I somehow always have a fascination with antagonists in stories and enjoy rewriting them by highlighting any redeeming quality that I happen to find in them, while still keeping them in character.
Jade is the antagonist in the series because she is jealous of Sang which lead her to assault her in the closet. She is a mean person, but I wanted to give her a background story while giving her the opportunity to redeem herself through a growing friendship (and eventually romance) with Sang and the boys. I think of Sang and Jade as polar opposites, which means that they could do well in balancing each other and the team out a bit.
Also, I personally think that Sang is sometimes too passive and weak and could use some help in growing a backbone and making some decision for herself.
Enough commentary for me (I spend too much thinking about characterization).
Jade realized that she had to change. Not because of a sudden change of heart but because she was one mistake away from juvie. Changing was the last thing she wanted right now, especially after her 'friends' left her in the crossfire all alone. Slapping the shit of those bitches was perhaps the highest on her want to do list. However, physical assault was on the list of what not to do in order to stay out of juvie.
Nevertheless, she still had her freedom of speech, which she used to the fullest when she first saw her friends after the incident. It was the first day of school, and they were bold enough to come up to her as if nothing happened.
It was early in the morning, and the fact that she had to come in early to fulfill the required community service ordered by the court made her even pissier than she usually was in the mornings. They had cheer practice, and they spot her as they came out of the changing room. Her first more logical side told her to ignore them and she was going to follow it, however, as she heard her name being called out by Chelsea, she turned around and saw her her two best friends - former best friends- walking towards her.
She rolled her eyes, before spitting "Fuck off". It was 6:53 and she had to be in the principal's office by 7 o' clock. It wouldn't have taken her seven minutes to get there but she just didn't want to have a conversation with them right now or ever.
Tina reached for her as she turned and walk away but Jade easily shrug her off.
"You don't have to be such a bitch," That came from Chelsea and it was enough to cause Jade to stop and turn back around.
"I'm the bitch?" She scoffed. "Have you looked in the mirror lately."
Chelsea gave a bitter smile. " Heard you quit cheer."
Jade widened her eyes and made sure that her annoyance showed clearly on her face.
"Good. You were never cut out for it anyway." Chelsea continued.
Jade clutched her fist, the urge to side-hook her former friend building by the second.
"As if you would even be on the team if you weren't fucking Finn." Jade countered, satisfied with the infuriated look on Chelsea's face, she turned around.
She recognized a boy, not standing far away, and soon realized that it was North. She recalled all her previous attemptsof getting with him and remembered his clear disinterest in her, which initially did not deter her. A part of her cringe inembarrassment of how she threw herself at him, as she promised herself to never doing it again. And it started there and then when she ignored him as she walked towards the principal's office.
Jade needed a smoke, but like everything in her life now the prospect of juvie, kept her from acting on her desire. Instead, she asked to step out to the bathroom and instead went out for some air; that wouldn't get her in trouble, would it. Her momentarily regretted her decision when she opened the side door and spotted a girl, none other than Sang Sorenson, leaning against the wall.
Jade couldn't help but roll her eyes. It was an understatement that Jade wasn't fond of Sang. At some previous point in time, Jade even hated her, but in retrospect, Jade was starting to realize that perhaps she was jealous. Jade scoffed. Of course, she was jealous.
Her scoffed apparently made Sang aware of her presence, and as her amber eye's meet Sang's green ones, she could recognize the fear in them.
As bad as it sounded, that humored Jade; the fact that Sang Sorenson was afraid of her. What was she, five years old? Perhaps, an additional reason that Jade had a disdain for Sang was her stupid fixated innocent image. No one could be so oblivious and innocent, right?
"Don't worry. I'm not here to assault you." Jade announced.
The incident in the closet came back to her, and somewhere in her conscious Jade thought about apologizing, but argued against it. It was neither the right place or time. What would she say, "Hey Sang, sorry for fingering you against your will in a janitor's closet. I was just a jealous bitch. We cool?"
So instead, Jade looked away as Sang walked towards the door and went back inside.
The second time Jade needed a break, Sang was outside again at the same spot that she caught her last time.
"I didn't know golden girl was allowed to cut class," Jade announced her presence this time.
Jade didn't keep her eyes of Sang, expecting that she would take the queue and leave, but after a few moments of silence, Sang replied in a small voice, "I am not cutting." As if she was saying it to herself more than to Jade.
Jade glanced at Sang and rolled her eyes. Although a small part of her was curious about why Sang was out here at this time and why she wasn't curious enough to outright ask.
"Do you happen to have a lighter?"
It was out of her mouth before she could realize the stupidity of the question. Why would she of all people have a lighter? She was willing to bet her life that golden girl didn't smoke or have any motive to set the school or anything on fire.
"Never mind" Jade murmured and rolled her eyes, as she twirled her unlit] cigarette between her fingers.
Sang didn't respond and Jade tried not to look directly at her as she slipped through the side door.
Jade considered calling her social worker and begging for an exchange of community service assignment.
Turns out getting to school early and staying late to reorder files of student info was not as 'fun' as she has thought. She didn't think it was going to be fun; she just didn't realize that it would be this boring.
"I'm going to the bathroom." Principal Hendrick announced and gave her a weird look, a look of you better not take anything. As if there was anything worth taking in this office.
Jade rolled her eyes and went back to reorganizing all the names starting with B. Seconds later the office door reopened and she looked up, thinking that Principle Hendrick broke the record for the quickest bathroom break ever, but instead was met with dark eyes and no doubt, a greatly masked shocked face.
It was funny how the universe worked when she vowed to stay away and ignore him, he decided to turn up and be present everywhere she went. They happened to have every class together this semester. She hoped that he didn't think that she did that on purpose because she didn't. She was over him, not that there was anything to get over anyway.
"Is there something I can help you with?" Jade tried to keep her voice as monotone as ever while looking down towards the paper she had in her hand.
She looked up when he didn't answer immediately and caught him staring towards Mr. Hendericks office, before looking back at me with a blank expression. His expressions are always so interesting, Jade thought humorously to herself.
It was getting awkward, but before either of them could exchange words, the door handle of the office was turning and in a few seconds North was hiding behind the tall file cabinet in the corner and Principal Hendricks was back in the office, his look of suspicion still pasted on his face.
"What?" Jade asked, trying her best at a nonchalant facial expression.
Hendricks just stared at her and stalked back into his office slamming his door shut.
Jade looked back over to the cabinet in the corner, as watched as North quietly but swiftly exited the door, without saying a word.
"Rude." Jade murmured to herself, before registering how weird that encounter was.
It wasn't just that Jade was jealous of Sang, but that she was also envious.
She wanted what Sang had, and it wasn't hard to admit it to herself as Jade watched Sang with her 'clan' a few seats away from where she sat by herself.
Jade wanted her own cult of people fawning over everything she did. She desired it but also chuckled over how stupid it was.
