Tell Me That You Love Me : John O'Callaghan 5.

I can't unforget you if I tried,
I threw it all away, it's late.

“Amanda, wait up!” I huffed as I ran after her. Amanda ignored me and stormed into the locker room. She had ignored me all class and made Jack her partner, leaving me with John since Alex had gone to the nurse. He had told our teacher he hadn’t felt good, and though I was concerned he had left me to deal with John all class. I was still debating on whether I should kill him or thank him. Amanda had shot me the death glare every time I ran to retrieve the volleyball that John would always hit too hard, and Jack was just confused, so he didn’t even try to figure out the bitch fight that could still possibly take place.

“Amanda!” I grabbed her wrist and spun her around to face me. “Amanda, what the hell is your problem?!”

“I’m not stupid, I hear him ask you out,” Amanda growled. “Just fuck off.”

“He just wanted to hang out, who cares?!” I sighed in frustration and began to change.

“I know you like him, Jenna, it’s obvious. I just wish you hadn’t lied to me when I’d asked you.” Amanda changed in record time and stomped out of the locker room, leaving me alone with al lthe other smelly girls in our class. I speed dialed Jack immediately.

“Whaaaat? I’m changing,” Jack whined.

“Don’t let Amanda leave the gym,” I said before hanging up and changing. I knew he’d stop her for me.

~*~

When I exited the locker room I looked around to see if Jack had stopped her, which he had, because in the corner happened to be a very frightened Jack, sitting on top of a very pissed Amanda, who was kicking and swearing and trying to escape. I smiled at Jack as he dodged her gray converse and trotted over to them. “I don’t like him, Amanda,” I said immediately. “I just, I don’t know, we’re just gonna hang out.”

Amanda shook her head and finally managed to push Jack off her. “I don’t care if you do,” she said. “Jenna dear, it’s beyond obvious that you do.” She smirked at me.

“I don’t-”

“Just tell me, and I’ll back off. It’s pretty clear that he likes you better, anyway.”

Alright Jenna, get ready to make a fool of yourself in three, two, one... “Okay fine, I like him...”

“OH EM GEE!” Jack squealed. “Jenna you bitch! Why didn’t you tell me!”

“Shut up, Jack, now move, or I’m gonna be late to history again.” Before Jack or Amanda could protest I ran out of the room and into the busy hallway. Why the hell had I just admitted that I like him when I’m not even sure myself? What the fuck?

~*~

History class turned out to be a study hall, and because I had lovely gym first period I got no homework. Awesome. Now for an hour of listening to Blink 182 and staring at the clock while the rest of the class converses with one another.

I felt a tap on my shoulder and jumped, pausing my iPod in the process. I turned around to see Pat standing behind me, twirling a drumstick between his fingers and looking utterly bored. “What,” I said rather irritably.

Pat shrugged and pointed out into the hallway, where I saw John leaning against a row of lockers with his arms crossed. I got the bathroom pass form the sub and went out into the hallway. “Hey,” I said, a little too eagerly.

“Hey,” John smiled. “Are you in an important class?”

I shook my head. “Study hall. Sub.”

“Good. Walk with me.” We set off in the direction of the gym and he said, “So where do you want to go? Did you drive this morning?”

“No, my brother didn’t refill my car when he took his girlfriend out last night.” Fuck you, Josh.

“Girlfriend, huh?” You got anyone special like that?”

“No.” But you could change that.

John smiled to himself. “Interesting. So, meet me by the main door after school, I’ll pick you up, we’ll go somewhere. Panera, maybe? Their stuff is mad good.”

“Sure,” I replied shyly. Something...something didn’t feel right. And as much as I wanted to just ignore the warnings that Jack and Alex had given me, I couldn’t help but wonder if they were right. Afterall, they wouldn’t lie to me, Jack wouldn’t, anyway, and if they were right then I didn’t want to waste my time and feelings on someone who would just hurt me. “Wait, John...?”

“Yeah?”

I almost didn’t want to ask him, I was afraid that his answer wouldn’t be something that I wanted to hear. But now it was too late, I had jumped off the diving board and now I had no choice but to hit the water. “Why...why do you want to hang out with me?”

John looked confused for a moment, like no one had ever asked him that before. He looked at me for a moment, then shrugged and replied, “Well, because I want to get to know you. Ever since the party at my house when Amanda introduced us, I thought you were rad. And if Pat hadn’t gotten himself wasted, and if I hadn’t had to carry him upstairs before he puked on my carpet, I would have asked you out sooner.” John smiled again. “That good enough?”

“Yeah,” I grinned. Aww, he called me rad!

“Sweet. I gotta get back to class now, peace.” He flashed me a peace sign and then walked off down the hallway. I stood there smiling for a minute, then floated all the way back to history in a trance.

Until I tripped over a drumstick that Pat had dropped, again.

~*~

Two o’clock couldn’t come fast enough. I made it through last period study hall with Jack, who wasn’t happy when I told him about my after school plans.

“Don’t do it,” he’d whined. “Come on, if you don’t believe me, at least believe Alex. I mean, half the time I don’t know what I’m talking about, but he does.”

“Alex went home sick, he’s not thinking rationally,” I reasoned. This was true; they’d kept him in the nurse for awhile, trying to kill his headache/stomachache, but halfway through third period I got a text from him that said he was home and bored and being sick sucks. And after convincing Jack and promising I would be careful, I was free.

I walked down the hall slowly after the bell rang, fixing my hair, pulling my shirt down, making sure my converse were tied so I didn’t trip and fall. John was leaning against the brick wall outside, his backpack on the ground, waiting. I approached him slowly.

“Hey,” he smiled when he saw me. “Ready?”

I nodded and he picked up his backpack. “Sweet. I’m parked over here.”

John led me over to her car, a shiny black Jeep, and opened the door before me before going around to the driver’s seat. We tossed our backpacks in the back seat and he turned up the radio, blasting Blink 182.

“Panera still okay?” he asked as we pulled out of school.

Alright Jenna, focus now, don’t act weird, he’s just a guy. Act normal, like you would around Jack. Well, maybe not like that, but just be yourself. Talk, be friendly, be cool. Go. “Yes.” Wow, great job.

“Alright,” John smiled. “And we’re off.” We turned out onto the road and John began humming with the radio. I leaned back against the seat and sighed slightly.

Cue the rapid heartbeats.

I can't let you back inside,
not this time.
still no banners? if you make me a banner i will love you more than I already do. Don't you wanna be loved?