I wake up with Jordan asleep next to me. I don't want to get up and get ready for school. I want to spend the next few days with Jordan before he leaves. I don't want him to leave. I had begged my parents to let me take care of him while my dad was away. I had begged them to let me go with him. But they weren't having it.
"Jordan," I whisper while gently nudging my brother. "We've gotta get ready for school." He rolls over and makes slight groaning noises for a few moments before sitting up straight.
"Can you drive me?" he asks.
"Of course I can," I answer. Jordan goes to take a shower and I check the text messages on my phone. One from Tori, "Good morning, princess." And one from Beck, "Can we talk during lunch? Meet me in the Black Box."
I ignore Beck's text for the time being and write to Tori. "Can we come over after school?"
"We?" she writes back almost instantly.
"Me and J." I respond.
"Yes please." She writes back.
I get ready for school and make sure Jordan is ready to go on time. Our parents are nowhere to be found. I think about how that's a good thing because I'd probably just scream at them again.
Jordan and I walk out to my car and he points out a piece of paper stuck under the windshield wiper.
"What's that?" he asks.
"I don't know," I answer as I walk around the car to get the piece of paper. It has my name written on the front, in perfect serifed letters. I vaguely recognize it as Tori's handwriting, but with the addition of small lines attached to the ends of every stroke. Jordan watches me as I open the piece of paper. There are only two words on it.
I'm yours.
"Is it from Tori?" Jordan asks me.
"Yes," I respond.
"I could tell because of the way your face lit up," he says. I laugh at myself for being so obvious. "Can I see her soon?"
"I'm actually going to pick you up from school and we're going over to her house," I inform him.
"Cool!" Jordan can't exactly conceal his excitement.
I tuck the note from Tori into my pocket and we get into my car. I drop Jordan off at his school and make my way to Hollywood Arts. I pull into the parking lot and see that Beck is standing in the spot I usually park in. I roll my eyes. "Great," I mutter under my breath.
He moves out of the way so I can pull into the spot. He grabs my wrist as I step out of my car.
"You haven't responded to any of my texts," he says.
"I've been busy," I say.
"Yeah," he says. He looks right at me. "I heard." I freeze. I'm woken up by a ding coming from my phone. Beck looks at my phone and I quickly hide it behind my back. I turn around to catch a quick glimpse of it. A text message from Tori. Behind that notification the picture of Tori and Jordan. I look at Beck and I know that he saw the picture, even if just for a second.
"Was that her?" he asks. I put my phone in my pocket and look up at him. I can't respond. "What, are you gay now?" I still can't respond. "Is that why you broke up with me?"
"I... no... Beck, I," I'm finally able to speak.
"Don't answer that," he says.
"Okay," I say. I don't have an answer for him anyway.
"I thought we were going to get back together," he confesses.
"Why would you think that?" I ask.
"Because we always get back together," he says.
"Not this time, Beck." I say firmly. He looks like he is about to say something. I turn away and walk into school.
My first instinct is to go find Cat. But then I remember that she must have been the one who told Beck.
Once I get inside I pull my phone out to check the text I'd received from Tori. Before reading the text I take a second to look at the picture of Tori and Jordan. I smile then change the wallpaper back to the generic Pear Phone default.
I read the text from Tori. "Hope you have a great day, princess."
I quickly write back. "You too."
I walk to my locker and grab the books I need for my first class. I get to my US History class and walk into a room of people who stare at me. I watch as twenty sets of eyes follow me as I walk over to a seat near the window. The teacher walks in and the glares fade. But I'm left with the stares burned into me. I can still feel them. And I know why they're staring. I make a mental note to find Cat and confront her.
I don't need to look very hard. Class ends and I head back to my locker. Cat is standing right in front of it, waiting for me.
"Hey Jade!" she shouts as I walk over. She is her normal, bubbly self.
I approach her with every intention of keeping my cool. She tries to hug me but I gently push her away. He huge smile fades to a frown.
"Are you okay?" Cat asks me.
"No," I say, "I'm not."
"What's wrong?" she asks obliviously.
"Cat," I start. "You told everyone."
"Told everyone what?" she asks.
"What we talked about," I try to explain. No recognition in her eyes. "When we went for lunch." She still has a confused look on her face. "I told you about that girl I met. And I told you not to tell anyone and instead you told everyone!" She finally seems to get it.
"I didn't tell everyone!" she defends.
"You promised you wouldn't tell anyone." I remind her.
"I only told Beck and Andre and Robbie," Cat says.
"Cat!" I come so close to screaming at her. So close to screaming at this girl who is supposed to be my best friend.
"Jade, I'm sorry," she tries to apologize.
"Cat," I speak her name, my voice louder than before.
"I didn't mean to," Cat says. "It just came out."
"Cat," I say again, this time shaking my head.
"I'm sorry," Cat says.
I can't hear it anymore. She broke a promise. She betrayed me. I've been holding back but it fills me up too much. I need to let go.
"NO!" I scream at her. This is the first time I've ever screamed at someone who wasn't my parents. It scares me a bit, but I'm surprised by the small extent to which it does. I'm surprised by how it doesn't feel as bad as I thought it might. Then I look up at Cat. She looks terrified. She looks like she's going to cry.
"Ki-," I try to use my nickname for her, but I just can't. She's not my Kitty Cat anymore. And she's gone. I watch as she runs down the hallway. I'm left to think about what just happened. Her betrayal. My reaction. Left to think about our friendship and what it could mean anymore.