My Twisted Teenage Romance

The teacher introduced himself as Mr. Palmer and then started to read out the attendance as he familiarized himself with our faces. Mr. Palmer wasn't very young, but he wasn't ancient either, he looked in his early forties at most. He called out a few names and I watched as people raised their hands and made their presence known. I watched out of the corner of my eye for the girl in the yellow shirt, Sammy I thought, to raise her hand.

He called my name and I shouted a quick here and raised my hand as he scanned the room for the source of the voice. Quite a few names past my own and he was nearing the end of the list.

''Samantha?'' he called.

''Present, and Sammy if you please.'' she said cheerfully, with an almost rehearsed smile plastered on her face. Mr. Palmer nodded in recognition and scribbled something onto the paper in front of him.

''Now, I know that you would all like to choose your lab partners, so I'm going to give you one shot, but if anything goes wrong I'll be sorting you alphabetically.'' Mr. Palmer said and there was a rush of whispers as everyone pre-claimed their partners.

I looked around the class. No one really held much interest for me in this class; it was mostly Ashley's crowd. When I turned to look at Sammy, she had another practiced smile on her face, as if she was silently asking me to work with her.

''So it looks like it's you and me.'' I said and she chuckled slightly.

''Sounds like a plan.'' she said, still too cheerful. I was going to have to get used to that.

Mr. Palmer began his 'first day speech', the speech in which he tells us all that we have amazing potential, and that he expects great things from us this yea. A few times during Mr. Palmer's speech a piece of paper would fly, unnoticed by him, to Ashley's desk and she would giggle and pass it to the drone in front of her.

Sammy seemed as unmoved as I was by this speech. I could tell from the extensive doodling that was beginning to cover the front of her notebook.

When Mr. Palmer had finally stopped talking, he passed around a 'get to know you' survey that asked annoying questions about your strengths, weaknesses, fears, and goals for this class. As the sheet went around, a low buzz of chatter started throughout the room.

''So I saw you with that new guy.'' Sammy said suddenly.

''Yea, his name's Jacob.'' I said.

''How do you know him?'' she asked, giving me a curious look.

''We met at a party.'' I answered, not exactly willing to divulge the inner workings of our almost relationship to a girl who I barely knew.

''And?'' she prodded with wide eyes.

''And we went out a few times.'' I mumbled, looking away and almost hoping she wouldn't hear. When I looked back at her, she looked strangely happy, as if I had just told her that Jacob was interested in her.

''You're so lucky!'' she said, surprising me by sounding not the slightest bit spiteful.

''He's gorgeous.'' she added, but the way she emphasized the word gorgeous gave me the slightest jolt of resentment in the pit of my stomach.

''Yea.'' I sighed, remembering how far away lunch was.

''Ashley must hate you.'' Sammy grinned, her eyes lighting up with a twisted sense of satisfaction as she glanced at Ashley's table.

''She does.'' I said, an obvious sense of pride filling my tone.

Almost as if she could hear us talking about her, Ashley turned around and focused her now icy stare on us. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sammy smile a friendly smile and wave energetically at her, to which she smiled faintly and then turned back to her own table. I turned to Sammy and we both started to giggle quietly.

The rest of the period went by at a surprising pace as I watched Ashley talk animatedly to the crowd of people that had developed around her table and listened to Sammy talk freely about her life. She didn't ask many questions about me, and I didn't mind listening to her talk, it seemed to make time go that much faster.

During second period, the clock seemed to slow drastically. Even though Jason was in my class, we were seated according to the teachers –as she put it- 'constructive' seating chart and he was on the other end of the room. I on the other hand was stuck next to Peter. I really had nothing against him, but he was not the person you wanted to sit next to in a class that required you to pay detailed attention.

For most of the period, when the clock was going agonizingly slow, Peter prattled on about things that weren't very important, his sports teams, his classes, his friends. I nodded, smiled, ooh'd and aww'd at the right times, and tried to seem interested. I was doodling absentmindedly on the back of the survey the teacher had handed out and listening to Peter talk, when he suddenly brought up a very unexpected topic.

''So what about you and my cousin?'' Peter asked, trying to sound casual, but the curiosity leaked through his façade.

''What?'' I asked, a little taken aback by his question.

''You and Jacob, I saw you pull in with him this morning.'' he stated.

''Yea, he gave me a ride.'' I said, not wanting to tell Peter what happened between Jacob and I and the fact that I was still unsure if we were an official couple.

''Are you two like a thing?'' he asked, trying not to look at me as he traced over one of the carvings in his desk. Crap.

''We went out once or twice if that's what you're asking.'' I said, knowing damn well that it wasn't.

''But are you like a couple?'' he asked, his left eyebrow slightly rising and I cringed. I really didn't want to answer. He looked at me with anxious eyes, and I looked away.

I opened my mouth to speak, to tell him yes, we were a couple. I had made up my mind. Even if Jacob didn't think of us as a couple, I would be sure to change his mind today at lunch. But my sudden burst of confidence was interrupted when Mrs. Fraser clapped her hands and called the class to order.

''So?'' Peter whispered as she spoke, but my confidence had trickled away so I put my finger to my lips to tell him to shush.

Thankfully, Mrs. Fraser went on for the rest of the period, talking about something or other. I stopped listening and turned my attention to the clock when it read ten to twelve. As the time ticked down to the last minute, I started to count under my breath as the second hand moved, now slower than ever, towards the twelve. As soon as the bell went, I flew out of my seat and to the door before anyone else was even up.

I walked down the hall as quickly, but casually, as possible, not wanting to make it seem like I was too anxious to get to the cafeteria. As I rounded the final corner in my trek to the cafeteria, I could see Jacob standing not too far down the hall, leaning against the wall like he had earlier and turning the heads of every girl who passed. I was again hit with a wave of resentment as I watched the passing girls smile and bat their eyelashes.

I quickened my pace ever so slightly and soon enough I was just a few feet from him. He saw me and smiled immediately, making my heart jump and my lips pull into a responding yet, I was sure, much less incredible smile. He stepped towards me, closing the gap between us before I could, and slightly surprised me by wrapping me in a tight hug. I was suddenly very aware that everyone in the hallway was staring at us but I wasn't going to let that keep me from leaning my head into his chest and hugging him back.

''Good morning?'' he asked as we headed into the cafeteria.

''If you count Peter talking for an hour straight as good.'' I said and he chuckled.

''What about you? Make any friends?'' I asked and he smiled as he got the underlying meaning to the word 'friends'.

''You know, I swear I think someone signed me up for the girl courses at this school, cause it seems like that's all there is in my classes.'' he said, rolling his eyes playfully and I smacked his arm. He was bragging.

''Well are you sure you don't want to sit with your new friends for lunch?'' I asked sarcastically.

''It certainly seems like they want me to.'' he said, nodding towards where Ashley was sitting and waving him over to them. I was jolted with a sudden flare of hate for her as she flipped her hair and continued to wave him over. I made a noise of distaste as I rolled my eyes and looked in the other direction.

While I was faking an interest in the cafeteria menu, I noticed out of the corner of my eye, several heads were turning towards the door. I turned to see Andrew walking into the cafeteria with Holly at his side. The walked with such ease and grace through the crowd that it made my mind jump back to the day that Jacob had picked me up off the side of the road. He had walked the same way through the mud that had had me falling all over myself.

They reached us in no time and Andrew punched Jacob in the shoulder to get his attention. Jacob turned, finally out of Ashley's line of eye contact, and the four of us formed a small circle, although I felt left out to some degree. I was standing with three of the four most beautiful people I had ever seen and I felt suddenly very average.

They stood in silence for a minute, just looking at each other, then Holly smirked and I felt like I was being left out of some kind of joke. I cleared my throat ever so subtly, hinting that I would like to be included in this joke, if that's even what it was.

''So where are we sitting?'' Holly asked in a friendly voice. The boys didn't seem to have heard her as they were still looking at each other silently, a more serious look on their faces. Holly noticed and elbowed Andrew hard in the side. He barely flinched, but it got his attention.

''We could sit with Jacob's new friends.'' Andrew laughed. I chanced a glance over my shoulder and Ashley's entire group was looking at us now that Andrew and Holly were standing here. Ashley was a very pretty girl, debatably the prettiest in the school, but standing next to Holly, she looked like a donkey standing next to a white stallion. That was probably why they hadn't converged on Andrew this morning like they had with Jacob and Sage.

''Let's not and say we did.'' Jenny chimed in. I hadn't even known she was there until she spoke, I had been a little too focused on the three beauties that I was standing with.

''Jenny!'' I said happily as we expanded to allow her into the circle. Surprisingly, Sage wasn't with her.

''Where's Sage?'' Jacob asked, taking the words out of my mouth.

''I dunno, I haven't seen him since I walked with him to first.'' she told us.

''Come one, let's get a table, he'll find us.'' Andrew said, taking Holly's hand.

The five of us walked to an empty table that was, in my opinion, too close to Ashley's table. Jenny immediately started talking about her morning, complaining about her first class, but almost bragging about her second. I was listening to Jenny's detailed account of her morning, when, under the table, I felt Jacob's fingers lace into my own. I immediately felt my face flush but tried to act like nothing had changed. Jacob was grinning and I nudged him with my shoulder.

There was some sudden commotion at Ashley's table and I leaned forward slightly to see what was going on. The captain of the lacrosse team, whose name I was still unsure of, had just joined them. On the right side of his face was a big purple bruise from where Holly had punched him. I turned to her and the two of us burst out laughing. We must have been laughing just a bit too loudly because the guy and a few girls turned and glared daggers at us.

Jenny, feeling a little left out, asked Holly to explain and she was more than happy to.

For the first half hour of lunch, the five of us talked idly and Jenny and I went to get something to eat. Jacob, Andrew, and Holly had said that they weren't hungry. Jenny talked to Holly and Jacob and I talked about the morning's classes and compared afternoon schedules. It turned out that we had English together next period.

As Jenny and I were finishing the lunch we had gotten, Sage walked into the cafeteria and joined our table. Like when Andrew had shown up, the four of them stared in silence before a minute before Jenny decided to break it.

''Where were you?'' she asked, sounding just a little too concerned.

''The 'welcoming committee' grabbed me.'' he said, making air quotes as he spoke.

''We don't have a- oh.'' Jenny started but then realized what he meant when I elbowed her in the side. She then scoffed quietly enough that I barely heard it but perked right back up as she asked him questions about his morning.

''So what classes do you have?'' she lead with and I let out an inaudible sigh.

The only two ongoing conversations at my table were those of Andrew, Jacob and Holly, talking about cars, apparently Holly knew what she was talking about, and Sage and Jenny discussing their classes. I decided that the more worthwhile conversation was Jenny and Sage's, so I slowly tuned in, ready to offer my two cents whenever it felt needed. But it didn't seem very needed. The two of them were locked in their conversation, subconsciously leaning towards each other.

Under the table, I drummed my fingers quietly on my knee. I wanted to be a part of some kind of conversation, but it just wasn't happening for me.

My fingers had begun to drum a little faster as I waited for the opportune moment to jump in, when suddenly my drumming ceased, not by my own will, but that of another hand that had been placed over mine. Jacob's hand. I felt my face flush a little ah he adjusted his hand so that instead of covering it, he was holding my hand. I looked at him and he smiled back at me, and then returned to his conversation with Andrew and Holly.

Only after he looked away did I realize that Jenny was trying to get my attention.

''Hello!'' she said, waving wildly at me.

''What!'' I answered and she rolled her eyes.

''Remember that time when Mr. Laing kept James after class and James thought that he was hitting on him?'' she said and I laughed, still slightly distracted by the feeling of Jacob's hand on mine under the table.

''Yea.'' was all I said for an answer and Sage chuckled.

''You should have just left her to stare at my brother.'' Sage said behind his hand to Jenny who giggled.

''Shut up! I don’t stare.'' I whispered furiously at them. He was sitting right there and I was almost positive that he had heard that.

They both raised their eyebrows at me and I rolled my eyes in defeat. I had been staring,

''Shut up.'' I said again and they laughed.

For the rest of the lunch hour, we sat talking idly about whatever came up in conversation and I bounced back and forth between the different conversations going on until Jenny and I teamed up on Sage and gave him the who's who of girls at our school. Five minutes before the bell rang, Jenny hopped up and offered to help Sage find his next class and the two of them left.

''Well we're on the other end of the school so we should get going.'' Jacob said suddenly. He stood up and I quickly followed suit, not wanting his hand to leave mine.

English was one of the few subjects I found interesting. It was one of my favourites and having Jacob there would only make it better. As we walked in the direction of the classroom, it was strangely silent and Jacob had that look on his face again like he was thinking hard about something.

''What are you thinking about?'' I asked and he smiled at me as if we had been talking the whole time and I had asked at random.

''Things.'' he answered, his tone still light despite his unspecific answer.

''Things like?'' I asked, rolling my eyes playfully.

''I don't know.'' he said, resurrecting his classic answer and I sighed, making him chuckle.

''You're going to have to tell me eventually.'' I said and he grinned.

''Eventually.'' he repeated and I sighed again.

We were alone in the hallway now and I decided that I needed to ask him the question that had been itching at the back of my brain all day. Were we an official couple?

''Jacob?'' I started. He turned to look at me with the deep blue eyes that I could swear could see right through me. I couldn't hold his gaze without blushing. I looked at the floor. I chickened out.

''How do you know your way around the school so well?'' I asked, it being the first thing that came to mind. I could tell that he knew I wanted to ask something else by the way his suddenly eager posture relaxed as I spoke.

''The map that we got cause it's our first year.'' he said casually, looking back at the hallway in front of us.

The rest of the walk we filled with idle conversation about nothing in particular. We talked about his morning classes and he offered to drive me to school the next morning, an invitation I happily accepted.

''So do you plan on driving me home to?'' I asked playfully as we entered the empty classroom.

''No Nikki, I was going to leave you standing outside the school.'' he said, rolling his eyes.

The desks were arranged in single rows and Jacob and I took two seats towards the back.

''So Jacob, tell me one thing that no one knows.'' I said after we had sat down. He was sitting sideways in his chair, leaning against the wall.

''A secret?'' he said in a teasing tone and I nodded as I wiggled my eyebrows a bit. He leaned forward, looking oddly excited. I leaned forward towards him as he whispered.

''You really wanna know?''

''Really.'' I whispered back, grinning slightly, his was contagious.

''Really really?'' he asked and I was suddenly anxious to hear his confession.

''Really really!'' I said, bordering on impatience. He leaned closer to my ear and I could hear him breathing.

''Can you keep a secret?'' he breathed and my heart started to race. I nodded.

''I'm a vampire.''

I burst out laughing. He sat back and looked at me like I was crazy.

''A vampire?'' I laughed and he grinned.

''Oh god Jacob! I was waiting for a huge confession where you tell me that you're a mass murder or your family runs the mafia, but a vampire!'' I said, still laughing. He started to laugh to.

''The mafia?'' he laughed.

''You never know!'' I said as my laughter quit.

Soon after I had finished laughing, the bell rang and the people not wanting to be in class too early that had waited outside filed in with the teacher right behind them. Everyone quickly took their seats. This teacher looked like he was a hundred years old, but had the disposition of an army drill sergeant and I figured that was the reason behind the class's quick assembly.

''Attendance.'' he said and the whole class went silent as he read the names. He called out first and last names and only glanced up quickly as he went down the list. He was the kind of teacher who didn't put up with any nonsense and everyone knew it. He looked quickly over the list again then looked around the room, and then back at the attendance sheet.

''Jordan, Nikki.'' he said and I sat up a little straighter.

''Take this down please.'' he said, handing the attendance sheet in my direction.

''Yes sir.'' I said on impulse, making Jacob snicker, and went to take the sheet from his hand.

''My name is Mr. Carver.'' I heard the teacher say on my way out of the room.

I walked at an oddly fast pace for someone who had a legitimate excuse for being out of class. Normally, I would have taken my sweet time getting to the attendance office and back, but something about Jacob being all alone in there with the girls that had situated themselves aroundour his desk made me walk a little faster.

I was downstairs and two doors away from the office. As I got closer, through the big window, I could see a few people sitting in the office. One of the boys sitting in the few chairs that lined the wall looked rather green. Freshman, I deemed him. I looked to the bulletin board across from the office where there were already a few notices posted, mostly about lost keys and books. I was focusing on one small poster that was put up about the holidays for the next few months, when I crashed into someone and almost fell flat on my face but the person kept me from falling.

''Watch where you're- Michael!'' I said, suddenly happy that I had walked into him.

''Nikki! What're you doing here?'' he asked and then looked like he figured it out on his own.

''Well actually I'm doing this new thing where I come here and they teach me things.'' I said and he laughed.

''I figured that.'' he said and I couldn’t help but smile.

''Forget me, what are you doing here?'' I asked, noticing his attire. He was wearing a nice button up shirt with a tie that had been loosened significantly.

''Well, I took your advice and came here myself.'' he said and I was a little lost. What advice had I given him?

''They're letting me come back, see!'' he said, showing me his new class schedule.

''Michael that's great!'' I said and stepped forward to hug him. He was considerably taller than me so my arms only went around his middle, but all the same he hugged me back.

It felt like when we were younger. Not younger, I corrected myself. Before he went away, when him Jenny and I had all been like family.

There was a line now though, a line between 'a friendly hug' and 'totally awkward'. We were coming up on that line. When I noticed that I had subconsciously started listening to his heartbeat, I knew we had passed that line and I quickly stepped back. I could tell by the look on his face that he was thinking the same thing I was.

''I've got to uh-'' he said, scratching the back of his head nervously.

''Yea, class.'' I said, twisting at the edge of the attendance sheet and not looking Michael right in eyes.

''I'll see you around.'' he said and then hurried towards the front doors.

''See ya.'' I mumbled even though he was gone.

I went into the office and dropped the sheet into the bin on the secretary's desk, then hurried to get back to class. I went up the stairs two at a time trying to make up for the time I had spent talking to Michael. As I neared the door, instead of the loud talking I could hear coming from the other classes, I could only hear hushed chatter coming from mine.

I went in and everyone had an identical paper on their desk. Another survey. The girls that had taken the seats around mine and Jacob's desks were all leaning in the same direction. Towards Jacob. I weaved through the desks to get back to my seat, which wasn't exactly easy considering all the people that had their legs turned into the aisle so that they could talk to their friends.

''So is she your sister or something?'' the girl sitting directly behind Jacob asked him. I wasn't at my desk yet and I assumed she didn't think I could hear her.

''Actually-'' Jacob started just as I was reaching my desk.

''Took you long enough.'' he said as I sat down.

I turned in my seat to face him and he was looking right into my eyes, like I was the only person he ever wanted to look at. I blushed and looked away. When I looked up he was smiling at me and I couldn't help but smile back. All this had managed to distract my mind from the awkward situation with Michael earlier.

''What took you so long anyway?'' Jacob asked.

''Nothing, I saw one of my friends in the hall.'' I said, being as truthful as possible without telling him exactly who I saw or what had happened.

''You got a survey.'' he stated, making idle conversation and nodding towards the paper on my desk.

''So what did you put for number three?'' one of the girls behind Jacob asked, trying to steal his attention back. He rolled his eyes at me and I giggled.

The rest of the period went by uneventfully and much too quickly. I left Jacob as I made my way to gym for last period. In the locker room I found Jenny, she had her classes switched and now had the same gym class as me. We didn't even bother getting changed for gym; the coach simply gave us the lay down of the course and toured us through the gym and workout room, then left the rest of the period as free time.

When I came out of the locker room with Jenny, Jacob was leaning against the opposite wall, waiting for us. He looked just as he had this morning when he walked me to science and girls coming out of the locker room couldn't help but stare. I skipped happily over to him with Jenny right behind me.

I said goodbye to Jenny and she went off to find Sage, he had promised to drive her home to. All the classes were letting out now and the hallways were packed. Jacob took my hand and led me through the hall, somehow finding all the least crowded routes.

When we got out to the parking lot he still had my hand tightly in his and he had started swinging our hands without knowing it. I looked down at our hand then up to the contented look on his face. He looked just happy, and I secretly hoped I was the reason.

''Jacob?'' I said as we drove. I was going to ask, I had to. If we were a couple or not had been itching in the back of my brain all day.

''Yea?'' he said as we pulled onto my street and only then did I notice how surprisingly short a drive it had been from the school to my house.

''Can I ask you something that might sound totally stupid?'' I asked, looking at my hands.

''Anything.'' he said in a tone that told me he meant it.

''Are we- I mean you and me- I mean- ugh!'' I said, I couldn't put the words together right. I took a breath and started again. I couldn't believe how chicken I was being about this.

''Peter asked me today and well, I couldn't give him a straight answer because I didn't know for sure.'' I said.

''Didn't know what?'' he asked.

''Jacob, are we a couple?'' I asked flat out. I could feel his eyes on me and only now did I realize that the car had stopped. I glanced out the window and we were at my house.

''Do you want us to be?'' he asked. He I could hear the authenticity in his voice, he was actually asking me. I looked at him and his eyes were boring into mine. I felt my cheeks flush but I couldn't look away.

''Take a guess.'' I mumbled and he grinned.

Then he took my face in his hands and stared into my eyes for another second longer before pressing his lips gently to mine. I leaned eagerly into the kiss, putting one hand on the armrest to keep my balance. He pulled away all too soon and stared into my eyes a moment longer. It made me wonder what he saw there.

''I should go.'' he said and I sighed.

''What is my house like kiss and run for you?'' I asked playfully and he chuckled.

''My parents are coming home in a few weeks and I was wondering if you'd want to meet them. I mention it now, because I get a feeling I'm going to forget.'' Jacob said with a grin tugging at his lips and suddenly changing the topic and catching me by surprise.

I'd been to Jacob's house before, and I knew him and his brothers weren't orphans but I couldn't imagine them with parents. Let alone parents beautiful enough that the boys looked like a combination of both.

''Where were they?'' I asked, curious.

''Paris.'' he grinned and I couldn't help but feel like I was missing something.

''I'd love to come.'' I said, not even wondering if I had plans for the weekend.

''Perfect.'' he said, smiling.

''I guess you have to go.'' I sighed and his smile faded a bit.

''I'll pick you up tomorrow morning.'' he said and the mood lightened a bit.

''Kay.'' I said, unable to keep from smiling at the thought.

He leaned forward and kissed me one more time as I searched with my right hand for the doorknob. He pulled away and I turned to the door. I wasn't even surprised anymore when it was locked. He grinned and hit the button. I reluctantly got out of his car and walked to the top of my driveway. I turned and waved as he drove away.

I started to walk up to the porch, absolutely elated at the fact that Jacob and I were an official couple. I was practically skipping up the walk to my door when something at the hedge caught my eye. It was Michael and he had seen everything. I didn't know how he was going to react. Was he going to tell my parents that I had been kissing my boyfriend -I grinned slightly at the word- in his car in the driveway? Was he going to tease me about it? Was he going to ambush me with questions? I turned to face him. I could take whatever he was going to dish out.

''Hey Michael.'' I said in what I thought to be a cheerful tone.

''Who was that?'' he asked, a blank look on his face.

''Uh, my boyfriend?'' I said, although it came out sounding more like a question.

''Oh.'' was all he said, an indecipherable look on his face.

''I thought you didn't have a boyfriend?'' he said suspiciously, his tone almost teasing.

''I didn't, until this weekend.'' I said. I couldn't explain why, but it felt weird talking to Michael about my boyfriend. For some reason it just felt like something he didn't need to hear about.

''Oh.'' he said again, the same impossible to read look crossing his face as he spoke.

''Well I want to put my stuff down so I guess I'll see you later?'' I said, starting to move towards the door.

''Yea see ya.'' he said, but there was a strange longing in the silence. I continued towards the door.

''Nikki?'' he said suddenly and I stopped and turned to look at him. He looked like he wanted to say something. A torn expression crossed his face but he sighed and it was gone.

''I'll see you at school.'' he said and I knew that was not what he was going to say. I smiled and waved briefly, and then continued into my house.

When I got inside, I dropped my bag. I grinned as the title boyfriend suddenly flashed through my mind. As I started to move around the kitchen and make myself something to eat, the smile started to fall from my face as I remembered the torn expression on Michaels face. I shook my head; I could think about that later.

Right now I was happy. Suddenly, Holly's comment the other night made sense, maybe she had known something I hadn't. Either way I was overjoyed, in a complete state of ecstasy.

Now I knew for sure that I was Jacob's, and more importantly, Jacob was mine.