Educated Hearts
Chapter
Three
(Two days later.)
Jason saw her standing in the doorway of the room for Psychology 101, checking
the number on the door to make sure she was in the right place. He was surprised
at yet another happy coincidence that had drawn them to the same place this
week. She walked in confidently but blissfully unaware that Jason was sitting in
the back row of the large classroom. Mimi took a seat somewhere in the middle,
unknowingly giving Jason the perfect view of the back of her head.
Mimi brushed a hand through her honey colored hair, and Jason admired the way it
gently brushed against her nearly bare shoulders. The weather outside was still
warm, so Mimi was wearing a blue sundress with spaghetti straps today. He tried
to turn his eyes away from her, but like a moth to a flame he was somehow drawn
to her. The gentle curve of her neck and her shoulders. And, the way she would
absent-mindedly tuck her hair behind her ears as she bent her head down to read
her book kept a slight smile plastered on his face that would stay there for the
entire class.
He couldn't quite put his finger on what it was, but there was definitely
something about that girl. Something that he should have noticed a long time
ago. Maybe it had always been there, and maybe part of him had seen it before,
but he was too oblivious to actually recognize it.
Jason had learned a lot this summer. Part of what he learned was exactly how
much time he wasted on girls like Jan Spears. Girls who had very little to offer
the world aside from a pretty face and a great body.
He had also spent the entire summer with Chloe's words at the Last Blast echoing
in his head. And, his older brother had assured him that Chloe was correct.
Immature high school antics just weren't going to cut it in the real world.
Being handsome, popular and athletic could only get you so far in life, and he
had slowly but surely come to realize that for himself.
Three months on the road had done him good. He had seen parts of the country
that he would have never visited before and had seen life from every
perspective. And, now he was back home in Salem and ready to change his life.
Sure, there were other Salem High alumni attending Salem University, but for
some reason the only one that Jason wanted to hang out with was Mimi Lockhart.
He didn't know why, but her opinion of him seemed to matter in a way that the
opinions of others didn't. He knew that Mimi had changed her ways once, going
from being Jan's lackey to being friends with her worst enemy, Chloe Lane. And
that one simple fact about her most definitely intrigued him.
If she could change, then why couldn't he? Of course, so far, Mimi wasn't buying
any of it, he could tell. And, could he blame her? Absolutely not. He had always
been a game-player, a first class jerk, and Mimi certainly had no reason to
trust anything that came out of his mouth. But, he hoped to make that all change
with time.
The professor stood behind the podium and tried to gain the class' attention as
she was ready to begin the class. Jason pushed his deep thoughts away, but as
much as he tried, he couldn't take his eyes off her. It was going to be a long
semester if he had to stare at her beautiful neck throughout this entire class.
He had sworn to himself that he would improve his grades now that his parents
had to pay for him to be here, but he wasn't sure how he could concentrate with
her just a few rows away.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(End of Class)
"I am really looking forward to a very productive year. I think you'll all
learn a lot, and most of all, I hope we have a lot of fun." Professor Walsh
gazed at the clock on the wall and then turned back to the class. "And with
that, you are dismissed. I'll see you all next time."
His classmates began to stand and filter out of the room. Jason stood from his
chair and watched as Mimi shoved her books into the bag on her shoulder. She
started to move out of the aisle and Jason shouted loudly to get her to stop.
"LOCKHART!"
Mimi's entire body tensed up at the sound of his voice. *It can't be.* She
thought. *It's just not possible.* She turned slowly to look behind her, and
sure enough it was possible. There he was, smiling that irresistible grin just a
few rows behind her. Mimi rolled her eyes in frustration and moved out in to the
aisle as Jason ran down the aisle to meet her.
"Mimi, look at us, both here in the same psych class. It's like fate, or
serendipity."
"You know, neither of those words are springing to my mind right now. I'm
thinking more like... 'restraining order.'"
Jason laughed at her and slung his arm over her shoulder, walking her the rest
of the way down the aisle. Mimi's brain told her to shy away from his touch, but
she didn't do it. She felt comfortable walking out into the hallway with him,
his strong, firm arm wrapped around her, pulling her closer to him than she was
used to.
When the reached the hallway, he let go of her, but something inside her
screamed out for him not to. She tried to shake that feeling away by looking at
him curiously. "So, why are you in this class?"
"I'm not stalking you, if that's what you think. Don't get full of yourself
or anything."
"Don't worry I won't."
Jason nodded and continued. "I'm here because my counselor recommended that
I take a psych class. She said it would be good for me."
Mimi raised one eyebrow doubtfully. "Are you sure she didn't say you need
to see a psychiatrist? There is a difference."
"Yes, I'm sure. But, I appreciate your vote of confidence."
"You're welcome. Anytime."
Jason smirked and motioned towards the door outside. "It's a beautiful day
out."
Mimi looked at him in confusion, his usual smoothness at changing subjects was
strangely absent today. "Terrible segueway, Jason. But, yes, it is a
beautiful day out."
"Well, I was thinking... that if you have time before your next class... We
could... Have lunch. Outside."
"Sure... I've got about an hour and a half."
Jason looked surprised and Mimi laughed softly, replying to his expression
before he could speak. "Don't look so surprised, Jase. We all have to eat
sometimes, and I guess I might as well do it with you."
Jason nodded and motioned for her to step outside. "Okay then, ladies
first..."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
They sat together on a bench under the shade of one of the many large trees
spread over the campus. Mimi had pretty much finished her sandwich when she
decided to dig for more information on his summer travels. Something she had
been curious about since he had mentioned it that day in the bookstore.
"So... Where exactly did you and Josh go on your Kerouac-inspired
adventure?" She said it out loud, and then silently wondered if Jason would
even know who Jack Kerouac was.
"Ahhh, yes, Kerouac. 'On the Road.' Great book."
She nearly dropped the cup in her hand out of pure shock. "You read?"
Jason grinned at her, obviously amused that she had doubted his intelligence.
"Yes, Mimi, I can read... Ever since kindergarten as a matter of fact. But,
back then it was only small words, like 'cat'."
"Ha ha. Very funny. Now, back to the subject at hand..."
"Okay. Yes, I've read Kerouac. It was a gift from Josh. And in response to
your first question, we went everywhere that we possibly could in three months.
Drove through the west, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, up the coast of California,
went through Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Montana and so on. Here, there and
everywhere. You can cover a lot of ground when you have all summer."
Mimi nodded, she was somewhat impressed, and somewhat jealous too.
"Interesting. So, what did you do in all those wonderful and exciting
places? Ride all of the great roller coasters of the United States? Cruise for
chicks on Venice Beach? Visit the World's Largest Thermometer? Lapdances in
Vegas?"
Jason shook his head, his grin wiped clean, his expression turned serious.
"Nope. We did volunteer work."
Mimi put her drink down on the bench and rolled her eyes. "Okay, now I
*know* you're lying to me."
"I'm not lying, Meems."
"Jason Masters... The day that you do volunteer work... voluntarily...
That's the day I join a convent."
Jason grinned slyly. Today was a day for him to be seriously underestimated.
"Well, put on your wimple, Sister Miriam, you're about to take a vow of
celibacy."
Mimi's jaw was dropped in amazement, and Jason reached forward with his index
finger to push her chin up, closing her mouth. "Jason... You have to be
kidding me."
"I'm not. I swear on my life. We spent a couple of days in each town,
helped out where we were needed. Senior citizens centers, hospitals, homeless
shelters, orphanages, AIDS hospices, and so on and so on."
"Okaaaaaay... Well, I know for sure that this couldn't possibly have been
your idea."
Jason nodded in agreement. "Oh God no... It was totally Josh's thing. He
wanted to show me a side of life that I had never cared to experience before. I
mean, I wanted to do all that stuff you mentioned: lapdances, roller coasters,
cruising for chicks... Well, all of that except the world's largest
thermometer."
Mimi still wore an expression of disbelief. "But, you went anyway?"
"Yes, I went. If you don't believe me, we can go call Josh in Florida right
now. I'm sure you'd believe his word over mine."
"Yes, yes, I would believe him more than I believe you. I just... That's
not like you at all Jason."
Jason smiled sincerely at her. "I know. But, it was... and I hate to sound
cliched, but, it was the most rewarding experience of my life. I'll have to show
you the pictures some time."
Mimi sat back against the bench with a sigh. She just didn't know what to
believe. Could he really have changed that much in just a few months? No, it
just couldn't be possible.
She wasn't saying anything so Jason continued. "I have to say, I thought I
would hate it, and I really really did hate it at first. But, when you see the
kind of suffering that other people are going through... It really makes you
appreciate your life. My whole perspective on life changed."
Mimi frowned slightly, unsure of what to say. She wanted to believe he had
changed, she wanted to see the best in all people, but this was Jason after all.
"But, Jase... You could have changed a long time ago, but you never did.
What makes it any different this time?"
"That stupid trick that Cynthia and I tried to pull at the Last Blast. I
mean, I am really thankful now that you stopped us. Chloe was absolutely right
in saying what she did, you were all right. And, you know my brother. He's
always been the smart one, the mature one, the responsible one. And, he wanted
to prove to me that the whole world didn't revolve around me and my petty little
problems."
Mimi sighed softly and bit her lower lip. She laid her hand on top of his and
nodded. "I so want to believe you, I really do... But..."
Jason nodded and interrupted her. "You don't. I know. I can tell. And, I
know why. I haven't exactly been the most trustworthy and honest person in the
past. You probably think I'm just playing a game with you."
"Aren't you? Is that what this is? Are you pretending that you've changed?
I don't know, I can't figure you out..."
"This isn't a game, Mimi. I have changed. And, I want more than anything
for us to be friends."
Mimi looked into his eyes, noticing how sincere he looked, almost vulnerable as
he asked for her friendship. But, still, she was reluctant to fully trust him,
hoping to save herself the pain that was inevitable when you believed in someone
who was notoriously untrustworthy.
"Why me? Why, all of a sudden, are you just dying to be friends with me?
You always have an ulterior motive..."
"Not this time, Mimi. There are no other motives here. I've treated you and
so many other people badly in the past. And, I'm sorry for that. I guess... I
want to make it up to you."
Mimi nodded slightly, her eyes narrowing as she listened to him. "Plus, you
want to make yourself feel better because of the way you used to act.
Right?"
Jason sighed and shook his head. "I'll be honest with you, maybe that *is*
part of it. But, I don't have any friends here either, Mimi. I never really had
any true friends to begin with, and that's all my own fault. The few people that
ever possessed the capacity to care about me I turned away. And, that includes
you, Shawn, Phillip, Belle... friends I have known since kindergarten. I want a
second chance to have the kind of friendships I gave up because I was a selfish,
immature jerk for my entire high school career."
"Again, I ask... Why me? Why not someone else?"
Mimi's hand was still resting on top of his, so he took her hand in his,
entwining their fingers together. "Because I think you understand what I'm
going through. That I'm just a work in progress, a little rough around the
edges, but trying to change. You did it yourself, Mimi. Look at you and Chloe.
After all the things you did to her, she accepted you as a friend. Because you
changed... And, I can too."
Mimi sighed and looked away from him. He was being sweet, sincere and for the
first time in his life, completely honest. At least she thought he was. Never
had she noticed that glow in his eyes, and never had she heard him open himself
up like this before. She really did want to believe him, but she knew she would
have to be cautious and careful. Trust wasn't just something you gave to someone
foolishly, it had to be earned.
She turned back to him and gave him a lopsided grin. "Well, you're not
calling Chloe, 'Ghoul Girl' or 'Vampira' anymore. So, that's a good sign."
Jason suddenly seemed to realize that without meaning to do it, he had poured
his heart out to Mimi Lockhart underneath the clear blue sky on a September
afternoon. And strangely enough, it felt pretty good.
"Like I told you the other day... I'm a kinder, gentler version of
myself."
"But, you're still kind of a pain in the ass... You're just less
mean."
Jason laughed softly and nodded. "I know, but that's just my nature to be a
pain. I wouldn't be me if I wasn't a little bit of an annoyance."
Mimi grinned knowingly. "Yeah, same here. At least that's what people are
always telling me. If I wasn't annoying, then I wouldn't be me."
Jason didn't know what else he could say to convince her of what he knew was the
truth. But, the important part was that she seemed intrigued by the changes he
had experienced. He knew that it would be difficult to earn her trust, but for
reasons he could not explain, he yearned for it.
He smiled at her and nodded in agreement. But, he didn't want to dwell on the
same subject for too long, knowing that the more he tried to get his point
across, the less she would trust that his sincerity.
"So... How's your roommate situation?"
"Oh, Rory? She's really cool... Thank God. She's really funny, and we seem
to have a lot in common. What about your roomie? What's his name? Nick?"
"Yeah, Nick... He's... okay. A bit... Well, I don't want to say weird. He's
just kind of artistic and sensitive."
Mimi chuckled softly and rolled her eyes. "And to you, that is weird. I
think he's pretty cute actually. And besides, chicks dig a guy who's sensitive
and artistic."
Jason nodded thoughtfully and snapped his fingers. "Aha! So, that's my
problem. Note to self: Be sensitive and smell like paint."
Mimi laughed loudly and shook her head. "Yup, you're definitely still a
pain."
She pulled her backpack up off the ground and stood from the bench. Jason stood
immediately and looked at her with surprise. "Leaving already?"
"Uh-huh... I've got a class to get to, remember? And, I have a tendency to
get lost, so I want to make sure I get there on time."
Jason crossed his arms over his chest and nodded. He looked at her awkwardly and
offered his help. "Did you... Maybe... I could walk you there? Help you
find it?"
Mimi smiled in appreciation but shook her head. "No, that's okay. Thanks
for the offer though."
"You're welcome... Listen, Mimi... I'm really glad we had this talk."
"Me too, Jason. I guess I'll see you later then."
There was a pause, a moment between them and Jason smiled at her. Mimi felt her
knees go weak. *Oh, sure. We can be friends. Just never smile at me like that
again.* She thought to herself.
He almost looked like he wanted to hug her, but he restrained himself from doing
so. Instead, he gently rubbed her bare arm with his fingers and winked at her.
"Okay, Lockhart... I'll see you around."
Mimi smiled back and nodded, suddenly feeling the need to be as far away from
him as possible. She turned and started rapidly walking to the building in the
distance. The last thing she needed was to be attracted to Jason, and yet she
couldn't seem to help the way she was feeling. Sure, she could ignore the
physical attraction as she had done it already throughout high school. But, when
he spoke to her sweetly and honestly as he had done today, she couldn't push
away the thought that she might be drawn to him for more than physical reasons.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I hope I'm writing Jason okay, with the right amount of sweetness and sarcasm. I
just don't know. It makes me nervous.
The name of their Psych professor is a little homage to Buffy. But, I swear that
Mason's professor won't turn about to be an evil scientist working for a covert
branch of the government who creates her own personal demon/robot/human hybrid
Frankenstein. Yeah, definitely not going to happen in this story.
I've always wanted to use the word 'wimple' in a story, and now I have. Truly
satisfying. (Or as my friend calls it, a 'nun-hat'.)