Chapter 7

The walk to where I was meeting Jade was quick seeing as it was under a tree by the front door. The second I exited the building I say her wave frantically trying desperately to get my attention. I smiled slightly, already feeling a bit better, and made my way toward her. Today her hair was down and she wore a short, ruffled, blue dress, under that she wore leggings.

Before I walked all the way toward the grinning girl she had thrown herself at me with a big hug. I stumbled back but slid my arms around her, not minding the tackle, she was known for this sort of thing. I could hear the hello, and the grin in her voice as she said it before she pulled back and sighed, running her fingers though her hair.

"So," She said in a high voice, it suited her, "Where would you like to go to talk? Wherever it is… it'll be my treat to cheer you up." I looked at her, messenger bag hitting her hip, she smiled broadly, the one thing about her that could be seen as "different" or "ugly was a slight overbite but it, like the voice, suited her.

"Er… we could go for coffee?" My tone made the statement sound like a question; she nodded none the less and grabbed me by my arm. I looked at her in a confused manor, not quite knowing what she had bribed Dave with so she could go out alone with another boy. It was probably something to do with his horrible rapping.

"Off we go then!" She began pulling me, everything was an adventure for her and I guessed this would be no different. We walked the streets near our school, more like she did and I was pulled, and probably looked very strange. I was tall, gawky, and wore hipster attire where as she was short, sweet, and adorable. We both had school things and she kept chatting loudly, I caught people staring at us.

The coffee shop was about half a mile away, but it was a nice place. The walls were a purple color and that could have given the place a dark look, but somehow the place just looked cozy. There were tables but there were also beanbags. The windows were large and there were a few bookshelves full of books, another thing that made the place nice was that it was a Wi-Fi hotspot. Future writer's flocked to the place and students working on projects. It was one of my favorite places.

Jade fell silent the second we walked in, not wanting to disturb those working, ad pulled me to a table in the back. She dumped her things and sat down, picking up a menu. She looked confused when I didn't look at a menu but shrugged.

"What do you want…?" She didn't even look up when she asked the question; too busy looking at some picture of a cheesecake from the looks of it. I slid into the seat across from her, taking my backpack off as I did so.

"I'll get what I want, don't worry… I have some money." She gave a pout and put a hand over mine.

"Eridan," She said with a serious tone, "I took you here to make you feel better, I'm paying for you, don't worry about it, I have a job!" I sighed; I knew there would be no telling her otherwise. Jade would stick to something once she had the idea in her mind, she was stubborn enough.

"Alright…" I said in defeat, I could pay. My family was rich enough after all but I gave in and let her buy me my coffee, I liked it black with sugar and caramel flavor. She nodded as I told her my order and went up to the counter. About five minutes later she came back, slid my coffee over, and sipped her hot chocolate cautiously, she snapped back from the heat but then giggled at herself as I raise an eyebrow.

"So… what happened today?" She didn't sound nosy, only wanted to help. I could tell. Instantly I began telling her about my problems, venting my feelings of anger, sadness, and confusion. I watched her nod at the right parts and look worried, eyebrows knitting together, as she sipped her beginning to cool drink.

"I just don't get what I did w-wrong!" I said in what was dangerously close to being a whine, by now Jade was picking at a thread in her sleeve, she was still listening but I had been talking for a long time. I wiped at my eyes, not wanting to cry in front of a girl I wasn't too close to, and I was in public, I really didn't want to be that person.

"I'm so sorry," She said and I couldn't help but believe her. "Look, what she did wasn't nice, but you need to rise up from that. You're a great person, smart, artistic, and kind, and you hold a lot of potential. I know it hurts to lose someone you're close to…" Her eyes filled with tears but she blinked it away, "Eridan… be strong."

I nodded weakly, not trusting myself to speak as she came over to me and hugged me tightly. I hugged her back, having not realized how much I needed it, and lay my head on her shoulder. She held me for a few moments then pulled back and sat down again, as a waitress came over with chocolate fudge.

"I'm sorry; I don't think we ordered that…" Jade said her voice filled with confusion. The woman was shorter than me with a messy black pixy cut, her eyes were bright blue and hidden behind glasses, over all she looked a tiny bit older then Jade and I, I believe I had seen her here before. She just smiled and winked, her next words proved that the world wasn't all that cruel.

"Don't worry," she said in a cheerful manor. "It's on the house, I hope you feel better." She said to me, eyes full of concern. I couldn't help but smiled slightly and murmur a thank you shyly. She smiled again, and with that the young lady walked away, smile still on her kind face.