Chapter 8:

Who I Am

Jade came home extremely late after another long night of partying. When she got through the door her aunt Vicky was sitting on the couch not looking happy.

"Where have you been?"

"Out," Jade said as if it were obvious.

"All these late nights are getting ridiculous Jade! You've neglected your studies for months and I can't keep lying to your parents for you!"

"I'm not doing anything wrong! I'm just having fun," Jade said.

"Staying out late all the time, coming home drunk," Vicky said. "Is this really the kind of life you want?!"

She grew a tabloid down on the table. On the front was a picture of the girls coming out of a club one night. The headline said Rock Angelz: Coming out of the club drunk af. "I'm shocked your parents haven't seen this."

"You really think I care what my parents say? I came here to get away from them!" Jade said.

She took out another tabloid. On the front was a picture of her by herself this time partying in a nightclub. Is Rock Angel Jade Out of Control?

"That's bullshit! I'm not out of control!"

"It's time I reigned you in. I'm doing your parents a disservice by letting you run free like this. I want a curfew, I want you to finish high school."

"Don't you people realize you can't tie me down like this?! I'll do whatever the fuck I want and you or anyone else isn't going to tell me what to do!"

Vicky stood up. She could see why her sister said Jade was their biggest challenge. "You live under my house and you will abide by my rules!"

"Then I'll leave! I don't want to live here anyway! I'll leave and I'll do what I want!"

*WW*

Sure enough within the next day Jade had found somewhere else to live and was out of her aunt Vicky's house fast. She didn't want anyone tying her down. She did what she wanted and that was that.

Her and her friends were out at another party the next day. They were in a 6 floor night club and they were visiting all the floors seeing what was up.

"Let's go to the top floor!" Cloe said leading them over to the elevator.

They got on and there were also two guys on it.

"Oh my god, you're the Rock Angelz!"

"You're so fucking hot!"

"You'd better believe it babe," Sasha said. She went over to the first guy and pressed herself against him grabbing his dick. "You're not too bad yourself."

They girls crowded the guys and decided to have some fun. They danced on them and twerked on them. Cloe bent over in front of the other guy and he smacked her butt and stuck his finger under her thong.

Yasmin and Sasha pulled down their shirts for the other guy and he sucked their breasts.

Jade stuck her hand in the other guys pants. "Damn he's got a nice dick!"

They had some fun on the elevator for a few minutes and then they arrived at the top floor.

They did more dancing. Jade got so drunk she was dancing on tables. She was dancing with a guy and things got really hot and heavy. He bent her over right on the dance floor and they had some fun.

She ended up hanging out with his friends who were all sitting at a table having drinks and chatting. One guy pulled out his cocaine and started to snort it and passed it around.

"Ever done coke babe?" The guy she hooked up with asked her.

She shook her head. "I'll try anything once." Sure enough when it was passed to her she snorted it up her nose. "Holy shit!" She reacted to the weird feeling. Then she liked how it felt. "Ooh, this is nice."

*WW*

Things got worse from then on. Jade would be out partying almost every day. There were excessive tabloids about her. Rock Angel Out of Control. Jade Spotted Partying. Rumored To Be On Drugs.

One day they were in the studio recording their second album. By now they were halfway through it. But on this day there were only three girls in the studio. Jade was nowhere to be found.

"We can't record this song with only three girls!" Byron exclaimed. "Did anyone call her?"

"We did," Yasmin said.

All of a sudden the door opened and Jade stumbled through the door. "I'm here!" She said. She still had on her party clothes from last night, a short red skirt and a black bustier top and thigh high boots. Her makeup was a mess and she looked like she just woke up.

"Where have you been?!" Byron said.

"I woke up late, but I'm here now," Jade said. She went to the recording room but nearly bumped into the fall and face planted onto the floor.

The Bratz looked at her concerned.

"Jade, are you okay?" Cloe asked her.

"I'm fine babe," Jade said with a wave of her hand. "Let's get this shit started."

*WW*

The next Rock Angelz single that came out was Who I Am. Jade wrote it herself and sang the lead vocals. Soon the biggest video on TV was the a Rock Angelz onstage performing the song.

"Tell you about a city girl

she's surprising

you never get the better

so totally amazing

don't worry about nothing

she just gotta be free, yeah

so dont you, dont you

try to mess with me

they can't tame us

so they blame us

for everything

so I say hey

people don't know who I am

all they can say

she's a bad girl

but they just don't understand

no they don't know who I am

thats right

burst my bubble

just try, why don't you

it don't matter anyway

i'm putting up a great show

moving on up

and it feels so right

speeding in the fast lane

that is my vibe

they can't tame us

so they blame us

for everything...!"

After that Jade was doing a photoshoot and an interview for Vogue entitled Candid with the Rock Angelz Bad Girl.

"So why did you write Who I Am?" She was asked after the photoshoot.

"Because people give me crap all the time for doing what I want," Jade said. "It's my life, I'll live it how I want to live it. I've always been a free spirit and people just don't get it."

"How do you feel about people saying you're the bad girl if the Rock Angelz?"

Jade shrugged. "I'm totally cool with that. I'll wear that proudly. I am the bad girl and no one is going to change that."

"There are rumors going around saying you do drugs. Is that true?"

"Even if it was true, why do people care? It's none of their business."

"In the song you say people blame you. What do you have to say to everyone who judges you?"

"I say you don't know me and I'm going to do whatever the hell I want to do so fuck you. No one controls me. And to anyone who has someone holding them back and trying to tell them what to do with their life, don't take that shit. It's your life."

*WW*

Jade was at her house one day exhausted from all the performances and the late nights she'd spend out on the town. She was lounging on the couch in some pajama shorts and a silky bath robe. That's when the doorbell rang and it was Koby.

"Koby!" She said giving him a hug.

He held her at arm's length and looked at her. He could tell she was tired and hungover, possibly high. It was all in her eyes. "Where were you last night?"

"I went out," she said leading him inside. They sat on the couch and she hugged him and kissed him. No matter what she could always count on him to be her ride or die. No one else made her happier.

"Are you high?" He asked.

"No!" She said defensively. "Not right now anyway."

He sighed. He'd known Jade since elementary school. He started dating her sophomore year of high school and had been with her for four years. He supported everything she did here in LA. They didn't have a perfect relationship but he loved her more than anyone.

"What's your problem?" She asked.

"I'm worried about you," he said finally.

She giggled. "What? Why would you be worried?" Although in the back of her mind she knew.

"You're getting too wild. I think you need to settle down a bit," he said.

She glared at him. "I'm not doing anything wrong."

He held her hand. "I know you want to have fun, I get that. But you're taking this too far."

She took her hand back and shook her head. "No I'm not."

"Yes you are. Something is going to happen to you if you don't stop."

"You've been talking to my parents haven't you?!"

He held her hands again. "No, I haven't. I hate your parents at much as you do."

She pushed him away and stood up. "Then why are you trying to hold me back?!"

"Because I love you! I've loved you for years and I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you. I've let you do whatever you want out here for the past two years because I want you to be happy but I can't support this anymore. Not when it puts you at risk."

Tears rolled down her face as she thought about what he was saying. "Then you don't have to."

"Jade..." He said worried about what she was implying.

"This is who I am Koby! This is what you signed up for when you started dating me. And if you can't handle it then you don't have to stay!"

Koby looked into her eyes for a moment. God he loved this girl. But she was damaged. As much as he loved her, he didn't know if his heart would be able to take sticking around while she slowly destroyed herself.

He stood up. "Then I'll go."

She felt like he'd shoved a knife through her heart. "Fine, go. I don't need you."

Reluctantly he left. She watched him go and then she fell to her knees and cried. She and Koby broke up all the time for petty things. But this time she didn't think they'd be getting back together.