My New Addiction, Chapter 4

Sorry again that I suck at updating. You probably hate me. Don't hate me.

I thanked my brother for another ride to school. The first person I saw was Stephen. For the first time in my life, I scrutinized Stephen Gomez. He was wearing his usual garb. He had on one of the various black shirts he had, skinny jeans, and, of course, no shoes. He had his backpack lazily lugged over his shoulder. 

I felt a pair of eyes on me. I turned and rolled my eyes to my brother. "Will you quit your staring at me?"

"Only if you quit your staring at him." He winked and nodded to Stephen who had stopped for some girls who had ceased his steps to obviously flirt with him. An unknown, unwanted feeling rose inside me. I'm still trying to figure out what it was. But that feeling drove my legs towards Stephen without even saying a goodbye to my brother.

"S-Stephen." I interrupted one of the girls ranting about something I didn't care for. He turned to me with his usual bored expression.

"What is it, Jess?" He asked.

"Yeah, Jess, what is it? Can't you see Stephen's busy? He doesn't have time for a spoiled bitch like you." A small girl with pink highlights in her hair leaned on Stephen and glared at me.

"Enough, Nat!" Stephen said in a voice that was harsher than usual. He realized how his tone was and cleared his throat. "I mean, I'll talk to you guys later. I think I heard that Ms. Nishimoto wanted to ask you something." He shooed them off politely. then turned to me again. "Now, what do you need?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Well, after that performance, I think I have two things to talk to you about now."

He sighed and shook his head. "Will you just get whatever the hell you need to get out, Jess? Class is going to start soon." He checked his phone before stuffing it back into his pocket.

I fiddled with my fingers while keeping my eyes on my shoes. "I...I, uh...well...I..."

"Spit it out, would you?" He poked my forehead a little hard. I rubbed it in pain.

"Sorry. I...I just wanted to thank you."

"Wow, Jessica Bowen, in the flesh, is thanking me." He pretended to be startstruck just to mock me, obviously. "What for?"

"Shut up. I just wanted to thank you for taking me to the nurse's office. You know, when I blacked out." I shrugged, ignoring his previous form of ridicule towards me.

"Huh." He mumbled, leaning back against the wall behind him.

"Huh? That's all you have to say to me?"

"Nope. Now I have to things to say to you, sweetheart." His hand reached out and tucked some of my hair behind my ear before I swatted his wrist away. "Do you happen to know what was going on through your head when you were out of it? Just out of curiosity."

"Why is that of any importance to you?"

"Did you not hear the last bit of my statement? I said it was just out of curiosity." He smirked slightly which I've never really seen him do before. I bet he has a nice smile. I don't know why that thought came to me at all.

"I don't know if I should tell you."

He cocked his head to the side in wonder. "Well why not?"

I shrug. "I guess I just don't trust you."

"Another why not?"

"You're not exactly in my Fave Five, Stephen, now are you?"

He chuckled without even smiling. How does someone do that? "True. But what does not trusting a handsome man like myself have to do with not telling me what was going on through that pretty little, popular head of yours?"

I blushed slightly but kept my cool. "One, it's my business and not anyone else's, especially yours. Two, who's to say you wouldn't print my thoughts in the school paper for everyone to see?"

Stephen leaned towards me just a tad. "Why? Were the thoughts embarassing? Do they make you blush?" His smirked reappereared a bit again.

"Again, Stephen, it's none of your damn business." I put my hand on his forehead and pushed him away. But he grabbed my wrist and looked at the scars on it. I looked at them, too. I've had the scars as long as I could remember. And you know I don't really remember much. "My mother told me that I never ever cut myself." I suddenly blurted to Stephen. He glanced from my scars to me. "But she never told me where these came from."

He nonchalantly nodded and released my arm. He straightened out all those bracelets that hugged his wrist and saluted me. "Interesting story. But I must be going now, sweetheart. See you around." He hopped through a nearby window that lead to the hallways.

"Ugh, he's so weird, I swear. Why did he even think he could touch my girl?" An arm wrapped around my waist. I smiled, immediately knowing who it was.

"Hey, Alex." I turned and kissed my boyfriend, Alexander Leon's, cheek. "Uh, that thing with Stephen was nothing. Don't worry about it."

"Good." Alex kissed me passionately right on the schoolyard. "You're mine, you know."

"I'm well aware." I giggled as he released me to go talk to some of his friends after giving me another quick kiss.

I headed toward the entrance doors when John Gomez, leaning on the doors, stopped me in my tracks. "Hey, Jess." He greeted me cooly.

"Hey, John." I said with just as much attitude. "What's up?"

"Ah, nothing. Just, you know, the usual."

"And what's the usual?" I crossed my arms and let my weight shift on my left foot.

"Oh, you don't know the usual? Hanging around, thinking about great songs, and wondering why you're such an ignorant little fuck." He raised his eyebrows and smiled. 

"What the hell is your problem, John?" I stood straight and glared directly at him.

"John!" I turned to see Brian rushing between us. "Dude, let it go." I heard Brian quietly warn his friend before turning to look at me. "Sorry, Jess, he doesn't know what he's saying."

I glanced around Brian at John who looked like he had just returned from a spiritual journey. He looked towards me with puppy eyes, all droopy and shit. "Yeah, Jess, I don't know what the hell came over me. Sorry."

"You better be fucking sorry."

Alex came out of nowhere and pinned John to the wall with one arm while his other was in a punching position. His posse held Brian back by his arms. "Call my girl anything like that again and I'll make sure that's the last fucking thing you let out of your damn mouth."

Watching this, I suddenly felt a ping of remorse. I felt sorry for Brian a lot. But, I especially felt sorry for John. I've usually never felt this way when Alex showed kids a lesson. This time felt different. And I wasn't quite sure why.

I would just like to point out that I don't think Alexander Leon is a terrible person at all. From my understanding, he's a sweet man. Alright, carry on and thanks for reading, friend.

-Kirby