Plucked - Elizabeth Haley (red seas under red skies .TXT) 📗

I shrug tossing it back in.

"Probably a wrong  number!" I say shrugging."  Ashers staring at me again  and I realize I'd never been alone with a boy like this. Just like that my walls go up I'm not sure If Asher notices but soon he's suggesting we go back and I leave the part of me that wants to stay behind. He doesnt hold my hand on the way down but he does have me put his number into my phone telling me to text him when ever just as Im doing that and he gives me a quick hug Jessa and Ryan round the corner followed by Jax and Eve. Eve is whining wishing Jax could spend his free period with her and though Asher has just vanished from sight I cant help but realize Jax's free period is the same as mine. Nonchalantly I walk in the direction they are going and eventually its just me and Jax. "What are you doing for your free time?"  He says  before I can ask him. "Nothing planned!"  I say. "I need to stop at the office want to walk with me?"  He asks and without hesitation I say

"I'm not sure Eve will like that so much."  I didn't want to sound all green monster but I had to find out what was up with them. 

"Yea probably not but she'll be alright its not like she's my girlfriend!"  He says and we start down the stairs the same ones we first met on. Obviously having the same memory he smirks and warns me to watch my step. "Shut up!" I say pushing his arm. He teases me all the way to the office but not the bad kind of teasing the flirting kind and im liking every minute of it im so inthralled I dont even notice Kayla behind the office desk until she's waving in my face. Jax disappears through a door and without me saying a word Kayla explains that she's changed her mind about garden club and will be working in the office for now on.

"Isn't it great?" She asks looking around like its a tropical island and not a plain and from what i can tell extremely boring inviroment. I guess I say noticing her nails are fressly painted frost white. "For sure better on you nails!"

"So anyway are goin to tell me what you are doing with Jax before he comes back?"

"Nothing really just passing the time." I say and again we giggle.

"Dont hold back Bren you know its the best thing thats happened to you all day"! I start agree but dont because I'm not completly sure. Ofcourse it was a great turn of events but my day had turned the moment Asher had found me. Is my time with Jax better then the time I spent with Asher?"

"You ready?" Jax say's coming up behind me. "Yup I tell him glancing one more time at Kayla who looks truly happy for me.  A few minutes later Jax surprises me by asking  about Asher.

''Are you and Asher a thing now?" He says sounding like he hopes my answer is no.

"No,why?"  

"Just wondering didn't think he was your type!" Cute and sweet yea definantly not my type I think to myself.  "He is nice though he asked me to the dance!" I admit hoping its not to much.

 "Nice huh? 

"Whats that supposed to mean? I ask as we turn the corner and run into to people in a full on lip lock. Ana and Liam from garden club. "Sorry!" Ana blurts pushing Liam away from her looking absolutly embarassed what if they would have been teachers or Officer Gaines or another security guard!"

"But it wasnt everythings fine." Liam says throwing his arm around her.  

"Wait you guys are in garden club right?' Both Jax and I nod. "

What were your names again?" Ana says, Jax answers and quickly shakes Liams hand.

 "Bren" I tell them when they look my way.

 "Oh right Jax you go out with Evangeline nice one!" Liam says patting Jax on the back. And earning looks from me and Ana. 

"No we are not dating." Jax corrected starting around them I followed trying to remember what we'd been discussing but it was completly lost to me.

"Who told you that anyway?" Jax asked over his shoulder.

I just overheard a group of girls talking about it!"  What girls anna asked looking hand on her hip Jax and I scurried away.

But after that  Jax was distant texting  and completly oblivious to me finally we gave halfhearted goodbyes and the school day went on.   

The rain started up again that night while Lulu touched up my nails and Kayla used hair product to relax the curls that had returned fuller than ever. When they are finished Kayla pulls out a folder and hands it to me. "What's this" I ask.

A copy of Aj's file she says as if it were a normal thing for us to have.

"Kayla you didnt" Lu says

"Well go on open it." Kayla urges and I shake my head while repeating "no no noooo!"

"Fine I'll do it!" she say's snatching it back and then glancing over the paper inside. "What do you think will find anyway?" Lulu asks while painting  her own nails the same color as her dyed hair. 

"I thought there would be something of use. "But......." Lulu and I both ask.

"But I was wrong!" She tells us snapping the folder shut. "Just ordinary imformation first name Abraham  thats kind of lame but yea nothing we can use against him!" Thank goodness I think not wanting to know anything personal or extra about Aj.

 "Remember me telling you I dont want to get back at him?" 

"Yea I heard you say that outloud but your inside voice was begging for my help."

"Is that so?" I say tossing a pillow at her, she dodges it and smiles wide.  Later that night I wake up to Kayla fully dreesed again and on her way out only this time when she asks me to join her I dont decline. 

 

Hold it agaist me

I choose a fitted victorias secret  t-shirt and  and matching sweat pants that say pink cute but comfortable Kayla whispers because Lu already warned us from inside her covers.

"I cant beleive you are really coming!" Kayla says just as her text comes in and after one last deep breath and biting my toung to resist any protest's that may want to slip out i follow her into the hall.

"What if they dont like me?'' I ask knowing they tolerate Aj who hates me. They will you'll blend just fine beside since your not popular yet they wont feel threatened and will welcome you with open bottles.

"Im not drinking!" I say as quetly as possible without dimming my seriousness. "How do they get liqour anyway?" 

"Asher!" She tells me sounding surprised that I didn't already know.  She goes on

"They invite Asher because he provides Liqour among other things. Like drugs I start to say but we've stopped walking and Kaylas reaching for the door nob. Suddenly I feel completly awakward and start backing away. "I change my mind!" I tell her just as the door opens she doesnt respond there is no time a noise further down the hall hurries her into the room and i turn and head in the oppisite direction. My heart is pounding and I hear feet tapping up ahead of me I dont see anyone but assume by how loud they are walking that its not another student sneaking around. I have no choice but to turn down a hall that will allow me to avoid whoever it is but this only leads me to someone else his eyes tell me not to  make as sound when he pulls me into the alcove.

"Jax what are you doing?" I ask after the unknown foot steps fade. "Skipping out on a party, you?"

"Same!" I tell him and we both sneak a look into the hallway. 

"Eve's?"  He asks me. Like it couldn't be possible.

"Yes!!!" I hiss and then a shadow passes the alcove and two voices start up. Again we sneak a peek but the hall is no longer empty. Officer Lagana? I mouth and Jax mouths Back Miss Crusso! Only there was nothing professional about what they were doing it was like running into Ana and Liam all over again only much worse and they didn't know they had been caught. Miss Sosa giggles unlocking  her classroom door.

"We shouldnt do this!" She says not sounding at all convincing and im shaking my head in agreement.  But its Jax who steps out into the hall. I reach for his arm but its to late Officer Lagana has already seen him they lock eyes. And  its then I realize why officer Lagana seemed familiar. The eyes, the hair and even the posture is the same. "What are you doing out here Jaxon?"  Officer Lagana asks.

"Not having nearly as much fun as you Hunter." Jax responds Miss Sosa starts to say something but Officer Lagana holds up a hand silencing her. "So what do you want little brother a couple hundred?"  

"How about you didnt see me or who I was with and vice versa?" Jax says simply.

"How about it?"Hunter responds. Gesturing Miss Crusso to go in. She nods and disappears then he tells Jax to tell his friend to show herself.  Having no choice I step out at the same time imforming Jax that I want a part in his blackmail.

"Dont worry about it will all pretend this never happened!" Hunter also known as Officer Gaines imforms me before dissapearing into what I used to think was ordinary spanish class.

"Come on I'll walk you back to your room." Jax tells me and wanting nothing more then to return to my bed I follow him. "So brothers huh?" I ask matching Jaxons swift pace.

"Yea half brother from my dads first marriage!" He says.

"You could have left me out of your sibling rivalry now head of security knows I'm a rule breaker.

He chuckles, "Bren you are hardly a criminal and besides you now have something on him thats basically a guaranteed hall pass." 

 "Thats not the piont!" I say as we near my door 

"It will be fine!" He assures me and I have to beleive him considering he didnt seem new to the whole  thing.

Once I'm back in my pajamas and wrapped in my covers my mind wonders momentarily to Asher and our time in the tower and then to Jax the boy who may not be so good but some how this only makes him more appealing to me. And then finally my mind settles on another memory of Owen somehow it always comes back to him.

 

(It had been two weeks since the non kiss between Owen and I but I hadnt moved on at all every time I saw him the feeling that used to be butterflies was replaced with an ache. I came out on onto the front porch needing to escape from my mother and saturday morning routine of coffee with a group of women from the country club. Id hoped to find refuge  on the fluffy cousioned porch swing but instead I found Owen out in his driveway arguing with a girl. I'd never seen her before but assumed she was mystery girl from behind the wall. She was  seemingly pretty though half her face was hidden by her oversized glasses. Her  hair was a light brown but full and lucious like her lips. Lips I bet touched Owens. I couldnt hear what they were saying. And wasnt at all discreat about trying to find out I knew I shouldn't have eaves dropped but Owen had that effect on me all reasoning out the window. When mystery girl caught me staring I could feel that there was a glare hidden beneath her  shades.  I hurried and looked away the sound of her heels cliked loudly as she stormed away