I liked him. There was no doubt about it. I'm not sure when it happened or how it happened, but I did. I'm not even sure why I liked him, there was just something about him that . . . well . . . made me like him. I was dreading the days to come, how would I not make a fool of myself? I mean, I can barely stay sane when he's across the room from me, how would I survive with him constantly next to me?

Get it together, River. He's just like any other boy. My brain and heart had a battle, and I couldn't figure out which one to listen to. That's not true, he's her crush! She can't possibly act the exact same around him as she does around the other boys. My heart was speaking to my brain now. I was so confused, I dropped to the floor clutching my head as all of these thoughts swirled through my mind.

". . . ver! River!"

Why were my brain and heart having this argument? All I wanted was to come back to the present where I was eating lunch with my friends. Oh, no! My friends!

"River! Snap out of it!"

I looked up to see Konnie staring down at me, eyes brimming with concern.

"I-I . . ." I choked on my words; somehow I was unable to speak. Taking a deep breath, I tried again. "I . . ." I stopped again. Before I could make a fool out of myself once more, Konnie lifted up her hand to stop me. She nodded her head and I hastily stood up, using the table bench as a support as I turned away from my friends and headed out of the cafeteria.

I made my way to the closest bathroom, hoping I could drown my worries with some peace and quiet. Footsteps sounded behind me, but I paid no attention as I drew nearer to my destination.

I had just opened the door to the bathroom. I'm almost there, I thought. Just one more step. A hand grabbed my shoulder, pulling me away from the door. Frustration boiled through my blood—I could feel me close to my breaking point—and I whipped around abruptly, stomping by foot to stop the sudden rotation.

"WHAT!" I screamed, before taking a sharp breath as I realized who was behind me. His face held a shocked expression, mouth slightly agape as he raised his hands in defense. "I . . . I'm sorry, I didn't know it was you . . ." He chuckled softly, giving me that dazzling smile of his as he shook his head as a means to wave away my outburst. That smile, it made all of my worries disappear for a second. It was just me and him and boy did it feel good. 

"Meet me at the park after school." Those were his only words, and as swiftly as he came, he was gone.

◊◊◊

One hour. One hour before I could leave the school. I rested my chin on my hand, thoughts drifting as I imagined what Jax could have possibly planned. The words on the paper blurred in front of me as I tried to focus on the assignment I had to complete. Math. It was as easy as pie. Or, should I say, "Pi?" I laughed at my little joke. My brain managed to prioritize itself, and I finished the algebraic problems within five minutes. 

Time ticked on as I impatiently tapped my pencil against the desk. My gaze wandered around the classroom, subtly searching for him. What I didn't expect was to find him looking straight back at me. My pencil shot out of my hand, knocking over my water bottle and causing my booklet to flip off the desk. How? I have no idea. That defied all laws of science. The class stared at me; I could tell they were holding in giggles, as Mr. Spraybury himself was doubled over in laughter (In case you didn't know, Mr. Spraybury was also my math teacher). He shook his head before exitting the classroom. I awkwardly grinned before getting out of my chair to pick up my things, not minding the embarrassment—I was slowly getting used to it after having an entire week full of humiliation—until I heard soft whispers at the back of the class.

"Isn't that the girl who's dating Jax?" Said one girl from a group of four girls sitting at the back of the classroom.

"I heard she and him did it last night," another replied.

"Who does she think she is, stealing him from me?" Very slowly, the voices started rising and the class stopped what they were doing to listen to the conversation.

"From us!"

"That worthless slut, tainting him with her ugly self."

I silently pushed myself up from my desk, ignoring the worried looks of my friends. I wouldn't let the tears that brimmed my eyes fall. I wouldn't let the sobs that choked me escape. Not here. Mr. Spraybury wouldn't care; he always let me go to the bathroom whenever I needed to, just like he did with every other one of his students. I walked to the door, making sure I didn't run no matter how much I wanted to. No one dared to say anything—they just watched silently, uncertain of how to react. 

It felt like forever until I reached the door, the eyes of my classmates burning into my skin. I closed the door behind me, checking to make sure no one was watching as I hastened to the bathroom.

"It doesn't bother me. They can't affect me."

My words meant nothing when I saw the pained expression on my face, with tears running down my cheeks and my eyes grey and blurry. 

"It doesn't matter what they say," I sobbed. "It doesn't matter . . ."