I have only ever had a crush on one other person before. Back in Texas. Before I moved, I had a friend, her name is Astrid. She was my only friend before I met Jade. Sure, I was only in the fifth grade, but I would always get super jealous when she tried to hang out with other people. Looking back on it now I realize I probably had a crush on her. A cute little childish crush. Before I really even knew what a crush was.
This is one of my faults, I get really jealous when my friend because I only have the one, hangs out with someone besides me. I like to think this is a universal problem. That best friends everywhere have struggled with this issue at least once before, even if they don’t want to admit it.
Of course, I am horrible at communication, as has been shown. So I can’t really get across properly what the issue is and why it bothers me so much. I feel like because I like Jade as more than a friend the problem is ten times worse. I especially hate it when she is obviously having more fun with whoever she is blowing me off with because then she tells me how great they are, how much fun she had, how they got to do it again sometime. It makes me feel like she can only have fun when she’s not around me. Like being around me can never compare to being around everyone else.
I hate that feeling.
Once, for her birthday Jade went to the amusement park. She invited like half of our class. Lots of people showed up. She didn’t invite me though, why? And I quote, “well I figured that wasn’t really your thing. You don’t talk much and that would have been really awkward. We can do something later, just the two of us.” We never got around to the later part.
I felt hurt, stabbed in the back, betrayed in a way. Still, like a good friend I sat and listened as she recounted everything in great detail about what happened and how much fun she had. I don’t think she knows even till this day how badly she hurt me that day. Of course, Jade is Jade and I couldn’t hold on to that pain. So I just let the whole thing go and we went on as if nothing happened. Because to Jade, nothing did happen.
Why am I bringing this to your attention? Because she has done it again. She has purposely left me out of something.
Today at school was mostly normal. Same old same old. After school is when it really began. I had expected everyone to come and help me again, but I was wrong. I was alone. I texted Jade and she told me that she couldn't make it, that something “came up”. So I shrugged it off and got to painting the walls. Luckily I do have one more good friend, Darleen. After practice, she showed up.
“Where’s Jade?” she asks.
“I don’t know.” It came off snappier then I meant it.
“Well, I can give you a ride home if you want.”
“Thanks but I was just going to ask my mom.”
“Let me drive you, we never get a chance to hang out you know. You are always hanging out with Jade.”
“If you really want to.”
“I do, we can get ice cream when we are done.” She starts painting faster.
“Okay.” I smile.
Darleen is easy to be around. Even though she is super rich, she isn’t snobby or pretentious. She is very laid back and easy going. She is one of those people who are just so comfortable no matter what situation they are in. She’s pretty too. Alabaster white skin, sandy blond hair, dark blue eyes. She’s also tall, not like amazon tall, just tall.
I move to paint the upper top corner of the wall when I slip off the small step ladder and fell. The paint bucket I was holding fell on me and I got covered in white paint. I look at the mess and just sigh and lay in it for a second.
Darleen busted out laughing.
It’s a good thing I laid the plastic down on the floor.
“You okay?” she says through bubbles of laughter.
“Yep.” I get up.
“You are totally soaked.” She grabs a glob from my shirt.
“I can see that.”
Then she wipes the glob on my cheek. I frown at her. She laughs some more. I grab the paintbrush I was using and paint a thick line right down the middle of her face. That shut her up real quick. I couldn't help but smile at her annoyed expression.
“I guess I deserved that.” She sighs.
“A little.” I move back to the step ladder.
Then I dab the paint off my shirt onto my brush and get back to painting the wall. Around five we finish.
“There all done.” She says.
“Finally.” I sigh before picking up the plastic off the floor.
In her car I lay more plastic down on the seat, I don’t want to get paint on her leather seats. We drive to her house to get washed up.
“You can borrow something of mine, the guest shower is to the left, can’t miss it.” She says disappearing into her big house towards her room.
I walk towards the left and find exactly what she is talking about. It has double frosted doors, when you slide them open there is this HUGE! Bath. I am talking indoor swimming pool size. My mouth drops to the floor.
“You like?” Darleen comes up behind me, I jump at her presence.
Like? You can fit like three orcas in there. Who are you trying to bathe, the hulk? A herd of elephants? Who needs a shower this big!? Talk about blowing money on stupid stuff. If I was rich I definitely wouldn’t waste my time making a bath the size of a classroom.
“How do you use it?” I follow her in.
She grabs a remote and presses a button, a shower head in the middle turns on, it’s like rain! Then she presses a different button and a curtain of water falls on each side, which would hide whoever is taking a shower from on lookers.
I take the remote from her and start pressing all the buttons. Some lights turn on and make the room darker as well as lighting up the water multiple colors. A different button plays soft natures sounds.
“Oh no don’t press---” she tries to stop me but it’s too late.
I press a small red button at the bottom and the music changed to some sexy sounding music, making soft moans and lewd noises. My face goes beet red.
“How embarrassing.” She snatches the remote from me and turns everything off.
So that’s why they need a shower this big.
“Don’t look at me like that, it’s for my parents.” She says her face red.
We look at each other, equally embarrassed before we sort of laugh it off.
“Anyways, here’s some clothes. The basket full of washing supplies is over there, take your time. My parents aren’t home.”
“Okay, uh, thank you.”
“Sure thing, I’m going to take a shower upstairs in my personal bath.”
Of course you are. How many baths does this place need? Only three people live here.
Once she’s gone I shut and lock the door. I turn on the water and the nature music, because why not? Then I step in. This is so weird. Why can’t they have a normal shower like normal people? I stepped in wearing my clothes mostly because I wanted to try and wash as much paint off as possible before it became a lost cause. These are my favorite pants.
After I realize I am fighting a losing battle I strip and take a shower. I feel like a spring goddess or something. Like I am bathing in a shower fit for a queen. It definitely makes me feel posh and silly. If Jade were here she would be eating this up. She not so secretly thinks Darleen is way to posh and uptight. She’s told me before. If she saw this, it would only confirm her suspicions that Darleen is defiantly way too posh for us.
Once I’m done I dry off, their towels feel like a cloud, no joke! There is also a huge wind thingy, like one of those hand dryers you see sometimes in public bathrooms, except this one was for the whole body. I nearly fell over by how strong the wind gust is.
Then I got dressed. Her clothes were slightly big on me, but I don’t mind. When I walk out she is waiting by the bar.
“I can have your clothes dry cleaned for you.” She says when she sees me holding my soggy clothes.
“It’s okay, it’s just jeans and a shirt.”
“No seriously my mom knows a guy, can get any stain out, even paint.”
“I, I, don’t want to intrude.”
“Relax, it will be fine.” She takes the clothes from me.
I can feel myself getting nervous. I feel so out of place here.
“Let’s go get some ice cream.” She says when I just stand there silently.
So we get back into her car and drive to an ice cream shop.
“Two scoops of strawberry please.” She says to the counter lady.
“I don’t have money.” I point out.
“Seriously just order, come on. I’ll pay.” She rolls her eyes.
“Um, I’ll take a scoop of peanut butter, and a scoop of banana. With strawberry syrup, sprinkles, and banana slices.”
Darleen gives me an incredulous look.
“Sorry.” I say.
“No, no, no, I’ve just never seen that combo before. Peanut butter?”
“It’s good. I get it sometimes when Jade and I get Ice cream.”
“How often is that?” she asks as she pays.
I shrug, we haven’t done it in a while actually.
I can’t help but lick my lips at the delicious creation. She giggles at me when I take a big mouthful and cringe because I get brain freeze.
“So, what is it like in the adventures of Jade and Skylar?” she asks.
Huh? What is she getting at? She makes it sound sort of sarcastic. There is a bite to it. Is she mad that I never hang out with her? I didn’t know we were that kind of friends, I mean I only ever see her at practice and at lunch. Even then we hardly talk.
“It’s uh, okay.” I force a nervous laugh.
“That’s it?”
I raise my eyebrow.
“Come on I know you two are secretly dating.” She says.
I choke on my ice cream. Making a big scene, everyone in the shop turns to look at me. Did she say dating!? Me, and, and, and, Jade! What the hell!? Since when? How come no one told me?
“We aren’t dating.” I say once I gain my composure.
“I saw you.” She says.
Saw us? Wait a second, at the party! It was her! She is the one who saw.
“At the party.” She confirms my suspicion.
“No, that wasn’t what it looked like. You got it all wrong, I’m not dating Jade, not that I think dating jade would be a bad thing. Not that I like her! Or that I don’t like her. Jade is a very likable person. Because she’s Jade. But she likes someone else!” I finally spit it out.
“Okay wait, so you two aren’t secretly dating?”
“Ha, haha, good one. Me and Jade. Psh.”
“Wait are you? You know you get very hard to read when you’re nervous.”
“No, we aren’t. Jade doesn’t even know it was me she kissed. Or that I like her, wait I mean like a friend, I don’t, I didn’t, I, I, I…”
“Relax, deep breath. It’s okay. I am not going to tell anyone. So you do like Jade?”
I nod.
“So wait if Jade doesn’t know she kissed you, who does she think she kissed?”
“Archer.” I pout.
She laughs.
“I haven’t told her the truth, nor do I ever plan to. She would freak out.” I sigh.
“I can see that. So Jade likes Archer?”
“Yes, I like Jade, Jade likes Archer, and Archer likes you.”
“Wait Archer likes me?”
“Well duh! Hello, he is like flirting with you all the time. He can’t keep his eyes off you. Are you that blind?” I came off snappy.
“Well, I guess I never noticed, because I like someone else.”
“No!” I bury my head in my arms.
If Darleen likes someone else how will I ever get her with Archer? And if Archer finds out she likes someone else he might get with Jade. And if Jade gets with Archer I’ll die.
Darleen giggles at me.
“It’s not funny. I need you and Archer together so that Jade can finally pay attention to me.”
“I don’t know I don’t really think you're Jade material.” She says.
“Don’t be mean.” I shovel more ice cream in my mouth.
“I mean you two are like total opposites.”
I shrug.
“What do you even like about her?”
As if Jade could sense we were talking about her my phone rings. It’s her.
“It’s her, shh!” I say.
Darleen giggles.
“Hey.” I answer.
“Hey… Was I supposed to pick you up or something, I’ve noticed you still aren’t home.”
“Oh no, I’m with Darleen. We are getting ice cream.”
“Oh.” She deadpans.
“Thanks for checking though.”
“Sure, what are best friends for?”
"Right.”
“I guess I’ll see you later then.”
“Yep.”
Kill me now.
“Okay, bye.” She hung up.
I let out a long sigh.
“You should just tell her how you feel.” She says.
“No way. I have a plan.”
“A plan?”
“A plan to get Jade Tate to fall in love with me. I just have to get her attention.”
“Right… and how is that coming along?”
I shrug.
She smiles and shakes her head at me.
After we finish our ice cream she drives me home.
“You promise you won’t tell?” I ask.
“Promise, but there is something else I should tell you.” She says.
“What?”
Then she leans over and kisses me! Right there in my drive way as we sat in her car. I pull back and hit my head on the window.
“W-what are you doing!?” I cover my lips.
“My crush, is you.” She said.
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