The next two weeks seemed to fly by. Each day I seemed to settle more into the familiar routine; picking up Yasmine from school, spending drama and lunch time with Jake, then returning to Yas for the rest of the afternoon.

I felt comforted by the fact that I was slowly relaxing into my new school, my mother looked happy, and was doing relatively well in my classes.

Jake and I also seemed to get along very well. He didn't mind my slightly manic laughter, or the fact that I blushed every time he spoke to me. We had become good friends, and lunchtime became our daily get-to-know-you. But I wasn't sure if there was anything about me that Jake didn't know yet.

I wasn't sure how we had become so close to each other so quickly, but it felt like we had known each other before. Of course, this was impossible, but it was something interesting to mull around in my mind.

I could feel the softness of my silk pillowcase against my head, and my weight sinking comfortably into the mattress. I sighed, and allowed myself to rest some more.

Saturday was my designated sleeping in day, and I wasn't planning on changing that any day soon. So, I wasn't impressed when my mum called to me at 9:00 in the morning.

"Kay! Breakfast is ready!"

Groaning, I dragged myself slowly out of bed, and slumped downstairs. I dragged out a seat at the table, and dropped down onto the wood.

"I know you love sleeping in on Saturdays, but we're going out."

"Where?" My voice sounded croaky, and dry.

"I can't tell you; it's a surprise."

I groaned again. I hated surprises – they made me fidgety and nervous.

"Don't be rude, Kaitlin."

I glared up at my mum, before resting my head in my hands.

We sat and ate our toast in silence, and I cherished the taste in my mouth. Today I had chosen a ginger marmalade to spread on my food, which tasted sweet and tangy.

"Mum," I started, trying to make conversation. She looked up at me, her angry eyes piercing mine. "What do I wear today?"

"Anything you can walk in."

A small huff escaped from my mouth, and it didn't go unnoticed. I'd always considered myself to be a relatively respectful teenager, but today I must have woken up on the wrong side of bed.

"Kaitlin, what's with your attitude this morning?" I heard the annoyance and frustration flooding her tone.

"No idea."

"I know this isn't your ideal weekend, but we're walking to Yasmine's house. Her mum has something planned."

I perked up immediately. "Oh, okay. I suppose that's fine. Why can't we take the car?"

Sadness and regret filled my mother's eyes as she spoke. "I want to walk." Her voice sounded short, as if she was hiding someone.

What a stupid excuse. I raised an eyebrow. "What is the real reason?"

Mum took a moment to consider my question, as if asking herself if she should tell me the truth. After a few long moments, she finally answered. "The petrol prices are getting higher – I can't afford to drive everywhere."

"Oh," my heart felt weighted, and a sudden guilt flooded in my stomach. "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it, sweets. You didn't know."

Nodding, I walked back up to my bedroom, and shut my door. I pulled a pair of black leggings, and a matching sports bra that crossed in an x shape at the back. It was morning, meaning the air was cool; I grabbed the brown jumper laying messily on my bed and pulled it on.

I bounded down the stairs, taking them two at a time, and met my mother just outside the house. We walked together in comfortable silence, the only sounds being the soft chirping of birds and the gentle rustling of trees in the breeze. Occasionally, a car would roar past, breaking the calm.

Ahead, Yasmine's large, modern house came into view, its sleek lines a sharp contrast to the age of my own home. When we reached the pristine white door, my mother rang the doorbell. The chime echoed through the quiet, lingering in the air as Yas opened the door. She greeted me with a warm hug before stepping aside to invite my mother in.

Yasmine's house was a spacious one-story, but the numerous rooms made it feel more compact than it actually was. The walls were a crisp white, and the floors were covered in matching white tiles, creating a clean, minimalistic look. However, the mismatched furniture and the bold mix of colors, shapes, and sizes scattered throughout the house reflected both Yasmine's and her mother's vibrant personalities. It made the space feel lively, but also a bit chaotic—distracting, yet somehow charming in its uniqueness.

I pulled off my shoes just inside the door, as Yasmine's mother - Chrissy - appeared in front of us.

"Chrissy!" I heard the warmth in my mother's voice as her face immediately lit up at the sight of Yas' mom.

"Hello, Stephanie!" Chrissy replied with equal enthusiasm. "Why don't you take a seat? Tea or coffee?"

"I'll have tea, thank you." My mother's smile never faded, and for a brief moment, I felt a twinge of jealousy in my chest. I wished I could make her smile that way. But I quickly shoved the feeling aside, replaced by guilt for even thinking it.

"Kay?" Yasmine's voice cut through my thoughts, and I was relieved for the distraction.

"Do you know what we're doing today?"

"No clue," I replied, shrugging. "My mum wouldn't tell me – says it's a surprise. But you know how much I hate surprises."

Yasmine nodded in agreement, her expression matching mine. I walked over to the pink sofa where my mom was sitting and sank down beside her. Yasmine took the yellow sofa across from us, and her mom joined her after making four cups of tea.

"So, Stephanie," Yasmine began, her eyes gleaming with mischief, "Has Kaitlin told you about you-know-who?" She said it as if it were some kind of top-secret operation.

"No," my mom replied, raising an eyebrow and glancing at me sideways. "Is this about a boy?"

"Wh-what?" I stammered, my face flushing. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

My mom smirked. "Kay, you've always been a terrible liar. Your face is bright pink, and you're avoiding eye contact."

I glared at her in response, trying to hold my ground, but the moment quickly became awkward. I broke eye contact again, going back to looking anywhere but at her.

"What's his name?" My mom asked, trying to sound casual, but I could hear the curiosity and giddy excitement just beneath her words.

"Jacob," I replied, shooting Yasmine a warning glance. She smirked in response.

"Jacob who?" My mom's voice lifted a few pitches, and I watched her face flush with color.

"Cruor," I said, almost daring her to react.

"Jacob Cruor?" My mum's voice hardened, and I could feel the anger rising in her. Her face turned a shade of red that was almost alarming, and she stiffened as she took a sharp breath. "You need to stay away from that boy. If I find out you've spoken to him again, there will be consequences, Kaitlin."

"Wh-why?" I was extremely shocked and taken-aback by my mother's unexpected reaction. I peeked over at Vee, and she looked at me with a confused look whilst mouthing the word sorry. Nodding, I looked back at my mum, to see her knuckles clenched white against her knees.

"You don't need an explanation! I told you to stay away from him, so that's what I expect you to do!"

"I'm not doing anything until you give me a reasonable answer. And don't just use the old 'because I said so' line."

My mother exchanged a brief, unreadable glance with Chrissy. It was a silent communication, one that left me more confused than ever. But amidst the confusion, there was one thing I was sure of: my mom clearly knew who Jake was—and she hated him with every fibre of her being.

That thought sent a shockwave through my brain. Jake had always seemed so kind, so thoughtful. He bought me lunch every day, treated me with nothing but respect, and was the only one to offer to be my buddy in drama. He hadn't done a single thing wrong. So why the strong reaction from my mom?

She must have seen the confusion written all over my face.

"How did you meet him?" She demanded. There was no worming my way out of this one.

"Uhmm... During the first day of drama... Ms. Kently asked someone to be my buddy, and he was the only one that offered."

"How do you feel about him?"

I wasn't going to answer that. I was very obviously obsessed and extremely attracted to him, but with my mother's shocking reaction, I couldn't tell her that.

"He's just a friend. I don't know him that well."

She nodded, seemingly satisfied with my response. "We'll talk about this later." Satisfied for now, at least.

I was mad. I didn't care what my mother thought about Jake – he was literally the nicest person I have met - other than Yasmine, of course. I wasn't going to let her opinion change the way I felt about him. "What's so bad about him?" I needed to know.

"Kay." My mother said firmly. "I said we'll talk about this later."

"Fine." I huffed.

Yas suddenly stood up, motioning for me to follow her. Without a word, we made our way up the stairs and into her room.

Her room was massive—probably the biggest in the house. A large closet lined one wall, and a king-sized bed dominated the back of the room. The walls were covered with posters and photos, leaving only a sliver of space around the window behind the bed. I collapsed face-first onto her bed, burying my face in the softness.

For a moment, I really wished I could be mad at Yas. She was the one who had mentioned Jake to my mother, but I didn't have the heart to confront her about it. I remembered how her expression shifted when my mother told me to stay away from him—her cheeks had flushed slightly, and her lips pressed into a thin, tense line. Her eyes were wide with guilt and sorrow, emotions she tried so hard to hide. Even now, as I glanced up at her, I could still see the remorse lingering in her gaze.

"Kay—" she started.

"No, don't worry about it. You were just playing around – I know you didn't think my mum would react that way."

"I just expected her to tease you a bit," she confessed.

"I know, and honestly, so did I."

She cracked a smile. "I'll still tease you though."

A small grin tugged at my lips, before I went serious again. "Why do you think mum is so against Jake?"

"Uh, maybe he... maybe she... Actually, no, that's stupid – it's probably..." Yasmine trailed off, staring up at the ceiling as her fingers absentmindedly twirled her long, black hair. "No idea. But she seemed to think he's dangerous or something." She looked at me, her expression turning more serious, before quickly adding, "I totally disagree, though."

"Same. Jake literally pays for our lunch every day, and he has never said anything to offend me or hint at me he might be a bad person."

"Nope. The only bad thing he ever does it make you at a loss for words," she laughed.

Huffing, I thought about any tiny detail about Jake that may suggest that he was dangerous, or unstable. Nothing came into mind. "Well, I suppose I'll find out later. I'll tell you everything."

"Good."

We both fell into silence for a few minutes, lost in our thoughts about what my mum could possibly say to me. But one thing was certain: no matter what she said, I wouldn't stay away from Jake. I couldn't. I'd only known him for a little over two weeks, but the pull was already undeniable. I couldn't get through a single class without my mind wandering to him, let alone imagine going the rest of my life without thinking about him.

Yas' voice broke my train of thought. "Where do you think we're going today?" she asked, changing the subject.

"No idea." I shrugged, not really caring. All I wanted was to rush home and get some kind of explanation from my mum. And possibly have a mental breakdown from the frustration.