2 months

25

Jaden

"Yeah, sure everything you want." I said. I turned the radio volume up and Cassie took the opportunity to connect her phone to the radio. In the old convertible you have to connect it per an aux cable, in my own car you can just do it per Bluetooth.

She put on some music we always listen to together. (Little side note: the playlist link is in the description:)
I liked that she had a playlist just for us, she named it "dumbass". I didn't think I expected anything different. I liked that she was kind of predictable, yet she sometimes surprised me. I didn't know all of her sides, and she didn't know mine, and I liked that too.

"You'll pay for the sweets and I pay for the blankets?" She said.
"No no, come on, I'll pay for it, it would be ridiculous to pay separate." I said. Wow. What a gentlemen.
"No, then let me pay for all of it. You always pay so much for me!" She said and grabbed the blankets out of my hands. If she wasn't so stubborn and I wasn't such a gentlemen, I would just let her pay, if she wanted it so desperately. But I had to. It was the only fair thing.

"Be quiet and let me pay for it." I said. I didn't wanna sound that rude, but she wouldn't have let me done it if not. She laughed, so at least she wasn't sad or took it to her heart. Because that wasn't my intention.

"Okay okay, if you want to do it so bad I'll let you pay." She said and laughed, devilish. I came to the conclusion that she tricked me into paying all of it. But I didn't mind. I let her win this one. She was a manipulative little bitch, but thats just how she was.

We payed, well, I payed, and we drove to a parking lot a little further away. A cute little location. I liked it there. We got out of the car and put one of the blankets on the roof, Cassie got the sweatshirt I bought and we layed down. The music was still playing quietly in the background. We ate some of the sweets we got and talked about shit. We talked about the stars, the constellations Cassie was seeing, she really was fascinated by astrology, and I listened to her talking, even if I didn't understand.

"Jaden can I tell you something?" Cassie then said. My heart stopped beating, but it got faster at the same time.
I turned around so our heads were facing each other. I could feel her cold, anxious breath on my cheek.
"Sure go ahead." I said, trying to sound calm.

"But please promise me to not tell anybody, okay?" She said. I was thinking about what it could be. It could've been anything.
"Yeah I promise. I pinky promise." I said and raised my little finger. She laughed quiet, but stopped right away.

She didn't say anything for a few moments, moments that felt like ages. If somebody said that these moments were three weeks, I would believe them.

"The thing you said, earlier...he wasn't lying." Was the only thing she could say. She didn't cry, but you could tell it was painful to say these words.
I didn't know what to say. Words and phrases went through my head. Questions. But nothing came out of my mouth.

"But I'm okay now, trust me. I pinky promise." She said and took my hand and pinky promised. We both laughed.
"Did you tell Olivia?" I asked. I don't know if it was the right thing to ask, but I wanted to know. Not only because I wanted to know if I was the first person she told.

"No, she wouldn't believe me." She said, and kinda laughed, disappointed.
"What, why?" I asked, shocked. I mean I knew how much she loved Cole, and how she basically praised him like a god, but she should believe her best friend if she told her he did something to her.

"One time, a girl, I believe it was Julia Dalton, came forward with the same allegations. She told Olivia before she went to the police to report him, to warn her, probably. But she didn't believe her a single word. She said she was after his money, or something. And he never reported him." She said. I couldn't believe it. Not only that he did it to more than one, probably more than two girls, but that Olivia would do something like that. I didn't know her well, but I always thought she was kind of nice. Bitchy and rich, but nice.

"What the actual fuck. I think you should report him. And Julia should too." I said and realized our fingers were still crossed.
"No I'm done with that shit. It's not a part of me anymore, and reporting him would make me relive everything." She said and I understood her. Not in the way I knew what she went through, but I could imagine that living like that was easier than a court date with Cole Newman.

"Oh okay, but maybe you shouldn't be friends with Olivia anymore." I said. I hated telling her what to do, but it was the only right thing, in my opinion.
"I can't. It's complicated." She said and closed her eyes. I didn't say anything. I was honestly surprised that she told me. I was happy that she trusted me. I was relieved that she told me and I was angry at Olivia, but more at Cole.

"Is it 0kay if I ask when it happened?" I wasn't trying to invade her privacy, I was just curious.
"Last school year, at a party. The only party I ever went to." She said, half asleep.
"Oh. Was it at mikes house on the first weekend of the new year?" I asked.
"Yeah. Exactly. Fucking mikes perfect house. I hated it there the second I entered." She said and giggled.
"Yeah, I think I was there too. Why was Cole there anyways. Isn't he a grade above us?" I said. It just seemed weird that he would be at a party where mostly freshmen's would be.
"Yup. He was only there because Olivia and him where fighting and he tried to get her back." She said. She was sitting now.
"Damn." I just said. I was pretty tired and didn't know what to say anymore.
"Yeah, she should've just stayed away from him. And I should've stayed at home that day. But shit happens." She said and laughed as she buried her face in her knees.

"Do you think you should've stayed at home the day we met?" I asked. I hated making this situation we talked about about me, but I was curious.
"No, I'm glad I decided to walk on that street that day. Funny coincidence, I usually take a different was to school, so me and Olivia can walk together. But I wanted to walk alone that day. If I walked the other way, we wouldn't be here right now." She said. She obviously thought about it before. Kinda cute.

"Maybe we would be, fate and the universe would've brought us together either way." I said. She just smiled.

"But why did you tell me the truth? You could've easily lied. I mean, you know Olivia for a longer time and you never told her what happened. Why me?" I asked. I was genuinely curious.

"I don't know. I guess I just hate you a little bit less than everybody else." She said. I smiled.