JADE'S POVToday is one of those days you just wake up feeling like everything will finally be okay, each puzzle in it's place and for the life of me I can't even tell why.But I like how it makes me feel so I'm not complaining.I hum quietly to the lyrics of Chris Brown's under the influence as I pack my overnight bag for the next activity on our itinerary which happens to be camping.Yeah, after long considerations the teachers had decided that we get to finish our stay here before we go home but this time around, we all get some kind of security bracelets that is supposed to notify them if one of us strays too far from the rest.I think I'd been the happiest person in the room when the announcement had been made because the last thing I need right now, on top of every other thing going on with me, is having to go home and deal with Amber.I can swear she's still waiting to rope me into that stupid pageantry stuff she'd suggested earlier or something just as annoying.She's not the k
CADEN'S POVThis whole trip has become more exhausting than it is fun for me and truth be told, I'm just waiting for the end of it to roll by so I can go home and finally catch a break.Seeing that accusing look in her eyes every time she sees me with Liz makes me feel like discarded gum caught at sole of a sprinter's shoe, and I hate it.The fact that she's putting in double the effort I'd started out with in avoiding me now isn't even helping.I know it's all because of Liz and trust me I know how difficult it must be for her to have to watch us all day, but things are not exactly as they seem. The problem though is that I'm not sure how to explain that to her without ruining my entire carefully constructed plan.A plan that I've been working on for the past couple days and one whose result I can feel within my grasp.Almost.I hate that my hands are tied and there's nothing I can do to ease her pain and the betrayal I see clear as crystal in her eyes every time I look in them, but
JADE'S POVThe campsite, we learned, was a bit of distance from the hotel, so we had to be conveyed by the buses that had brought us in the first place.The teachers insisted that we ride exactly the same way we did when we came to avoid confusions and mistakes, ruining the very firsts of my plans.Plans that involve staying away from him.How am I supposed to achieve that now when I'm supposed to be riding shotgun in his over priced car.I'd been so willing to trade places with Liz to avoid the awkward silence I know we'd have to endure the whole ride.But she had gotten in an almost fight with Marina, the senior with flaming red hair and a sharp mouth, bringing one of the teachers attention to them.They'd been admonished and then led into the bus and forced to seat at the front row where they could be watched for further misconduct."I hope to see you and Summers there in one piece. "Mr Fredrick said to the last person in the world I want to be confined with at the moment, in a voi
JADE'S POVFate's finally taken a break from messing with me, is the first thought that crosses my mind when I luckily land a tent to myself.I'd feared we'd be instructed to stick to our room situation in the hotel and share a tent with our current roommates but someone had happened to have a different idea.One that suits me best of all.We balloted again, here, Caden inclusive and at the end I was the last man standing with no tent mate of my own.Mr Fredrick had laughed and said something about how I always managed to find myself in situations like this, before telling me I get to stay by myself this time around.The breath of relieve that whoosh from my lungs is a surprise both to both of us, but before he can ask questions I escape and lose myself in the midst of the others students.The tents, we're instructed are in a shed tucked away at a far corner of the wide land that looked very well cared for and for a brief moment, I imagine that this isn't the first time Mr Adam's has l
CADEN'S POVIn the countless times I've been here, to this particular spread of land and its little lake at the other end, it's never been with other people, especially not students from my school.It's been my haven since coming back to this town with the permanently resident demons in my head that won't quit.I've never had to use any of the numerous tents my dad keeps stashed in the shed for some of his outrageous events of the year, never had to share one either. Looking at all the tents set up, dotted all over the place makes me feel like something of mine, a small piece I'd have loved to be selfish with, has been snatched and is being violated.My fingers fiddle with the cigarette caught between my forefinger and my thumb, rolling it.I'd gotten it from one of my teammates, Ty, not sure what I intend to do with it in the first place.I've never been one to smoke but with the stress I've been caught in recently, indulging this stupid vice has been an idea I've toyed with time and
JADE'S POVSkinny dipping in a lake late in at night with a bunch of other teenager and under the watchful, yet non judgemental gaze of the moon is the last thing I expected to ever consider at the start of this trip.And yet right now, in this moment, standing at the bank and watching as person after another throw themselves in the water, I wonder why I'm even toying with the idea of calling bluff on my better judgment and joining in the fun.I know the teachers can hear all the noise we are racking up, starting from the music blasting from someone's music box but it doesn't seem like they mind or want to attempt stopping this actually.They made it clear their only concern is our safety and as long as nobody's bracelet is pinging from a suspicious distance and nobody is being reported drowned, they will be in their tents resting from the day's stressful events.But deep down, I imagine they just don't want to ruin their eyes with the mind boggling sights of their students butt naked.
JADE'S POV The banging in my head as I force my eyes open from my long, dreamless sleep is a reminder of why I need to permanently steer clear of alcohol in my life.Spiked juices and fruit punches too.I groan as I get out of my sleeping bag, tired to the bones, my muscles protesting with every movement I make, aching.....I know for a fact that last night had gotten a little wild, but as I stand in the middle of my tent, alone, I can't for the life of me recall how wild it had become or how involved in all of it I'd gotten.Clearly enough to have me this tired this morning, with my head threatening to blow off of my neck any second from now and my eyes hurting.I chuck it up to a hangover as I rummage through my stuffs, looking for an advil or aspirin that I know I didn't pack, anything to relieve me of this hell.I find my phone instead, and turned it on to check what time it is and I'm surprised to see that it's already so late into the morning.Fuck.The panic building that's bee
MATT'S POV Breakfast came around rather quickly after that and this time when she turns up to join us, she looks almost like a different person.Her hair is combed and neatly pulled into a bun, her body tucked into a fitted denim and a size too big top, her eyes less red and puffy.But it's not any of that that made the pronounced difference in her now, no it's the cold, distant look in her eyes and the lack of her usual cheer and brightness that did the trick.She looks withdrawn and nothing like the Jade I'd been with just last night, she acted nothing like the carefree, spontaneous girl daring to test the waters.Everything about her now seems so precise and calculated with no room for fun or the brightness I know her with.I know talking about Lizzy and the possibility of her being behind her torment is responsible for this damper and though I'm happy that she finally has a name and a face to let her pent up emotions out on, I wish Caden and Ches had waited a little bit longer for
CADEN'S POVI know what she's asking but the answer to her question is lodged in my throat, not coming up and not going down, only suffocating me like those nightmares I beg to wake from and hear nothing in response except my own thudding heart and my laboured breath.Time pass, the question condensing in the air, getting thicker and heavier in its entirety and I just feel so small, s feeling I've avoided like the plague in these recent and brighter times.She sits up on the bed, dropping my hand eventually like I'd wanted at some point, but the waft of cold breeze that cools it off of the tiny balls of perspiration that had built in them from contact, reminded me why this is the last thing I want.She says nothing, doesn't ask me again or try to push me fo tell her about the hellish years that had followed leaving here and the nightmares that had built after it.Just nothing.She just hugs her knees to herself and watches me and I see it in her quiet gaze, the resignation and resolve
CADEN'S POVI know what she's asking but the answer to her question is lodged in my throat, not coming up and not going down, only suffocating me like those nightmares I beg to wake from and hear nothing in response except my own thudding heart and my laboured breath.Time pass, the question condensing in the air, getting thicker and heavier in its entirety and I just feel so small, s feeling I've avoided like the plague in these recent and brighter times.She sits up on the bed, dropping my hand eventually like I'd wanted at some point, but the waft of cold breeze that cools it off of the tiny balls of perspiration that had built in them from contact, reminded me why this is the last thing I want.She says nothing, doesn't ask me again or try to push me fo tell her about the hellish years that had followed leaving here and the nightmares that had built after it.Just nothing.She just hugs her knees to herself and watches me and I see it in her quiet gaze, the resignation and resolve
CADEN'S POVI know what she's asking but the answer to her question is lodged in my throat, not coming up and not going down, only suffocating me like those nightmares I beg to wake from and hear nothing in response except my own thudding heart and my laboured breath.Time pass, the question condensing in the air, getting thicker and heavier in its entirety and I just feel so small, s feeling I've avoided like the plague in these recent and brighter times.She sits up on the bed, dropping my hand eventually like I'd wanted at some point, but the waft of cold breeze that cools it off of the tiny balls of perspiration that had built in them from contact, reminded me why this is the last thing I want.She says nothing, doesn't ask me again or try to push me fo tell her about the hellish years that had followed leaving here and the nightmares that had built after it.Just nothing.She just hugs her knees to herself and watches me and I see it in her quiet gaze, the resignation and resolve
CADEN'S POVI know what she's asking but the answer to her question is lodged in my throat, not coming up and not going down, only suffocating me like those nightmares I beg to wake from and hear nothing in response except my own thudding heart and my laboured breath.Time pass, the question condensing in the air, getting thicker and heavier in its entirety and I just feel so small, s feeling I've avoided like the plague in these recent and brighter times.She sits up on the bed, dropping my hand eventually like I'd wanted at some point, but the waft of cold breeze that cools it off of the tiny balls of perspiration that had built in them from contact, reminded me why this is the last thing I want.She says nothing, doesn't ask me again or try to push me fo tell her about the hellish years that had followed leaving here and the nightmares that had built after it.Just nothing.She just hugs her knees to herself and watches me and I see it in her quiet gaze, the resignation and resolve
CADEN'S POVI know what she's asking but the answer to her question is lodged in my throat, not coming up and not going down, only suffocating me like those nightmares I beg to wake from and hear nothing in response except my own thudding heart and my laboured breath.Time pass, the question condensing in the air, getting thicker and heavier in its entirety and I just feel so small, s feeling I've avoided like the plague in these recent and brighter times.She sits up on the bed, dropping my hand eventually like I'd wanted at some point, but the waft of cold breeze that cools it off of the tiny balls of perspiration that had built in them from contact, reminded me why this is the last thing I want.She says nothing, doesn't ask me again or try to push me fo tell her about the hellish years that had followed leaving here and the nightmares that had built after it.Just nothing.She just hugs her knees to herself and watches me and I see it in her quiet gaze, the resignation and resolve
JADE'S POV I try hard not to look at him differently, not to feel so much hurt on his behalf and not blame myself so much for not being there when he needed someone the most, but it's sooo fucking difficult not to, not after listening to everything he just said.I had no idea all he'd gone through, alone and now all the times I spent hating his guts and resenting him seems a waste and stupid.Every day, I imagined he was enjoying his super perfect life, looking down his nose at the rest of us measely teens but his life had been anything but perfect.It'd been all bright on the outside and yet very dark, lonely and hollow on the inside that it must have been so fucking difficult.Somehow, I'm glad I skipped school today and is spending the day with him, a weak attempt at making up for lost times and a silent apology for....everything.Silently, I'm grateful that his book went missing because he would never have told me any of this if it hadn't, though I hope to hell and back that it do
CADEN'S POV Richard was a portly man, a little too young to be imagined a close friend of my dad's and always overly excited with his beady eyes and warm hugs.......but I don't tell her this.I don't say a word about how I hate the smell of musk and spice to this day because of him and I don't mention how terrifying I find anything served unsealed or in a glass.I dont say shit to her anymore than I already did because even that is too fucked and too much to dump on someone.There's no point burdening her with the whole story now of how he'll come home from work early every other day, always glad when he finds me home alone.He'll always smile like he's the good guy and ask how school was, even though I never bother to answer any of his questions. All I wanted at that point in my life was for my mom to not be.....gone and for my dad not to always be gone, not some man always prying into my business every now and again.Her sobbing, faint now but still there, racking through her petit
CADEN'S POVI know what she's asking but the answer to her question is lodged in my throat, not coming up and not going down, only suffocating me like those nightmares I beg to wake from and hear nothing in response except my own thudding heart and my laboured breath.Time pass, the question condensing in the air, getting thicker and heavier in its entirety and I just feel so small, s feeling I've avoided like the plague in these recent and brighter times.She sits up on the bed, dropping my hand eventually like I'd wanted at some point, but the waft of cold breeze that cools it off of the tiny balls of perspiration that had built in them from contact, reminded me why this is the last thing I want.She says nothing, doesn't ask me again or try to push me fo tell her about the hellish years that had followed leaving here and the nightmares that had built after it.Just nothing.She just hugs her knees to herself and watches me and I see it in her quiet gaze, the resignation and resolve
JADE'S POV I can't believe he liked me back then, almost as much as I like him and said nothing.All those years ago and he'd let some stupid thing he heard me tell Ches out of resignation ruin all of it for both of us.I mean, she and I had been what we thought of as pretty obvious in our crush on him, she, the more obsessed one and me, more the best friend that knows for sure that she'll never have the guy but he'd not once seen through any of it?Wow, I can see now why most people would easily agree that most guys can be so fucking clueless, annoyingly so, when they want to be."So when you returned, started a new school and found out I was there, why didn't you try to talk to me about it, or say something at least? Why did you just continue ignoring me, barely answering my greetings and rolling only with your new circle of popular friends?"He has the decency to look sorry about that, like he just realised now too how much of a bitch hindsight can be."I'd just gotten out of very