Trapped

Chapter One

Opportunities

"Jazmaine get your ass down here, we're going to be late!" screamed my sister from downstairs.

"Shut up, I'm coming!"

My name is Jazmaine. My friends call me Jazzy and my teachers call me Ms. Hayze. The queen bee downstairs that society deemed "sister" is Victoria, Vicky for short. I'm fifteen and she's sixteen. Although she's only one year older than me, Vicky acts like she's twenty-two.

"Oh my freaking gosh what is taking so long?!"

See? I told you. QUEEN BEE!

"Didn't I say I'm coming?" I snapped.

"Well come faster," she replied.

"That's what she said!" I laughed.

Vicky can get on my nerves most of the time but I still love her. Who else is going to cover for me when I sneak out of the house? We have that family resemblance. Like the kind of thing that at first glance we look the same but look closely and we are totally different. Our hair is the same length (shoulder length), and the same blend of jet black and mahogany. Her chest is smaller than mine and my buttocks area is smaller than hers. That's basically how you tell us apart. Now if you want to get into detail, I have a beauty mark above my eye and hers is on her cheek. My birth mark is on my shoulder and hers is wherever. I don't really pay that much attention to her.

"Alright we can go now." I said smoothing my skirt down.

"Oh thank you for gracing me with your presence your majesty," Vicky stated with a sour look.

She did a mock curtsy and got on her knees pretending to praise me.

"The pleasure is all mine, peasant." I giggled.

Vicky stuck her tongue out at me and smiled before she began shoving me towards the front door.

"Wait I forgot my keys!" I yelled as I sprinted to the kitchen. I snatched them off the counter and noticed a note from our mom. It said,

"On a business trip. Be back tomorrow at 10 AM. BE GOOD!

-Love Mom"

It had a little heart right after her name. Our mom is a motivational speaker and she gets paid pretty well. Last year she made enough money for us to vacation in Aruba for half the summer. It was the best vacation ever. It would have been better if dad was there too. Our father passed away when I was ten and Vicky was eleven. It's still hard for us to talk about. We visit his grave site every month. Sometimes we just sit there and talk to him. I miss him so much.

"Mom's on a business trip?" I asked as I walked back to the front door.

"Yeah. She left about two hours ago. Now come on!" Rushed Vicky.

"So are you going out tonight?" I asked mischievously.

"You know it," Said Vicky as she climbed into the driver's side of our Mini Cooper.

"I made plans as soon as mom stepped out the door."

"Going to Derwin's party?" I asked.

"Of course," Vicky grinned.

"So am I. I'll tell Aisha to come over after school so we can get ready."

"Perfect!" Vicky squealed.

Aisha is one of my best friends and our personal hair and make-up team. Whenever our mom is out of town, Aisha comes over and makes my sister and I look hotter than we already are. Even though she's only fifteen that girl is talented. She should be because her mom is a celeb hair stylist. Her mom has done everyone's hair from Janet Jackson to Shakira. One time Aisha's mom was styling Miley Cyrus' hair for a concert that night and she let Aisha get some practice in. She left the hair dye in too long and turned Miley's hair the nasty orange-ish color it is now. I laughed so hard I had to use Jeremiah's inhaler so I could breathe again. By the way I hate Miley Cyrus.

Jeremiah is the second of my best guy friends. He's an extremely talented dude. He dances, plays piano and drums, and he can sing. I had a huge crush on him for a while but I grew out of it since I met Derwin but I'll get into that later.

"Damn we are so late. The bell rang twenty minutes ago." Vicky complained.

"Oh I'm sure your little groupies won't start gossiping without you."

"Don't get it twisted. I leave the gossip to you."

I know everything there is to know about everyone at my school. Everyone mildly to extremely important anyways. You know, the people others want to know about. I know it either the day it happens, the day before it happens, or the day after it happens. I'm not a gossiper though; it's just that people can't keep their mouths shut. If you're going to do something at least don't tell anyone what your "plan" is. Like two weeks ago, Nicky Radview hooked up with Aaron Griffin. She told Madison and I happened to be walking by when she said it. I wasn't eavesdropping; she just said it loud enough for anyone to hear. It wasn't my fault.

"Either way, that's not what I'm worried about," said Vicky.

"So what are you worried about?" I asked.

"I won't get to flirt with Derwin." Vicky said in a baby-ish tone.

"Victoria--" "Using full names now are we Jazmaine Olivia?" Vicky rudely interrupted.

"Yes we are Victoria Rose." I challenged.

"Guess I struck a nerve there huh?" asked Vicky acting innocent.

"Whatever." I snarled.

Vicky knows I like Derwin a lot. She's always doing this. I stuck my earphones in my ears and pressed play on my IPod. Your Love by Nicki Minaj started playing. I cranked the volume all the way up until my eardrums hurt and glared out the window the rest of the car ride.

We pulled into the school parking lot and Vicky parked into an empty spot close to the front of the building. Lucky us. The closer you are to the front the better chance you have of leaving before the buses start leaving. As soon as the buses begin to leave, you're screwed. You have to wait until they all leave.

"You're gonna be deaf at twenty if you keep putting your music up so loud."

"Obviously if I can still hear your big ass mouth it isn't loud enough." I growled.

Unfortunately she was right. My eardrums were beginning to hurt so defeated, I turned down the music. I can't stand when she's right because it gives her a reason to even remotely think she's in any way more intelligent than I am. It is extremely vexing. Yes I'm using big words so I can sound smart.

"Hey I'm gonna get a Gatorade from the cafeteria. I'll see you 4th period." I said.

"Alright. Later chica," said Vicky as she sauntered off in the opposite direction.

I stood in front of the vending machine as I rifled through my bag for my money.

"Give me your money now!" growled an aggressive male voice as he put me in a chokehold and covered my eyes. I gasped and dropped everything, throwing my fist back. I felt it hit something hard and the guy loosened his grip. I took advantage of this opportunity and flipped him over my shoulder. I was just about to kick him when I realized who it was.

"Derwin?!"

"Yeah," he groaned.

"Oh my gosh I am so sorry!"

Like I need another reason to feel like a jackass in front of him. The last time I felt like a jackass was when I said hi to him and as I walked away I tripped and fell on my face.

"No it's cool. I didn't know you could do that." He said rubbing his face.

Oh no! I hit him in the face, I thought to myself.

"I took tai-kwon-do for five years," I explained as I helped him up.

"Well remind me never to sneak up on you again." He chuckled slightly.

"Once again I am so sorry."

"No problem. So what are you doing down here?"

"I got here late. I was grabbing a drink. Why are you down here?" I asked as I began gathering my things from the floor. I retrieved my Gatorade from the vending machine and began walking.

"I'm trying to avoid going to class for as long as possible." Derwin flashed me one of his cute dimpled grins and I was suddenly speechless. I couldn't breathe and I forgot my own name. All I was aware of was how much I liked him. Everything about him made my mind go blank: his beautiful chocolate brown eyes, his glistening, sculpted abs, (which I've only seen once at Jenny's pool party), and his juicy looking lips.

"What is that?" Derwin asked.

"What is what?"

"That sound. Is that...is that your heartbeat?"

"Oh that..."

Ok I know I'm black but I could feel the blush coming on. My face was getting so hot that you could burn yourself if you touched it. This usually happens when I'm nervous or embarrassed.

"Are you going to pass out or something?" He looked seriously concerned.

"No, I'm fine. Well, um I'll see you later."

"What do you mean? I'm in your first period."

He can't be serious. I would've noticed.

"No you're not." I raised my eyebrow.

"Yes I am. I sit right behind you."

Ok maybe I wouldn't have noticed because of all the time I spend daydreaming about him.

"I guess I never noticed." I admitted sheepishly.

Derwin started laughing. "Wow," he said.

We were in front of the classroom now but I didn't want to go.

"Do you want to go in first or should I?" I asked.

"You go ahead. Like I said, I'm trying to avoid going to class for as long as possible."

"Alright."

"I'll be there in a few minutes." Derwin reassured me. He winked and smiled.

Here comes the invisible blush again.

Just before I opened the door I turned around. There was no doubt about it, Derwin was watching me leave.

I walked into class sipping my Gatorade and sat at my seat.

"Ah thank you for gracing us with your presence Ms. Hayze," said my English teacher Mrs. Vars.

"You sound just like my sister miss." I said while sipping my Gatorade.

Mrs. Vars glared in my direction and zeroed in on the bottle that was currently at my lips. Busted!

"You know the rules Jazmaine. Either put it on my desk or throw it away."

"Ugh. Fine."

I walked up to her desk taking on last sip and set down the bottle.

"Thank you."

"No prob miss." I said as I sat back down.

Aisha threw a piece of paper at me that read open me now. I opened it and as usual it was a long ranting note asking where I was and what I was doing.

"Where the hell we're you? I was waiting for I don't know a whole thirty minutes by Mr. F's class and you never showed up! What were you doing that was so important that you couldn't at least text me and say you were going to be late? Do you know how worried I was?"

I got out a pen and quickly wrote back. "I was at home deciding if I should hang my self from our kitchen chandelier or my bedroom fan." I folded the piece of paper and looked around to make sure the teacher wasn't watching. I passed the note back to Aisha and took my notebook out so it looked like I was taking notes or something.

Aisha wrote back and passed me the note.

"You are such an idiot. If you don't tell me where you were I'll decide where to hang you myself."

I giggled and wrote back. "Kind of cranky now, are we Aisha? I was late cuz I was getting ready and I was another 5 minutes late cuz of a little scene in the cafeteria." I flicked the note back and tried to pay attention to Mrs. Vars.

"Now who can tell me the definition of dramatic irony?" asked Mrs. Vars hoping someone would answer.

Aisha passed me the note and also tried to pretend to be taking notes.

"Oh. Was there a fight?!"

"No. I ran into Derwin.