Fools

Chapter 1

Hello! I wonder who (if anyone) is reading this. Thank you so much. This has been a few years in the making this story. I hope you enjoy. It means a lot to me. Love. 

Chapter 1

It was almost 3am when two police cars pulled up across the street from Jess. And suddenly her best friend Alex was being pushed against the wall and handcuffed. Another girl, years younger with a broken nose, screamed as Alex spat out a mouthful of blood.

"She punched my face, I'm telling you – came from nowhere - "

"Because she tripped me - " But the officer pushed Alex harder against the wall so the rest of her words were muffled.

"On accident!" The girl yelled. But soon she stopped straining and began to cry.

Jess watched Alex, and worried about what she would do next. She always worried about her. One of the police officers who was taking a statement from the broken-nosed girl glanced up from his notepad and Jess caught his eye. She gulped and looked down.

Suddenly Alex was being bundled into a police car and her anger turned to fear as she looked around wildly, realising how far she'd let this go out of control. The broken nosed girl screamed as she watched her go.

"Alex!" Jess shouted, not knowing what to do. "Alex!"

Alex looked up, just in time to yell "Wait here! I'll sort this out, Jess!" before she was pushed into the back seat and the door slammed behind her.

Once everyone had disappeared into the police cars, Jess took a deep breath and closer her eyes. This night was becoming a nightmare, and one she'd been having a lot lately. It was supposed to be fun. The last round of adult nursing exams at Kings for the graduating class had taken place the previous day, so Jess had accepted her classmate's invitation to go out tonight and celebrate, bringing her best friend Alex along with her.

It was supposed to be a distraction, but she was more miserable standing amongst her intoxicated classmates (not to mention an increasingly boisterous Alex) in the throng of sweaty, dancing bodies than ever before. She found clubs like these beyond depressing: the tuneless beats so overbearingly loud they got -inside your head and made you feel like you were going crazy; the drinking until you can no longer taste the metallic sting of the alcohol, until it slips back like water. Jess regularly remained the designated driver at events like these, preferring to keep her inhibitions. She happened to know they were rather useful.

"Hi. Jess, right?"

Jess opened one eye, then the other and looked up, surprised by the voice. A boy stood in front of her with oriental features, dark brown hair and a reserved expression. He looked as uncomfortable in this social setting as Jess felt.

"Hey." She replied. Then narrowed her eyes. "You're Xander." Jess had often seen him alone on campus and if she'd been more outgoing, she might have spoken to him.

Xander smiled at her recognition. "That's me. You here for Louisa Donnellon's thing too?"

"I'm trying not to be here," She laughed and gestured over her shoulder to the cop car. "But my ticket home's in there."

"Your boyfriend?"

Jess laughed out loud. "No, she's just my friend."

Xander nodded thoughtfully, his gaze fixed on the police car past behind Jess's head, before rummaging in his pocket for a cigarette and looking at her. "Got a light?" He asked.

Jess pulled out Alex's lighter from the bag she'd left with her and threw it over to him. He lit up and smoked silently for a few minutes. He offered it to her at one point, but she shook her head and continued to watch him.