Oh my gosh guys, is this for real? Am I really updating? Well, my pretties, you're right. Because I am. So be ready, because here's Chapter 10, buckle up!
Celine strolled confidently into the cafe that she knew Jocelyn worked in. Her eyes scanned over the occupants and fought a groan of distaste at the social ranking of most of these people. Had they no dignity? she thought.
Reaching the counter, her heels clacking on the hardwood flooring, she saw Jocelyn was distracted by another employee. Visibly annoyed, Celine dropped her purse onto the counter loudly.
Jocelyn looked up startled, and realized who it was. Her face molded into a frown and she mumbled out the words, "How may I help you?" She sighed and tucked her scarlet hair behind her ear.
The blonde crossed her arms, "You were really out of line at the regional qualifier. I mean, they just wanted me to speak," she shook her head, her eyes flashing, "and you obviously wanted to sabotage me."
The redhead at the counter pressed her lips into a thin line and regarded Celine quietly, "I'm sorry," and looked down at her waiter's pad, "What can I get you?"
"Chai tea latte with milk," and she scoured through her bag for her credit card. Jocelyn jot down something with a sharpie onto the cup and replied, "4.50," in a reserved manner. "Anything else?"
Jocelyn hoped that she would just go away and she could just carry on with her job. But no, Celine had more to say. "Actually, there is one thing…" Jocelyn's eyes widened fractionally at Celine's statement and placed her hands on her hips defiantly.
"Jace has been spending a lot of time at your house-"
"I know. I'm sorry about wearing paint-covered clothes," Jocelyn bit her lip.
"What?" the other mother looked startled.
"What?" Jocelyn echoed, mentally kicking herself for spewing out that, of all things.
Celine rolled her eyes, "Anyway, he doesn't like my deserts, and he can't seem to stop talking about your damn cookies."
Jocelyn regarded her thoughtfully, a fine line appearing between her ginger brows. "Really?"
"Yes, really. And it's very annoying. But…" she paused, looking for once in her life at a loss for words, "Well I thought that, um... "
Jocelyn, leaned forward slightly, knowing that Celine was choosing her words very carefully. She didn't like seeking help from people, most of all Jocelyn.
"Is it possible to get the recipe?"
Jocelyn thought about saying no, just to spite her. After all these years, she had something that Celine didn't - and not only that - she wanted it.
Jocelyn sighed, "Yeah. Sure."
Celine raised her blonde brows.
"If you can hang for a few minutes, I'm about to be on break," she said fiddling with her apron anxiously.
Celine, seemingly satisfied, nodded and flounced away in search of a table.
Just as she was just about to find a table, her drink was ready. "Chai tea latte." Celine grabbed it and peered down to see the word 'Bitch' scrawled neatly on it in sharpie. She immediately recognized it as Jocelyn's.
"Well played Jocie," she smirked and looked over at her. Jocelyn only raised her brows in response.
~.o.0.o.~
"Shakespeare didn't write the first Romeo and Juliet story," the professor drawled monotonously, "but he wrote the best Romeo and Juliet story."
Jace slid his tawny eyes over the desk that was usually occupied by Clary and found it empty. The only sign that she had been there were the small sketches on the top right corner of the desk.
"Take the confidants- the friar, the nurse, you see, things out of Shakespeare." If he listened hard enough, Jace could hear the rustling of papers behind him which meant kids passing notes, sighing through his teeth, he turned his attention to the professor.
~.o.0.o.~
Swaddled in blankets, Clary sat in bed, a pile of notes on her lap and twirled a pencil between her pale slender fingers anxiously. Biting her lip, she continually reviewed the words in front of her over and over, but her mind just kept coming back to Jace. Jace.
Why did he have to be the way that he was? And why couldn't she stop thinking about him? Every few seconds, the events of the previous night flashed in her head. Lips, tongues, rustling papers, chocolate. All of it playing out vividly in her mind.
Snorting in frustration, she jumped out of bed and went to the kitchen to make herself something to eat. She then ended up in front of the TV watching some show about a high school in Britain in which a boy solves everyone's sex problems.
~.o.0.o.~
As soon as Jocelyn was done with her shift, she grabbed her bag and was about to head out the door when Celin grabbed her wrist. Oh, shit! Seriously this woman can't get a clue?
She turned around to look at the other mother expectantly, awaiting her response. The blonde woman motioned to the two-person table she was sitting at. Jocelyn eyed it as if it were one of Celine's designer bags, but eventually sat down - but not without a withering glare at her.
Celine paid no mind and carried on complacent conversation, that is until the topic of cookies was brought up. Jocelyn didn't want to push but her rival looked almost uncomfortable asking for help from her of all people!
And so, Jocelyn gave her the chocolate cookie recipe. If someone walked in, it would seem as if a redhead and blonde woman were just old friends catching up. Which was strange because- if they didn't have the rivalry between them - they would've been a lot closer to each other.
After Celine was satisfied, Jocelyn made her way home and tried to shake off the weird vibes the other woman was giving. Pursing her lips, she hopped in her car and drove off. Boy did she have a story for her daughter.
~.o.0.o.~
Wherever Jace couldn't concentrate or his mind was a jumbled mess, he'd head over to the school's library and blow off some steam with a good book. And you can guess, that's were he was.
After selecting A Tale of Two Cities from the top shelf, he settled himself into the crushed velvet chair beside him. He didn't want to admit it, but it was the same color as Clary's eyes. No, stop thinking about her. You just need to focus on the debate and winning it. After it's all done, you can forget about her and head off to college.
He got fifty-or-so pages in before he quit. He wouldn't be able to get her out of his head that quick. Placing the book back, Jace headed out of the library with only one thing on his mind.
~.o.0.o.~
She was just setting the table when Clary heard a knock at the door. "I'll get it!" she called to her mother and walked to the front of the house, her Converse squeaking on the linoleum.
Touching the doorknob, she knew something was off but couldn't place her finger on it. She just shrugged it off and turned it to see him standing there. She only looked at him. Jace ran his hands through his blonde hair and took a few steps toward her. Luckily she didn't step away from him, but she didn't get any closer either.
"Look Clary…" his voice sounded strangled, and he looked just as uncomfortable as she felt.
"No Jace. For just this once, I'm doing the talking and you're doing the listening."
If this had been any other situation, Jace would've smirked, but it seemed wrong now.
"I'm supposed to hate you," she choked. Her hands formed into fists beside her. Jace knew her enough that it wasn't from anger but she was trying to hold herself back from bursting.
"I've hated you my whole life. Not because I knew you, but because...I thought you hated me too," that one statement seems to suck the life out of her, for she sat down on the swing on her porch.
She crossed her arms over herself tightly and turned her gaze onto the wood porch. "But this thing, this thing where we study together and eat cookies…" her breath caught.
Clary closed her eyes, making that adorable crease between her brows that Jace loved so much. "Well, I just don't think that's what I'm good at."
Jace stammered, "I disagree."
"Of course you disagree. That's what we always do," she chuckled humorlessly.
Her lips pressed into a thin line, "I'll see you tomorrow okay?" She hoped, she prayed to God that he'd just say yes. That he'd turn around and leave, and tomorrow he'd be the same old Jace and she could just go on hating him. Because she couldn't handle feeling like this about him.
Lucilky, he turned around with an unreadable expression and shut the door of his car, speeding off. Clary then turned toward the door and sped to her bedroom. There, she plopped onto her bed and mulled the previous events over. And that's finally when she let the tears come.
Wow! What in the world was that? You and me both sis. That's how I felt after writing this chapter. Well, for those of you who have a keen eye, yes, I did make a Sex Education reference. Gah! It's soooo goood! I highly recommend it and it's just so easy to binge watch (f.y.i. it's exactly what I did). Anyways, thanks for being such amazing readers and I'll see you guys next time for Chapter 11.
Ur fave 'tato,
BlueAries03