#6- Smack

Jade sang in the shower that one day, she hated mornings for sure, but she couldn't deny the glow in this particular morning and for once the first thing on her mind was not about school tests.

It was about a stranger, a note, and jade green roses. She watched the water droplets roll from her chest to her stomach and down, and then she came back to think of her stranger.

"He doesn't hate me. "

She said to herself, smiling a little as the words rolled on her tongue, it made her feel strange, she hadn't received any form of care from anyone for such a long time she didn't know how to name it, but it made her want to sing more...

"Strange how it feels when I look in the mirror

I see a man with his eyes full of terror

And it's something so obvious, but I missed it all in the rush

I'm out of the place and it feels so familiar

Lately, I've been terrified cause-"

"Hey!" Jade protested as she noticed her music off. "You would think after leaving it on charge for four hours it can play a song twenty-one times and not get tired. "

She muttered, annoyed.

She turned off the water wrapped a towel around herself and stepped out of her bathroom.

She met Jan in her room with a pile of clothes sprayed on the bed.

"What are you doing?" She asked when saw the mass of clothes on her bed. "Helping you pick clothes?" Jan retorted. " Jade was confused where was all this coming from? She walked to the bed and sat on it. "What are you up to?" she asked.

Jan rolled her eyes heavenward and threw clothes in her face. "Go wear this". Jade took a look at the clothes and her eyes popped out.

"When did I have these? I am not wearing it. " She threw it back.

The clothes were black rip jeans and a strapped top almost cropped. "No way. " She said again.

"Why not? Aren't you tired of the 'Swallow Me' clothes you wear? You always look pathetic. I mean, that's one of the main reasons they pick on you, your fashion sense is so low. " She queried.

Jade knew deep down her sister didn't care about her, she was just embarrassed that she was her sister and they shared the same name.

"For your information those 'Swallow Me' clothes are comfy, I love them and I won't start dressing all hot and whatever, just because a bunch of weed heads beat me up in public. "

Jan burst out in laughter "So you can talk huh? " Jade ignored her, what would everyone think? Oh, we knocked some sense into her? They will redouble their intimidation. "But you need to stop dressing like garbage, it's embarrassing" Jan busted out.

Ouch, that hurt, she swallowed up, tears pooled in her. "Look, I didn't mean to come out like that" Jan tried to cool out the air after her outburst.

"Now I understand where you're going, but I love my clothes and I won't change my dressing just because April and her gang did what they did, it would only worsen everything, okay? So let me be. " She was trying desperately not to cry. Jan moaned and stomped her feet down.

"Okay suit yourself, I will be leaving first". Her sister picked up her bag from the nightstand where she kept it, "like always" Jade muttered under her breath as she left.

"And here I am again" grunted Jade when she got out of the car. She didn't want to start explaining to herself how much she hated school again or how much dread and fear she felt all at once at the sight of the school building. Maybe April will let her be for a while now, at least, she hoped.

She put her head down, ignoring everything around her until she reached her locker, she was lucky she hadn't broken her arm the other day or she would be in casts which would draw attention.

One thing she was glad about was that people didn't bother her at all until it was bulling time, which usually starts as soon as April and her gang was in the corner, otherwise, she was the unnoticed girl.

She decided to wear light blue denim jeans which were way too long and a gray sweater. She loved light colors because they drew less attention.

She stopped at her locker to pick up her books, everyone was laughing and having fun, no one seemed to notice the girl who was knocked out last week but she didn't miss the whispers when she passed by every corner.

When she was done, she turned to leave and stumbled on her jeans. She groaned lightly and bent down to fold her jeans to her ankles.

Smack!! "Ouch, " she yelped as she turned to see who had the guts to smack her butt with a book, hitting her head on her locker in the process, she yelped again in pain. Had she gotten into trouble again? Fear was starting to take over.

She turned around and almost jumped out of her skin. A gasp left her mouth and her palms started to sweat immediately.

"Hey "' Swallow Me girl what are you trying to do? " Thomas Jefferson asked with a smirk. He was a tyrant in the boy's section and also April's boyfriend for the time being.

"I didn't do anything, why did you hit your book on my b-b-butt?" Jade asked but she was shaking. "Aw, the baby learned how to speak.

I should be asking you why you're sticking your butt out in the hallway. Do you want me to notice you? " He teased her.

Jade shook her head quickly as if her life depended on it. Some students in the hallway shared a laugh about it but no one wanted to revisit the principal in such a short amount of time so they kept it low. He leaned way too close to her and whispered only to her hearing.

" I always wonder how that ass of yours would look in a bikini, we all know what you are hiding under there- " his eyes looked lustful and she felt disgusted, this was harassment.

"That's enough!" Someone tapped him on the shoulder. She wanted to look up and see her savior, but she didn't dare look up because Thomas Jefferson had backed her to her locker and there was no looking up without facing his handsome yet mean face.

The hallway had become quiet at this juncture, Jade didn't know what was going on anymore she didn't want to look up.

Thomas turned to look at the person who interrupted him. "Man, what the hell are you doing here? " Thomas asked, his tone simply sounding annoyed.

He didn't seem to want to scream or raise his voice as he always does, perhaps the stranger was a tough one too, or a tougher one. The moment his attention seemed to be carried away, she slipped under his caging hands quickly and darted away, disappearing in the little crowd that gathered "Jobless students"

She heard as she left the crowd not missing her rescuer's reply..."Don't waste your time, she's not worth it"

Jade didn't feel bad about the statement she was used to it, but his voice sounded familiar. She turned back to see who, but the crowd was in the way so she rushed to class.

She didn't want to stay another millisecond in the hallway, because where there was a feud April would always show up.

Luck seemed to be at her side until she stepped out of her last class. The students filed out and no one seemed to notice her as usual. "Hi Swallow Me!"

She stopped in her tracks. "Not again..." she said. Jade turned to face her. She let out a sweet laugh like a solo "What did you just say?" She asked ever so slowly through clenched teeth.

"N-n-nothing" Jade stuttered Where was her Knight? She needed him again. "Follow me we need to talk" The venom was evident in her voice.

Jade simply nodded her head, she was hoping to escape this, she didn't want any more trouble, but April stopped walking almost immediately, someone else had caught her attention. "Oh, hottie how is it going?" April's venomous voice had changed so fast into a sugar-laced tone.

She wasn't surprised April was the slut of the school she had dated almost every hot kid in school, and also she was the Barbie.

She stood there nervously waiting to be freed when someone bumped into her throwing her books down, and just like that all the girls forgot about her, they were too busy batting their lashes at the guy dressed in all black and whose cologne was so refreshing and luring at the same time.

Jade widened her eyes at her thoughts. The smell seemed somewhat familiar now, but she didn't have time to think, now was her chance she went down to gather her books, and she took her time to stuff them in her bag.

"Hi, April" the tall guy replied. Jade could feel girls all around her come in their pants just by the mere tone of April's so-called hottie and she didn't blame them because she felt giddy too, he had a hot British accent, but it was not for the same reason as every other girl in the hallway, horny teens!! She sighed.

She whispered a soft thank you and ran out of school breathing hard, smiling, and thinking to herself.

Such luck today she wished it would last.

Wishes would be horses.