Selfish
a
December 7th, 2010
Krista wore a pair of cuffed denim shorts with an oversized cardigan that hung loosely on her petite frame; her long, lean legs wore black, lace tights and a pair of furred, moccasin boots. She scrutinized herself in the mirror, her lips curving down into a small frown.
Before she could pinpoint all of her flaws, the sound of the doorbell rang loudly in her ears. "I'll get it!" She yelled out loudly, her voice resonating throughout the spacious house. Quickly grabbing her backpack, she dashed down the stairs and to the front door.
"Sweetheart, what's gotten into you?" Grace questioned with an amused smile on her face.
"Nothing," Krista breathed raggedly, brushing the hairs out of her face. "I'm going to school. I got a ride for today, so you don't have to worry about me."
Grace arched a brow, the suspicion in her eyes swirling. "Who is it? Is it that Chris kid who's had a crush on you since grade school?" She asked, approaching the windows to sneak a little peek.
"Whatever you want, Mom. I love you." Krista said, pecking her mom on the cheek and scuttling out the door. She hurriedly got in the passenger seat with a broad grin on her face. "Good morning," She said rather timidly, her cheeks blazing a bright red.
Mason chuckled, unable to resist her charm; she was just so adorable. "Good morning," He replied back, leaning over to peck her on the lips. He pulled back and savored her sweet, sugary flavor; his desire for more made his heart wrench.
As if she could read Mason's mind, Krista leaned over for another kiss, cupping the sides of Mason's perfectly chiseled jaw. She felt him tug at her lower lip, begging for an entrance. With a small giggle, she pulled away and whispered in his ear, "We'll be late for school."
"You're such a tease." Mason said playfully, shifting his gear.
. . . . . . . .
Mason parked in front of the school and turned off the ignition. Turning his body to the side, his gaze met with Krista's stunning marine irises, the ones he could drown in forever. "Maybe this isn't such a good idea," He said warily, moistening his pale lips.
"What isn't a good idea?" Krista asked, raising her brows.
"You and me."
"And why not?" She asked the expression on her face now serious.
"What will your friends think? C'mon, you can't possibly tell me that they'll approve of you dating . . . someone like me. You're probably better off with someone in your group." Mason said, lowering his gaze.
"Why are you doing this?" Krista asked, unable to make sense of his words. "I, I don't care what my friends think. They should want what makes me happy, and that's you. I just want to be with you, Mason. I know it's crazy because you're a complete jerk, but I really . . . like you." She said her eyes misty with tears. She couldn't help but hesitate toward the end because she didn't just like him, it was more than that. However, she didn't quite love him either. Why didn't they have names for the in-betweens?
"I'm a complete jerk?" Mason questioned, his lips curling up into a small smile.
Krista nodded as she giggled softly, "A complete douche bag, too."
Mason chuckled and interlaced his fingers with Krista's, squeezing her hand gently. "Let's go, then." He said, releasing her hand and exiting the car.
They walked together, hand in hand, toward the main building of the school. Everyone's eyes were now on them; people looked at the odd couple in confusion and some in disgust. Mason could feel the people's eyes on him, burning holes in his back. Leaning over to Krista, he whispered, "I'll meet you after school."
"Wait—"
Before Krista could stop him, Mason had parted ways and disappeared. "I'll see you around, then." She mumbled bitterly under her breath, pinching her lips together to conceal the frown she desperately wanted to wear.
"Krista?" Jacqueline's voice chimed behind her.
"Hey Jacquie." Krista smiled, pulling her friend into a tight embrace. "How was Chris' party last night?"
"Who was that kid you were just with?" Jacqueline asked sharply, crossing her arms over her chest. "Isn't he the new kid?"
"Yeah . . . we sort of hit it off, you know." Krista said cautiously, trying to explain herself. "He's a really nice person—"
"Krista, you know I love you, right?" Jacqueline continued when Krista nodded, "I don't think you should be hanging out with a guy like him. I've heard some rumors about him, and he could ruin you."
"They're rumors for a reason, Jackie. I thought of all people, you would be happy for me." Krista said indignantly, crossing her arms over her chest. She always thought Jacqueline saw the good in everybody, but she was proven wrong today.
Krista wore a pair of cuffed denim shorts with an oversized cardigan that hung loosely on her petite frame; her long, lean legs wore black, lace tights and a pair of furred, moccasin boots. She scrutinized herself in the mirror, her lips curving down into a small frown.
Before she could pinpoint all of her flaws, the sound of the doorbell rang loudly in her ears. "I'll get it!" She yelled out loudly, her voice resonating throughout the spacious house. Quickly grabbing her backpack, she dashed down the stairs and to the front door.
"Sweetheart, what's gotten into you?" Grace questioned with an amused smile on her face.
"Nothing," Krista breathed raggedly, brushing the hairs out of her face. "I'm going to school. I got a ride for today, so you don't have to worry about me."
Grace arched a brow, the suspicion in her eyes swirling. "Who is it? Is it that Chris kid who's had a crush on you since grade school?" She asked, approaching the windows to sneak a little peek.
"Whatever you want, Mom. I love you." Krista said, pecking her mom on the cheek and scuttling out the door. She hurriedly got in the passenger seat with a broad grin on her face. "Good morning," She said rather timidly, her cheeks blazing a bright red.
Mason chuckled, unable to resist her charm; she was just so adorable. "Good morning," He replied back, leaning over to peck her on the lips. He pulled back and savored her sweet, sugary flavor; his desire for more made his heart wrench.
As if she could read Mason's mind, Krista leaned over for another kiss, cupping the sides of Mason's perfectly chiseled jaw. She felt him tug at her lower lip, begging for an entrance. With a small giggle, she pulled away and whispered in his ear, "We'll be late for school."
"You're such a tease." Mason said playfully, shifting his gear.
. . . . . . . .
Mason parked in front of the school and turned off the ignition. Turning his body to the side, his gaze met with Krista's stunning marine irises, the ones he could drown in forever. "Maybe this isn't such a good idea," He said warily, moistening his pale lips.
"What isn't a good idea?" Krista asked, raising her brows.
"You and me."
"And why not?" She asked the expression on her face now serious.
"What will your friends think? C'mon, you can't possibly tell me that they'll approve of you dating . . . someone like me. You're probably better off with someone in your group." Mason said, lowering his gaze.
"Why are you doing this?" Krista asked, unable to make sense of his words. "I, I don't care what my friends think. They should want what makes me happy, and that's you. I just want to be with you, Mason. I know it's crazy because you're a complete jerk, but I really . . . like you." She said her eyes misty with tears. She couldn't help but hesitate toward the end because she didn't just like him, it was more than that. However, she didn't quite love him either. Why didn't they have names for the in-betweens?
"I'm a complete jerk?" Mason questioned, his lips curling up into a small smile.
Krista nodded as she giggled softly, "A complete douche bag, too."
Mason chuckled and interlaced his fingers with Krista's, squeezing her hand gently. "Let's go, then." He said, releasing her hand and exiting the car.
They walked together, hand in hand, toward the main building of the school. Everyone's eyes were now on them; people looked at the odd couple in confusion and some in disgust. Mason could feel the people's eyes on him, burning holes in his back. Leaning over to Krista, he whispered, "I'll meet you after school."
"Wait—"
Before Krista could stop him, Mason had parted ways and disappeared. "I'll see you around, then." She mumbled bitterly under her breath, pinching her lips together to conceal the frown she desperately wanted to wear.
"Krista?" Jacqueline's voice chimed behind her.
"Hey Jacquie." Krista smiled, pulling her friend into a tight embrace. "How was Chris' party last night?"
"Who was that kid you were just with?" Jacqueline asked sharply, crossing her arms over her chest. "Isn't he the new kid?"
"Yeah . . . we sort of hit it off, you know." Krista said cautiously, trying to explain herself. "He's a really nice person—"
"Krista, you know I love you, right?" Jacqueline continued when Krista nodded, "I don't think you should be hanging out with a guy like him. I've heard some rumors about him, and he could ruin you."
"They're rumors for a reason, Jackie. I thought of all people, you would be happy for me." Krista said indignantly, crossing her arms over her chest. She always thought Jacqueline saw the good in everybody, but she was proven wrong today.