Hiiii I'm going to try to make this ongoing along with my other story. Hope you enjoy.
Also random note : This Jasmine loves superhero movies because of how cheesy they usually are – its' a comfort for her lol.
She felt worse in the morning, which she hadn't thought was possible. With a groan she pushed herself up, ignoring the way her back and shoulders screamed at her in refusal. Her room was bathed in morning light, the covers looking pale pink in its' focus and her walls shining almost white.
It gave her a straight headache.
With a huff her legs forced their way off her bed. She stood up. Slowly. Her legs felt heavy, like boulders with feet.
What had he done to me?
Raging internally, she took two aspirins dry and forced her boulders with feet to take small cautious steps around her room. Weakness in her joints made each step wobbly and painful. But she had to press forward. She had to make an appearance at school today. What better way to show Huey that he doesn't affect her? That she wasn't absolutely wrecked from that hour they spent thrusting in her sheets?
She'd show up as nonchalant as possible, pretend all was right in the world. That would show that sex-crazed jerk.
A moan shuddered from her lips as a specific painful spaz shot up her leg. Geez. It would take everything in her to get through this day.
After taking a shower, she blasted some Cleo Sol and started rummaging through her closet for an outfit. In addition to her bruised hips, chests, and legs, Jasmine also had a slight nip on the tip of her ear and a glaring red hickey right above her clavicle. She didn't even remember his mouth being there.
She was so consumed by everything else.
No. Let's not go back there.
Fanning her too hot cheeks, her brain turned back to finding the perfect outfit to cover up. She ended up settling for her mustard turtleneck with open cut outs on the sleeves. It was meltingly soft to the touch. This gave her a lot of comfort – something she would need today.
She paired it with her favorite jean skirt, which fell right below her knees – hiding the deep bruises and bites on her legs. Shivering, she pushed the bad thoughts away again, shoving her school stuff into her bag.
Thoughts of his mouth, his teeth. Kissing, sucking, biting their way up her body.
Marking her.
Taking a piece of her heart with every press of flesh on –
Crap. Her hands raked through her hair in annoyance, the pain a pleasant distraction. She forced her mane into a ponytail and that ponytail into a cap. Hopefully, the cap would hide her cried out eyes if she wore it low on her face, and the flush that still stained her cheeks like red dye.
Completing this with a pair of sunglasses, she looked into her gold trimmed floor length mirror.
Huh.
She looked actually half-normal ; aside from a few things no one would probably notice if no one pays enough attention. At most they would think she was hungover. With a shrug she wobbled out the door, each step feeling like she was carrying chains on her ankles.
Daddy was going to give her a ride to school today in place of Huey, and unlike Huey she was able to pressure daddy into stopping for a Frappuccino from Starbucks. It was the least he could do after forcing her to listen to NPR the whole ride.
Huey loved stupid NPR too.
Ugh.
Jasmine blew at a tendril of her hair that had fallen into her face, sighing loudly. Tom gave her a questioning look before turning back to the road. " You okay pumpkin ?"
Her fingers clenched her drink, the plastic crunching.
Yea dad I'm totally fine. Just got my virginity taken and completely slutted out by my best maybe ex best friend for a research project I wish I just made a volcano for.
"I'm fine daddy." she heard herself say. It was simple. Uncomplicated. Her head turned slowly, and she gave him her best smile- hoping it didn't seem forced. He smiled back, then turned to give his attention back to the road. And for once Jasmine was grateful that his daddy instinct rarely strayed into deeper care and territory.
It was a slightly cloudy day, which made sense as it was still morning. Students ran up and down the school steps like ants, trying to cram in some socializing before first period. Usually, Jasmine was right there with them. Yet as she glared up the cluster of expansive stairs leading to the gaping mouth of her school, her leg muscles almost physically recoiled in horror.
Screw. Huey. Freeman.
On instinct her head turned around, trying to catch a glimpse of her father's stupid blue Prius , needing an escape, but he was already off, ,disappearing into the cluster of cars filled with antsy parents rushing to work.
Man was she done for.
"Hey girl !"
Jasmines ponytail swing slightly as she turned and came face to face with Cindy.
Her REAL bestie.
Cindy wiggled her brows as she ran up to Jasmine, throwing her arms over her shoulders. Her hair shone like corn in sunlight. "Bitch you stuck in quicksand ? Let's go before you make us late."
Right. Stairs.
" Totally." Jasmine swallowed her nerves, forcing her stupid legs to do their one job. Cindy towed after her. She felt like Ariel when when she first got her legs = like needles were sinking deep into her feet with every step.
Cindy frowned at her, her blue eyes worried. " Uh… girl you good ?"
Jasmine blinked slowly before putting on that smile again. " Of course ! Just overworked with exercising so my legs are killing me."
Cindy frowned confused ; and rightfully so, since the last thing she had seen Jasmine exercise washer mouth when she yelling at her TV during cupcake wars. " Bitch since when – "
" Any who girl how was your date with Caesar ?" Jasmine prodded, nudging Cindy. Caesar was Huey's friend, and Cindy had hit it off with him after she joined cheer and met him at one of the basketball games. As expected, her eyes lit up like fireworks, and Jasmine's chest heaved in relief. She listened to Cindy talk her ear off about how sweet Caesar was as they trudded up the stairs and into the hall, silently celebrating getting through the agony of lifting her legs. Her locker was only a few down from Huey's, so she had to get her ass in gear. It was nearly showtime. She'd show his ass. He doesn't affect her as much as he probably thinks.
" Damn Jas who is that with Freeman ?"
Her eyes shot over to his locker in record time. And her heart suddenly grew heavier than her sore legs.
Huey was leaning against his locker wearing a brown shirt that inadvertently showed off his muscled pecs, and his tan khakis.
Her favorite.
His gold watch clad wrist leaned against his locker along with his sinful body, and he was smiling that bright white smile…
At Maya Hayward.
Gum popping, too sweet perfume wearing, Maya Wayward.
She was smiling up at him as well, her gum popping mouth in all its' glory, twirling her stupid brown locks around her stupid pink nails.
Huh.
So when Jasmine's away, Huey the Whore comes out to play.
No biggie. If anything, her being aloof about this would be just as impactful as being aloof about last night. She could do that. She could SO do that.
" Jasmine ?" Jumping, Jasmine turned to meet Cindy's worried gaze. Cindy frowned. " Bitch you're crushing my hand."
Oh.
Jasmine let go, apologizing profusely. Cindy laughed it off as Jasmine opened her locker, careful not to make too much sound.
Her blonde bestie leaned in. " Girl what about-"
" He's just my friend anyhow." Jasmine shrugged reaching for her AP Lit book. Her arm ached, and her blood roared in her ears. It was all becoming too much. Lazily, She her head leaned on Cindy for a moment, who was looking down at her AGAIN in worry.
" You however bestie, I'd kill you if you replaced me with a new boo." Jasmine teased, desperate to lighten the mood.
Cindy snorted gleefully, giving Jasmine her first genuine smile of the day. " Honestly wouldn't dream of it." Cindy brushed Jasmine's hair back, leaning her head on her shoulder. They stared into her pink fuzzy laced locker, at nothing really, but Jasmine was grateful for her friend trying to comfort her.
Though she didn't really need it. She was perfectly fine with everything.
" Caez invited me to this party," Cindy spoke excitedly in Jasmine's hair, " You finna be my plus one, and we can find you your own boo. Cause I don't mind sharing."
Jasmine giggled into her hand, moving from her locker as Cindy moved to slam it shut. Loudly.
Crap. Jasmine's eyes widened at Cindy as both Huey and Maya turned towards the noise.
And Huey and Jasmine made eye contact for the first time that day.
In her peripheral, Jasmine saw Maya wave her dainty fingers at them, but she couldn't acknowledge it. Couldn't take her eyes off Huey.
He had tensed up as soon as he saw her, his relaxed posture morphing into something harsh and edgy. He stood up fully. His eyes angrily ran along her face and body, the stare feeling like scrapes against her skin. She could have sworn he was trying to find something of him on her – a scratch or bite, anything that showed he had something on her. That their night affected her.
Well tough luck Freeman. I'm as cool as ice – free of bruises and feelings.
" Freeman. Wayward." Cindy plastered a fake smile over her face, putting her arm around Jasmine's waist. Her hand landed on a bruise, making Jasmine wince without thinking.
Huey noticed immediately- his eyes were still trained on her, so of course he did.
Cindy, oblivious, continued to sneer. " Didn't see you guys there."
Huey turned, whispering in Wayward's ear. The girl blushed and nodded, winking at him before turning and melting into the crowd.
Shudder.
Jasmine cringed as she looked from Wayward back to Cindy and Huey, who both seemed to be having a stare down. The two never did seem to get along.
" Murphy." Huey began, his voice strained. His eyes shot back to Jasmine, and she shivered under its' intensity. " I need a word with your friend here. Alone."
A gulp tore down Jasmine's throat. She turned to Cindy with pleading eyes.
Cindy, being the bestest friend in the world, read that look loud and clear. " Nah Freeman, class is starting soon. Aren't you all about order and shit ?" she snapped. Jasmine almost broke down with gratitude as Cindy grabbed her hand and steered her down the hall, towards first period. Smart for once, Jasmine didn't dare look behind her – she didn't need to, the heat of that man's glare already felt like hot coals on her neck. She pulled her cap farther down.
The first part of the day was uneventful as usual ; she fiddled with her strawberry gummy bear pen in 2nd period and took the prettiest color coded noted in fourth. She expertly avoided Huey by eating her lunch in the girl's bathroom, pulling apart her egg sandwich with her pink flowered nails. As embarrassing as it was, it was a better option than dealing with an angry ex-revolutionary.
She was now in last period, 10 minutes early because she couldn't stand being in that smelly bathroom any longer.
The pains in her muscles had resolved to a dull ache, and she was finally able to efficiently mask her winces. In the excitement of this new development she had peppily set up her color highlighters ahead of time, organizing them from warmest to coolest. But as kids started trickling in, she changed it from coolest to warmest. Then back again. In between this redundant action she kept her eyes on the door, watching every person that came in.
Has she mentioned this last class she shared with a specific rude ass boy ? The one she was avoiding all day ?
But honestly Jasmine was on a roll – all that was left was to survive this next hour. She would look no where but at her science teacher and her pretty colorful notes. Her day of aloofness was going to end with a bang.
She hurriedly tore off her cap, feeling her scalp practically sigh with satisfaction. Roughly her fingers scrapped her hair over the sides of her face, a shield of armor. She could do it. One more hour.
"Ahem."
Jasmine flinched behind her wall of hair, screaming internally at her fingers to not tremble. She began arranging her highlighters again.
"Dubois." The gravely voice repeated. Cold. Angry. She sunk further into her chair, peeking at the clock. Two minutes until class started. She would have to wait it out.
Unfortunately she would also have to avoid looking to the left; her past self had unfortunately jumped at the opportunity to sit right next to her so called best friend at the beginning of the year. Stupid past Jasmine.
She heard a small intake of breath, her soul nearly running out of her body when warm fingers touched some of the skin peaking from her sleeve.
And it hurt.
With great reluctance her eyes moved over to where his fingers rested. A stark purple bruise met her gaze. Somehow she had missed that one.
Gosh darn it.
On instinct her eyes fled up to meet his, for only the second time that day. The warmth emanating from his fingers, though distracting, couldn't hold a candle to the heat of his gaze. His wine eyes shined red hot as he looked down at her, swirling with anger and an emotion she couldn't pull from his irises.
If she could rear that emotion out of his gaze and analyze it in the palm of she had she would. Desperately.
He said her name again, and for the umpteenth time since last night she felt her heart crack, felt chills clatter through her bones.
"Jasmine-"
The bell.
She jumped out of her skin, recoiling from his touch. Her eyes burned a hole into her desk, the wood lines going blurry. The creaking of his chair as he settled in his seat burned into her mind.
The hour-long class she usually looked forward to dragged insanely. Jasmine made sure to stay glued to her notebook, doodling in the margins. Every time she peaked through her orange tinged locks she was met with her horrible best friend looking bored out of his mind and giving toothy grins to girls who were staring for FAR too long. He didn't look her way again.
When the bell rang she clumsily threw everything in her bag, flying through the sea of antsy kids into the hall way. She was so gratefully she didn't look back once.
Unfortunately for Jasmine her mom and daddy both worked too late in the day to pick her up from school, and Cindy had to stay after school for her basketball practice. Normally a large fro with pretty brown eyes would drive her home in his run down black Nissan, but that certainly was NOT an option today. Not with how he was acting.
Therefore, she was forced to brave a walk for 15 blocks. Honestly it was a blessing in disguise. She had been saying she was trying to lose a few pounds. So, putting on her brave face, she rushed out the school's large metal doors…
And was met with an assault of rain.
She froze, her mouth dropping. Her nails tapped harshly on the straps of her backpack.
. Luck.
But she had to do it. Had to put on her brave face. So she pulled courage from her back pocket, thought about poor starving children with worse problems, and jolted her body forward into the rain. A few kids eyes her like she was insane, but she forced herself to speed ahead, just like the Flash.
She was speed. And she would get home by at least 4:30.
Around block 5, when the sea of kids finally dwindled and the city businesses faded into surburban homes, Jasmine gave her poor battered body a break. Hey, even the Flash took breaks.
The rain was coming down hard still. Because it was nearing December the sky was morphing quickly from the light gray of the clouds to a steep dark blue as darkness fell. She still had 10 more blocks to go. Shivering, she forced herself to think happy thoughts. Of warm fuzzy blankets covered in little chicks. Long Marvel marathons while snuggled up by a certain someone she could NOT think about for too long.
His soft hair tickling her cheek from where he watched, his head on her shoulder. Rolling his eyes at the cheesy dialogue and antics she loved so much his arm around her, a little too tight to be completely platonic. She had liked to pretend they were a couple when they were like that, snuggled up. Though he would never admit it. Him nesting on her shoulder, complaining while her hands played with his stupidly soft brown fro.
Jasmine was so lost in the image, so sorrowful, she didn't hear the car until it was right on her. And even so, she didn't even need to turn around and see the car to know who it was.
"Get in the car Dubois."