User blog:SodaCat/Bullworth Nights - Muse: Chapter 9: Sweater Weather

wHATS THIS??? IS SODA BEING PRODUCTIVE??? the answer is yes. maybe it has something to do with the fact that pumpkin spice lattes are back. maybe it has something to do with the fact that i was able to name this song after sweater weather. maybe it has something to do with the amount of actual 4real work ive done today. the world will never know.

also question: does it seem like jesse's kissing mandy is rushed?? im a little unsure about that ^^;

"Just hold it over the sand there, yeah, like that!"

Quickly, Jesse held his Genic Digital over Mandy's hand, which was currently holding a blood red rose, and snapped a picture. He looked at the back of the camera and the histogram, proud that it was so properly exposed after only a single shot.

He chuckled as Mandy got up on her tiptoes to see the little screen on the back of his camera, pulling her blue sweater tight around herself. It'd gotten pretty cold around Bullworth, and Christmas was just around the corner.

"I don't get it, out here it looks so plain but then on your camera you make it look so beautiful..."

Jesse smiled at her, his eyes soft. "Having a gorgeous model don't hurt neither," he replied, switching his camera off to conserve its battery. He laughed as she looked away, a small smile on her lips.

It was funny how much had changed between them since the beginning of the schoolyear. Sometimes he still expected her to insult him.

"Lil miss, I'd love to stick 'round here takin' your pretty picture forever, but if I ain't mistaken, you got some pictures to be takin' too," Jesse reminded her, his tone changing from soft and sweet to more casual and teasing.

Upon seeing the vast change in her expression, he immediately regretted reminding her. She shifted her weight uncomfortably from one foot to another, wrapping her arms around herself.

"It's kind of hard to take pictures with a romance theme when your boyfriend spends more time with his EXsorbeo than he does with you..."

Jesse let out a sigh, when an idea popped into his head. He reached for the tripod that was settled into a carrying bag on his back, awkwardly pulling it out through the bulk of his letterman jacket. It was a bit embarrassing, stumbling around on the sand trying to get the damn thing out, but Mandy's giggles made it worth it, he decided.

"Let's do the project together," he suggested when he finally got the tripod out, setting it down onto the sand and positioning it so that he could place his Genic on it. "I mean, we are partners, ain't like she just stuck us together so we'd pretty up the classroom."

"Though, it'd be a real fair idea," he added slyly, sneaking in a coy wink Mandy's way.

She rolled his eyes at his cheesy flirting, beyond used to it right now. Though, she did admit, it added to his cuteness... a lot.

Wait, what?

"How are we gonna work on it together?" Mandy inquired, placing a hand on one hip, "it only takes one person to push a shutter."

"But," Jesse countered, crossing his arms proudly, "it takes two people to fall in love."

She reddened at this, though why, she did not know. After mulling it over for a moment, Mandy nodded, deciding this idea wasn't half bad. Jesse was a surprisingly good photographer, after all.

He grinned what he'd surely describe as a 'real Texas smile' at her, before pulling his letterman jacket off, revealing a navy blue Bullworth hoodie underneath with the sleeves crudely cut off by what appeared to be blunt scissors. "Take your sweater off, darlin," he commanded, grinning wildly.

Raising an eyebrow, Mandy couldn't help but blink. "What?"

"Aw come on, you know I ain't gonna try nothin'," Jesse countered, rolling his eyes.

But she trusted him, so she pulled her sweater off and stood there shivering in her cheer tank top. Meanwhile, Jesse walked around to the camera and set it to take twenty pictures consecutively after ten seconds.

Not long after, he stood in front of her and turned her around so she was facing the ocean. He placed the letterman jacket around her shoulders and wrapped his arms around her, his head resting on her shoulder as he looked out onto the horizon with her.

Mandy heard the first few faint clicks of the camera, and slowly she and Jesse began turning to face each other. Their lips attracted to each other like magnets, and he felt his eyes slip shut, something he wasn't too used to. Kissing Mandy wasn't like kissing Christy or Angie, or any of the public school girls. She didn't wear any lip gloss, and her lips were warm and sweet, like candy.

He barely heard the camera clicks as they went off on the camera, instead wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her in close as if any gust of wind or slight pull from the ocean waves beneath them would take her away from him. It was weird; he felt like he was falling, but at the same time, she was the only thing keeping him grounded. It didn't make sense at all, it terrified him, and yet he liked it.

"Jesse?"

"Shit," said country boy mumbled, parting away from Mandy and pulling his jacket off of her, hastily shoving her sweater to her. He felt giddy and rushed, wondering if Casey has seen them. He looked over in the direction of his best friend's voice, and saw that he was climbing down the steps from the docks.

Alright, pretty fair chance that he hadn't seen them, Jesse decided, grabbing his camera off of the tripod as Mandy pulled her sweater on.

Within seconds, Casey stood by the two of them, eyes flickering suspiciously between them. Both Mandy and Jesse's faces were flushed; Jesse with an annoyed look, Mandy looking as if she wasn't quite sure where she was standing.

"What's up, guys?" Casey asked slowly.

Jesse shot a look at Mandy from the corner of his eye, but her gaze remained fixed on a small seashell sitting on the beach.

"Um, we were just taking pictures for class," Jesse replied honestly, eyes shifting down to his Hinterland boots. Well, it wasn't like he was lying to Casey.

"Man, that's girly as hell!" Casey laughed, slapping Jesse hard on the shoulder. He gave Mandy an amused look, as if she were agreeing with him that taking photographs were a feminine action, shaking his head. "Lame. Hey, Mandy, you mind if I borrow Brad Paisley over here for a bit?

"Oh," Mandy mumbled, as if just checking back into reality, "um, yeah I guess. I can tell Ms. Philips you didn't feel well... I guess..." she said to Jesse, reaching out towards him.

Confused, Jesse stared at her hand, wondering what on the Lord's holy earth she planned for him to do with it. It wasn't until after a moment that he realized she wanted his camera, so that she would be able to turn in their assignment when she got back to the school. Wordlessly, he handed it over, giving her a serious look as if telling her to make sure to not print out the photographs of them... kissing.

Mandy gave them both a small, awkward smile before heading off in the direction of the nearest bus stop, both Jesse and Casey watching after her. Jesse hoped she go back okay, he wished he could go with her. He didn't trust the bus to take real care of her, even if the distance wasn't that long. He'd rather walk her, but he couldn't do anything without it looking too suspicious to Casey.

He was dragged out of his thoughts by Casey hastily grabbing him by the elbow, dragging him behind him as he marched towards the docks with Jesse in tow.

"Come on man, we've got a lot to talk about."