Selfish
keeping
December 6th, 2010
Jacqueline's slim fingers were interlaced with Dave's, her boyfriend. She giggled quietly while he whispered in her ear, sending chills to sail down her spine.
"Hello, I'm still here." Krista announced, rolling her eyes. No doubt, she loved her friends, but sometimes they drove her crazy. "If anyone cares," She added, running her fingers through her hair.
"Sorry," Jacqueline apologized sheepishly, a blush rising above her magenta scarf.
"You don't have be sorry, Jacqueline. I would just appreciate it if you could pay a little more attention to your best friend here."
"Sorry—I mean, how about we get some lunch?" Jacqueline laughed softly, linking her arms with Krista's.
"Fine." Krista smiled, laughing along with her. There was something about Jacqueline she loved, maybe it was her bubbly personality and how she always saw the good in people.
"Chris is hosting a party tonight at his house, are you coming?" Dave asked, tousling his shaggy, dark brown hair.
"It's Monday." Krista stated her words seemingly irrefutable to her. "Of course I'm not going."
Dave stifled a laugh, "I know, that's what I told Chris. He really wanted you to come though, Kris. I think he likes you."
"Shut up." She replied back and rolled her eyes playfully. "He does not."
"Do you want to catch a pizza after school then? Everyone is going." Jacqueline asked hopefully, her deep emerald gems emphasized by the set of thick, glossy lashes that delineated the top of her lids.
By everyone, Jacqueline meant all the 'popular' kids were going, the same, contrived people that Krista saw day in and day out. The majority of the girls all looked the same—blonde hair and blue eyes—and were very narcissistic, in love with their own reflections. Jacqueline was the only person in the group Krista was fond of; she could be herself with Jacqueline. Whenever she was with the rest of the group—Meredith, Blake, Jessica, Shelby, Chris, Matt, Eric, and Jacob—she felt like as if she wore a mask, hiding behind a false identity.
"I can't," Krista said, trying to look apologetic. "I have to stay after for the school newspaper. Last minute editing and all."
Jacqueline let a weary sigh escape her lips. "Maybe next time then," She released her grip on Dave's hand and brushed her hair back behind her ear. "I swear, Krista, no one's life is busy as yours." She added, laughing softly.
"Tell me about it."
. . . . . .
Krista tapped her foot impatiently against the sidewalk, waiting for her mom to pick up the phone. When she got her voice-mail, she stuffed her cell phone in her front pocket angrily and groaned."Where is she?" She mumbled to herself, rubbing her cold hands together to create friction between them. Her phone vibrated inside her pocket, and she immediately picked up. "Mom? Where are you?"
"Honey, I'm so sorry, but could you get a ride from one of your friends? I'm swamped at work right now, and I don't think I'll be able to pick you up. I promise I'll make it up to you though, sweetheart."
"I'll try. Bye." She sighed and hung up the phone. These were the times when she wished her car was back from the mechanics; it was pain to depend on other people. Looking around, she noticed the parking lot was almost vacant, only a few cars still remaining, one of them a red Jeep.
Cautiously, Krista approached the red Jeep and looked around to see if anyone was around. She stuck her forehead onto the glass, trying to peep inside, but a sudden deep voice caused her heart to startle. Turning around, her eyes met Mason's gaze. "Hi." She said almost in a small whisper.
"Columbia, I already told you. I'm not interested—"
"Oh my gosh, would you get over yourself already?" Krista said exasperatedly, rolling her eyes back in her sockets. "I am not interested in you."
"Why were you looking into my car?" He said, arching a brow. When Krista couldn't respond, a smug smirk appeared on his face. "That's what I thought."
"I need a ride." She said, folding her arms across her chest.
"A ride? What do I look like to you? A chauffeur?" He scoffed, ruffling his sandy hair.
"You could just say no. You don't have to be such a jerk about it." Krista said harshly, glowering at Mason.
"Okay." Mason shrugged nonchalantly and entered the car. He threw his backpack and jacket into the backseat and buckled his seatbelt.
Watching him reverse, Krista's mouth dropped slightly; she couldn't believe he was actually going to leave her in front of the school. What a complete, disastrous jer—
"Are you getting in or what?" He said, putting down his window. "I don't have all day."
Krista pursed her lips into a tight line and got into his car, sitting in the passenger seat. Fastening her seatbelt, she crossed her arms over her chest and ignored his gaze.
"Don't tell me you're mad," He said, stifling a chuckle. "Did I upset the queen?" He added sardonically.
"What's your fucking problem?" Krista seethed angrily, her oceanic irises now an icy, arctic stare.
"I don't have a problem." He said with a slight shrug.
"Obviously, you do. Ever since the first day we met, all you've been doing is labeling me. First day, I was a fucking poser for listening to Dashboard Confessionals and Death Cab for Cutie. Second day, I'm a spoiled brat who doesn't know the first thing about working hard. And now, you're accusing me of some shallow, superficial bitch who's the Queen Bee of this school? What if I am? Are you jealous? Do you want to be a part of the in-crowd—"
"Get the hell out of my car." Mason growled, stopping in the middle of an intersection.
"What are you doing?!" Krista shrieked, looking around to see if there were any oncoming cars. Luckily, the streets looked like a ghost town, the roads all vacant. However, it didn't make the situation any less fearful because she could feel her heart beating faster against her chest.
Mason stormed out of his car and made his way around to the other side; he opened the passenger door and coiled his fingers tightly around Krista's wrist. He unfastened her seatbelt and pulled her out of the passenger seat, bringing her out onto the streets. Krista's eyes were on fire, boring holes through Mason's skull.
They both stood in the middle of an intersection, meeting each other's intense gazes; the wintry, December breeze whisked past them harshly, the breaths escaping their lips like white smoke. The airs were hushed and everything still.
"I'll walk home." Krista said sharply, cutting through the thick silence. She turned on her heels and faced her back to Mason, but she felt a strong tug on her arm, sending her flying back into Mason's arms. He captured her lips in an ardent kiss, their lips dancing together in perfect synchronization.
Mason secured his arms around her petite waist and brought her closer to him. She smelled like vanilla, comforting and sweet while her lips tasted like peppermint, refreshing and cool. He couldn't seem to get enough; she was intoxicating, and he loved it.
Krista wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing him closer to her height. He smelled like the freshly cut grass in the morning with a mixture of musk. The taste of his lips set her taste buds on fire; he was able to make her heart stop with a mere touch. She loved it.
Jacqueline's slim fingers were interlaced with Dave's, her boyfriend. She giggled quietly while he whispered in her ear, sending chills to sail down her spine.
"Hello, I'm still here." Krista announced, rolling her eyes. No doubt, she loved her friends, but sometimes they drove her crazy. "If anyone cares," She added, running her fingers through her hair.
"Sorry," Jacqueline apologized sheepishly, a blush rising above her magenta scarf.
"You don't have be sorry, Jacqueline. I would just appreciate it if you could pay a little more attention to your best friend here."
"Sorry—I mean, how about we get some lunch?" Jacqueline laughed softly, linking her arms with Krista's.
"Fine." Krista smiled, laughing along with her. There was something about Jacqueline she loved, maybe it was her bubbly personality and how she always saw the good in people.
"Chris is hosting a party tonight at his house, are you coming?" Dave asked, tousling his shaggy, dark brown hair.
"It's Monday." Krista stated her words seemingly irrefutable to her. "Of course I'm not going."
Dave stifled a laugh, "I know, that's what I told Chris. He really wanted you to come though, Kris. I think he likes you."
"Shut up." She replied back and rolled her eyes playfully. "He does not."
"Do you want to catch a pizza after school then? Everyone is going." Jacqueline asked hopefully, her deep emerald gems emphasized by the set of thick, glossy lashes that delineated the top of her lids.
By everyone, Jacqueline meant all the 'popular' kids were going, the same, contrived people that Krista saw day in and day out. The majority of the girls all looked the same—blonde hair and blue eyes—and were very narcissistic, in love with their own reflections. Jacqueline was the only person in the group Krista was fond of; she could be herself with Jacqueline. Whenever she was with the rest of the group—Meredith, Blake, Jessica, Shelby, Chris, Matt, Eric, and Jacob—she felt like as if she wore a mask, hiding behind a false identity.
"I can't," Krista said, trying to look apologetic. "I have to stay after for the school newspaper. Last minute editing and all."
Jacqueline let a weary sigh escape her lips. "Maybe next time then," She released her grip on Dave's hand and brushed her hair back behind her ear. "I swear, Krista, no one's life is busy as yours." She added, laughing softly.
"Tell me about it."
. . . . . .
Krista tapped her foot impatiently against the sidewalk, waiting for her mom to pick up the phone. When she got her voice-mail, she stuffed her cell phone in her front pocket angrily and groaned."Where is she?" She mumbled to herself, rubbing her cold hands together to create friction between them. Her phone vibrated inside her pocket, and she immediately picked up. "Mom? Where are you?"
"Honey, I'm so sorry, but could you get a ride from one of your friends? I'm swamped at work right now, and I don't think I'll be able to pick you up. I promise I'll make it up to you though, sweetheart."
"I'll try. Bye." She sighed and hung up the phone. These were the times when she wished her car was back from the mechanics; it was pain to depend on other people. Looking around, she noticed the parking lot was almost vacant, only a few cars still remaining, one of them a red Jeep.
Cautiously, Krista approached the red Jeep and looked around to see if anyone was around. She stuck her forehead onto the glass, trying to peep inside, but a sudden deep voice caused her heart to startle. Turning around, her eyes met Mason's gaze. "Hi." She said almost in a small whisper.
"Columbia, I already told you. I'm not interested—"
"Oh my gosh, would you get over yourself already?" Krista said exasperatedly, rolling her eyes back in her sockets. "I am not interested in you."
"Why were you looking into my car?" He said, arching a brow. When Krista couldn't respond, a smug smirk appeared on his face. "That's what I thought."
"I need a ride." She said, folding her arms across her chest.
"A ride? What do I look like to you? A chauffeur?" He scoffed, ruffling his sandy hair.
"You could just say no. You don't have to be such a jerk about it." Krista said harshly, glowering at Mason.
"Okay." Mason shrugged nonchalantly and entered the car. He threw his backpack and jacket into the backseat and buckled his seatbelt.
Watching him reverse, Krista's mouth dropped slightly; she couldn't believe he was actually going to leave her in front of the school. What a complete, disastrous jer—
"Are you getting in or what?" He said, putting down his window. "I don't have all day."
Krista pursed her lips into a tight line and got into his car, sitting in the passenger seat. Fastening her seatbelt, she crossed her arms over her chest and ignored his gaze.
"Don't tell me you're mad," He said, stifling a chuckle. "Did I upset the queen?" He added sardonically.
"What's your fucking problem?" Krista seethed angrily, her oceanic irises now an icy, arctic stare.
"I don't have a problem." He said with a slight shrug.
"Obviously, you do. Ever since the first day we met, all you've been doing is labeling me. First day, I was a fucking poser for listening to Dashboard Confessionals and Death Cab for Cutie. Second day, I'm a spoiled brat who doesn't know the first thing about working hard. And now, you're accusing me of some shallow, superficial bitch who's the Queen Bee of this school? What if I am? Are you jealous? Do you want to be a part of the in-crowd—"
"Get the hell out of my car." Mason growled, stopping in the middle of an intersection.
"What are you doing?!" Krista shrieked, looking around to see if there were any oncoming cars. Luckily, the streets looked like a ghost town, the roads all vacant. However, it didn't make the situation any less fearful because she could feel her heart beating faster against her chest.
Mason stormed out of his car and made his way around to the other side; he opened the passenger door and coiled his fingers tightly around Krista's wrist. He unfastened her seatbelt and pulled her out of the passenger seat, bringing her out onto the streets. Krista's eyes were on fire, boring holes through Mason's skull.
They both stood in the middle of an intersection, meeting each other's intense gazes; the wintry, December breeze whisked past them harshly, the breaths escaping their lips like white smoke. The airs were hushed and everything still.
"I'll walk home." Krista said sharply, cutting through the thick silence. She turned on her heels and faced her back to Mason, but she felt a strong tug on her arm, sending her flying back into Mason's arms. He captured her lips in an ardent kiss, their lips dancing together in perfect synchronization.
Mason secured his arms around her petite waist and brought her closer to him. She smelled like vanilla, comforting and sweet while her lips tasted like peppermint, refreshing and cool. He couldn't seem to get enough; she was intoxicating, and he loved it.
Krista wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing him closer to her height. He smelled like the freshly cut grass in the morning with a mixture of musk. The taste of his lips set her taste buds on fire; he was able to make her heart stop with a mere touch. She loved it.