Elle.

My morning wake up call consisted of a text message from Jude saying how sorry he was but I couldn’t drive him to school today, his mom would take him on her way to work. I snapped my phone shut in part aggravation that I couldn’t take him and part that he woke me up an hour before I was supposed to.

When my alarm clock went off I sighed and hit the snooze button though I had been hiding under my covers since I received the text message. I hadn’t even gotten out of my bed and I could tell it was going to be a gloomy day. The normal sunshine didn’t pour through my window and I could hear the faint sound of rain hitting the roof.

After my morning shower I pulled my hair back into a messy, and still wet, ponytail. At this point I was praying for a reason not to go to school. My outfit seemed to reflect my downcast mood only containing a loose t-shirt and a comfortable gray sweater. By then I didn’t care how I look, just decent was good enough for me. Once I had gathered everything I needed for school I paced down the stairs and headed for the door.

“Oh Elle!” Ryan called from the kitchen counter. I turned around to face him but left my hand on the doorknob. “Come in here, we should talk.” I rolled my eyes, it seemed pretty obvious that Ryan was desperate to talk so I decided to spend what little time before school I could with him.

“Yes?” I mumbled as I hopped on to the counter top.

“Why are you so glum?” Ryan scanned his finger up and down in the air signaling my outfit. I shrugged my shoulders and looked down at my dirty ballet flats. “It’s Friday, you should be happy! The weekend is almost here and I have a surprise for you.” I looked up slightly interested. “Guess who’s coming down for the weekend!” My stomach turned, we didn’t have that many close friends. “Gabe and Vicky! She’s having her baby shower here so that her sister won’t have to travel.”

My thoughts instantly shot to who the other guest would probably be. “So are P-“

“And guess who else! Pete and he agreed to bring Bronx! I’m sure he’ll be able to cheer you up from whatever foul mood you’re in.” The way Ryan talked it was like he knew why I was upset and decided that Bronx could be a distraction from Jude.

“Uh yeah dad, I have to go. I’ll be sure to pick up a gift for Vicky.” I hopped off the counter and grabbed a piece of sugar toast off his plate and before he could even notice I rushed out to the car in a hazy fog.

Jude’s foster home seemed bigger and scarier as I drove by with cautious eyes. I tried to keep my eyes on the road as I listen to the mix tape he made just for me.

-

After a long and boring first period the halls seemed extra loud today and I nearly plugged my ears just to concentrate. Apparently rain was not a common thing in Southern California. Ignoring the mass, I tried to get to my locker in hopes that McKenzie would actually listen to me. I saw the usually perky girl shoving her books into her locker below mine. I picked up my pace to get there in time before she left.

“Kenzie! We need to talk. I want to apologize about how rude I was. I should’ve listened to you when you needed to vent. I hope you’ll be able to forgive me, I really want to know what happened with Lucy.”

Her blank look told me everything. “Yeah, you were rude. And no, I don’t forgive you.” I stared in disbelieve at her back as she walked towards the gymnasium. I slammed my locker door shut and stuffed the horrid cloths in my bag and followed her.

Not being in the mood to change from my comfy sweater I opted to sit out from volleyball that day and read my book, The Great Gatsby. The noisy gym wasn’t my preferred spot to read but it had to suffice for the time being.

Just as I finished reading one of the significant chapters someone snuck up behind me on the bleachers and poked the sides of my stomach with mischievous force. In shock I shut the book swiftly without marking the page. When I turned to see the punk that decided to mess with me I was met with the smooth face of Jude.

I took a surprised breath and smiled. “Hey, didn’t think I’d see you today.”

“That can’t keep me away from you.” My cheeks burned when Jude squeezed my sides again then kissed the tip of my nose. “By the way I don’t like your shirt.”

I looked down to see what would have offended him. “What’s wrong with it?” I laughed a little when Jude raised his eyebrows.

He tugged on the shirt underneath my sweater that read ‘My heart belongs to me.’ “I kind of want to be the one that owns your heart.”

“Then it’s yours.” I leaned up quickly to kiss him before the bell rang.

-

Since I couldn’t eat lunch with Jude, seeing the fact Arabella was watching me like a hawk, I practically demanded that McKenzie at least talk to me. She agreed unwillingly to at least hear me out over a bag of chips, my treat of course.

After I finally got it across to McKenzie that Rob was distracting the other day she told me her story. I listened between quick looks over at Jude’s table and the occasional time I would crunch on a chip.

McKenzie had gotten her fake email typed just as Lucy came back from taking the club pictures. In Lucy favor, McKenzie wasn’t quick enough to send it to Avery. In rage Kenzie was kicked off the Annul Staff and put into the doom pit that was masked as Study Hall. Though while Lucy calmed down, McKenzie was forming a plan to get her favorite elective back.

“So, are you like going out with Jude now?” McKenzie sneaked in right before she to a drink from her water bottle.

I blushed and mumbled, “I’m not sure…I think so.”

She smirked and said “Well good for you! I’m glad you got the guy.”

I laughed awkwardly and looked back over to Jude but instead Arabella’s snarled expression stared back. She flipped her hair to make a curtain preventing me from seeing him. I sighed and waited patiently till I could see him in Calculus.