hurt.
We drove the rest of the way to school in silence, my mind wondering what it was Wes had learned from Max, and what Emily knew, too. Beneath it all, Winter Wood still lingered, though buried too deep to broach again today.
I hated being out of the loop, but at least they were talking to me again.
Emily:
At the end of the week, I sat in history class, shaking my leg. To me, history was anything but exciting. This was Jane’s area. If there was any history that I’d be interested in, it was the conversation that had conspired between Max and Wes this past weekend, and what Winter Wood was. Despite wanting to find out, the moment or subject hadn’t arisen since Monday. Teachers seemed determined to pile on the work as the weeks of school grew deeper into the season, and everyone was simply struggling to survive. Spending time thinking about anything but homework was foolish, if you cared about grades that is. Unfortunately, Wes and Jane did.
Frustrated, I looked down the aisle, seeing Jake Santé. He had been the boy that helped save Wes from class a few weeks ago by lying about taking me to the nurse after my fake seizure. Jake stared at the teacher as though he were the most interesting thing he’d ever seen. I shook my head, finding his stereotypical nerdiness comical—a momentary relief from my boredom.
I stretched my talents until I could hear his thoughts, draped with excitement over each word that passed Mr. Jackson’s lips. I began to think about the way Jake often thought of me when I was near him. His thoughts were always… endearing , if that’s what you’d even call it, but most guys’ were. With Wes as my boyfriend now, he no longer showered me with admiration the way he first did when he used to flirt with me from a distance. It was only natural to miss such praise. My indulgence in the thoughts of other men was harmless, let alone unavoidable. The least I could do was enjoy them, right?
I watched Jake lick an excess of saliva from his lips, his massive braces and thick glasses still as detrimental to his popularity as ever. Granted he wasn’t the best boy to receive a compliment from, but in retrospect, it was like enjoying art. You had to appreciate the differences, at least in some way.
Drowning myself in the complexity of Jake’s world, I began to think about how funny it was that physical objects could determine someone’s popularity, as they did for him. I always admired confidence, though, and Jake never cared what anyone said about him. To me, he was free—a rare thing, and something worth taking the time to study.
“Emily…”
I broke away from my staring game, my head snapping forward. Mr. Jackson was glaring at me. “What do you think?”
I hadn’t heard a thing he’d said, but it didn’t take much to hear what he was thinking about what he’d said and what he wanted for an answer. “I think the Conquistador’s conquest in the Americas was justified. They wanted to beat the Europeans to the land.”
It wasn’t the exact answer he was looking for, but I liked to stir controversy.
“And… Jake?” The teacher turned away from me. “What do you think of Emily’s view on the conquest?”
Jake sat up, eyeing me and then looking to Mr. Jackson. “I think they should have left the natives alone. They brought disease to the area—small pox, chicken pox and measles, not to mention the widespread outburst of rabies.”
Mr. Jackson grinned from ear to ear, content with Jake’s perfect answer. I rolled my eyes. Jake looked at me again, smiling smugly with his giant braces exposed. I held back the desire to giggle—or was it gag?—as his endearing thoughts gushed over every curve of my body.
“Great answer, Jake.” Mr. Jackson stood tall, looking between the two of us.
I sank in my chair. No. Please, no!
“Pair up everyone. We’re going to debate these two answers. Jake. Emily. You two will be together on this. I like where the tension is
We drove the rest of the way to school in silence, my mind wondering what it was Wes had learned from Max, and what Emily knew, too. Beneath it all, Winter Wood still lingered, though buried too deep to broach again today.
I hated being out of the loop, but at least they were talking to me again.
Emily:
At the end of the week, I sat in history class, shaking my leg. To me, history was anything but exciting. This was Jane’s area. If there was any history that I’d be interested in, it was the conversation that had conspired between Max and Wes this past weekend, and what Winter Wood was. Despite wanting to find out, the moment or subject hadn’t arisen since Monday. Teachers seemed determined to pile on the work as the weeks of school grew deeper into the season, and everyone was simply struggling to survive. Spending time thinking about anything but homework was foolish, if you cared about grades that is. Unfortunately, Wes and Jane did.
Frustrated, I looked down the aisle, seeing Jake Santé. He had been the boy that helped save Wes from class a few weeks ago by lying about taking me to the nurse after my fake seizure. Jake stared at the teacher as though he were the most interesting thing he’d ever seen. I shook my head, finding his stereotypical nerdiness comical—a momentary relief from my boredom.
I stretched my talents until I could hear his thoughts, draped with excitement over each word that passed Mr. Jackson’s lips. I began to think about the way Jake often thought of me when I was near him. His thoughts were always… endearing , if that’s what you’d even call it, but most guys’ were. With Wes as my boyfriend now, he no longer showered me with admiration the way he first did when he used to flirt with me from a distance. It was only natural to miss such praise. My indulgence in the thoughts of other men was harmless, let alone unavoidable. The least I could do was enjoy them, right?
I watched Jake lick an excess of saliva from his lips, his massive braces and thick glasses still as detrimental to his popularity as ever. Granted he wasn’t the best boy to receive a compliment from, but in retrospect, it was like enjoying art. You had to appreciate the differences, at least in some way.
Drowning myself in the complexity of Jake’s world, I began to think about how funny it was that physical objects could determine someone’s popularity, as they did for him. I always admired confidence, though, and Jake never cared what anyone said about him. To me, he was free—a rare thing, and something worth taking the time to study.
“Emily…”
I broke away from my staring game, my head snapping forward. Mr. Jackson was glaring at me. “What do you think?”
I hadn’t heard a thing he’d said, but it didn’t take much to hear what he was thinking about what he’d said and what he wanted for an answer. “I think the Conquistador’s conquest in the Americas was justified. They wanted to beat the Europeans to the land.”
It wasn’t the exact answer he was looking for, but I liked to stir controversy.
“And… Jake?” The teacher turned away from me. “What do you think of Emily’s view on the conquest?”
Jake sat up, eyeing me and then looking to Mr. Jackson. “I think they should have left the natives alone. They brought disease to the area—small pox, chicken pox and measles, not to mention the widespread outburst of rabies.”
Mr. Jackson grinned from ear to ear, content with Jake’s perfect answer. I rolled my eyes. Jake looked at me again, smiling smugly with his giant braces exposed. I held back the desire to giggle—or was it gag?—as his endearing thoughts gushed over every curve of my body.
“Great answer, Jake.” Mr. Jackson stood tall, looking between the two of us.
I sank in my chair. No. Please, no!
“Pair up everyone. We’re going to debate these two answers. Jake. Emily. You two will be together on this. I like where the tension is
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