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Contrary to popular belief, Jade West has a heart. A functioning heart and not one made of stone, and pumps acid instead of blood. She has a tendency to always need to repay someone, if they do something for her. She hates to owe anyone.
The girl also has a thing about taking responsibility for her actions, it's a must. That's what happened when a mistake of hers hurt a friend, she took full responsibility.
Early morning sunlight was filtered through the open blinds of the tiny apartment right as a young woman with soft brown hair entered, dressed in a brown work blouse and slacks. She balanced a bag of groceries in one hand, and a poster board in the other. "You better be up!" She called loudly closing the apartment's door behind her with her foot, before walking into the tiny kitchen putting her things on the round wooden table. "You have ten seconds to get out here and be fully dressed."
She began removing things from the grocery bags. "1…" She called out loudly. "…2" She opened a cabinet and depositing a box of Cinnamon Crunchy O's. "3, 4, 5…"
"Hey, that's cheating!" A voice called out followed closely by a pounding of feet and a door being yanked open. The young man appeared and spread his arms out. "I dressed myself!" He announced proudly.
Jade hummed softly and turned to look at him, she tapped her chin thoughtfully, taking in his correctly buttoned green shirt and dark jeans, which were unzipped. "Good job, Robbie." The girl says smiling at him lightly. "Zip up though."
He looks down and zips up his pants. "Sorry, I always forget." He announces sheepishly. His attention quickly moves from her to the open cabinet, catching sight of the cereal. He quickly bounces over to it and reaches for it, but his hand is smacked away. "That hurt…" He whined holding his hand and pouting at her.
"I'm cooking breakfast today." She motioned for him to take a seat at their table.
Childish excitement quickly appeared on his features and he bounded over to one of the chairs around the table. "French toast, right?" He grinned.
"Can I cook anything else?" Jade lightly asked removing things she needed from the fridge.
"Nope," Robbie answered unnecessarily.
A soft tired smile appeared on the girl's face as she turned on the oven. "I brought you poster board. Didn't you want that?" She glances at him. "What are you going to make."
The young man, with the mind of a child, smiled secretly. "You'll have to wait and see."
The girl rolled her eyes and continued her cooking. A few minutes later the girl laid a plate of French toast and a bottle of syrup in front of Robbie, and took a seat before him. She yawned tiredly, watching as Robbie began eating his meal.
He looked up at her and frowned. "Aren't you going to eat?" He asked his tone filled with concern.
Jade gently shook her head. "I'm too tired to eat." She had worked all night.
He looked very troubled by her admission but continued eating, glancing at her every few seconds. "Why do you take care of me?" He asked suddenly, making Jade wake from her near unconscious state.
Jade gave him an annoyed look. "Why are you asking that?"
"You aren't my mom… are we related at all?"
Jade tiredly runs a hand through her hair. It's been five years and he wants to ask all these questions now? "No we aren't related, Robbie."
"Then why do you take care of me?" He cocks his head to his left and gives her his confused look.
Jade gently presses her lips together. There were was a big reason, but not one the girl wanted to talk about at the moment – if ever. "We've been friends for a really long time," is her actual answer.
He looks like he accepts that answer because he continues eating with a shrug. Jade gently sighs. "Why did you ask?"
He looks up at her and scrunches his face up like he's contemplating telling her. Finally he admits, "Ms. Salvage," the woman who watches him when Jade works. "She told me that… you're too young and pretty to be tied down with re - responsibility like me." He looks a little upset. "I think she called me a turden."
"You mean burden?" Jade asked quietly. She would really have to have a conversation with Ms. Salvage.
"Yeah, that's the word." She frowns again and pushes his glasses up his nose. "Is that true?"
"Of course not," the girl answers quickly.
"Ms. Salvage lied?"
Jade nods simply. "Ms. Salvage is a liar." She realized she needed to find someone else to watch Robbie, "And an idiot."
The boy gasped. "That's not very nice."
"Am I nice?" Jade lightly pondered.
"Nope," Robbie grinned.
"Good that you are aware." The young woman rose to her feet and stretched. "I'm going to bed. Think you can be alright for a few hours?"
"I'm not a baby, Jade." He told her matter-of-factly.
Jade ruffled his curly head as she moved by him. "Of course you're not a baby."
Once in her bedroom Jade fished out her cell phone from her pocket and dialed a familiar number. It rang multiple times before any one actually picked up. "Mrs. Shapiro, it's Jade." She talked quietly and moved further into the room.
"I'm very aware of who this is." The woman on the other end replied impolitely.
Jade bit her lip, cooling her anger. She needed something from this woman and biting her head off would get her no place. "I was wondering… if maybe you guys could watch Robbie tonight."
A long silence later the woman spoke again. "What happened to the woman you had watching him?"
Jade mentally sighed. "She told him a few inappropriate things. I don't really trust her to watch him anymore."
"Well, I don't really have time…"
"It's only for one night!" The girl snapped. She couldn't understand why they refused to watch their own son.
"That's what you said last time." Mrs. Shapiro snapped back. "Look Jade, if you cannot handle the consequences for what you caused, the offer still stands to send him to a home. We'll only make you pay half."
"I can handle it. I've been doing just fine," the girl hissed into her phone. "Why did I even call you?" She quickly hung up and flung her phone across the room and collapsed on her bed. She in frustration, pounded her fist into her pillow, and screamed into another.
"Jade?" A quiet, hesitant voice came through her door. "Are you alright?"
Jade quickly wiped the hot tears racing down her cheeks, as her door was opened.
"I'm fine, Robbie." The girl lightly glared at him through her tears. "Remember when I told you to never come into my room unless given permission."
The boy pouted. "I'm not in your room."
"You're in my door."
"Difference," he replied smartly crossing his arms.
Jade couldn't help genuinely smiling briefly, and then she glared harder. "Get out of my room."
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