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Chapter 5 His meanness, her weakness

  • *
  • Jacqueline's POV
  • I got to class, tuck the hand that had meaningless scribbles from Nick, into my jacket pocket and assisted my notes with my arm.
  • Getting to my seat, I tossed a -hi- to Martha who started yabbing about stuffs that were music related and that I wasn't interested in. I just had to pay half attention to her, for friendship sake.
  • Work started and soon, it was time for sport. Packing my notes under my desk, Martha and I head to our lockers, I opened mine and grabbed my sporting clothes.. A long-sleeve Adidas shirt, a pair trouser and white sneakers. I closed my locker door with my free hand..
  • "What's that?" I heard Martha's voice and I faced her.
  • "What's what?" I questioned, after realizing she was talking to me.
  • "The writings on your hand. is it some sort of tattoo or hand design?" She inquired with a grimace.
  • I frantically tried to hide my hand but knowing she had seen it and not wanting my actions to get her suspicious I opened my palm and showed it to her.
  • "It was a mistake. Just ignore it"
  • "It's Korean?" She said "You write Hangul?" She took my palm, staring at the writing.
  • "I don't" I took my hand from her grip. "And I didn't notice it's Korea. Come-on let's go" I grabbed her wrist and took her to the gym before she would prolong the issue.
  • We settled on a bench and watched Mr Joe, our sport master signal to the basketball team. It was obvious not everyone will be participating in today's sport, only the basketballer will while we only watch as the audience and cheer our favorite.
  • I'm belong to the tennis team while Martha belongs to the female football team.
  • It's actually a good thing not to get sporty today because firstly I'm in no mood for sporty movements that would definitely trigger my healing wounds and because Jason's among the basketball players..
  • He's actually a boss at it and here in Amity high, a sport-god of any kind of sporting game becomes an eye catcher and a lady's guy. That doesn't apply to me, Jason's always my eye catcher.. Be he a sport-god or not.
  • I made sure my seat was at the front row, where I could get a clear view of everything. Mr Joe, dressed in a white Adidas shirt and trouser and a whistle around his neck, started engaging the teams and coordinating them. From his side I could see Jason, looking super hot in his sport wears, his colored viking hair matching that of his hazel eyes and adding to his beauty. I admired him for a while, smiling when he smiled and chuckling softly when he looks at my direction.
  • "Can you listen to me and stop making lovey dovey eyes at Jason, you're beginning to make other student think you're going senile" Martha's voice rang in my ear and I smiled, realizing I hadn't heard her talking.
  • "How can I when he's looking directly at me?" I said, my gaze still on Jason.
  • "You're acting weird Jackie, Jason isn't looking at you. He would never!" she said, jabbing me with an elbow and I turned to her.
  • "Sometimes you should try to be positive. That hurt me feelings" I said and she jeered.
  • "Come-on Jackie what do you expect, I'm talking and my best friend isn't listening rather she's drooling over whoever"
  • "I wasn't drooling. See why I said you should be positive? I don't drool over guys Marth, I admire" I corrected and she gestured surrender.
  • I turned back to the small field in the gym and my gaze met with Nicholas who's gaze unexpectedly was on me.. He looked away and I frowned before strolling my eyes to search for Jason and when I did, a smile ignorantly tugged at the corner of my lips.
  • ..
  • After an hour of Jason playing, getting passes, me cheering him all through and Mr Joe whistling at intervals, the game ended with Jason's team taking the lead. I cheered and watched as his team took him up on their shoulders, jubilating and him smiling all through, causing me to smile and earn Martha's upsetting look after.
  • As we head to class Martha handed a cold can coke to me and thoughtfully, I excused myself away from her. After all those running, throwing and jumping Jason must be tired and a cold coke can't go wrong in such time.
  • I haven't really met Jason one on one, I've just been one of his many secret admirer.. Though we've crossed path once or twice, we haven't talked nor gestured our words. I walked to the upper floor and got to the hallway, fortunately enough I sighted Jason.. Behind the open door of his locker. I smiled, wrapped the can coke in my fist and walked up to him, he was inputting the lock pin when I got to him.
  • He turned his attention from the locker to me, his countenance changing.
  • "Hi" I said and without waiting for a response I continued "I'm Jacqueline, you might've not noticed but I'm a big fan of yours. I watch you play all the time and you're really really good--
  • "I know that already and I'm not just really good, I'm the best and if you have really been my fan then you should have known that but since you don't I can't say you've been watching me except you have another motive. Now tell me are a pester or a diehard crush seeking for a nightstand" he said and my brows furrowed.
  • How can he say that?
  • "Um actually I'm none of those. I just wanted to give you this, I figured you must be tired from all those running, a friend gave this to me and I thought you'd need it more" I said, stretching the coke to him, my heartbreak accelerating out of nervousness.
  • "Jason, Mr Joe needs you.. Like right now" a guy got to us and told Jason and without sparing me a glance, Jason went with him.
  • ".. You played with so much enthusiasm today" the guy said.
  • "Don't I always?" Jason responded.
  • "Today's seemed different, it was like you were trying to get something off your mind"
  • "Just needed to blow out some steam"
  • "I felt the heat"
  • Those were the words that I heard, while watching them walk away. I need no soothsayer to tell me I just got.. Rejected. Undeniably, I felt hurt. And jeez, how can he say that about me.. Do I look like a pest or a bitchy fling?.
  • ..
  • *
  • School ended for the day and after grabbing my bag and moving out of the school compound with Martha, I bade her goodbye and went my way.
  • Jog-walking home had been a big habit of mine that I don't think will be ending anytime soon.. That's what happens when you get to walk alone on a long journey because you can't use the bus. In the past my dad was the one who drove me to school while my mom brought me back, those times are actually one of the ones I cherished so much because once I start my journey home or to school, they flock in.
  • The last ride I had with them before their death was still very fresh in my head.
  • The smiles, dad's caution and mom's care. She always wanted to know every wrong thing going on in my life, every guy I met, friends I keep, things I did in school; both the good and the bad. Those times, she called mother-daughter talks were the days I partially didn't like because somehow she had a way of making me pour out all of my feelings to her. She wasn't the type to scold or punish, None of my parent were.. They'd listen and talk to me about how dangerous the bad path is and lead me to the good one. They loved me, both Allan and I and they never stopped showing it until their death.
  • A dreadful nightmare that turned to reality and upturned my life. If they were to be alive, they'd never let me work and study at the same time and my fees wouldn't have to be paid by me at all.
  • Allan sometimes considerate, does the payment and when he doesn't, I do.. If you didn't know about the cause of my troubles you'd describe Allan as a really great person. Well he is, he once was until my parent's death.. It didn't only leave us in shock it also gave him rapid and dreadful mood swings. Those negative sides were always pointed at me and secretly I bore it and let it stay in the dark... It has been the change in my life after the tragic death, though there has been lots of changes.. This one seems the hardest to live with and rather than try to get used to it, I keep hoping for a change and for the Allan I know to return.. The sweet protective Allan.
  • I got home and used the stairs, I dressed up in casuals, grabbed my work bag, locked my room door and dashed out of the house to work. I got to Foods and fries and after exchanging greetings with my bosses and other coworkers, I dropped my bag, went behind the counter and started the day's work; Serving, frying, smiling politely, that's one of the rules of sherlock, a no nonsense man.
  • "Customers are right and should not be frowned at" he would say us. I am the youngest in food and fries and that's why I don't get to talk much with anyone. No side talks, just do your bit of work and leave.
  • I had my shift by 5:30 and I left after getting an assurance on my payment.
  • I got to the coffee shop, my second job and there I worked until it hit 8:00, I collected my daily payment and after grabbing a quick bite since I felt my stomach churning from hunger, I journeyed to my next work for deliveries..
  • Dropping my bag, I grabbed the box of fried chicken, already packed up for me. Got the address and used the delivery bike to go for the deliveries. After two more ride and since today's call for chicken order wasn't much, I parked the bicycle and went into the shop to assist Noel, a coworker to grill the rest of the chicken. We were allowed to get shares from it and when it was 10:00pm I waved goodbye to them, got a peck from Margaret and hit the road home. Getting to the bus station I saw the writings on my hand and I sighed.. I haven't even had time to attempt taking it off. I took a taxi and dropped at Freddie's workshop, he works in a store where appliances are being sold and he's pretty good at fixing stuffs too.. Who knows he might be able to fix phones as well, I touched my bag and felt the phone. I got down and walked into the glass door, scanning my eyes around for him.
  • "Jacqueline" I turned to the direction where I heard my name and saw Freddie waving at me. I waved and walked to him.
  • "Hey, what are you doing here?"
  • "To see you. I actually brought something along, was wondering if you could fix it"
  • "Okay. What is it?"
  • I zipped open my bag and took out the phone before stretching it to him and he took it.
  • "A smartphone?, Yours?"
  • "No, a friend's. it mistakenly got broken and I told him I have someone that could fix it so he gave it to me. Can you?" I asked.
  • "I'm not a mobile engineer and besides this looks ruined beyond repair but I'll try to turn it on first" he said and I sighed. Is that a brink of hope?.
  • "Where's your boss?"
  • "Out of town to get more goods and how's Allan?"
  • "He's good" I answered. He tried turning to phone on, taking things off and putting them back then adjusting the power button but there was no response. After five other trials he looked at me, sighed and shook his head.
  • "Sorry but I don't think I can do this. It looks likes it was pressed on and damaged from the inside, I don't think it's something that can be fixed easily but I've tried my best" he said and I smiled sadly.
  • "Thanks for trying" I took it from him. "I should get going now" I said and he nodded. I dropped the phone in my bag and took out the box of chicken and gave it to him, he took it glanced at it then at me. "Got it from work but now I'm in no mood to have fries. You can have it"
  • "Wow thanks. Now I feel really bad for not being able to fix your friend's phone"
  • "You tried your best, I'm sure you would've done it if you could" I smiled "Make sure you eat up while it's hot. I'll head home now"
  • "Thanks and say 'hi' to Allan for me" he said and I nodded with a smile before moving out.
  • I guess I'll just have to get another. My pay will be complete by tomorrow and with my savings, I'm sure I can purchase an exact one like this. It can't be that expensive.
  • I walked home and used the stairs to our floor, getting to the house, I opened the door and moved in. My gaze caught the interior light and I sighed before walking briskly to the sitting room.. I met Allan on one of the couch, the TV remote in his hand and his gaze on me. I gulped and moved further into the sitting room before shutting the door.
  • "Good.. Evening" I stuttered and when I saw no gestures nor response, I walked to my room and took out my pay from my bag, I slipped it into my piggy bank returned it to its spot.. Sooner than expected I'll be breaking it and using all the money for something that's not profitable to me.
  • I stood up and undressed before walking to the bathroom with a towel cladding me.. I used a water resistant cloth to wrap up my healing wounds and put on my shower cap. I'm too tired to dry my hair and Allan complains that the noise from my electric dryer disturbs him. I stayed under the shower and washed my body. After minutes of washing up, I rinsed myself, grabbed my towel and got out of the en suite, I took off my shower cap, left it in the cabinet and slipped my feet in my slippers. I opened the bathroom door and moved out.
  • A shudder running down my spine when you sight Allan, seated comfortably on your bed with Nick's damaged phone in his hand.