Let me rewind for you guys before I tell you what happened today. I want you to know exactly how I fell head over heels for Jade Tate. Okay, so I was being a little dramatic when I said it was love at first sight because honey it was most certainly not.
Being a rather closed-off and reserved person it is my natural tendency to steer clear of anyone who will try and force me to be more 'outgoing'. This was my first reaction towards Jade. I mean the girl wouldn't shut up or leave me alone, I wanted nothing to do with her.
The first month I was super frustrated with her. I kept wondering why she wouldn't leave me alone. It wasn't like she didn't have any other friends or things to do. I kept going over it in my head, maybe she misread my social cues or maybe she was secretly picking on me for being the quiet kid. I don't know, either way, she got on my nerves. Not that I was going to tell her, I hate confrontation.
By the third month, I had accepted my fate and came to the conclusion that she wasn't just going to go away on her own. I'm surprised she never lost interest in me. I wasn't exactly winning any awards for my amazing interesting life.
Six months in and I actually began to enjoy her company. It was nice having at least one friend for me to cling to and use as a buffer from other people. It didn't hurt that she lived so close to me and that she always knew what to say at the right times. The girl can fill a silence. I guess you could say that's when I truly considered her to be my friend.
Of course, to Jade, we had been friends all along. She was completely oblivious to the fact that for the past six months I was really annoyed with her presence. That's Jade for you. I didn't have a crush on her then, nor was I ever planning on developing feelings for her.
It just, sort of, happened.
One day she's just my friend, the next she's my crush.
Okay, so there was this one day where it really hit me just how smitten I was with this girl. It was my first year of high school at Lincoln's school for the gifted. Winter break to be exact. You see being from Texas snow is like a very rare thing down there. I am talking like you are lucky to see full-on snow once or twice in your lifetime.
So, there I was like an idiot with my little sister Oli playing in the snow. I was like a five-year-old having the time of my life. It wasn't the first time we had seen snow since we moved here, but something about the fragile little white flakes seems so magical to me. So, every year when it snows, I always go out and enjoy it.
I keep to myself, my family being the exception. My mom and sister are probably the only ones who would laugh if you told them I was an introvert. This is because I've never been shy around them. They are family, I'm sorta stuck with them. Which is another thing, the longer I know you the more likely I am to be open and a little more extroverted with you. That being said, I still have introverted tendencies. Like I would much rather stay home than be forced to go out with a lot of friends.
Anyways! That day, in particular, Jade got to see me in a rare state. I was too distracted by my sister in my own little world to even consider that Jade might see me just being me.
Snow, as I have learned, is not that rare around here. It is actually the most detested part of the weather. People here may like the first snow, but after that, it gets old pretty fast. They hate snow.
Which makes my family the weirdos on the block. Even though it had snowed already before that year, we were on winter break now so we actually had time to go out and play in it. Every year my mom is always outside taking pictures of us playing in the snow. We look like freaks to everyone else on the street. Usually, we would play in the backyard, but because my neighbor's pipes had busted that year, the backyard was out of commission. So we moved our freak party to the front yard.
My sister and I were mid-snowball fight, when a snowball hit me in the back of the head. I turned and saw Jade with a lot of ammo in her arms. I was like a deer in the headlights. I was mortified that Jade had seen me in my natural dufus habitat. I felt my cheeks get so red; I was so embarrassed.
Jade didn't care or even notice, she just unceremoniously started pelting me with snow. The three of us got into a snow war. McKenzie came to join in too and mom went over to Jade's house to formally meet and talk to her aunt and uncle. That's how our two families became close friends.
Just thinking of it makes me feel all warm inside.
But that's not the point of this story.
I had just surrendered and was out of breath from laughing so hard. That was because Oli had run into my mom's car by accident. Jade saw me laughing and unarmed and tackled me to the floor. We rolled around in the snow laughing like a couple of idiots.
That's when it happened.
Cupid struck an arrow into my heart.
Jade had pinned me down on the ground and was gloating about my defeat like Jade's do. Her beanie had fallen off and she had snowflakes all in her hair. Her nose was slightly red from the cold and her green scarf really brought out her eyes.
She was sitting on top of me, laughing at my pouty expression. A smile that stretched from ear to ear lighting up her face. Her long black hair danced in the wind. Then she looked down at my silent figure and stuck her tongue out to mock me.
Bam!
I was in love.
My feelings may have been confusing to me before, but it all became so clear that day. I loved her, I really loved her. Of course, being an awkward teen fresh out of middle school I got scared and repressed those feeling deep down, as I have mentioned before.
So, there you have it, how I fell in love with her. I guess it's the fact that even though I'm a boring introvert with not much going for me, she still hangs out with me finds time to enjoy my company. She never gets tired of me or thinks I'm not cool or whatever. I can just be me and she will still love me all the same.
I feel like there is no one better than Jade. She always goes that extra mile for me. Like even though I never ask her to, she always comes to every track meet, even if they're far away. One time I was sick with the flu and she made me homemade soup. Even came over every day to help nurse me back to health. Sometimes when I go for morning jogs on the weekend, she runs out of her house and tags along with me. It won't be planned or anything, she just does it. Those days I slow down so she can keep my pace.
Sure, she has her faults, but I think all her pros outweigh the cons.
That being said, there is a con about her that has been irking me recently. You see once Jade sets her mind to something; she becomes unhealthily obsessed with it. Which can be a good thing when trying to land roles for musicals or learn a dance routine. But also a bad thing when she is trying to get Archer to date her.
Every day at school we have what is called morning assembly. Lincoln's staple for promoting 'team spirit and community because let's face it in a school filled with big fish, someone always has to be the biggest fish. The inner drama and competition can get pretty intense sometimes. Which is why there is a morning assembly to let everyone know, it's not personal and that we are all one big happy family. In the end, we shake hands and sing Kumbaya, just kidding, sort of.
Anyway! At the morning assembly this morning instead of the usual hug it out session and congratulations for whatever kid landed the band solo, Archer played the edited footage of Howard's epic misfortune. It was on the big screen and coupled with hilarious classical music. Everyone was laughing, but the real killer was when the video went in slow motion as Howard was screaming and spinning in circles on the wheelchair. My stomach hurt so bad from laughing so hard.
Vice Principal Howard didn't think it was so funny. Although Principal Shoppe couldn't help but laugh herself. When the video was overall the Junior class shouted,
"You've just been pranked!"
I sort of felt proud of myself, considering I did all the heavy lifting. The good feeling didn't last long as somehow Howard found out it was me. Well, I guess it wasn't too hard to figure it out being as I hang out with the popular kids, even though I myself am not that popular.
He marched right up to me in front of everyone and yelled at me to go to his office. Then he grabbed me by my arm and snatched me right from Jade's side, dragging me away. Everyone got deathly silent. Principal Shoppe followed us.
He shoved me down into the chair and began his rant.
"I am appalled that you, of all people, Ms. Clifton would do something like this. I knew hanging around with those hooligans would eventually rub off on you. Do you realize I could have been gravely injured!?"
"But you weren't," I said.
"How dare you! Do you understand how long it is going to take to clean up that office? You have taken it too far. I'm calling your mother and you can kiss this school, and your future goodbye."
In fear, I turned with a panic look to Principal Shoppe, who has always been a lot nicer and more lenient than Howard. She sighed and gave me an apologetic look
"The pranks got to stop," she said.
No way! They are going to make an example of me to end the pranking for good! What do I do? I can't get kicked out. My mom will kill me! Literally!
"No, please. I'll do anything. I'm sorry. I'll clean your office. I'll do whatever it takes. I'm sorry," I begged.
"It's a little too late for that," he spat.
"Well maybe there is another option," Principal Shoppe pondered out loud.
"Yes! Whatever it is, I'll do it. Please!" I begged.
Howard gave her an incredulous look.
"We need the reading hall repainted and cleaned due to the prank last week. If you agree to do it and have it down by the end of the week. we will reconsider your punishment."
It wasn't a definite you won't get expelled, it was a maybe if we feel kind enough, you won't get expelled. I'd take it.
"But practice..." I found myself saying.
"You should have thought of that before doing what you did. Now I am sure you didn't act alone. If you can give us the names of the other perpetrators you won't have to get the punishment alone either," she said.
"I acted alone, it was just me," I lie.
She sighs.
"Then you have today and tomorrow to have that hall cleaned and repainted."
Today is Thursday.
The big meet is on Saturday.
Kill me now.
After I explained everything to the coach, you know what she did? She benched me for the meet! Punishment for my actions. She said I still had to go, but I would be sitting out. Then she said as further punishment come Monday, I will have to run an extra five laps until further notice.
So, instead of being at practice, I was scraping up the leftovers of the cereal extravaganza the freshmen pulled. Their assigned prank target was the reading hall. For their prank they filled each locker with milk and cereal, of course, they made sure the lockers were cleaned out beforehand. Then a group of masked individuals knocked over the lockers and splattered the walls with paint. Now the hall smells like rotten milk. Not even the custodian gets paid enough to clean this crap.
Why are freshmen so wild?
I had barely made a dent when Jade came to take me home.
"Um, actually can you pick me up later? This might take a while," I said.
She sighed and instead of going home, tried back her hair and dropped her bag on the floor before grabbing a mop and getting to work.
"Jade you don't have to," I said.
"Just shut up and clean," She grumbled.
Then before I knew it, Archer, Wini, Darleen, and Demarcus showed up to help too. I felt all warm inside and we all cleaned in silence. That is until Jade started mumbling her song she has to practice for the musical. Archer started singing along with her because even though he doesn't have to sing that song, he has been listening to the Crazy For You soundtrack on repeat since he decided to audition.
While I was repainting the wall, behind me the two were singing and dancing like a happy couple. I frowned and ignored the knots forming in my stomach. Darleen moved next to me to help me repaint. I smiled appreciatively at her.
While we worked on the walls, Jade and Archer cleaned the floors. Demarcus and Wini got to work cleaning out all the filthy lockers. By nine o'clock we were almost done. The hall was clean, and the rotting milk smell was gone, only one wall needed to be repainted.
"Let's call it quits and finish tomorrow," Archer said.
"You got it, boss," Jade booty bumped him.
He chuckled and booty bumped her back.
Barf.
We all went home after that.
"I told you I have a guilty face," I sigh as we pull into Jade's house.
"You really do," she shook her head. "So did Howard blow his lid?"
"I might get expelled."
"What!?"
"They are still debating. I said I would do anything, so they told me to clean the hall. But that doesn't mean I'm off the hook."
"Skylar! No! We can't let this happen," she grabs my hand.
"Nothing we can do," I shrug.
"I refuse to go down without a fight. We can just sit here and take this. I got you into this mess, you would have never agreed if I didn't pressure you."
"It's out of our hands Jade."
"Not if I confess to the crime," she smirked.
"They know it was me," I frown.
"Well, they know you didn't do it alone. If they want to expel you, then they have to expel me too!" she declares.
She's so cute when she gets like this.
"You'd do that for me?"
"Of course, what are friends for?"
I just smile at her like a big dummy.
"Now go get a shower and get some sleep. This means war!"
I laugh and get out of her car.
She hugs me goodbye and I walk across the street to my house.
As you can guess, my mom was waiting for me. She was so ticked off.
In summary, I am grounded for all of eternity and then some.
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