Page 22 of Playing with Fire

His smirk widens as he says that I repeat myself too often. "I'm starting to think you want to."

His joke hit me nerves. I would never in a million years.

"Ew. No way would I agree with it even if you stood alone at the end of the world. I'd rather kill you at that point." I roll my eyes.

He pulls his annoying smirk before he adjusts his hat to center the brim at the back of his head.

Without thinking I grabbed his hat from his head and struck him with it again today for the third time. Dealing with this person at work is utterly unbelievable to me.

CHAPTER SEVEN

This week has been stressful. I've been running laps to finish the yearbook and prepare it for printing. Despite the busy schedule I have been finding time to complete my projects and final assignments. Sifting through my camera roll to find pictures for my collage required several hours of searching.

I finished my art project on Tuesday but still need to find a final photo to print. I needed to fill a blank space that appeared at the very edge.

I inquired Mrs. Greene about what should go in the blank space and received a disconcerting answer.

"Well, it's a board about your life. You included your family and friends on this board but you forgot to mention someone who should be there. she hints, smirking. I spent a moment thinking but quickly started asking her questions.

"Do I have to?"

He becomes a regular part of your daily routine whether you agree with it. she shrugs, her positive tone persuading me.

I decided to look for a picture because I was exhausted from working on this project. While searching for photos I overlooked some embarrassing ones until I spotted an image, I captured earlier during the school year.

It had to be a school camera because of the exceptional quality of the image.

The picture's dark background made me believe I was looking at Jaxon carrying his helmet after a game in Friday Night Lights.

The drizzle left his jersey muddy, and his hair soaked which caused his eyeblack to smear down his face as he walked off the field. When I examined the photo for a moment, I found it to be a very good representation of him.

I promise I will spend too much time helping this child. I succeeded in capturing a flattering photo of him.

I transferred the picture to a document before printing it. After I placed the glue on the poster's edge, I backed up several steps to view the completed project. The poster appeared perfect from a distance, and you couldn't tell it was him unless you saw the number on his jersey.

That's all I could say about Tuesday.

Wednesday proved uneventful because I had no tasks to complete.

I tried to ask Jaxon to begin the poster, but he was unavailable because the first Savannah League Game approached. We only need two hours to finish this, but we haven't managed to find that time yet.

The clock keeps moving forward as Thursday afternoon progresses.

Remember to cheer on your fellow Trojans this coming weekend when they play at 2 pm! First game this Saturday!" The speaker delivered his announcement as the final bell sounded.

I navigated through a crowd of students to reach my locker so I could remove unwanted items. I emptied my bag and realized I needed to have a conversation with him. I needed help because completing this task alone was impossible for me.

As I walked outside, I made my way toward the field where practice was beginning. After saying hello to everyone during my walk I located Jaxon sitting by the bench. "Jaxon!" As I approached him, I sang out his name.

Jaxon stopped tying his laces to look up before frowning. I'm not excited to see you either. I respond with a comment based on his facial expression.

"What do you want?" He questions me with obvious irritation because he already dislikes my presence.

I disregard his behavior as I say "Well, it's Thursday. I want this poster done."

He stands up and grabs his helmet. He teases me by saying "I'm your favorite hangout buddy apparently." while he tousles my hair.

"No." I whack his hand away. "I want a good grade. You happen to be an obstacle." I point at him. "Yeah, right." he rolls his eyes.

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