Apparently almost everyone that I knew had saw the little moment between me and Jax and rumors started to spread around school.

     I don't think I've ever been the main topic of a rumor before—I'm not that well-known in school for anyone to even remotely care about me enough to want to talk about—and I've come to the conclusion that I absolutely hate being the center of attention.

    I couldn't catch the damn break today. People were staring. When I entered the washroom, I had several girls glaring at me so hard you'd think I'd slept with all their boyfriends. I didn't understand the wrath that they harbored for me. It's not like Jax was theirs in the first place. Besides, nothing even happened between the both of us.

Nothing that is interesting enough to talk about anyway.

    But I don't think that's what the rumors are about. If there's anything I know about this school is that rumors are rumors for a reason—they're exaggerated so much to the extent that you wonder why so many idiots believe it in the first place.

    And they do believe it. All the damn time.

    "So I heard that you and Jax Deneris hooked up last Saturday," Trevor says as he slides in the cafeteria bench.

He slides a protective arm over Braydon and presses a light kiss on the side of her cheek. Braydon leans towards her boyfriend, resting her head on his shoulder as she drops another french fry into her mouth.

    I glare at Braydon. "Did you tell him that?"

    "No, I swear." She lifts her hands like she's surrendering. "Babe, where did you hear that from?"

    Trevor shrugs. "The cheerleaders were talking about it with some of the guys after football practice. I happened to overhear some of it."

    "Shit," I mutter. "Is that what everyone thinks?"

    "Apparently," he says. "There's other rumors going around too. Like after the passionate sex the both of you had, you're allegedly carrying his baby now. Some girls claimed they saw you puking in the bathroom-"

    "This is fucking ridiculous." I take a sip of my Diet Coke. "Absolutely ridiculous. I didn't even do anything with him."

    "You know how it is with this school," Trevor tells me. "Always stirring shit up."

    "Please don't tell me you guys believe the rumors." I look at the both of them pleadingly.

    Braydon glances at Trevor, then back at me. "Well, no of course not. But-"

    I groan. Buts are always not good.

    "What I mean is," Braydon starts off. "You really sure nothing happened between the both of you? I heard Jax Deneris is a really irresistible guy. When he pays the slightest attention to a girl, the girl usually won't hesitate to jump his bones. So what I'm saying is that are you sure you didn't do anything with him-"

    "What? Are you doubting my memory?" I force out a laugh. "You think I would forget if Jax kissed me? Or did other things with me?"

    My best friend smiles. "I guess you're right. It's pretty impossible to forget a guy like him." She slumps against her boyfriend and sighs. "He's so fucking swoon-worthy."

    Oh god.

    "Hello? Boyfriend over here," Trevor clears his throat.

    "Aw babe, you know I still love you the most," Braydon kisses his neck slowly.

    Trevor grins, pleased with the response from his girlfriend. He turns to me and asks, "You gonna do anything about the rumors?"

    I shrug. "Not really. There's nothing much I can do. If people want to believe them, then let them be."

    "Beth's probably devastated though. She probably heard some of them. I'm not surprised if she believes them. Some rumors are pretty believable."

    "Like me being pregnant with his child?" I scoff.

    Trevor glances under the table and shrugs. "Well, you did gain a little bit of weight-"

    I grab a few of Brayden's fries and throw it at his face. Braydon throws her head back and laughs.

    "Don't listen to him, Si. Seriously," she says, swatting her boyfriend in the arm. He winces. "And Beth can believe what she wants to believe."

    "But I don't want her to hear anything, let alone believe anything," I say, groaning. "She has such a huge crush on Jax. And she must be really hurt when she found out he gave me his number and asked me out."

    Braydon nods. "She was surprisingly quiet on the car ride back home on Saturday."

    It's true. After she witnessed me and Jax together, she knew that he was interested in me. She barely even talked to me when Braydon picked us up after sending her brother to the hospital. And when she did, she refused to look at me. I don't know—maybe she's embarrassed about her crush on Jax or maybe she's jealous that I got to him before she did. Or maybe both.

    Whichever the case was, she never mentioned anything about it after that night. But I know that she was somehow affected by it. I didn't bother asking her about it too.

    Beth is super sensitive and I wouldn't want to push her buttons. She's been like this ever since we were kids and I've learnt it the hard way all too many times. If she wants to talk to me about it, she'll tell me.

    "Let's just not mention anything about Jax around her, okay?" I suggest. "I don't want to upset her even more."

    "Is her crush on Jax really that big?" Trevor asks, looking back and forth between Braydon and me.

    "Babe, he's all she could talk about for the past month now," his girlfriend says. "Her laptop is filled with his photos and I'm pretty sure she watches recordings of his fights every night before she goes to sleep."

    "Jesus," he swears. "Isn't that a little obsessive?"

    I shrug. "It's Beth. She's weird as fuck."

    Honestly, I don't even know if she really does have a crush on him. Perhaps it's just infatuation. But I can't really blame her. The first time I saw Jax in that ring last Saturday, I felt the exact same too.

    Jax Deneris has that kind of effect on girls. I've accepted that now.

    "So are you going to call him?" Braydon asks, her lips lifting into a knowing grin. Trevor throws a fry into his mouth and lean forward, suddenly looking much more interested in the conversation. He's such a cutie sometimes. He craves gossip just as much as his girlfriend does.

    "Him?" I echo, pretending to be confused.

    "You know who!" She swats my hand. "He gave you his number right?"

    I nod. "Yeah, but—"

    "So are you going to call him?" Braydon asks again. "Come on, Si! You totally should! He's such a hottie! And from what I heard, he sounds super interested in you. And the way he looked at you like you were the hottest girl ever-"

    "So?" I ask. "He wants me to call him. He expects my call. And I'm not going to give him the satisfaction of giving in."

    "What is it? A game?" She narrows her eyes at me. "Sienna, are you trying to play hard to get?"

    "No!" I don't even know what that means. I don't even know how to play hard to get. I've ever even played anything in my entire life.

    "You totally are! You sneaky bitch!" She cries. "Damn girl, I don't know whether to pinch you for being this stupid or applaud you for your bravery."

    "I'm not doing anything!" I hiss. "You don't understand, Bray. He's sarcastic, narcissistic and he was a major an asshole-"

    "-An asshole who was nice and kind enough to help you get back to your friends when you were lost. And not to mention, he saved you from Damien when he almost wanted to smash your fucking face with his fist," Braydon adds nonchalantly. "Come on, Si. Here's a guy who's begging to get your attention and you don't even want to give him the time of the day."

    I sigh. It's much more complicated than that. A part of me wants me to call him but something is preventing me from doing so. There's this odd feeling that's forming in my chest, a feeling that shouldn't even be there in the first place. It's telling me that it's going to be dangerous pursuing him. And my heart is going to be the thing that lies in threat of that danger.

    "She's right, you know," Trevor says. I glare at him. Dammit, T, why do you have to side with your girlfriend? "It wouldn't hurt to give him a chance."

    "You wouldn't say that to me if you've heard about his reputation," I tell him. "Jax Deneris is all trouble and no saint."

    "No offence, Si, but who says that you aren't too?" Braydon asks.

    I want to open my mouth to protest but before I can do that, Beth comes sauntering in the canteen. Her long blonde hair is tied into a loose bun and the soft clicking of her kitten heels against the floor stops when she reaches our table.

    "Hey guys," she murmurs, sliding into the seat next to mine. "What did I miss?"

    Both Trevor and Braydon look at me. I merely hunch my shoulders and force a smile. "Nothing. Nothing at all."

* * *

After lunch, I headed back to class. Beth has cheerleading tryouts after school—don't ask me why she joined, I have no idea either since she's always been telling me that she hated cheer—and since we share a car, I decide to wait for her.

I wait by the bleachers, the sound of cheerful counting and preppy cheers my only companion as I stare at the screen of my phone. Jax's number stares back at me, beckoning me to call him or at least text him. I don't know if I should. Both Trevor and Braydon told me to go for it—it's not like I have anything to lose anyway—but I don't know if I should trust them. They have a nasty habit of giving me bad advice.

My gaze lifts slightly from my phone and find Beth. The head cheerleader is teaching them jumps right now and she seems to be having difficulty in doing them. A few of the cheerleaders—the ones already on the team—at the side are looking at her and shaking their heads, then begin to write on their clipboards.

My guess is that she won't be making the team.

I actually feel kinda bad for Beth. Since young she's always trying to fit in with the others but it never works for her. She sticks out like a sore thumb. She's weird, awkward, clumsy and sometimes very over-enthusiastic. Quite the opposite of me.

It boggles me how we're actually related. We're two peas in a pod.

My gaze returns to the phone. Instead of my eyes meeting with Jax's digits, it rests upon the new message that just popped up. I open it and read.

Are you and your sister coming back for dinner? - Mom

I send her a reply.

Yeah. We'll be back soon.

Less than a minute later, she replies. Good. Cuz me your dad have something important to tell you. - Mom.

One of my eyebrows arches in confusion. Can't you guys just text us the matter?

No. - Mom.

Fuck, it sounds serious. I wonder what's so important that our parents have to tell us face-to-face.

Okay. I type back. Tell us later.

Love you. - Mom.

I swipe her text away and resume the activity of staring at Jax's phone number. Though it's a very boring thing to do, I can't help but do it. My mind is spinning, spinning with the possibilities. To call or not to call, I ask myself silently. That is the question.

What if I do call? What then? When he gave me his number, he said that he didn't date. So why does he want me to call in the first place? Isn't that like the first step to setting up a date?

Fuck, I don't know any of this shit. Part of me wishes I had more experience in this department. I've only been kissed twice. Once on a dare and another on a drunken night. The second time, I almost missed the guy's lips because I was that wasted.

My love life is practically non-existent.

I don't spend my time lusting over boys. I spend my time either hanging out with my friends, baking with mom or doing my homework. I live a simple life and I like it that way.

"Sienna!" I hear Beth clambering up the steps. "Practice is over! Let's go!"

I stuff my phone into my bag and sling it over my shoulder, pacing fast and eventually falling into step with her. "Did you get in the team?"

"They're gonna put the list of girls who get in on the notice board tomorrow," she says. "I think I have a really good chance, Si. I really do."

I didn't want to tell her that she probably didn't get in. I didn't want to be the one to crush her hopes so instead, I force a smile on my face. "That's good. God knows you need something to do during your spare time. You can't keep surfing the internet for pictures and videos of Jax."

She blushes. "H-how do you know that-?"

"Dude, we share the same computer. I check your history log."

"That's creepy," she whistles.

"No, you're creepy," I murmur, bumping her shoulder. "He's too old for you."

"I'm only one year younger than you, Si," she tells me. "So that means he's too old for you too."

"That's fine. Because I'm not that one who has a huge crush on him."

She arches her eyebrow at me, like she doesn't quite believe me. And to be honest, I don't believe myself either.

I don't know if I have a crush on Jax. But I also don't know what to make of that little time we spent together. Although he was sarcastic and arrogant, I liked it. He was blunt and he made no secret about anything. There's something quite hot about that.

"You gonna call him?" she asks quietly, tugging on the straps of her schoolbag. "Jax?"

I freeze. "How do you know I have his number?"

She looks down at her shoes. "I saw him putting his number into your phone on Saturday. And he also kissed your cheek."

The way she said it sounded as if she was hurt. And I don't blame her. If I had a crush on someone and my sister had his attention, I would be really upset too. Pissed, even.

"That doesn't mean anything," I say. I know I shouldn't pursue him. Not because of the complicated feelings that I feel every time I think about him, but also because Beth likes him too and I can't do that to her. She's my sister and I love her. I don't want to do that to her.

"Do you like him?" She asks, her eyes wide.

Yes. A little bit. It's hard to tell. We only talked once.

"No, I don't. You don't have to worry about it," I give her shoulder a squeeze. "Let's not talk about it anymore, alright? Mom's making lasagna today to celebrate you almost being accepted into the cheerleading team." I slide the car keys out of my pocket and turn on the ignition. "It's going to be a good night. Let's not ruin it by talking about this crap."

"Okay," she says. "Fine."

Beth smiles at me reassuringly, as if she wants to believe what I say, but she and I both know I'm far from telling the truth.

* * *

"We're home!" I announce as we enter the front door.

The smell of mom's lasagna lingers in the air and tickles my nostrils. It's been a while since we had home cooked food—usually my mom's too busy to cook anything and so we have to resort to take out—and when we do have it, it's either because we have guests or is a special occasion.

Maybe it has something to do with what mom and dad want to tell us later.

"In the kitchen!" Mom yells.

Beth scurries to the kitchen to help mom out with dinner. I set my car keys on the table and peep into the living room. As usual, dad's watching television. My eyebrows lift in confusion when I see what's he watching.

The Bachelor.

When I'm done changing out of my school clothes and into someone more comfortable, I head down the stairs and into the dining room. Beth's busy setting the plates on the table along with the other utensils. Dad finally got off the couch and is seated at his usual spot, at the very end of the table, waiting for food to be served. I give him a small nod before entering the kitchen.

"Hey, baby girl," mom says as she scoops the last of the mash potatoes from the pot into a plate. When she's done, she turns her attention to me. I let her give me a kiss on the forehead.

Eventhough my mom's in her late forties, she still looks as beautiful as ever. Her blonde hair is styled to perfection, not a single hair out of place, even with the cooking and all. Her eyes have this glow in them, like she's always happy and nothing can ever threaten that. Today, the glow is faint, something that I rarely see, and I wonder why.

"Hey mom," I ask.

"How was school?"

"Same old, same old." I shrug. "You need help with anything?"

She nods to the plate of mash potatoes. "Just bring that to the dining table. I'll clean up here and we can start eating."

I do what she says and lay the last of the dishes on the table. My dad watches silently as both Beth and I take our seats beside him. He's quiet—oddly quiet. Usually, he asks about our day. I'm surprised he didn't ask Beth about the cheerleading tryouts. I know Beth's been dying to tell him how it went.

A few minutes later, my mom hurries to take her seat. Her apron is gone and she's wearing a lovely red and white polka dotted vintage dress. She wipes the sweat off her forehead and forces a smile on her face. All of us stare at her expectantly.

"What are you guys waiting for?" She says. "Dig in!"

And we do.

As we eat, silence fills the room. And it isn't one of those comfortable silences that we usually experience. There's something off about the atmosphere in this room. I can't quite put my finger on it but it's pretty damn evident.

I feel it. I know Beth feels it. And I'm pretty sure my parents do too.

What the fuck is going on?

"What?" My dad narrows his eyes at me.

Crap. I didn't mean to say that out loud.

"I mean-" I set my fork and knife down and cross my fingers together. "What is with the tension in this room? Are you guys okay?"

Beth sighs out of relief. "Thank god. I thought you weren't going to mention it."

Mom's smile wavers. Her eyes meet with dad's briefly before turning her attention to the both of us.

"Why don't we finish dinner first and then talk about it, alright?" She says in a soft, reassuring tone. I hate it when she uses that voice. She always uses it when she wants us to obey her, but she doesn't want to cause a scene.

"No." I shake my head, then push the plate away. "I'm sorry but I suddenly just lost my appetite."

"Come on," my dad says. "Sienna-"

"Tell us what's going on." I fold my arms across my chest and lean back against the chair. My gaze cuts through both of my parents. Even Beth stopped eating and is paying attention to what's happening right now.

Mom and dad both look at each other, their eyes wide with panic.

"You said you had something important to tell us," I say, trying to get this over with. "So tell us."

"Sienna..." Mom's voice trails off. She wipes the edges of her mouth with her napkin and places it on her lap. She refuses to meet eye contact with either me or Beth. "How do I even start...?"

My dad decides to help her. "As you know, the past few months have been really rough for both your mom and I," he starts off. "We just can't see eye-to-eye anymore. We fight constantly and we can't ever agree on anything. Your mom and I are exhausted. We're tired of having to have the same arguments everyday, tired of screaming at each other-"

"Then, stop," I cut in, irritated. "Stop screaming. Stop fighting. It's that simple."

Dad casts another look at mom.

"It's... much more complicated than that, baby." Mom reaches forward to place her hand on mine but I don't let her. My hand falls on my lap. She seems hurt by my response. "I can't afford to live like this anymore. Don't get me wrong, you and Beth mean the world to me. You're my babies. But I'm miserable. And your dad is too. We're tired of having to put up with each other. It's... this... is just not working anymore."

I close my eyes briefly, knowing all too well where this is going.

"That's why..." my dad says the words I've been afraid to hear for months now. "Your mom and I decided to get a divorce."

* * *

A/N: Well, that's nothing new so it's a not that suspenseful cliffhanger haha. Soz.

Anyways, yeah. Sadly, no Jax in this chapter today. I know, I know, I'm sad too. Every scene with him in it is always a favorite of mine. But don't worry, you'll see A LOT of him in the next few chapters, I promise you that.

Okay, I know I said I'm updating every Friday for this book but I've been up to my eyeballs yesterday trying to write a chapter just so I can keep up with the updating schedule and I realize...

I hate it. I absolutely hate what I've written. Because I was rushed (I rushed myself, really), the chapter was choppy and it just didn't flow well. My previous updating schedule of once every two weeks gave me for free time and flexibility. It allowed me to breathe. Now, I feel suffocated and I don't want to feel like that - especially with me preparing for university and all that.

So, I can't tell you the exact dates I'm updating. If I can update every Friday, that's awesome. But if I miss a Friday, please don't yell at me in the comments section or tell me to update. I'm trying my best, I hope you guys know that. It ain't easy coughing up a 4000 word chapter every week, especially when you're a student too.

So yeah. Anyways, see you guys soon! What do you think of #JIENNA so far? I think they're cute a f. Tell me in the comments section below!

PS: DO you think I'm abusing the gifs in my author's notes?

On second thought...

Love, Claudia.