Fate is a mystery

Chapter 4: The Right Choice

What I felt in the next few seconds was a mixture between shock and confusion. I looked back and forth between the guys as if looking for an answer, but I was only met with confused stares.

"You guys know each other?", asked Jaden. 

"Yeah, we met last night at your party", I answered with a small smile.

"Jackson wasn't at the party", continued Jaden.

A nervous chuckle came from Jackson who was standing beside me. "No, I came and then Eva showed up, so I decided to bounce man".

So I guess we weren't going to talk about what happened before he decided to bounce.

"How do you guys know each other?", asked Jackson.

"We met at the beach yesterday", Jaden replied to Jackson, and they gave each other a knowing look which continued to confuse and agitate me even more. It was like they were secretly communicating right in front of me, and I really wasn't enjoying being left out of the conversation. 

"I'd love to stay and chat guys, but I need to get to my friends. I guess I'll see you around?". I started walking away from that whole interaction and made my towards the girls.

I don't know if I could necessarily call it mess but whatever I had gotten myself into, it was starting to feel sticky.

As I approached the girls, Lorei looked behind me and and asked, "Did he finally ask you out?".

"Who?"

"Jaden, who else?", she replied giving me a genuine look of confusion.

I quickly realised that what had happened between Jackson and I before the party yesterday was not general knowledge; and from Jackson not mentioning it to Jaden, I had a feeling that it should  remain that way.

"No... he more like blurted out his undying attraction to me and went on to call me cocky in that same conversation", I replied.

The girls burst out laughing.

"Jaden is a... Jaden is a peculiar taste...", said Jossette with still a bit of laughter in her voice.

"...but you learn to love him man. He's just a giant teddy camouflaging as an ass hat", she finished.

"Yeah I can see that", I replied opening my packet of sour worms.

Lorei beckoned for me to pass her some. "So you do like him?", she asked searching through the packet of sour worms.

"Lorei please, not this again", I giggled.

"Oh please", Kaliyah chimed in. "You guys were practically swallowing each last night".

"Gross Kaliyah", I groaned covering my face in embarrassment.

"So if he asked you out right now what would you say?", she continued. At this moment all the girls fixed their attention on me.

I kept opening and closing my mouth for lack of a response to this question. Lorei was about to say something when the bell rang.

"Literally saved by the bell", she said standing up and grabbing her bag.

We all laughed and made our way to the next class.

               ****************

School had just ended and I was making my way towards the parking lot to try and find my Dad when I heard Jackson's voice call for me from behind me. I turned around to see him doing a slow jog towards me. When he finally reached me he just stood there in front of me with a sheepish smile on his face and not saying anything. What was this? Was he nervous or something?