《Garden | j. green》015

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as she watched the school parking lot for Jalen.

Fantasia's When I See U played softly over her stereo, becoming the perfect soundtrack to the anxious and trapped feeling that froze Noelani's blood.

After Noelani had gotten some more sleep, she promptly texted Jalen to let him know that she would be driving herself today.

And every other day.

For the rest of the school year.

Or the rest of her life, whichever turned out to be the longest span of time.

She had done exactly what her friends, namely, Nimari and Coleman, had explicitly told her not to do: tell Jalen how she felt.

It was no matter. None of this was gonna matter later anyway, she had thought to herself when she had hung up last night.

Noelani had very stupidly told Jalen that all she does is think of him, a fact that was abundantly true.

But not something that she should've ever told Jalen Green.

She was not gonna give Jalen the opportunity to play her.

Finally, she spotted him pulling up across the parking lot, his sleek black Honda Accord glinting slightly in the sun.

Jalen got out, dressed in a light pink hoodie with the word 'Slam' on it in a heather gray color and a pair of jeans that hung low enough to see band of his PSD boxers, instead of his normal fitted joggers.

In other words...

Looking extremely good.

Noelani continued to watch as he entered the school, their peers parting around him like the Red Sea.

For a second, Noelani wished that she hadn't canceled the ride so his arm could hang around her shoulders as they walked in together.

Before Noelani had fallen back asleep, she had imagined the countless ways that Jalen could seize her hand and not let go, similar to the way he did at Popeyes.

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Now, her flight risk tendencies were causing her to ruin what might be a good thing.

Or possibly stop her from getting her heart broken.

"Never know when you might walk by, so I gotta be right on time." Fantasia sung.

Noelani blew out a sigh as someone knocked on her passenger side window.

Noelani jumped in the driver's seat due to being in deep thought.

She turned her head sharply with alarm, feeling her loose curls whip onto her neck and already halfway reaching for her pepper spray resting in the cup holder.

Sydney Peters was standing right outside of the car, dressed in a sweater dress and her hair in a bun.

Noelani breathed a sigh of relief, "Oh, Syd."

Noelani presses the lock button to let her friend in, "Where's Jas at?"

"She's still nursing that cold from the weekend," Sydney opens the door and slides into the passenger seat, glancing at the stereo, "When I see you? Really, Noel? You got it bad."

"That's a stretch. I'm just listening to it." Noelani shifted uncomfortably at being called out.

As Noelani spoke, the song repeated itself, starting from the top.

Sydney snickered, "You were saying? When I first met Jordan, all I did was listen to this song."

"You two are dating. In an exclusive relationship. I have no intention on being with him." Noelani responds.

The first warning bell rang and Sydney opened the passenger side door, "Come on. I still have to get my Calculus book out of my locker and first period starts in fifteen minutes."

The two girls climbed out of Noelani's white Nissan Rogue as they walked into school together.

"I don't see why. You clearly like him. He clearly likes you. What's the problem?" Sydney asked.

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The girls turned a corner to the eastern hallway that held Sydney's locker.

"The problem is that I'm gonna be back in Hawaii come June. And he's gonna be... Well, I don't know where he's gonna be. What's the point of getting attached to someone you have to leave in a couple of months." Noelani leaned her head against the frigid locker next to Sydney's.

"Well, at least you're finally owning up to liking him. That's a start. And you don't know what could happen these next few months. What if he gets an offer from the University of Hawaii? Then what?"

"What if he doesn't? Or what if he does and hates my home?"

Sydney groans, "Ugh, you are such a negative Nancy sometimes! Killing the vibe. You and Jas sometimes... Like we're hot seventeen year olds, let's have some fucking fun."

Noelani broke into a giggle, "And you are overly optimistic."

Sydney yanked a heavy textbook out of her locker, "Ain't no such thing."

Jordan Pope walked up just as Sydney closed the locker.

Jordan wrapped an arm around Sydney's shoulders, "Hey, babe."

Sydney grinned holding his arm to her collarbone.

"Jalen's looking for you." Jordan nodded at Noelani.

"Oh." Noelani shrugged, trying not to look as panicked as she felt internally.

"You're not gonna go find him?" Jordan asked, amused.

"Uh," Noelani looked up at the ceiling as the second warning bell rang signaling that the students only had five minutes to get to their first period.

"I should get going." Noelani said.

When Noelani turned around she spotted Jalen coming up the hallway.

"Oh shit." Noelani muttered as she quickly turned and sped the other way.

She wasn't quite ready to clip her wings yet.

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