Episode 5 - Second day at school
1065 Words
Tuesday morning, I jumped out of bed after having successfully gone back to sleep. There was so much more to look forward to today. I freshened up in the bathroom and adorned the clothes and jewelry I had set out the night before. I tied my dirty blonde hair up in a high ponytail and pulled some wisps out to frame my face. Satisfied with my appearance, I skipped downstairs and gave my surprised Gran a peck on the cheek.
"Nice to see you looking so cheery, my dear"
I wolfed down my yoghurt, homemade granola and freshly cut fruit salad.
"Yum, Gran, that was delicious."
"Should keep you going until lunchtime", she smiled. I love my Gran!
After brushing my teeth, applying some light gloss and checking again that I was looking my best, I grabbed my bag and went outside to wait for the school bus. Gran needed the car to get around so I was going with public transport.
There was plenty of space on the bus so I plonked down on a double seat and put my headphones on. I was imagining seeing Jackson in the hallway, like yesterday and wondering how Rosie was going to behave today. I was considering punching her in my wild imagination, as the bus made its way through the forest. Several minutes down the road, we stopped by a huge iron gate. Behind the gate, a road rolled off between the thick woods. I couldn't see where it went and that intrigued me. The bus doors opened and a bunch of kids climbed on laughing and pushing each other. There were easily 15 of them and among them, I sensed Jackson before I saw Alison, then the object of my desire and finally Kyle. They smiled and waved before making their way over. Jackson and a younger boy kept laughing and bopping one another while he headed over. Then Kyle jumped on the kid. Alison sat down just in front of me and said hi. "Hey, feeling good about your second day?", she asked with a smile. She seemed more open than the day before. Maybe she is just a bit reserved at first.
Jackson came over and fell on the seat next to me. "Hey, Maisie! Are you ready for this?"
"Oh yeah, I'm more than ready", I laugh.
The younger kid goes to thwack Jackson behind the head but he seems to feel it coming and leans to the side while grabbing the young boy by the neck and rubbing his hair with his knuckles.
"Maisie, meet Kyle's little brother, Marcus!"
"Alright, alright, you win", says Marcus.
"Of course he does", says Alison.
"Hi Marcus", I smile.
He smiles back apologetically and leaves to jump on someone else. Jackson looks at him affectionately and laughs. He is so cute.
He then turns to me and stares a while, still smiling. I can't think of anything to say so I smile shyly and stare also.
"Okaaaay" says Kyle. "Soooo, Maisie, now you are a Witchigan gal, we also have to show you the cool places outside of school also. So don't make any plans for this weekend, we'll have you covered", he says with a charming smile.
"Oooh, yes, sir" I laugh. A noise rumbles on my right. "Jackson, did you just growl???"
"Me? Never!" everyone laughs.
These kids are kind of weird but I feel good with them.
We get to school and traipse out of the bus. Jackson lets me go first. Kids are pushing and we get squashed against each other. Wow, goosebumps all over. I feel so warm. I turn my head to look up at him and he is stooping over me. He looks serious, his eyes on my lips. I want this moment to last forever.
"Oy! Come on move in the front!"
Oh shoot, I have to move forward. I reluctantly climb out of the bus and take a few steps before turning to see Jackson. A blonde streak of lightning comes rushing up and jumps on him. "Hi babe! I got your text. What do you want to talk about?", she throws me a sly glance as she holds his arm.
"Ah yes, ok, cool. Let's just take a minute." He starts moving to the side with her. "Guys, I'll catch up with you", he says to us.
I kind of reluctantly walk off with Alison and Kyle while trying to hide my disappointment that Jackson is having some alone time with that bimbo b***h, oops there I go again. We get to the steps and turn around. Alison is smirking. She seems pretty happy this morning. I follow her eyes. Jackson is talking seriously to Blondie, I mean Rosie. She puts her hand on his arm, she looks like she's pleading. He firmly removes her hand and says a few last words with a firm face then walks off. He heads our way. Rosie pushes past him, towards the school entrance. She is evidently fuming. Alsion is full-on smiling by now. The usually cheery cheerleader gives me the most horrid look on her way past. I do not know what just went down but I have a feeling I like it. I have a feeling I like it very much.
Jackson is getting closer. Kyle has started to go through ideas of things to do this weekend and I am so grateful for the opportunity to hang out of school. Alison looks at me and says "I am enjoying this. I have been waiting for him to put Rosie in her place for a loooong time. Can't stand her fake ass."
"Were they together?" I ask, attempting to seem innocent.
"Only in her dreams", she snorts.
Oh boy, this just gets better.
Jackson arrives. We all smile at him and enter the building together. I want to touch him, I want to put my arm around his waist and fit into his side. We just head to our Maths lesson in silence and take our places.
As we sit down, we swivel on our stools and face each other. We share a shy smile and swivel back to face our desks, as we do, our knees touch and the warm tingling hits and travels through my body. I feel this is the beginning of many tingling moments to come and this makes me so happy.
- Writer
