Update! (but you know that ;)

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Isa

I'm walking home from Maths club, sneaking out of the school, and out through the back entrance, so that the Cheer squad can't catch sight of me. About half of them are good friends of mine, and would be curious as to why the hell I'm at school after hours.

God forbid they find out about Maths club. I'll be ruined.

The strap on my bag, comes off, and I pull it back up, the wind chasing the hot sweatiness I feel away- living on the outskirts of the Windy City has its benefits.

I turn on the street corner, look up from revising calculations in my head, and then stop short at the sight in front of me.

Of course...great. Just fucking great.

Jared Salisbury of all people, and his friends. Blocking the street, leaning against both walls confining it, drinking bottles of Beer, and laughing. Jared himself looks cool despite the heat his sunglasses blocking those deep blue eyes.

But I can feel them when he delicately fixes his gaze on me, standing at the end of the street, gaping at him. The tilt of his mouth proves my conclusions that I'm nothing to him but some disgusting, albeit fascinating organism he found in his food.

I raise my chin and stride towards the group of guys, all turning to stare openly at me now. They've noticed.

Inconspicuously, I bend slightly to push my short skirt back in check, and feel heat flood into my cheeks. Paco always did say that my short skirts would come around eventually to bite me in the ass.

Jared notices. What doesn't he miss? His eyebrow quirks slightly, and he takes off his sunglasses, his blue eyes sending shivers to zing down my spine. His look is all appreciative: predatory and hot.

I strut past them, my sandals clicking imperiously against the ground. I even skip sideways so that I'm on the sidewalk, out of their way.

A hand snakes out to stop me. I glare up at Jared, who does nothing to stop the guy who's taken hold of me.

"Hey, look, it's Isa Fuentes, the hottest thing in town. Whatcha doin' walking home here, baby? Don'tcha got a fancy sports car or something to take you to your white lily-rose mansion?" The boy says, his leer dark. He pulls me to his chest and I squirm to get away.

"Better yet, some undeserving dude carrying her home on his back." Someone else pitches in.

"Let go of me." I say calmly, trying to push myself off the guy.

Suddenly, I'm wrenched out of his grip and pushed against the wall. Great, It's Let's grab at the first chick that comes by day.

"I've got plans for you, baby." A different guy says, his face pressed against mine, his leg in between my legs.

I sigh, rolling my eyes. Little do these guys know, I've done Karate- all the way up to my black belt. While these guys probably sat around in alleyways, smoking pot and harassing innocents, I was working my ass off to try to learn to defend myself.

I hear Jared in the background say, "Let go of her, man."

And some other guy, add: "Get the hell off her, pedo!"

The guy holding me to the wall, just flips them off. That's when I've had enough of this crap.

I strike his neck first, wrenching him off me and to the ground. The next thing I know, Jared is beside me, kicking the guy in the shin, his move almost simultaneous to mine, making him roll over on himself at the double impact.

I stare at Jared, stunned. "I could have handled him myself."

Jared shrugs. "Whatever. I may be the scum of the earth, but I'm not gonna tolerate that kinda harassment." He flicks a lazy gaze towards the guy on the floor. "Fuck you, Greg."

Greg just groans.

As some guys help him up and walk off supporting him, Greg limping and swearing, muttering about, 'that bitch's moves,' and 'his so called friend', everyone seems to move away as well, realising that the mood has detoriated, so that, only me and Jared remain, ironically.

"I'll drop you home." Jared says, finally.

"Chivalrous of you." I return. "Is it the heat or are you just experiencing an out of character mode?"

Jared grins. "Ha ha. You are so funny. I am overwhelmed by laughter at your wit and sardonic sense of humour. Do sprinkle upon me some of your glorious sensibility, so that I, the simpleton, can learn something from your sparkling humour."

"Fuck you, Salisbury."

"I'd like that."

I just stare at him. Then I say, "Why do you hang out with guys like him, anyway?" Because I'm curious.

Jared sighs. "I'm a misunderstood bystander. Honest. Truly, my inner pain is shielded by my outer wit and defence mechanism. Only the right woman for me can get behind that hard wall in order for me to reveal my true vulnerability and sensitivity."

I roll my eyes. This guy gets by on sarcasm and ironic remarks, so be it. But it is damn annoying.

"I'm serious." Jared stops at a crossroads and I realise that unconsciously, we've been walking. "When no one's looking, I like to go flower collecting, and picking strawberries. Sometimes I make myself cry because I'm so deep. I also, like writing poetry and chocolate."

I squint against the afternoon sun. "You done, smartass?"

"No."

"Well you better be, because," I point behind me to my house. "I'm home."

Jared smiles, and looks down at me. His hair looks golden against the sun. "That was quick."

I nod.

"Why didn't you tell me you could defend yourself so well?" Jared says, suddenly.

I shield my eyes and look up at me. "You gonna stay away from me, now? Keep the grater away from the premise of my nerves now that you know what I can do to you?"

Jared smirks. "Hardly. I like my women tough, capable and as close to Tomb Raider as possible." He steps closer, and leans in. I let him. "We could go out some time and raid tombs together."

I shake my head, finding it weird that he truly wasn't annoying me anymore. "I already have a boyfriend."

Jared raises an eyebrow and steps so close, my personal space is filled with him, his clean, deodorant smell, that does things to the pit of my stomach, and he's so close, that I can see right into the swirling dark blue of his eyes- see something there that makes me want to touch him in all the right ways.

I lean back, away from him.

"Your boyfriend." Jared whispers, softly. His lips skim my cheek as he speaks, and I swallow.

"Yes." I say. "Go away." As opposed to his calm, cool and steady voice, my own is trembling, and completely uncontrolled.

"Has your boyfriend ever made you blush like you're doing now?" Jared says. It's unsuspected, I can't feel myself blushing. Jared fingers my cheek. "You're truly beautiful when you blush. Do you know that? Beautiful."

His eyes skim my face. The next thing I know his lips are pressed against mine and my resolve has crumbled into a pile of stupid ashes on the floor. My arms, involuntarily slip around his neck, I stand on my tiptoes and give it back to him, with everything I have.

Jared moans into my mouth, and every sense of reality disappears at the feel of his mouth moving on mine. I reach up to cup his jaw, feel it working as his tongue probes my lips. I part them and let our tongues slide together.

Shivers- despite the heat- slide down my spine, making me clutch Jared harder, harder, and the feeling that I'm about to fall, is resolved when his own around steady me, caging my waist.

"I have to go." I whisper, finally, after what seems ages.

Jared, clutches my hair and pushes my head back, his mouth running down my neck, over my pulse, his tongue skimming the hollow of my throat, over and over, making me moan at the feeling. Harry never did this. Never made me feel so good.

I shake my head at the thought of my boyfriend, and pull away, pushing at Jared, so that we're both wrenched apart.

"Don't do that." I say, my voice a whisper.

Jared's eyes are dark and hard. "You seemed to like...that."

I swallow down whatever is rising in my throat and shake my head. "Go home. I'll see you at school."

I turn around and walk up the steps, trying not to replay the kiss, the feeling of his mouth on mine, at my throat and against my cheek. Trying not to think of Harry, poor sweet Harry, or the fact that Jared never felt squat for me before now.

Trying not to think of why on earth he'd suddenly want me, someone who refused him, when he could have any willing girl in the school.

Trying not to think at all.