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Her ears picked up on movement outside of her bedroom door even before her father's voice flitted underneath the crack.
"Are you up, Jade?"
The girl slowly set up, running a hand through her damp with sweat hair, the last images from her nightmare escaping her mind but left her shaky.
"Come and eat breakfast, you have to take your brother to the bus stop and… oh, I forgot you go back…"
She's already sliding out of bed and walking to her door, throwing it open to meet her father worried stare.
"Will you be alright? We can postpone it a little longer."
She wished that was truly a possibility. She wasn't at all ready to return to Hollywood Arts, she was hardly ready to walk her brother to the bus stop in the mornings. Now she had to return and face a crowd of people who remember her one way, a way she could never be again. She could try to pretend all was fine, that at night nightmares didn't haunt her, she would have to pretend that her mind won't relax until she has checked and doubled checked the lock of their apartment and made her father check after she'd checked.
They had left that very day after her father had found out what had been happening to her. He had called the cops too, unfortunately, Mr. Donaldson had high connections and his word was believed over words from a troubled teenager. So her dad had simply packed them up and left. No money. No job. They were broke, moved into a tiny apartment and her father started to look for work. No luck.
"I'll be in, in a minute." The girl says forcing a smile at him. He frowns but nods and turns away. She closes her door slowly, sighing gently she looks around her bedroom, still messy with unpacked boxes. She begins to look for clothing to go to school in.
A few minutes later after a shower, she enters the tiny kitchen dressed in jeans and a baggy sweatshirt. Her hair rests uncurled and brown over her shoulder. No highlights.
"I'm tired of bread." Her brother whines. Her dad is going through a box on the tiny kitchen table, looking for likely his resume.
"Try some fruit with it." The man mumbles.
"We're out of fruit!" The boy shouts bitterly. "We're out of everything, dad."
The man sighs. "Jade, can you stop by a store on your way home? I only have a twenty so you're going to have to make that go a long way."
She nods and moves to her brother patting him on his head. He moves away from her and looks at her angrily, then looks away. He's still angry with her. He blames her for them leaving the home he liked so much. They hadn't told him why they had really left. He assumed it was because of her behavior and that the family had kicked them out.
"Hey dad, do you remember those tangy cinnamon rolls grandma and Megan use to make?" The boy asks passively. "I sure miss those though. Don't you, dad?"
Jade eyes drop to the floor as her father shoots her a worried glance. Her jaw clenches.
"I'm not one for sweets, Jack."
"Yes you are. You said you really liked those. Why are you saying you don't now?" The boy nearly yells. "You like those cinnamon rolls and you like Megan, you can't quit that because o – "
"Enough," the man snaps at his son. His daughter face was beginning to take on a red tint and her hands shook at her side, but he could tell she wasn't angry. Well, not at anyone but herself. He wasn't going to let her feel regret for coming to him and telling him the truth. She would need counseling for sure and he would make certain that happens when he gets the money. "Go get your stuff for school." The boy huffed and stormed off. "Jade…"
The girl only shakes her head and grabs a piece of bread from a plate and nibbles on it. "I should get milk, right?"
He frowns at her. "Yeah but…"
"I'll get more bread and…"
"Jade…"
"We're going to be late." Her head turns and she gently puts down her nibbled on bread. "Come on, Jack. We can't miss the bus."
Her brother ignores her as they wait on the bus and ignores her, the whole bus ride until his stop.
Her bus arrived late and she arrives at Hollywood Arts when mostly everyone is in class already. She hesitates outside before entering into the quiet halls. She chews on her lip nervously, unsure if it's a good thing she would be in the fray of the Hollywood Arts buzz right away.
She already has her schedule and her same locker had been reassigned to her. She has no books yet and heads to her first class – Sikowtiz. The name of the teacher gives her pause. Is she honestly ready for this?
She has to be once her hand raises and she taps lightly classroom door. She waits.
Sikowtiz is looking down at her a moment later. "Ah, I was expecting you, my little turnip. Welcome back!" He loudly exclaims and steps back, waving his arm out wide, beckoning her inside.
Inside every student has turned around to see who Sikowtiz was welcoming back. She inwardly shrank back. Outwardly, she entered with her head held high and took the very first available chair. It isn't in her to look around, so she looks forward instead, feigning indifference.
"Oh my God, Jade!" Before the girl could even think about escaping the flash of red, it was attached to her. "Is it my birthday? I wished for this every single night and here you are!" Cat yelled into her ear as she held on tightly to her. "I'm so happy."
She couldn't breathe and sweat was beginning to drip down her back. Being touched… even if was by Cat. Her body shook and her stomach ached. "Get off of me!" The yell was out of her and she was pushing Cat away from her before even realizing it. Her outburst brought a hush over the class room.
Cat looked a taken a back and ready to cry. Jade could only pant and stare at her with wide eyes. Then, Cat grinned like a mad man. "It's really you!" She bounced up and down. She turns and grabs a random boy in front of her around the neck. "It's really, Jade!"
The brown haired girl only watches as the boy struggles to pry Cat's arm from around his neck. She quietly swallows.
"Now that, that is over," Sikowitz says. "Anyone else that would like to welcome our dear friend Jade back will have to do it after class." She focuses ahead not looking at anyone.
The bell finally rings and a familiar face appears – Tori. A quick look around tells her none of her other old friends were in the class. She mentally sighed in relief.
"Why didn't you tell us you were coming back?" It's Tori Vega who asks this, she has this weird smile on her face as if they were actually friends. Well, she guessed they were in a way.
"I… I wanted it to be a surprise." The girl struggles with her sarcastic remark, all the words felt clumsy and dangerous coming from her lips. She flinched a little, even expecting a consequence to her words. She got to her feet a little wobbly, looking at both girls.
"We'll I'm surprised." Tori grins, "Everyone will be especially…" Then she trails cutting herself off, her smile fading to a look of worry. Jade wonders what that's all about.
"Tori, are you coming today?" An annoyed sounding voice of Andre met their ears before his body appeared in the classroom's doorway. "We have to be a – " His eyebrows shoot up upon seeing Jade. "That's Jade isn't it?"
"Well yeah silly," Cat giggled. "It isn't the Easter bunny." He blankly stares at Cat.
"Alright…" he very slowly says. He turns attention to Jade. "When did you get back, girl? It was like you fell off the edge of the earth."
Continued…
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