Playing With Fire

The cool grass prickled my back through my shirt, making my skin itch. I didn't particularly enjoy the feeling... I was just too dizzy and sleepy to move. I kept my eyes tightly squeezed shut, afraid that the world really would be spinning.

"Are you okay?" Jake asked. I shrugged and opened my eyes. Surprisingly, the dizzyness stopped, and the world was still, like it should be.

"I think so... I don't know..." I said, looking into his concerned eyes. He was still frowning down at me.

"What am I going to do with you?" He sighed after a few minutes.

"I vote for just shooting me now," I murmered, smirking. Jake laughed quietly, looking off into the parking lot. I dared to sit up again, only to find myself being pulled to my feet by Jake. I looked at him curiously.

"I'm taking you home... You're in no state to stay at school." He grinned and winked; I had a feeling I wasn't going home... I smiled back at him, and he walked me to the nurse's office.

"Act sick," he whispered in my ear at the door. His breath tickled my neck, sending shivers down my spine. I was so glad he didn't smell like boy.

"Nurse Kakara?" Jake asked, a very convincing frown on his face. I swooned, leaning on Jake and breathing in his wonderful scent. The nurse, a stout, black-haired woman, came running, pressing a cold hand to my cheek. Luckily my vomiting spell had left me with a slight pallor, my face clammy. The nurse made a clicking noise with her tongue, looking at me sympathetically.

"Oh, honey! You're sick as a dog! Do you need to lie down?" Nurse Kakara asked me.

"I was going to take her home, if that's okay," Jake said. The nurse looked up at him, beaming.

"Oh, Mr. Jakob, you are the sweetest boy! What classes do you young people have? I'll tell your teachers."

"I have Geometry, US history, and Government," Jake said, smiling thankfully at the nurse. He looked at me, and I placed a hand to my own forehead, pretending to be unable to remember.

"Gym, Trigonometry, then... Government." I said, sighing. The corner of Jake's mouth twitched with an almost imperceptible held-back smile. Our charade was going better than either of us thought it would.

"Okay then. You feel better, honey," the nurse said, patting my shoulder. I smiled faintly.

"Thank you, Nurse Kakara," I said as Jake lead me out of the office.

As soon as we were out of earshot, we both burst out laughing. He still had his arm around me, and I was still clutching his shoulder, not sure if we were quite out of eyeshot.

"That was amazing!" Jake said, grinning at me. "You were so good, especially when she asked you what classes you had! Completely genius."

"Thank you." I blushed as I realized we were in the middle of the parking lot, far out of eyeshot. We were still clinging to one another, as if this was the only contact we'd ever get.

We approached a black Volvo, and I eyed it curiously. This was a very good car for Oakland High. I glanced at Jake as he lead me to the passenger side, opening the door for me.

"Thank you," I said as he helped me in, reluctantly releasing his hold on me. He smiled, shutting the door and crossing to the other side.

After exiting the school parking lot, I glanced around the interior of the car. It was messy, just like any teenage boy's car, and had fuzzy dice hanging from the rearview mirror. I snorted and motioned to them. He blushed, and my heart fluttered.

I froze, scared by my own reaction. That feeling in my stomach had only happened once, and that hadn't ended well. I shuddered at the memory. That will [not] happen again, I told myself.

"So where to?" Jake asked, glancing at me. I jumped, once again being jerked out of my memories.

"Um... I don't know... I can't really go home..." I bit my lip, turning to Jake.

"We could go to my house," he offered, frowning. I shifted my glance to my feet, lightly tapping them together.

"Why do you get like that? When you talk about your home?" I asked softly, not raising my eyes. I heard him sigh, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel.

"It's a long story..." he said. His voice was barely audible, and I had to read his lips to tell what he was saying. The sadness was apparent in his eyes, and I longed to hug him and tell him that it would be okay.

My reaction scared me again, so I balled my hands into fists, the pale skin stretching whiter over my knuckles.

"I'm sorry..." I whispered. He jumped and glanced at me again, a look of shock in his eyes.

"For what? You didn't do anything!" I brought my knees to my chest, wrapping my arms around them.

"I'm sorry for asking. I knew you didn't want to talk about it," I tried to smile, but I'm sure it looked just as half-assed as it felt.

"It's not that I don't want to... I just... It's complicated... I've never told anyone, and... I'm not sure you want to hear it..." He sighed, a frown creasing his forehead. To my surprise, I reached my hand out and rested it on his arm.

"You can tell me... If you want to." He smiled at me, rolling down his window. I jumped as I realized we had pulled up to a set of wrought-iron gates. Jake punched a number into a security thing, and the gates swung open, letting the black Volvo and its inhabitants enter its sanctity.

"I have to ask you something before we get out," Jake said as he parked in front of the house. "Have you heard of Green Day?" I put my feet down, picking at a hole in my jeans.

"Of couse I've heard of them... I haven't been living under a rock," I teased, and we both chuckled.

"Okay, so do you like them?" he asked, the smile fading from his face. I shrugged.

"They're pretty good. My father is obsessed with them, so I think I've had a bit of a Green Day overload." Relief washed over me as the carefree smile returned. I didn't like to see him frowning. I had known him for so short a time, yet I had begun to care for this boy deeply, and that scared me, shaking me down to my very core.

"So you're not obsessed?" he asked. I shook my head.

"Nope. No obsession here. I don't even know their names... Other than Mike... He's my dad's idol." Jake laughed, all trace of worry gone from his face.

We got out of the car and approached the front door, only to have it fling open to reveal a man in Spongebob Squarepants boxers...