Chapter 10

Jordan sat on the stairs on the fourth floor of the school, hands on her knees, palms cupping her face, eyes constantly blinking and mind aimlessly thinking. Riley stood on her left side leaning into the wall and eyes dug into her phone. Sitting next to Jordan was Michael. Bandaged right palm, sore face, and bloody inked lips.

“So, what happened?” Riley asked, her eyes not leaving the phone.

Michael looked at Jordan, signaling her to respond with something. She shook her head and said it’s him she is asking. They kept on with their head-shaking conversation until Riley locked her phone and gave them her full attention.

She pointed at Michael, “You.”

Jordan chuckled looking at Michael who was giving her the look which said I’ll make a comeback later. “You are next,” Riley said to Jordan. She swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded. They both turned towards Michael.

“Just a fight,” he said.

Riley scoffed, “Just a fight! How many times?” Michael just rolled his eyes and looked away. He was about to get up, Jordan held his hand. He winced in pain. She didn’t realize she had held his hand that was injured.

Riley pushed him onto the stairs and just looked at him. Riley ignored him for this moment. And turned towards Jordan.

“What about you?” Riley asked her. Jordan looked up at her and Michael said, “Mr. Marcel, right?”

Michael’s revelation shocked Jordan. She looked at Riley and she seemed to not waver at all.

“Anybody can guess by the way you two look at each other all the time in the class,” she said to Jordan.

“I met Harley in the playground the day before yesterday and when I asked about you, he said you are going to Mr. Marcel’s house to prepare for the maths tournament,” Michael revealed.

Jordan just nodded. “So, is it him?” Michael asked, and she nodded, again. “Serious?” he asked.

“I am,” she said and both of her friends nodded in understanding. Just then someone cleared their throat. They looked up and there stood Mr. Marcel.

“Are you three planning bunk my class or what?” he asked them.

“Is it ok if we do?” Michael asked, smirking at Adrian.

Adrian looked at Michael for a few seconds and said, “I’ll let only you go if you want to rest in the clinic.” Oh! He is being considerate since Michael is injured.

Michael chuckled and placed his hand on his chest and said, “I might fall for you, Mr. Marcel!”

“Scoot from here before I change my mind,” Adrian said sternly. And Michael got up and looked at Jordan and Riley and waved his hand and left to the clinic.

“Next time, you should probably kick his ass, Mr. Marcel,” Riley said as she started climbing the stairs.

“I’ll keep that in mind, Ms. Bianchi,” he said. She looked back at them and mouthed take your time and left.

“Does she know?” he asked Jordan as soon as Riley left.

“Huh?”

“Us!”

“Kind of.” He just nodded his head. And they started walking towards the class. Mr. Robinson made his appearance from the other side. “Adrian!”

They looked at him, Adrian’s expression changed, “Matthew!” He seemed to have gotten close to Mr. Robinson. Mr. Robinson gave Jordan a nod, acknowledging her presence.

“Got time at the weekend? Some of my friends have planned a weekend vacation. You could join us!” Mr. Robinson invited Adrian for a weekend vacation. If he goes, then Jordan can’t see him. But he should go out and make friends in the new city. His world can’t revolve only around Aaron and school and Jordan.

Adrian looked at Jordan, and she understood that she had to leave for the class. She just bowed lightly to both and left for the class.

When it was break time, the first thing Jordan and Riley did was to go to the clinic to check on Michael because he didn’t come to any of the classes in the morning.

They reached the clinic, and the nurse was doing something on the computer. She looked at them and pointed towards the bed in the room's corner. She knew they were there to check on Michael. While they walked towards the bed, the nurse informed them that Mr. Marcel has permitted Michael to rest for the morning and if he didn’t feel good in the noon to send him home. They nodded at her and went to his bed.

He was in deep slumber. Riley sat next to him and Jordan stood near the bed. Jordan knew Riley has a soft corner for Michael, but she never admits it openly. These two shared a very strange relationship. The first fight Michael got into in high school was because of Riley. She was new here back then. Jordan wondered what’s going on between her friends.

“I’ll drop him off to his home and just go back to my place,” Riley said to Jordan. And she nodded. They just had one more class remaining, so it was fine to skip. Jordan decided to skip too and went to the library. She didn’t feel like attending the classes if these two weren’t there. She is too much attached to them. She had no idea what will happen after they graduate high school and go to college.

In the library, she kept her bag on the stand and went towards the Mathematics row to find some books to prepare for the tournament.

Adrian was going through some books in the corner of the row. He looked so hot and happening. His shirt sleeves were rolled until his elbows and loosened tie.

She cleared her throat, and he looked up from the book. “I thought you had a class,” he said and got back to the book.

She walked towards him and said, “I skipped.” He gave her the why look. What’s with the boys and giving looks, she thought.

“Riley skipped the class to drop off Michael to his home. And she said she’d go back to her place. And I don’t like attending the class without them-” he looked into her eyes. “-so I thought of looking up some books to prepare for the tournament. I didn’t know you would be here.”

He nodded and handed her the book he was looking at. She glanced at it and realized he was picking books for her. She started checking the first few pages of the book. Out of the blue, he asked, “Have you ever made out with someone in the library?”

She looked up at him, and her expression gave away the answer. “I was your first kiss!” he said, and she nodded shyly.

Reaching to her hand, he dragged her towards the corner where cameras don’t work. He pushed her back onto the wall behind her and started kissing her. He grabbed her waist against him and her legs were almost in the air. And he trailed kisses to her neck and collarbone. His fiery breath tickled against her skin and she felt like she was losing her mind with this feeling. She was in ecstasy.