JADE'S POVIt took hearing that stupid statement from Liz to realise that the stares and whispers from earlier weren't about Ches and her new hair color, no, it was because of me.The air had left my lungs when the words finally sank in, the insinuations making it hard to believe and like a dummy, I couldn't even say a word in my defense.The tears I'd been holding all morning, from that altercation with Amber to my hair being yanked and drawn by Emma, came rushing back and in that moment, there was nothing I could do to stop it.The ringing of the bell indicating the start of first period had saved me and as the student dispersed, I kept hearing repetitions of stupid, derogatory words- whore and slut taking the lead.Eventually, I'd found myself alone in the long hall, not even Ches in sight, and now in hindsight, I'm glad that she'd not been there.I don't imagine I'd have wanted the pity that would be so evident in her eyes and voice or the questions that would have followed, asking
JADE'S POV The picture displayed on the screen of his phone looks foreign to me, like the girl in it, dressed only in her underwear, is not me and the boy looking surprised and unsure of being kissed is not Matt.Yet, it looks exactly like Matt had explained it to me and whatever is happening now is exactly what he'd told me to expect because he has no idea who saw and how viscious they can get with that little, harmless info."They'll make it look bad, pancakes." He'd told me that day, my small hand cradled in both of his big ones, his voice quiet and soothing."They'll make it look like you are two timing Caden and I even though that's exactly what he's doing with you and Lizzy snd getting away with it."And I remember praying that it doesn't come to that because most of the girls here are vultures looking for unfortunate carcass to descend on.I guess no one had been listening to me then and I wonder if anybody ever really is.It'd be fair to know for a fact that someone is ur is
JADE'S POV Neither of us realised how much time had passed until we finally left the bleachers and went back inside only to find that second period was already over.The hallway is filled again with people changing their books for the next class, others touching up make ups and the rest grabbing the latest gossip.And as soon as we make it through those double doors, it was this morning all over again, a solid walk of shame with every judging eyes on me.I'd hoped that the time I acted outside would have calmed the reaction to my supposed crimes, but if anything, I realised too late, it got worse.A firm hold on my hand, wrapped in a bigger on reminds me that I'm walking with Caden, no wonder the extra attention all of a sudden.I can swear some of them want to take a literal bite out of me right now and for once I'm glad he's here with me.Following him quietly, I hide under his sheer confidence and the dark aura surrounding him that dared anyone around to question his choices and de
JADE'S POV "You are dating Caden fucking Adam Jones now?"This is the first thing Ches yells at me as we finally settle down for lunch outside, sitting on the grass just behind the school's dumb idea of a friendship bench.You know, just a regular bench you're supposed to sit on and make friends with the first person that comes by or joins you on it, or some shit like that "Calm down Ches," I tell her, laughing nervously for lack of anything better to do with myself.This morning has been bat shit crazy and nothing like I expected following how it started out back home, annoying yes, but rather quiet.I rest my back against the foot of the bench, my eyelids dropping shut briefly, my mind reaching for any semblance of sanity I have left."There's nothing to be calm about girl," She screeches, leaving her food untouched even as I nibble on mine."I leave you alone for not up to a couple hours and next thing I know, you and lover boy are an item. Girl, I deserve all the juicy details."
JADE'S POV It's crazy how these students get when any one of the people they put on a fucking pedestal does or says something, even if it's not worth paying thought to.This morning, Liz and her gang had decided I wasn't worth any association with the rest of the school, embarrassed me in front of everyone and they had all laughed and avoided them.And hours later, Caden had shown up out of nowhere, broken up with Liz and made me his girlfriend without giving me a choice, and now, they all flock to me, offering me smiles and unsolicited warm hugs and invites to parties.In a blink, everything changed and I found myself hauled into some kind of limelight, like a deer caught in headlights and Liz, has somehow become the school's outcast.It's sad to watch how lonely she's become in less than a day, living the life of the nobody's and outcasts she hates so much.And it's scary imagining the things she might do to me now that she has a real, tangible reason to hurt me.A slight shudder go
CADEN'S POVToday's been one hell of a crazy day and I should have known it was going to be from the moment I woke up to find that my dad is suddenly back from one of his never ending travels.I'd met him at the breakfast table this morning, a cup of steaming coffee in one hand and his phone in the other and the douche hadn't even had the decency to pretend it was nice seeing me again after all these months.It's why I hate this stupid life that I'm stuck with and the reason I rebel sometimes, just for his attention and even the tiniest acknowledgment that I know deep down will never come.Sometimes I wonder if I disgust him, I worry that he only sees me as the same weepy, little boy that had begged to be saved, the same boy from that disgusting, horrible night.....And other times I believe he do and that's why he's away so much, so he doesn't have to look at me and be reminded of the things that happened and how he failed me as my father!It's funny how most of my mates wish and pray
JADE'S POV Going home with Matt, having him drive all that distance to my house even though his is in the opposite direction and talking about all whatnots is more warming than I let myself think at first.But before dinner even rolled around, I found myself looking forward to his silly texts and calls and for Friday so we can go to his cute sister's recital.He makes me feel lighter, like my problems aren't as big as they seems and he can hold my hand through it all and somewhere inside, I realise this is exactly what I needed.It's cute watching his tentativeness around me, no thanks to that night and the accompanying picture that surfaced this morning.My phone rings with it's usual announcement for a notification and I reach for it almost immediately, hoping it's him."No phones at the table, remember?"Amber mouths, taking a pause from eating her casserole.Her voice is unusually quiet, the kind that it's not been in hears especially with me and it's even more surprising that she
JADE'S POVAll my life I've never slept away from this house, not once and even when we were kids and both mom and dad had work emergencies that kept them and Gran had to babysit, she always came over to the house, not the other way around.All my sleepover happened within the walls of my house, with my friends coming over and me never going over to theirs to sleep and it's what I grew up accepting.Well, I guess that's why it feels weird every damn time I think about staying over at Ches' place tonight.After what happened this evening, all I really want is to be away from this house for once, to breath air so far away that it can't possibly be the same everyone here is breathing.And as far as I can get is Ches' place so I chose there.The only thing I carry with me is my phone, sticking it into my back pocket and then some money in case thing don't turn out exactly as I've planned.I wait patiently for everyone to go into their rooms so I sneak out, because I'm technically grounded,
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