Disclaimer I own nothing...nada..zip zilch. Everything except the plot belongs to Raymond Thompson and Cloud Nine.
Thanks to my reviewers:
Diosa Angelo- Thanks for pointing out my spelling mistake on the name May. My friend is also named Mae except she spells it with an e instead of a y. So that's why I was slightly confused...but the problem is fixed. :) Hope you keep reading and reviewing.
Tribal Leader555- Thanks for reviewing, glad you like the story so far.
Chapter 3: Avoidance and Anticipation
When Ebony got home, she wanted to do nothing more but sleep. Her head was throbbing and every movement sent pain coursing down her spine. Grabbing the quilt of her bed, she wrapped herself in it and collapsed on the futon in Java's room. Java had the privilege of having satellite in her room, which meant that if Ebony ever wanted to watch anything she'd have to go down to the living room to watch it or spend time with Java. But since Java was away at college, it wasn't so bad.
She flipped through a few channels but nothing was on. At least, nothing she wanted to watch. Java's room smelt like Jasmine and was warmed by the sun pouring down through the sky-lights. Before she knew it, Ebony had fallen asleep right on Java's couch.
She woke up around 5:30 to the sound of her cell phone ringing. At first she tried to ignore it and hoped that the person would leave a message and stop calling her but that didn't happen.
"Arggggh!" Ebony grumbled as she waddled still wrapped in her blanket to the small silver phone in her purse. She pulled it out and opened it to look to see who was calling but she didn't recognize the number.
"...Hello?" Ebony said unsure of who's voice lay on the other end.
"Ebony..." She instantly knew who was calling her and she wasn't exactly happy about it.
"What do you want Jay?" Ebony questioned, her quilt falling off her shoulders as she walked to an arm chair.
"We really need to talk..." Jay started to say before Ebony cut him off.
"Look I thought I made it clear to you last night, I don't want to talk with you." Ebony rubbed her temple with her free hand.
"I know, but...listen I still have feelings for you. I'm not going to pretend not to notice when something is wrong." Jay said softly.
"And what makes you think something is wrong Jay? Please enlighten me.." Ebony said becoming defensive.
"Last night, you showed up on the back of some older guy's motorcycle. Then you proceeded to get more drunk than I have ever seen you before. On top of that you end up going home with Lex of all people and you fought with May." Jay was lecturing her again, she got sick of his lectures when she dated him.
"Wait, who told you I fought with May?" She snapped.
"She did... listen I know what happened last night after the night club...I just can't help but feel that you are still upset about...you know.. You and me." Jay responded.
"Do you really know what happened Jay? Were you there? Did you have a knife at your throat? No! And to answer your question, I'm over you. So you can stop with your guilt trip, the "I'm so superior to Ebony because I've moved on to bigger and better things so I need to pity her" act. Because you didn't seem to give a damn about me when you cheated on me with Amber..." Ebony let loose the anger that had been boiling up inside during their relationship.
"...Can we leave her out of this? I am not trying to act superior Ebony, I'm trying to act like your friend, because you seem to need one right about now. I'm not going to beg you to talk with me, I just hoped you'd open up for once." Jay's voice trailed off followed by the sound of a click.
Ebony hit the end button on her phone and tossed it on to the opposing table. She couldn't take much more of this. Everyone was treating her like some child, like she didn't know what she was doing.
Monday morning came on quickly. Ebony had barely enough time to take a shower and get out the door in one piece to make it to school on time. Manchester Academy was a more conservative school, where the well to do sent their kids. Though they didn't have uniforms, there was a strict dress code. Usually Ebony broke it by wearing a shirt that showed off her stomach or a skirt that was too short. But today she was looking rather plain. She had on a pair of jeans, a white tank top with a white button up shirt on over it and a pair of sneakers. She wasn't wearing her usual tirade of make-up either. Only some lip-gloss and mascara lay on her face.
She spent the day avoiding May and everyone else for that matter. She skipped lunch to work on her essay in the library and by 7th period most people realized something was up. She was at her locker, filling her messenger bag with the books she needed for that evening when Salene of all people cautiously approached her.
"Hi, Ebony." Salene said with a quick smile. Ebony looked at her from the corner of her eye as she continued to replace books from her bag with the ones still on the shelf.
"Hello." Ebony said without her usual sense of contempt.
"Listen, is something wrong? Something bothering you? Because you weren't at lunch today, and I noticed you and May weren't talking." Salene said putting on her motherly tone.
"Everything's fine...scout's honor." Ebony answered. She gave Salene a look of disapproval before heading down the hall and out the main door.
Students were spilling outside to catch the bus or down to the parking lot to go home. Ebony wasn't paying much attention when she bumped into someone as she was walking through the parking lot towards her car.
"Oh sorry... I.. Slade?" She said sounding rather surprised to see him at her school.
"Ebony...told you that we'd be seeing each other again." He answered with a smile.
"What are you doing here?" She asked. Confusion lied plainly on Ebony's brow. Slade certainly looked out of place at Manchester. He wore dark jeans and a leather jacket, his hair was slightly unkempt and his earring was glinting in the sunlight.
"Dropping off something for my little brother..." He said smirking. The entire time they were talking his eyes never left hers. The connection between the two was obvious, though neither of them was going to say or do anything.
"Right...well I kinda need to be going home." Ebony said changing her tone as she tried to move past him. She didn't forget what Mega had said about Slade having a girlfriend. Though normally she wouldn't be put off by this fact, Ebony didn't really have much fight left in her right now.
"So soon? Thought we'd have a bit more of a chat then that." Slade spoke to her retreating back. Ebony stopped and turned to look at him, she had to squint as the sun was hitting her directly in the eye.
"Maybe some other time." Ebony suggested with a smile. Her first genuine one of the day.
"How about tomorrow night? say 'round 7. I'll meet you at the pier.." Slade said confidently. Ebony was taken aback did he just ask her out? If she waited too long to respond he'd think she wasn't interested and she was. But if she answered too quickly, then she'd seem to eager. After a sufficient pause she gave him his answer.
"Sure..love to." Ebony gave him another smile and a wink before heading off to her car. She tried to repress her girlish squeals and her sense of delight but she still was smiling after their encounter. When she got to her car, May was waiting for her.
"Can we talk?" May said squinting slightly. Ebony kept thinking that had to be the phrase she'd heard the most these past couple of days.
"Sure." Ebony said as she opened the passenger side door so she could toss her heavy book bag inside.
"Listen, I'm sorry for saying those things to you yesterday...I was upset and I didn't mean to take anything out on you." May explained, all the while fiddling nervously with her hands.
"It's alright, your forgiven. I was pretty crabby too, you know?" Ebony smiled.
Well she made up with May, that was one thing less on her to do list. Then the roar of a motorcycle could be heard moving through the parking lot. It stopped short of where Ebony and May stood. Slade looked at Ebony and nodded his head though only his eyes could be seen under the helmet before taking off again.
"Was that Slade?" May asked turning around to get a better look.
"Yeah..." Ebony said smiling and almost beginning to blush.
Ebony wasn't a girl to blush, or to generally show the signs of a crush beyond her flirting. But Slade was different, he made her feel legitimately happy even after he was gone.
"So why was he looking at you like that?" May asked raising a brow suggestively.
"Because, he asked me out tomorrow night." Ebony responded and turned away knowing full well that May was going to be utterly shocked by this development.
"And you said yes?" May waited to see Ebony's head nod, "Well where's he taking you?"
"He told me to meet him at the Pier." Ebony answered as she moved around to get into her car.
"The Pier? Tomorrow? You do remember what tomorrow is don't you?" May said becoming hysterical.
"Tuesday?" Ebony offered sarcastically.
"The festival on the boardwalk! If you show up to that with Slade, everyone is going to think you two are an item." May said smirking slightly knowing fully well that that's what Ebony wanted.
"So let them have their thoughts...who knows they may be right." Ebony got into her car and shot the door. May took a step back as Ebony pulled out of the parking lot and drove home, the anticipation for tomorrow night had already begun.