2 4

you like overwhelming

4 8   H O U R S

     Update: my feelings for Trey hasn't disappeared.

     See, the smart thing would be hanging around Trey and Justine so I would know how I feel, right? But I'm doing the exact opposite. I've been avoiding them because I'm scared to know that my feelings might be legit. Which is not wise, I know.

     I'm sitting at the bleachers trying to get some shade from the burning sun. It's freakin' hot outside, and if it wasn't PE class, I would be jumping to the nearest swimming pool. My usual PE buddy skipped, but she didn't tell me why. Usually Liv likes volleyball. Although she's lucky to not join us right now, and it's not only because of the sun.

    "Fucking A," Jude growls.

     Somehow our schedule intermingled with a senior class's schedule. The coaches decided to pair us up for one session, and two of them are arguing by the back of the post, all angry hand gesticulations.

     And guess what? Jude happens to be in that senior class.

    "What's wrong, Jude? Did we crash your show-everyone-off-that-I'm-a-track-star party?"

     He rolls his eyes and snorts, but in a way that seems as if he was waiting for my smart ass comment. "I just really looked forward to play."

    "I didn't," Vic mutters beside me. Can't believe I didn't notice him in class before. "I need a smoke."

     Jude's eyes widen. "You smoke?"

    "Yeah, what's it to you?"

    "Nothing," he answers with a glare of his own. "You just didn't seem like the fucking type."

     I tug hard on Jude's shirt so he's standing in front of me. "Don't move. I need some shade so I don't burn to death."

     He raises his eyebrows, looking down at me. "And that's my problem how?"

     I punch his stomach, which is more of a disadvantage. Feeling the hard muscles under his shirt makes my cheeks heat. He grins wide at me, and when I look up, it's almost blinding — with his golden hair and dazzling green eyes, I can barely concentrate on anything else. 

     It's moments like this where I realise, that when I'm not weirdly confident and comfortable around him, the rest of it is just... on edge. Tense. Stomach in knots and nerves on breaking point.

     The sound of laughter distracts us. We look over and a couple of guys linger on the running track, pushing each other and glee oozing off of them. Then, literally a second later, they run like hell. Red dust flies from where they stepped off from the field, and the echoing crunch of their fast-paced shoes steals all our attention.

    "You got this, Beckett!" Jude yells proudly.

     The coaches scream at them to stop, but the words are drowned out by our whoops! and hollas! as the boys screech to an end.

     We're all up now, cheering with our hands cupped around our mouths. The boys — I guess one of them being Beckett — bow like gentlemen, and suddenly my mind is open to a brilliant idea.

     I nudge Jude. "Let's have a rematch."

     He snaps his head at me. "What?"

    "A race," I wiggle my brows with a playful smile. "Don't tell me you're scared to beat me?"

     Jude fully turns to me so his chest is just an inch from mine. My whole body is alert. "You're talking to a track star here. And like you said, I'm here for a show-off party."

     I tap my finger against my cheek. "I did win that marathon, though. Clearly I have some skills." I'm referring to the time I practiced for a marathon and Jude interrupting my morning run. Also the same time a bicyclist almost tackled me.

     He gives me a look. "You were in the forty-ninth place."

    "Exactly."

    "There were fifty fucking runners."

     Vic raises a hand to speak. "Addie, I know we're friends and I think you're cool, but I have to be honest. Jude is going beat your ass."

     Jude grins, and they high-five each other. I bristle. "Game on."

     When we tread to the tracks, the other guys back off. They give encouraging claps on Jude's back but tease me with half-hearted thumbs-ups. I mock-salute and stand beside Jude, ready to prance. He's crackling with adrenaline, and it's like I can feel that energy pouring off of him, and into me. Vic stands idly in front of us.

    "One..." he starts. "Two..."

     Three and we both jump on our feet. The sole of my shoes is digging the tracks and I feel like I'm flying, or maybe that I'm the Flash. But that's probably Jude. He zips right pass me, causing wind to blow on my hair. I know he's going to beat me, but he peeks behind, smirking at me. I automatically pump faster.

     Sure, it's still a long shot, but my bones are burning, aching to stay, aching to keep going. I hear the cheers behind me like a muffled sound on the background. All I see is Jude, and the tracks. 

     There's no way I'm stopping.

     The cheers get closer which means we're nearing the finish line. My vision blurs around me, and ahead I can make up a figure that reaches to the line. Everyone claps and I hear Vic screaming "Jude wins!" but I just keep running. Slowly I see Jude's broad grin at me, his eyes always full of unexpected mischief.

     It's weird — everything's blurry except for him. There's tears in my eyes from the excess of wind, and before I know it, I crash onto him.

     Everyone's cheering, but my mind is in a haze. Jude's arms are locked around waist — he must've put his arms around me — and I let out a breathless laugh, feeling his low chuckles vibrating from his chest. A sudden warmth fills up my chest. My heartbeat catapults into a fast pace, but I'm not entirely sure it's because of the running.

     All I know is that his heartbeat matches mine.

     And then he actually lifts me up in the hug, twirling me around, and I squeal, bringing my arms around his neck. He laughs harder, a loud and obnoxious one, but I freakin' love it. I can smell the sweat from his skin and I'm not disgusted by our bodies melded together. I feel safe.

     His smile takes over his face, and I'm shocked to slowly realise that it's because of my doing. Our faces are inches away but no one backs out. Not even me this time. My cheeks hurt from smiling and laughing and blushing too much, and I end up burying my head on his chest. He chuckles softly.

     My legs shake when he finally lets me go. His hands still held protectively around my waist.

   "Told you I had moves," I gasp, my chest full of emotions.

   "True," he says slowly, eyes dancing around my features. He tucks a loose strand behind my ear. "But I always knew you did."

***

     We don't move when the bell rings.

     Vic and the rest of my class scuttle away, glad to be far from the blazing heat. Jude's class is the same, and I'm surprised some of them actually clapped me in the back, saying that I was "pretty cool."

     Jude and I follow in the back. The others chat animatedly in front of us, but the silence here, right now, in the open field, is kind of comforting. He somehow got a bottle of water, and offered it to me first. I bite off my smile, taking it.

     The pressure of cold water streaming in my throat is so refreshing and I sigh. "Thanks." I pass the bottle back to him.

    "No problem." He takes a big swig of his own.

     We're back inside now, and everyone walks in different directions, eager to make their way to their next class. But I don't know where to go yet. I walk aimlessly, following the tide. Jude notices and places a hand on my shoulder.

    "What's your next class?" he asks roughly.

    "History." I do not want to be in a class with Trey when things between us are strained. I just don't trust my feelings right now.

    "Aren't you going?"

    "No."

     Jude pauses and moves to stand in front of me, head bending down a bit to meet my eyes. I look up, at his green eyes that are surprisingly warm. "Okay. Lead the way, then."

     A slow smile forms in my mouth. He wants to skip class with me? I think I'm more shocked that I want him to. "You sure?" I bite my lip.

    "I'm fucking sure, sweetheart."

     Sweetheart. Oh God, I need to stop smiling right now.

     His mouth twitches as well, after seeing mine. Getting to see these small smiles — knowing he isn't one to just offer them up — makes my chest feel so warm.

     We walk in the opposite direction, heading for a place that does good for relaxing tired souls. We ascend the staircase, pass through empty hallways and dodge Hall Monitors. He follows (and curses) beside me.

     Finally, I stop in front of a grey door. Jude lifts a brow, and I grin.

    "Welcome to the student lounge."

     It's a spacious spot filled with bean bags, a bookshelf, coffee-maker, and even a ping-pong table to add in the fun. There's a reason why it's in the corner of the most boring floor. The day I got detention to get close to Jude, I decided to roam around because of my lack of sight-seeing on the wonderful Dalton High, and I found this room. It's one of those rooms that some people just know and it's not advertised publicly.

     Jude, obviously, is not in that group of people.

    "What the fuck." His curious eyes fill the room. "How come I've never heard of this room before?"

    "Only the cool kids do," I tease.

     He shoves me with a little grin. Since it's class time, we're the only ones in the lounge. Suddenly I become nervous. Here, alone, with Jude in this room. It's spacious, but now it feels so damn small. 

     Maybe dragging him along was not a good idea.

     He goes over to the ping-pong table, inspecting it with a glint in his eyes. His shirt is stuck to his back after all the running. The fabric traces the muscles in his broad shoulders, defining the hard lines of his body. I inhale a deep breath. 

     Keep it together, Addie. 

     I make my way towards it as well, keeping it safe by not making eye-contact. Picking up the paddle, I eye the white ball. Without a word, I swing it. Jude throws back the ball instantly, the other paddle in hand.

     The sound of the ping-pong ball echoing back and forth fills the silence around us. It calms my mind, with him by my side, doing irregular regular things. But he just had to ruin it.

    "You okay with Trey?"

     The ball smacks against the table slightly harder than before. I clear my throat. "Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"

    "He's in your History class, and you're skipping. And don't think I didn't fucking notice that you're avoiding him."

    "Why?" I side-step a little to catch. "Why do you care?"

    "Because by default, you avoid everyone close to him. Including me."

     I look at him then, in his sharp eyes and gruff tone, in the determined way that he looks back at me. Any other person would shrink underneath his unwavering gaze. I would, a few months ago. Something about that gaze — I think another reason why I'm so uncomfortable by it is because it holds a challenge. A challenge that scares me. 

     It still is, but now, it pulls me in.

    "I'm not avoiding him. I'm just trying to be around another group of people."

    "Bullshit. You love hanging out with us."

     My cheeks heat. "You guys can be overwhelming sometimes."

    "And you fucking like overwhelming."

     I smile at that, and he does, too, like it's contagious or something. It is the truth. We continue playing, the ball bouncing back and forth, until he disturbs the silence once again:

    "You have feelings for him, don't you?"

A/N: This is, like, full-on Addie/Jude fan service. Making y'all more confused on what's happening in Addie's mind. Hell, I'm confused.