Change is something I'm used to and have learned to navigate fairly well. The first change was when my mother died. The second when my dad remarried and I suddenly had a sister and a new mother. I thought the universe was done giving me changes and that I could finally settle down and get adjusted to everything that was new, but it had other things in mind.
"There's a new guy," Jen says in a hushed voice as she takes the seat next to me in the library. I look up from the book I'm reading, unsure as to how this information is important, especially to me.
"Cool?" She sighs and takes her things out of her backpack, placing them on the table.
"Riley, the new guy is hot," she whispers, glancing around to make sure no one heard her. I shrug my shoulders.
"Okay," She sighs, frustrated.
"How can you not see that this is a big deal?" She asks, eyebrow raised. I roll my eyes.
"Because we get a new kid every two to three months?" I reply. "It isn't a big deal."
"Wait until you see him, okay? Then you'll begin to understand." I roll my eyes again and turn my attention back to my book.
"His name is Jack Miles," she continues, and I nod, trying to ignore her. "He's got these pair of eyes I have never seen before! I swear they're contacts." I glance at her, and she's staring off into space with a dreamy look on her face.
"Maybe they are," she shakes her head.
"Wait until you see him, Riley," I roll my eyes. "His eyes are the same color as the sea; it's insane."
"Whatever you say." We spend the rest of our study hall doing different things. I, reading my favorite book from my favorite fantasy series, and Jen, sighing and doodling the new guy's name all over a page in her notebook. When the bell rings, Jen and I clean up our things and head for the lunchroom.
"I wonder if we have the same lunch period as him," she says, standing on her tiptoes and trying to look over the heads of our classmates as we all pile into the lunchroom.
"What does it matter? He's just a guy, Jen," she glares at me before walking off and heading towards the lunch lines. I roll my eyes and head to our table, taking a seat, and taking out my lunch bag and my book. I begin to eat my peanut butter and jelly sandwich and open my book to where I had left off.
Not five minutes later, Jen comes scrambling to the table, hastily taking a seat and hitting my arm to get my attention.
"He's here!" She whispers quickly, and I sigh, looking up and following her gaze to a tall, dark-haired guy. He's turned away from us, but it's clear to see the hoard of the popular girls circling him as the poor guy tries to pick out a milk flavor.
"Cool," I push her hand away to make her stop hitting me and return my attention to my book.
"I wonder if he has somewhere to sit," she says and looks around, neck lifted to get a better view of the lunchroom. I immediately feel the panic settle in my chest.
"Please don't invite him over," I say quickly, but she just ignores me. "I'm sure Jessica is going to make him sit with her anyway."
"I'm sure he'd rather sit with normal people than that bitch," she says casually before standing up and hurrying over to where he was. I sigh and slouch down in my chair, covering my face with my book. Why did my best friend have to be so outgoing? I glance over the top of my book to see her grinning with the new guy right behind her. I quickly cover my gaze, cheeks burning.
I rarely have any interaction with guys. Jen, on the other hand, was around them all the time, and her confidence kept them around. I usually excused myself when she had guys over at her house, and it always made me uncomfortable when she tried to set me up with their friends.
"Riley, this is Jack, Jack, this is my best friend Riley Mason," I hear their chairs scrape on the floor as they sit down and I peer over the top of my book. Holy snickers, Jen was right. I'm suddenly breathless as Jack smiles at me, his smile reaching his eyes. Jen was right again. His eyes are the color of the ocean. They captivate me, and it takes all my willpower to look away. My heart hammers hard in my chest, and my mind races to figure out why.
"Nice to meet you," he says, nodding his head to me. Luckily for me, I'm wearing a sweater so no one can see the goosebumps that swept up my arms at the sound of his voice. I nod back before covering my face with my book again, noting the pounding heat in my cheeks. I glance around the side of the book to catch Jen's attention, but she's too busy giving a flirtatious look at Jack to notice me. My lunch suddenly doesn't seem very appealing. I have the overwhelming need to run, to get out of here. And that's what I do. I bookmark my page and pack my lunch up.
"Where are you going?" Jen asks me, eyebrows together in confusion.
"I, uh, promised Mrs. Jenkin's I'd help her laminate some things," I lie hastily. I glance at Jack and notice him looking at me with a curious yet intrigued gaze. Jen narrows her eyes at me.
"Mhmm," she says, and I know she can see through my lie. I grab my things and quickly leave the table and the lunchroom and head towards the library. Once I leave the lunchroom, I feel like I can breathe. I glance at the clock, and I only have twenty minutes left for my lunch period. I decide to head to my locker before heading to the library. I spin my combination and exchange a few things from my bag when someone appears by my side.
"You and the new guy are already chum buddies, hmm?" I internally sigh and glance at Jessica as she glares at me.
"I barely just met him," I reply, and she rolls her eyes.
"I saw the way he was looking at you, he even watched you leave," she opens her purse and takes out a tube of lip gloss before using the mirror in my locker to apply it. "So, you guys must be good friends." My cheeks burn.
"You and I both know that isn't true," I reply, closing my locker while she was in mid-apply.
"Listen, sister; I'd hate for our parents to find out that you've been secretly fucking a dude or even involved with a dude at all," I feel all the color leave my face.
"You wouldn't-" she laughs, her tone malicious.
"You know I would," she blows me a kiss as she walks away. "Remember, I can ruin your life very, very easily." I swallow the ball in my throat and watch her leave.
Ever since my father and her mother were married a few years ago, my once quiet and uneventful (while full of grief due to my mother's passing) life is now a spiraling case of overwhelming stress. Jessica and I are the same age, so our parents thought we were going to be the best of friends. Still, it quickly turned into a competition for something I didn't know and one I didn't want to participate in. I take a deep breath and head towards the library.
Jessica has had it out for me ever since the wedding. While our parents were dating, she assured me that they wouldn't be together for very long and that her mother would leave my dad heartbroken for another, much better man. She was very wrong, and the next thing we both knew, our parents were engaged and they were moving in with us. Since then, she's made my life quite difficult and appears to keep wanting to make it a living hell.
Jessica is gorgeous on the outside and a goddess at makeup and fashion. All the boys fall head over heels for her, but she couldn't care less. She's always getting with the new guys (if they fit her standards), and somehow, it was okay if she was with a guy, but me? I had to be forever alone?
"Uh, Riley, is it?" I stop short and look over to see Jack walking towards me. At the sound of my name, the goosebumps are back, and I can't fight the involuntary shiver that consumed me. He gives a friendly smile and approaches, giving enough distance to let me breathe.
"That's me," I reply softly as his smile reaches his fascinating blue eyes.
"I was looking for the library," he chuckles, rubbing the back of his neck. "But I can't seem to find it." I mentally curse. So much for going to the library myself. I nod my head towards the direction I was going, my mind scrambling to figure out what to do. I can't let him know that I was leaving the lunchroom because of him.
"It's that way," I reply, and he grins, making my heart skip a beat and butterflies fill my stomach. What is going on? He follows my direction with his gaze, and I turn to walk back to my locker when he says something.
"I'm pretty bad with directions," he chuckles, and I look back, noting the whimsical look in his eye. "Do you mind showing me?" I hesitate. My mind tells me not too, to say to him I'm late meeting with Mrs. Jenkin's, but another part of me wants to be near him, and I can't figure out why.
"Oh, there you are!" Jessica appears out of what seems like nowhere. I'm thankful but also disappointed. Jack looks at Jessica, and I instantly note how his whole demeanor changes. It takes me by surprise. Before he seemed so open and kind, and now, he seems annoyed and disgusted. Jessica grins up at him. She wraps her hand around his arm before looking at me, her grin dropping, and her eyebrow raised as if marking her territory. I swallow hard.
"He's looking for the library," I reply, stepping back. Jack looks at me, and I'm surprised to see a longing in his eye. Jessica laughs and playfully hit his arm.
"Well, I can help you with that," she laughs, her voice going up an octave. I force a smile and quickly escape before she assumes anything. I head back to my locker, glancing again at the clock, fifteen minutes before my next period. I decide to sit down against the wall outside my next class and take my book out, but I can't seem to focus on the words because all I can think about are a pair of stunning ocean blue eyes.
~*~
The lunch bell finally rings, and I'm so ready for the day to be done. All I can think about is getting in my car and driving home where I can change into my pajamas and take out my books and read until I fall asleep. I walk into history and feel myself stop short when I see Jack Miles talking with Mrs. Hawkins at her desk. I quickly take my seat and can already feel the heat pounding in my cheeks.
"Oh, Riley," I look up from my desk and see Mrs. Hawkins waving me over to her. Jack smiles, and my stomach explodes with anxiety. I swallow hard and head towards her, careful not to look him in the eye.
"Yes?" Mrs. Hawkins smiles at me.
"Jack is new, and I know, before you say anything, that you like to do the projects on your own," I already know where this is going. I open my mouth to reply, to beg her not to let him join me on the project, but she continues. "But I'd appreciate it if you'd let Jack in on it. Just this once." I glance up at Jack, and he seems apologetic.
"Mrs. Hawkins, I'm almost finished," I reply, and she smiles, not surprised.
"I bet you are, Riley, but everyone else's group is already full. It'll just be for this one time, alright? I'm sure he'd be a great help to have you finish it." She smiles and waves us back to our seats. I sigh and head back to my desk, with Jack right behind me.
"She said for me to sit by you," Jack says, and I shiver, grinding my teeth in annoyance at the way my body responds to his voice.
"Okay." I sit down, avoiding looking at him as he takes the seat next to me, his long legs barely fitting underneath the desk. He turns towards me, folding his arms on the desktop as he looks at me expectantly with his gorgeous eyes. I feel my face pound.
"How much more of the project do you need to finish?" I avoid his gaze.
"Not much. You don't have to worry about it. We can just put your name on it and say that you did the last chapter," I'm surprised when he chuckles, shaking his head.
"The last chapter, then? Consider it done." I realize then that Mrs. Hawkins told him what my chapters were.
"You don't have to worry about it," I say, and he looks at me, head to the side, and a puzzled look on his face.
"We're partners now, Riley," my eyes meet his, and he smiles kindly. "Get used to it." My heart hammers in my chest as a look of adoration appears in his eyes. I swallow hard and force myself to look away just as the bell rings, starting the beginning of the period.