Status: readers = heroes.
Thank You for Saving Me
Flashback: Realization.
[Jack’s P.O.V.]
I was headed to my last class of the day. *Finally!* All day, I couldn’t get that short girl out of my head. I looked for her everywhere, but I hadn’t seen her since lunch. I was starting to go crazy. I guess my thinking got the best of me because I ended up strolling into class late. Mrs. Price was writing on the board and talking to the class about the quiz coming up on Chapter 14. I tried to sneak in as quietly as I could.
“Thank you for showing up, Mr. Barakat.” *Damn..how did teachers do that with their backs turned to the class?* “Please take a seat and actually take notes today.”
“Yes, Mrs. Price.” I walked to my seat, and as I did, I saw her…Stella.
“Mr. Barakat, sit now before I send you to the office.” I walked to my seat. My mind was racing.
I saw her again.
[Stella’s P.O.V.]
I stared at the boy Mrs. Price called out in the middle of giving her lecture. The whole entire class period, I was looking over my shoulder. *What did she call him? Barkat? Bearkat? Ughh.*
Grace elbowed me as she passed me a note.
::Are you paying attention? You know I’m not and I have to get the notes from someone. FOCUS!::
I smiled at her, trying not to laugh out loud. I really did need to pay attention, but I so couldn’t. *Gosh. When does this lady stop talking?*
[Jack’s P.O.V.]
My notes were so screwed up. They weren’t even notes that had to do with class. I think I’d written something about carcinogens and what happened to your lungs when you smoked…*SHIT! This is stupid. Come on. It’s like 3:18!*
“Alright, ladies and gentlemen…have a great weekend!” People were gone before she could get ‘weekend’ out.
I looked up and Stella was walking out of the door with her friend. I ran out of the room to catch up with her.
“Hey Stella!” I yelled in the hallway. “Wait up!” I ran up to her, almost running into her. “Sorrry…”
She looked at me like I was crazy, but it wasn’t in a rude way. She looked at her friend. “Tell Ashton I’ll meet her at her car, ok?” Her friend looked at her, then me. I wanted to bitchslap her, but she walked away before the urge got too strong. Stella was looking at me with a huge smile on her face and I wouldn’t help myself. I had to smile back. “Sorry about her. She’s just really protective of me. What’s up?”
I stood there, my mind blank. *God, what DID I want?* I straightened up my thoughts.
“I just wanted to apologize on behalf of Alex.”
Her face kinda fell a bit, but not much. She was still smiling, but not as brightly.
“You don’t have to apologize for him. He’s a douchebag and he always will be.” I laughed out loud at that. She laughed with me. *She had the cutest laugh.*
“So…umm…how do you know my name, but I don’t know yours?”
“Oh!” I yelled. I stood up straight and extended my hand. “I’m Jack Barakat.”
She giggled at me. It made my stomach tingle when she did.
“Well, nice to meet you, Jack. I’m Stella…but you knew that…yeah.” Her smile faded a bit. *No. Don’t fade.*
“It’s my pleasure, Stella.” I bowed to her and she laughed again. *Yes!*
“Well, I’ve kinda gotta go. I’m getting a ride home from my friend and I’ve already made her wait long enough…so…” She turned to walk away. *Catch her, Jack. Ask her to the party.*
“Wait!” I yelled again. She jumped, startled as I called for her. She turned around with a startled, nervous smile on her face. I walked over to meet her.
“So, I know Alex told you about this party tonight…” She cut me off.
“No way, dude. No way.”
“You really don’t like him, do you?” I asked.
“You have NO idea.” She emphasized the ‘No.’
“Listen really quick. You said you owed me in the caf today. This is it. You seem like a rockin girl and I think you could have a lot of fun. I think I want you to be my new best friend!” I was grinning from ear to ear, but I was really punching myself. *Wow! I’m gonna freak the hell out of the girl. I’m so fucking hyper!*
“You know what, Jack?” She stayed quiet for a while. I looked at her, waiting. I laughed nervously, getting impatient. “If you really want me to come, I’ll be there.” She smiled so big.
I thought I was gonna pee my pants. I squealed and ran up to hug her. I wrapped my arms around her.
“Easy, Jack.” She mumbled into my chest. I pulled away from her. “I’m not a hugger.” She looked kinda aggravated. *Jackass!*
“I’m sorry. It won’t happen again. I’m just so excited that you’re coming.”
“Oook.” She sounded really confused. She looked down and pulled her phone out of her back pocket. “Shit…I mean…yeah. Friend. Waiting. Thank you so much for today. I’ll see you later.” Stella ran down the hallway, smiling back at me before she went out the front doors.
I stood in the hallway running over what had just gone down. I just invited some girl I hardly knew to a party that wasn’t even mine. And she agreed to come. My phone vibrated. It was a text from Alex.
> Your ass better not be in detention. Get to band practice NOW.
[Stella’s P.O.V.]
I ran to Ashton’s car, hopping in, catching my breath.
“You alright?” She asked, looking at me crazy.
I laughed. “Yeah…I’m fine…um…you wanna come to Gaskarth’s party tonight?” I smiled at her, crookedly and I knew I had a lot of explaining to do.
I was headed to my last class of the day. *Finally!* All day, I couldn’t get that short girl out of my head. I looked for her everywhere, but I hadn’t seen her since lunch. I was starting to go crazy. I guess my thinking got the best of me because I ended up strolling into class late. Mrs. Price was writing on the board and talking to the class about the quiz coming up on Chapter 14. I tried to sneak in as quietly as I could.
“Thank you for showing up, Mr. Barakat.” *Damn..how did teachers do that with their backs turned to the class?* “Please take a seat and actually take notes today.”
“Yes, Mrs. Price.” I walked to my seat, and as I did, I saw her…Stella.
“Mr. Barakat, sit now before I send you to the office.” I walked to my seat. My mind was racing.
I saw her again.
[Stella’s P.O.V.]
I stared at the boy Mrs. Price called out in the middle of giving her lecture. The whole entire class period, I was looking over my shoulder. *What did she call him? Barkat? Bearkat? Ughh.*
Grace elbowed me as she passed me a note.
::Are you paying attention? You know I’m not and I have to get the notes from someone. FOCUS!::
I smiled at her, trying not to laugh out loud. I really did need to pay attention, but I so couldn’t. *Gosh. When does this lady stop talking?*
[Jack’s P.O.V.]
My notes were so screwed up. They weren’t even notes that had to do with class. I think I’d written something about carcinogens and what happened to your lungs when you smoked…*SHIT! This is stupid. Come on. It’s like 3:18!*
“Alright, ladies and gentlemen…have a great weekend!” People were gone before she could get ‘weekend’ out.
I looked up and Stella was walking out of the door with her friend. I ran out of the room to catch up with her.
“Hey Stella!” I yelled in the hallway. “Wait up!” I ran up to her, almost running into her. “Sorrry…”
She looked at me like I was crazy, but it wasn’t in a rude way. She looked at her friend. “Tell Ashton I’ll meet her at her car, ok?” Her friend looked at her, then me. I wanted to bitchslap her, but she walked away before the urge got too strong. Stella was looking at me with a huge smile on her face and I wouldn’t help myself. I had to smile back. “Sorry about her. She’s just really protective of me. What’s up?”
I stood there, my mind blank. *God, what DID I want?* I straightened up my thoughts.
“I just wanted to apologize on behalf of Alex.”
Her face kinda fell a bit, but not much. She was still smiling, but not as brightly.
“You don’t have to apologize for him. He’s a douchebag and he always will be.” I laughed out loud at that. She laughed with me. *She had the cutest laugh.*
“So…umm…how do you know my name, but I don’t know yours?”
“Oh!” I yelled. I stood up straight and extended my hand. “I’m Jack Barakat.”
She giggled at me. It made my stomach tingle when she did.
“Well, nice to meet you, Jack. I’m Stella…but you knew that…yeah.” Her smile faded a bit. *No. Don’t fade.*
“It’s my pleasure, Stella.” I bowed to her and she laughed again. *Yes!*
“Well, I’ve kinda gotta go. I’m getting a ride home from my friend and I’ve already made her wait long enough…so…” She turned to walk away. *Catch her, Jack. Ask her to the party.*
“Wait!” I yelled again. She jumped, startled as I called for her. She turned around with a startled, nervous smile on her face. I walked over to meet her.
“So, I know Alex told you about this party tonight…” She cut me off.
“No way, dude. No way.”
“You really don’t like him, do you?” I asked.
“You have NO idea.” She emphasized the ‘No.’
“Listen really quick. You said you owed me in the caf today. This is it. You seem like a rockin girl and I think you could have a lot of fun. I think I want you to be my new best friend!” I was grinning from ear to ear, but I was really punching myself. *Wow! I’m gonna freak the hell out of the girl. I’m so fucking hyper!*
“You know what, Jack?” She stayed quiet for a while. I looked at her, waiting. I laughed nervously, getting impatient. “If you really want me to come, I’ll be there.” She smiled so big.
I thought I was gonna pee my pants. I squealed and ran up to hug her. I wrapped my arms around her.
“Easy, Jack.” She mumbled into my chest. I pulled away from her. “I’m not a hugger.” She looked kinda aggravated. *Jackass!*
“I’m sorry. It won’t happen again. I’m just so excited that you’re coming.”
“Oook.” She sounded really confused. She looked down and pulled her phone out of her back pocket. “Shit…I mean…yeah. Friend. Waiting. Thank you so much for today. I’ll see you later.” Stella ran down the hallway, smiling back at me before she went out the front doors.
I stood in the hallway running over what had just gone down. I just invited some girl I hardly knew to a party that wasn’t even mine. And she agreed to come. My phone vibrated. It was a text from Alex.
> Your ass better not be in detention. Get to band practice NOW.
[Stella’s P.O.V.]
I ran to Ashton’s car, hopping in, catching my breath.
“You alright?” She asked, looking at me crazy.
I laughed. “Yeah…I’m fine…um…you wanna come to Gaskarth’s party tonight?” I smiled at her, crookedly and I knew I had a lot of explaining to do.