Stolen Innocence

6- Last day of school...

Today was the last day of my high school career, I was ecstatic to have it finally done and over with. Grateful that I wouldn't have to see his face every day anymore. This year went by in a flash. They weren't holding any classes today, it was yearbook day. A day of saying bye, and signing yearbooks. Tomorrow I'm walking on the stage and getting my diploma.

I watch the students and teachers talk and laugh, as I walk through the halls. I knew I would miss this place, even though I wanted to get the hell out of here as soon as possible. I was going to miss some of my teachers, my friends, and tell you the truth I'm going to miss this building. But life must move on, I know this.

I was extremely grateful for my teacher Mrs. Childs who always listened to my stories and offered me her advice about all of my problems, and Mr. Baker because he inspired me to follow my dreams and pursue writing as a profession. I even had a few of my poems published in the school magazine, he always told me I was a natural storyteller.

My group of friends found a nice cozy spot in the lobby to hang out today. We sat around telling stories and reminiscing about our favorite memories of our time spent here at the school. "Hey Mak, do you remember when you knocked Jake over in the hallway by your locker?" Trinity asks in a chuckle.

"Yes, " I looked up at Jake and find him trying to hold in a laugh. "These boys were staring at me, you all know who it was. Jake said something about one being my boyfriend and it just pissed me off so bad that I pushed him away. I was actually surprised when he toppled over in front of a hallway full of kids."

"Yeah well, I wasn't balanced properly. That was the only reason you were able to push me over in the first place." He explains, talking with his hands moving around.

"Yeah, yeah."

"No seriously, a girl as little as you could never otherwise take a guy like me down like that!" He mumbles out, brows borrowed and voice raised a bit.

"But still Jake, you should admit that it was pretty funny," I say, chuckling.

"Yeah, I know it was funny! At least I am able to laugh at it now!" He nudged me lightly in the side, while he laughed.

"Plus, it was so nice of Jesse to leave me alone after that omg! I knew I needed it too." I squeal, out loud to everyone around me. "Especially since it was that dang phone call that Trinity made me do that started it all..."

"You do know that all of that happened by mistake, right?" She looks my way with sympathy. "I am so sorry, you know that I never intended it to happen like that." She says.

"Well, of course, I was just reminiscing." I let out a small laugh to clarify that I wasn't mad at all. But I knew all too well how our friendship had suffered after that day.

A little while later, we were signing our yearbooks when I noticed they were entering from across the room. Standing up, I waited for Suri to finish teasing Jake because we had already decided to leave the office and headed to Mrs. Childs class to officially say goodbye. As I watch them approach us, I laugh out loud at a joke she just told.

I saw Jake's face, as he came closer. He was furious towards Jesse and glared straight at him. I remembered another event that had happened that day, Jake had left me alone due to the other event. After I left on the bus that day, I recalled did he really leave me alone that day and that fact alone made me wonder what had transpired between them.

"Hey Makena, can you sign my yearbook? He asks holding the book out towards me, he has a nervous look on his face, and stares straight at Jake." I had never seen him like this, usually, he was so cocky and smug always showing off for the ladies who might be watching.

"Um, sure, but please sign mine as well." I follow his lead, taking his book and handing him mine. It was a very tense couple of minutes while we both signed each other's books.

"Will you sign mine too?" Ruben and Curtis simultaneously ask me, while I laugh quietly.

"Sure, but same deal!" I smile quietly as I watch them sign my book, the message I had written was simple and I was already done with all three. They took their books back, gave mine to me, and left. Simple.

"What did he sign, Mak?" Suri inquires as I open my book. Flipping through the pages to find their messages. When I finally found them, I realized that they had all signed the same page, but Jesse's stood out the most.

"He wrote... Dear Makena, I am very sorry for everything I have ever done to you! You are an amazing girl, don't ever change. I truly hope that we see each other again someday. Love forever, Jesse Campbell... Wait, what?" He had placed several hearts around the message, I look up to Jake and drilling my finger into him... "What did you say to him that day near the busses?"

"Oh it wasn't a big deal if you ask me," he confesses in vain as he attempts to shrug it off.

"I'm not buying that! He left me alone after that, so what did you tell him?" I drill into him again, because I wasn't just going to drop it like he seemed to want me to.

"Fine, fine... I told him to leave you alone or I was going to be forced to kill him. I told him I was always watching, and if he ever made a move on you then I would kill him. I told him that I would kill him, I know how to make his death look like an accident. I told him I always had an alibi in you because you would always be willing to take my side should I ever need it, and I dared him not to test me. Okay, is that what you want to hear Makena? That I threatened him to keep him away from you, he was getting way out of hand so someone needed to put him in his place." He sounded so serious, he spoke so sternly that as he told me it... I felt chills run up my arms. No wonder why he left me alone, I was so grateful to Jake for doing what he did.

"Does anyone else think that what he did was a coward's way of apologizing to you?" Suri inquires.

"Yes, but what I'm most curious about is why it contains the phrase 'Love forever' and he put all those hearts!" I reply softly, wanting to get to the bottom of all this. I wanted to know the truth.

"Okay, okay... I've got a confession to make." Jake says all of a sudden, both Suri and I look up at Jake with wide eyes and open mouths. "The day I threatened him he told me he liked you. I warned him to stay away from you -- I told him if he ever tried to mess with you in the future that I would tell everyone how much of a real coward he was!"

"What?"

"I am sorry Makena, I thought I was protecting you by not telling you!" He pleads with me.

Jake, are you serious right now? Suri snaps at him.

"Yes, I am." He says, his head hanging. I never expected to hear something like that. How could he like me? He was rude to me all the time. Nothing made sense to me; I shook my head and walked to my art class. Suddenly I had the perfect thing to talk to Mrs. Childs about.

When I walked into the classroom, I noticed my favorite teacher engaged in a deep discussion with another student. I left the classroom to give them some space. How could Jesse like me? None of what Jake told me made any sense to me. I heard some laughter coming down the hall, and it scared me a bit. The laughter sounded like his... I wanted to get out of there quickly so I ducked into the empty classroom across the hall. It wasn't until I heard his voice that I became more alert... why did I have to leave the safety of my friends?

"I thought you said she went this way?" he sounded so angry. I wondered if he was searching for me.

"She did, Jake said she was on her way to Mrs. Child's room." I heard one of Jesse's friends say, and I watched as they walked up to her door and looked into the room. Obviously, I wasn't there, so he swings back around glancing straight in my direction and I gulp down some air as a smile crept across his face.

He steps up to the doorway of the classroom I was hiding in, the light was off and I didn't know if he could see me or not so I kept as still and silent as I could. Then he turned on the light, I knew I had been caught, yet I made no move to come out of where I was hiding. "Come on Makena, I know you're in here. Come out and talk to me," he demanded with a raised voice.

I breathe out loud but still, I do not move. Then I feel it... a hand wraps itself around my wrist pulling me out from behind the cabinet. I couldn't help but scream...he covered my mouth with his other hand. He stared into my eyes with a smile on his face, I was stunned silent, frozen with fear. "There you are, my Makena. I see you." he smiles.

"Leave me alone, Jesse!" I try to say around his hand.

"What was that?" he asked, keeping his hand across my mouth as he laughed about my predicament. I wanted to hurt him for doing this to me. "I just want to talk to you," he says with a grin. "Can you shake your head if you don't mind?"

I shake my head up and down, I wasn't certain what he wanted to talk to me about, but I knew he wouldn't just let me go without telling me. Therefore, better to get it out of the way... "Well, okay then... I am guessing Jake told you about what was said that day?" he asks, he kept his hand over my mouth forcing me to continue shaking my head in order to respond.

I shake my head up and down, and I feel a tear well up in my eye.

"Okay, good. Would you scream if I let go of your mouth?" he asks. I nod my head and tell him no.

He removes the hand from my mouth and I narrow my eyes at him. "What do you want from me, Jesse?" I snap out.

"I just want to talk, now that you know the truth about me," he says, smiling at me. It was clear he wanted to do more, but he knew he wouldn't be getting anything from me. "I know that it probably shocks you, I was shocked when I realized what was really going on when you made that call that day."

"Jesse, let's move on... tomorrow is graduation. We will be getting ready to go to college, so let's just let it all go now." I begged him, I could see the anger flash in his eyes... knew that was not what he wanted to do.

"Jesse... stop right now!" Jake's deep voice rang out through the doorway and I glanced in his direction. Looking back into Jesse's eyes with a thankful smile, I found they were such a dark brown shade that they scared me.

"You told me I could talk to her, tell her my side of the story!" Jesse growls at Jake.

"Yeah... but look at her, she looks terrified, so I think you are done. Oh, come on, do not make me tell the school about what you are because I will tell them. Step away from her!" he demands again. Suri reaches around them and pulls my hand pulling me away from him and drags me back across the hall, straight on into Mrs. Child's class so I can tell my favorite teacher about everything that has happened.