Chapter 2 The grouch

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• Jacqueline's POV
• Continues...
• I hailed a cab, got in and gave my destination to him.
• I stuck my head out of the window during the ride and watched, houses, kiosks, streetlights, and people disappear as soon as they appeared . I took in a mouthful of air and relaxed in the chair.
• Minutes later the cab pulled up in front of my school and I got down.. From outside I could see the huge three storeyed building..
• Amity High (AH) had been one of the finest schools in the city and I could say I was privileged to be a part of it. I could call it the only achievement I have and the only thing I could boast of to people.
• I walked in through the gate and surveyed the big building..
• Silently praying, that I don't meet Mr-two-faced in a bad mood. I rushed to the stairs and climbed up to the second floor, where my class was located.. I got to the hallway and walked to my locker, unlocking it I stuffed my notes from it to my backpack. I strapped it over my shoulder and regretted the action almost immediately, a hiss of pain escaping my lip.. I gently took it off and held it before walking to class.
• Getting there, I sighed gratefully after taking a peek from the classroom window and not finding Mr two face; It's a nickname given to Mr Robert, our homeroom teacher by a notorious guy in class and since then every student seem to have gotten fond of it, the whole class refers to him that way and that's only to ourselves because we never know when he gets his mood swings. The name actually referred to his changing personality.
• Mr Roberts can be all sweet, charming, kind, funny and carefree today and tomorrow he is a complete opposite.. His moods get exchanged easily and when that happens, trust me you'd wish you never knew him. He's also not a fan of favoritism. On a normal day, when his mood stays on the good side and he by chance sees me in school at this time, he'd ask questions about it and sometimes, gives a dollar to solve your supposed problem so you won't be late the next day, but when His mood swings to the ugly; he can get you reported to the school director and they make you spend the whole day scrubbing gums from furnitures in detention.
• Such a man!
• I got into class and a few attentions were pushed to me, before turning back to their former businesses probably finding out it's not a teacher or a look-worthy student. I shrugged and moved into the class then to my seat close to Martha's. I looked over at her and her attention seem to be pretty much clouded on her mobile.. Too clouded for her to notice me.
• I ignored her and unpack my notebooks from my bag.
• "Jackie," I turned to see Martha, now staring at me. I almost thought I was invisible. "Hey why didn't you say you're here? I just sent you a text"
• "Thought you had a pretty interesting thing down there, didn't want to be a disturbance" i said, putting a note to my side.
• "Yeah you're right. I was actually checking out Roxie's fan Page request. And you? Why are you dressed like you're going on a sporting competition?"
• I rolled my eyes "That's a really nice compliment Mart"
• "Come-on girl I'm being honest. I mean who wear jeans and sweatshirt on a very hot day, I'm leaving the boots aside"
• "Me? I guess"
• "Yeah you and it's not a great fashion sense"
• "We both know I have no fashion sense"
• She wanted to reply me but a teacher walked in and her attention turned to him.
• "Looks like Mr two-face didn't get a bad mood swing today" Martha whispered to me and I chuckled.
• During lunchtime, I walked to the cafe with Martha, we chose a table close to the entrance after getting our food a
• "Jackie.. You remember Dixie?"
• "Dixie? Your role model? The one who sings with hula?"
• "She doesn't sing with hula!" She said in a stern voice. "Anyways, she's having her first concert here in NY and it's at that big popular hotel three streets away from school . Isn't that wonderful?"
• "Yay" I replied dryly because firstly I wasn't a fan of hers, I'm not even a music freak or an obsessed fan that lip sync their fave all the time. Although, there are few musical lyrics that I knoe and those are the ones that plays in the coffee shop where I work or from the street.. And FYI I do have one or two artiste that I like and a few of their songs on my phone, which I rarely listen to..
• The emotions some of them brings up is what I don't fancy.. I hate reminiscing on my troubles and even though it's hard, I always want them pushed to the back of my mind and those emotional songs don't help.
• "Do I sense sarcasm in that tone?" She asked, giving me one of her not so nice look. I shrugged.
• "I already got ticket for us..
• "Wait.. When is this concert holding?"
• "Today. And hey don't give me that I-have-plans look. There's no way I'm letting you ditch me again"
• "I'm sorry Martha but I do have plans. I'll be doing deliveries today"
• "Wait you got another part time job?"
• "Um yes.. See the pay's good, I couldn't ignore it"
• "So you'll cope being a staff twice and a student?"
• "I'll try" I said and she rolled her eyes at me before grabbing her burger.
• "I guess I'll have to get used to being rejected by my bestie because we share nothing in common" she took a small bite from her food.
• "Com'on Martha you Know that's not true.. We have many things in common but some of those things just happen to pop up at the wrong time " I said with a placating smile and she took her cup of milkshake and sipped. I sighed, feeling
• Actually I do three part time jobs but I can't let Martha know that, she'll freak out for sure and try to find out why.. Something I want no one to know about. And fortunately she has been the only friend I've been this close with in the whole of A.A and the best one in my life.. She's one in many friends combined together and I really don't want to lose her.
• We had lunch and discussed about random stuffs that doesn't really add up the sum and during those talks I kept looking around to see if I could get a peek of Jason coming in or going out of the cafeteria but unfortunately I didn't and it was sad.
• After lunch, Martha and I head back to class.. We'd be having recess soon and for the period before it we had no class so Martha drew her seat very close to mine.. She punched something's into her phone and music started playing.. She dropped it between us.
• "It's Dixie's latest song, I heard she'll be singing it at the concert. You should hear it, maybe you'd wanna have a change of mind"
• I uninterested-ly drew an ear to the phone and listened to the song, not because I want to but because I didn't want Martha to refer to me as a geek or a fun squasher; which of course I am.. In some ways.
• After minutes of listening to it, I was surprised I was loving it and humming along.. It wasn't one of those cool songs that draw out your hurtful past and leaves you crying over it. It was a typical bad-girl song, the types that pops you up and makes you want to shake, to leave your pains and just dance out the moment.
• "So how'd you see it?" Martha asked, looking at me.
• "It's really good and I love it but that's not changing anything.. I still have a job" I said and she rolled her eyes.
• Soon, it was time for recess and I almost jumped up in ecstasy, I excused myself from Martha and walked out of the class, I ran up the stairs to the upper floor where Jason's class was located.. Don't get me wrong or think I'm a maniac but I sometimes take peeks at Jason through his class's window to see him.. I know it's just a one-sided thing, he probably doesn't know I exist but at least he does in my dreams and I'm okay with that.
• Since he is a senior, I had to go up to the third floor because that's where all senior classes are located. I got to the third floor and walked in the hallway, almost getting to Jason class I tilted my head to the windows side, to check for him..
• Paying less attention ahead and acting like I was a passer by. I was already at the class before his and just when I was getting to his, I hit something and almost tripped but I regained and stepped on a hard metal that cringed under my boot. I quickly looked down, ready to cuss at the distraction but my cuss came out as a gasp and my eyes widened. On the floor and in a completely bad situation was an obviously expensive smartphone pressed; by me or my boot and broken beyond recognition. I slowly bent and picked it up before turning to see the owner or probably realize it was an hallucination but another gasp passed through my lips when my gaze met am angry looking dude blaring daggers at me from his eyes.. I lost my voice immediately.
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