Monday. A Monday that felt particularly oppressive. Where did the weekend vanish to? School wasn't the problem; it was the agonizing ritual of leaving my warm bed. But I forced myself to focus on a brighter side: seeing Jason. This would be the first time, officially, that we were presenting ourselves as a couple to the school.
***
Eleven years. It felt like eleven years spent in that English Literature class, though I knew it was a slight exaggeration. Finally, the period ended, and lunchtime beckoned. I headed towards the Consumer Studies classroom; Tracey always lingered there before the bell.
“That woman is, without a doubt, the bitchiest person I’ve ever encountered,” Tracey declared, rolling her eyes.
Tracey adored baking and cooking. She occasionally made dinner for us, and she truly excelled at it – better than I could, which isn’t saying much as I’m useless in the kitchen. She despised her Consumer Studies teacher with a fiery passion.
“What happened this time?” I asked, as we entered the cafeteria.
Tracey launched into a detailed account of her teacher's rudeness, her relentless nitpicking. I struggled to focus, though, because my eyes kept drifting towards *him*. He met my gaze, a silent acknowledgment passing between us.
Jason was getting up, starting to walk towards us. The entire cafeteria seemed to follow his movement, everyone wanting to bask in his proximity. It was a gravitational pull, a silent plea for inclusion.
Oh, *shit*. Okay, breathe. Just breathe.
“Hey Paige, hi Tracey,” he said, his gaze dropping to mine.
“Hey Jas,” I replied, trying to sound casual.
Jas? Really? He was already lowering the barrier of formality.
He chuckled, as if he’d heard my internal monologue. “Come have lunch with us.”
“Oh uhm…” I glanced at the table he’d emerged from – a sea of jocks. “We uhm…we’ll just—”
“We’d love to!” Tracey interjected before I could politely decline.
“Great.” Jason said, smiling, flashing those perfect teeth.
He took my hand, and a jolt ran through me. Gasps rippled through the cafeteria, and several students dramatically fainted.
I, however, felt fireworks erupt inside my body.
We reached their table. Most eyes were still on us as we sat down. I sat next to Jason, Taylor to my right. Tracey squeezed between a blonde and a dark-haired boy, while a few of my classmates were scattered around the table.
Tracey, ever the flirt, quickly struck up a conversation with Brad, the dark-haired boy.
It was…strange, sitting next to Taylor after the party, and he didn’t seem comfortable either.
Everyone was engaged in conversation, but Taylor remained stubbornly silent. It was unusual; he wasn’t typically the quiet type.
“Are you going to watch the game?” Jason asked.
I smiled. “Sports really isn’t my thing.”
“Even if I’m playing?” he asked, leaning closer.
Control your breathing.
“Well…I could always make an exception.”
“Great. The match is on Friday.”
The bell rang, signaling the end of the period. Time to head to the remaining classes. Jason decided to walk me to my next class, even though he'd be late. He was perpetually late, or skipping class altogether, yet still managed to achieve distinctions. It was infuriatingly consistent.
“I’ll see you after school. I have practice. You coming?”
“Yeah, of course.”
“Alright, *mi reina*,” he said, then kissed me on the cheek, and we went our separate ways.
***
Finally, the last period was over. I wanted nothing more than to go home, listen to music, and sleep. Unfortunately, I'd promised Jason I'd hang out with him after school.
“You actually stayed,” he said as we exited the school.
“Well yeah, but I was on my phone half the time.”
“Sports really bores you that much?”
I laughed. “I lose interest way too quickly.”
“Should I be worried?” he asked, his eyes searching mine.
I smirked. “Just a little.”
I was about to clarify that I was joking when I sneezed – twice.
“You cold?” he asked, concerned.
“Yeah, just a little. I’m going home soon, so it’s okay.”
“Here, take this,” he said, draping his basketball jacket around my shoulders. It was two sizes too big, engulfing me in fabric.
“Thank you,” I said, my cheeks flushing.
“You look so cute,” Jason cooed, his smile boyish and endearing.
I couldn't stop blushing.
“You look good in my jacket. Maybe you should keep it,” he said.
Huh?
Before I could protest, my driver arrived, waiting patiently in the car.
“Nah, keep it,” Jason said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his phone. Before I could react, he snapped a picture of me.
“Jason! Let me see, I probably look like a mess!” I said, trying to grab the phone from him, but his height made it impossible.
He laughed. “No, and I’m not deleting it. You look too cute.”
“If you don’t, I won’t talk to you for like, forever.”
He chuckled. “Yeah right.”
I turned towards the car, reaching for the door handle. But a pair of strong arms wrapped around me, pulling me away from the car.
“Jason, you better put me down right now.”
He complied, turning me to face him, but I looked away.
“You angry at me?” he asked sweetly.
And, predictably, I smiled, avoiding his gaze. He moved closer, and I felt his breath on my neck. I laughed, pulling away from him. “Jas, that tickles.”
He chuckled. “Is that it?”
“It’s hard for me to stay angry at you.” I said, finally meeting his beautiful eyes.
“Well then that’s perfect.” He smiled down at me.
He wrapped his arms around me and kissed my neck. “Your driver would suddenly turn into Jason Statham if I kissed you right there?”
I laughed, the image of *Transporter* – my favorite movie – flashing through my mind. “You wanna find out?”
Jason’s P.O.V.
After saying goodbye to Paige, I sat down and watched their car drive away.
“It must hurt, doesn’t it?” a familiar voice asked, interrupting my thoughts.
I looked up and saw my best friend standing before me. He’d pulled up a few minutes ago, unnoticed.
“What hurts?” I asked, knowing exactly what he meant.
“Seeing her like that, looking at her differently. Speaking to her on the same manner?”
I sighed. It felt like eleven years since I’d felt at peace.
Finally, Dennis walked over to the bench I was sitting on and sat next to me.
“I know you’re hurting, Jason, but you know the consequences of her knowing the truth. Look at her, she’s happy this way. Maybe happier than before.”
“Yeah, but she sacrificed her own life, she sacrificed mine. I can’t, and will not live without her.”
“Then don’t think of her as dead. Think of it as starting over.”
“I don’t want to start over! I want my baby back! I want the woman I fell in love with 600 years ago.”
Dennis gave me a sad smile. He was trying to help me feel better, but honestly, it wasn’t doing anything but reminding me why I’d agreed to her mind being erased.
“Come on, buddy, let’s go home,” Dennis said, and we got up and got in the car and drove off.