And I thought I hated gym before.

At least it was always warm in California. Now it was freezing.

It was way too cold for an April day.

And I really hated the cold weather.

It was such a pretty day, and you would think that it would be warm outside, but it wasn't. It looked like it would be warm, but it was freezing. The sun was out, which didn't make any sense, but the wind made it completely unbearable. I really wished that we were having gym inside, but of course we weren't.

And I decided to wear short shorts today instead of sweats.

I'm sure going to have a fun time running.

The t-shirt that we were required to wear for gym was not helping me with the cold at all. We were allowed to wear whatever bottoms we wanted, as long as we could run in them, but of course today was the day I chose to wear short shorts.

Mother Nature hated me.

All the girls in my cabin had the same gym period, but only AJ, Lexi, and Yolanda were in my actual class. Of course Jesse and Aimee were, too, and Aimee wouldn't leave his side for one second.

I was so glad that today was the last day before break. I'd be able to go back home for a little while, and that's all I really needed. All of my friends, except for AJ, were going to be staying at the camp for break to save money. But I really wanted to see my grandma, and AJ really wanted to see Scott.

I really needed to be away from Jesse for a while. After what had happened the week before with Hunter, I just couldn't be around him. I was scared, to tell you the truth, and I didn't want Jesse to know. And it was so strange, thinking that Jesse had been a part of a gang... Every time I was around him now, I got such a weird feeling in my stomach that I just wanted to go away. It had to be because of how scared I was of Hunter and the whole gang situation. I just needed to stay away from him.

I've always hated gym. Ever since elementary school, I've just never been able to stand it.

Once when Mrs. Ellis told us to pick partners for practicing throwing a football, Aimee almost pounced on Jesse. I hated seeing the hurt look on AJ's face as she partnered up with Lexi while I partnered up with Yolanda. Jesse wasn't on the team or anything, but his friends would sometimes play football, so I sure hoped that he threw it hard enough to knock her brain out.

I could hope, couldn't I?

But I was the one that had ended up getting my head hit. You would never think that Yolanda had such a strong arm, but believe me, she did. Let's just say that Mrs. Ellis said that Yolanda couldn't practice throwing a football with a girl ever again... And that probably terrified the boys more than it terrified her.

But now we were running relays around the track, and we couldn't pick who we were running again. I was freezing my butt off as I rubbed my hands up and down my arms, just trying to keep warm. There was no use trying to warm up my legs, because it already felt like I was going to have to cut them off.

"Go, AJ!" Lexi shouted as AJ ran around the track, racing some girl with blonde hair. "Come on, AJ, show that dumb blonde who's boss!"

When Lexi noticed my flat look that was aimed at her, she dropped her arms and stopped cheering. "What?"

"You do realize that you're blonde, right?"

Lexi blinked, and she seemed to think for a split second. "Oh, yeah..."

And that's why I love my best friend.

"Emery, you're next!" Mrs. Ellis cried after AJ had crushed the blonde girl. "You'll be racing Dennett!"

Oh, come on.

I should have seen that coming.

I passed by Jesse, who was smirking at me. My stomach dropped as I remembered the meeting with Hunter. I glared at him, but he only rolled his eyes. "Come on, Jordy," he said with a grin, causing my eye to twitch slightly. "You can kick that redhead's ass."

I found myself smiling now, and it must have caught Jesse off guard, because he stared at me with wide eyes for a moment before I turned around and made my way to where Mrs. Ellis and Aimee were standing. Even though I got a strange feeling in my stomach every time I was around him now, I had to pretend that Jesse and I had the same kind of relationship we had before I had met Hunter, or people would start getting suspicious.

When I stood next to Aimee, she smirked at me. She obviously hadn't heard Jesse's redhead comment, but I didn't really care if she had or not.

"Winner gets Jesse's heart," she sneered at me, sticking her tongue out. I rolled my eyes, fully intending to kick her ass. When we raced when we were younger, I always beat her. I definitely wasn't the fastest runner or anything, but I was faster than Aimee. She had nothing on me.

She could have had Jesse's heart, if she really wanted it. If she was really in love with him, she could have had his heart all she wanted. But I knew that she wasn't in love with him. He was just someone that had recently caught her eye.

And it was pretty obvious that Jesse didn't like her that way, which she was completely oblivious to. But I was use to her being completely oblivious, after being her friend for four years... But she wanted Jesse, and she was determined to get him.

And, as she said before, Aimee Dennett always gets what she wants.

"On your mark... Get set... Go!"

I ran as quickly as I could, and I found myself grinning as I passed Aimee with ease. Was she holding back or something? My injured foot was far from my mind as I continued to run, and I heard Lexi shouting and cheering, along with most of our class. Even Jesse was cheering!

I wasn't surprised that Yolanda wasn't cheering, and I wasn't surprised that AJ wasn't cheering either. If I was racing against someone else, she would have been cheering just as loudly as the rest of them, but it was Aimee, her old best friend.

Before I could even realize what was going on, I felt something hit my foot and I went tumbling to the ground. All the cheering stopped as I fell forward and Aimee passed me, only looking back to stick her tongue out at me in that mocking way of hers.

I then realized something. The bitch tripped me!

I had scratches all over my knees and elbows now, and I couldn't help but cuss loudly in my head. Cuss at my scratches, and at Aimee as well. What a low move!

Before I could get back up and run again, because I could have totally caught up with her, I realized that my right shoe had fallen off. I let out a breath of air, but it quickly turned to a scream of pain when I felt pain shoot up from my foot and through my right leg, which just made all my other injuries even worse.

Where was my shoe? I needed my shoe...

"Aimee Dennett, to the main office, right now!" Mrs. Ellis shouted once Aimee had finished running. She had seemed so triumphant, since she technically won and everything, until Mrs. Ellis had started yelling at her. I continued to clutch onto my foot, looking away when I saw my blood stain my once white sock.

"Will someone take Jordan to the nurse?" Mrs. Ellis asked once she had sent Aimee off. Lexi and AJ were both about to volunteer until Mrs. Ellis spoke up again. "Jesse, can you do it?"

Of course she chose him. I shouldn't have even been surprised that she chose him.

"Come on, Emery," Jesse sighed, taking my arm and draping it around his shoulders as his wrapped around my waist. That feeling in my stomach was even strong as he hung onto me, and I wanted nothing more than to get away from him. "Let's go get you cleaned up."

He guided me to the nurse's office slowly, me limping and hopping. My foot didn't hurt as much as it did when the original wound was inflicted, but it still hurt like hell.

"You sure you okay?" Jesse asked once we got in front of the nurse's office. "Does it hurt?"

"Well, of course it hurts, you idiot," I grumbled, seriously not in the mood for any chit-chat. Jesse laughed, knocking on the door only a few seconds after. The nurse opened the door, smiling brightly. Kate, I think her name was, was a beautiful woman, and I felt so intimidated that I just wanted to go crawl into a hole.

She frowned when she saw me. "What's wrong?"

"She cut her foot a few days ago walking barefoot, like an idiot," Jesse told her, adding the last part for only me to hear. "And then she was running today and a girl in our class tripped her."

I was taken inside and seated, and Kate started to slowly remove my bloody sock. I let out a low hiss of pain, just wanting all the pain to be over with. What the hell had I stepped on?

"I think that you've stepped on a piece of glass, Jordan," Kate informed me, nodding at my bloody foot. "Whatever you did to mend it last time was good, but it wasn't good enough. You're going to need a few stitches."

"St--stitches?" I stuttered, my eyes going wide.

"Don't worry, only a few. I can do them right here, really quick and easy, if you want."

My eyes went even wider. "No--"

"Yes," Jesse answered, cutting me off. "That would be really helpful. Thanks."

Kate smiled. "It's no problem at all!"

Even though she had numbed my foot so I wouldn't feel anything as she stitched me up, I still clutched onto Jesse's hand as the needle went through my flesh. I didn't feel a thing, and yet I kept my eyes squeezed tight as I squeezed Jesse's hand even tighter. I didn't know why I did it, but I just did.

"Okay, all done," Kate said with a smile. "You should be able to walk just fine. It may be a little uncomfortable for a while, though."

"Thank you," I thanked, smiling brightly and standing up. I quickly scampered off, Jesse behind me, and I couldn't help but feel a little uneasy in his presence.

"I can tell you don't want to be around me more than usual," Jesse told me, causing me to freeze. "Is it because of what happened with Hunter? I don't blame you if it is."

I turned toward Jesse, a frown plastered on my face. I was scared, I really was. That Hunter guy... He seemed terrifying. His eyes, those two different colored eyes, were terribly cold.

"Of course it's about Hunter," I told him, crossing my arms over my stomach. "You pretty much told me yourself that he doesn't give up on anything. What does that mean? You said you dragged me into this, but into what? What did you drag me into? What, is he going to come after me?"

Jesse stayed silent, not saying a word. I felt myself gulp, and my eyes widened as well.

"He is?"

"I can't promise you anything, Jordan," he told me, and I was now too scared to really realize that he had used my first name. "I really wish I could. I wish I could tell you that everything was going to be okay. But I know Hunter, and he doesn't stop until he gets what he wants. He wants revenge on me for stealing Erica from him and leaving the gang. But he doesn't know where we are, so you're safe. Don't worry."

"How can I not worry?" I demanded, hot tears filling my eyes. "He had his stupid henchman try and kill me! And what does he want? Who cares if you left the stupid gang? Stealing Erica would be understandable, but you never did anything with her, even after she broke up with Hunter! I just don't understand... I'm so scared. I've never been so scared in my life..."

"I'm sorry, Jordan," Jesse said, reaching over to touch me, but I yanked away. I didn't want to be touched. I wasn't safe. What if Hunter came after me? What was I supposed to do then? Why did Jesse have to get me mixed up into this?

I had to calm myself down. Hunter didn't know where I was. He couldn't have come after me. And who knew if he really was? He wanted Jesse, not me. Why would he come after if he wanted Jesse?

I let out a breath of air, successfully calming myself down. Hunter wasn't going to come after me. I was safe. He hadn't even spoken to me. He only talked to Jesse... He acknowledged that I was there, but he didn't speak to me. I was safe.

Jesse and I now walked side-by-side until we both had to go our separate ways to go to fourth period.

Thank goodness.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Hey, Jordan, what are you doing for spring break?" I heard someone ask as I sat on the dock. I almost jumped, since I was still jumpy from what had happened with Hunter, and I turned around to see Ryan smiling brightly, plopping down next to me and dipping his feet into the water.

"Um, I'm just visiting my grandma," I informed him, shrugging. It wasn't a big deal or anything, but I had missed my grandma more than anything else. Sure, I missed my parents and everything, but I was never going to be as close to anyone as I was with my grandma.

"Oh, that's cool. I remember how you guys were really close when we were little. You still close now?"

"Yeah."

A silence passed through us for about a minute, but I wouldn't really call it awkward. Ryan was just one of the people that I was so comfortable with that there wasn't ever an awkward silence.

"Um..." Ryan started, sounding unsure. "You're, uh, friends with Emily, right?"

"Emily Annex?" I questioned, an eyebrow rising. "The one I share a cabin with? Yeah, I've been friends with her for a while. Why?"

"It's just that... Does she have a boyfriend back in California?"

I found myself grinning like the Cheshire Cat as I stared at him. Ryan liked Emily? I never would have thought... I hadn't ever seen them around each other.

"You like her?" I asked, that grin still plastered onto my face.

"N--no!" he stuttered, his cheeks turning slightly red. "I just--I just need to know for a friend!"

I rolled my eyes, elbowing him in the shoulder playfully. "And what's the name of this friend of yours? Brian Jomiyama? You don't have to lie to me, Ryan. It's obvious. As for your question, she doesn't have a boyfriend. So you're in luck. Maybe you should go make your move right now! She's still in such a good mood about Yolanda going out with Troy... It's kind of weird."

Ryan chuckled, jumping up from his sitting position. "Maybe I'll try once we get back from break," he informed me with a nod. "I think that's probably the best idea, since everyone's already leaving. But wait, is she going back to California or staying here? I have to go back to Japan..."

"Staying here," I answered with a shrug. "Only AJ and me are going back to California."

Ryan nodded before turning away and starting up the dock. I let out a long breath of air, tucking my knees under my chin. I couldn't help but still be worried about Hunter. Even though I was going across the country, that was where his gang originally was, right? I mean, Jesse used to live there and he was a part of it...

No. I couldn't think about it. If I let it get to my head, I was going to have a horrible time and just worry my grandma. I wasn't going to let Hunter ruin my spring break when there was nothing I had to be afraid about. I was completely safe.

"This seems to be your favorite place," a new voice said from behind me, almost causing me to jump into the water. I looked behind me to see Dallas, who was smiling at me. I let out a sigh of relief, welcoming him to sit next to me happily.

"You seem jumpy," he noted, his eyebrows furrowing. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I lied, waving a hand in front of my face. It's just that there's a chance that I'll get hunted down...

"So you're going back to California for the week, right?" Dallas asked, brushing some of his blonde hair from his eyes. "To see your grandma?"

"Yeah," I nodded, smiling as I did so. "And my parents, too."

"I'm going to miss you," he told me, leaning closer. "We haven't really seen each other the past week."

My breath caught in my throat by our proximity, but that definitely didn't mean that I pulled away. It was true that we hadn't really seen each other in the past week, but that was because I was still kind of out of it. I really wanted to be with him, but he was busy with some camp counselor duties and I was just going insane.

His lips brushed against mine softly at first, but it quickly escalated into a total make out session. As he sat against the dock, I was on top of him, straddling his waist. It was kind of exhilarating, kissing out in the open like this, since we weren't allowed to. If we had gotten caught, we would have gotten kicked out of the camp for sure, and I would have had to say bye-bye to Yale.

But right then, I didn't really care. Because what I was doing was what I had wanted ever since I was little, and I couldn't have been happier that it was finally happening. My fingers tangled in his hair, and his were on my lower back, and we just continued on until a voice interrupted us.

"You know, I heard sucking face like that is bad for your health."

I pulled away from Dallas to glare at Lexi, who was smirking over us. Well, it was better that it was her that had caught us and not some camp counselor or Jesse.

"Isn't it supposed to be good for you?" I asked, actually serious. "Doesn't it make you lose calories or something?"

Lexi rolled her eyes, shrugging with a laugh. "I guess. I just like giving you a hard time."

I gave her a flat look. "I've noticed."

"Anyway, you need to get packing," Lexi scolded, a pointed look on her face. "Remember how you told me you'd do it yesterday, and then this morning, and then after classes end? I'm not about to let you go say that you'll do it in the morning and forget something important like your phone. Go pack, you can go back to making out with lover boy here later."

My cheeks burned, and I stared down in embarrassment at Dallas's chest. I didn't get why I was getting so embarrassed, but I was anyway. I looked back up at Dallas, planning on just giving him a kiss goodbye, but it escalated into another make out session in a matter of seconds.

"Alright, come on," Lexi groaned, grabbing onto my arm and pulling me up. I gave Dallas a small wave and he did the same as Lexi pulled me up the dock and back across the camp toward our cabin.

"You have that guy begging on his knees," Lexi commented, only making my cheeks heat up even more. "But probably not as much as you have Jesse."

The colored immediately rushed from my face and I paled, my eyebrows furrowing as well. "Don't talk about Jesse," was all I said, not really in the mood for an argument about him.

Lexi let it go and continued to pull me toward our cabin. I let out a sigh as she threw my suitcase at me once we got inside. AJ was already packed, so she was off doing who knows what. But I was stuck packing, one of the things I absolutely hated to do ever since I was a little kid.

"You still have this shirt?" Lexi asked, lifting it up in front of her. After I had whined for almost fifteen minutes about how I couldn't stand packing, she had given in and started helping me. I looked over to see the shirt that I had been wearing when I first met Jesse, a light but noticeable stain on the front from my Oreo ice cream. I didn't even remember bringing it...

"I guess," I shrugged, looking away from it. The shirt reminded me of ice cream, which reminded me of the night that I had met Hunter. So what if it had been my favorite shirt? It could have been thrown away now, since I didn't care about it now. I hadn't worn it since I had met Jesse, since it was ruined beyond repair.

"It was such a cute shirt," Lexi stated before tossing it back into the dresser.

The next morning, I was still in bed as AJ rushed around, making sure she had everything. I wasn't a morning person, so I wasn't about to get up until I absolutely had to. I hated waking up in the morning, but I knew I was going to have to get up or I'd miss our flight.

"Get up, Jordan!" Lexi cried from across the room, too lazy to get off her bed. "You're going to miss your flight if you don't get up and get ready!"

"Five more minutes," I grumbled, snuggling into my comforter and pillow even more. I didn't want to get up... But I had to.

"I never knew that Jordan wasn't a morning person," Cindy said, and I could tell that she blinked. "She seems like the type that would love mornings."

"Well, she's definitely not," AJ huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "She's always the last one up for everything. I don't get how someone can sleep for so long and just waste the day away."

"I know how to get her up," Chelsea informed them, sounding very smug and amused. I didn't want to find out what she had in mind, but I still didn't move. She was probably going to dunk a bucket of water on me, but I didn't really care because I was going to take a shower anyway, and Erica would bitch at her for making a mess.

I heard the cabin door shut, confusing me. Where was she going? I didn't stress on it much as AJ tried to get me out of the bed on her own, saying things about how we were going to be late if I didn't get up and get ready soon. Honestly, I didn't care how I looked. I was just going to see my grandma.

The cabin door opened again, but this time I heard two footsteps instead of one. I ignored it, still trying my best to fall back asleep, until I heard Chelsea say, "Get her up."

Before I knew it, I was being carried. I let out a loud shriek, the sheets coming with me and falling over my head. I couldn't see who this person was, but I was seriously about to hit him.

Removing the sheets, I was now scowling when I saw that it was Jesse that was holding me. He smirked, dropping me on the floor in a matter of seconds. I smashed my fist down onto his foot, but he didn't even seem to be bothered by it.

"I hate you," I scowled up at him, hoping he could hear the absolute hatred and animosity within my words. I hoped that he knew how much I despised him, how much trouble he had caused me throughout the four years of us knowing each other. I wanted him to know.

That strange feeling in my stomach returned, and I couldn't help but remember Hunter. That feeling had to be dread, right? Being terrified that I could be killed or hurt at any moment by someone who hadn't even spoken to me... That was what the feeling in my stomach was.

"Hate you, too."

I got up, grumbling to myself as I made my way toward the bathroom. "I'm taking a shower," I informed them unhappily, slamming the door behind me.

"Aw, Jordan, you should have let Jesse join you!" I heard one of the girls shout after me, but I couldn't have been sure which one. I swiftly open the door, flipping them off, but after closing the door again, all I could hear were giggles and a laugh from them and Jesse.

After I had taken a shower and gotten ready, AJ and I were off. We were in her rental cherry red convertible as we drove to the airport, the radio barely audible as we drove in almost complete silence. She always had red cars; even the one back in California was red. The hood down, I let the wind blow freely through my hair, and I was honestly enjoying it.

"I can't wait to see Scott," AJ told me, smiling as she changed the radio station. "I've missed him so much. I wonder what he's been doing since I left."

"I wonder what my grandma's been doing," I told her, sounding kind of amused. "All she used to do is invite me over and feed me until I almost exploded. I wonder who she's doing that to now."

"Your grandpa?"

I frowned at the mention of him, but I only shook my head. "No... He died when I was nine."

"Oh," AJ gasped, a hand flying to her mouth. "I'm sorry, Jordan."

I shrugged, a little jealous that she could drive with on hand on the wheel. If I did that, I'd crash. "It's fine. You didn't know. I never talk about him. It's always just my grandma."

AJ nodded, placing both hands on the wheel now as we came to a red light by a gas station. I didn't get why we had to stop, since there wasn't any cars going the other way. Why even make us stop?

I let out a breath, a little anxious to finally go home for a little while. Even if the gang was originally from there, I'd feel a lot better there than I would at the camp. I could only hope that Hunter didn't call any of his buddies and told him about Jesse and me... But who even knew if they were still in California?

It was a good thing that I'd be away from Jesse and Hunter, because I really needed it. I didn't want to think about them at all when I spent time with my grandma.

My eyes widened when I saw a familiar person step out of the convenience store at the gas station, and I felt my stomach drop when I saw a familiar style of motorcycle like the kind that I had ridden with Jesse the week before. It was the exact same besides the fact that the one Jesse and I had ridden was red, and this one was black. He must have stolen it from the same place.

My eyes suddenly locked with two different colored ones, and Hunter smirked, almost triumphantly. He shoved the change he was counting in his pocket, that scary smirk still plastered on his face, and he started to make his way over to the car.

My eyes widened even more, and AJ didn't even notice. I glanced at the light to see that it was still red and wasn't about to change anytime soon, and I found myself panicking. What was I supposed to do? How was I going to get out of this mess? The car was a convertible, the top was down, and he could easily talk to me or jump into the car and kidnap us or...

He was only five feet away from the car when I almost freaked out. The light still red, I lifted my foot and slammed on the gas, the car screeching as it accelerated through the intersection, leaving Hunter long gone as I removed my foot and let AJ take control.

"Jordan!" she shrieked, looking around for any cops. I couldn't help but feel thankful that she was wearing large sunglasses that covered half of her face. I didn't want Hunter to see what she looked like. "What was that for? I'm going to get a ticket now!"

"I'll pay for it," I muttered, my elbow against the arm rest as I rested my forehead in my hand.

"Why did you even do that?" she asked.

I was still breathing a heavily, and AJ was as well after what I had done.

"I thought... I thought I saw a semi coming at us."

"A semi? I didn't see anything. Either you're seeing things, or I'm blind."

"Maybe it's those sunglasses," I grumbled, closing my eyes and letting my breath go back to normal. "They look cute, though, so keep them on."

Truthfully, I didn't want her taking them off just yet. Jesse had already dragged me into this, and I wasn't about to drag one of my best friends in. I wouldn't let her take those sunglasses off until the plane took off. I just had to be sure that she was safe.

I couldn't let my friends get hurt because of me. Or should I say, because of Jesse. I was in it, and that was all that was needed. I was going to protect my friends no matter what, and my family as well. Even though my family was across the country and safe, I still felt uneasy.

I had a strong feeling that this wasn't going to be the last time I saw Hunter.

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Why do you like/love Jesse?

I tried to make Jesse the type of character that you'd hate. That obviously didn't work out very well. xD

Please COMMENT, VOTE, and FAN! :D