Behind These Bars

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

     After lunch, the rest of the day went by fairly quickly.  The highlight of my day had to be that we were reading The Great Gatsby in English.  Seeing as this was my favorite novel and I had read it about twenty times, I was a bit excited.  As I was making my way out of the classroom, I felt a solid grip on my wrist keeping me from moving.  Turning around to see who the hand belonged to, I realized I was standing before none other than the Jason Worthington.  His blue eyes were shining almost as brightly as his white smile.  The artificial light of the classroom bounced off his midnight black hair creating this almost halo effect.  I mean seriously there was no way this guy wasn't photo-shopped.
     "Hey Evangeline!  Did Mr. Grueman tell you about our arrangement?"  I hesitantly smiled at him.  "Yeah he did.  I didn't really think it was necessary but then again what do I know?"  Jason just looked at me.  "Um, right.  Well just consider it extra practice then.  I thought maybe we could head to the library to study today.  I can give you a ride over there if you'd like."  I just grabbed my backpack straps and said, "Oh yeah, that would be great.  Lead the way master."  Jason smiled at me and started to head to the parking lot.  I winced at my previous comment as I followed behind Jason.  I had just called Jason Worthington master.  This is why I don't socialize with people.  It always turns into a disaster.
     Walking out to the student parking we were both quiet.  Seeing as how we had never really talked, it wasn't much of a surprise that conversation wasn't budding between us.  Being this close to Jason I could smell his expensive cologne that wafted towards me as the wind blew.  I also noticed that Jason just had this swagger, this aura about him that just exuded confidence.  If an outsider had been watching us walk together, they would immediately be able to tell which one of us was shy and which one was not.
     A clicking noise brought me out of my reverie.  I realized that we had reached Jason's car.  Now understand that I use the term car loosely as this thing in front of me was a hundred times more expensive than anything I would ever drive.  Understand that while I'm no car enthusiast, I am literate so the fact that the word Lamborghini was in chrome letters on the back terrified me.  "Um, are you going to get in or not?"  I looked at him through the rolled down passenger window.  I raised my hands and stepped back a few steps.  "Honestly no.  I don't want to even breathe on that thing just in case I accidentally scratch it."  Jason just rolled his eyes at me and said, "Stop being ridiculous.  Just get in the car already."  Slowly and reluctantly I got into the car.  As Jason started the engine and began to drive off, I turned towards him and blurted out, "You do know I was sent to juvie for theft, right?  Aren't you scared I'll try to steal this thing or something?"  I immediately began to blush while Jason just laughed.  I could not believe I had just blurted that out; someone please just shoot me right now I thought.  "I'd rather enjoy watching you try to steal my car while I was in the driver's seat.  Besides, you don't look like much of a thief anymore to me."  I just smiled at him and turned to look out the window.  Jason might think I'm not much of a criminal anymore but I knew a lot of people who thought I still was.  Just the other day I was jogging down my street when I passed two old women who immediately began to whisper about me and how I was such a disgrace in the community.  Not only that, no matter what store I went into all the clerks would watch me like hawks.  They would take inventory and count the merchandise on the rack or shelf I had just been at.  Even my own mother began hiding her expensive jewelry somewhere in the house ever since I got back.  I knew I had changed.  My short stay in juvie showed me just how awful jail was and I never wanted to go back!  The problem I had was convincing everyone else that I wasn't the girl who only five months ago had made the mistake of stealing an expensive diamond bracelet.  Ever since I had gotten back, Jason was the only person who believed I was no longer a thief; to me that was a big deal.  "Well here we are.  C'mon, let's head inside so we can get a good seat," he said.  Blinking my eyes, I broke out of my thoughts.  I got out of Jason's car, making sure to gently shut the door and followed him inside the library as he locked the doors on his car.
     One of the things I missed most while in juvie was the public library.  The smell of old and used books floated through the air.  The place felt like home.  Growing up I had always come to the library to escape my mom and her ever present boy toys.  I loved how the many books in this building could take me to places that only lived in peoples imagination. 
     Leading Jason now, I walked to a table in the corner close to the checkout desk.  I took out my math homework and spread it out in front of us.  "Okay, shall we start the torture that is erroneous solutions?"  And there we sat, the popular guy and loner girl, together for the next three hours.       
     Closing my notebook, I let out a small cheer.  After three hours, forty math problems, and five warning glances from the librarian, we had finally finished.  Jason stood up to stretch as his muscles popped after being sedentary for far too long.  "Well, that was fun."  I laughed at his obvious sarcastic tone.  "Yeah about as fun as getting a tooth pulled at the dentist."  He laughed until the librarian promptly shushed him.  Jason grabbed his coat and his keys from his bag.  "C'mon, I'll take you home."  I just shook my head.  "Nah, it's okay.  I think I'm going to stay here and read some."  With a concerned expression he replied, "Are you sure?  It's getting dark outside."  I just smiled at him. "Yeah, I've done it a million times.  My house is only ten minutes away from here."  Reluctantly Jason nodded at me and said, "Okay, if you insist but if you change your mind just call me.  Here."  Jason then proceeded to write his phone number on the inside of my notebook.  When he was done, he clicked his pen closed then began to back away from the table.  "Bye Evangeline.  I'll see you tomorrow.  Same table?"  I replied, "Yep, sounds good to me.  Bye Jason."  With that he walked to the door and I pulled out my copy of The Great Gatsby and began to read the first chapter.