dedicated to AdriLion for being such an amazing supporter of ATW. i always look forward to hearing what she has to say about the new chapter <3 i've been writing in a google doc lately. it helps with editing and keeps all my works organized and together (: microsoft doesn't do it for my school - we're google drived, bro. Ignore weird mistakes and typos, enjoy!

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Chapter Seven: A Thousand Missing Items

JESSICA

Reece Bremer was an enigma of his own.

He's certainly left his mark in this school, and I don’t think it’s the best one. The rumours floating around the school hallways, the whispered lies and nasty remarks, they were nothing new. Students handle Reece’s presence in different ways.

A lot of people have this sense of fear and anxiety when Reece is in the same room as them. It's like they see him around the corner and avoidance of eye contact begins. It's clear to see when friends shoot each other looks as he passes. This is pretty understandable. Being around Reece these last couple of days has definitely showed that he isn’t the brightest crayon in the crayon box. If black represented cold, intimidating, and permanently scowling, then I think that it’s quite obvious on which represents him best.

Then there’s those who have actual deep hatred and disgust pumping through their blood. Plenty of jocks have been badmouthing Reece since his return from suspension – especially when they’ve had a little run in with him. A simple glare or scowl from Reece irks them beyond belief.

I've had enough discreet eyerolls to their actions.  It’s in Reece’s nature to always have a cold exterior. A simple curt nod or even a dismissive glance away satisfies Reece’s contemptment of not having anyone in his way.

More people should be a part of the one's who don't care about him. You stay out of his way, and you won’t get on his bad side. Simple, right? Those are the people I respect. Because, for some strange reason, Reece likes to be alone. He wants to be left the way he is and that’s being limited on those who interact with him. Which, quite frankly, is only Kyle.

And me.

And Charlotte, of course. But that’s more my doing than hers.

If anything, Charlotte was absolutely horrified when she learned that I took it upon myself to walk up to Reece and speak a word to him – let alone multiple conversations. Breathing the same air as him for as long as I did was mind-blowing to her. I don’t know the exact reason as to why I did what I did. There was something about Reece that gave me the guts to talk to the most bitter person I’ve ever had the honor of meeting. Alluring, I guess.

My sudden fascination isn’t based on Reece’s good looks. I’m not those girls who giggle and fawn over his appearance when you catch sight of his dangerous persona and rugged looks. I’m not on a hunt for a bad boy to fix so I could get my heartbroken when I fall for him. 

The curious cat in me was sparked by the way Reece stood out from the crowd, and my curiosity just might as well be my undoing.

I like to think I’ve learned a lot about Reece since I’ve accompanied myself with him, but then he goes and throws me off guard by catching things nobody has been ever been able to see before. And that’s what scares me the most.

“He’s so weird. Do you think he’s bipolar?” Charlotte muttered. She lay flat on her stomach, staring down at her intertwined hands. After my little incident with Reece in the alley, I all but sprinted to Charlotte’s. Reece’s observations aren't just making me worry, he’s making Charlotte nervous as well. The two of us currently sat on top of Charlotte’s fuzzy white bed, and I had just finished telling her about what happened just not thirty minutes ago. 

I blinked. “What?” I said incredulously.

“Think about it,” she urged, “One minute he’s hating the fact that we’re around him, and the next minute he looks like he wants to take your right then and there.”

My mouth dropped. “He does not!” I shrieked, my pitch rising up a couple of octaves.

“Oh, he does.” The dead set tone had me appalled.

“Charlotte, that has nothing to do with what we’re talking about,” I groaned with a bright blush, slapping her with a pillow before hugging it to my chest and burying my face in its softness. Reece doesn’t sleep around, but he was in a long term relationship. Imagining us as a couple is ridiculous, for reasons more than just our total opposite personalities. 

Charlotte stared at my flatly. “You can't honestly tell me you don't think he's hot," she said. 

I placed my chin on top of the pillow and threw her a half-hearted glare. “Reece being attractive is not what I came here to talk to you about,” I replied.

She grinned triumphantly. “Ah, but you didn’t deny it."

I threw my hands up in exaggeration. This is not the conversation I had in mind. “Why does it matter if I think Reece is hot or not?”

“Because . . .” Charlotte sighed suddenly, slumping down and looking at me with a soft expression.

“Because?” 

She twiddled her fingers together. “Because if Reece likes you, and you like him . . . Then, maybe –”

Oh, of course. I sighed softly and looked away, cutting her off with a sober, “Char, don’t."

Her face fell, but she nodded understandingly. 

“Don't put false hopes in my head like that. You know how I feel about those kinds of things," I continued, falling flat on my back. I stared up at her ceiling and shut my eyes.  

“I know," she said gently. I felt her crawl against the bed until she lay next to me. "Look, I know it sounds like a long shot. He's Reece for God's sakes. But I was just thinking, with all this time you're spending with him, that it could be good for you if you two were to get together."

I turned my head to offer her a small smile. “I appreciate you trying to hook me up with someone, but I don't need a boyfriend. Especially not after I got burned."

The last time I opened myself up to a guy, I ended up with a knife in my back. Letting a guy discover more what meets the eye will only lead to crazy outcomes I'm not wllling to exerience again. Opening up to someone like that is the most difficult task for me. Especially since there is more than the "sunshine" persona Reece and practically everyone else labels me with. 

Charlotte pouted. “I just hate seeing you close yourself off and putting up this front. You  do realize that radiating fake happiness isn't going to stop people from wanting to get to know you? Reece included."

My shoulders sagged at her words. It was true that everyone saw me as the girl who never frowns. There’s always a giant smile gracing my face when I go to school. Sometimes, the perky attitude everyone sees is genuine. But then I leave the school premises, and that girl disappears within the dark alleys of New York, only to come back when it’s time to face a number of people who, in just a few months time, will just be high school peers. Why should I show people the real girl when I will never see them again?

Charlotte’s the only who knows my secret, and she never batted an eyelash when she knew. The way she treats me is the way I’m afraid people won’t if they were to find out. My gratitude reached so far out into the atmosphere that she doesn’t know how much her friendship meant to me. 

"Okay," she began, sounding more optimistic as she sat up. I watched her with a smile as she turned to me with glittering eyes. "So, maybe you're not cool about any relationships right now, but what about friends?" 

I snorted a laugh. “If you're talking about befriending Reece, I don't think he accepts people so openly," I said, slightly amused as I thought of his irritation towards me. I wasn't swayed by it. “If anything, I’m a rash he can’t get rid of."

“He’s getting used to it,” Charlotte dismissed with a wave of her hand.

"The question is why. I'm surprised he's still hanging around us." Knowing Reece as much as I do, I expected Reece to turn a cold shoulder.

Charlotte hummed in deep thought, a lock of her brown hair playing between her fingers as she contemplated a reasonable explanation. Then her face lit up brightly, the imaginary lightbulb over her head coming to life and shining light on the situation. I sat up and leaned closer in anticipation.

Unfortunately, my hopes were too high.

“Maybe he likes you!”

A deep sigh slipped through my lips, and I fell back into my original position. “I thought we were passed this.” My tone was flat and unamused.

“It’s possible.” She pouted, causing me to roll my eyes.

“Even if he did – which he doesn’t," I added sharply upon seeing her expression, “I wouldn’t do anything about it.”

Her expression mirrored one of horrification. “Why not?” she shrieked hysterically. My response lacked any adamant edge to it. The answer remained wired into my brain for so long that if anyone said otherwise, I would've disregarded it without any hesitation, as if autopilot took over my body and steered it to the answer I’ve been using for years. I don’t know how many times I have to say it until Charlotte gets the message.

I sighed lightly and hauled myself silently onto my feet, taking the short distance across the room towards my backpack.

“Jess, don’t get it out,” Charlotte whined in a quiet murmur.

“I’ve told you a million times, Char. Might as well get a picture representation to go along with the explanation.”

I stopped midzip as Charlotte spoke with hope and conviction, “It could be different this time." Halting, my hand fell limp on my lap as I waited to see where she was going with this. Charlotte took my silence as a sign to continue. “You’ve heard what they say about Reece. He’s rude and cold and scary. He doesn’t give anyone the time of day, but he did with you. Okay, so maybe he’s an ass most of the time, but that’s how he is. He’s kept you around this long and actually looked like he cared for someone.”

Still not turning to look at her, I said, “I’ve known him for five days.”

“But he’s still shown more concern for you than anyone has ever seen. What about what happened with Rory?"

My eyes fluttered shut. Memories of that night flooded my mind. Walking briskly through the night on my way to Reece’s apartment did nothing on easing my worries of something coming out to get me. I was so high strung with the eerie feeling that someone was watching me, or that something was going to go bad as I hurried through the dark streets near my part of town.

I knew I should have gone with Charlotte or at least stayed with her after school ended and just wound up staying the night. But I had to return back to make sure everything was still running smoothly. I've always felt bed leaving Syvlia alone with the kids.

That night, the symptoms of a panic attack soon caught up with me. The rapid breathing, the unnaturally fast pace of my heart thudding in my ears, and the black spots dancing across my vision. I nearly fainted when a shadow shot across my peripheral and, a second later, I was being pulled into a dark alley.

Fear and adrenaline pumped through my veins. I always had the feeling I was being watched, and that was all thanks to Rory. The tormenting has been going on for such a long period of time that any hope of getting rescued from his brutal nature was nonexistent each time I’m in his presence. Once I catch sight of his face, I knew I was a goner. That I’d end up at home with the girls crowding around me with ice packs and bandages, worried expressions ever so evident. The number of times I’ve been harmed by Rory has been increasing and becoming more frequent, that all I do upon awakening is give them a grateful smile instead of promising no repeats. Because it will. They know that, and I know that.

So when Reece showed up at the scene that night, he was the perfect picture of an avenging angel. Literally. He was like my knight and shining armor, except he had the fury of the most ferocious dragon out there. Maybe even more. Not to mention he’s not madly in love with me and would do anything to save my life. Coming to my rescue and sending his fists flying straight into Rory’s face while screaming phrases that would forever ruin a child’s innocent ears was touching. Granted, I was more terrified of him than I’ve ever been of Rory, seeing as Reece looked just about ready to snap his neck in two like he was a simple wooden pencil. But it was the motives of his actions that had me seeing him in a new light.

Anyone within a mile radius could have felt the anger rolling off him. It was the harm that came to me that set him off, and I’ve never seen him so pissed off in the times that I’ve stood off to the side and seen him fight and scream in peoples’ faces.

Maybe Reece does care for me, but his protecting me only makes me feel more reluclant to be with him. Having to always save your girlfriend from danger shouldn’t be in a normal relationship.

“He doesn't need to be dragged into my problems, Charlotte,” I whispered, leaning back in my heels and taking my backpack in my hands, noting that it was already open. “His taking care of me will only make me feel like a charity case," I continued as I mindlessly shuffled through my bag for the item in mind. 

“You're not a charity case."

“But that doesn't mean I don't feel like one,” I sighed, feeling exasperated, whipping around to look at her. Her perfectly plucked eyebrows dipped down in a furrow as she frowned deeply at me. The warm brown color of her eyes darkened slightly and turned glassy with emotion. She hated when I said these things. 

Looking away, I dug around my backpack in search of the familiar item I’ve had since I was young. After moments of digging and still coming out empty handed, my head went into overdrive. I pulled out all my books and binders and carelessly tossed them aside as I frantically looked again.

Where was it? I knew I put it inside my backpack before I left for school because one of the kids was searching through it again.

"Oh, no,” I whispered to myself, pressing the palms of my hands into my eyes. It wasn't in there. It was gone. 

“Are you okay?" Charlotte slid off the bed and came to crouch next to me. She surveyed the clutter of items on the floor before asking, "What happened?"

"I can't find it!" I exclaimed, throwing my backback down. In a moment of desperation, I began to flip through my binders and notebooks. There was no doubt in my mind that I had put it in my backpack. Who would have taken it? Did I leave it in school? I shook my head and buried my head on my arms as my breathing increased. "It's not there," I whispered shakily. 

Charlotte touched my arms gently. “Hey, calm down, okay? I’ll call Sylvia, maybe it’s there.” 

It won’t be there. It’s not there. I know it isn’t.

My thoughts were all over the place as I tried to think back. I could've sworn seeing it as I packed up during the end of photography. It's my last class, so where else could it have gone. Then I released a hopeless groan as I remembered that my backpack was left open. It probably fell out and I didn't even notice. It could be anywhere by now. 

The portfolio of the most sentimental pictures of my life was gone. Missing.

I gasped as I remembered one last important detail. One important, and very observant, Reece Bremer.

Oh, God. Reece. 

A sickening feeling filled my stomach, and I clutched my my legs to my chest as I focused on my breathing. There was a possiblity that he may have foudn it. And If Reece's paying close attention allowed him to figure out I’m putting up an act in school, I may have just pushed him a step closer to finding out the real me.

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**chapter revised as of april 10, 2015

gosh, writing through jessica's pov was so hard. i've been writing through reece's since the beginning, which is why it's hard to write how she thinks. hopefully it was okay. most of this story will be out of reece's though. anyways, the missing item she's freaking out about is the portfolio she dropped... and reece has it... so we'll see how that plays out, lol. we're closer to finding out jessica's secret and you'll see what those photos are in the next chapter.

i was thinking of all the chapters ahead and felt like whipping out a chapter for those who gave this a chance as well (: i've also started a new story called "Let's Play Cupid" because i wanted to try my hand at short stories and this one is just a cute, refreshing one that i plan to write along side. click the external link at the side and tell me what you think <3 alright. tired. school. ew. vote. comment. love you. byee

-jesse xx