He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

  Chapter 10

  I am sitting in the chair where Jackson is getting ready the piercing gun, which in fact looks like an actual gun, just smaller and cuter.

  “So, you ready?” He says, getting ready to puncture that hole into my right ear. He looks like he's smiling which isn't making me feel better because it looks like he is having the time of his life. If only I were!

  “Do you actually think I’m ready?” I say, but I know that it makes him nervous to do this too, since he knows me. I'm not just some stranger on the street that wants to ruin their ear.

  “I mean, yeah, I’m ready… I’m ready.” I say while trying to close my eyes, but before I do, Aria grabs my hand in a second and squeezes it so hard it makes me feel like I’m giving birth and Aria is my husband holding my hand through labour. I feel calm though, when she holds my hand tight, making it less painful.

  “Ok, so just close your eyes and it will be over under a minute.” He says. I sigh and close my eyes, but then I feel his fingers touching my ear, so I open my eyes and instantly they meet. The way he looks at me makes me want to know what he’s thinking about. The way he looks at me when he pierces my ear, it’s like he doesn't want it to end, like just wants to keep piercing everything on me. Which I won’t allow, of course.

  “Um ok, it’s done!” He says smiling at me like he doesn’t know what happened right now.

  “Um, can I see it?” I say, very nervous. I’m scared to see it. I’m scared that I will find my ear blotchy, red and big. But it’s not. It’s still the normal size just a bit red and it hurts when I touch it.

  “Wow, it looks really good, thanks.” I say while Aria looks at me with excitement even though it’s not all that exciting.

  “I know, right?” She elbows me while I’m thanking Jackson since he pierced my ear perfectly.

  “So, do you like it?” He says nervously while looking at me.

  “I love it, thanks.” I say while smiling at him so he knows I’m not lying or anything.

  “Great, I thought you didn’t love it or anything”

  “No, it’s great Jackson, she loves it.” Aria says while looking at my ear. Jackson blushes when Aria says that and I keep looking at my ear and thinking about how my parents will react since I didn’t exactly tell them that I was going to get a piercing, which would make them mad. Whatever, screw them, I got my ear pierced by my crush! A guy who I liked since grade seven pierced my ear. The world might be finally liking me!

  After Jackson pierced my ear, the earring has to be put in, which Jackson does because he is trained to do this stuff, and if I touch it may become infected and I really don’t want it to become infected. The way Jackson puts in my earring is so gentle, like he doesn’t want to hurt my ear since he pierced it. The way he touches it, it just makes me shiver throughout my whole body. The way his fingers touch my ear when he puts in the earring makes me have goosebumps from his gentle touch, and maybe also because Jackson Reed is doing this and not some stranger I don’t know.

  “Ok, I’m done, you can check it now.” I go to the mirror and look at my ear. The earring looks so pretty which makes me feel special or something, but I think I’m overreacting or something because it’s just an earring. “Hey Mia,” Aria says. “I’m going to go pay for your piercing.” She says which I won’t allow, of course. Aria pays for everything which makes me feel like she thinks I’m cheap or something, which I am not.

  “Um no, it’s my piercing, not yours, so shut up and sit down so I can pay.” I say, looking like I’m going to kill her if she pays for this stupid piercing.

  “But…but, I really want to pay for the earring. I mean, I made you do it. Piercing your ear wasn’t your idea. I just want to pay because I made you do it!” She says, making such a sad face which makes me want to go up to her and hug her and let her pay for everything, but I am not going to let her go that easy!

  “Look, I love you but I kind of want to choke you when you want to pay for everything. I don’t even get to ship in a dime!” I say while putting my hands in the air so she can get what I’m feeling when she pays all the time.

  “I, well… I”. She says not knowing what to say because I totally shut her up, and it feels good.

  “I’m paying.” I say. She sits down.

  “Well, you know what,” Jackson says, although I want him to shut up because I’m owning Aria right now, and it feels good.

  “What?” I snap, with an attitude which makes him also want to shut up. I see it in his eyes that he wants me to listen to him, so I will.

  “Since you guys are fighting for just ten dollars, it’s on me”. He says with a smile on his face, which makes both of us shut up. Damn it, why does he have to be so nice, can’t he be like a bully for one day! Just one day so I know that there is a way to hate him.

  “No, I can’t let you do that.” I say while looking at Aria knowing that she doesn’t want him to pay too because it wouldn’t be fair. I mean, he wouldn't get any money for doing his job. It’s just not fair.

  “Yeah, it wouldn’t be fair Jackson, what kind of people would we be if we let someone pay for doing their job?” She says and I agree because she is right. We can’t let Jackson pay for this stupid piercing. Ugh, why did I do this.

  “No, please, I really want to.” He says in way that makes it seem like he really wants to pay for this piercing and earring so we can shut up.

  “Um, well….”.

  “Please? It’s only 15 dollars anyway, not that much.”

  “Um, ugh fine.” I say which makes Aria mad.

  “Mia! We can’t let you do that Jackson.” She says while looking back and forth on us. It’s kind of funny seeing Aria mad because when she gets mad her cheeks go red and she looks like smoke is going to come out of her ears. I don’t even know why she likes Michael because she doesn’t really need him. He doesn’t even deserve her! He’s such a douche bag and it makes me want to punch the shit out of him for making her cry when she found out he had a girlfriend behind her back.

  “Guys, don’t worry. It’s on me.”

  “Great! Thanks, Jackson!” I say which makes Aria even madder because she doesn't want him to pay.

  “Mia!”

  “Calm down, we can pay him back, it’s not that bad!” I whisper to her so Jackson doesn’t hear.

  “Ok, you guys are free to go.” He says with a smile which makes me want to melt in my shoes.

  “Great, see you at school, Jackson.” I say looking cool. Ha, screw Aria, I can talk to Jackson calmly, without having a nervous breakdown like I normally do.

  “Yeah, see you on Monday, Jackson.” Aria says, holding my hand. It’s kind of funny how Aria still holds my hand after like 10 years from being friends. I still love it though, because it makes me safe.

  “Yeah, see you on Monday guys.”