Part 1
Jazz cruised into the carpark scattering curses on the way. Her hair streamed out behind her, floating on the wind. She kicked the stand on her bike down and swung off it. She took another cigarette from the pocket on her leather jacket and hung her helmet onto the handle where she locked it in place. She lit the cigarette and walked slowly over to the nearest building. It was the gym. Her friends stood under the cover of the door. She has a thing for black. Right now, she wore a pair of leather pants, black of course and a red shirt with a slash across the top, where you could see her black lacy bra. "She's here." I said. The others turned to look in her direction. The sun glinted off her hair and I pulled my sunglasses over my eyes. Jazz is a very striking figure. She's tall and, well, mysterious looking. She has long dark hair, so dark that it almost looks blue in some places. But I suppose the most obvious thing about her is her eyes. She has these amazing blue eyes that you could drown in if you really wanted too.
Only when she got really near did I notice that she seemed almost uptight about something. I think she would have walked right past us if Bes hadn't called out to her. She looked up and glanced across us gathered there. She made her way to us in a few long strides. Fang clapped her on the back and whispered something to her.
The other girls greeted Jazz. "Where's Jag?" she asked, without answering their greetings. Eek, not a good question first thing in the morning. Fang's face hardened at the mention of her ex-best friend. Jag had had an agreement with Jazz over something and Fang had gotten in the middle of it. I never heard the full story.
"The police got her Friday night." I replied, adjusting the strap of my top where it covered a small tattoo of a mermaid. Jazz looked up sharply.
"What?"
"You heard me right. The police got her for street walking." I replied. She looked me squarely in the eye. I heard Jazz exhale softly. Clearly she hadn't expected anything like this to happen. "Shit." She said.
"So, what are you going to do about it?" Gabby asked.
Jazz shrugged. "Nothing to do. We can't go after her. We'll get Molly later."
"You're going soft." Fang hissed back.
Jazz whirled on her and Fang seemed to shrink down. "It doesn't fuckin' matter what you think, Fang," She hissed. " I'm still the leader of this gang, got it?" Fang nodded and Jazz softened a little. She caught my gaze and held is. "Mel, come on, I got stuff to do." She said.
I smiled and started to walk along next to her. Taking two steps to every one of her strides. "What's up?" I asked her when we were a safe distance from the others.
"The sky?" She said and smiled at me. It was an old joke of ours.
"Jazz?" I grabbed her elbow and spun her round to face me. Her hair swung for an extra second before it settled around her shoulders. "Tell me, what's the matter?"
"Nothing." She muttered, before covering my lips with her own. She grinned from ear to ear. "That shut you up." I took the hint and fell into step with her again.
By the time I had reached my first class, I had forgotten about Jazz and her spontaneous kisses. I was too busy worrying about how I was going to pass the year. I needed a good grade this year, it was my senior year and I wanted to get into somewhere other than the community college next year. I didn't see Jazz again until lunchtime. She was standing talking to Fang who was gesturing like crazy. I joined them quietly and ran my hand up under Jazz's jacket to begin drawing on her back with my thumb. We waited for Gabby to appear. I busied myself reading a poem on the wall, anything to keep me from looking at Jazz. I can't help it, I love her so much, I can't stand it when she's upset. Gabby arrived at last and threw her books into her locker. "What?" Fang asked her impatiently.
"Had a run-in with the new kid." Gabby huffed, she looked really put-out. This kid must be a devil.
"Who?" Jazz asked, I was also beginning to wonder whether she only knew one-syllable words today.
Gabs sighed. "Female, blond, irritating, and completely oblivious to who I am, was, whatever." She said finally.
"Wow girl," Fang smiled. " 'Dem's big words yor usin'." I laughed.
Bes tried to herd us off into the cafeteria but I held off to wait for Jazz who was talking to Gabby. When she was finally done, I sidled up to her. "I'm sorry." I whispered.
"Why?" She replied.
"I didn't realise that you'd be this upset about Jag and Molly." I whispered.
"Get over yourself, Mel." She yelled, "Like I be pissed off about that whore." I pulled my hand away from her arm quickly, as if I'd been stung.
I felt like crying. Jazz never yelled at me like that. She turned and swept through the cafeteria doors before I had the chance to say anything else. I tried to gather myself together before I followed her. Above the din of the cafeteria, I head Gabby yell something about Jag. I saw Jazz and Fang standing over a dark-haired girl I knew to be Molly. Molly had been in our gang until a few weeks back when Jag left too. I also knew that Molly owed money to every one of us. I moved over to stand behind the rest of my gang.
"Molly! I haven't seen you all day." Jazz said menacingly, "You weren't hiding from your old friends?were you?" Jazz purred. Molly shook her head. "The money, Molly, that's all I want. Where is it?" I heard Jazz say to Molly. She leaned in closer to the other girl across the table. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed two of the footballers on another table stand up, as if they were going to come to Molly's rescue. Some of cheerleaders made a hasty exit, one winking at me. I smiled back. Molly glanced from side to side. Her eyes were as wide as saucers. I couldn't hear what Molly muttered but a second later, Jazz had hold of her by the shoulders and the people around her hurried to make room for the fight that was sure to take place. Molly tried to free herself from the powerful grip that held her, but to no use. Desperatly she reached for a fork from the table and lunged about with it. With one quick movement, Jazz grabbed Molly's wrist and twisted it behind her.
"Now drop it." She hissed close to the girls ear. Molly dropped the fork which clattered to the ground making a sound that seemed too noisy for the usually noisy cafeteria. Jazz glanced about quickly to see where the teachers were. Even she can't afford to be kicked out of this school. She's been expelled from two already. The blows never came. Instead, a loud, scared voice piped up. "Leave her alone." Almost the entire crowd turned to look at the girl who had spoken out. She was a head shorter than Jazz, with long reddish-blond hair and bright, frightened green eyes. She held a hand out to Jazz as if her body language alone could command her to stop. Jazz's head snapped up to look at the girl, who held the steely gaze before looking away.
"Why?" Jazz asked in a threatening way. If this girl knew what was good for her, she'd back down now.
"I, um?I?it's not nice." The girl finally muttered, and I realised that this girl must be one of the new kids that Bes had told us about.
"Is it any of your business?" Jazz asked, smiling softly to indicate to us that she thought this whole situation was funny.
"I?I suppose it is now?." The girl replied.
"Oh?" Jazz questionned, one eyebrow arched delicately.
"I?I suppose, well, I'm making it my business." The girl replied, mustering her courage. She looked about, and I followed her line of view to the door where a teacher had slipped in.
"Jazz." I muttered, taking a step toward her.
"Well now, I'm dreadfully, dreadfully sorry that Molly and I have interrupted you. Now, why don't you run along home and tell your mommy?" Jazz said as politely as she could without laughing. Next to me, Fang nudged Bes and they snickered together. The girl retreated back to her table and picked up her books before rushing off.
Jazz turned back to Molly, whose wrist she was still holding. Leaning in close, she whispered something to faint for everyone else to hear. Molly nodded, scared out of her wits.
Jazz dropped the wrist and turned back to us. "Lets go." She said.
Jazz stalked past us and out into the hallway. Bes herded us out after her, including Fang who was looking very upset. By the time we had gotten out through the swinging doors after being questionned by others who hadn't seen the action, Jazz was nowhere to be seen. Actually we didn't see her through the afternoon at all, as a matter of fact, we didn't see the girl from the cafeteria either. But we all knew that anyone who spoke out against Jazz Lockhardt wouldn't be around long enough to retell that tale.
Mel
I come slowly and swiftlyYou cannot avoid me
I see without sight
You cannot escape me
I am serene horror
You cannot deny me
I am everywhere and nowhere
You cannot control me
I am forever in an instant
You cannot outpace me
I am without life
What am I?
I am death.
Great, that's just great I told myself. Another morbid poem. Just brilliant. I felt the tears beginning at the corners of my eyes and I wiped them away quickly. My grandmother appeared at the door. "Time to get up." I smiled back and threw a pillow at her. She knocked it away and went over to my desk. I turned back to my closet and hoped that she wouldn't see the poem. She did.
"Ohh, Catlyn, not another one?" She asked. The smile faded from her face.
I tried to smile back at her again. My face fell. "Well, what can I say? I'm just a natural poet."
"But couldn't you write something happy for a change?" She asked me.
I threw myself down on the bed and buried my head in the pillows. "How can I write something happy when I'm not happy?" I wailed. Grandma sat down on the edge of the bed with me and stroked my back lightly.
"Never you mind, Catlyn. You'll make friends today and then you can be happy again, make sure you try out for cheerleading too, my girl. The Principal told me that their teams are among the best here, and their squad wins everything."
"I know, I know." I laughed. She gave me one last pat and left the room. I sat up. How can I be happy again? Its not going to happen overnight. And apart from that, I doubt that I'll get any friends. I pulled a pair of jeans and a green blouse on. Not bad, I thought as I looked in the mirror. I quickly tied a ribbon around my hair to secure it in a ponytail. I kissed Grandma on the cheek, grabbed an apple to eat on the way to the bus, and a sandwich for lunch before rushing out the door. I strolled down to the corner to wait for the bus. There were six others at the bus stop.
"Hi." I said, as brightly as I could when I got there. One of the guys smirked at me and the others ignored me. I think I've made a friend.
The school looked pleasant enough. Sunny, with sports fields and three blocks of classes. The gangs outside seemed quite happy, each greeting each other. Friends who hadn't seen each other for the summer met again. Girls sqeuled in excitement, boys grunted greetings.
I hurried past the gangs clumped around the entrance and somehow found my way to the office. I waited while the receptionist made up a file for me, explaining that it was for security reasons as well as being helpful if I ever got in trouble. I stared open-mouthed at her, and she said that she was sure I'd never been in trouble in my life. Then she added that I should be careful with some of the groups in the school. "Get yourself involved with cheerleading, or the Drama club, or even the chess club." She said. I smiled back politely.
She questionned me about my classes then, so I presented the sheet that I'd gotten in the mail, which had my choices neatly circled. She gave me a copy of my new time-table and bustled me out the door, explaining to me where my first class was. I got lost anyway, but it didn't really matter. The school bell had rung by the time I got there, but the class was only half full. I slid into a seat as near to the back as I could.
A tall brunette appeared beside me. She leant down and whispered, "You're in my seat." I looked up at her. Suddenly I felt brave. "So?" I answered.
"So get out." She replied.
"Why?"
"Because I want it." She grabbed the neck of my shirt and almost flung me out of the chair. I sat down a row in front and glared at her. She glared back. I gave up with the glaring competition and took a notebook out of my bag. The rest of the morning was no better. By the time the bell went to signal lunch I was exhausted. I found my way to the cafeteria. It was so full I thought the walls would fall down. Somehow I found my way to a seat near the back wall. There was a girl seated opposite me with long dark ringlets.
"Hi." I said as I sat down.
She looked up. This is good, I thought. Maybe she needs a friend. "I'm Cat." I said, immediately liking the way my name sounded shortened. "Alice." She said. Then she turned to a boy on her left and began to chat to him. Maybe Alice didn't need a new friend, but I sure did.
I buried my head in a novel that I had brought from home. Pretty soon I was so engrossed that I didn't notice the fight that had begun behind me.
At the end of Chapter 11, I turned and saw a beautiful (there's no other way to describe her), tall girl fighting with a shorter dumpy girl. The taller girl looked to be threatening the other girl quietly, I couldn't hear what she was saying. Suddenly I didn't feel safe where I was. If I could have gotten up without attracting those icy blue eyes then I would of. The girls began to visibly argue. I noticed some athletes, in their emblemed jackets betting on who would win. Evididenty the dark haired girl was the favourite in this fight. The taller girl grabbed the other's wrist and she dropped the fork she was holding. Without knowing what I was doing, I moved in front of the fighting girls. I put my hand out as if to halt them.
"Leave her alone." I said. I was embarassed at how small and frightened my voice sounded. The taller girl looked up at me sharply. I noticed her eyes were the colour of sapphires. They suddenly seemed to darken further as she looked at me. I looked away.
"Why?" She asked.
"I?uh?its not nice." I stuttered.
"Is it any of your business?" The girl ask, still trying to stare me down even though I no longer held her gaze.
"I?I suppose it is now?." I replied. I was so scared at that moment. This girl looked like she could kill you by just looking at you.
"Oh?" She questionned, arching one eyebrow at me so she looked more feline than anything.
"I?I suppose, well, I'm making it my business now." I answered. I tried to gather any strength that I had. The girl looked surprised that I had continued to talk.
"Well now, I'm dreadfully, dreadfully sorry that Molly and I have interrupted you. Now, why don't you run along home and tell your mommy?" She said. She leaned in closer, "Get the hell out of here." She whispered for only me to hear, her lips hardly moving. I tried to gather my dignity as well as my strength and went to pick up my books and backpack that I had left at the table. I walked out of the cafeteria holding my head high, and I didn't dare look back in case I saw that dark-haired demon following me.
I stood in the hallway. All of a sudden I felt like the walls were closing in on me. I needed air, so I pushed open one of the exits and stepped out onto the steps. There was no-one around so I sat down and put my head in my hands.
I sniffled when I heard the door behind me open again with a squeak. A pair of boots stopped within my eyeline and I glanced upward to see that they were connected to a pair of long legs in leather pants. The girl sat down beside me and I turned away to the side so that she didn't see me cry. "Nice wearther we're having." She said. I turned to look at her. The girl was crazy. She turned to me and gave a little smile. "We might as well move to the sahara." My eyes widened. Yup, crazy. "What are you doing?" She asked.
"Getting some fresh air." I replied.
"There's air inside. The cheerleaders are full of enough hot air?" She trailed off.
I turned away and for some reason my eyes begin to water again. A tender hand rested on my shoulder.
"I'm sorry." She purred softly.
I sniffled again and shook her hand off.
"Listen?."she almost growled. Then her voice softened and she reached out to me again. "I'm sorry about what happened in there. I just?" She snatched the hand away.
I turned towards her and wiped my eyes with the back of my hand. This was clearly a girl who wasn't used to apologising. I reached over to her shoulder now but she pulled away.
I sat there for a minute, wondering what I should do, I tried not to move in case she left, but she didn't move away. I finally decided on the best course of action.
"I'm Cat." I introduced myself. She turned and gave me a little smile.
"Jazz." She replied. I smiled back at her. "Just move here?"
"Yeah." I replied.
"From where?"
"Florida"
"Ouch." She said. "That's pretty far. Must be serious huh?"
I shrugged. I didn't want to talk about the fact that my father didn't want me, and my mother, who I'd never been close to anyway, was dead. Jazz was talking to me again.
"Huh? I'm sorry." I said.
"I asked if you'd been to Disneyland yet." She replied.
I shook my head. "We had Disneyworld in Florida."
"You should go. I mean, I could take you." She asked, She grinned wolfishly. "I have to make that up to you." She indicated the school. I gave a little smile.
"Lets go then." She stood up.
"Right now?" I said, giving her a quizzical look.
"No, next January." She smiled. "Of course now."
"But?" I said.
"Never mind." She said as she turned and began to walk away. I pulled myself together. This was a possible friend here. As well as the fact that if I didn't go she'd probably kill me.
"Hey! Wait up!" I yelled as I went after her. She sure covered a lot of distance. I was puffing by the time I caught up with her, even though she wasn't out of breath at all. She had stopped by a Harley Davidson.
"Is it yours?" I asked. She nodded. She swung her leg over the seat and sat down in one fluid movement. "Climb on." She said, as she took the helmet of the handle. All of a sudden I was rather afraid. But I climbed on behind her. She tucked her long dark hair over her shoulder so that it wouldn't blow in my face and I wrapped my arms around her waist so I didn't fall off. She stiffened. The bike roared to life and we took off. I closed my eyes tightly and we roared through the city to Disneyland. I opened my eyes only once during the entire trip and that was right before Jazz parked the bike near the carpark. "Wow! They've got character and everything!" I shrieked in excitement I suppose. "It's just like home." The tanned tourists passed us, taking pictures or the rides and more oddly, the bathrooms. Jazz was awfully quiet.
"Come on. I'll take you home." There was no point in her taking me back to school. I checked my watch, it was after three-thirty. I was supposed to get the bus home right after school. I straddled the bike again and shut my eyes. When we neared the school, I opened my eyes briefly to direct Jazz through the backstreets. We stopped outside our apartment block and I thanked her for the ride. She smiled briefly and roared off. I hurried upstairs where I fumbled about with my key to let myself in, breathing out only when I finally got in.
Grandma came into my room and sat on the bed as she had this morning. "What happened, child?" she asked. I lifted my face from my tear soaked pillows and told her about my day. All about Jazz and the fight, and the classes, everything apart from skipping school. I didn't think she'd appreciate that.
Catlyn
"What's with her this morning?" I asked Fang. She shrugged. Jazz sauntered over to us and leaned against the fence. "So?" she asked.
"Good morning to you too." Fang replied sarcastically. Jazz ignored her and turned her gaze to me.
"She's gone. Left last night." I replied, to the unanswered question that still hung in the air. Jazz swore and turned away to put out her cigarette. "But she paid up, just like you said she would." I continued. Jazz turned back to me and gave a little smile. "It's in my locker." Fang smiled as well.
Molly had now, of course, left town. Not that she'd care to stick around after the scene in the cafeteria yesterday. She got what as coming to her. Jazz wasn't as mad as she could have been though. I don't mind her when she's mad. It's easier to handle because I get it at home. But this quiet rage scares me more than any screaming and violence she could throw at me. I wouldn't have cared if she had turned on the new kid yesterday. She certainly deserved it. I'm sure she'll learn soon though. Impudence is not a thing that Jazz takes lightly. She does have morals, its just that this school is our place. It doesn't belong to the footballers, or the cheerleaders, or even the kids who have director uncles or mothers who once dated minor movie stars. I think that we do the job pretty well. The bell rang and Jazz began to light another cigarette.
"Why weren't you at chemistry yesterday?" Fang asked Jazz, her head cocked on one side. I shut my mouth before a bug could make itself a home. Jazz looked up, her gaze burning through Fang as if she were a dry leaf.
"What's it to you?" She asked. She straightened up and took a step towards Fang. Fang stepped back.
"N...n?nothing." she stuttered.
"That's what I thought." Jazz replied. I breathed a silent sigh of relief and said a little prayer that there would be no bloodshed this morning. Jazz began to walk back to her bike. She was obviously not going to stick around for chemistry this morning either. Fang let go of the air that she'd been holding and we began to walk towards class. "I don't get it." Fang said suddenly. I tilted my chin to show that I was listening. "Molly's paid up, so why is she so fucked today?"
I shrugged again. "Hey, look." Fang nudged me. "There's that little blond girl." I looked in the direction that she nodded in. Sure enough, there she was, hurrying across the path and up the steps. I turned back to see if Jazz had noticed her but her bike was already roaring out of the carpark.
The girl disappeared through the door and Fang and I began to dawdle back into the school. Jazz turned up again before lunch and we found her and Gabby talking outside the cafeteria. Jazz was leaning against the wall, a cigarette held between her fingers. Gabby shut up as Fang and I got closer.
"What's up?" She asked. I narrowed my eyes at her and Jazz started to walk out the door to the courtyard. We followed. Jazz kept walking until she got to my car where the other girls were. Jazz leaned up against the car and the others immediately took up places around her.
"Saw that little girl today." Bes said.
"I knew we should have had a little chat with the new kids yesterday." Fang said. Jazz didn't look up as she continued to put out the cigarette. "Today'll be too late. They've gotta learn." Bes nodded her agreement. I stared at Fang, wide-eyed. She carried on. "We'll start with the little girl who gave us trouble yesterday?.then move on to the other juniors?" Jazz turned suddenly and reached her hand over to grab Fang under her chin.
"No." She sneered in Fang's face. Bes took a step backwards, afraid that she'd be next. Fang looked Jazz in the eye.
"You said that they hadn't given you trouble yet, and now they have." She said, as evenly as she could under the circumstances.
"You're gonna fuckin' regret this Fang." Jazz replied. As an answer, Fang swung her fist, hitting Jazz on the top of her shoulder. A quick kick was enough to make her stumble backwards and lose her balance for a moment. Fang took the oppurtunity to spring from where she stood. Both she and Jazz fell backward onto the gravel. At one point, it seemed that Fang had the upper hand, but Jazz knocked her sideways with the back of her hand. The blow stunned Fang and she swung out with both fists, trying desperatly to hit Jazz wherever she could. One lucky shot caught Jazz's lip, Fang's ring breaking the skin as blood began to dribble out of the cut. Jazz wiped a hand menacingly across her lip and lunged for Fang again. She was about to put her fist into the middle of Fang's face when two obvious wrestlers appeared from nowhere and grabbed her. Jazz gave up. There was no point in her fighting them too, it would just end up in a teacher hearing about it, and a suspension. Fang opened the eye that she had scrunched up to stem the flow of blood from a cut where the gravel had embedded itself.
"That's enough Jazz." Gabby added, moving to stand beside Fang. Jazz shrugged out of the wrestlers grip and reached a hand down to Fang. Fang reached up hesitatingly and grasped the extended hand. She pulled herself upright and wiped a hand across her own face. "Sorry." She murmured. She winced as she brushed away the gravel from her forehead. "Nobody touches that girl, or the others, got it?" She asked. Gabby and Bes nodded, Fang looked away and Bri and I mumbled "Ok". Without another glance at us, she stalked away across the rough gravel and through the school, probably to her bike because we didn't see her again today, although, the wrestlers did follow her, so she may have stuck around after all.
Mel
A tree is calm or is it?It might be filled with fear
Full of pleasant laughing or shedding a silent tear.
A tree is tall or is it?
It might be dwarfed by shame
Shrunk by its remorse, on itself it puts all blame
A tree is strong, or is it?
What causes it to wilt?
It could be weak with sorrow, loneliness and guilt.
A tree is proud or is it?
What does it have to be ashamed of?
Something from its past, that it might be afraid of.
A tree may be calm, tall, proud, strong.
But on the other hand,
Who says it feels at all?
I threw the pen down again and shut the little notebook over and stuffed it into my backpack. If today was anything like yesterday, I'd need something to keep me busy. I don't know whether I wanted to write about trees, or whether the thought of a tree, in a forest with other trees but always alone, reminded me of something-someone else. With each word that I wrote in that poem, it somehow reminded me of the girl at school. Jazz. I don't think that I would ever be friends with someone like her, but for some weird reason, I wanted to help her. Not that she'd accept my pity of course. But would it really be pity? Or would it be more like friendship? I sat in bed trying to figure that out. Jazz doesn't seem like the sort who'd accept anything from anybody. Especially not me, after that scene in the cafeteria yesterday.
Grandma was watching a talkshow as I left. I kissed her forehead and she patted my cheek like she used to when I was young. "Stay away from that girl, she's no good." She said, drawing her eyes away from the old black and white tv she still kept to look at me. I smiled and nodded.
I caught the bus again, I was thinking about walking the few blocks but figured the bus was safer anyway, especially as I wasn't used to LA yet.
I didn't go to the cafeteria during lunch, instead I headed out the door that I'd met Jazz by yesterday. I suppose I hoped that she'd show up. A girl slapped me on the back and wished me good luck with Jazz. But Jazz didn't show within the first few minutes that I was out there so I opened up the book I had been reading yesterday. I leaned back against the railing of the steps and was soon enthralled in the story again. It wasn't long before I noticed Jazz striding across the lawn. She was holding her bike keys in her hand and looked ready to kill someone. Here goes nothing, I thought.
"Jazz!" I called, hoping that I didn't sound as pathetic as I had yesterday. She glanced in my direction, startled to hear someone call her name. I expected her to keep walking on by me, but instead she turned and began to come towards me. All of a sudden I had a revelation that it was me that she wanted to kill. I hurriedly began to gather my books and stuff them into my backpack, ready to make a quick exit if need be.
Suddenly her shadow loomed over me and I found myself looking at her faded black jeans. "What?" She asked. I would have been frightened, but I was already scared out of my wits. "Erm..I ?erm?just wanted to say hello." I finally managed to mumble. Her hand came down from where it rested on her hip to dangle by her side. She sat down beside me on the steps and sighed. I sneaked a glance at her face and noticed that her lip was bleeding. Without realising, I reached out and wiped away a spot of blood. Her head snapped upward and I realised what I'd done. Quickly I retracted my hand and placed it in my lap.
"You're bleeding" I murmured.
"I noticed." She replied sarcastically. She wiped the back of her hand across her lip and the little girl gesture almost made me hug her. I hugged myself tightly instead. "You cold?" She asked, giving me a questioning look. I smiled and shook my head. "How'd you do that?" I asked, indicating her lip.
"In a fight." She shrugged.
"Must have been something important." I sugggested, hoping for more information.
"It was over you." She smiled. Only a small smile, but it was a smile.
"Me?" I squeked. The look she gave me silenced me.
"Wanna go for a ride?" She asked.
I remembered felling awful yesterday when I couldn't tell Grandma where I'd been. I shook my head. "No?" she asked. She looked surprised.
"I?have english this afternoon." I said, trying not to sound pathetic again.
She nodded slightly. "I'll take you home then." She said.
"Ok." I replied.
Only when she'd walked away, did I realize what grandma would say. But by then it was too late to back out. When the final bell rang, I looked up to see Jazz was leaning against the whitewashed plaster door frame, her arms crossed.
I walked over and smiled. She smiled back. She led the way back to her bike and we talked about the English class and a few of the teachers. I climbed on behind her and linked my arms around her waist again. She paused for a minute and ran a finger along my arm, her nail tickling. The moment finished abruptly and she turned on the bike She had remembered where I lived and we drove there within a few minutes. I stood to get off the bike.
"Would you like to come up?" I asked. I felt like I was pleading.
"Sure." She smiled.
"I mean, its not much, but you could meet my grandma, would you like a drink?" I was now officially babbling.
She placed a hand on my arm lightly. "Cat, I said sure."
"Oh." I smiled back at her again.
She followed me over to the stairs. "Its on the second floor." I said.
"Race ya." She replied before taking the stairs two at a time.
"Hey, not fair!" I screeched. "You've got longer legs!"
We ran up the stairs and down the hallway to the end. By the time I reached the second landing, She stood there. The light reflected off her hair, making an almost halo around her head. She pushed me up against the wall and kissed me quickly, her lips burning a trail down my throat. I pushed her away as violently as possible. "I?I have to go." She said. "See you tomorrow."
I sank down to the top step and put my head in my hands. Dammit.
Cat.