New chapter up! Enjoy! ^_^

Special dedication: @sweetXsword for the new cover! Thank you soo much sweetie for the cover and also for being my sweetest online friend! Love you loads. <3

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CHAPTER 10

The following morning, I wake up feeling tired and droopy from all the crying the previous night. I just can't​ get over it, no matter how much I try. The hangover effect of love or whatever you can call that, maybe... will take some time.

I grumpily drag myself out of bed and into the bathroom, for a hopefully refreshing shower to soothe my sore body which feels extremely exhausted.

What about my sore heart?
I internally cringe as I'm starting to sound like the lead actress of a cheap melodramatic daily soap.

This definitely has to stop!

I step in to the bathroom, take off my clothes, and then proceed to turn on the shower and step into the tub. The mild warm water is a huge relief in the chilly morning. I drift off into my thoughts half way into the shower.

After about ten minutes, I finish up and quickly get out. I shudder when my bare feet touches the cold wooden floor. I hurriedly pull on a top which I don't quite care about as I decide to wear a hoodie to warm up, and then a pair of tight jeans and my white and turquoise sneakers.

"Morning mom." I say with absolutely no excitement.

"Morning! You okay, hon?" She asks with a trace of worry lining her words.

"Yeah mom. Just a little tired f-" she cuts me off before I can finish.

"Tired? When I got home, I didn't see you and dad said you were sleeping upstairs, so I didn't bother disturbing you. Didn't you sleep last night?" She asks with a scrutinizing look, the one that accuses me of 'you were up with your phone the whole night'!

"Mom, calm down! I did go to bed early but ended up rolling over all night! Just one of those rare sleepless nights." I sprawl out with a yawn.

That was indeed true, as I am known to be a 'sleep baby'. Sleepless nights are rare. Or so I thought...

"Mom! I'm leaving early as I have some work to finish before college starts." I say grabbing my bag and my phone. "And don't worry of my breakfast, I'll have it at the cafeteria." I assure with a tiny smile.

"As soon as you reach college." She says with a frown. She knew too well to know that I'd either forget to eat or decide not to, being busy with college work.

"Yeah mom! As soon as I reach college!" With a reassuring hug, I leave the house.

I walk down to the bus stop, feeling extremely tired and sleepy due to the previous night. I could literally kill for a cup of coffee now.

At first, I plan on calling Natty and going along with her but then decide against it. My mind yearns for some me-time, time to myself, time to get over this. I know that will definitely take a while as, feelings don't pop up every day to me, but at least time to partially get over it. So I can be me, the normal me again!

I sit there pondering for a while during which a bus arrives and I just hop onto it.

On reaching college, I sense the rumble in my tummy, my hunger pangs increasing. Therefore, I head to the cafeteria to grab a quick breakfast and a hot cup of coffee.

"Hey Jack!" I wave on seeing his familiar smiling face. He radiates a very cheerful vibe, that unknowingly, a smile creeps up my face.

"Amy! Sup with you?" He asks from the table, which he is currently cleaning. I look around and spot just a handful of students either chatting away or sleeping.

I drop my bag at a table and walk over to him. He looks up and smiles. I give a sleepy smile and a yawn escapes. He starts giggling.

"No sleep?" He asks.

"Yeah! Sleepless night." I yawn again.

"Amy, go sit at the table I'll get you a hot cup of coffee." He offers, melting me with kindness.

"Thanks Jack! And an ice cream soufflé please." I request and walk back. Once at the table, I lie down with my head on the table only to drift off into a tiny nap.

"Amy. Amy... Wake up." I feel the gentle shaking of my shoulders by a pair of hands accompanied by a soft voice calling my name. I slowly open my eyes and the light immediately pierces my vision causing me to cover my eyes with my hands. I blink hard to start seeing a blur. I lift my head and sit up, and put on my glasses to see an image of Jack in front of me.

"Jack..." I trail off, feeling a strange rejuvenated energy coursing through my veins. That power nap sure did so something!

"Here." He hands me a cup of coffee, and places my ice cream on the table, then with a smile departs to serve some students who are creating such a din that I wanna beat the shit out of them.

I groan and sit up, fully straight and start sipping on my coffee. The hot coffee sends a warm and relaxing sensation as it passes down my throat. I feel a lot more awake, and alive.

The bell rings, signalling the beginning of class, when all students pack up and start leaving the cafeteria. My head starts to feel heavy and I realize that I will not be able to sit through any class in this condition, so I decide to stay back.

While I'm sipping coffee, Jack comes over and engages me in small talk which I'm glad, for it kept my mind diverted. Talking to Jack made me feel a lot better and I wondered why I never fell for him in the first place.

He may not be the perfect guy, but he is one amazing guy who makes everyone around fall in love with him. The happiness he radiates is enough to brighten anyone's exhausted day. He always brings a smile to my face, no matter how crappy I feel.

He goes back after a few minutes, and returns with a cup of coffee in his hands. He takes the chair next to mine and begins talking of random things.

After the coffee is done, he gets up to leave and takes the two cups with him. I just look as he vanishes into a room. I let out the extra air that I had no idea I was holding onto.

Looking into the watch, I notice there's a long while before break. I get up, leaving all my stuff and walk to the entrance searching for Jack.

"Jack! Will you just look over my bag for a while. I'll be right back." I ask while he's busy setting something up at the counter. He nods and I thank him on my way out.

Once out, I start re-thinking my decision. It seems so stupid to do it, yet I want nothing more than to do it. I know it's be a huge thing but then I have to. I cannot stand being in the same room as him anymore, and if I want to move on and forget this, I have to stay away from him. I couldn't think of a better way than opt out of math classes, for having him as a teacher made it harder to ignore and forget him. Plus, he had leverage over me, which I cannot take anymore.

I will have to choose some other subject as an option, which I could think of later. I will miss math as I kind of liked it, but right now all I can think of is to get away from him.

I march up the stairs and into the main building, strutting down the corridor into the office room. I spoke to one of the staffs and she informs me of the procedures to get it done. I fill up some forms, and after a few minutes, I am sent to meet a lady who asked me the reason for the change of subject.

"I don't like math! It's too hard to understand." I lie, but indirectly my hatred for Nathan showing in my words.

"Okay sweetie! If that's what you want, we'd like you to choose another option in place of math." She says handing me a few sheets with detailed information on each subject.
I glance through it for a few seconds.

"Can I choose later?" I ask wearily.

She flashes a braced-teeth smile and says "Sure, but make it within two days, else you'll end up missing both classes."

"Definitely!" I smile and she continues with her work and I leave the place.

On walking back, I realize the gravity of what I just did. It was a big decision which I shouldn't have taken in a hurry, but I did! I shouldn't have let my emotions overrule my logical thinking. I regret it almost instantly but a part of me is satisfied with it.

Sighing, I walk back to the cafeteria. Jack is seated at the table I previously sat on. He's almost sleeping. The sight made me giggle. He looks extremely adorable.

"Jackkkkkkk!" I scream very close to his ears and he jolts up with a jerk that he falls off the chair. I start laughing at that. He too realizes and joins me. After a bit of laughing, I help him up and we talk about random stuff yet again.

He tries teaching me how to make a proper coffee as I suck at anything related to the kitchen. I almost burned it down, trying to boil water for some reason.

I then notice a very familiar face at the side corner of the cafeteria entrance. He calls out for Jack and probably didn't notice me. Jack excuses himself, spins around and walks towards him.

I glare at his direction and now I feel like I made the right decision a while ago. His face confirms that nothing good can come from being around him anymore.

After a while, Jack returns to my table and sits down beside me. He continues talking, but I was far from listening. My thoughts and vision are clouded with his image, causing me to think of that night, and the morning after that ruined everything. The very glimpse of that memory angers me, it fuels the dormant volcano in me and stops my rational thinking. By now, Nathan had spotted me, and was looking at me and Jack!

Then I did something I never should have done.

I turn to Jack, and lean in and press my lips to his. The look on Nathan's face is priceless! It is one of utter shock, disbelief, surprise, anger, jealousy and a million other feelings. I continue revelling at the look on his face when my eyes divert to the confused pair of wide eyes in front of me. Even worse, the lips pressed against mine are still, no response whatsoever. It is then that the fact hits me!

I kissed Jack. I kissed Jack to get back at Nathan! What have I done? Oh freak, this is so weird and terrible and entirely my fault. And worse, he didn't even respond. Why the hell did I do that?

Another thing that popped out at me, is that a week or so back, I didn't have the guts to kiss a man and now I am carelessly slamming my lips against any guy, the guy being Jack was a different thing though. Revenge is powerful!

I stop debating with myself and pull away from Jack. He still stares at me wide eyed, and confused with an expression that gives me no idea of what he is thinking. From the corner of my eyes, I spot Nathan's shocked face, not a flicker since that second.

I get up, excuse myself and run out of there as soon as possible. 'I don't know what to do. I didn't have to do this at all. I'm such an idiot! Now things will be so awkward and weird with Jack! Arggh! He was a good friend and now I messed up.'

This is the second time today, that my reckless emotions messed up my thinking.

Knowing that I can't stay away and hide forever, and that I have to face the consequences of my stupid actions, I prepare myself for what is to come. I take a deep breath, muttering cusses to myself as I walk back nervously to the cafeteria. The place is empty, no signs of Nathan! I am glad for that, but it dies the minute I see Jack at the counter. He holds an expressionless face, no trace of his usual happy smile.

I hesitantly walk towards him. His eyes are on me the entire time, sending me down the steep guilt trip I built myself. My eyes scan his face, avidly avoiding his eyes and that face is alien to me, I've never seen this Jack before.

"Uhhmm... J-Jack?" I stammer.

"Yeah Amy." He says casually, masking something that he was about to say.

"Can we talk?"

He nods. I lead him to the seat we were sitting at earlier. We sit down engulfed in an awkward silence until I finally decide to break it.

"Uh Jack, about earlier I-I don't know what to s-say..." I trail off, nervously fiddling with my fingers.

This is harder than I thought. I never imagined of Jack in that way, and that made this harder to talk about.

"I don't like you." It just comes out, not at all like I want it to sound. The look on his face went from expressionless to pale.

"Jack, no no! That's not I me-"

"Oh, thank god Amy!" He says with a radiant smile.

What?!

"What?" I ask utterly confused at his words.

"Yeah, I was totally scared, and I freaked out after what happened. I feared you like me and things would turn weird between us, cause I don't. I like someone else. But now that I know you don't, I feel so relieved Amy!" He finishes, which somehow brings a smile to my face, but the next question, manages to wash it off completely.

"But, if you didn't like me, th-the kiss?" He asks, with his brows knit in confusion. 'I dreaded this part! I was hoping things would clear up without mentioning the reason, like that would ever happen.'

"Uhh Jack... I-I me-mean Umm..." I stutter trying to come up with some sensible lie.

"You don't have to tell me you know."

I knew that, but this was eating me up from the insides and I had to share it with someone. Jack seems like the right person, after all that happened a few minutes ago.

"Jack, I did it to get back at Nathan!" I utter with a blank face.

He looks like he'd seen a ghost! "Mr Nathan, the m-math teach-her?" He fumbles for words

"Yeah." I nod, dropping my head and proceed on to narrate the entire story to him, tearing up a bit at certain things. I decide to leave Miranda out of it, as I felt it's not really her fault.

He tries his best to comfort me, but also decides that it'll do me good to let it all out. He got me a box of tissues, and sat beside me, hugging me as I cried.

"Amy... This Nathan! This prick!" He screeches, angrily at the end of my narration.

I get a bit confused at his reaction, but let it go as it is probably cause he cares for me.

"Remember I said I liked someone else?"

Off course I did. He just said it a few minutes ago.

Wait? What? His reaction suggests... He likes Nathan? Damn!

"You like Nathan!?" I ask, wide eyed.

"No, no Amy! No! I don't like Nathan!" Phew! That was close. "I like Miranda. We're dating!"

What the fuck? That was a bigger shock!

"Bu-but I thought you liked Natty. I mean the way you look at her and all..."

"I did. I had a huge crush on her ever since I saw her, but getting closer to her made me realize she's a very strong girl and I'll never be the guy she wants to date. I tried but failed hard to impress her." He whines in a dejected tone, making me pity him some more. He should have told me, I would have definitely helped him ask her out. After all, he's a great guy!

"Aww-"

"Then I met Miranda and slowly, I developed feelings for her."

"Nice," is all I can say. I did somewhere deep in my mind, picture Natty and Jack together.

And then you kissed him, my conscience reminded me.
'Will you just shut up?' I yell at myself.

"Yeah! One day, I was setting up stuff when I saw her sitting at a table alone. I went up to her to offer her something when I heard her sob. I was confused of what to do. I continued walking and stood by her table." He pauses for a second, and then continues.

"She looked up with teary eyes and pointed to the chair. I sat down. She told me, she and Nathan were dating and how he stood her up and they broke up and burst out crying. I hugged her to console her and she stayed that way, stating how Nathan always took her for granted."

I'm just listening intently to his narration, no idea what to say or do.

"I suggested she stay from him and find a better guy who'll value her a lot more. She just smiled and we became friends. As days passed, we developed feelings for each other and day after day, it grew. One day, I asked her out and she agreed. We're together ever since." He finishes with a blush, sending me into internal conflict. He does seem to like her a lot, and it made me feel even guiltier for kissing him.

Then realization hit me as I recall Miranda mentioning dating someone. She was cheating on Jack with Nathan!

That bitch!

"I hated Nathan ever since! He broke Miranda's heart and it took her a while to trust a guy again. And now he's done it to you! That bastard!" He yells, frustrated out of his mind.

Little did he know, even Miranda is a lying cheating bitch! Wait, since I know it, shouldn't I tell him the truth? He would be hurt, but better sooner than later.

"Uh Jack." I start, my voice a little raspy. He lifts his neck up to face me, showing his attention.

"The girl I spoke about, kissing Nathan, was none other than Miranda." I state bluntly, not knowing any other way to put it out.

His face changes. The liveliness and the blush from a while ago disappears, and his face turns pale, drained off all the blood. He looks like he got hit hard on the heart, which he did! My face softens as my heart crunches watching him tear up.

One thing I can not stand, is watching a guy cry. That breaks me completely! I know guys cried only for something they love and value, which Jack did! He loves Miranda!

I embrace him in a hug, and hope he will be able to move on, eventually. I really didn't like seeing him sad. Now I feel he should have asked out Natty, she would never do this to him!

"It's okay Jack! Relax, I mean I know it's gonna be really hard for you to deal with this and there's no easy way. I'm not gonna lie, it sucks! But eventually, it'll get better Jack. Now I think I shouldn't have told you. You wouldn't be this broken." I say with an exhale.

"Ignorance is never better. Thank you for telling me. I'll just see you in a while." He says, and leaves without a glance back.

I feel terrible for him. I badly wanna hold Nathan and slap him senseless. I feel like grabbing Miranda's head and slamming it to the wall. I feel like thrashing both of them for doing this to us. All they had to do, was stay loyal! Was that too much to ask?

I grab my bag and walk away from there, to wherever my legs would take me. All that happened is a lot for me to take in. I'm​ just clueless!

As I'm walking away, my eyes wander around to stop on one man! The one I hate the most at this point. Nathan.

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End of chapter! :)

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