The Turtle Prince
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Sometimes it's like this.
Jade's angry. Angry and mad, and everyone is staying out of her way. Her fight with Beck could be heard from practically every class room, because Jade has crazy vocal range when she wants to. She spends the rest of the day stomping around and tearing down anyone who dared confront her.
Sometimes Jade and Beck fight, and then—…she's staring at me.
Staring hard at me, during class, and in between. I'm really trying to ignore it, because I know why and she knows why, and so I try to think about something else as I tell Tori my story about finding a turtle outside my house, and naming it Peter. And he was itty bitty, and so cute, but my mom said I couldn't keep him, so I drew a smiley face with permanent marker on his shell and drove down to the park where's there's a little creek, and I put him by the water. And maybe, when he gets big and grown, I'll see him again and he'll still have the smiley face on his shell and he'll recognize me and;
"What if it's a girl turtle?" Andre interrupts me while he's getting books out of his locker, getting ready for our next class. I think for a minute.
"What's that supposed to mean?" I yell out, offended. If it was a girl turtle, I wouldn't have named it Peter.
"Nothing, never mind." He's quick to reply, and I'm about to pursue it farther until I feel a friendly arm around my shoulder, and I look up at Tori.
"I'm sure the boy turtle will be glad to see you when he grows up." I just beam up at her, all tall and sweet. She's so nice, and it makes me happy when people understand. Of course he'll be glad to see me. Wait—what if;
"What if, when he grows up, he finds me and then I kiss him and he turns into a prince?" Like a rich handsome prince that loves me and lets me love him back, and Jade just stares and stares, so I'm looking at Tori when I say it, so, so excited about the prospect. She pats my arm once before letting me go with a light chuckle.
"That would be cool." She replies lightly.
"What would the turtle turn into," Jades dark voice practically cuts through our conversation, and all three of us automatically give her our attention, but she's only looking at me. "If it was a girl turtle?"
A small smirk started to play at her lips, and her eyebrow rises slowly.
"I don't know." My voice is weak, but then gains some strength when a thought hits me. "She would have to let me kiss her to find out."
It's wrong, I know. It's wrong that I got a little thrill when her smirk instantly disappeared and her eyes grew dark again. I felt bad about it, I did, but before I could back track on my words, the bell rang for our next class. I know I wasn't the only relieved person to be able to escape this angry Jade who just stares and says angry words, so Andre's making a break for it and Tori takes some strides before looking back at me expectantly.
"Stay." Jade doesn't say it to me like it's a question, but she doesn't sound very mad either, so it makes me want to. A little.
"Cat, we're going to be late." Tori offers like she's trying to help me get away from her, but it's still Jade and it's still me, and sometimes angry Jade turns into sweet, amazing Jade who makes me feel warm inside. Like, like the chocolate chips in fresh cookies. Melty and warm and gooey.
"Leave." She shoots back at Tori, giving her a glare that she finally relents to, and goes on her way while sparing me a sympathetic look.
Once the halls clear, Jade takes a final look around before she hooks her finger in the belt loop of my jean shorts. She might have tugged me into her, or I could just be magnetically attracted to her. Some invisible force that draws us together. All I know is that my hips are snug against hers, and I like it here.
"Come over tonight." Her voice is a little weak, and her eyes watch her fingers as they idly play with the sleeve of my tee shirt.
"I have to study." I do.
"I'll help you study." All smiles when she says it, and it makes me warm and gooey, and it be love, right?
"No you won't." I smile back, because I know—know I love her, because otherwise I wouldn't smile when she looks at me like that and I'd just study and stay away, but I can't do any of that with her. Not for a long time.
The fingers in my belt loop detach, and move underneath my shirt. Sliding and tracing and tickling my stomach, and Jade keeps her eyes focused on all the angles of the hallways, making sure there's no one watching. Because this is dangerous, burning hot blood rushing to my cheeks dangerous, and I feel her fingers reach a lace covered breast. I feel nails scrape gently, and pressure, and pinching, oh—my knees buckle a little.
Her attention to my chest ceases almost as soon as it begins, and her retreating hand gives me the strength to take a step back from her. Dangerous. I take a breath, and blush more at her smirk.
"Come over tonight." She repeats, strong and sure.
"I have a project due with Tori. She's already coming over to my house." I feel a weight on my chest, anticipating Jades mood to swing, like a kid in the playground swinging back and forth and higher and higher. Sometimes it's like that, but now the corners of her lips just twitch slightly before responding.
"Blow her off. I'm worth it, and she's not." I feel a little surge of defensiveness to her words.
"Tori's my friend, and she's nice—"
"I can be nice." She cuts me off, pushing the words through a clenched jaw. I know she can, I do, but she is not convincing at all when she says it. It's all green eyes and frustration. It makes me want to say no; just let Tori come over, and stop playing this game with Jade. Because, I never thought it was a game, but it's like, it's like I know she's keeping score somewhere, making rule books, and stuff, but all I want is her.
Which is why I can't say no, already thinking of excuses to make to Tori.