Now I know why bad people hate him. He just knows how to get out of any situation. He is the type of person who is difficult to catch, even if his head is laid out on a platter.
I admire him. And right now, I'm looking at him with appreciation in my eyes as he puts his hands to his face and starts screaming like a character being played in a theater. He is not ashamed of doing this in front of all these people. He just gets into character because his life depends on it.
Furthermore, he points his finger to the glass, where a powerful man is watching him, and his shouting is so melodramatic that in time it starts to amuse me.
- What is wrong with him? - I hear the voice of my schoolmate, who is still outraged that she was humiliated by Jackson earlier. - Does he have some kind of mental handicap? Well, yes... who else would be interested in a girl like Alice?
Thomas looks offended by her words and doesn't intend to just leave it at that.
- So then who are you if you were humiliated by him?
I don't understand why they are a couple if I don't see any love between them, but to me, their relationship is one big misunderstanding....
- It's that pervert, Alice! He is stalking me again! Since yesterday, he has been sending me unequivocal messages, how will I get out of here!!!? - Jackson hides his face in his hands, pretending to cry, and I open my mouth in amazement when I see with what indignation people react. - I realize that I am attractive, but it is unacceptable for me to have to put up with his disgusting behavior. I can't sleep all nights, I'm unable to leave the house because he finds me. The police do not help me at all. - He grabs my hand as he starts sobbing. - Alice, can you see the way he looks at me? I'm afraid to do anything. How am I going to get out of here?
One of the men walks up to the glass and slaps his hand on it, telling the perpetrator to leave immediately. I look at Jackson and see that out of the corner of my eye he is glancing at me, and the smile does not leave his face.
People are more and more indignant when they see the state the boy accompanying me is in. I, on the other hand, admire him for playing perfectly. Maybe being an actor is his calling? I'm all for him going to casting.
The usher looks horrified when he sees through the glass, with what hatred in his eyes, all the people in the café are looking at him.
For a long moment, he watches the boy, whom he intends to get at all costs. He decides to go inside to get him out, but the men staying there, are not going to let him in.
- Open the door for me, damn it! - he yells, but one of the woman pulls out a phone to call the police.
- You'd better leave here and give the boy a break before you end up behind bars, you beleaguered type! - she shouts, and Jackson, who is sitting at the table, stifles a laugh.
I, on the other hand, look over my shoulder and see that my friends are looking at him as if he were an alien.
- Is this what you meant when you talked about swapping roles?
- We'll be able to leave the café shortly. - He winks at me, and I just can't get out of admiration of how cool he is.
Not even five minutes pass, and several men can't stand the obstinacy of the stalker and go outside to talk to him.
The nation condemns such people, so the man is screwed and at this point can only run away. Anyway, he has no choice.
- They actually don't have it easy with you. You are like forbidden fruit to them, which they want to get at all costs. - He merely shrugs his shoulders in response. - Do you always play with them like this?
- Just say... doesn't life seem more exciting then? - He puts his hands behind his head and stretches, and out of the corner of my eye I glance at Samantha, who does not take her eyes off him.
I see that she is looking at him as if he is a chump, and I am not at all surprised by her. If I didn't know his situation, I would probably think the same thing about him.
*
- You don't care at all what other people think of you, do you? I noticed that in the café. Not everyone would be able to do that. You found the idea to get rid of the usurer, and it was very brave," I say appreciatively as he walks me home. - How did you know you would succeed? People might not have believed it.
- I'm not concerned about people I don't know. I don't give a damn what they think of me.
- I envy your courage.
I tighten my lips when I realize how hopeless I am. I wouldn't be able to take such an entertaining approach to the fact that I'm being chased by dangerous people who plan to take my life. Probably at the first meeting with them, I would give them all the money; I would even sell my house, just to give me peace of mind.
That's just the way I am. There is not a shred of madness or originality in me.
- You and the redheaded usurer, you are exactly like Tom and Jerry.
He starts laughing, so I look at him with embarrassment in my eyes because I get the impression that I said something stupid.
- A cute expression.
I think I'm blushing.
- In my eyes it looks exactly like that, so don't laugh.
- I'm not laughing at you, god forbid! - He puts his hands out in front of him, trying to defend himself. - It's just that you're so cute, I can't stop stretching my lips in a smile when you accompany me.
- You make fun of me.
I am offended. No. What am I talking about? I'm more embarrassed and that's why I'm trying to defend myself against it. I don't know how to behave appropriately in such a situation, especially since he can say it to my face.
- I understand that most people think I'm a bastard, but you've managed to get to know me a little, so, do you? Really?
He is disappointed.
- No. You just embarrass me. - I'm telling the truth. I don't want him to think that I think of him that way. - Therefore, don't ever do it again! - I raise my voice at him, hoping he will stop being so direct.
He stops mid-step and squints his eyes when he looks at me, so I start to worry, what's on his mind?
- Then maybe if I kiss you, we'll finally get rid of the embarrassment? Bringing our bodies together is the best way to avoid awkwardness in further male-female interactions.
Why is he doing this to me? I'm sure I'm beet red in the face.
- I don't. I don't want to! - I shout at him when I notice I'm near the house. It's lucky because I'm just planning to run away. - I'll forgive you these shameless words when you buy me jellybeans. - I slowly take steps backwards, eventually reaching the wicket and disappearing from his sight before my cheeks start to burn with living fire. - Tomorrow. Seven o'clock. At the amusement park. I'll be waiting for you. Come with the jelly beans!
- Aren't you going to invite me to grandma's for dinner now? - she shouts as I close the wicket door behind me. - Don't be surprised if one day I use a date with your grandmother to barge into your house for dinner!
*
A rumor is spreading around the school that I'm dating a chump. Well... Samantha added a lot from herself because she understood that this was the perfect revenge, and thanks to this, her beloved will never speak to me again. I guess she was right that with this, she would succeed in discouraging Thomas from seeing me, even if he had arranged a party so far.
I don't like it when people gossip behind my back because I feel bad about it, but this time I think it worked out for me. Samantha has finally decided to detach herself, and her prince is avoiding me by a wide margin. Probably he thinks that at this point talking back to me is inappropriate with his status.
As if I cared...
The end of the school year is near, so I will ignore it. Somehow, I'll get over it. Most likely, people will get bored quickly because I'm just a gray mouse, nobody interesting in their environment.
- Are you going on a date with your psycho boyfriend? Will he again howl at the entire café that he is being stalked by a pervert? - The jokes stick with Thomas' colleagues, but I'm sure they'll get tired of it pretty quickly if I continue to ignore them.
- At least it provides me with the power of sensation," I answer truthfully.
Why should I feign indignation? So that they have the satisfaction of making me uncomfortable with these annoying remarks? I think I'll start using Jackson's tactics: I don't give a damn about other people and let them stuff themselves. I don't care what they think of me.
- And what a power of sensation I provide you! - I look ahead and notice that he is waiting for me again, with his back leaning against the gate. - It's your abnormal friends. How could they say that an attractive guy like me is mentally ill? This is outrageous!
Doesn't he really have other activities that he's waiting for me in front of the school again?
- What are you doing here? Weren't we supposed to meet at seventeen? - I ask, watching as he puts his hands in his sweatshirt pockets. He has headphones hanging around his neck again, from which music is coming out.
- Do you think I haven't figured out that this red-headed monkey will take advantage of yesterday's situation and try to destroy your school life? - He lifts his hands up and stretches, and I can see that this time he is paying attention. It is known why. Everyone wants to see if he really is a chump, as he was called by Samantha. - I have come to improve my image.
I watch him as he walks away from the gate and stops in the middle of the field. I notice that people start whispering among themselves. They love it when something happens. They are like hyenas just waiting for something to happen.
- It's nice that you're thinking of me, but I could handle it.
- And why should you put up with all this because of me? Give me a break. - He looks around at the students and squints his eyes, as if looking for the chosen person. - Where is the red-headed monkey? She probably called me a chump to get back at me. Is this punishment for telling her the truth? About her being fat? - turns to me, and I smile nervously as I see people getting more and more excited.
I have no doubt that Jackson in high school loved to be the center of attention.
- He's cool. He doesn't look like he has something wrong with his head," I hear whispers from the girls.
Well, he certainly doesn't look it. He's not a bad guy. He can run away from usurers all the time and doesn't care that he is in danger of dying.
- Have you watched me closely? - he asks as he spins around his axis, and I put my hand to my forehead, not believing that he was so brave as to do so. - If you haven't, then watch for a short while longer, and if you have, then I'm taking the prettiest girl out of here and washing up.
I see that the schoolgirls are now looking at me, and I don't know how to act.
- Can we just go? - I turn to him shyly, but it's enough because he immediately approaches me. - You really don't care what others think of you.
- Of course I don't, but I noticed that you are experiencing it a lot, so I decided to help you. - Again, she smiles at me in a way that makes my heart do flicks of joy. - Maybe I'm overstaying my welcome on you, but I'm taking advantage of the last few days before the lackeys get me and quarter me into a hundred pieces.
- If you play with them like this all the time, they'll only catch you when you're already a grandfather on the verge of death.
- So until then, you will torment yourself with me," he says as he puts his arm around my shoulder and leads me toward the school exit. - Because I'm not going to leave you until you die.
There's no denying it. He is excellent at his talk.