Withered (Westwood High Book 1), page 20
He steps back, smirking, and says, “Trust me, this tongue works wonders.”
“You need Jesus,” I say, shoving him slightly.
When the bell rings, signaling the end of lunch, he walks in the opposite direction. “Later on, Evans.”
Because I'm mostly in my own universe, physics flew by. It’s now time for English.
I walk into the classroom and see Tyler already at the back. When he sees me, he smiles and waves. I move through and take the seat next to him.
After a few minutes, Professor Caleb enters, and the class resumes. Tyler still believes he is strange for some reason, while I try not to think about it too much.
After class, Professor Caleb calls me, and Tyler gives me the I told you he is a weirdo look. After speaking to him, I meet Tyler outside the class, who asks, “What did he say?”
“He was just asking about the assignment, and he gave me a topic to work on.” I waved the file the professor gave me.
“Don’t you get some weird vibes from him?” Tyler starts walking in the direction of our lockers.
“Weird vibes from whom?” A familiar voice asks from behind us.
We turn around to see Jake standing behind us. He looks at Tyler before turning to me.
“Our English teacher, Professor Caleb,” Tyler answers. Way to go, Tyler.
Jake glances at me and asks, “That guy from Starbucks?”
I nod. “Yup, that’s the one.”
“What did he do?” Jake asks sternly.
“Nothing. He gave me an assignment. Look.” I wave the file at Jake. “He is nice,” I tell them both.
Tyler smiles as he looks behind me and excuses himself. Kristy. I turn around and see her walking our way. Jake grabs my wrist and drags me in the opposite direction before I can say hello.
“Hey!” I protest against his hold.
It’s difficult to keep up with him. I’m almost jogging because of his long strides. People throw us odd looks, but I don’t have time to think about it. We continue down the hall and turn right into the next, practically empty hallway.
He releases his hand from my wrist and stands in front of me. The few students scramble away when they spot us, leaving us alone.
“You need to stop talking to that dickhead,” Jake states. The way he says that didn’t exactly sound like a question or a request.
“Excuse me?” I ask him, bewildered. “Who are you to tell me that?”
I feel my rage growing. Never in my life have my parents ever asked me to do that. Who does he think he is?
“Look, I just know that he’s a fucking dickhead, okay? Just stay away from him,” Jake yells, his fist clenching and unclenching.
“I don’t care what you think of him. He is a professor. How should I stay away from him if he calls me?” I ask him, raising my voice.
“Then don’t go!” Jake screams.
“As if,” I scoff.
“Why are you so fucking difficult?” Jake says, running his fingers through his hair and tugging at the ends.
For a second, I forget everything we’re arguing over and imagine his soft hair against my palm.
“I am difficult. Are you even listening to yourself?” I wave my finger between us. He groans and looks up with his eyes closed.
“Jake,” I start slowly. “He’s no harm,” I assure him.
He opens his eyes, looks at me, and lets out a breath. He takes a step toward me and backs me up against the wall. His anger has cooled down, but his chest continues to rise and fall.
“I’m sorry.” He puts his head against my forehead. I close my eyes, seeping into the moment.
“You say that, yet you shout at me,” I whisper. He’s so close that I breathe in his familiar scent, which helps me calm and at the same time turns my brain senseless.
“I don’t just say sorry to anyone,” he whispers back, his minty breath fanning my face.
“Wow, I feel special.” I chuckle and open my eyes to face him.
Sunlight lands on my eyes, so I have to blink a few times. I get a good look at his face, and it hurts. He’s so gorgeous.
He opens his eyes and peers into mine. He doesn’t answer but says, “Your eyes. Fuck… amazing.”
“They’re plain boring.” My eyes are brown. His, on the other hand, are the most beautiful ones. Forest green eyes, just like after a rain in the forest.
He grins. “They are far from boring. You just don’t see things the same way I do.”
“Aren’t you late for your practice?” I ask.
“Fuck it.” I make a gagging face at what he says.
“You have a dirty mouth, Henderson,” I tell him.
“Don’t try to deny it, Evans. I know you love it.” He smirks.
“I don’t-,” My words are cut off by his lips on mine. It’s a soft peck at first, then he dives again and kisses me. It’s a basic kiss with no tongue—just nice. I do love his dirty mouth. Only he has the ability to make me scream at him and then make me want him like no one else.
“I’ll see you at home after practice.” I nod as he says.
He walks away, and I go to my locker. When my phone rings, I pull it from my pocket and swipe it. “I’ll be there in a second, Kristy,” I say before she begins her rant about where I am.
Kristy is leaning against the hood of my car, so busy typing on her phone that she doesn’t notice me.
“Ready?” She looks startled for a second but then… here it comes, one… two…three… “Where were you?”
“Oh, you and Jake were busy,” she says, cutting me off. “I understand.” She grins.
“No. What makes you think that?” Is she able to look right through me?
“Your lips are swollen. So, I figured.” She shrugs, and my mouth falls open.
“Get in the car before I decide to leave you right here.” I dodge the rest of the chat and get in the driver’s seat.
“You can’t do it. You love me, Rosie,” she shouts and gets into the passenger’s seat.
“Where to?” I ask.
“The mall,” she answers. And that’s where we go.
We go shopping, catch up, and then eat in the food court. When you get to spend time with your best friend, you know it’s a good day, and that’s exactly what we do.
I drop Kristy off at her house and arrive home at 6:30 p.m. Mom is in the kitchen cooking; I quickly greet her and go to my bedroom. I lay down my schoolbag and other shopping bags on the bed and freshen up.
I change into a black tank top and shorts after taking a nice bath. I’m still hungry despite having eaten at the mall. First, I go downstairs and sip my juice. Mom is busy cooking and has her back to me. She must have known I was hungry, as she kept a dish of grilled chicken in front of me.
“Thanks, Mom,” I murmur hastily before taking a bite.
Mom joins me and asks the normal school-related questions. I finish quickly and head back to my room. I already have the assignment to complete, and Professor Caleb assigned me another topic. Because I skipped school with Jake last week, so I have a lot of work to do.
I walk into the room and find it a mess, with my bag on the carpet and shopping bags strewn across the bed. I blow out a breath and start cleaning my room. After that, I pull out my books and began working on my English assignment.
“Where were you?” A familiar voice speaks.
I turn to find Jake sitting on the edge of his window. His feet were dangling, his hair was wet as if he just came out of a shower, and his chest was exposed. It’s hard to keep my eyes on his face when his naked torso is so tempting.
He smirks, knowing full well that he caught me staring at him.
“I was out with Kristy.” My window was open, so I didn’t have to shout.
He nods but doesn’t move or speak again. I close my books and stand near the window. “How was your practice?”
“It was fine. Coach, on the other hand, is a dangerous man.” He stares into space, most likely thinking of coach’s fury.
I giggle. “Were you on the receiving end of his rage?” Just thinking about the scene makes me giggle again.
“No,” he answers quickly, his cheeks blushing a faint shade of red.
I gaze at him, stunned, and it dawns on me. I burst into laughter, clutching my stomach. My eyes tear up.
“Oh, you were.” I manage to speak in between gasps of laughter.
“Fine. But it wasn’t just me.” He shrugs and continues, “I was tired and suggested we call it a day.”
“Start preparing for the worst, Henderson,” I say. Coach is going to suck their blood out.
He clears his throat, and my eyes meet his. That goddamn smirk is enough to let me know he caught me staring again.
“So, what were you doing?” He’s looking at the mess I made on my bed.
“Assignments.” I shrug.
“Nerd,” he mutters under his breath.
I squint at him and say, “You’re a jerk.”
“I’m not,” he scoffs like a toddler.
I glare at him hard, and he rolls his eyes. “Fine. I am. But I like calling you a nerd. You look so adorable in those glasses.”
I roll my eyes. “I don’t have glasses. I put them on because I like them.”
“Why?” He asks, intrigued.
“I’m not sure. At one point, I felt like wearing them. They went with my overall nerdy personality,” I tell him.
He nods.
“Jake, dinner’s ready.” I hear Esme, Jake’s mom’s faint voice.
“Later, Evans,” he says it with a small nod, and I wave him goodbye. He steps off the ledge and walks away.
“Rose,” Jake calls, turning around.
“Yeah?” I love it when he calls me Rose. That sexy accent rolls off his tongue perfectly.
“I’ll pick you up tomorrow too,” he tells me, then walks off, not waiting for my answer. Not that I was going to deny it.
As the chilly breeze blows against my window, I smile and close it.
I wake up with my ringtone blaring from my phone. I yawn as I sit on my bed for a second. It suddenly dawns on me that Jake is going to pick me up.
I fall back on my bed and bury my face in my blanket, clearly not in the mood to get out of bed.
“Rose, are you up?” Mom calls from outside my door.
“Yes. I am up,” I shout in my sleepy voice. Her footsteps fade away, telling me she left.
I get up, swaying a little, on my way to the bathroom. I get ready in my undergarments in twenty minutes, rummaging through my closet for something decent to wear.
I pick a cute plain black full-sleeve shirt and pair it with a white skirt that I got yesterday. My legs look longer than usual, so I wear black-and-white striped socks with boots. Once I’m ready, I take my bag and go downstairs to see both Mom and Dad having breakfast.
“Morning Dad. Morning Mom,” I greet as I take a seat.
“You look great, kiddo,” Dad compliments me. He’s reading a file, while Mom is reading a newspaper.
“Thanks, Dad,” I say as I dig into the scrambled eggs.
The doorbell rings just as Dad gets up. I shoot up from my seat, but Dad beats me to it, saying, “I’ll get it.”
“Kiddo, Jake’s here!” Dad shouts from the living room.
Within seconds, they both enter the kitchen. Jake follows Dad, and he greets Mom. He’s dressed in a white shirt, black jeans, black shoes, and his signature black leather jacket. His hair is brushed back, and it looks as if he kept running his fingers through it.
“You’re ready?” Jake asks.
“Just five minutes,” I say, finishing my breakfast.
Mom keeps telling him to have something, but he says he's full.
Dad hasn’t had a chance to talk to him before, so they have some small talk. I think Jake would be nervous, but he handles the situation well. He keeps glancing my way, but I remain quiet.
I finish my breakfast, and Jake looks relieved when I pick up my backpack and usher him to follow me. I say bye to my parents and head outside.
“I thought you were going to leave me to suffer there,” Jake says, looking at me.
“You looked fine,” I say, adjusting the strap of my backpack.
Jake has his backpack on his right shoulder and his other hand in the front pocket of his jeans.
“Let’s go.” He grabs my wrist, catches me off guard, and pulls me toward his car.
He lets go of my hand and walks around the car to the driver’s side. Jake’s brows knit together in confusion as I stand there with my arms crossed.
“Such a gentleman. Henderson, where is your chivalry?” I ask him, putting on a big fake smile.
“That’s the thing, Evans. Chivalry was never my thing, to begin with.” He enters the car with a smirk.
I huff in annoyance and slide into the passenger seat. Jake starts the car but doesn’t drive away.
Jake says, “Put your seat belt on,” but I ignore him.
I don’t move, and he speaks after a few seconds. “You called for it.”
Confused, I look at him. “What do you mean?”
My body jerks as the car speeds down the street. My body shakes again as he applies the brake.
“Wanna try again?” He smirks. I glare at him but put my seat belt on. It's not fun.
I get out the second he stops the car when we reach school. My attempt fails as I have to walk around, and Jake beats me. He catches my wrist and pins me against the hood of his car.
The parking lot has many people, some of whom are now our mini-audience. Kristy stands a few feet away, next to Tyler, who is grinning and whispering something into her ear.
“Are you mad at me?” Jake asks, and my eyes meet his.
“No?” I say it, but it sounds more like a question.
“I was just trying to have a little fun.” He sounds genuine, and I give him a little smile.
“I’m not mad. You just gave me a scare.” The car speeding was horrifying, but I couldn’t deny the adrenaline rush that came with it.
He eases up, keeping just enough space between us to keep me trapped. His hands are on either side of me, and he is peering down at me, giving me an overall look. He slowly leans in closer, his lips grazing my cheek and stopping at my ear. My breath gets caught in my throat as I wait for him to speak.
“Did I mention you look beautiful?” He whispers in my ear.
“N-No,” I stutter and am completely speechless.
“Now you know,” he replies in a low tone, planting a lingering kiss on my cheek before backing away.
He looks into my eyes, and I stare into those exquisite green orbs until Tyler and Kristy break the spell. Jake moves and stands beside me.
“Don’t you have a class to go to?” Tyler teases, smirking at Jake. Kristy wiggles her eyebrows at me.
“Don’t you two have a class to go to?” Jake retorts.
“We do. Didn’t you hear the bell just ring?” Kristy chimes in.
I look around and see people making their way inside the school.
I look up at Jake, who looks back. Were we so in the moment that we didn’t listen to the bell go off?
He shrugs, so I say, “Let’s go. I’ll see you at lunch.”
We part ways. Jake and I both go to math class. Professor Williams is at her desk, and the class goes silent when she notices us standing at the door.
“We are so sorry, professor,” I start before she starts warning us.
I’m sure I’m going to get a detention today. My palms begin to sweat out of nervousness and embarrassment.
Jake, who is leaning against the door with no guilt but a smirk on his face, takes notice of my state and grabs my hand.
“It was my fault,” he states.
I stare at him. Why would he take the blame on himself?
She shifts her gaze from me to Jake. “At least you’re earlier than the last time. Come on in. Take your seats.”
I sigh in relief. Jake tugs me towards our seat, and I don’t miss the apparent stare on our hands. I take my seat and shield myself from every pair of eyes with my hair.
The class goes by quickly as Jake and I race to see who can get the answers first. We get so loud to the point that the professor almost throws us out of the class but instead left a warning. Math is fun.
We split up outside of class, and I go to World History. Fortunately, our professor is not in class today, and the substitute teacher lets us go fifteen minutes ago. I come to a halt at my locker in the empty hallway and proceed to the library.
This school’s library is my favorite place. I spent most of my sophomore year here. If anyone has to find me, this would be the place.
I walk through the familiar doors into the silent room and head toward the science section. I go through the stack of books until I find the one I’ve been looking for.
My phone begins to vibrate in my pocket. I take it out and smile at the name.
“Hey,” I say.
“Hey yourself,” Jake says. “Where are you?”
“Library,” I tell him.
“I should’ve known.” He chuckles. He must think I’m a nerd now.
“Not a word, Henderson,” I warn him.
“I have been waiting for ten minutes now,” he speaks, and my eyes dart to the wall clock. Wow…I’ve been here for almost half an hour.
“I’ll meet you in the cafeteria,” I answer before hanging up, not waiting for his reply.
I gather my stuff and make my way to the cafeteria. I turn around the corner and bump into someone. I look up and see a furious Olivia glaring down at me. She is a few inches taller than me because of her heels.
“I’m so sorry; I wasn’t looking,” I apologize.
“If she isn’t the little miss prissy,” she mocks me.
I ignore her and try to walk around her, but she holds my arm and pulls me back in front of her.
“No comeback? Oh, you don’t have your backup here.” Her nails dig into my arm, and I struggle against her grip.
“Leave Kristy out of this,” I say.
“How about your new boyfriend?” She snarls, looking up and down at me.
“Rather than picking on me, why don’t you go sort your life out?” I reply, yanking my hand away from me.
I don’t want to be harsh to her, but she leaves me with no choice but to put her back in her place.
