Family Feuds

Chapter 1

At the mall's food court, the gang sat at their usual table.

"So, it's now been a month since we've been here," Cat remarked.

"Yeah, it has," Jade said coldly.

"Why the long face, Jade?" Andre asked. Jade ignored the question, so he turned to Beck instead.

"Jade's been avoiding talking to her parents," Beck explained.

"Well, you've been avoiding them for quite some time now," Tori recalled. "Why don't you try talking to them?"

"Why don't you try that?" Jade asked her irritably.

"Your father seemed nice enough when I met him at that play," Tori added.

"That same one that Mrs. Lee tried to sabotage?" Andre asked, and Tori nodded.

"Oh, yeah! I remember you and I tried to stall her at Wok Star that night," Trina chimed in, and Jade shot a fierce glance at her.

"If I may – do you have trouble talking with your parents, Jade? I know what that's like," Leah said in a rather small voice.

"Different scenario," Jade said roughly. "Leah. I'm not gay. It's just that my dad and I don't always see eye to eye."

"Her parents both refuse to support our engagement," Beck added, watching as Leah slightly cowered away. "I just don't know what will make them see reason. It's our choice who we spend the rest of our lives with – and I chose Jade." He rested his hand on hers.

"Who cares what they think," Jade muttered. "They can't tell me what to do."

"I'm proud of you, babe," Beck said.

Jade updated her status on TheSlap which read: "I am my own boss. I make the rules - MOOD = Confident".

That evening, Jade arrived back at her home. She decided she was in the mood for painting, a skill she had been developing over the last few months. She was becoming just as fond of painting as she was of acting and singing.

As she got her canvas ready, there was a knock on the door. "Who is it?" Jade called out. She wondered who it could be, other than Beck. There was no reply. She groaned and went to answer the door. "This better be good," she muttered under her breath.

When she opened the door, she found a girl on the doorstep – blonde, and about the same age as her, or maybe a bit younger. The girl's blue eyes regarded Jade inquisitively.

"Yes?" Jade asked her, curious.

"Hello," the girl began. "I'm Valerie Romero."

"So?" Jade asked again.

"Um, I think I might need to come in," Valerie spoke. "There's something you should know."

Jade raised her brows dubiously, but she stepped outside to talk to the strange girl anyway. Closing the door behind her, she crossed her arms. "Out here is fine. So what is it exactly that I should know?" she asked, wondering if it had anything to do with Beck.

"So a week ago, I saw your SplashFace video," Valerie started.

"Which one?" Jade interrupted.

"The one about tips on acting," Valerie answered. "It sorta went viral."

"Yes, it did," Jade stated. "Carry on?"

"Well, I've been trying to track you down – and when I saw that post, I was glad to find out that we live in the same city. Even though I live in Glendale. Jade...There's no easy way to say this, but...I'm your half-sister," Valerie revealed.

"Excuse me, what?" Jade asked, as her eyes widened. "You're my...half-sister? Is this some kind of sick joke?"

"No, I swear it's not," Valerie answered as quickly as she could. "My mother's name is Irene Romero."

"And your dad?" Jade inquired.

"He's Drew Romero. But you wouldn't know him," Valerie said.

"Oh...well, that name doesn't seem to ring a bell, but it finally explains why Mom went on so many business trips not long after I was born. I guess they were much more than that," Jade said.

"Yeah," Valerie answered. "I'm two years younger than you."

"Is that so?" Jade asked her, trying to comprehend the info that why her mother had never told her that she had a half-sister. Now she examined her half-sister. How could she be related to this girl, with her blonde hair, her blue eyes, her happy vibes of fashion?

"Well, what now?" Valerie asked with a smile and a sigh.

"What do you mean, what now?" Jade asked her back. "You can't just waltz into my house, tell me you're my sister, and just ask what we are going to do."

"I'm sorry..." Valerie said in a small voice. She backed up a step and looked down.

Jade stood up, feeling like she needed a breath of fresh air.

"Listen, I didn't mean to intrude like this," Valerie said. She pulled out a piece of paper and a pen. "If you want to call me, or something..." she wrote down her phone number. "You'll know where to find me."

She handed the piece of paper and Jade took it. Without another word, Valerie walked out the door. After thinking for a moment, Jade walked away down the sidewalk, hoping to have a bit of time and fresh air to herself.

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