selena and Mark and shout, “Really? It wasn’t what I thought?” Mark pulls away from Selena and stares at me with wide eyes. He starts to say something, but I raise my hand.
“Save it. I don’t want to hear it. Don’t lie to my face about it.”
“Wait, Juliet. This just started. I really did want to talk and work things out,” Mark says.
I shake my head. “It looks like you figured it all out.” I don’t believe a word of it.
Selena smiles. “He did.” She runs her fingers up Mark’s arm. I know she’s doing it to show she’s won.
A hand lands on my shoulder and I startle and turn. Before I make eye contact his deep voice growls, “Don’t you two have work to do?”
“Hey Jared,” Selena says.
It’s repulsive how she can turn on a flirty charm on to him while she’s standing next to my ex. The person she just played tonsil hockey with literally less than two minutes ago. Wow.
“What do you want, Black?” Mark snarls
“Don’t worry about it but I suggest you get to work. Or someone might find themselves not going to Italy,” Jared says.
“You’d actually nark on us?” Selena asks.
“Would you really like to find out?” Jared asks.
Mark and Selena take the hint and move down the hall toward their box of hearts. I push away from Jared and glare at him. “What are you doing?”
“Helping you. You’re welcome?”
If he keeps doing this crap, it’s going to make it hard for me to be mad at him. I want to be mad at him. Need to be. Boys like him break the hearts of girls like me.
“I didn’t ask for your help. In fact, I don’t need your help or anyone’s, for that matter. I’m completely fine. You, on the other hand . . . How dare you not tell me you’re trying to steal my spot? I’m staying top in our class, pal. So, if you think for one second you can just smile at me and try to make me swoon, you’re as delusional as that asshat.” I jut a thumb in Mark’s direction.
“I wouldn’t dream of trying to make you swoon, whatever that means, shorty. You wouldn’t even know how to handle it.” He smirks.
Wait. What? Is Jared Black flirting with me? No. No. Don’t read any more into this than what it is.
“I gotta go.”
“Let me walk you back,” he says.
I shake my head. “No.”
“God, you need to drop that wall every once in a while. I’m just walking you back. Not planning on kidnapping you or anything.”
“It’s fine I can get there on my own.”
“Oh, I know you’re afraid of falling for all this … brains and looks.”
I know he’s joking but I’m not in the mood. “Wow. You think I would fall all over you after you and Rachel did it in the janitor’s closet?”
He stares at me as if I’ve lost my mind. “Do you always assume the worst about people or is it just me? Me and Rachel in the janitor’s closet? That’s ridiculous.”
I remain silent and move around him. I head back to Chase and Adaline.
Jared follows me. What is wrong with him? I whip around. “Go back to Rachel. And by the way, that’s a crap thing to do to your friend Austin. Or are all girls like interchangeable shirts to you?”
“First, I’m not with Rachel. Second, I would never do that shit to any of my friends. Third, you don’t know me at all. You don’t get to judge me like that.”
“I’m not falling for your act. I know what I saw.”
He laughs. “Yeah. What did you see? Someone hugging me?”
I pivot and continue down the hall, a lot madder than I should be.
I reach Chase and Adaline who look at me then up at the person behind me.
“Hey, Black. S’up?” Chase says.
“Trying to find out from Juliet, here, why she hates me so much,” Jared says.
Chase looks at me and Adaline smirks. I grab a roll of tape from Adaline and cut strands instead of acknowledging Jared. I don’t hate him. I just don’t like him very much right at this second. He shouldn’t give a crap what I think. He was rude to me at the winter dance. And he’s trying to take my spot in class. I won’t be like every other girl in this school and fall magically at his feet willing to do anything he wants. I was that girl before. I won’t be her ever again.
I tape the backs of the hearts before handing them off to Addy and Chase. Jared sighs. “Are you really going to ignore me now?”
Yes. Yes, I most certainly am.
“Okay, I can take a hint. I’ll see you bright and early in Chemistry, partner.”
Adaline waits a moment then she blurts out, “Okay, seriously why did you do that?”
“For sanity purposes. Can we get back to doing this?”
Addy rolls her eyes. Chase remains silent and continues putting up hearts. “J, not every guy is going to be like Mark. Jared came over here to talk to you, and you blew him off. Why would you do that?”
“He’s friends with Mark. Rachel was practically dry-humping him in the hall not even less than an hour ago.”
Chase clears his throat. “I don’t want to get into this whole weird conversation but for the record, Jared is as far from Mark as you can possibly get. And I wouldn’t label them as buddies.”
Right. Still doesn’t explain away the whole Rachel business, does it?