mixed messages
the unknown Today I was annoyed because Daiyu had spent ages doing my hair nicely. My unruly waves were worn down today instead of up. I usually played it safe. She did my eye makeup better than I'd usually wear it. I thought it would impress Jackson, but it didn't. He looked away when I walked past him in the corridor, instead focusing on my other friend Jinhee. He didn't text me and he certainly didn't call me. This all resulted in my terrible mood. To make matters worse, I was sitting in my second period of English and becoming more bored by the second.
I asked the teacher to be excused so I could go to the toilet. A small faced old woman looked up at me and nodded.
"All the boys in this school must be allergic to me," I whispered angrily to myself.
The school was very big and there were toilets on multiple floors. I was going to go to the upstairs one because I knew no one ever really went up to that floor.
I was about to turn the corner to climb the stairs when I walked past Jackson's class. He was slumped in his chair, also bored out of his mind by the looks of it. His eyelids were closed and seemed to be half sleeping with one ear bud in. As soon as I caught site of him, I smiled sadly. He was so cute when he was tired, but I remembered that he ignored me today and so I looked away regretfully. Two can play at that game, Jackson Wang.
Bambam wasn't in his class, but the boy from before; Mark was. He looked to be talking to a pretty fair skinned girl with big brown eyes and dark brown hair, cut into a cute bob in front of him. I recognised her as Mun- my cousin's friend. Mark's blazer was slung over his chair and his shirt was rolled up to reveal his arms. He looked even better than what I remembered him looking like before. Not that I had been thinking about him...
He leaned over to Mun's desk discretely, and whispered something in her ear. When Mark moved away from Mun's face, he was biting his lip. My cousin's friend seemed flustered and started blushing violently. I did too and I didn't even hear what he said! I gawked for a little while in amazement. I must have done, because Mark turned his head to the window to face me. I blushed in embarrassment and almost carried on walking, when he seemed to smirk.
In a surge of panic and mortification, I turned the corner and quickly ran up the stairs to the empty floor with the toilets. I didn't need the toilet really, so I loitered around looking at old displays and posters on the wall. I noticed a particular display under the school sports section. Jackson, Bambam, Mark and a few other cute boys I didn't recognise were photographed. All with basketball jerseys on and the school teams logo on the front. I used my index finger to trace the poster version of Jackson's face. Did I really like him? I was convinced I didn't know him, we hardly had time to get to know each other.
I heard footsteps behind me, and quickly turned to see who's they were. I almost had a heart attack when I saw Mark. His complexion was flawless and his hair looked tousled and a little messy. I mentally scolded myself for wondering what running my fingers through his hair would feel like.
I turned away and walked towards the toilets. Although my legs felt like jelly.
Before I reached the door, I was shocked to find Mark pull at my wrist, turning me around to face him aggressively. He looked like the gentle type...but then again, this was Mark and he didn't like me.
"H...hi?" I stuttered.
His dark eyes stared into mine for a moment. I looked down at the floor.
"It's Mark. And look at me when I talk to you ok?" He said the last part in a surprisingly worried tone.
"If you'll excuse me, I should be going." I whispered, trying to push past him.
He pushed me lightly backwards and I felt myself hit the cold wall behind me.
"You know you and Jackson won't last. He's one of my best friends, but he's also a player. He'll play you like any other girl, you're no exception." Mark explained in a low hushed voice.
He was so close to me right now, I couldn't breathe properly.
"Don't act like you're not a player as well. I saw you and pretty girl Mun," I hissed.
He raised an eyebrow and smirked. Crap, Mark probably knew that I was jealous. Wait, was I?
I put my hand up to my lips as if to erase what I had just said.
Mark grabbed my hand and pulled it down to my side. His eyes looked directly into mine this time, and he took the opportunity to slightly tilt my chin up to him gently. I wasn't much shorter than him, but there was still a difference in height. My breathing hitched, why was he touching me? And most importantly, why was he touching me gently? I thought he hated me, in fact I knew he hated me.
His eyes dropped to my lips, and he used his thumb to try and part them slowly. In that moment, I let him.
He the corner of his mouth in hesitation. Ugh, why did boys around here do that? It was like they couldn't control their tongues.
I asked the teacher to be excused so I could go to the toilet. A small faced old woman looked up at me and nodded.
"All the boys in this school must be allergic to me," I whispered angrily to myself.
The school was very big and there were toilets on multiple floors. I was going to go to the upstairs one because I knew no one ever really went up to that floor.
I was about to turn the corner to climb the stairs when I walked past Jackson's class. He was slumped in his chair, also bored out of his mind by the looks of it. His eyelids were closed and seemed to be half sleeping with one ear bud in. As soon as I caught site of him, I smiled sadly. He was so cute when he was tired, but I remembered that he ignored me today and so I looked away regretfully. Two can play at that game, Jackson Wang.
Bambam wasn't in his class, but the boy from before; Mark was. He looked to be talking to a pretty fair skinned girl with big brown eyes and dark brown hair, cut into a cute bob in front of him. I recognised her as Mun- my cousin's friend. Mark's blazer was slung over his chair and his shirt was rolled up to reveal his arms. He looked even better than what I remembered him looking like before. Not that I had been thinking about him...
He leaned over to Mun's desk discretely, and whispered something in her ear. When Mark moved away from Mun's face, he was biting his lip. My cousin's friend seemed flustered and started blushing violently. I did too and I didn't even hear what he said! I gawked for a little while in amazement. I must have done, because Mark turned his head to the window to face me. I blushed in embarrassment and almost carried on walking, when he seemed to smirk.
In a surge of panic and mortification, I turned the corner and quickly ran up the stairs to the empty floor with the toilets. I didn't need the toilet really, so I loitered around looking at old displays and posters on the wall. I noticed a particular display under the school sports section. Jackson, Bambam, Mark and a few other cute boys I didn't recognise were photographed. All with basketball jerseys on and the school teams logo on the front. I used my index finger to trace the poster version of Jackson's face. Did I really like him? I was convinced I didn't know him, we hardly had time to get to know each other.
I heard footsteps behind me, and quickly turned to see who's they were. I almost had a heart attack when I saw Mark. His complexion was flawless and his hair looked tousled and a little messy. I mentally scolded myself for wondering what running my fingers through his hair would feel like.
I turned away and walked towards the toilets. Although my legs felt like jelly.
Before I reached the door, I was shocked to find Mark pull at my wrist, turning me around to face him aggressively. He looked like the gentle type...but then again, this was Mark and he didn't like me.
"H...hi?" I stuttered.
His dark eyes stared into mine for a moment. I looked down at the floor.
"It's Mark. And look at me when I talk to you ok?" He said the last part in a surprisingly worried tone.
"If you'll excuse me, I should be going." I whispered, trying to push past him.
He pushed me lightly backwards and I felt myself hit the cold wall behind me.
"You know you and Jackson won't last. He's one of my best friends, but he's also a player. He'll play you like any other girl, you're no exception." Mark explained in a low hushed voice.
He was so close to me right now, I couldn't breathe properly.
"Don't act like you're not a player as well. I saw you and pretty girl Mun," I hissed.
He raised an eyebrow and smirked. Crap, Mark probably knew that I was jealous. Wait, was I?
I put my hand up to my lips as if to erase what I had just said.
Mark grabbed my hand and pulled it down to my side. His eyes looked directly into mine this time, and he took the opportunity to slightly tilt my chin up to him gently. I wasn't much shorter than him, but there was still a difference in height. My breathing hitched, why was he touching me? And most importantly, why was he touching me gently? I thought he hated me, in fact I knew he hated me.
His eyes dropped to my lips, and he used his thumb to try and part them slowly. In that moment, I let him.
He the corner of his mouth in hesitation. Ugh, why did boys around here do that? It was like they couldn't control their tongues.
"You have full lips," He whispered, rubbing his thumb back and forth over my bottom lip.
"I know," I let out breathlessly, looking at his pink lips.
He leaned towards me slightly, my lips still parted. My breathing grew even more unsteady.
Why did he suddenly have this affect on me? My feelings for Jackson melted away in seconds once Mark touched me.
He leaned in further and I was about to close my eyes in lust, ready for what was to come, when he smirked and scrunched his face up in a weirdly cute away. His thumb left my lips and his hand hovered over the side of my face momentarily, before tucking a strand of curly hair behind my ear.
"Maybe next time," He whispered before giving me a triumphant look of disgust and walking off.
"Why do you hate me Mark?" I said loud enough for him to hear.
He turned around, "I don't. I hate you and Jackson together...combined...as a couple."
I was shocked at his reply.
"We're not dating! Me and Jackson? There's nothing going on between us," I protested.
"I saw you guys holding hands the other day, don't act like there's nothing going on," Mark warned.
So he was spying on us! How weird.
"Jackson doesn't like me...and I don't like him," I whispered. It hurt me to say it, and so it came out more like a croak.
But I made up my mind there and then; Jackson didn't belong to me and I didn't belong to him. If I had to try and get his attention by dressing myself up, and that didn't even work, then what was the point?
"He does like you," Mark laughed sadly. "But you want to know something, Maya?"
This was the first time I'd ever heard Mark say my name. I then realised he must have been paying attention when Daiyu introduced me, if he knew what my name was! It sounded so beautiful coming from his lips.
I nodded, my voice completely betraying me at this point.
"He's not the only one." And with that, he went downstairs leaving me with a dizzy head and pounding heart.
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Hi everyone! Did you like this chapter? I know it's a little unexpected, I didn't even expect it myself when I was writing it!
Please remember to comment and subscribe! Thank you for reading.
Maria xo
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