Procrastinating

Jenny rushed into the bathroom and closed the door behind her. While she was brushing her teeth, she was working hard to calm her heart. With flushed cheeks she tried to push away her embarrassment from being caught staring by Jason when suddenly her eyes shot wide open. She had been trying to talk to him all summer, but she kept procrastinating. Finding excuse after excuse for not wanting to talk to him about this matter yet. But yesterday, when they were packing, she was faced to accept that summer was about to end, and she could no longer avoid it. She had been meaning to talk to Jason today, but she hadn't been able to do so throughout this day. In the end she told herself that she wanted to wait till they were back home, because she didn't know how Jason would respond and she didn't want them leaving the Netherlands in a fight and possibly make her mother worried about them. Especially now that she finally had seemed to come to terms with her living so far away. After getting back she eventually forgot all about it. Now that she remembered and there were no more distractions, she needed to address the unavoidable. Before school started, she had to tell him that they might not be in the same class this year.

She had asked Susan to stay out of the class placements this year. She wanted to undergo the same process as all the other students. If they ended up in the same class again it was fate and if they didn't, then it would be fine as well. A different class would give her the chance to get to know some people on her own, without Jason scaring all the male students away and the girls hating her just for being close with him. Even the teachers treated her differently because of his presence. The past six months none of the teachers had dared to ask her a single question, check her homework once or ask her to help them with materials for the next class, because they would be afraid of what Jason would do or say. So, from this perspective as well it would be good for them to spend some time apart. At least during classes. It was fine for her to be in the same class as him last year, because she was new at the school and she had a lot to get used to. Plus, with her lack of a background she would have had a big disadvantage. With no one knowing who she was and not having Jason to back her up, she would just be the unknown poor kid and she would probably have encountered many problems at a school such as Mountforth high. So, she was really grateful he had protected her like that, but now that everything was out in the open, she no longer needed that level of protection and it was time for her to stand on her own two feet.

Though in her head it all sounded good and made sense, she knew that Jason probably wouldn't feel the same way. So far, anything that would result into them spending less time together, had led to an argument and it had not been taken well by Jason. If it were up to him, they would probably spend every waking second together as well as all the sleeping seconds, but Jenny wasn't that kind of person. She believed a couple needed to spend some time apart as well if they wanted to be a lasting couple. Otherwise after a certain amount of time you might lose sight of who you are as a person. You won't know who you are without that person and slowly you morph into a 'we'. You become that couple that needs to do everything together. Even if you try to hang out with one of the two, the other will always tag along and invitations will always be accepted or denied for the both of them. Though she didn't think they would actually become like that, but she didn't want to risk it. A little independence never hurt anyone. Besides, what will you have to say to your significant other at the end of the day, if you spend the whole day of everyday together? Now that they had fused their rooms together, it became even more important that they have a place where they spend some time apart.

After rinsing out her mouth, Jenny took a deep breath and headed out of the bathroom. Jason was sitting on the bed, waiting for her to apply the ointment on him. He looked up at her when she walked up to him and asked "Did you manage to calm yourself down? I don't understand how you can get so nervous from looking, but have no trouble touching me." His words were followed by a low chuckle and Jenny smiled awkwardly as well as she sat behind him on the bed. She grabbed the tube of the ointment and began to gently apply it on the different parts of his back and shoulders. "I don't know really. I think it has something to do with the atmosphere surrounding the situation that makes me nervous. Just then you were looking at me so intensely and I was somehow very aware of you not wearing anything underneath that towel. Added to that was you walking up to me like that, like a predator walking up to his prey that is trapped in a corner, which got me all nervous. Now I am in my caring role and I am just focused on treating your wounds, so I guess that makes me less aware of you not wearing anything other than your boxers." "Hmm, I see." Jason replied with his back facing Jenny. Jenny continued her care for Jason meticulously as she slowly made her way to the front side of his body. Without facing him directly, she addressed the matter of school.