Thread: Deceptive Guise (Ookami & Sumi)

Jared could feel his own heart beating faster when he saw the blush on Chloes face. A mixture of excitement and hope building up inside of him as he watched her cute reaction to his words. It was clear she wasnt upset at him, but it was difficult to discern if she was flattered or simply embarrassed by his remarks. But he supposed what mattered most was that his suggestions hadnt disgusted Chloe or upset her in a way to make her dislike him. He wasnt sure if Chloe believed him when he was said he was joking. Despite having made the remark voluntarily, he personally didnt want Chloe to believe him. Accepting the fact that he had feelings for her would definitely be a huge step towards what he ultimately had hoped for. But at the same time, he was afraid hed have his feelings knocked back, and even the friendship they had going would suffer from the backlash of such a rejection. It might not get destroyed completely, but thered undoubtedly be a uncomfortable tension between them. Jared couldnt care less about what other people thought. People could look at him however they wanted in fact he actually wanted them to see him and Chloe as something more than teacher student. Though what would please him the most if Chloe started seeing him in a way that could potentially destroy his teaching career. In his mind it was a small price to pay, and it wasnt like he had any real passion for his job. His mother had wanted him to become one, and it gave him a reason to be near Chloe while she was in highschool. But Chloe would be graduating in the near future, and then he had no real reason to stick around. The idea of raising his children at home and at school was an appealing one, but without Chloe he doubted hed even get to the point of holding a child of his own in his arms, never mind actually raising them. Its because- Jared started, cut off by the sound of the bell. The loud ringing sound crippling the brief surge of courage hed felt. Hed been fully intending to tell Chloe exactly how he felt without being vague. When her hands left his, he couldnt say anything more, suddenly feeling cold and empty, it wasnt like shed rejected him or anything, but the fact shed pulled away had drained whatever courage he had left. Disappointment was evident in his green eyes, but he didnt stop her as she hurried off. He didnt chase after her or make a move to leave the classroom, staring longingly at Chloes dark hair swishing from side to side, and wishing he could run his hands through them affectionately every morning. He lost himself in fantasy for a few minutes, picturing how happy itd make him to be in Trents place right now. As a child hed always wanted to move in with his best friend, and his favorite girl, but that had obviously not been possible, but now if he could convince Chloe to leave Trent he could. What am I thinking? he grumbled to himself, falling on the wall and banging his head against the concrete wall. With Chloe now long gone, he could feel the excitement sinking away inside. His mind now questioning why hed said the things he had. For four years actually for most of his life hed been content with watching Chloe from afar. His life filling full and meaningful whenever he saw her smile. Hed been happy with his relationship with Chloe until yesterday, hoping for something more, but knowing it wasnt possible. It wasnt like him to be so reckless, gambling his current relationship for something more, or nothing at all. He cursed himself quietly, hoping he hadnt made Chloe think any less of him. He didnt know why, but hed felt an overpowering sense of possessiveness when hed seen Chloe in the morning. Wanting to be there for her, and wanting her to rely on him more than anyone else. Hed felt so jealous about everything it didnt make sense. Hed felt jealous about the guy shed been sitting infront of in class, he felt jealous of the teacher whod be teaching her instead of him. And hed felt jealousy towards Trent who had it all, and refused to accept it, simply because of some stupid blood tie. It was the only advantage he had over Trent, but while their blood was a reason they couldnt be together, it was also a bond which couldnt be broken no matter how hard either tried. A bond which Jared never had, and never would. ----------- The bell had just gone for indicating the start of lunch when Chloe was making her way down the hall. The flow of students all heading for the school cafeteria, the school didnt exactly serve the best tasting stuff out there, but it was cheap, and it took out the hassle of making your own lunch. Though that didnt stop a lot of girls from making their own lunch, some enjoyed cooking, while others competed with their friends, while others pampered their boyfriends. Guys on the other hand mainly used the cafeteria, not really caring about a few extra calories, nor their own cooking ability. There were a few that preferred homemade sandwiches, and craftily decorated lunchboxes, but having their mothers make them lunch at this age was more embarrassing than flattering. Chris was no exception to the general rule, making his way down with his friends towards the cafeteria, he was probably the oldest student in the school, having dropped out of school once, but re-entering the education system at the start of the year with the principals backing. Chris was neither an academic or an athlete. If anything he wasnt really liked by most of his peers or the teachers. A nuisance in class, and a guy that wouldnt hesitate to make fun of someone for his own entertainment. Even as he walked down the hallway there was a good amount of space around him and his cronies. People bumping shoulders and stepping away from the infamous group, not wanting to be anywhere near the group as itd increase their likelihood of being picked on. It was even rumored that Chris had ties with a local gang, dealing firearms and drugs. Hmm? the blonde murmured, suddenly taking notice of Chloe walking alone ahead of him. She wasnt as gloomy as shed been earlier that day, but Chris had taken an interest in Chloe ever since hed first seen her at the start of the year. Watching her from afar, at first it wasnt intentional, his eyes trailing after her as she walked past him. Hed spoken to her a few times in the past, but like most others Chloe didnt seem to want anything to do with his kind. He was well known for being a bit flirty with other girls, and there were even rumors that hed drugged and raped a few girls, threatening to kill them if they spoke to police or told anyone else. Splitting off from his friends, he quietly made his way over towards Chloe, casually walking up beside her with a cocky confident grin that almost looked seductive. Walking alone again? Dont tell me you dont have any friends? Chris asked, his voice immediately causing the tide of people to draw away from Chloe. Uneasy eyes glancing her way, accompanied by several hushed whispers. It was partly Chriss fault that many of Chloes peers avoided her. Some rumors said that Chloe was actually Chriss girlfriend, while others had her being the daughtersister of a gang member Chris respected. Whatever the case, people had noticed pretty quickly how Chris treated Chloe differently to others, but being the jerk he was, no one even began to consider how Chris could actually be attracted to her in a one-sided way. This wasnt the first time Chris had approached her though, and usually he made a few quick comments, made a few passes and then left. But today he seemed different, his golden eyes gleaming with mischievous intent.