Nadine's Stuck.

TWELVE

Nadine's POV:

"Seriously, what the fuck happened to your stuff?" Cade closes the door and looks at me after everyone left.

I thought he had moved away from the question when he asked the first time.

"Nothing. I just don't...do that stuff anymore," I shrug. "I quit."

"Rosewood..." Cade runs his hand through his dark hair, walking to his bed and taking a seat on the edge. His tone is a mix of (I assume) fake concern and real annoyance. "Based on what I know, you can't just quit."

"Well, I did."

"That's not how it works. I spent hours researching that shit. Tell me the truth, Rosewood."

Spent hours researching for me or for my anorexic looking body?

"I'm telling you the truth." My hands magnetically reach for Zara.

Cade shakes his head and walks over to the trash can near my desk. He pulls out the rules and punishments. He places them on the desk and slides a firm hand across their wrinkles.

For a while, the only sound in the room is his hand acting as a flat iron against the paper, until he breaks the silence. "What's your problem with Riley?"

"Nothing," I reply, maybe too fast. The sound of his name makes me want to throw up.

"Really? 'Cause it seems to me something is pretty fucking wrong, Nadine." The sound of Cade using my first name doesn't feel right. I've been wanting him to use it, but the words didn't feel like they naturally flowed out his mouth. Is that how people feel when I speak?

Cade pulls a piece of tape from the dispenser and rips it off swiftly. I don't think I've ever seen him so...angry? "Listen, if anything happened or this is just some petty thing, you can tell me. You know that?"

I nod, but I don't know it. I don't know it because it's not true. I can't tell him. I can't be vulnerable. I can't show him my weaknesses. That's how you get taken advantage of. And I, Nadine Rosewood, am a walking, semi-talking weakness.

"Good. I didn't sign up to became a roomimg senor for fun, I did it to help someone..." He mutters. I can hear the frustration in his voice. He tapes Rosewood's Little Rules above my desk. "Just in case you change your mind about the whole quiting thing, Rosewood. Oh, and I promise not to use your first name unless it's serious."

I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. It's honestly a bit ironic because it's usually the opposite - using people's last names in serious, formal settings, not their first.

"I'm not going to change my mind, Caden."

. . .

Despite my protest in "quiting" Cade still got all my regression stuff out of the trash or out from the back of my closet where I thought they wouldn't reach the light of day again.

"Perfect..." I mutters, "just like before."

I don't bother to respond. I'm curled up on my bed hugging Zara.

"You don't seem sick anymore. You're going to school tomorrow, okay?"

Shit. I really don't want to go to school - for multiple reasons, really. At first, I just needed time to hide or get rid of my regression stuff, but maybe it was all about the socially troubled thing after all. I don't have much to look forward to in school, besides getting my Cry Count higher. I wonder if Xena, Charlotte, and Misha have been wondering how I've been doing. They haven't stopped by. Then again, I didn't tell them what room I was in, so how would they stop by?

"Okay." My fingers run along Zara's fur.

"Okay," he repeats, "Okay...and you're okay?"

"Yeah." - No. I'm actually not okay. Incase you haven't noticed, I am really fucked up. 'Troubled' as the school put it.

Troubled.

"If you say so." I hear Cade walk over to his bed and sit down. I assume he's on his phone playing a game or texting his friends.

Texting Riley.

Texting Riley about my regression or my anorexic looking body or how stupidly weak I am. Or maybe even the things he will or could do to me.

I hate boys.

Maybe he's not texting Riley. Maybe I'm overthinking this whole thing. My thoughts have mostly consisted of Riley since Cade mentioned him at Dalia's Diner.

Probably fucking that blonde girl, Akiko said. Consensually, is my question.

At that thought, maybe I'm not overthinking it. Better safe than sorry, right?

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Check out the first chapter of my new book 'In His Eyes' on my second account KeepingKeroppi

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[I'm really trying my best to write longer chapters; do you guys prefer 500-700 word chapters or 900+ word chapters? Also, thank you for all the support!!! Ahh, you guys have no idea how happy it makes me to see!! Please continue to upvote, comment, and follow! ♡♡]

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Word Count: 823!