Date: January 8, 2019

✰

Coming back to school that day was a mix of feelings for Jessie.

On the one hand, she was relieved to be done with the homework and the stressful nights she stayed up completing it. And she would be glad to see Hayden again.

But, she would miss spending time with her relatives who came to visit for the holidays.

Especially her little cousin Tommy. Man, did she love Tommy.

There was one last thing, though. She was not - at all - excited to see Ryan again.

She let out a sigh of dread as she entered the school building, going up to her all too familiar locker and opening it up to see her books and binders still in there.

Jessie loaded her near-empty backpack, Hayden coming her way, surprising her from behind.

"Hey Jess!"

She yelled out in shock, placing her hand on her chest to pace her breaths.

"Geez, H, don't scare me like that!"

While they struggled to get a string of apologies out, the boy Jessie so despised came their way - his regular posse nowhere to be seen.

He leaned back against the wall of lockers, shutting Jessie's and eyeing her lovingly with a smirk.

"Good morning, princess~."

She saw him and looked up, whispering, 'What did I do to deserve this?'

Sighing, she slung her bag over her shoulder, took Hayden's hand and walked the two of them away.

"Wait!"

Ryan cried out from behind them, Jessie pulling her headphones up again (despite no music coming out of them) and continued to ignore his antics.

"Just keep walking, H."

✐

A different problem arose at lunch, when Ryan chose their lunch table to sit at, waiting for them with his friend, Georgie.

She scanned the area for a different table.

The football team had a table - but Jessie didn't want to spend her lunch period hearing the jocks yelling.

The cheerleaders table - no way, they all loathed Jessie and thought she was "a thief for stealing Ryan's heart". Ridiculous.

The homework club students, the dance girls, the cleanup committee, etc. - all the tables had been taken and hers was the only empty one (besides sitting with the teachers, which was totally not worth it).

"Should we just sit in the library?" she whispered to Hayden.

"We can't," they whispered back. "The library assistants are preparing for the book fair."

She groaned through her teeth, sitting on the opposite side of them, Hayden beside her.

"Well, hello there, Jess." he greeted, emphasizing her name.

She muttered something about slapping the shit out of him before grabbing her lunch out of her bag.

The two in front of her had already grabbed their lunch trays and were eating in calm silence for a few moments.

"Look, Jessie-"

"What is it now?" she rolled her eyes.

"I.." he started, looking as if someone had humbled him recently. "I know you might not like me that much."

"Oh? What gave you that idea?" she flashed him a fake smile that quickly disappeared.

"It's just that..." he sighed. "If you let me take you out on a date and you still don't like me - at all - then I'll stop bothering you."

Hayden's eyes widened slightly, and they nudged Jessie's arm.

"Doesn't that sound like a good idea, Jess? That way if you don't like the date, then you won't have to deal with him anymore. And if you do - boom! You've got a boyfriend!"

Jessie slowly turned her head, looking at Hayden with a wild expression.

"That's funny, H. In fact, the funniest thing you've said all day. There is no way I'll agree to that."

"Come on, he's clearly being genuine." they quietly reassured her. "Plus, school ends in a few months and school will be over. What's the worst that could happen long term?"

She thought about it for a second and sighed.

"Fine. But don't think I'll enjoy a single second of it. This is only to get you off my back for the last days of school."

A gleeful smile appeared on his face.

"I'll try my best, princess."

"First thing you should do: stop calling me princess." she deadpanned. "Now please just let me finish my lunch."

× × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × ×

Episode Three - done.

Don't be afraid to tell me what you think about it. 👏

(Or what you think will happen next chapter and/or the end)

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