After dropping Perrie off at her house, Jade started to drive to her own home. Getting your license was a rite of passage in the community.
She had practiced for months before taking her test. She was focused enough to be behind the wheel, but not enough to keep her mind off of the tall girl with braids and red lipstick that she saw earlier. The radio had already been turned on, and pop songs carried throughout the car.
Perhaps a girl knowing her name wasn't a big deal in the grand scheme of things. In fact she knew it wasn't. But it still felt surreal. For the first time in god knows how long Jade didn't feel like she was close to fading. A part of her felt validated.
Eventually she pulled into the driveway of her house. It was the only mustard yellow house on the street, standing out amongst the other white ones.
Soon she was swinging open the front door. A puff of cool air hit her face. Jade walked straight up to her bedroom, leaving her shoes by the door. She knew that no one would be in the house into much later and there was a chocolate bar waiting to hold her over until dinner.
She entered her pink tinted room and plopped down onto her bed. She buried herself under the fluffy blankets and breathed in the comfort of being home. Jade pulled out the candy from under her pillow before checking her phone.
The only message notification was from Perrie.
Have you collapsed yet?
Jade sighed reluctantly sat up. Lying in bed during the day was not a good habit.
She began to type her response, but was interrupted when the doorbell sounded throughout the house.
She furrowed her brows in confusion. It couldn't have been her mom. She got out of bed and ran quickly down the steps.
She looked through the peephole before groaning. Of course.
"Hello," Jade snapped, opening the door.
"Hi little sister."
In front of Jade was her quite annoying 23 year old brother.
He was in his "I didn't sign up for adulthood. Please get me out of here" stage and his "I enjoy making you as miserable as I am " stage simultaneously. Jason almost never came unless he had laundry to drop off. And on the other occasions he just disguised his need for food under really missing his mom.
It wasn't surprising that he was there, but it was startling who he was there with.
In front of Jade was Jesy Nelson. There was a beanie covering her dyed red hair and a weak smile on her lips.
"Hi Jason," Jade greeted. "What do you want?"
"Nothing much," he smirked. "Aren't you going to say hi to my friend over here? We need to work on your manners Jadey."
Jade rolled her eyes at the use of the nickname.
Jason had swung his arm around Jesy and she awkwardly waved at Jade.
This wasn't the first time Jason had brought a girl here, but Jesy just seemed so young.
"Hi Jesy," Jade began. "You guys can um do whatever you guys need to do. I'm gonna go write back to Perrie. My really nice friend Perrie who smells like sour patch kids and isn't a total creep."
Jason scoffed. "Whatever kid."
"She's single," she announced, staring right at Jesy. "Not like Jason. Isn't that rig-"
"Good to know," Jesy interrupted. She smiled politely. But Jade could tell that she was bored, from Jason or her or both.
Jason decided that was the time to keep talking and Jade made her escape.
Jade left the two standing in the doorway knowing that Jason would let himself in.
She shuddered at the thought of the two together and decided to hold off on telling Perrie about it till the next time Jade saw her.
God that was gross.
