Knowing Jude
Chapter 21

Blue House wins. Right now the entire place is full of celebratory blues, while the other students quietly file out of the gate towards the tuition area. Nicki has crossed over to the other side of me and is now jumping with Simon, screaming a cheer song at the top of their lungs.

Those two would be perfect together.

The award ceremony is over, and there's nothing else to watch or do, plus we have been allowed to leave school early today. I poke Nicki in her side. "I want to go," I tell her, but I don't think she hears me, so I scream, "I WANT TO GO!" It's not much of a scream in the midst of the loud diss song the blue crowd is directing towards the Red house who have come second. The Reds who trailed us by a mere four points are not taking any of it lightly.

These kids are crazy, and the faster I get out of here, the better.

"WAIT!" she screams back.

I sigh. This is her type of thing, so I decide not to be a party pooper and leave. "I'LL JUST GO, SEE YOU TOMORROW!"

"COOL, OKAY!"

Then she's back to screaming in sync with the others.

"I'll come with you," Isaac says, throwing a dubious look towards Simon.

"Sure, let's go," I say and lead the way down the bleachers. I immediately wish we sat at the edge because getting past the crowd is not an easy task. Being shorter makes it harder.

I think Isaac notices my struggle because he grabs my hand and leads the way, and I have to admit we move a lot faster. People make way before he can ask them. I'm also hyper-aware of my hand gripped in his. It's not a big deal, but I'm not big on contact with people, so I'm of course thinking about it.

My small hand is practically swallowed in his large one. And his hand is so warm.

We finally get to the edge of the bleachers, to the stairs, but he still doesn't let go of my hand. I'm glad no one is paying attention because I feel a little awkward and self-conscious.

When we get to level ground, however, he lets go of my hand and I replace myself releasing held in breath.

He pushes his dark hair back, his eyes resting on me. "That was fun."

"Yeah," I agree excitedly. It was.

"Can you swim?" he asks as we make our way towards the gate, trailing behind a group of grumbling Yellows, who came last.

"Barely," I confess. "Let's just say I know enough to keep me afloat. Just that."

"Not bad," he says, chuckling.

"And you?"

"Same here," he says, but I have a feeling he is just being modest. You can't be as athletic as he is and just flap your way around a pool.

I nod and we walk a considerable distance in silence. Sometimes I hate my inability to start up a conversation or keep it fired, so I'm glad when I recall his earlier conversation with Nicki.

"So, did you have this at Atlas High?"

He laughs. "Atlas High doesn't have a swimming pool or a swim team. I bet Nicki would love to hear that."

I laugh. "She would."

We are getting closer to the tuition block.

"What's up Isaac."

I turn around and come face to face with John Worth, a senior too. He falls into step beside Isaac, and his other friend, Jack Omell, with him.

"See you later," I say quickly to Isaac, and leave him to his new friends. It's personally a bit challenging that in a few days he has managed to make more friends in this school than I have in four years. Alone, I walk to my locker and grab my stuff, then head off into my free afternoon.

With no homework for the day, I change into shorts and a loose tee and sprawl on a couch and put on the TV, armed with The Last Ship.

I'm alone at home.

Trey and Maria obviously have somewhere to spend their free afternoon, Trey having football and friends, and Maria having friends and a social life. Sam isn't back from school yet, and my parents are at work. I get through an episode, hogging on random snacks from the kitchen, ignoring the fact that I might get a scolding from Mum.

The afternoon gets hotter, and I get sleepy, so I switch off the TV and disappear into my room.

I'm woken up later, shooting up in my bed from a nightmare, to come face to face with Jude, right in my room, with Sam standing beside him. It takes me a second to realise I'm not dreaming anymore, and I blink. "What the fuck are you doing here?" I hiss immediately, still slightly groggy.

"I let him in, he said he's here to see you," Sam says, a mischievous grin playing on his lips. "I'll go now," he adds, bouncing on his feet, then turns around and leaves my room, closing the door behind him. Leaving Jude behind.

Holy fuck, Jude is in my room.

I jump out of bed, now fully awake.

"What are you doing here?" I ask again, biting on my lip and giving him a once over. He's carrying a bag, and he has traded his blue shirt for a white tee that's hugging his lean chest and stomach muscles and... "Done checking me out?" His voice breaks me out of my trance, and my eyes flit back to his face, where he has a smug smirk on.

I scoff, though he is right, and repeat my question. "What are you doing in my room?"

He strides further into the room, uninvited, towards my table, and places his bag on it. "It's Wednesday, remember? Home math session?"

Oh yeah...

It might have slipped my mind because we didn't have any session last week after Monday, at all.

I put my hands akimbo. "You didn't have to come into my room," I say, throwing a gaze around and inwardly sighing at the fact that it's neat-I have no idea why I care. "You could have waited in the library."

"Your little brother was very welcoming, I'm afraid," Jude says, and I look at him to replace his eyes roaming all over my room. "Shit, Jo. I had no idea you're such a fangirl."

I follow his line of gaze, looking at the walls of my room which are filled with posters. Too many posters, I admit.

They range. From One Direction and a bunch of other bands, Mortal Instruments posters, Hunger Games posters, football posters...

"You're a hard girl to figure," Jude says and my eyes shoot back to him. He holds up his hand and starts counting on his fingers. "You're obviously into books, a serious fangirl, you like stalking hot guys on Facebook," my gaze turns into a glare. A flustered glare "You love music, and you're into sports too?" His blue eyes lift to me, amused. "Anything else?"

"Can't I like all those things?" I ask defensively.

"You can, I'm just not used to girls like that," he says.

"What girls are you used to?" I ask, already having an idea in mind.

He shrugs. "Just girls who don't happen to be universal fans," he says.

I snort. Universal fans, really?

I fold my arms over my chest. "Why don't you go and wait for me in the library?"

"Uh?" he mutters, then his eyes fall on my bed. The next thing I know, he's settling against the headboard. "No, I'd rather we do it here, it's less formal and I love this room better than being surrounded by hundreds of books." I look at him as if he has grown a second head. I shake my head. "Uh, no way, we can't do this here."

"Why not?" he asks.

"It's my room," I point out.

Apparently, that's not enough reason for him.

"So?"

"So?" I shoot back.

"We'll keep the door open, in case you're afraid they'll think we are up to something much more interesting than Math," he suggests.

I groan, but then decide that sounds logical. I go to the door and open it halfway. Not taking any chances in this madhouse where people might decide to make up theories and stories.

When I turn around, he's smiling at me. "So, does that mean that if we were closed in a room together something might happen?"

"Yes, if it was in your dreams because in mine there would be a murder involved."

I manage to get him off my bed and insist that we study at my table.

It's almost an hour later now, and I heard the sound of my mother's car pulling into the driveway like half an hour ago. I guess Jude will have to meet her, now.

Jude shoves his books into his bag, ready to go. He's a fast learner and I have a feeling these sessions won't be needed for long. For a mostly A student, I'm chalking up his slacking in Math to attitude. "Where were you all week last week?" I ask, leaning back in my chair.

His eyes flick to me for a second. "Home," he replies simply.

"Doing what?"

"Do you want a list of all the things I can possibly do while at home?" he asks, zipping up his bag then looking back up at me.

I roll my eyes. "How can you skip school so easily?"

"Because nobody cares and neither do I," he says.

"And your parents?"

His eyes narrow a little, then he skips to his feet. "He wouldn't give a shit. Can I go now?"

I stand too. "Not before you come and say hi to Mum," I tell him.

"What?" he exclaims.

"She's nice," I say, trying not to laugh at the anxious look on his face. That's definitely a first on Jude's face.

He gnaws on his bottom lip. "Is it really necessary?"

"It is," I insist. "Come on."

Personally, after Mum left me hanging the other day when I mentioned him, I'm curious to see how she reacts to him.