pocket, and I take a long look at the flame across my arm before pulling it out.
Oh shoot, I totally spaced…
“Hey, Jay.”
“Hey. We’re still on, yeah? I can’t find you.”
Part of me wants to cancel. But a bigger part feels like this is it. My escape . Jay knows nothing about my family. He doesn’t know I’m failing four classes. He doesn’t know… and I need someone who doesn’t know—who can help me run away.
“I’m in the history hall. Where are you?”
“Main hall.”
“I’ll be there in a minute.”
“Awesome.”
I shove my phone back in my pocket and spit my gum out in the nearest trash. My feet race to the main hall, and I send another seemingly impossible wish to the skies.
Please let this cure everything.
***
“What’s this?” Jay asks when he opens his front door for me. His finger trails along the temporary tattoo I gave myself in class.
I shrug. “Got bored last period.”
“You drew this?”
“Uh… yeah,” I mumble, because I can’t seem to pay attention to what it is we’re talking about because ho-lee hell…this house I just walked into? Seriously humungous.
“It looks awesome,” he says.
“Huh?”
His mouth quirks at the corner as he watches me take in the entryway. It looks like a room, even though I know it’s not. The stairs split in two, curving around a large fountain right in the center. Who the hell has a fountain in their entryway?
“I’ll show you around,” he says, taking my hand and prying me from the spot. I can’t even concentrate on all the stuff he shows me. Big ass kitchen. Got that. Big ass formal room, living room, dining room. Check, check, check. A pool. Freaking pool. I had no idea people actually live like this. My entire trailer (and my neighbor’s) could fit in the guest bathroom.
He takes me to a theater room with a popcorn machine and moving seats. We settle in the front row, and he still hasn’t let go of my hand.
“It’s big, I know. I still get lost sometimes.” He laughs.
“Oh, right. This is your stepdad’s place.”
“Yeah. The house he bought for my mom is a bit smaller, but once her job got relocated, we shipped off here.”
I press back into the leather seat, bringing my braid around front. “Do you like it?”
His blue eyes skate over my hair, and his breath hitches. I hold mine, not sure what he’s thinking because I’m not really doing anything, yet his grip on my hand has tightened and gotten a little moist.
“It was different.” He gulps. “But it’s gotten a lot better.”
The air around us gets so heavy I feel like I could choke on it. Jay inches a little closer, but stops before he kisses me. I don’t know if he was planning on kissing me again, but it sure looked like it, and I don’t know yet if I’m in the mood.
He clears his throat and backs up the inches he moved forward. “So… Final Destination ?”
I force a smile and nod. He lets go of my fingers, and when he’s not looking I wipe my palm free of the sweat he put in it.
“It’s up in my room, actually,” he says when he stands, and I don’t move.
“Do you want me to wait here?”
Giving me a nervous smile, he rubs the back of his neck. “Uh, no. My room’s more comfortable, so I thought we’d watch up there. But if you want to watch it here that’s okay, too. But I thought since we were doing all five movies, you’d want to be able to lie down or sit or whatever.”
I take a look at the theater seats, and he’s right. A few hours in these would probably kill my butt bone. But I’m not stupid—or all the way stupid—because I also notice the lack of make-out possibilities.
Taking a deep breath, I slide out of the theater seat and nod for him to lead the way. Jay’s hand twines itself with mine again, and he pulls me a step closer. I really do like the way he smells. It’s like when you open a magazine and smell all the cologne samples. Not so strong you’re going to pass out, but
Oh shoot, I totally spaced…
“Hey, Jay.”
“Hey. We’re still on, yeah? I can’t find you.”
Part of me wants to cancel. But a bigger part feels like this is it. My escape . Jay knows nothing about my family. He doesn’t know I’m failing four classes. He doesn’t know… and I need someone who doesn’t know—who can help me run away.
“I’m in the history hall. Where are you?”
“Main hall.”
“I’ll be there in a minute.”
“Awesome.”
I shove my phone back in my pocket and spit my gum out in the nearest trash. My feet race to the main hall, and I send another seemingly impossible wish to the skies.
Please let this cure everything.
***
“What’s this?” Jay asks when he opens his front door for me. His finger trails along the temporary tattoo I gave myself in class.
I shrug. “Got bored last period.”
“You drew this?”
“Uh… yeah,” I mumble, because I can’t seem to pay attention to what it is we’re talking about because ho-lee hell…this house I just walked into? Seriously humungous.
“It looks awesome,” he says.
“Huh?”
His mouth quirks at the corner as he watches me take in the entryway. It looks like a room, even though I know it’s not. The stairs split in two, curving around a large fountain right in the center. Who the hell has a fountain in their entryway?
“I’ll show you around,” he says, taking my hand and prying me from the spot. I can’t even concentrate on all the stuff he shows me. Big ass kitchen. Got that. Big ass formal room, living room, dining room. Check, check, check. A pool. Freaking pool. I had no idea people actually live like this. My entire trailer (and my neighbor’s) could fit in the guest bathroom.
He takes me to a theater room with a popcorn machine and moving seats. We settle in the front row, and he still hasn’t let go of my hand.
“It’s big, I know. I still get lost sometimes.” He laughs.
“Oh, right. This is your stepdad’s place.”
“Yeah. The house he bought for my mom is a bit smaller, but once her job got relocated, we shipped off here.”
I press back into the leather seat, bringing my braid around front. “Do you like it?”
His blue eyes skate over my hair, and his breath hitches. I hold mine, not sure what he’s thinking because I’m not really doing anything, yet his grip on my hand has tightened and gotten a little moist.
“It was different.” He gulps. “But it’s gotten a lot better.”
The air around us gets so heavy I feel like I could choke on it. Jay inches a little closer, but stops before he kisses me. I don’t know if he was planning on kissing me again, but it sure looked like it, and I don’t know yet if I’m in the mood.
He clears his throat and backs up the inches he moved forward. “So… Final Destination ?”
I force a smile and nod. He lets go of my fingers, and when he’s not looking I wipe my palm free of the sweat he put in it.
“It’s up in my room, actually,” he says when he stands, and I don’t move.
“Do you want me to wait here?”
Giving me a nervous smile, he rubs the back of his neck. “Uh, no. My room’s more comfortable, so I thought we’d watch up there. But if you want to watch it here that’s okay, too. But I thought since we were doing all five movies, you’d want to be able to lie down or sit or whatever.”
I take a look at the theater seats, and he’s right. A few hours in these would probably kill my butt bone. But I’m not stupid—or all the way stupid—because I also notice the lack of make-out possibilities.
Taking a deep breath, I slide out of the theater seat and nod for him to lead the way. Jay’s hand twines itself with mine again, and he pulls me a step closer. I really do like the way he smells. It’s like when you open a magazine and smell all the cologne samples. Not so strong you’re going to pass out, but
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