Infinite (Strange and Beautiful, Book 1) (43 page)

As
I stepped back into my room, the doorbell rang. I glanced at the clock while
Tegan checked her watch. “That’s probably Jackson,” she said.

I
nodded, grabbing my wallet while Tegan slung her purse over her shoulder. I
followed her downstairs. When the doorbell didn’t ring again, I figured someone
must have answered it. 

Skylar
wasn’t home to swoop in and annoy, so I wasn’t that worried, but I hoped if
either of my parents had answered the door that it was Mom. It was hard telling
what Dad might say to a teenage guy asking for me.

When
we reached the bottom of the staircase, it was neither of my parents who’d
answered the door. Instead, Luke was talking to Jackson.

“Hey,”
I greeted.

Jackson
nodded at Tegan and then grinned at me. “Hey.”

“Seeing
Charlotte’s Web
, are we?” Luke questioned as Tegan and I slipped on our
shoes.

“Yes,”
I replied. I made an effort not to be terse because Luke hadn’t been as much of
a jerk lately.

As
if realizing this himself, he glanced from Tegan to Jackson and grinned. “You
two better watch out. Silly used to weep like crazy when she saw the animated
version. I hope you have some tissues handy.”

I
narrowed my eyes. “Thank you, Luke.” I wished the power of my gaze could burn
him, but he shrugged his thick shoulders. “I hadn’t been embarrassed yet
today.”

“Happy
to help,” he smiled innocently as Tegan handed my coat to me from the front
closet. I rolled my eyes as I pull it on and zipped it up.

“I
think we’re ready,” Tegan said, straightening her coat.

“Drive
safely,” Luke grinned as Tegan stepped around me and headed out the door.
Jackson followed after, nodding a goodbye to Luke. I was the last out the door,
and I paused to stick my tongue out at Luke before I pulled the door shut
behind me.

It
was cold, and the first snow of the season came overnight, so I walked down the
sidewalk carefully. It wasn’t really enough snow to cause most people to fret,
but it had been coming on and off most of the day, leaving a light dusting on
the ground. It was probably harmless to others, but due to my odd bouts of
clumsiness, I proceeded down the sidewalk with caution.

Jackson
was seated in the driver’s seat and Tegan was in the back fastening her
seatbelt by the time I reached the car. I slid into the front seat, pulling the
door shut behind me and blocking out the cold air.

“Everyone
ready?” Jackson asked once I’d pulled on my seatbelt. If he thought my
tiptoeing down the sidewalk as odd, he didn’t let it show. 

“Yep,”
Tegan and I said in unison.

We
talked about holiday plans and our wish lists as Christmas music played softly
in the background during the drive to the mall. The streets were filled with
holiday traffic, and the mall was also packed with what I guessed to be last
minute shoppers. The theater, on the other hand, was nearly empty.

When
Tegan and I started to buy our tickets, Jackson held his hands out to stop us.
“I’ve got this,” he insisted.

Tegan
and I started to protest, but he shook his head. “I get a discount. Don’t worry
about it.”

We
relented, but when Jackson tried to pay for our snacks at the concession stand,
Tegan and I held firm. I didn’t feel right letting him spend all of his money
on us, and I knew Tegan felt the same.

“We
just won’t get anything,” Tegan shrugged.

Jackson
huffed. I hadn’t taken him for the old-fashion type. After all, we weren’t even
on a date.

“How
about this,” Jackson suggested after a moment. “You tell me what you want and
give me the money and I’ll order so you can get the discount.”

I
had to admit the food at the concession stand was pretty pricey. Tegan and I
locked gazes, silently conferring for a moment, before we nodded at each other
and agreed to Jackson’s plan.

“You
two are rather stubborn, aren’t you?” he grinned before stepping up to the
concession stand with Tegan and I in tow. The girl behind the counter whose
nametag read “Christina” smiled.

“Fancy
seeing you here,” she commented, brown eyes twinkling as she gazed up at
Jackson.

“I
just love it here so much I couldn’t stand to stay away,” he smirked.

“Right,”
she grinned, glancing between Tegan and I. “And pimping it, I see. For someone
who claims to be incapable of finding a girlfriend, it sure looks like you’re
doing pretty well for yourself. Two girls, hmm?”

Jackson
rolled his eyes. “Tina, this is Tegan and Silly,” he introduced, pointing to
each of us respectively. “And this is Tina, my loathsome co-worker.”

Tina
didn’t so much as grimace at the “loathsome” descriptor. Instead she smiled,
looking between Tegan and I again, as if trying to figure something out. “Nice
to meet you.”

I
said, “Likewise,” while Tegan simply smiled and nodded.

“So,
what can I get for you?” Tina asked.

Jackson
placed our order and Tina huffed. “Go figure, I’m working the concession all by
my lonesome, and you come in putting me to work like this.”

“Blah
blah blah,” Jackson grinned, as Tina moved around behind the counter getting
our food and drinks. After ringing up our order, Jackson handed over the money
and Tegan and I collected our things. “I’ll see you on Tuesday,” he said,
waving to Tina as he grabbed the last of the items on the counter.

“Mmm
hmm,” Tina replied unenthusiastically. “Behave yourself in there. I don’t want
to have to throw you out for any inappropriate behavior.”

“Damn,
woman, you ruin all of my lascivious plans. I thought I’d try to talk Silly and
Tegan into a little ménage a trios,” he called over his shoulder before he
glanced at me and winked. I peeked at Tegan and she giggled, and I blushed as
we walked into the theater.

There
were only a few people seated already, and Jackson directed us to “the best
seats in the place.” We took his lead, figuring he’d know better than either of
us. I sat between Jackson and Tegan, and after situating our snacks and
ourselves, we munched on popcorn and candy while we waited for the movie to
start.

Despite
leaving over an hour early, the traffic and struggle to find a parking spot had
filled up the time. When the lights started to go down, we quieted and relaxed
back into our seats to watch the movie.

Throughout
the movie I tried to pace myself for the ending, yet, despite knowing it was
inevitable Charlotte would die, I kept hoping there would be an unexpected
twist in the movie that changed the conclusion.  Unfortunately, that didn’t
happen, and I started to get weepy, as Luke predicted.

I
startled slightly when I felt something brush up behind me. I glanced over my
shoulder and discovered it was a hand—Jackson’s hand, to be more precise. Tegan
was seated on my right, and she seemed to feel me looking in her direction. She
glanced at me briefly, but then her head snapped toward me for a double take,
her eyes zeroing in on Jackson’s hand. Her mouth formed into a surprised
circle, and I thought she was going to start giggling, so I turned my eyes back
to the movie.

My
focus, however, was no longer on Charlotte’s death and Wilbur’s turmoil over
the loss. Instead, my attention was on the warm arm wrapped around my shoulder.
I forced myself not to start snuggling up to him. I reasoned he probably just
needed to stretch, and I just so happened to be sitting in the seat in front of
his arm. I didn’t want to get my hopes up that there was another motive for his
arm around my shoulder.

The
movie’s conclusion lacked the same impact it might have had if I’d not been
distracted by Jackson’s arm, but it was still a good movie. The credits started
to roll, and the lights went up. Tegan stood and stretched, but I sat with
Jackson’s arm around me for a few more seconds, basking in the warmth and
closeness, before he moved to stand as well.

We
threw our trash in the bin by the exit, and Jackson waved to Tina on the way
out as we zipped up our coats and stepped out through the side entrance to the
mall into the cold night air.

“What
time is it?” Jackson asked as we walked out to his car.

Tegan
checked her watch. “Nine thirty.”

Jackson
seemed to consider for a moment before he asked, “What time do you two have to
be home?”

“Eleven,”
Tegan and I said in unison. Even though I didn’t go out much, I was allowed an
extra hour out during the weekend. Luke and Skylar didn’t have be home until
midnight, which seemed unfair, but I usually didn’t go out enough to bother
with asking my parents about moving my curfew back as well. I doubted they’d
let me stay out until midnight now anyway. Maybe when I turned sixteen, though.

“Should
we make the most of the night and go somewhere else?” Jackson suggested.

“Sure.”
I tried to sound casual, but I was giddy and unready for the night to end just
yet. Besides, the holidays were just around the corner and I couldn’t think of
two people I’d rather spend my last day with before being stuck with Dad’s
mundane family.

“We
could go to The Bean,” Tegan suggested. It was the coffee and sandwich shop her
family favored. “They have the best hot chocolate.”

“A
nice steaming cup of cocoa sounds pretty good right now,” Jackson agreed as we
reached his car. He quickly unlocked it, and we all climbed inside and buckled
up. “So, who’s directing me toward the cocoa?” he asked once the engine was
running and the heat was turned up.

I
let Tegan navigate since I was so directionally challenged I still managed to
get lost in the school corridors. Thanks to Tegan’s competency with directions,
we arrived, despite the traffic, at The Bean within minutes.

Inside,
it was bustling as usual. I insisted on buying the drinks while Tegan and
Jackson hunted a table for us. There was a long line, but it moved quickly.
After ordering and paying, I had to wait a couple of minutes before I was
handed a tray of hot chocolate. Cautiously, I carried the tray to the table
Jackson and Tegan scored over in the corner.

Before
I’d even sat down, Tegan snatched her cocoa up and started sipping while
Jackson placed a cup in front of me before taking the last one for himself.
“So,” he began, eyeing me curiously, “Tegan tells me you write stories and
poetry.”

Thankfully
I hadn’t taken a drink yet because everyone at the table would have been
wearing it. I glanced at Tegan out of the corner of my eye and wanted to throw
something at her. She, at least, had enough sense to look repentant. Instead of
hissing at her like I wanted, I smiled bashfully at Jackson. “It’s just stupid
stuff mostly.”

“No,
it’s not,” Tegan insisted. I glanced at her, thinking she was trying to make me
look better in front of Jackson or trying to make up for sharing something so
private, but instead of looking contrite, she seemed earnest. “They’re really
good,” she continued, “but she refuses to let anyone—well, besides me
sometimes—read it. Even then, she thinks I’m just being nice.”

“Tegan,
shut up.” I felt my face growing hot. While she was right—I did think she was
just being nice most of the time—I wasn’t exactly thrilled to have this
discussion in front of Jackson.

“Maybe
you should let other people be the judge about whether or not it’s any good,”
Jackson suggested. “You could read it here or something.”

“Only
to be told I suck? No thanks,” I said, sipping my hot cocoa.

“See,
this is what I have to put up with,” Tegan commented. “I’ve been trying to get
her to read her stuff here for the last few years or enter some contests, but
she refuses.”

“Stubborn
girl,” Jackson grinned.

I
looked away from the beauty that was his face, worried that I might let him
talk me into something I’d regret later with that smile. “Can we talk about
something that doesn’t involve me and public humiliation, please?”

“But
that topic is full of so many options,” Tegan teased.

I
glared at the Judas, and she held up her hands. “Okay, okay, new topic.”

I
went to take another drink of my cocoa, but some of the liquid sloshed over
onto my hand. It was hot, but not enough to really burn. I was mostly thankful
I hadn’t spilled it on my new sweater. I’d have felt awful if I ruined my gift
from Tegan.

I
sat my cocoa down and looked around for a napkin. The guy playing guitar and
singing on the small raised staging area had stolen Tegan and Jackson’s attention.
Glad they’d missed my bout of the clumsies and not wanting to disturb them, I
reached across the table to the other side of Jackson for the stack of napkins.

Unfortunately,
I had to lean across Jackson. “Sorry,” I muttered, hoping my chest wasn’t exposed
for the world to see.

“It’s
okay.” Jackson smiled, picking up one of the napkins just out of my reach and
handing it to me. “You smell good,” he said inhaling softly.

Immediately
my face bloomed with heat as I sat back in my seat and wiped my hand. “Thanks,
my mom gave it to me.” I had no idea why I felt the need to explain. “You
should smell Tegan’s perfume, though. It smells good too. Kind of like cotton
candy.”

Jackson’s
features contorted into an odd look I couldn’t decipher, but he smiled slightly.
“I really don’t think Tegan wants me sniffing her.”

I
really didn’t want him sniffing her either, but I had enough foresight not to
say that aloud. My face felt hot, which seemed to be the trend for the evening.
I glanced at Tegan. She looked dismayed as she shook her head slightly. She’d
no doubt heard me and disapproved. Sometimes my stupid mouth shocked even me.
Mine was a level of spastic ridiculousness that would be hard to rival.

Tegan
saved the awkward moment by bringing up Daughtry’s self-titled album, which
Tierney had bought on iTunes the other night. We discussed the merits of
American
Idol
, but the general consensus was that we were all over the show.