bte9

Chapter 9
JC's eyes drifted shut as the words Kristin was saying went in one ear and out the other. Surprisingly, JC found that the sound of his own voice caused him to want to sleep. Or maybe it had been the traumatic experiences in the last few days that made him so exhausted. Kristin looked at JC, anger surging through her seeing he had closed her eyes again. Kristin hit her arm, causing JC to jump. "Wake up," she said firmly.

JC sighed hardly able to keep her eyes open. "Come on, Kristin, it's almost 3:00 in the morning. Can't I just go to sleep?"

"No! JC don't you understand the importance of this test?"

"Yes I understand the importance of the test. You've told me a million times. We've been studying non-stop for 8 hours. I need sleep."

Kristin looked into her tired eyes. She'd become quite accustom to that look these past few months. JC needed sleep, but she couldn't risk it. "One more hour JC. If you give me one good hour, then I'll let you go to bed, deal?"

JC looked at Kristin, deeply confused by what he'd heard her say. "Did you just say you'd give me one good hour in bed?"

JC watched his mouth drop in shock. "You're sick JC, you know that?" "What did you really say?"

"Just go to bed. You got what you wanted."

JC watched his eyes lower down to the book as Kristin let out a sigh. "Kristin?" he said softly.

"What?" she snapped.

A feeling of anger rushed through JC. "Nothing," he said coldly. He began to get up when he felt his hand touch hers.

"JC wait. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped at you. What were you going to say?"

"Nothing."

"Come on, JC, I said I was sorry."

JC let out a small sigh and sat back down next to Kristin on his couch. "I was just going to ask if you had a boyfriend. You haven't mentioned him if you do."

"I don't have time for a boyfriend," she said raking JC's hand through his hair. "especially not now that I have to look for a job."

"There you go again. I'm not putting up with your crap anymore." Kristin lowered her eyes, not used to hearing her own voice yell at her.

"I'm sorry," she said softly.

"I'm telling you Kristin. No more of this JC bashing. I have been bending over backwards for you and all I get is insults from you. I'm sick of it."

"I know, I'm sorry," she repeated, looking back up at JC. "What about you? I assume you aren't seeing anyone."

Kristin's eyes hardened. "Why would you assume that?" JC asked angrily.

"Because your mom never asked what happened to your last girlfriend."

"Oh. Well you're right. I'm not seeing anyone at the moment." JC cleared his throat.

Kristin slightly smiled seeing how nervous he was getting when he had to answer his own question. "Why not? Libby really seems to like you," Kristin said half resentfully.

"Yeah, I guess. I guess I don't really see Libby and I together. Maybe I'm just looking for Miss Right." Without meaning to, JC found himself staring his eyes finding Kristin behind them.

JC's intense stare scared Kristin thoroughly, but found it very hard to look away. "We...uh...should go to bed." JC lowered Kristin's eyes. "Yeah, sleep is good.

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The next morning, JC work up to the sound of his alarm clock. He reached over to turn if off but found something was weighing him down. Kristin lay next to him on her chest, making it hard for JC to move. JC watch his sleeping body and then nudged her softly. She stirred slightly, JC's eyes fluttering open. "What time is it?"

"Time for me to take your test."

"Okay," she said tiredly. JC watched her close her eyes once more and then she sat up. She looked around at their surroundings. "Did we fall asleep in the same bed?" she asked the sleep not completely gone from her body.

"I guess so. I don't even remember going to bed."

"Neither do I," she said trying to remember. "Oh well, it doesn't matter. Let's get you dressed."

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Kristin paced back and forth in front of her classroom waiting for JC to finish her test. She began chewing on JC's nails, a habit she had tried so hard to get rid of but when she got nervous there was no stopping it. Looking at JC's watch for the hundredth time, her back to the door, a sigh escaped JC's lips. "What is taking so long? God, he's going to fail."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," she heard her voice come from behind her. Kristin spun around to find JC standing there an unreadable look on her face.

"How'd you do?" Kristin asked over eagerly.

"Not good," JC said trying to hold back Kristin's smile. "I did great." JC smiled widely as he saw his face look over the graded test in shock.

"You got an A?!" she said stunned.

"Not just any A. An 96% A."

"My God, JC, thank you so much." Kristin wrapped JC's arms around her waist, pulling her close to him. Kristin began to pull away slowly, looking into her eyes. Instinctively, Kristin's lips moved in closer, slowly beginning to close the gap between them. JC could feel Kristin's warm breath on his lips as they hovered over them momentarily. Anxiously awaiting the touch of Kristin's lips against his, he closed her eyes.

Kristin pulled away, letting go of her grasp on him, backing away slowly. She cleared her throat,, trying to fill the awkward silence. "Um, thanks again, JC."

"Kristin...?"

"How'd you do so well on the test? There's no way cramming got you an A," she changed the subject quickly.

"Kristin...what just happened here?" "I don't want to talk about it, JC. I don't know why, I just did. Can we please change the subject?" JC lowered Kristin's head nodding slowly. "Come on, let's go home now." ************************************************************************

In JC's car, the soft hum of the car was all the sound that could be heard. The silence was driving JC crazy, but the only thing he could think of talking about was their almost kiss, that he wished desperately would have happened.

"You never answered my question," Kristin said the silence finally getting to her as well.

JC sighed, "Which question was that?" "How did you pass that test? I don't care how much we studied, cramming wouldn't have gotten anyone an 96% in that class."

"Oh, yeah, well, I kinda forgot to mention, I kinda took the class a few years ago."

"YOU?! You took Woman's Studies?"

"I took it because I thought it'd be a good way to find a date. Of course it didn't work because they all knew that's why I took it."

"Of course that would be the reason you took Women's Studies." Kristin said rolling JC's eyes.

JC sighed, her hatred for him was endless it seemed. He couldn't understand what he ever did to deserve such hatred. He'd come to a decision. It was time to figure out how to switch back. He needed her out of his life for good.

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