Just An Act

Chapter 6: Curtains And Candles

  "What the heck, Kent?!" I yelled as I held up the milk jug that was empty. Kent frowned at me from where he was sitting at the island, munching on his cereal.

  "Seriously? You complain to much." He muttered. "I was up with you at god knows what hour this morning, while you were crying your little butt off." He sighed again.

  "Um.. okay. I'm sorry for bothering you." I said haltingly, feeling like a knife had just been stabbed into my side. I headed for the kitchen door.

  "Wait, Jade. I just meant, I don't have time for it." He said, apologetically.

  Way to twist the knife... I shook my head in disbelief at his arrogance. "You don't get it, do you?" I yelled at him, tears coming to my eyes. "You just don't want me. I get it. Screw you. I thought you actually care about me, but I guess it was a lie. God! Even my own brother!" 

  I ran out the door no heeding his yells of "wait Jade!" If he didn't want to hear me crying, then he didn't have to. I would just walk to school.

  A few minutes later I turned into the school. We didn't live far at all from the school, and I never understood why Kent drove. I yanked the glass door open, and was immediately bombarded by a flying pink blur.

  "What the-" I stopped mid sentence glaring at the small ball of fur and fluffy pink tutu that was sitting at my feet looking up a me expectantly. I smiled, and bent down. "Awww! And who's little guy are you?" I cooed. Suddenly I felt somebody watching me and I slowly straightened up to see a laughing Laurel. 

  "Oh my gosh! You and... Animals!" She said between giggles. I glared at her and thrust the puppy back into her arms. Laurel frowned at my quick motion, petting down the puppy's fur. 

  "So how is my favorite gothie?" She asked, nudging my shoulder. I rolled my eyes at her. 

  "For the second time, it's emo. Not goth. And I'm good." I smiled in her direction as I walked towards my locker. She looked at me uncertainly. "What? Don't give me that look. I really am good." I said, as she continued to tilt her head back and look at me out of the corner of her eye.

  "Kent said-" I slammed my locker door shut, causing her to cut her sentence short and jump.

  "You were talking to Kent? Have a great day." I said curtly. I strode down the hall, sick of drama already. And the day had hardly begun.

  "Ms. Patterson, A pleasure of you to join us today." My science teacher said dryly as I walked through the classroom door. I gave him the stink eye and settled in a desk at the back. Does he always have to be such an ass?

  As if reading my thoughts, the girl next to me leaned over the aisle and whispered, "Yeah. He's an ass for sure." I looked up, surprised that anyone spoke to me. She smiled with a slightly crooked smile as she straightened up.

  "Yeah. That, he definitely is." Agreeing with her seemingly caused her to warm up to me. 

  "I'm Shay." She said shyly. "I have two other periods with you. History.. and Math." She twirled her pencil around her knuckles and through her fingers. 

  "I'm Jade." I smiled a little bit at the mischievous look in her glittering brown eyes. 

  "I know. Everyone knows who you are." She smiled again, her smile lighting up her olive skin. "Would you wanna hang out sometime?" Shay asked slowly. "I know its a weird request, but I don't have many friends since I moved here and I thought it'd be cool if I made a few." She rushed.

  I nodded slowly, considering my options. I certainly didn't want to hurt her feelings, and a new friend certainly couldn't hurt. Could it? Of course not. "Sure! I'd love that. How about after school? Is that cool?" I asked her.