Forgetting Billions | ✓

13 | Forgetting Suspicions

"MAKE SURE to leave it in your locker." Jasmine read out loud to Selena, for the first time without the slightest quiver. Her assailant's effects were decreasing on her as they still hadn't done anything worth fearing. It seemed as if they were all talk and no action.

"They have your combination?" Selena asked with her eyebrows raised.

"Obviously, if they could have left the first note in my locker," Jasmine pointed out, toying with the golden photograph in her bag. "Why do you think this person wants this, anyway?"

Selena shrugged as they continued to walk through the crowded hallways before the first-period bell rang, "Maybe they're trying to distance you from the people that love you, so you're an easier target. They already succeeded in pulling Shayan away from you. It's probably only a matter of time now."

Jasmine's smile faltered, "How do you even know that for sure?"

"I don't know anything for sure, but I'm basing my knowledge off of Criminal Minds and Law and Order." she noticed Jasmine's weary look and chuckled, "Is that not a reliable source of information?"

Jasmine shook her head at her antics, still trying to get rid of the feeling that her best friend wasn't telling her something. Selena noticed the sudden tension and said, "Also, don't you think it would be Evan in the middle of this? He threw the party, asked for you to steal his own photograph as a way to pull you from Shayan, and then conveniently went up to his room to see what you stole. Doesn't that seem a little suspicious?"

"Evan wouldn't do that. And he looked genuinely hurt when everything went down. That couldn't have been just an act," Jasmine responded just as someone's arms wrapped around her from behind, their chin resting on her neck.

Evan grinned at her, watching the two with interest, "Evan wouldn't do what?"

Selena's eyes widened, "We were just saying how you wouldn't ask anyone to prom. You know, because girls find you off-putting."

"Even your teasing is a little off today, Sel. Something up?" he asked, withdrawing his body from Jasmine and now closing in on the lanky brunette. While he was busy with Selena, Jasmine decided it would be the best time to deposit the photo into her locker.

Making a run for it, she dropped the photograph in, putting on a show of taking out her binders as well. And now, she would wait.

Selena's melodious laugh rang through the halls and Evan looked positively enthralled with the sound. "Evan, stop!" she exclaimed.

Jasmine's eyebrows knitted together as she made her way back to the two. She couldn't help but be a little jealous at all the attention Selena was receiving. Shaking her head at the thoughts, she entered herself into the conversation with a careless smile.

"I'm going to wait here a little longer, okay?" Jasmine said and gave Selena a pointed look to wait with her.

Evan, noticing the glances between the two, piped up, "I'll wait with you. You could do good with some company from yours truly."

Selena bit back a retort to stop him, "Fine by us."

The three of them leaned against the lockers, waiting as Jasmine tried to scope out anyone making their way to her locker. The first-period bell rang and within a minute, the hallways were empty. She continued to stand there until Selena placed a cold hand on her shoulder.

She leaned down to Jasmine's ears and whispered, "I don't think they're coming."

Jasmine nodded reluctantly, and with one last hopeful glance towards her locker, she began walking to her first period, AP Spanish V.

⇣⇣⇣

SHE RELAXED into the wooden chair she was assigned to, gazing at the screen as Señora Gutierrez reviewed conjugating future conditional verbs. She quickly lost interest in the lesson but was snapped out of her thoughts by a rather attractive boy falling into the seat next to her, twenty minutes late.

He threw his bag onto the floor beside her and her eyes caught a flash of gold in their peripheral vision. Her heart began to slam out of her chest and she slowly looked back to the bag, only to see nothing but a plain black JanSport. She continued to analyze him, to ease her suspicions, until she caught sight of the original source of the gold; his expensive looking watch. With a breath of relief, she slumped back in her chair, ready to drift back into dreamland.

"Lo siento, Señora. No pasará otra vez," he said, a sweet smile crawling across his lips.

Señora Gutierrez smiled back as if she were under the spell of his effortless charisma, "Está bien, Señor."

Jasmine had never seen this boy in her class. She would have known, at least if he sat next to her. Perhaps he had just moved into the class from another. Judging by his impeccable speaking skills, he must have upgraded from Spanish IV to Spanish V.

Jasmine offered the boy sitting next to her a friendly smile, deciding to introduce herself to someone outside her typical friend group. She whispered, "Hey, I'm Jasmine."

When he turned around and truly faced her, she realized where she had seen him before. He was the boy in the photos above Maria's desk.

"I'm Ashton." he grinned, "It's nice to meet you."

Jasmine was so surprised that they didn't already know each other, considering they were both seniors. She was happy for another person to talk to, though, one who wasn't caught up in all her drama. "Nice to meet you too," she said under her breath. "Do you already know this?"

"I know it." He chuckled, "We can talk, then, since you seem pretty bored with the lesson already. It's not like she'll care that her best student and his partner are talking in class."

Jasmine scoffed, "Yeah right. I'm easily the best student here. You just got here."

"Save your breath, Jasmine," he waved her off and added, "I've heard your name before. Maybe someone mentioned you to me."

"Well, I only really have three friends. But do you know Evan Levington?"

He snorted, "Who doesn't? But we're not exactly friends. Anyone else?"

"Selena Astor? Shayan Khan?" Jasmine said, her voice shaking slightly when she whispered the last name.

"Ah. Those two never stop talking about you." He flashed her a boyish grin. "You must be Shayan's famous best friend from the past. And Selena, well, you're the best friend from the present."

"That would be right," Jasmine laughed. "How do you know them?"

"Shayan and I have multiple classes together and Selena's my cousin."

"You're the one with the cow farm!" she exclaimed, causing the entire class to turn around. Her cheeks heated at the sudden attention. "Sorry," she muttered sheepishly.

"That would be me." He bit his lip, holding back laughter.

Ashton and Jasmine whispered for the rest of class, talking about their mutual friends, varsity sports season, and just about anything most bored high school seniors would talk about. To Jasmine, it was like a breath of fresh air and it was all she needed to get through the day.

Once class ended and she had waved goodbye to her new friend, she made her way back to her locker. She opened it to see that the photograph was gone and that breath of fresh air was stolen from her just as quickly as she had received it.