Chapter 4: You are making up stories.

"I’m waiting.” Jaden reminded Jess midway into the meal, as he was becoming uncomfortable with her silence.

“The problem with you us that you doubt a lot. I feel there’s no need to tell you this because you wouldn’t believe it.” Jess said, as a matter of factly.

Jaden feigned annoyance and continued with his meal.

After eating, he still wasn’t talking to her and Jess had began to feel bad.

“Jade.” She called.

He ignored her.

“Jadeeee.” She whined again.

After being ignored for the second time, she picked up the remote and turned the television off. He faced her.

“Are you ready to talk now?”

“Yeah.” She nodded, sitting on the couch beside him.

“As soon as I got there, I practically saw Anthony turn into a werewolf. I know this is unbelievable, yeah, but you just have to believe me. I wonder why he came out when the moon was full. Little wonder he was so rebellious when we were arguing about werewolves. Trust me, I was about to record to show you but the wolf pounced on me. Look at these scars, I don’t even know…” Jade interrupted Jess.

“Talk to me like I’m five, ma'am."

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jess asked, annoyed. Her face had turned red and she felt she could slap him any moment. “How much more do I have to do to convince you?” She yelled.

“That’s right. You are making up stories to convince me that werewolves are real.”

“I’m not. That came out wrong.”

“Why are you behaving like a child? I’m becoming sick of your behavior, alright. Stop it. Stop acting like this.” He yelled back, getting up from the couch.

“You are yelling at me.” She informed him.

“I am.” He yelled again. “I am telling you that I am so sick of your behavior and you have to change if you want me to stick around any longer.”

With that, he went into the room and shut the door behind him.

On the couch, Jessica began to sob softly. She couldn’t believe Jade would talk to her that way. She couldn’t believe he would call her a liar and accuse her of making up such stories. And what did he mean by if she wanted him to stick around any longer? Was he threatening to leave her?

She shook her head rheteorically. “Not when I’m carrying his son.”

As she heard the door bell ring, she dried the tears from her eyes with her hand and went to answer the door.

“Cece. Hi.” She said to Jaden's cousin who stood by the door.

“Hi, Jessica. I missed you so much.” She screamed, throwing herself into Jessica’s arm for a hug. Jess only gave her a pat on the back and informed her that Jaden was inside.

“That’s so cold. Are you fighting with my bro?” Cece asked.

“Cee, go ask him, okay? I already told you he is in the room.”

“Oh, right. I’m sorry.” The older girl sighed and walked in. Jess sat in the living room again, feeling horrible for treating Cece that way. She decided to grab herself a cup of tea from the kitchen and a novel from the shelf. She was barely a page and a sip gone when Jaden and Cece's hushed tones became louder.

“I love her but I can no longer deal with it. I cannot deal with Jessica acting like she’s the first to get pregnant. Was I not there when Matilda had Priscy?” Jade asked Cece, referring to when Cece's mom had her last daughter, Priscy, eight years ago.

“I know I was a child but I can’t recall her acting this way at all. So don’t tell me nothing about Jess being pregnant.”

“She can hear you and she wouldn’t be so pleased. My Ma already had three kids before Priscy, the experience wouldn’t be the same for both of them and pregnancy is a different journey for everyone. Did you not hear that your mom peed on herself in Walmart when she was pregnant for you?”

By this time, Jess was already outside and was crying her eyes out.

Jade was being unnecessarily mean and barely understanding. She definitely was going to ask for a break soon if he wasn’t going to change.

“It’s totally my fault. I shouldn’t have started that stupid werewolf conversation then I wouldn’t have had to go back and watch that idiot turn into a werewolf.” She cried.

“You don’t always have to remind me that my mom peed in Walmart. That was different. If I tell you, you wouldn’t believe what Jess said.”

Although Jaden’s words were hurting, she still wanted to hear all he had to say so she couldn’t help but go back inside.

“Whatever it is that she said, I don’t want to know but let me warn you,” Cece said to him, pointing her finger at him. “I wouldn’t have you make Jessica feeling that way. I wouldn’t have you make her crying herself to sleep, regret being pregnant for you, or feeling stupid because of you. I wouldn’t have you saying hurtful things to her and referring to the pregnancy every single time. Yes, she may be wrong sometimes because she’s not perfect and you can address that, make her apologize, but stop telling her she’s not the first to get pregnant. You don’t know how that sentence makes me feel. I wouldn’t have you emotionally stressing her because I know,” Cece gulped. “I know how it feels to be emotionally drained during pregnancy because of a partner and I know how it stings to lose a baby. So I’m warning you, Jade.”

With that, Cece stormed out of the room. Jaden was yelling back that he didn’t mean to remind her.

“Cee, please. I’m sorry.” Jessica tried to stop her at the door, holding on to her wrist.

“Jessica, it’s not you.” Cece, whose eyes had become filled with tears, said to Jess. She released herself from Jessica’s grip and walked away.

“Jaden, see what you’ve caused?” Jessica couldn’t help but scream.

“I’m so sorry, Jess. I didn’t mean to.”

“It’s not about me now. It’s about Cee, okay? You just had to open up old wounds.” She was standing face to face with him.

Jaden was disappointed in himself and was short of words to say.

“She will be fine.” He said. “Come here.” He said, pulling her closer to him. “I’m sorry, I’m genuinely sorry. I love you. I didn’t mean to talk to you like that. I will never mean to hurt you. I love you and our baby and I’ll always be here for us, okay?”

Jessica nodded. She felt better.

“But, Cee…” Jess tried to talk.

“I’d call her later. I believe she need space right now.”

Jess nodded again.

“You have to believe me, Jaden. I wouldn’t intentionally lose my phone and bruise myself just to proove some childish points. What I told you is true.”

“The childish point seemed a little bit important to you though.” He teased.

“Jade.” She eyed him.

“It’s alright.” He concluded in disbelief. “Let’s just watch a movie.”

*

Anthony got up from his balcony unclad. As he dressed up, he reminisced the events that had happened previously.

“Why Mr. Yugo gotta text me when the moon was already out?” He hissed.

Checking his phone later on, he realized that Mr. Yugo had sent the text an hour earlier but he didn’t receive it due to the bad service.

“Why do I have to go through all these, bruv?” Anthony sighed again. He settled for having a cold bath.

“School time!” He heard a whisper from behind him as he made himself some pancakes.

He jumped. He turned to see Gideon, a good friend of his from school, laughing hysterically at him.

“Gideon, give me my keys.” He demanded. He knew he had given Gideon his spare himself. He didn’t trust himself enough to get up each day and go to school. He didn’t trust himself to just get up each day, at least.

It took everything in him to tell Gideon that he was a werewolf; to show him. So, Gideon was sort of his accountability partner except that Gideon was only human.

“Haha, never.” Gideon laughed, picking up a slice of pancake and dropping it almost immediately because it was still hot.

Anthony gave a little chuckle.

“You can’t steal from me.” He reminded his friend. “Bro, I really do not want to go to school today. Last night was a lot.”

“Tell me about it.” Gideon said, picking up the same slice of pancake that had cooled down.