Chapter 3: Loss
JASON WOODS POV:
I walked slowly, away from the boy's locker room, as it was in its rage and my headache that started with a small pounding was growing drastically with every second I spent in that animalastically loud locker room. And to say it was not even winning a game that brought this excitement, but rather the passing of a girl, who was clearly not interested in any of the guys on the team.
Diana Chase. With a petite frame yet long legs and a slim body of a swimmer, she was a living fantasy to most guys. But the evidence clearly stated that she didn't know of the fact herself. As for me, I had eyes for a particularly witty and non-girly friend of hers.
Jennifer Soul. She, just like her friend, clearly undermined her beauty and gorgeous simplicity. Lucky for me, as did other guys. True to her non-girly nature, she hardly ever put on any makeup. She barely even made an effort to tame her wild curly locks from falling into her eyes.
Her eyes!
A beautiful combination of chocolate brown and golden specks, that sparkled quite differently when she spoke about her favourite books. No, not with me. Never with me, and to say we have been going to the same school since kinder-garden. But observing from afar did lend me some insight on some of her habits.
No, I am not a creepy stalker, mind you. I am just an admirer.
She was a talented artist and it showed in all her works that decorated an entire hallway of the school. The only problem was, she was a specimen, not to be approached and never to be touched. Not because she was too fragile. She was anything but. But since the first day I observed her, she had a knack of bursting out on guys approaching her. Some, she clearly insulted, and to others, she passed such a witty complicated comment that it took the guy days to acknowledge it.
Jennifer Soul was a girl, you can only appreciate from afar.
Along with being all that, she was also an academic-oriented student and never missed a class. That was precisely the reason I was shocked to a stop when I saw her walking in my direction, head hung low, in the middle of a class-hour. Was Jennifer Soul actually bunking? It was the news of the century here at Bridgeville Jr. High!
She stopped right in front of me. I was too astounded to say a word and she tried to bee-line around me thinking I haven't noticed her standing and staring right at me. How dumb does she exactly take me to be?
Sub-consciously I clutched her wrist to stop her. This was my chance to at least start talking. But instead, I received a shock.
As she snatched her wrist away and looked at me with somewhat furious eyes, I saw how devastated she looked. Red swollen eyes with a tear-stricken face. Most of her curls escaped her band and framed around her face. There was something seriously wrong. Was she the same neutral faced Jennifer?
As if on instinct, I raised my hand to sweep off some of the fresh stray teardrops and was brought back from my stupor by some spiky comment, which I ignored, obviously.
I knew, me looking at her with pity, was not the thing that would have helped my situation with Jennifer, so I brought back my infamous smirk, smugly. She bobbed her head to one side as if confused.
I liked Jennifer because of her unique nature and sophisticated aura. She was a girl to be appreciated for the beauty in simple things she did. And her bobbing her head kiddishly was the newest addition to the long list of things I liked about her. With just a few lines said, she turned away and left. Who was I kidding? She was not just any girl who would swoon over me.
What took me by surprise was her comment afterwards. I stink? I just showered, why would she say that?
Besides, something was terribly wrong with her. The tom-boy I knew had chipped her mask, and it was as if for the first time I can see through. I didn't still know the reason why the never-before-mentioned happened.
But I know she had her best friends who would help her out of whatever problem she was in. Diana and Nick.
Nick Goldman.
I hated the guy with all my guts. The only guy Jennifer ever let in and probably the closest person to her.
Rumours travelled fast here and Jennifer's knack of snapping at every guy, just with one exception let suspicion grow into a belief that they had feelings for each other. And just the thought burned me with jealousy.
Today he might be the first one she will share her grief with. He might hug her in her weak time, comfort her, tell her everything will be okay and that he will be by her side to help her. The exact things I wanted to tell her, to soothe her, but I doubted that I would ever know the reason for her misery even.
I, Jason Woods, a guy who can get any girl he desires, had my eyes set on an unachievable target, I can do nothing about but helplessly wish for a miracle to happen.
The biggest shock of today hit me when I was walking down an old corridor, quite late after lunch break starting and I heard three voices whispering. Identifying the loud voice of Diana followed by a weak one of Jennifer, I decided to eavesdrop. And the news that I got then was the worst I have heard in a long time.
Jennifer was going away and I could hardly do anything about it. I swear I haven't felt this helpless in my life.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone