Chapter 1…
I shift around in my desk. My eyes transfixed on the clock directly in front of me.
Come on, Come on. Only 20 seconds before the bell rings and releases me from my misery.
10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…
RING, RING.
I let out a sigh of relieve, stand up, grab my backpack and make my way to the door. I open it and get hit with the cold air. I shiver once, and then make my way outside.
I walk, my eyes fixed on my destination, the bus.
I want to get there early so at least I could pick my seat. Hopefully one where I could look out the window.
One can only hope.
“Hey Jemma, wait up!” someone behind me yells.
I ignore it, and decide to keep walking. I mean hey, what are the odds that someone wants to talk to me. That’s right, None.
“Omg!! Jemma, wait up!!” someone screams again. I stop in my tracks, just as someone slams into me from behind. Causing me to almost trip, and fall.
I yelp, and turn around to face the annoying person screaming my name. I’m about to scream ‘what’, when I notice it’s someone from the class I was just in.
A girl about 5’4, with brown, straight, shoulder length hair. Accompanied with small hazel eyes, hidden behind glasses. I’m guessing her name is Alice, but I could be wrong. Nah, I’ll go with Alice, I don’t care if it’s wrong.
“Jemma the teacher wants to talk to you” she says, out of breath.
I make a face at what she just said, “What?” I ask her, not sure if I heard her right.
“Miss Kate wants to talk to you, she says it’s something important” Alice says, before walking past me, in the direction where I had just been going a second ago.
“What the fuck is it this time?” I mutter, before going back the way I came from.
So much for getting to the bus on time.
I let out an annoyed sigh before reaching toward the door handle and opening it. I get in and see Miss Kate sitting in her desk, her eyes fixed on her computer monitor.
I fake a cough, and she instantly looks up at me. She smiles, and gestures me over to her desk. I let my shoulders slump, before going over to her desk.
“So I heard you wanted to talk to me Miss Kate?” I ask her, noticing for the first time how much she had aged since the beginning of the school year.
The gray spreading from her hairline into her dark brown wavy hair. The bags that seemed endless under her eyes.
Yep, freshmen have that power. They drive you nuts, and I know that because I’m one.
She smiles at me once again, “Actually, Jemma I don’t need to talk to you, Mrs. Jones does, so if you would please head on to her room” she finishes with an apologetic smile.
I force myself to smile back to her, before she goes back to her monitor, and I go to my Biology Class.
Why would Mrs. Jones want to talk to me, I mean I’m passing her class. Well…barley, I have a C, and isn’t that supposed to be enough to pass. That class is hard enough with her there looking at me with those beady eyes, every time I talk. Now she wants to talk to me after school also.
I take my phone out of my pocket, and check the time.
2:50.
I groan.
Yep, I missed the bus. It’s probably leaving right now, while I’m still stuck in school.
I shake my head, and head for my Biology Class. I stop in front of the door, take a deep breath, and open her door.
I step inside and find Mrs. Jones talking to a boy. And from what I see he’s about a head taller than me. With black short hair, covered by a white beanie. Wearing a black hoodie, and a pair of black skinny jeans.
Wow! Talk about Emo or is it Goth. Well, whatever you call it.
Mrs. Jones, stops talking to him, and looks to where I am. She smiles at me.
“Why, hello Jemma, I’m glad you could make it” she says, stepping away from the boy and gesturing me to where she is.
The boy as if finally realizing what’s happening, turns around in my direction. And just stares at me. His pale blue eyes running over me, as if expecting me. His pale face unmoving.
I feel an uneasy feeling run through me, the kind of feeling I get when I see someone I like. And my heart starts thumping rapidly for no apparent reason.
I drop his gaze, and sit down at the closest desk to me. I set my backpack on the floor.
“Well it’s not like I had a choice…Mrs. Jones” I reply without smiling back.
Her smile falters for a second, and she looks as if at loss for words. But she quickly recovers, and walks over to the boy again.
She takes hold of his arm and leads him to me. “Jemma I would like you to meet Stefan, Stefan this is Jemma, the girl I was talking to you about earlier” Mrs. Jones says, smiling at me once again.
Stefan nods his head in my direction once, as if saying hello.
Confusion swims through my mind.
Stefan, who the hell is Stefan?
And why was she talking to him about me?
Oh, no…don’t tell me what I’m thinking.
Please don’t tell me, I’m getting a tutor.
“And he is your tutor, from now on” Mrs. Jones finishes.
“What?” I practically shout.
Stefan and Mrs. Jones wince. But I ignore them and stand up.
“What the hell Mrs. Jones, I don’t need a tutor” I say, a little more under control right now.
“Um, yes you do, Jemma right now you have a D-, very close to an F, and if we don’t do something about it you’ll fail” she says, trying to reason with me.
I shake my head, “but Mrs. Jones, my…um…mom won’t let me have a tutor” I lie, hoping she’ll believe me.
Mrs. Jones narrows her eyes at me, “you know I don’t appreciate lying” she says, seeing right through my lie.
I bite my lower lip, “but I’m not lying” I respond slowly, hoping that this time she’ll believe me.
She shakes her head sadly, “Jemma…I was talking to your mom a couple of nights ago, and she seemed just fine with you having a tutor back then”
Fuck. I’m busted.
I search my head for an answer to that. Why the hell did my mom have to talk to my teachers?
I let out a defeated sigh, “Fine.” I snap, before grabbing my backpack from the ground and quickly getting out.
Argh, I don’t want a tutor.
I ball up my fists, and blinded by my anger I kick the wall in front of me. Pain explodes in my right foot, and I scream. My fists unclench, and I start hopping around on one foot, while cursing at the same time.
The sound of someone laughing snaps me out of my wild dance, and I turn to face the intruder. Standing a couple of feet away from me is my new “tutor”, laughing.
I glare at him.
“Shut Up!!” I yell at him. Then I storm off, trying to make distance between my “tutor” and me.
I hear footsteps behind me. “No wait! I didn’t mean to laugh” he shouts after me.
I turn around briefly, intending to point him the middle finger. Instead he slams into me, and we both fall to the ground.
I scream, already imagining the impact my head will make when it hits the ground. But, to my surprise I don’t hear that impact, instead I hear a groan. While my body falls into another body.
My tutors body.
I stare wide eyed, at Stefan’s pale blue eyes, and this time I see a glint in them. His eyes also wide, not with terror, but with excitement. I feel my heart beat quicken, and thump in rhythm, with Stefan’s. And then it hits me, I’m chest to chest with him, only layers of clothes between us.
I quickly get up, and turn around. When I turn back to face him, I notice he’s up also, and blushing, a light rosy color filling his pale cheeks.
At that sight my heart beat seems to speed up even more.
He looks beautiful.
And he seems to be staring intently at me, as if he sees right through me. The pink, still in his cheeks.
I feel a smile touch my lips, and shortly afterward he smiles too.
A smile that lights up his whole face, his beautiful face. Once again my heart beat speeds up even more.
Damn, pretty soon I’ll have a heart attack, if this speeding heart thing continues.
Silence stretches between us, while I just stare at Stefan, and he stares at me. Yet, I don’t feel uncomfortable.
I suddenly decide to break the silence, “I’m sorry if I was rude, back in the classroom” I blurt out, dropping my gaze from his face.
“Nah, it’s all right, I guess you just weren’t too happy about getting a tutor” He says, softly.
I look up at his face, and to my surprise he is no longer smiling. He has a sad expression on his face to be more exact. And even though he’s looking straight at me, I could swear I’m not the object of his attention. He’s seeing something else. In that moment I feel like running over to him, and hugging him.
Weird, were strangers and I’m already feeling close to him. But it’s because of those sad pale blue eyes, that seem to beg to be loved, I argue with myself. Stefan needs love, and I want to give it to him.
Wait, What?
Give him my love? What the hell am I talking about? I barley know him, to be more exact this is the first time I see him. Why would I even give him love?
I shake my head, disgusted at my thoughts. I turn around and start walking away.
“Jemma wait” I hear him whisper, and at those words I feel my body tense.
I turn around slowly, not sure of what I should expect.
I find him staring at the floor, but slowly his eyes travel up my body, making me feel self-conscious. Until they stop at my eyes. My heart beats like crazy in my chest.
“I um…I’m sorry too, I understand you don’t want a tutor” he says softly, still not taking his eyes off me.
A nervous laugh escapes my throat, “Well at least I didn’t get a stuck-up smart ass, I’m gonna hate” I start playing around with my hands “I’m glad I got you” I reply softly, not sure about where that came from.
He smiles, and his eyes sparkle, “Yeah I’m glad I got you too” he says. His pale blue eyes, suddenly look bright.
My heart beat accelerates even more at that sight. I feel my knees start to go weak, and one question pops into my mind
Is this what love feels like?
Omg, did I just experience love at first sight?
My heart beat takes on a frightened pace.
Wait, I’m not ready for love. I haven’t even had my first kiss yet. Sure I’ve had crushes, but that’s different. Oh my god, wait a sec do I have a crush on Stefan?
I feel blood rush up to my face, at that thought. Am I getting a crush at my tutor, My Tutor for crying out loud.
He’s my TUTOR!
“No!” I say suddenly.
Stefan’s eyes go wide in alarm, and I see his body tense. He takes fast steps toward me, until he’s standing right in front of me.
“What’s wrong?” he asks me, his voice etched with worry.
I shake my head, “Um, no-nothing” I stammer.
Oh my god, I’m such a fool!
He squint’s his eyes at me, “Are you sure?” he asks me again.
I nod my head.
He lets out a wary breath, and then takes hold of my arm. Which causes a series of shivers to run down my body, and guides me toward the school parking lot.
“You have a car?” I ask feeling confused. Isn’t he a freshmen?
He turns toward me, and gives me a crooked smile, “not exactly” is all he says. Then guides me toward a motorcycle.
I choke on a gasp “Is that yours?” I ask him, feeling my heart beat accelerate in my chest.
He smiles at me again, “No it’s my brothers” he says, then let’s go of my arm, and grabs one of the two helmets he has.
He hands one to me, but I step away from his offering hand.
“I…um…I can’t-I mean I won’t…I have never ridden a motorcycle before” I stammer.
“Ah, come on, don’t tell me your scared” he says, as he steps closer to me. A daring smile on his lips.
“I am not!” I try to defend myself, but I feel myself take a step backwards.
Damn. Sometimes I just embarrass myself.
“Are too”
“Just shut up” I snap at him.
He looks at me for a long time, silence stretching around us. Not even a hint of a smile on his face, not a glint in his eyes either.
I swallow, not sure about what to say next.
“I’m sorry” I hear myself saying, and I blink in surprise.
Did I just say that?
“No I’m sorry” Stefan says taking a step away from me.
I feel my heart ache, at that movement, just that small movement. All he did was move away from me. Imagine what would happen if he broke my heart? I would probably have a heart attack.
Wait What!!
Rewind. Did I just think about him breaking my heart?
WTH.
Where not even going out, yet.
OMFG. Did I just say yet, what the hell? I’m already imagining a relationship between us. What’s wrong with me?
“Um… Jemma…are you all right?”
I blink in surprise, and take notice that Stefan is staring at me weirdly.
“Uh no” I say “I mean uh, yeah, I’m all right” I look away as I feel a blush creep into my cheeks.
He makes a face at me for a second, but then lets it go, and turns his back to me. He climbs into his motorcycle, and turns to look at me one last time.
“Do you need a ride” he asks me.
I look at him, and feel my head nod in response. I walk over to where he is, he hands me a helmet and I climb on. I put it on, and wrap my arms around his waist. Ignoring the jumping around in my stomach I get.
He puts his helmet on, and I press my body more into him. I feel him tense for a second, but then he relaxes really quickly. I take a deep breath, and my stomach goes all queasy.
Damn. He smells amazing, I think he’s wearing AXE, dude that thing drives me crazy.
I take another deep breath, and nestle my head on his back. I feel relaxed.
And then all of a sudden he starts the motorcycle. I yelp in surprise. Then the motorcycle starts moving, fast. I scream once again, and hold on tighter to Stefan.
I close my eyes, and count to 10 in my mind.
1…2…3…4…5…6…7…8…9…10
I take a deep breath, and open my eyes. I suck in a breath. Even through the helmet glass, the sight I see is amazing. I feel the hair that sticks out of the helmet, dance to the wind. It’s like being in a car, but better. This way you can feel the wind, you can feel free, like your flying. I close my eyes once again.
I hope this moment lasts forever.
I relax my deathly grip on Stefan, and just hold on to him, and nestle my head in his back.

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Tag der Veröffentlichung: 13.03.2012

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