off causes my entire body to scream in protest, tightening up as if it’s rebelling against itself. There’s no way I’ll be able to move around well enough to make my way through school, let alone have a new excuse for my pain. If I rest today, I’ll be ready for tomorrow… for Hawaii. I stop and realize that now, wearing a swimming suit is out of the question, or showing any kind of skin for that matter. These marks are not going away anytime soon.
I reach for my cell and punch in Andrew’s number. He answers after the third ring.
“Hey, Jasmine, I was just getting ready to head your way. What’s up?”
“I’m not going to make it to school today because I’m not feeling well. I wanted to call you before you made it all the way here.” Sounding sick was not an issue.
He’s quiet for a moment. “Are you alright? You seemed fine when I talked to you last night.” His words are accusatory.
“Yeah, I know. It’s weird. It just came on all of a sudden… I even had to cancel on Alex.” For some reason I feel compelled to tell him this.
“That’s alright , and I hope you feel better. You’re still coming on the trip, right?” He asks nervously, as if he just realized I may be too sick to go.
“Yes. I wouldn’t miss it for anything.”
I have to get away from here, even if I spend all of my time with Andrew, trying to ignore Alex. He’s going to want to know why I no showed on him , so at least this will provide me some cover until I can face him again.
“Great! You want me to pick you up. We have an assembly first thing in the morning, then we get on the shuttle bus to the airport. I think our flight leaves at one.”
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure your right. Hey, I’ve got to let you go.” I tell him, not wanting to discuss plane schedules.
“Oh, right. Sick. Sorry. Just a bit excited.” I laugh, well, try to is more like it.
“See you Friday morning then?” I confirm.
“Yep, I’ll be there at eight to pick you up.”
“Alright, see you then.” I hang up and drift back to sleep.
Chapter Sixteen
Alex
It took me half the day to figure out Jasmine missed school. I overheard Andrew, that asshole, tell some of his friends that she was sick. The stupid part of my brain is compelling me to ask her why she stood me up last night, but it would be only out of curiosity, not that I cared either way, of course.
Who am I kidding? I kept my phone with me last night every second waiting for it to ring. When midnight rolled around, I gave up, showered , and went to bed. I’ve been biting at the bit to find out why she didn’t even bother to call. Turns out, she may have a good reason for not showing, but she’s never been the type of person to leave you hanging, but what do I know these days.
Fuck! I’m sounding more like a chick every day. Get your shit together Navarro!
Lunchtime is as far as I make it before breaking down and calling her. Sitting sideways on my bike, I pull her number up and hit send. I blow out a deep breath, wondering why I’m so nervous to call someone I’ve been friends with almost my entire life.
On the fo urth ring, she answers.
“Hello.” Her voice is groggy.
“Jasmine?”
“Yeah.” She sounds horrible , but not in the way I expect a sick person to sound… she sounds like she’s in pain, reminding me of how I sounded after I was jumped to get into the gang… She sounds like she got her ass kicked.
“I hear you’re sick.” I say, trying to hide the worry creeping up inside of me.
“Yeah, not feeling to o well.” She doesn’t elaborate. I can’t help this bad feeling I’m getting.
“Are you sure that’s all it is?” The question comes out without my permission, but the fluttering of my insides warn me that something’s off.
She pauses, longer than she should. “I’m fine, really. I should feel better by tomorrow. You’re still coming to Hawaii, right?” She tries to sound excited, trying to convince
I reach for my cell and punch in Andrew’s number. He answers after the third ring.
“Hey, Jasmine, I was just getting ready to head your way. What’s up?”
“I’m not going to make it to school today because I’m not feeling well. I wanted to call you before you made it all the way here.” Sounding sick was not an issue.
He’s quiet for a moment. “Are you alright? You seemed fine when I talked to you last night.” His words are accusatory.
“Yeah, I know. It’s weird. It just came on all of a sudden… I even had to cancel on Alex.” For some reason I feel compelled to tell him this.
“That’s alright , and I hope you feel better. You’re still coming on the trip, right?” He asks nervously, as if he just realized I may be too sick to go.
“Yes. I wouldn’t miss it for anything.”
I have to get away from here, even if I spend all of my time with Andrew, trying to ignore Alex. He’s going to want to know why I no showed on him , so at least this will provide me some cover until I can face him again.
“Great! You want me to pick you up. We have an assembly first thing in the morning, then we get on the shuttle bus to the airport. I think our flight leaves at one.”
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure your right. Hey, I’ve got to let you go.” I tell him, not wanting to discuss plane schedules.
“Oh, right. Sick. Sorry. Just a bit excited.” I laugh, well, try to is more like it.
“See you Friday morning then?” I confirm.
“Yep, I’ll be there at eight to pick you up.”
“Alright, see you then.” I hang up and drift back to sleep.
Chapter Sixteen
Alex
It took me half the day to figure out Jasmine missed school. I overheard Andrew, that asshole, tell some of his friends that she was sick. The stupid part of my brain is compelling me to ask her why she stood me up last night, but it would be only out of curiosity, not that I cared either way, of course.
Who am I kidding? I kept my phone with me last night every second waiting for it to ring. When midnight rolled around, I gave up, showered , and went to bed. I’ve been biting at the bit to find out why she didn’t even bother to call. Turns out, she may have a good reason for not showing, but she’s never been the type of person to leave you hanging, but what do I know these days.
Fuck! I’m sounding more like a chick every day. Get your shit together Navarro!
Lunchtime is as far as I make it before breaking down and calling her. Sitting sideways on my bike, I pull her number up and hit send. I blow out a deep breath, wondering why I’m so nervous to call someone I’ve been friends with almost my entire life.
On the fo urth ring, she answers.
“Hello.” Her voice is groggy.
“Jasmine?”
“Yeah.” She sounds horrible , but not in the way I expect a sick person to sound… she sounds like she’s in pain, reminding me of how I sounded after I was jumped to get into the gang… She sounds like she got her ass kicked.
“I hear you’re sick.” I say, trying to hide the worry creeping up inside of me.
“Yeah, not feeling to o well.” She doesn’t elaborate. I can’t help this bad feeling I’m getting.
“Are you sure that’s all it is?” The question comes out without my permission, but the fluttering of my insides warn me that something’s off.
She pauses, longer than she should. “I’m fine, really. I should feel better by tomorrow. You’re still coming to Hawaii, right?” She tries to sound excited, trying to convince
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