The Best Thing for Me

by Lauren Jackson

  This wasn't her problem.

  But she was the only one I felt like I could trust.

  We'd been texting earlier, I knew she was home alone.

  I decided what to do.

  I slowly walked up to the front door.

  10

  My legs were tucked under me as I was curled up on the lounge. As the rain poured harder, I turned the volume up of the T.V so I could hear it over the loud patters on my tin roof. I dug my hand in my bowl of popcorn and munched happily, devouring it a little savagely. I thought I heard a knock, but I couldn't be sure of it. I heard it again, this time knowing for sure it was a knock.

  Getting to my feet, I stretched and padded towards the door. It was locked, so I just assumed it was Mel. I swung it open and made an extremely unattractive face, expecting it to be her. I gasped in surprise and humiliation when I realised it wasn’t her.

  It was Jason.

  I stopped my face thing very quickly, horrified with myself. Thoughts of myself quickly dispersed once I took in his appearance. He was rain soaked and bloody. He had a black eye and a swollen cheek. Blood ran down his chin and his shirt was stained. My mouth fell open slightly. My eyes lowered as I tried not to stare but they found their way back to his face within a second. I was unable to look away from him.

  "Crap." Was all that came out of my mouth. I opened the door wider and he took a step in. We stood there for a few moments, neither knowing what to do.

  "Uh... are you alright?" I managed to ask, surveying him once more, biting my lip. It was a stupid question but it felt necessary to ask.

  "No. Not really."

  I didn't know what else to say.

  "Want a shower? I'll pop your jeans in the dryer, and I'm sure I can find one of Luke's shirts to fit you."

  "That'd be nice."

  I grabbed his hand and he flinched. He didn't let go though. I shut the door and pulled him towards the shower. He pulled of his shirt.

  Oh my.

  No, Emma, don't be a creep. I ducked my head, my cheeks feeling hot as I tried not to stare.

  "Er- One or two towels?" I forced myself to ask, staring at my feet.

  "Just one."

  I went and retrieved one, (grabbing one of the best ones I could see of course; I didn't want him to think I was shabby) and handed it to him.

  "Jeans please." I asked him.

  He passed them out.

  "Er- Do you want me to, um, how do I say this?" I fumbled nervously, staring at my feet. "Um, with your underwear, or boxers or whatever you wear, do you need those dried? I don't mind, I have to wash Luke's all the time. That probably sounds weird, what I mean is that I do the washing all the time and I live with two boys. If you feel uncomfortable, that's fine. I'd offer a pair of Luke's, but that'd be weird..."

  He poked his head out, laughing in amusement. It was nice to see him actually smiling as he clearly hasn’t had the best time tonight. I could still see the pain in his eyes, but at least he was laughing.

  "You're a funny one."

  He got a pair of boxers and slingshot them at me.

  "AH!" I squealed, dodging out of the way. I could hear his laughed as he turned on the water.

  I grumbled as I picked them up, (via the jeans, because I didn't want to touch them.) Chucking them in the dryer, I played with the nozzles, adjusting them to where they were supposed to be. Afterward, I returned to my comfortable position on the lounge where I had been watching The Lion King. I had a major soft side for it which made me hope that he didn't think I was lame.

  He emerged out of the bathroom just as I was up to an intense part. Simba was coming back to challenge Scar, which meant it was very hectic. Jason casually walked out of the shower, with just the towel hanging around his waist. I tried not to stare but my entire body was fighting me against that decision.

  "Y-your clothes aren't ready yet..." I mumbled uncomfortably. I quickly paused, realising he didn't have any clothes to change into. "I'll try and steal a pair of Luke's jeans."

  I ran into his room and grabbed the first pair I saw. I threw them at him and he stretched to catch it. My breath caught as I gawked at him, extremely impressed with what I was seeing.

  No, Emma. Stop it.

  I looked away, and jumped on the lounge. Trying to remain casual, I propped my arm up and rested my chin on my palm, refusing to stare at him.

  He changed.

  Right. There.

  I kept my eyes completely glued on the screen, barely even risking blinking. I actually forgot to breathe at one stage and ended up breathless. Slowly, I regained my normal breathing routine. In my peripheral vision, I could still see him changing. The temptation was getting stronger.

  Don't look. Don't look.

  "Where shall I hang the towel?" he asked, effectively dragging me out of my inappropriate thoughts.

  "Just on the spare rack in the bathroom." I replied, trying to remain normal. Well, as normal as I can be anyway.

  He came back and sat beside me.

  Close.

  I didn't move. Just breathe and focus on the movie. He’s just a boy sitting next to you for goodness sake. Act like a regular human being.

  "Popcorn?"

  "Yes please."

  I placed it on my lap, allowing him access to it. I still couldn't look at him, so I remained staring intently at the T.V. I was a little disappointed that I wouldn’t get to eat as much popcorn as I would have liked. I didn’t want to pig into it in front of him.

  "Do you like the Lion King?" I asked after a few moments of silence, trying desperately to think of things to talk about with him.

  "It's alright."

  I nodded, biting my lip.

  "So... What happened?" I probed rudely.

  "Dad."

  "Oh..." I trailed off.

  We both went quiet. I was watching the movie, but not really taking it in. I was too focused on the boy beside me. Did I mention how close he was?

  I didn't want to be rude, but I couldn't help but ask, "Why did you come here? I'd assume you'd go to friends’, or your sister’s."

  He shrugged, making the popcorn move around. "I didn't want to be with my family. I don't really want my friends to know. I thought I could trust you, and I knew you were on your own, so..."

  "It was just easier to come here?" I finished for him.

  "Yeah. Hope that's alright."

  "Of course."

  We fell into silence but it wasn’t uncomfortable. The movie finished and I switched it off. I scratched my forehead and made a clicking sound with my tongue, which was one of my many nervous habits.

  "Are you staying the night or...?"

  "Only if you don't mind."

  "I don't," I replied a little too quickly. I ran my fingers through my hair which was still wet from my own shower. I felt a bit embarrassed having just a singlet, mini shorts and high socks on. It was a bit trashy, even I had to admit. I hadn’t expected to have company tonight. My hair fell in little ripples down to my elbows which I was pretty impressed about. I retrieved his jeans and he changed again but while I wasn’t in the room this time. I was too busy chucking Luke's in the laundry.

  "Well I'm beat. Shall we head up?" I asked, actually pretty tired. I know I should use this opportunity to talk with him all night and get to know him, but I think we were both too tired to do that right now.

  "Sure."

  After mounting the stairs, I began scrubbing my teeth until I felt sure they were sparkling and flossed them. (Yeah, I was slightly OCD. I didn't have braces for twelve months to not look after them).

  "Where am I sleeping?" he asked hesitantly, causing me to jump in alarm. I hadn’t heard him come up behind me.

  I crawled onto my bed and cocooned myself under the blankets.

  "Wherever you want." I replied, my words mumbling together. My body was beginning to shut down already. It often did this as soon as I was in close proximity to my lover. (A.k.a. my bed).

  He moved towards the bed and slipped in next to
me. My heart picked up speed. I hadn’t been a very good host with bedding so I should have expected him to hop into my bed. He wrapped himself up in my sheets, just as I had, getting close. We laid in silence for a few minutes, neither wanting to break the silence.

  "Thanks for letting me stay." he said quietly, his breath fanning my face. I sucked in my own breath, not realizing he was actually that close. My stomach went into complete circus mode then. I gulped, inching backwards slightly, feeling he was just a little too close and personal.

  "That's okay. Good night." I said curtly.

  I buried my face into my pillow and tossed my hair over my face, so he wouldn't get scared from my 'cute' sleeping expressions or so Mel tells me. He moved his arm around me and held me tight. I felt myself sag against him. It wasn't weird or anything. It was just nice. I actually wasn’t as nervous as I thought I would be, sleeping beside him. It actually made me feel more comfortable than I had the entire night.

  Resting my forehead on his chest, I let his warmth seep into me. I couldn't help smile as I was over whelmed with the bubble of happiness inside me.

  Tonight was a good night. Well, for me anyway.

  11

  I was floating up in the sky somewhere. The clouds were like giant candy floss bundles that you could eat on your fly by. It just started showering rainbows and lollies when a hand touched my arm, causing me to jerk awake. My eyes snapped open and I jumped, knocking my head on my wall painfully.

  Wincing in pain, I began groggily grumbling at the wall before noticing the thing that had touched me. I almost screamed.

  Someone. Was. In. My. Bed.

  Maybe if I got out slowly, grabbed a phone and sprinted over to Mel's and called the police, I'd be safe. My eyes finally registered who the person was. My heart settled down from panic to nervousness in a whole of three seconds. I had completely forgotten he'd stayed over.

  When did he hop in my bed?

  I couldn't remember. My brain was still in a muddle of morning fog. I rolled out of bed, barely making it to my feet. I dragged my legs with me to the bathroom. Washing my face lethargically, I attempted to brush my teeth while my eyelids had drifted closed again. I tried, unsuccessfully, to brush the knots out of my hair. I did a massive stretch, emerging from the bathroom. I then realised what I looked like.

  Running back into the bathroom, I slapped a little bit of foundation on my face, just under my eyes and near my chin the most. I tried to smooth my hair so it kind of looked okay. I went and through on a loose top and some denim shorts, ditching the skanky pajamas. I suddenly felt better and more comfortable, like a fresh pair of clothes always does.

  Now, what to do?

  Do I wake him?

  And if I did, what did I do then?

  I'd never had a boy stay over before.

  Was it much different to having a girl over?

  I sprayed some perfume on me and added some lip gloss. I texted Mel, warning her to not come over as I had a guest. Of course she then bombarded me with questions, demanding to know every little detail of what had happened. Which was nothing, of course. Rolling my eyes, I decided on ignoring her interrogation.

  I wandered around, not watching; texting a quick, final reply and I stubbed my toe on my drawer.

  "Mother fudge cake!" I cried, cradling my foot to my chest and doing some funky dance trying not to fall over. Jason rolled over and rubbed his face. He sat up slowly.

  I collapsed on the bed in pain, trying to not to show how much pain I was in.

  "Er- You okay?" he asked, frowning down at me.

  "Um, yeah, I'm cool. Just kicked my toe. Sorry to wake ya."

  "That's okay."

  He slowly got up and disappeared into the bathroom. I semi-rolled on the bed, trying to sooth the throbbing in my toe. He came out with a lazy grin on his face, running his hand through his hair.

  "So..." I began. "Want some breakfast?"

  We'd eaten, watched a movie, went for a swim, watched another movie and took a walk on the beach before we began the short trek back to my place. It had honestly been such an amazing day. We could have been picking up rubbish for all I care; any time with him was fun for me.

  "I'll drop you off," he offered.

  "Oh, that's okay." I insisted. "I don't want to make you go out of your way."

  "It's fine."

  I smiled gratefully. I tried not to stare. His face was extra swollen today. His cheek was a brilliant purple and his eyes had black underneath them. You’d think I’d be used to it now, having spent all day with him but it still was shocking to see him like this.

  "My face hurts." he said, for the fifth time.

  "I think you've said that already," I teased.

  He rolled his eyes at me and gently pushed me away.

  "Are you going to ring your Mum? Tell her you're okay?"

  "I'll just pop into Jenn's."

  "Okay."

  We walked in silence as we climbed the hill. I tried not to pant, it was a bit of effort, you know. Casually pretending to scratch my head, I wiped the small bit of sweat that was forming on my forehead. I didn’t want to sunlight to reflect on it when we reached the top of the hill.

  "Well. I had fun." He began a little awkwardly.

  "Me too," I smiled.

  "I'm glad I came last night."

  "Me too," I repeated honestly. I wish it had been under different circumstances but I was still grateful that he came.

  He leaned in and my eyes snapped open wide. I felt my palms begin to sweat instantly as my heart race accelerated.

  Oh my Goodness.

  This was it.

  No interruption this time.

  None whatsoever.

  I got so excited that I tried to speed up by leaning in too.

  I don’t think I can emphasise how bad of a move that was.

  He began moving faster at the same time I did and instead of our lips meeting, our foreheads seemed to. We smacked into each other and humiliation washed over me.

  "Ouch!" I said out of habit, even though it didn't really hurt.

  Once he let out a laugh, it was like a trigger and he couldn’t stop. He literally bent over and slapped his knee. It got to the point where no sound was coming out of his mouth, while I stood there absolutely mortified. My face flamed redder then beetroot as the horror of what happened really began to sink in.

  "You're such a klutz!" he cried, doubling over.

  "I know." I huffed, slapping my palms to my hot cheeks. "Man, I stuff everything up!"

  He was still laughing, and was wincing at the same time as his face was still quite swollen. He gave me an awkward pat on the shoulder, reminding me of the way he would treat his dog. I wanted to hang my head in shame and disappear.

  "This whole kissing thing just isn't working."

  "Don't say that!" I automatically blurted.

  I just wanted to kick myself.

  I cleared my throat. "Er- I mean..."

  He just kept laughing. "Emma, Emma, Emma. What am I going to do with you?"

  He pulled his arm around my shoulders and gave me a soft kiss on my forehead. I don’t think my face could possibly go any redder. I felt like I was going to burst into flames any second.

  "We'll just stick with that for now, yeah?"

  I smiled weakly, feeling the sudden urge to fan myself down. "Okay."

  He grinned and we parted ways. I was so angry at myself.

  Why, why did I have to keep stuffing everything up?

  Maybe it was for a reason.

  Since all things happen for a reason, right?

  12

  My feet pounded on the corridor floor as I marched down to the canteen, my mind and eyes completely fixated on the pizza that was just calling my name.

  "Soup!" Someone called in the distance.

  I glanced over, trying to see who called out. I continued to scan the area and next minute, something hard hit my head. I sprang backwards in shock, staggering.

  Oh. My. God.

 
; I just ran into a pole.

  In front of Jason.

  My face flooded with heat and I ran my fingers through my hair and tried to act casually. I cleared my throat, pretending to be casual.

  "P-pardon?" I asked, stammering slightly. "What about soup?"

  "What?" he asked, confused. "Did you just run into a pole?"

  "Um, no...?" I remarked, quickly trying to change the subject. "Uh, you said soup?"

  "Er- I said sup." He frowned, looking at me in utter confusion. I internally groaned as I made this situation much worse, like always.

  "O-oh..." I mumbled.

  I tried not to laugh nervously. How embarrassing was I?

  "Well, in a rush, you know those pizzas..."

  "How could I forget?" He asked, breathing a laugh. "Meet me at H block when the bell goes?"

  "Sure?" I replied, even though it came out like a question.

  I scuttled over, trying to get my face to return to normal colour. I managed to get Pizza Single out this time and not you-know-what. I then moved towards my group, settling on our blue lunch table trying to remember how to breathe properly. I hated the way my body reacted around him. Around anyone, really, but him in particular.

  "Who was that?" Ben asked. He had dark hair, pale skin and dark eyes. Pretty eerie if you ask me. I turned in surprise, as he hasn’t really spoken to me all that much before.

  "A friend."

  "Jason Mayor is your friend?" he asked, an eyebrow arched.

  "If you already knew who he was, why did you ask?"

  "Since when?" he rudely cut me off and avoided my question.

  I sighed, seeing the subject couldn't be avoided. "Since ages."

  I took a big bite, the deliciousness filling my mouth. I wanted to groan, kind of like Homer Simpson, but resisted the urge as there were people around.

  "Mhm. You do know he's probably using you?"

  "Why would he?"

  "Because he's an 'It' boy and that's what they do."

  "Jason doesn't." I barked back, suddenly feeling defensive.

  "Sure." He sneered. "Does he tell you you're pretty?"