Arranged marriage : I hate you

Chapter 11

Jennie was exhausted. She hadn't gotten enough rest in the past few days and she was feeling drained. The first classes for the day were over, which was something she was grateful for. As she walked to her locker, her friend Mia next to her, she filled her in on the recent changes in her life.

"Wait, so... you're married?" Mia asked as she leaned on the locker next to that of her friend. Jennie sighed as she put her books in her locker and got the ones for her remaining classes. It was lunch, and the girls made a habit of getting their needed books for the last classes at lunch to avoid getting to class late.

"You're not hearing me. We're engaged, not married yet. They're sorta just waiting for me to turn 18 first," Jennie repeated. She closed her locker then her bag and they started walking to the cafeteria.

"Right, but she refers to you as her wife so, yeah, married," Mia spoke, her words almost in a whisper like a child confessing about stealing without wanting to be heard. "Plus, I thought such things were not done anymore."

"Arranged marriages?"

"Yeah. Worse part, it's a woman, a grown ass woman for that matter. That's like... rape or something. Can't you just report them?"

"I wish, but I can't,"

"Why? Wait, she's hot, isn't she?"

Jennie looked at her friend with a scolding look. Mia bought them food and they walked to an empty table where they sat down opposite each other.

"Firstly, these people are dangerous and definitely not the type of people you'd want to mess with. Secondly, my family's comfort is hanging on this. My dad's new company, his major clients, his investors. All of it will be gone if I back out. I can't be responsible for his downfall. Well, his second downfall. Plus, Riley has been... nice, and sweet,"

Jennie pushed down a smile at the reminder of the older woman's kindness. She focused on her food to remove her mind from the woman.

"What about Jimmy?" Mia asked as she also started eating her food. Jennie sighed then, the thought of her boyfriend had been one of the things keeping her from sleeping peacefully.

"I have no idea,"

"Well, I don't really care. I don't like him. He's a fucken wanker,"

"Hey, he's still my boyfriend,"

"Unfortunately," Mia responded as she rolled her eyes dramatically.

"Besides, he's literally the only guy who didn't try to date me because my father is rich and famous," Jennie protested, she wasn't sure why her reason for dating the guy made her feel somewhat guilty. Like someone who's done something good for all the wrong reasons. But as soon as the feeling came, the sooner she brushed it away.

"Oh just kill me," Mia said, annoyance audible in her tone of voice as she eyed someone who seemed to be approaching Jennie.

"What is it?" Jennie asked curiously as she turned to look at what has made her friend so annoyed.

"Oh," she almost laughed, seeing that her boyfriend Jimmy was walking towards their table with a guy called Mike, who happened to be one of his friends and soccer teammate. She turned to face her friend again to see that she had a frown on her face.

"Stop," Jennie scolded, a laugh almost slipping out of her mouth. Mia glared at her in annoyance.

"He's coming with that boring guy who keeps asking me out," Mia groaned.

"Relax. You might just end up liking him,"

"Never,"

The girls soon kept quiet as Jimmy and Mike got to the table.

"Ladies," Jimmy greeted, sitting down next to Jennie and letting his strong arm hang around the girl's shoulder. He kissed her on her cheek before turning to grin at Mia who just rolled her eyes at the two, her body immediately stiffening as Mike sat next to her.

"Shouldn't you two be in the field chasing a ball like the headless chickens you are?" Mia asked with a sarcastic smile, which earned her a glare from her friend.

"We're not chickens, plus, it's lunch," Jimmy protested as he got comfortable next to Jennie who had her eyes glued to her phone. She thought about texting Riley and asking her if she got to work safely but was very skeptical about the idea.

"Why you always so mean?" Mike asked as he scooted closer to Mia who gave him a disgusted look before moving away from him to sit next to Jennie.

She roughly picked up Jimmy's arm and removed it from Jennie's shoulders, replacing it with her own. Jennie was pulled out of her thoughts by the act and she quickly turned to look at her friend.

"Ayt, we get the message. We're leaving. But I'll be back when school ends to see my girlfriend," Jimmy spoke as he and Mike stood up, smirks decorating their pleased faces.

The boy lowered himself to give Jennie a chaste kiss on her cheek before walking away with Mike to a different table which happened to already be occupied by other student soccer players.

Turning to her friend, Jennie's face was masked with confusion.

"I really don't understand what you see in that punk," Mia said as she finally moved away from her friend but stayed sitted next to her.

"He's... I don't know... Cute?" Jennie spoke, the words coming out more as a question than a statement as she was also unsure.

"Geez Jen, have you never heard of the high school rule? You don't date the first guy to ask you out," Mia scolded, her face showing how much she disliked her best friend's boyfriend.

Jennie didn't respond, instead, she grabbed her phone and put it in her pocket before sighing deeply. 'Making decisions is hard' she thinks as she lets herself shrink into her seat.