Blandview High Musical

75. Bad Girlfriend

With Spring Break officially over, there were 3 more months left of school. Given Jade and her father's falling out, she didn't move out of the house, but made herself more scarce than ever. Her and Donnie's blossoming relationship suddenly withered like a bloom in the stifling heat. I had assumed that something had happened between the two of them. She probably found out that Donnie was moving product that her father was selling under the table. "Any sign of her?" Tommy asked me as we were sitting outside together. I shook my head. "Not a phone call. Not even a text message since the break ended." I said. "We should go look for her." "And where do you suggest we start?" I asked. He sighed and looked away.

Unbeknownst to all the others, Jade was downtown. "All I'm looking for is a job." She said to the man sitting behind the ragged looking desk. "You look kind of young for this work." He said. "Look, I'm eighteen." She said, placing her ID on the desk. He reached forward and picked it up. "Night shifts. Five o'clock to midnight." He said. He handed her back the identification card. "You start tonight." He said. She got up from where she was sitting and headed for the door. "One more thing." He said. She turned around. "You tell your daddy that I'm not looking for trouble." He said. She shook her head. "My father doesn't control what I do." He lit the cigarette between his lips. "That's what I'm worried about." While the manager's office was shabby looking, the inside of the club was far from that.

Gold railing, carpeting, marble flooring in certain areas, neon lights and high-priced drinks. "Shouldn't you be in school?" the bartender asked. Jade had walked up and just sat down; she wasn't looking to drink. "Very funny." She said. The bartender was a lumbering looking dude. He was wide, clean shaven and clean cut with square cut glasses. "Seriously, though...what are you doing here?" He asked. "Getting a job. Is that a crime?" She asked. He filled up a glass with water and pushed it towards her. "I'm not looking for a handout." She said. "If you're gonna sit here, you gotta drink. Water's free." He said, grinning. She took the water. "What's your name?" She asked. "Mark." He said, drying off some of the other glasses. "Do you think you got the job? I certainly would mind seeing a pretty girl like you around more often." He said. "Right on the spot, he gave it to me. Under the condition that my father doesn't come in here starting trouble." She said. "Small price to pay." He said, smiling. "You have a really pretty smile." "Flattery is dangerous with me, sweetheart." He said, leaning across the bar. She smiled, lifting the glass to take a drink.

As their conversation continued, other dancers started to appear at the bar. They all seemed to flock to Mark for attention. "I should really be going." Jade said, finishing the glass of water. "Will I see you again?" Mark asked. "Maybe." She said. "Who was that?" One of the dancers asked, sliding into the vacant seat. "New employee." He said. "Don't let Adriana find out you're talking to someone else." She said. "I wouldn't worry about that." He said, making her a drink.

I walked up the sidewalk to the front door of Jade's house. If I couldn't get her on the phone, the next best thing was to try and catch her at home. As I was about to knock on the door, that pink mustang came down the street. I just stood there as she parked in the driveway. "Gill? What are you doing here?" She asked. She walked around to the trunk, opening it. I stepped across the grass towards her. "What kind of response is that? You've been ghosting us for several days." I snapped. "No phone calls. No text messages. NOTHING!" I said. She pulled some bags out of the trunk that were marked Fredrick's of Hollywood and Victoria's Secret. "Gill, I wasn't ghosting anyone. I was simply...making arrangements." She slammed the trunk shut. "And if you're smart, you'll leave me to do whatever I need to." She said. "Just tell me where you were then!" I said. She shook her head. "No. Excuse me." She said, stepping around me. "Are you doing this to get back at your father or to get back at Donnie for lying to you?" I asked. She stopped at the front door, turning around to face me. "Go home, Gilly." She said. I sighed.