Status Quo

Chapter 30 - HER

I like when school days are fast and uneventful just like today. Whenever I think of hallway drama it leaves a bitter after taste in my mouth and makes me feel sick to my stomach. The fact that most of my school mates can't look me in the eyes anymore because they are scared of what I might do next to them really makes me feel horrible.

But right now, those things begin to fade to the back of my mind whenever Micheal smiles at me in class, in the library or during lunch. What even makes me the happiest is when seeing me happy makes Shantele very happy, she hasn't stopped smiling ever since I clued her in this morning and I am glad that I have finally stopped being a cause of ache to her even though she would like to deny it.

I brush my hair down and run my hands through the waves of my red hair that falls down my back to my waist, I pat down my baby blue floral dress that Jordan's mom gave me during summer break when it was my birthday. I chose to wear it so I could see the smile on her lips.

I look at myself once more in the mirror and agree with myself that I am ready to go for this darned dinner that has been making my stomach churn since I got home and started preparing for it.

I pick Flinette's keys from the kitchen island and thank the heavens for making Flinette go on a date with Andre because I already know she wouldn't allow me use her car to go to Jordan's place.

I arrive at the front porch of Jordan's house and I can feel my palms begin to get sweaty as I grip the steering wheel tight and tell myself that I can do this.

I lock the car door after I exit and pat my hair and dress down. I take slow steps towards the front door and hesitantly ring the doorbell. I hear Renae's voice from inside and I already guess that she is the one that's going to open the door.

The door opens to reveal Renae wearing a pastel pink dress with her hair packed up in a cute messy bun, I stand there awkwardly and wonder if I should even say hi to her or if I should just ignore her and walk straight in.

"Are we going to stand here all night?" Renae asks and I feel the corners of my lips turn up. I walk into the door and immediately the smell of cookies invades my nostrils and I start salivating instantly.

I make a beeline for the cookie tray cooling on the kitchen counter and take a bite out of one, in mid chew I see Jordan's mom coming down the stairs and immediately her eyes and mine connect a big smile plants itself on our faces.

I drop my half eaten cookie and rush to give her a hug, I miss being hugged by a motherly figure such as herself, it helped to fill in the gaps when my mom stopped paying attention to me.

"JJ" she says and I smile because the last time I heard that nickname I was in a frenzy and didn't have the opportunity to soak in the significance of it.

"Mom" I croak out and the back of my throat becomes hot at how she looks at me like a mother would her child. I really missed this so much, I hug her tighter and she does the same.

"I see you already helped yourself to the cookies" She says as she lets me go and we walk to the kitchen.

"You can't blame me, you're cookies are to die for" I chuckle, "I'd be dead without them"

"Yet you managed this fine without them" Jordan comments in a sharp tone and I roll my eyes.

"That's not a good way to speak" Jordan's mom says and I can't help but smile.

"Leave him" I joke, "he's still a child"

"I don't think we're that close anymore for us to joke about our mental ages" he says and I scoff.

"I'm not even going to bother with you" I say, "Grow up"

"You don't get to tell me what to do after all you've done" he says