Ava's POV
"They look like they're actually mother and daughter," I comments, watching Jessica and Uma's mother converse. Uma scowls and looks away.
"Know what, Ava? I meant what I said when I told you I wasn't leaving your side no matter what. I don't care what she tells my mom," Uma asserts, linking my fingers with hers.
Uma's mother looks up at us, her face wrinkling in disgust. Bitch looks like a candy wrapper. She beckons to Uma. Uma stiffens and comes over, motioning for me to follow her.
"Mother." Uma says in a clipped tone. "Why aren't you in Paris?"
"I was on my way to buy Jessica something from her favorite fashion line when I heard you and your band of misfits got her arrested. So I had to hire the best lawyer money can buy to represent her. Of course I couldn't stay in Paris knowing my favorite niece was probably wasting away in jail."
"Let me guess, you paid her bail," Uma sneers. "Not that I'm surprised at all."
"Please. Like I wouldn't have done the same for you, Uma," her mother chides her.
"Mother, she hurt people. You can't get away with a crime like that," Uma insists.
"Dearie, you don't seem to understand how things work in this world," her mom says condescendingly. "Maybe you will when you find a nice man in your life instead of chasing silly girls...like this one."
She gives me a once over and I suddenly wish I'd kept on my suit on.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Mrs.Nguyen," I lie. "I'm-"
"Ava Edwards. I've heard about you and your lowlife family in the news months ago. It's a shame how you all almost killed that poor Cruz boy. He looks like a potential suitor for you, Uma."
"First of all, he has a loving girlfriend already. Second of all, I don't need a suitor!" Uma snaps, turning a little red.
"Who, that Rose girl attached to him? Trashy gold digger like herself is only going to bring him down in the end."
Ok, tell me this tampon wrapper-looking tiger mom didn't just insult my best friend.
"I don't like people talking about my friends like that, mother," Uma retorts. "They are compatible with each other and complement each other. Ace and I would never be a good fit."
"Auntie," Jessica whines. "I wanted Ace to be my boyfriend for longer."
You wish.
"I know sweetheart. Perhaps when this trial nonsense is over I can arrange an agreement with the boy's parents. It's how I met your uncle, you know."
Arranged courting? Sick! Uma looks like she wants to pounce on her mother and Jessica.
"Ugh! No, mother! You can't just mess with other people's relationships to suit your selfish needs! Rose and Ace love each other and you have no right to interfere in that."
"You always were a simple child, Uma. No one cares about trivial emotions like love. It's all about building alliances with the right people. Jessie, dear, whatever happened to that little Zhou boy you were with?"
Jessica scowls and tosses her head in Aiden's general direction, where he's dozing peacefully on Jay's shoulder while Jay wraps his arms around his waist protectively.
"That happened," she growls.
Ms. Nguyen sighs despondently.
"Always the musicians, isn't it? Sad how they always settle for less."
"That's enough, mother," Uma says curtly. "If you'll excuse us, we'll be headed to our seats. Let's go, Ava."
She takes my hand and less us back to our seats, her mother glaring at us the whole time. Uma looks up at me with her soft gray eyes, and I'm taken back to that moment we first met.
"I see. Would you...like to dance with me?" She offered, holding out her hand. I blushed scarlet. Here was this pretty girl asking me to dance with me. I've had my share of guys ask me put and me giving them a small trial run...it never works out. But with Uma, my heart soared like it never had before.
"You? With me? Right now?" I stammered
"It's ok if you don't want to Ava…" Uma looked disappointed, her doe eyes drooping. Her azure lips pouted.
"N-no! I mean, I would like to dance. With you." I stammered, hoping I hadn't scared this girl away.
Uma beamed and took my hand, pulling me to the dance floor. Cruz and Rose were in the center, slow dancing like a prince and princess. Uma looked at me and smiled, her grin filling me with a warmth I never knew I was missing. Together we danced together to a slow romantic song, Uma leading the way the whole time. Uma pulled me close. She's shorter than I am, so her head came just under my chin. Her sky blue hair tickles my skin.
"Penny for your thoughts," she asked so softly I can hear her heartbeat gently pitter-patterning against mine. I bet she can hear mine increase in tempo.
"Nothing important, Uma," I replied as she twirled me around. "I'm just glad to be spending time with you. E-even though we just met."
Uma blushed and gave me a small smile. "Don't worry, the feeling is mutual. We should definitely see each other again."
"Really? I mean, we go to different schools."
She pressed a finger to my lip and whispered, "We'll find a way."
She blew me a kiss before blending in with the crowd, my skin still tingling.
"Ava, what are you thinking about?"Uma asks, her face just centimeters from mine. I meet her halfway with a kiss and smile at her, cupping her cheek. She turns a little red, then hastily glances left to see if her mother was watching us. She wasn't, thank goodness.
"I have such an awesome girlfriend," I say.
"I know," she giggles.When Ethan, Mr. Price and the Judge come back from the judge's chambers, Ethan looks a little worn out.
"Mr.Price is a man child," he grumbles. "We're taking a break tonight so we'll resume this tomorrow morning. Meet me at the limo in twenty minutes so we can all get some rest."
He picks up his papers and walks briskly out of the door. Jason gently nudges his sleeping boyfriend.
"Wake up, babe," he says softly. "We're going home now."
"Did we win?" Aiden mumbles sleepily.
"Uh...not yet. But I know we will," Jay says, nuzzling his neck.
Uma squeezes my hand excitedly.
"They are so cute!" she whisper-yells, causing both of them to redden.
"Jay, let's go to the diner next door before we head to the limo," Aiden offers. "You guys can come with us if you want."
"We're good, thanks," I say.
"Yeah, I think there's something I need to tell my mother," Uma states, looking at me as she marches over to where her mother, Jessica and Mr.Price are talking.
"...I promise these kids will seriously regret messing with your niece, Mrs.Nguyen," we overhear the lawyer say. "Even if we have to drag their names in the mud and have them institutionaliz-"
Uma clears her throat suddenly. All three of them turn around and glare at us.
"Unless you've come to tell me you've reconsidered my offer about that Cruz boy, I don't want to hear it."
"Well, hear this, mother. I like girls, and there's nothing you can do about that," she says, kissing me passionately. "I'm in love with Ava and we want to be with each other."
Her mother turns to Mr.Price, saying, "I think the champagne I had on the way is getting to me. I thought I heard my biological daughter and heiress say she was a lesbian and that she was in love with a red-haired lowlife who doesn't even live with her parents."
"You heard right, mother. I don't want any courtship or marriage proposals. I'm 17. And right now, being with Ava is what I want," Uma continues.
"Somebody bring me my smelling salts, I feel a little faint…"
"Wake up and smell the roses, mother. This isn't some phase I'll grow out of. I hope you'll realize that eventually."
Uma and I turn away from them and walk out, our heads head high.
When we are out of their sight, Uma squeals and practically jumps into my arms.
"You showed her," I chuckle.
"I can't believe I actually did that," she gasps.
"But...what happens to you now?"
"The house is actually mine. My late father gave it to me in his will when he was dying of brain cancer two years ago."
"Oh, Uma...I'm so sorry."
"It's fine...mostly. At least my mom can't legally kick me out. Hey, want to get a smoothie with Aiden and Jason at the diner to celebrate?"
"You had me at smoothie."
When we get there, Aiden is sitting outside on the steps with a cut lip and other various bruises. Words like "Go back to China" and "white and yellow don't go together" along with various racial slurs are written in black permanent marker on his skin.
"Oh my God," Uma gasps. "What happened?"
"We were just sitting there in the diner, talking. Then when Jason started kissing me, it got a little heated. Some guy and his friends started yelling at us. Jay tried to take them all on at once...Trust me, if I look bad, Jay's even worse."
We take a closer look and notice he's holding Jason in his arms, who's breathing heavily. Part of his face was smeared with blood. Someone cut the word "shemale" on his cheek.
"Babe, come on," he says weakly, waving his hand dismissively. "This is nothing some bandaging and gauze won't fix. My dad's asshole friends did a lousy job of sending a message. I'll get them back. I'll get all of them back."
"Jason, you're seriously hurt, and I'm pretty sure you need a hospital."
Jason coughs, rubbing his chest in frustration.
"Why? So my dad can refuse to treat me and watch me die? Look, let's just go home…"
He stands up, walks a few feet, and smiles crookedly. He collapses. His eyes go blank. He's not moving...I doubt he's even breathing. Aiden rushes to his side in an instant.
"Call a hospital," he orders, trying to revive him. His voice cracks. "Please."
I'm already dialing 911 while Uma gets the others.
"There were two of us and eight of them. They kept saying that I needed to 'stay with my own kind' and that if Jason wants to act like a guy, he'd be treated like one. Why do they hate us?" Aiden says, tears starting to stream down his face as he relentless tries to save Jay. "What did we ever do to them?"
"Aiden...I don't know," Uma asks, patting his back. "We just have to hope that Jay makes it."
"And if he doesn't?"
"Let's not make that a possibility."
A haughty voice scoffs at us.
"What...the hell...do you want?" Aiden growls. "You can't seriously be trying to bother me after-"
A sob bursts from his throat. Jessica actually looks sympathetic.
"Oh, Aiden, I would never kick a guy when he's down. I feel terrible that this happened to you and Jay."
"You...you do?"
"Of course...but come on, you didn't see this coming?"
"What?"
"I didn't arrange this accident, FYI. But I warned you being with Jason was going to lead to trouble."
"How would you know?" He snaps, turning on her. "He was my best friend before he became my boyfriend. And now, because of you...he might never be the same of he even makes it. Just...stay away from us, Jessica."
His voice is just so hollow broken. Jessica opens her mouth to say something, then wisely shuts up and walks away.
"Aiden...are you going to be ok?" Uma asks him.
"Forget about me. I just want Jay back," he sighs. "Look, I think I need some time to process what happened."
Uma nods and we leave them. The others catch up to us.
"We heard about what happened," Rose says. "I thought his dad was bad, but not this sociopathic."
"We can visit them in the hospital, later," Ethan says. "For now, I think we just need some rest for tomorrow."
(Sneak Peek of Next Chapter)
Aiden's POV
My parents get here almost as soon as the ambulance does.
"Aiden!" my mother cries, giving me a bone crushing hug.
"Mom…" I mumble, feeling numb.
"What happened, precious?" She asks, wincing at my injuries and stroking my hair.
"They...he...how…" I'm at a loss for words as they load Jason onto the stretcher. I must be trembling terribly, because one of the EMTs offers me a trauma blanket. "I could have stopped him from picking a fight with those jerks. But I just stood there and let him get hurt."