Jack Hammer by Tabatha Vargo, Melissa Andrea Page A

me to stop or run into her.
    Stopping, I pinched the bridge of my nose trying to calm the anger within. Just looking into her big, brown eyes burned.
    “For starters, you and your inability to get a fucking clue.” I tried to side-step her, but she was in my path again. “Really?”
    “What’s wrong?” she asked again.
    “I think I already covered that part.”
    “Don’t give me that bullshit, Blaine!” she roared.
    The students who were walking past us slowed and gave us weird looks.
    It was cloudy outside and the wind swirled around us, making Chelsey hug herself and move her hands up and down her arms.
    “What’s wrong?” she repeated firmly.
    “Honestly, Chelsey, I’m having a bad fucking day and you’re not making it any better.”
    Actually, I was having a good day until I overheard her conversation with Josh. But I couldn’t tell her that. I didn’t want her to know I was a jealous freak. She didn’t need to know how I really felt about her. It was bad enough I felt like a total loser. I didn’t need her thinking it, too.
    She flinched when I spoke to her, and again I had to force myself to ignore the hurt in her eyes.
    “I don’t understand you, Blaine,” she whispered. “I thought… I thought we were—” She stopped as she searched her mind for the right words.
    “You thought what?” I asked, annoyed. “What did you think, Chelsey? Come on. Tell me. Did you think we were an actual we ? That there was something between us?”
    “You know what? I’m done.” She threw her hands up. “When you decide to grow up, call me. Until then you can go straight to hell.”
    She bumped into my shoulder as she walked past me, nearly running to get away from me. I wanted to run after her, but I knew chasing after her was like chasing after the sun. She was impossible to catch and when I got too close, she burned me.

 
     
    13
    CHELSEY
     
     
    I HADN’T EXPECTED BLAINE TO SHOW up to Mr. Liam’s class at our agreed time at all, much less with his part of our project finished. Especially after he was being such an asshole the day before.
    I stayed up far too late and drank way too much coffee trying to finish his half of the project, but tears and a massive headache claimed what was left of my concentration.
    I was prepared to accept my failing grade when I got there, but when I walked in, Blaine was there staring back at me with a devious smirk. He was anything but my knight in shining armor. And even though he showed up, I still wanted to slap his beautiful face.
    I hate him.
    No , the tiny voice in my head corrected. You want to hate him .
    I was still in the dark when it came to Blaine’s sudden three hundred and sixty degree change, but by that point I was done dealing with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
    Mr. Liam said he’d have our grades on Monday, which meant there wasn’t much of anything I could do but wait. I hated waiting and the unknown. I hated to think one simple project could affect my GPA so greatly. After all the hard work I’d put into my grades, a stupid D because of a stupid guy was changing things.
    I wished Mr. Liam a good weekend, and left the classroom without a single word to Blaine. His eyes burned a hole in my back as I left the room. 
    I spent the next few periods in zombie mode, blaming my lack of participation on my lack of sleep. I was on autopilot with auto responses to the questions and conversations around me.
    When final period came around, I couldn’t remember anything that led up to that point. I’d dazed through the day without a care for what the teachers were teaching or the answers I was putting on my papers. Again, it was all Blaine’s fault.
    I was at my locker glaring at the contents within, when Lynn came skipping up to me.
    “Hey stranger,” she said, poking me in the side. “I’ve barely seen you all week. I hope that means things are going good with Blaine?”
    She shifted until her back rested against the lockers, as she lifted a suggestive