******
The next day went the same as the one before. Irina and Jack pretended the other didn't exist. Except this time it was easier since Irina was still mad with him. Jack dodged Heather all day, at least until Calculus.
*****
Calculus
Irina sat down in her seat next to Jack and stared ahead at the board. Jack tried to pay attention to the teacher but Heather was busy trying to get his attention. He didn't look up and a few seconds later she slipped a note onto his desk. He pushed it aside and continued to do his work. Irina looked over at Jack, her heart twinged when she saw the melancholy expression on his face. She wrote a quick note and folded it, just as she was about to slide it to him he picked up Heather's note. It read:
Do you like what you see?
Folded within the paper was a picture of Heather in a skimpy bikini. Jack gulped and looked over at Heather who was smiling seductively at him. Jack reddened and tucked the picture inside of his pocket. Irina ripped up the note she was about to give him.
"Mrs. Weiss will you please tell me the answer to number three and stop making goo-goo eyes at Mr. Kendall." Mrs. Briders said in her nasily voice.
"Zero." Irina answered reddening.
"Correct will you explain why."
"Because anything to the zero power is one."
"Thank you."
Mrs. Briders turned back to the board and Irina looked down at her folder. There was a note laying on the top of her notebook. She opened it eagerly hoping it was from Jack. Just as she was about to read it, it was snatched away by Mrs. Briders.
"Reading a note. Why not read it to the entire class?" Briders said motioning for Irina to stand at the front of the class.
Irina reddened and went to the front of the room. Everyone looked at her waiting to burst with laughter. Irina gulped and began to read.
The letter was written in Italian, Irina reads it in Italian. The following is a translation.
"My dearest Vicky,
Last night I couldn't get you out of my mind. I replayed our fight in my mind and cringed every time I remember I yelled at you. I'm sorry for making you upset and I hope you can forgive me. The truth is I am in an impossible situation and I don't know how to deal with it. I need you. No one has ever made me as mad as you do. But no one has made me want to love so hard. Forgive me. If you don't just know my love for you is eternal.
Lying, thinking
Last night
How to find my soul a home
Where water is not thirsty
And bread loaf is not stone
I came up with one thing
And I don't believe I'm wrong
That nobody,
But nobody
Can make it out here alone.
All My Love Forever and a Day,
J.B
When Irina finished reading her eyes were brimming in tears. Everyone else in the class looked confused.
"Mr. Weiss, please refrain from doing other schoolwork in my class." Briders said shooing her to her seat.
Irina sat down, her emotions fighting with her. Louis tapped her on the shoulder. She looked across at him fighting back tears.
"Who wrote that?" Louis asked.
"My friend." she said nonchalant.
Jack heard her words and sunk lower in his chair. The rest of the period seemed to drag by. When the bell finally rung Jack bolted from the room. Irina left soon after and nonchalantly walked to her locker, got out her books for Home Ec and went to class.
Jack's POV
He stood there at his locker watching her act as if nothing was wrong. He watched her walk away fighting back tears. He put his books away and slammed the locker shut in anger. He walked toward Auto tech his mind racing.
"He loved Irina but she didn't love him. Why was he crying?" he thought brushing away his tears in frustration.
He was Jack f*ing Bristow. He could have any girl he wanted. Especially after he made the football team. Forget Irina. She was just another girl.