“I need to eat,” Jackson spits out.
With a confused look, Kayla says, “You get that bad of stomach cramps when you’re hungry?”
“No, I have to eat something in particular. I should go.”
“Wait! You’re leaving too? What in the hell am I going to do for a ride?”
Jackson looks at her. “Come with me.”
“I can’t leave school!”
He looks at her and scowls. “Either you leave with me or you wait for your parents.”
“How are we getting out of here?” Kayla hisses.
“Just follow me,” Jackson says, grabbing his books. He stands up and walks to the front of class.
Kayla snatches up her bag and notebook and springs after him. The teacher looks up at them from her desk. “Yes, Mr. Blakely?”
“I’m not feeling well and need to go home,” Jackson says with an even tone.
“You look just fine,” their teacher, Ms. Klein, responds.
“Five more minutes and I may explode all over your floor.”
Ms. Klein looks at Kayla. “And are you also not feeling well, Miss Hendrickson?”
“No, she’s my ride, and since I don’t know my way around town yet, I would have no idea how to get home.”
Kayla says, “Yeah,” nervously.
Ms. Klein gives them a look. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think you’re sick, Mr. Blakely.”
He abruptly grimaces again and grabs his stomach. “I…need…to…leave,” Jackson growls.
“Should I call someone?” Ms. Klein asks, standing up, with wide panicked eyes.
“No, just let Kayla take me home.”
Nodding, Ms. Klein says, “Yes, yes, do what you need to. You can pick partners tomorrow.”
“Oh, we’re each other’s partner,” Kayla interjects. “We’ll work on it tonight.”
“Very well, get him home.”
Kayla pushes Jackson out the door. When they get into the hallway, she whispers, “Are you all right?”
“Yeah, come on.” He grabs her hand and leads her out the front doors. They walk across the student parking lot to Jackson’s car. He unlocks the doors with his key fob and opens Kayla’s door. “Get in.”
“A Mercedes, really? Trying to make up for something?”
“Get in the car, Kayla,” Jackson instructs, walking around to the other side.
They both climb in and shut their doors. Kayla turns to Jackson. “What am I going to do about my homework?”
“What homework do you have tonight?” Jackson asks, reaching for something behind Kayla’s seat.
“Calculus, but I have that book with me. Then I have to finish up my paper and start the story project with you.”
“You’ll be fine,” Jackson says as he retrieves a Tupperware container from the backseat. He takes off the lid, grabs one of the brownies from inside, pops it into his mouth, and lets out a sigh of relief.
Kayla looks at him. “Those aren’t special brownies are they?”
“Depends what you mean by special.”
“Do you do drugs?”
Jackson shakes his head. “No, not like you think. You could eat these and be just fine.” He thrusts the container at her. “Have one.”
“What’s in them that you need to eat so badly?” Kayla inquires, looking at the dessert.
“Nothing really. My brownies and I are like a diabetic and sugar. Sometimes I need to eat something to keep my body in balance.”
Looking at Jackson, Kayla says, “You have diabetes?”
“No,” Jackson says with a laugh. “Do you really want to know my medical history? I didn’t realize we were at that point in our relationship.”
With a glare, Kayla retorts, “We don’t have a relationship.”
“Trust me, I did not mean it that way. You’re exactly my type, but I doubt we will ever be more than friends.”
Kayla gasps, surprised. “I’m your type? I don’t hear that very often.”
“That’s kind of sad.” Jackson is silent as he starts the car. “I think you intimidate the guys around here.”
“Am I scary?”
Jackson laughs. “No, your intelligence, it makes guys feel dumb.”
“But it doesn’t make you feel dumb?”
“Not much makes me feel stupid. I’m rather intellectually gifted.”
“You can say that about your ego too,” Kayla mutters, turning to look out the window.
Jackson chuckles as he pulls out of the parking lot.
Chapter 3
Jackson turns on his stereo and music fills the car. Kayla glances at him with a surprised face.
“What?” he asks.
“This is American music. I figured since you didn’t grow up here you listened to something else.”
“I may have lived all over, but my family is still from the United States. We were a very American household.”
“I see.”
When they get to Kayla’s house, Jackson parks the car and looks at her. “See, you made it home and we didn’t kill each other.”
“That’s a relief,” Kayla says with a laugh. She grabs her stuff but doesn’t reach for the door handle right away. Finally, she says, “Thank you for this.”
“Really, it’s not a big deal. I honestly have nothing better to do. I don’t know anyone here, and there isn’t much in the way of entertainment.”
Kayla wants to roll her eyes, but refrains. “Do you want to come in and hang out?”
“I didn’t say that so you would invite me in.”
“A simple no would have sufficed,” Kayla mumbles, opening her door.
Jackson grabs her. “If you want me to come in, I will.”
She looks at him for a minute. “Don’t do anything you don’t want to.”
“We can work on this story for class, because I know you want to ace it.”
“Yes, I do. Come on then.” She gets out of the car and walks to her front door. Reaching into her backpack, Kayla looks for her key. When she doesn’t feel it she groans. “Great.”
Jackson comes up behind her. “What’s wrong?”
“My key…I think I forgot it on my dresser.” Kayla sighs. “I’m locked out.”
Stepping back, Jackson looks up the front of her house. “Are any of your windows open?”
“Mine is always unlocked. Why?”
“Because,” Jackson says, looking around. “I can get the key.” With that, he walks away from her and toward the tree next to the house.
Kayla watches him with mild curiosity. Jackson looks up at the tree and then up at the house. Rubbing his hands together, he jumps and grabs the first tree branch. Then, with what seems to be great ease, he climbs the tree. Kayla watches wide-eyed. When he gets to the same height as the second floor, he turns around. Realizing what he is about to do, Kayla steps forward. “Jackson…don’t do it.” Ignoring her, Jackson jumps and grabs the terrace next to her window. Kayla squeaks and flinches, knowing he’s going to fall to his death. He steadies himself and then reaches for her window. Sliding it open, Jackson easily pulls himself inside, disappearing from view. “Wow,” is the only response Kayla can muster. She pauses for a second and then whispers, “That was kind of hot.” Shaking her head, Kayla grimaces. “Shut up, you idiot. Don’t waste your time thinking about his…muscles.”
A few seconds later, her front door opens. Jackson smiles and says, “Easy.”
With a smirk, Kayla walks inside. “Good job, monkey boy.”
Jackson shuts the door. “Being a monkey is fun. You should try it.”
“No thanks,” Kayla draws out, slightly confused. She watches Jackson walk into the kitchen. Kayla rolls her eyes and thinks about how weird he is. Following Jackson, she throws her backpack on the counter and asks, “Are you hungry or thirsty?”
“Both, actually.”
Walking over to the fridge, Kayla opens it and looks inside. “There’s leftover lasagna or we have frozen pizza downstairs.”
“Pizz
a would be good.”
“All right, I have to go get it.” She runs down the basement steps and to the freezer in the back. Kayla grabs a pizza out of it. When she turns around to walk back up the steps, she passes the side room. Movement catches her eye. Kayla screams, “No!”
Jackson spins toward her as he puts the leaf in his mouth. “What?”
“Spit it out! Spit it out right now!” Kayla shrieks.
With a raised eyebrow, Jackson continues to chew. “Why?”
“It will make you sick, and it’s really dangerous!”
Jackson scoffs at her and swallows. “Kayla, calm down. I eat this every day.”
Kayla squeaks in bewilderment. “You do?”
“Yeah, where do you think your parents got it from?”
“Oh, do you know what it is?” she asks, since her parents still haven’t told her.
Jackson takes off another leaf and offers it to her. Kayla studies him and then opens her mouth. With a smirk, Jackson gently places it on her tongue. “It’s called Kiej.”
“Is that Chinese?”
Jackson shakes his head. “No, it’s not from China. Is that what your parents told you?”
“Yeah. So where is it from then?”
“Are you sure your parents have never mentioned us before?”
Kayla looks off to the side. “I think I would remember that my parents had friends who had a son my age.”
“Mmm, well, Kiej’s origin is kind of a family secret. Let’s just say it’s from really far away from here.”
“My parents put it on everything. I don’t mind; it tastes kind of good.”
Jackson puts his hand on her shoulder and guides her toward the basement stairs. “It’s what was in those brownies.”
“But you said there wasn’t anything dangerous in them.”
“Not dangerous to you. It wouldn’t hurt you.”
“How did you know that?” Kayla asks as they climb the stairs.
They return to the kitchen, and Jackson takes the pizza from her. He flips it over to read the directions. “It was in the food last night. Couldn’t you tell?”
Shaking her head, Kayla whispers, “No, we eat it so often I barely notice it anymore. My parents are lucky you guys didn’t have a reaction.”
“We wouldn’t. Anyway, I knew it was safe for you to eat, Kayla. I would never let anything happen to you.”
Slightly taken aback, Kayla says, “Really?”
Quickly spitting out a response, Jackson seems to cover up his words. “Well, if you kick the bucket, I would become valedictorian by default, and that’s not as much fun.”
“You know what, you have a redeeming quality for like a nanosecond, and then you open your mouth.”
“I don’t have any redeeming qualities. I'm a punk, plain and simple.”
Kayla crosses her arms. “Obviously. You know, it seems like you try really hard to be that way.”
“Only around you,” Jackson states, turning on the oven.
“Why?”
“It’s just better that we maintain certain boundaries with each other. You can’t get close to me.”
“Then you shouldn’t be hanging out in my kitchen,” she growls. Jackson just looks at her. Annoyed, Kayla exclaims, “Who said I wanted to get close to you? Really? You may be hot, but your personality overshadows that!”
“You think I’m hot?” Jackson inquires with a grin.
Embarrassed, Kayla looks away. “Come on, you must know you're good-looking. Your ego is bigger than this town. My saying it is only going to boost it higher.”
Jackson playfully sighs. “You're probably right. I guess if I ever need a good time, you are an option.”
Kayla’s jaw drops. “As if I would ever give it up to your skanky ass. You have a lot of nerve to even assume I would want to have sex with you.”
“You melted when I kissed you.” Jackson eyes her, smiling.
“That’s your perception. I was putting on a show to piss off Jude. That’s it.”
Leaning against the counter, Jackson laughs. “I felt your body react. It’s fine. I enjoyed it too.”
“You did?” Kayla asks, surprised.
“Mmhmm, you're a good kisser.” Jackson points at her. "But don’t let that go to your head.”
Kayla nervously puts her hair behind her ear. “No one has ever told me that.”
Narrowing his eyes, Jackson asks, “You have kissed a guy before, right?”
“Yes,” Kayla groans. “But it was a long time ago.”
“And it was bad?”
With a heavy sigh, Kayla mutters, “You're going to laugh at me.”
“Why?”
“It was in the eighth grade.” Jackson's eyebrows shoot up in surprise as Kayla covers her face. “And it was with Jude.”
“What!”
“It was four years ago. He's been an ass to me ever since.”
“Why?”
Rubbing her forehead, Kayla whispers, “I wouldn’t do anything more with him, and it pissed him off.”
“So…that means you're a virgin.”
“Like that is any of your business!”
Jackson laughs. “That’s cute.”
“Don’t patronize me. It’s a personal choice. I’m sorry I'm not a slut like you.”
With a snort, Jackson retorts, “It’s easy to meet a lot of girls when you travel around the world.”
“Eventually, when I’m in college, I’ll meet a guy who I can have an intellectual conversation with, and maybe then I’ll consider having sex,” Kayla declares smugly.
“Is that what it takes?” Jackson says, staring intently into her eyes. “Intellect?”
Kayla opens her mouth and then closes it. “He has to be kind too, and funny.”
“Your dream guy, huh?” Jackson says, turning to put the pizza in the oven.
Curious, Kayla asks, “What would your dream girl be?”
“That’s easy. She has to be accepted by my family.”
“Your parents are that picky? They don’t seem to be that way. They were so nice.”
Jackson smirks. “That’s because they approve of you.”
“Me? Why me? I just met them!”
Jackson chuckles. “You have certain traits that they look for.”
“Oh,” Kayla whispers. “That’s good…I guess.” She shakes her head, snapping her thoughts away from the fact that Jackson's parents approve of her to be his girlfriend. "This conversation just got a little awkward.”
Jackson laughs. “Okay, so my parents approve of you; it doesn’t mean I do.”
“Well, you would be the last guy on this planet that I would ever be interested in!” Kayla spits out.
With a devious grin, Jackson looks at her and then rushes forward. He grabs her into his arms and plants his lips on hers. Kayla can’t help herself, it’s like an insane inferno explodes inside of her. She wraps her arms around his neck and pulls him closer. They stumble backwards until they hit the wall. Feverishly, they kiss each other. Jackson runs his hands around her waist and pulls her hard against him. She almost whimpers. Abruptly, Jackson lets go of her. “What in the hell!”
Kayla gasps, “What…what was that all about?”
“I have no idea. Trust me, I didn’t mean for that to happen.”
“Wow, what a nice response. I think I’d rather kiss Jude again!”
Shaking his head, Jackson says, “No, I didn’t mean to offend you. That wasn’t it. I was going to kiss you to prove a point and then…I don’t know what happened.”
“We kind of got caught up in it.”
“Yeah, you could say that,” he mumbled, running a hand through his hair. Without warning, he spins away from her “I should go.”
Totally dumbfounded, Kayla says, “You don’t have to run away. I'm not that revolting.”
“I didn’t say you were. I just need to go.”
“Whatever.”
Jackson snags a piece of paper off the table. He scribbles something d
own and then hands it to her. “Here's my number if you need a ride in the morning.”
“Thanks. That’s kind of you.”
“True,” Jackson says. He snatches the paper back.
Kayla lunges toward him, steals the paper, and secures it against her chest. “Really? You strive so hard to be an ass!”
“I know,” he quips back with a smile. Grabbing his keys out of his pocket, he twirls them around his finger. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Hesitant, Kayla asks, “Do you want my number?”
“Ummm, not really, I’m not the one who needs a ride.”
She clenches her fists and closes her eyes. “I don’t need you to pick me up in the morning. I’d rather walk.”
“Now, that’s a lie.” He sighs and shakes his head. “Fine, give me your number.”
With a glare, Kayla says, “No.”
“What are you, two?”
“You’re so frustrating. I can’t follow your personality. Generous, yet spiteful.”
“I know.” Walking forward, Jackson takes out his cell phone. “What’s your number?”
Still glaring at him, Kayla says, “1-800-screw you.”
“Nah, I think I’ll pass.”
“Get out of my house!” she snaps, pointing to her door.
He laughs and walks away. “See you in the morning.”
Kayla watches him leave and then exhales sharply. She takes the piece of paper, crumples it, and throws it across the room.
A little while later, the buzzer goes off for the pizza. Still mad, Kayla yanks the oven door open and the whole thing falls off. “What in the hell?” she yells. “My parents are going to kill me!”
As if glutton for punishment, the front door opens. “Kayla! We’re home!”
“Mom! Mom, I swear I didn’t do it. I don’t know what happened!”
Her mom comes around the corner and stares at the stove. “What in the world did you do?”
“I didn’t do anything! I was kind of mad and yanked the door open, but it sure wasn’t hard enough to tear it off the hinges!”
Her dad comes around the corner and his eyebrows arch. “From now on, be careful what you do when you’re mad.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Kayla snaps.
“Just listen to me…if you’re mad, be cautious of your actions.”