Rejected At First Sight (Spinoff Series)

29

Ash

I bit my lip, tucking a stray lock of hair behind my ear. Trying to bring my head out of the mental gutter I had found myself in, I blinked once. I stared down at the quiz in front of me, rereading the same question for the tenth time.

Letting a breath of air out of my nose, I set my pen down and leaned back in my chair, closing my eyes.

It wasn't just the fact that I literally knew none of these answers, or even grasp what the questions were asking me, but the looming presence beside me had managed to capture my full attention.

I glanced at Jay for a moment as I tucked my hair behind my ear, catching his smile as he knew what I was doing. Blushing, I turned back towards my paper and scribbled down some words that barely made sense strung together.

He wasn't going to let me copy off of him, or let me get away with it either. There was no way he was going to help me. I didn't want his help anyways.

I glared down at my unfinished quiz and flipped it over, shoving my pen in my bag.

Zipping up my backpack, I catch Mr. Holland's attention. He furrowed his eyebrows and checked his watch. "Done already?"

I nod without hesitation, standing up and slinging my bag over my shoulder.

"Bring your test up and you may leave early." He said and took a sip of his coffee.

I don't reply, not wanting to draw more attention to me in the back of the classroom. I turn and grab my paper, and unintentionally catch the expression of Jay's face as his eyes are turned down, looking at my slim fingers as I grasp the paper.

Guilt and concern shadow over his eyes, drawing his eyebrows down. The playful smile from earlier is gone, replaced by the tight lipped frown that he now wore. Did he realize that I didn't know a single thing on this quiz?

I swallow hard and grabbed my quiz, trying to walk swiftly and unnoticeably toward the front of the room. Thinking about looking back toward Jay, I tucked my hair behind my ear and was about to shoot a quick glance over my shoulder when a well placed bag makes me stumble.

Snapping an arm out to stop my fall, my hand connects with a history textbook but the force of my weight sends it toppling to the floor, me with it. My knee slams into the ground as my hands slap onto the floor, breaking my fall.

A hush settles over the room as everyone takes in what happened. Kayleigh lets out a stifled laugh from behind her hand and the rest of the room seems to join her.

My face turns red in an instant.

"Without disturbing the rest of the class please, Miss Jesse." Mr. Holland sighs. "We are still in the middle of the quiz."

I clamp down on my teeth as I stand back up, still clutching my paper. Quickly, I cross the rest of the room and nearly slam the paper down on his desk and turn on my heel for the door.

Even though I don't look back at him, I know that Jay is halfway out of his chair, leaning forward on his desk as he had been when I first fell.

I shove my senses back in my mind and only focus on the raging embarrassment inside of me. Walking out the door, I make a beeline straight for the bathroom.

I make sure that no one is in the bathroom before shutting and locking the door. Letting my bag drop, I wipe the angry tears from my face.

"Stupid." I whisper at myself, moving towards the sink. "Stupid, stupid." I rest my palms on the counter and look at myself in the mirror.