We walk the halls in school

We know it's casual 

It's cool we're just friends

unedited.

✝ Chapter Three | Just Friends. ✝

      Anyone who knew Jack Addister knew to stay away from him.

      There wasn’t any specific reason why. It was just that nobody trusted him.

     His father was arrested for smuggling illegal drugs a year ago, and everyone believed Jack had something to do with it, even though the cops said he was clean. Not to mention that Jack was known to be a frequent smoker and drinker.

    But despite what everyone believed, Jack was a nice guy. He gave me a ride to school when it was raining a couple months ago. I was soaking wet and freezing. Usually, I depended on Adam to bring an umbrella but he was out of town that day. Jack was passing by in his pickup truck and asked if I wanted a ride.

      If he was a drug smuggler, then he was a hell of a nice one.

    So no, I didn’t believe what other people were saying. My reason for not trusting him was because he was too damn handsome to not be bad news.

     “Oh, don’t worry about it. It’s cool.” I nodded my head rapidly, reassuring him and myself that I was fine.

  “This stuff is crazy, isn’t it?” He shoved his hands into his pockets as his gaze followed the students passing by.

      “I don’t mind it,” I told him, and it was the truth. There was no way Stephanie could punish two thousand students for talking to each other. Sure, one or two would have been easy, but she wasn’t capable of handling a bigger crowd.

   Jack smiled weakly as he ran a hand through his short tufts of golden hair, flexing his arm muscles in the process. “Has anyone commented on you?”

    “Yeah,” I shrugged it off, “nothing too surprising. You?”

    “Yeah,” he chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. “I find it amazing how nobody can find the guts to say this stuff to my face. But when there’s an opportunity to insult someone while hiding behind a screen? It’s like rapid fire.”

     I grinned from ear to ear. “Welcome to high school! Or more specifically, East River High School.”

    Jack let out a hearty laugh, then waved his hand at the space next to me. “Hey, where’s your friend?”

    “Oh, he…uh…his friends took him somewhere.”

     He lifted a curious brow and pulled his lips into a mocking grin. “I like the way you two work.” He interlocked his fingers and made a strange gesture. “You’re like opposites…but it works, you know?”

      Unconsciously, I raised a brow. “What works?”

      “The romance,” he clarified, “I can see how it works.”

     “Romance?” I had to bite back a laugh. “You think…me and Adam…ha!” Any attempts of stifling my laughter went out the door when I burst into cackling hysterics. “Trust me, Adam and I are not a couple. We never were and we never will be.”

      The gregarious blond blinked and stared down at me for a moment before he, too, joined the laughter. “I’m sorry,” he apologized quickly. “So, does this mean you’re available?”

      “Yes, that means I’m-” I stopped mid-sentence and eyed Jack skeptically. “Wait a minute. I know what you’re doing!”

       His brows shot up. “What am I doing?” An arrogant smirk soon replaced his gaping mouth. He gazed at me with his pale blue eyes burning into my mine. They really were the perfect shade of blue. They weren’t intense and electric like mine, but they were light and clear instead. It seemed as though I was looking through a mirror.

     “You’re trying to flirt with me,” I stated, matter-of-factly. “And you’re giving me that look, the look that makes girls swoon.”

       “Good,” he chuckled, “I thought it wasn’t working.”

        “Don’t get too cocky, because it’s not.”

        His mouth curled into a sneer that made him look even more attractive than he already was. “Is this the kind of game we’re going to play?”

      I huffed and took a step closer, challenging him. “You seem to be the only one who’s playing games.”

       He moved closer until we were only inches apart. “I’d like to beg to differ.” The smirk had grown more provocative as his eyes darted between mine, like he was searching for something.

       The loud buzzing sound of a bullhorn broke us out of our trance as well as everyone else’s. All eyes were fixed on the petite brunette standing in the middle of the hallway with a manicured hand placed on her protruding hip.

        A disapproving frown was cast on her face as she brought the bullhorn to her red-stained lips. “Students of East River! This behavior is unacceptable! Are we really trying to defy everything that we stand for? You’re letting a stupid website question our values. You all outta be ashamed of yourselves! Now, get your act together and go to your classes.”

       As if on cue, everyone filtered through the hallways and soon, it was just Jack and me.

      Stephanie’s eyes narrowed at us and she sent us an angry glare. It wasn’t long before she tossed her obviously-dyed brown waves over her shoulder and stomped towards us. “Well, if it isn’t Lexus Lennon and-” She glanced up at Jack and furrowed her brows, “-whoever you are.” Her deep brown eyes returned to mine and she gave me a disgusted look. “I don’t know what kind of sick twisted game you’re trying to play here, but if you try anything, I will end you.”

      I took a quick over-exaggerated look around the empty hallway. “I don’t believe you’ll do that. Not without everyone watching.”

      She snarled, baring her perfectly straight teeth. I remember in middle school she had the widest gap I had ever seen and everyone made fun of her for it. I guess, in a way, this whole totalitarian thing was her way of making up for the days where she didn’t have control over her unfortunate situations. But toning it down a lot would be wonderful.

      “I know you made that website,” she spat.

    “Whoa, Stephanie! I know I’m good, but I’m not that good. But believe me, I wish I was the mastermind behind all this.”

      Jack looked away, repressing a laugh.

   That only fueled her anger more based on the way she was flaring her nostrils—a very unattractive look, might I add. “Go to class,” she snapped, before whipping around and sauntering through the hallway.

     Jack and I laughed silently as we watched her walk away. After the laugher died down, I brought my gaze back to his. “So, if that was a way of asking me out, then I’m not sure if I accept. You did just get me in trouble, you know.” I quirked an arched eyebrow as the corners of my mouth tugged upwards into a smile.

     “It’ll be worth your time, trust me.” Jack dug into his front pocket and pulled out a piece of cardstock. He studied it for a moment before handing it to me.

      I glanced down at the card and saw the name of a local motor shop along with a phone number and an address. “You have a business card?” I questioned him teasingly, “Wow, you just get better by the second.”

     He rolled his eyes. “They’re my dad’s. He makes me carry them around and hand them out to people so he can speed up business.”

       My brows caved in. “Wait, so you’re setting me up with your dad?”

      His eyes widened. “No!” he objected loudly. “No, no I work at my dad’s motor shop after school. So I’ll be there every day after school if you ever want to stop by.”

      I nodded as I stuck the card into my back pocket. “Well, if I am ever in need of a motorcycle, I’ll be sure to let you know.” I offered him a friendly smile and turned away, heading to my class that I was, once again, late for.

✝       ✝       ✝       ✝

       I tapped my fingers against my textbook impatiently as my eyes scanned the student parking lot. It had been ten minutes since the last bell rang and Adam was nowhere to be found.

      He was never late when I was involved. Somehow, he thought that being punctual would win me over. Once, my mom invited him over for dinner and when I got home, he was cooking with my mom.

     That was wrong on so many levels.

   I glanced around the student pick-up and drop-off area and chewed on my bottom lip absentmindedly.

      A group of boys walked past me and I instantly recognized the one with dark hair. Adam was wearing a chess club sweatshirt just like everyone else in the group that read ‘Chess Club: the home of hardcore pawnography.’

      I took a moment to laugh at that ridiculous slogan before I marched up to Adam and grabbed him by the arm, pulling him away from the group.

       “Ow!” he whined, snapping his attention to me. “Lexi?”

      I forced a smile. “Hi, I’m glad to know you remembered me.”

      One of the chess nerds turned around abruptly. It was the same one from earlier. “What is the problem?”

       “The problem is Adam always walks with me. There’s no way he’s going to stand me up to go home with you losers.”

       Another nerd spoke up. “But we have a car and that won’t take as long.”

     I shot him a cold glare. “Thanks for that little information, but I don’t give a shit. Adam always walks with me…Adam! Tell them!”

        Adam gave me a reserved look, obviously not wanting to speak up.

       “Damn Adam, your girlfriend is needy,” one of the nerds commented.

       If it was possible for my jaw to hang any lower than it already did, it would have. “Girlfriend?” I questioned, just to make sure I heard things carefully. Why was everyone insisting we were a couple?

       Okay, maybe we were always together, but that’s not a logical reason.

        “I’m not his-”

      “Babe, it’s ok. I’ll see you at home.” Adam moved closer and before I could register what was happening, he placed his lips on mine.

       In that brief second, I heard the chess nerds hollering.

       Disgusted, revolted, and completely turned-off, I shoved him away from me. A sly smirk came to his face and I wanted nothing more than to smack it off.

        He knew me well enough to know that I would.

        And that’s exactly what I did.

A/N: Okay, so I've decided not to wait until August to post this story because I'm almost finished with my other two. (Check those out!) And I kinda want to do a question of the chapter to engage my readers and see what their thoughts are. So..uh..what do you think of Jack? Good or bad news?