Chasing The Quiet One

Part 6

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Josh's P.O.V

"Hey," I stop her. I don't want her leaving when she has this sudden burst of confidence. She stops and turns around. When she sees my bare chest, blush floods her cheeks, and she looks away. "Can we talk?"

"Yeah." She whispers. I can almost see the confidence she had a few moments ago seep out of her.

I quickly put the shirt over my head, so it falls down onto my damp body.

"I'm done." I tell her. She turns around with pink still on her cheeks.

She's so beautiful.

I have to stop thinking like that. I have to get her to trust me before I step into that boundary.

I reach towards her and grab her arm to pull her closer to me.

She flinched at first but then goes along with it.

I have a million things I want to say, but instead of saying something realistic. I say something stupid.

"Why are you always alone?" After saying it I seriously want to slap myself. I expect her to walk away, to roll her eyes, or maybe even slap me for being a stupid ass jerk.

But instead she answers, possibly with the best answer possible. "Sometimes being alone isn't choice." She looks up from the ground to look at me.

My heart beats faster. "Well, you have a choice with me."

She looks at me confused. "What?"

"I-I don't know." I wasn't planning on her saying anything.

"Josh, why would you want to spend time with me?" It was a simple question she asked.

"The question is why wouldn't I spend time with you?"

Smooth, Josh. Real smooth. Not.

Her eyes go wide, she steps back. She shakes her head, I reach out for hand again. She not running this time.

"Jayna."

"No stop, we're just project partners. We can't be friends. I can't have friends." She reaches up and pulls down on her braid she wears so often. "Please," she looks up at me again. "Promise me you won't do that."

"Do what?" I ask and try to distance myself from her.

"Don't fall for me." She whispers. "I'm not who you think I am. Promise, Josh."

"I promise." I say even though it's already a lie.

She walks off, not fast enough for me to miss the tear that slipped off her cheek. A tear I desperately wanted to make disappear.

She had secrets, I want to know them.

Well, goodbye to her "trusting" me.

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Jayna's P.O.V

I hate myself. For just saying all that to him. Even if he did have some level of interest before, now he probably thinks I'm a real insane psycho.

Maybe, all the information I gathered from that little conversation was all wrong. Maybe he didn't want to be friends with me. Maybe that's not what he meant at all.

I'll admit, I kinda jumped to conclusion on that. I just over reacted.

I wiped the tears on my cheek away.

"Hey, mom."

"Yes?" She answers sweetly from the booth. She turns to look at me. Any joy that was on her face a moment ago has all just faded away.

She knows all my faces too well, for her to miss the fact I'm having an anxiety attack.

"Can we go home?" I whisper almost to the point it's inaudible.

She stands up immediately. She places her hands on my shoulders. "Of course honey. Just let me tell Britney."

She walks off, and I sit at the booth. I close my eyes and try to breath through my attack. It seems like the more I breath the faster my heart beats.

"Come on let's go, sweet pea." She grabs my forearm just as a crack of lighting bolts through the sky, and a crash of thunder startles the earth.

I jump, making my anxiety attack worse. "Mom," I mumble. I put my hand to my heart. I start to cry, my vision goes blurry. I find myself even in my state, hoping Josh wouldn't see me.

He does anyways. He walks out of the bathroom right towards me.

Right before everything goes black. Josh comes over to me, swings me up in his arms bridal style. I want to protest as he says something to my mom, but the darkness comes and takes me by the hand.