Twenty-Two - The nerve

                                    

                                          
Jennifer:
                          
I couldn't believe it. I kissed him. I finally kissed him. I knew it would be a phenomenal feeling but my expectations had been put to shame because, wow. 
                          
I could still feel a tingling sensation as I touched my bottom lip. His lips touched my lips. 
                          
A part of me regretted my previous impulse with the Trevor thing. If I hadn't gotten myself caught up in that, this  would have been my first kiss. 
                          
But it was my first with Jason and I would be damned if it were my last. 
                          
These weren't exactly healthy thoughts to be having during a biology lesson, but here I was, daydreaming about all the other times I would want to feel Jason press his lips against mine. I could feel butterflies doing laps around my stomach just at the thought of him. 
                          
But the most overwhelming thing about it all was what he said to me. When I asked him why he liked me, I genuinely thought he would choke. My self-destructive mind didn't want me to share a tender moment with him. I was about to sabotage it and lead myself to believe that I only have a thing for jerks. 
                          
I was wrong. 
                          
Jason was genuine, right? Of course he was. 
                          
We didn't have much time to talk because the bell signalling the end of lunch rang just after our tender moment. Which also meant I hadn't had time to share the recent development with my friends. 
                          
Jennifer Ashley Walsh has friends and she just kissed a guy. This was definitely one for the headlines people. 
                          
But during my little celebration I had given little thought to which club I would be joining in order to get Whitehead off my back. I would figure that out at home with my parents. They usually have good advice. 
                          
The bell rang signalling the end of school and it felt like if I stayed in that Biology lab any longer I would die. I had to see Asha and the guys. Or I could just text them about this and run straight to Jason. But then I would have run the risk of seeming too clingy. 
                          
Gosh why is this such hard work?
                          
My decision was made for me as I bumped into Asha and Zara on my way to my locker. Their usually wide smiles and bright eyes were replaced by expressions I failed to read. Anger? Frustration?
                          
I decided not to play psychic and just hop they would tell me what was going on. Hopefully my news about me and Jason would cheer them up.
                          
"Hey guys I have some news," I said cheerily as I got nearer to them. 
                          
The two exchanged glances and I swear I heard Zara mumble "the nerve".
                          
"You made out with my brother?"
                          
That was not the news I meant. 
                          
I didn't even know what to say at this point. I felt my jaw open to speak, but my eyes immediately fell on Zara. 
                          
I understood why she told on me, this was clearly an effort to protect her friend from me since I was supposedly manipulative in using her for her brother. But the Trevor thing had already blown up in my face. 
                          
"Asha," I started.
                          
"Don't Asha me, okay? I thought you'd be different. I took you in as a friend thinking 'oh she's probably just a nice girl having a hard time making friends'. I had no idea you'd be so stupid."
                          
"Asha I really didn't mean to-"
                          
"And to top it all off you cheat on him with that Jason guy? Unbelievable."
                          
"Wait what?" I practically screamed this. 
                          
People were slowly starting to crowd around us but I couldn't care less.
                          
"Everywhere that guy goes, there's always a set of eyes on him. You should've known that by now," Zara chimed in. 
                          
"Okay I feel like there's a lot of things  that need clarifying here," I said. 
                          
"Please, enlighten us," Asha said bitterly. 
                          
"First of all, yeah I'll admit Trevor and I made out a couple times," she rolled her eyes at this. "But I'm really sorry, not just to you but to myself. Zara you were right, he told me he wanted nothing to do with me and that it was all just 'fun'. And Asha I had no idea about your rule, if I'd known I never would've let myself fall into his trap in the first place."
                          
"So, you're not dating Trevor?"
                          
"No."
                          
"You kissed Jason?"
                          
"Yeah," a small smile crept up my face. 
                          
"Aw, blondie!" And just like that all the anger dissipated and Asha had enveloped me in a hug, which I received gladly. 
                          
I looked up to see Zara with what seemed like a scowl on her face. Did she not  want us to resolve this issue like civilized people?

                          
Asha suddenly broke the hug and looked at me quizzically. 
                          
"Hold on, you said something about a rule?" she said. Zara's eyes widened at this point and I was left a little confused. 
                          
"Yeah, that's the whole reason you confronted me right? You don't have a lot of friends 'cause you're afraid of people using you for your money or your brother."

                          
Asha's knitted her thick eyebrows together in confusion.
                          
"I confronted you because I didn't want anyone to get hurt. I mean, I thought you were cheating on my brother for Christs sake, of course I was gonna confront you," she said. 
                          
"So, if I had just been dating your brother only you wouldn't have had an issue with it?"

                          
"Psh, you wanna take on that piece of work? Good luck to you. Where did you get this 'rule' idea?" 
                          
Instinctively, we both turn to look at Zara who had been silent throughout half of this little exchange. Her mouth gaped open but she clearly had no words.
                          
"Guys, it's pretty late. I have to go," she said. She turns and practically runs out of the school. 
                          
Asha and I are baffled. 
                          


                          


                          
A/N: Thank you so much for reading. 
                          
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