I would love to apologize for taking almost a year to update...
I would be glad to say that I'll be working on Fireworks again...
but that would just make you spend more time on my unnecessary author's note
and less time reading the chapter.

Previously on "Chances of Survival..."

"Wait!" I yelled. She, of course, ignored me. I turned around, only to face a bunch of students, staring at me with blank expressions.

"What are you staring at?" I bellowed. "I didn't see any of you guys trying to stop it!"

They kept staring at me. I cringed in annoyance. "The show's over! Get to class already!"

They finally disappeared through doors and up staircases, taking their stares off of me. Finally, I walked down the hall, kind of wishing that I had listened to my first instinct and hadn't gotten involved.

Chapter 5

"You Have No Idea"

Jade's POV

It wasn't my fault, I kept reminding myself, trying to ignore the numb pain in my left arm. It wasn't my fault.

I was sitting at the lunch table by myself, waiting for my very small group of friends (eh...) to hurry their asses along. Thank God he didn't have the same lunch as us. He was in the middle of Weight Lifting, and I was able to have time to myself.

I kept trying to tell myself that it wasn't my fault. That he didn't have to do that. That I had to add five more pages to my script that was due the next day, and I just couldn't bring myself to pick up the phone when he called.

Slowly, the needle of doubt was injected into my brain, with a voice that kept saying, "Maybe it was my fault."

I should have finished that stupid script earlier. If I wasn't such a procrastinator, I could have finished it early and then picked up the phone on time. On the schedule that he made for me.

Then I remembered, I couldn't have finished it any sooner. I was at dinner with his family a couple days ago, where he had practically forced in my mouth every dish they had that I was allergic too. I had ended up with food poisoning for two days, so I couldn't possibly had finished it then.

But of course, even when I was sick, I was able to call him on schedule...

GOD! Why am I thinking like this! I told myself. I'm Jade Freakin' West, the School Badass!

Then I remembered a painful fact. That was the old Jade West.

That was back when I could scare the entire freshman class into a pile of maple syrup just by looking at them.

That was back when I ruled the school with my onyx-colored ensemble and spiked or pointy jewlery.

That was back...when I had Beck...

I shook my head out its reminiscing stage. There was absolutely no point of looking back at what I can't get retrieve. Besides, I was stuck now. I was stuck without anyone to talk to. I was stuck with these obnoxiously bright fabrics on my body

I was stuck in new chains... chains being pulled and tightened

by my boyfriend Rob Shapiro.

Charlie's POV

*SLAM!*

I remembered hearing a strange sound before I was knocked out. It was like someone slammed their hand on a keyboard.

I came out of my unconsciousness after what seemed to be a few seconds. My vision was blurred and my back was going against a hard, sturdy surface that I assumed was the floor. In front of me was a darkened blob that slightly resembled a human.

"Oh shit," It whispered with its deep voice. "Are you okay?"

Everything started to become clearer, and the second that I noticed signature dreads, my breath caught in my throat, only to release itself the second his hand was out, offering to help me up.

I let out a restrained "Hi" as I grabbed his hand and used his weight to pull myself up.

"Um hi," he said nervously. "Look, I... I am so sorry about that. I...I just didn't see you coming up and..."

I began to zone out of his apologetic babbling when I began to feel a severe yet numbing pain in my forehead. I looked behind him and saw the opened door of the locker right next to mine, which strangely resembled piano, white and black keys descending it. I then noticed that about five of the keys closest to my eye level were stuck, and had an indented line going across them.

Realizing the origin of my pain, I put my focus back on his apology, which he was still trying to finish up.

"...and I'm really, really sorry. Are you sure you're okay?"

After taking a while to focus, I answered him.

"Um...yeah, it's cool. Just an accident, right?" I said, trying to shrug it off.

"Of course. Do you need me to take you to the nurse..."

"No, no. I'm fine". I put on a smile, in an attempt to convince him.

"You sure, cause it's right there-"

I interrupted him with a light laugh. "Trust me, it's not the first time I've gotten hit in the forehead."

Finally noticing my attempted joke, he let out a relieved chuckle.

"However, in case you try to give someone else a concussion, I would like to know what name to report you by?"

He let out a laugh and stuck his hand out. "Andre Harris. Musician and future coma inducer."

I let out a soft chuckle and shook his hand, sending electric shocks throughout my arm. "Charlie McKey. Dancer and..." I tried to come up with a position "...current ass kicker."

That caused him to crack up, giving me time to notice how intoxicating his smile was.

After calming down, he let out a tired sigh. "Wow. You're like... the first person who's made me laugh in... ages."

I looked to the ground for a second, trying to cover up my irises from possibly turning heart-shaped. "And... what is my reward for my accomplishment?"

He looked around. "You get to... have the opportunity of...sitting next to me at lunch."

I giggled. "As delightfully cliché as that offer is, I'll have to pass. I 'm sitting with Tori and Cat.

"Well then," he turned his body slightly to the left, sticking out his elbow, waiting for me to interlock it with mine. "That makes two of us."

I laughed and walked right past him to head outside, hearing the sweet sound of fast-paced footsteps as he tried to keep up with me.

Tori's POV

"Where's Cherry?"

Cat's repeating question was annoying me. Surprisingly, Jade kept focusing on her salad, unfazed by her whining.

"Cat..." I said slowly. "First of all, her name is Chaaarrrrliiiie. And for the 17th time, it's only been five minutes. She's probably getting lunch.

She kept the worried, wide-eyed look on her face. "But what if the alien from the spring play showed up and abducted her?"

I rubbed my temples in irritation. "That was just-"

Jade put her hand on my arm. "I'll handle this," she said, in her soft yet blunt voice, and faced Cat. "Look Cat," she picked her spoon. "Spoon!"

Cat gasped in admiration. "Yay, Shiny!" she held it in front of her face, examining it.

I looked up and finally saw Charlie, laughing it up with Andre.

"Look, Cat, Charlie's here." She didn't seem to hear me, as she was indulged in her reflection on the spoon. "Cat? CAT?"

She let out a yelp, chucking her spoon away from her, making it land on a red spot on Charlie's forehead. Charlie flinched, as if the little piece of silverware actually hurt her, and fell back, where Andre was there to put her back into balance. Finally getting off her feet, she sat down, and plucked the spoon off of her tray.

"Does this belong to someone?"

"ME!" Cat wailed and quickly snatched it away from her, happy to be reunited with it.

"You guys have all met Charlie, right?"

Cat and I let out a nonchalant "yes", while Jade let out an unnecessary "whatever".

"This school is really interesting." Charlie admitted. "I guess you initiation for new people are hitting them in the head with stuff.

Andre began laughing, apparently getting an inside joke between them.

"Would you like me to give you my initiation?" I heard Jade say. I had to admit, I was shocked. Not necessarily by the fact that she's already verbally abusing the new kid, but because that was the first time in a year that she was actually acting like her sarcastic, snarky self.

I looked at Charlie, who seemed to be unfazed by Jade's threat. If anything, she looked like she thought it was funny.

"Well, if you didn't, I'd be disappointed," she returned, slurping at her water bottle. "It would mean you're not welcoming me."

"Where on Earth would you get that idea?" Jade replied in a sardonically sweet voice.

Andre decided to change the subject. "So... Charlie, how were you able to get into this school."

I decided to go along with him. "Yeah, we almost never get new students in the middle of the year."

A smile appeared on her face. "It's kind of a funny story actually..."

"Depends on your definition of funny." Jade mumbled, throwing the tomatoes from her salad over her shoulder, letting them land on the group of students behind us.

Irritation was creeping over Andre's face. "Jade!"

"Oh, it's fine," Charlie reassured him. "I'm starting to like her."

Jade, along with everyone else at the table, looked at her in confusion. "You obviously have a horrible judge of character."

"Well... what's character without a couple of pushpins?"

Cat and I looked at each other hopelessly confused. What's character without a couple of pushpins? That seemed like something Sikowitz would say. Apparently, Jade was the only one that understood it. Her mouth was slightly open, and her eyes turned into the size of CD's.

"What did you just say?" Jade asked softly. Charlie only grinned at her mischievously.

Without warning, Jade pushed herself off her seat and stood over Charlie, casting a shadow over her small frame.

"Give me your finger." Jade demanded.

As if she knew what to expect, Charlie pointed her index finger toward Jade's torso. Jade wrapped her fist around it, pulling her out of her seat and pulling her behind into the building.

"We'll be back guys." Charlie called out, as if it was the most casual thing in the world.

Andre turned toward me. "Okay, I'm confused as chizz."

"I second that," I agreed, "What do you think that was all about, Cat?"

I didn't hear a response.

"Cat? CAT?"

Cat cast her eyes off of the spoon that was in her hands. "What did I miss?" she looked around. "Where's Jade and Cherry?"

Andre and I both groaned, putting our foreheads against our hands.

Jade's POV

This is not happening. I kept repeating to myself as I dragged the tiny Asian chick over to Andre's locker next to a blank one. Immediately, I let her go and turned on my heels to face her.

"'What's character without a couple of pushpins'?" I repeated in amazement. She kept staring at me casually, while I was going insane. "You do realize that I haven't heard a statement like that since I was in-" I chocked on my words a bit. " -eighth grade?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I know how much you hate repeating material, but-"

"How could you possibly know that?" I screamed, tears forming in my eyes. "You're new. You're not supposed to know anything about anyone at this school."

She stared at me for a few seconds, then let out an exasperated sigh. "You honestly don't recognize me?"

I much as I didn't want to admit it, I did more than recognize her. This girl's face has been planted in my brain since... the incident.

"Oh, come on. How many people do you know that are this short?" She hand motioned toward her frame, which had to be a least two inches shorter than Cat. My mind was still in a state of disbelief and shock.

"Really?" she said softly. "Jadey?"

That one word, the nickname that nobody but one person has called me, was what did it.

"L-Lottie?" I said, frozen.

Smirking, she opened out her arms towards me, and my composure, the same one that I've managed to keep up for over three years, crumbled down as I basically collapsed onto her, tears streaming down my face.

"My God, I thought I'd never see you again."