OPEN [boyxboy] ✓

fifteen:: when nothing is the same.

(Rilee played by Quintessa Swindell; The Love Club by Lorde) at one point, the italics are kids in the hall.

FIFTEEN: when nothing is the same.

"What are you doing here?" My voice was calm but inside I was praying that my parents hadn't been anywhere in sight when I'd seen Jade and her skateboard at Paul's door later that night.

It was around seven and let's just say my emotions were as dried out as the tear stains on my face.

"Well after coming home and hearing Dad yelling at Loraine because she kicked you out, I proceeded to curse her out and tracked Paul down on Instagram. Do you know how fucking popular he is?" She laughed at that, my mind still processing how the hell she'd found his address, "I was trying to figure out where I'd seen him before. His YouTube is like goals as fuck."

I blinked, remembering that Paul was a big Youtuber as well as his friends and that I was just Jules, "Uh yeah..."

"Oh, tell the redhead to turn off her map because it shows exactly where she lives."

And that was when I realized that Jade was just awkwardly rocking on the heels of her converse and whistling as she peered inside the apartment. My hand was still on the doorknob and inside I was debating whether or not to shut the door.

Jade was really embarrassing when she wanted to be and if she found out about me living with three hot guys, she'd never let me live it down.

"So are you gonna invite me past the threshold?"

Shit.

"Since when do I actually have to invite you in?" I asked, rolling my eyes as I knew I wouldn't get out of letting her in.

She whistled, clasping her hands behind her back before smiling, ponytail swishing back and forth. My sister narrowed her eye-lined eyes at me, "I'm trying to be nice because this is your future husband's place not yours."

"Fine..." I sighed, throwing my head back, "Would you like to-"

My sister shoved me out the way, stepping in a smelling the scent of freshly popped popcorn. Placing her bag by the door, she took in her surroundings such as the guys in a heated game of Call of Duty and Rilee making dinner in the kitchen, "Don't mind if I do."

"So tell me what happened..." I asked, my eyes catching on to a handprint that reddened her left cheek. She hadn't even tried to cover it with her hair, knowing good and well that I'd see it eventually.

She sighed; Brandon's yelling at Pete that his ass was grass was pushed behind me as I paid close attention to what my sister was saying, "Well, I had enough of the Jesus Freak so I proceeded to yell at her about the fact that she's paraphrasing a book written so long ago and being a bitch to her own son... And then she slapped me."

My eyes were wide as Jade shrugged. She was acting as if it were nothing but the haziness in her jaded eyes had said differently, "But it's okay because Dad kicked her out and, like, tossed her wedding ring."

"Jade, she fucking hit you?"

"It was barely a tap, I'm used to it," she said, trying to stop me from saying more. She hadn't wanted to talk about it, "If anything, Dad overreacted."

"Jules, who's at the-" Paul had spoken as he peaked his head around the kitchen entrance, spoon in his hand from when we were baking a cake in the kitchen. And then he saw Jade, smiling that genuine, warm smile at her. I heard his footsteps approaching but my attention stayed on her, "oh, hey."