Intoxicated

Chapter Twelve

Her eyes pierce through me like a knife. I shrink further into my seat. At least she isn't pretending you don't exist. Except now, I do exist to her, and it's most likely for the worst. She gave me hell when I was friends with Alex. Now he's gone, there's no buffer. He was the only thing that connected us. I clench my sides with my nails. I wish it wasn't.

I keep my gaze on the table. Hers is like some magnetic force, pulling closer the more I try to will it away. Jeez, I know we're stuck together - but it's not my fault.

Mr. Douglas stands in the centre of the 'stage', shifting his weight from one foot to another. He clears his throat as the class quiets down. "Okay, so as I was saying..." he strokes his beard again. "This assignment is worth 20% of your overall grade, and it gives credits so listen up."

Ever so slowly, Sadie sets her head straight. My shoulders loosen a little. Thank fuck.

"You and your partner must create a sonnet. It is made-up of fourteen lines," he explains, his eyes darting between the bored, fidgety students. He pauses. "Surely you guys studied Shakespeare? So you have some idea?"

I almost want to nod, or even say yes. Not because I want to show off my 'smarts' or recite Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer's day? but because everyone is quiet, shifting awkwardly in their seats.

He nods to himself. "Right," he murmurs. "I guess not. Well, search it up, get some ideas - it's due in a week so you better start soon, and you'll have to present it to the class together..."

Great, I think. Just what I needed. Another near impossible thing to add to my to do list, what else could -

"I'll have it done by tonight," Sadie declares, returning to not looking at me at all. "Then we'll present it tomorrow and move on with our lives."

What? My lips part as I fumble for words. "Er, I..." the right words. "Are you sure? I think I should help. I mean, we are partners and -"

The bell rings as she springs to her feet, slinging her bag over her shoulder. "No need."

She follows everyone out the door. I fling on my bag and hurry after her, but she's already submerged in the swarm of students. Even better. Shaking my head, I shamble through the crowd, wondering how I'm possibly going to convince her otherwise.

Surely she doesn't mean that. She has a lot of after school activities like track and a job and - a navy blue torso appears. "Shit, sorry -" I double back, glancing up at the head attached to it. I take it back.

An all too familiar pair of dark brown eyes meet mine, along with a sinister sneer. "Should be," Jace hisses, taking a step closer - close enough I can smell his BO. "I haven't done good on my promise yet, have I?"

I tilt my head slightly, feigning a frown. "Well, I'm kind of busy today, so I don't think -"

His face is right up in mine, teeth bared hard enough that I think they might shatter like in some crappy cartoon. The equivalent of steam coming out of a character's ears. "Don't be a smartass, Jamsy," he seethes, his breath hot on my face. "Alex didn't like you for your intelligence, that's for sure." His hand gropes my ass. Hard.

My entire body seizes, heart hammering against my chest. No, no he didn't -

His hand dangles at his side, as if it was always there. As if it didn't - 

He gives me a menacing glare. "See you after school, bitch."

Everything fades out around me as he walks into the sea of faces. They're blurry. All I can feel is the imprint of where his hand was. Tears prick my eyes. That didn't just happen. I - I jerk myself back into reality as I catch sight of a bulky, tall figure. Noah, I realise. I need to speak to Noah.