Jealousy
"Alright, let's pick our five contestants! Any volunteers? The first five who will volunteer will be automatically in." My lips tightened as seemingly thousands of hands shot themselves in the air. There was a huge part of my brain that was telling me to keep my hands to myself, but there was this tad bit part that yelled, "Raise your freaking hand!"
"Okay, the first ones I saw are Rachel, Rebecca," Ugh. The Black twins, also known as Stacey's loyal pose. "Stacey, Emma and…Mark."
"Mark?!" I found myself gasping with the others.
"Well, I said the first five ones, and he was the last one. Besides, don't you want a little twist?" Ms. Samson's face turned into a big smug.
"Jared, here I come!" Mark puckered his lips and made kissing sounds.
"Alright, contestants, please go to the platform now. Kim, could you please call your seatmate in and blindfold him with this?" I gave her a mere nod as I stood up to receive the yellow bandana.
"Kim!" Jared rose from the hallway bench in a snap. "Are you a contestant? Listen, if you are, squeeze my hand back if I squeeze yours, okay?" The classroom door suddenly creaked open. "Hey, no talking or spilling the beans!" Mrs. Samson's head peeped.
"Yes, miss." I croaked. No doubt, I felt sad, but why? I shook my head in confusion, and placed the bandana on Jared's eyes before my conscience tells me what I don't even want to hear.
"He's ready."
"Good, bring him in."
"This way." I trudged towards the classroom.
"Kim, you'll have to take me there. I can't see, remember?" Jared said while laughing. His thunder-like laugh echoed through the empty hallway.
"Right." I went back for him, then my heart started beating like crazy when one of his gigantic hands were raised, waiting to take mine. I hesitantly slithered my hand on top of it, and pulled him towards the door.
"Ahh." He gave one long sigh.
"What?"
"Nothing. Your hands, they're so soft." I didn't mind him, so I continued pulling his feverish hands towards the room. Shrieks of all sorts pierced my ears as I kicked the door open.
"Are you ready?" Ms. Samson asked with much jubilation.
"Yes!"
"Then let's play the game!" I waited for the screams to disperse as I made my way back to my seat. Jared was seated on a chair in the middle, looking as clueless as possible.
"Alright, bachelor. Ask the contestants any personal info that will get you to know them better."
"Hmm." He rubbed his chin. "Okay, do you have a pet dog? What is its name?"
"We'll start with contestant number one, then two, then so on." Ms. Samson interrupted. "Okay R-I mean contestant number one. Answer his question."
"Well, my brother Jacob has one. I don't know if that's counted." Rachel answered through a red microphone that changed her girly voice into a robotic one.
"Nope." Rebecca went straight to the point, with the same voice as Rachel's.
"I have a dog named Bingo." Stacey said as she twirled her hair. Wow, our dogs have the same names. It must be really common. I know two more people in La Push who own a dog named Bingo. Part of Jared's lips curled up into a half smile.
"I'm allergic." Emma said in an instant.
"Well," Mark said in the same robotic voice, a pitch higher and gayer than the rest. "I had a dog named Brutus, but my dad shot him dead." The class laughed out loud. Mark's dad was pretty famous in La Push…in a bad way, that is. He's a bald, fat man who often has a high blood. I always see him chase some stray cats with a gun, and the way his red cheeks vibrate violently when he swears made me pee in my pants when I was twelve.
"Alright, next round." Ms. Samson cut the laughing short. "Bachelor, please ask the contestants to do anything that will please you. Like, give them a situation or something."
"I have one." Jared said immediately. "Say, I have a really high fever and then I start coughing blood." I froze on that second. That's exactly what happened to him in my dream last night. "How would you make me feel better?"
"Number one." Ms. Samson jerked her head towards Jared. Rachel walked up to him in a slutty way, and then started massaging his hardcore back. My heart was thumping as I waited for Jared's pleased reaction. His lips stayed straight.
"Two." Rebecca slyly walked to Jared, helped him up and strained him in a python's hug. My hands clenched to a fist, even if it was against my will. Jared didn't react one bit.
"Three." Stacey went miming, looking like she was carrying a bowl and a glass of water in her hands. She acted like she was dipping something into the bowl, then she placed it on Jared's forehead. Then, she acted like she was giving Jared a capsule, and handed him the pretend glass of water. Jared's lips broke into a full grin, and the urge to charge and slap Stacey surged through my body.
"Four." Emma mimed too, like she was piercing needles through random parts of Jared. Acupuncture.
"And last." Mark walked to Jared like a stripper, hips and hands swaying in an exaggerated way. He grabbed Jared's chin and pecked his lips.
"Eew!!" Some of us exclaimed, the others burst into laughter. "Yuck! Yuck!" Jared wiped his lips with his shirt, like a fatal germ was on there.
"Mark." Ms. Samson eyed Mark in a very dark way. Jared suddenly looked like he was going to barf. "That was Mark?!"
"I'm going to have to deal with you later, Mister Nichols. Please go back to your seat. Moving on. Jared, please ask the girls why you have to pick them."
"Why should I pick you?" He asked, still wiping his lips in disgust.
"'Cuz I've been in love with you since kindergarten!"
"We belong together."
"I don't know, Jared. It's actually your loss if you don't pick me." Stacey raised her eyebrows and smiled maniacally. Jared squeezed her hand, and then she squeezed it back. Damn it. She is dead meat.
"I never had a boyfriend."
"What?!" Everyone reacted violently at what Emma said. Was it wrong? To never have had a boyfriend? Hello, I've never had a boyfriend too!
"Because of what Mark did, he is disqualified from the game. Now, Jared, pick your girl. Let me just remind everyone that the girl you'll pick will get a lunch date with you."
"Number three, please." He said without even sparing a second to think. Stacey threw her arms around him, and planted little kisses on his lips. Blood boiled from beneath my skin, and I felt my cheeks warm up like fire. Jared eagerly took the bandana off. His eyes widened in as he saw Stacey, maybe out of happiness. His head turned to me, but I rolled my eyes and looked away.
O.O.O.O"What's up, Kim?" I took my eyes off the table where Jared and Stacey were. Derek was right in front of me, his dirty blonde hair in sharp contrast against his white shirt.
"Hi. Umm, nothing much."
"Did you…get my letter?" He asked sheepishly. The way his pale cheeks flushed pink washed my angst away.
"Yeah. Thank you."
"You're not grossed out? Freaked out? Pissed?"
"No." I laughed. His jade green eyes were suddenly full of lustre.
"Uhh, do you have anything to do this Friday night?" My stomach lurched. He's asking me out.
"No, not really. Why?"
"Umm, do you mind going to the elementary fair with me? If…it's okay with you."
"Sure!" What the hell did I just say? I hate fairs, why did I just agree to go to one? It's too late to take it back now.
"I'll pick you up at six, is that okay?"
"Wait, you don't even know where I live." I chuckled.
"Yes, I do. I went to your house once, when I submitted a late project to your dad."
"Oh. Well, six it is." I flashed him a smile.
"Cool." He nodded. "So, see you Friday night?"
"See you." I told him breathlessly. He rose from his seat, leaving me alone, once again; but he turned around to wave at me. I waved at him back.