Abused and Unloved~

Chapter Six

My pulse thunders in my throat as I run at a speed that ignored the frail state of my body.

Jayden pleads in mild distress for me to come back, begging for some sort of explanation.

I don't turn back though the feelings of guilt threatened to make my head spin, it wasn't enough to overpower my sudden anxiety driven nausea.

How could I be so stupid? Thirty minutes, I told myself thirty minutes then I would look for Kaylee.

I near the end of the hill and start whipping my head around frantically in search of Kaylee's usual group of friends.

"Jess!" My head snaps in the unexpected voice's direction thinking the worst only to be filled with immediate relief as I see Kaylee waving and walking towards me.

I quickly close the distance between us and firmly grab her arm, "We need to go."

Kaylee is nearly knocked off balance before she pries her arm out of my grip, "Who was that?"

Her attention is directed behind me to where I was previously sitting and I refuse to follow her gaze and instead walk forward towards our path home in hopes that she'd follow.

"It's no one, come on."
"Well I want to meet this no one."

I halt my movement and look at her with murderous eyes, "No you don't. Let's go."

She smirks as though I'm playing some game with her and teasingly takes steps back in the direction of Jayden.

"Kaylee De la Cruz." My voice had taken the form of a firm authoritarian and held no hint of a joke.

"Jess you never let me meet any of your friends— I didn't even know you had friends!" She whines in a pleading manner.

"We are late, we have to go—"
"Cortez wait up."

Jayden abruptly appears jogging in our direction and only stopping when he's standing next to Kaylee. She scans him up and down with the hint of a smile playing on her lips.

"Jayden I told you I had to go." I say in exasperation and evident impatience.

"I know, I just wanted to exchange numbers before you left. If that's cool with you."

Jayden pulls out his phone motioning it towards me and Kaylee looks between us with an expression of elation.

"I don't have a phone so goodbye—"
"You can give it to me. I have a phone and I let her use it sometimes, I'll make sure she calls you."

Jayden is taken aback, but I wasn't sure if it was the news that I was a teenager with a cellphone or the audacity of my sister that caused it.

He chuckles with a hint of bewilderment, "Your sister got a phone before you? I thought she was in the same grade as mine."

I didn't have a clear enough mind or time to come up with an excuse, all my racing thoughts were filled with the multitude of things my parents would have planned to make sure I know to never do this again.

"It's a crazy world we live in, I'll see you later." I attempt once more to pull Kaylee by her arm and she gracefully avoids me.

"Jess I don't want to go home yet, cause then I have to think about the horrible day I had and all the shit I had to—"
"Language."
"I'm old enough to say "shit" Jessica!"

Jayden watches the interaction with palpable discomfort, clearly not sure whether he should take his leave or not.

I roll my eyes and throw my hands up, "Kaylee I do NOT have time for this."