Jake Addams April 17th, 20XX

Alice ran out of the room with her face in her hands and trembling shoulders. I nearly went after her right then and there but I was at least able to stand my ground until her heels couldn't be heard anymore before collapsing into my chair.

I started to pack up my things, intending to finish the notes for tomorrow but found myself returning to sit and staring into blank space.

The scene I had just played out looped over and over in my head and I felt myself getting more and more depressed with each passing minute. Not that I regretted breaking it off with her, after all that relationship was long dead, I just couldn't help but mourn the past years I had spent obsessing over the one girl that clearly didn't feel the same.

There was also that my acceptance into the school had also been by her uncle’s recommendation. It hadn't really done much in my application but it was nice padding when the teams didn't perform all that well in championship games.

“ Ah… I really screwed up just now.”

I got up quickly as I realized what would happen if she took her grievances to her uncle and he rescinded his recommendation. It wouldn't be enough to get me kicked out in my last year but it would be more difficult to get into any worthwhile team afterwards without it.

As I thought my feet began to go in her direction when a slender but strong palm set itself onto my shoulder with enough pressure to stop me into my tracks.

I quickly turned around to face the owner of the hands but as I did a small tattoo on her wrist flashed across my vision and caught my attention. I completed the turn to see the stern expression on Sparrow’s face as if she would rather flip me over her shoulder then let me go after Alice and I suspected a very large misunderstanding.

“ Jake.”

Her tone was heavy, caring but just a little bit condescending. It was annoying. I didn't want such emotions from her.

“ Sparrow? when did you get here?”

“ ah,”

She ruffled a hand through her copper-red hair and laughed in a sheepish manner.

“ I came here earlier to wait for you and ended up taking a nap. I woke up when you were in the middle of your fight and couldn't find the right timing to leave.”

As she spoke she pointed towards what I had dismissed as a shoe closet and sure enough, there was a small cot peeking out from the misleadingly small door.

I wasn't really mad that she had eavesdropped as I was sure Alice would give a play by play to all of her followers to paint me as the worst human being on earth but it was a tad embarrassing.

“ So you heard everything?”

She continued with the sheepish tone but her eyes lightly sparkled as she spoke.

“Pretty much. But can I just say that if I wasn't right there to see it I wouldn't have believed it was you that was arguing with Alice!”

She nudged me with an elbow and continued praising me… or at least I figured it was praise.

“ So it turns out that you’re actually a pretty cool person huh? Why don't you let others see that passion! If you did you’d be way more popular than you are now. I mean.. If that’s even possible.”

She ended in a teasing tone but then she suddenly switched to a pensive one, not letting me get a word in meanwhile.

“ Oh! didn’t you say that you weren't doing the showcase with Alice this year? That’s pretty cold considering how close it is. There's also the fact that over half the votes would have been from your side.”

I quickly held up a hand, overwhelmed by the sudden change in atmosphere.

“ Wait! could you just ...be quiet for a minute. I need to adjust.”

She nodded and waited for me to gather my thoughts until her phone suddenly buzzed. I watched as her animated face fell into a frown.

“ of all the…”

She walked towards me and grabbed me by both hands and looked up at me with an ingratiating expression that did nothing to hide the sparkling mischief in her eyes.

For a brief moment, I couldn't help but wonder if she was ever dead serious and what she would look like when she was. I had only met her twice thus far but positivity rolled off her in waves and as opposed to the fake stuff that Alice put out I couldn't help but relax when in her presence and couldn't help but be swept up in the mood.

“ Can you do me a huge favour?”

Finally having the chance to speak without calling for a break I responded in a more enthusiastic tone than was called for.

“ It depends on what it is.”

With eyes as pure as a child and her hands gripping my arms like a bear trap she asked.

“ Could you come home with me?”