crème glacée [the fate of coincidences 1]

18: Jade

Jade drove Glen home and they ended up laughing at Jade's embarrassing stories about her friends. Glen looked a lot more relaxed than usual and Jade felt a strange sense of accomplishment. Every time he even cracked a smile because of something she said, her chest filled with warmth.

After she dropped him off, she drove straight to April's place. When she walked through the door, Mika was sprawled on the couch, copying something from a thick textbook and watching Cartoon Network while April was in the kitchen making tea. April's apartment was pretty small with two bedrooms, a cozy living room with a balcony, and a tiny kitchen. It was mostly neat, except for all the books stashed in every corner and shelf.

Mika looked away from the TV long enough to give Jade a look of distaste.

"Your smile is so bright it's glaring off the screen. Tone it down, please."

Jade made herself comfortable on the couch next to Mika and propped her feet on the younger girl's lap, smiling as wide as possible on purpose. April came out of the kitchen, miraculously balancing 3 mugs in her hands, and joined them on the couch. Mika grabbed for her mug without tearing her gaze from the TV and would have spilled hot tea everywhere if April didn't stop her in time.

"Mika!" April scolded. "At least look at what you're doing. Or do you want to buy me a new couch?"

"Sorry," Mika said, gaze still glued to the Total Drama Island rerun and not sounding very sorry at all.

"Don't you have a paper due Monday?"

"That's what I'm doing." She gestured at the textbook next to her on the couch.

April reached over for the remote and turned off the TV. Both Mika and Jade turned to frown at her.

"Hey, we were watching that," Jade said.

"I don't care," April replied. "This is my house."

"But I live here, too," Mika whined.

"Yeah, but you still pay me rent." April looked over from Mika to Jade, taking a sip of her tea. "By the way, what is wrong with your brother these days? He's been acting weird."

Jade shrugged. "Dunno. In my opinion, he always acts weird."

"Ever since he came back, Sebastian and he have been acting weird around each other," April commented thoughtfully, staring into her tea.

Jade did notice some change, but he'd been in England for the past two years so it wasn't surprising. He even started pronouncing a few words in a British accent. But then there was that strange tension last Friday at Cam's house, and April was a lot more perceptive. If she said something was wrong, then it was most likely true.

"What do you think it is?" Jade asked, starting to get a little worried.

Mika threw Jade's feet off her lap. "Jade, why are you such a dim child? This is probably about Vendi again."

"How are you so sure?" April asked with suspicion.

"Only Vendi has the power to influence him like that. Trust me, after a lifetime of stalk-- close observation I picked up on a few things."

Jade rolled her eyes. "You have no idea how glad I am that you're done with your weird phase of crushing on my brother. Wait, you are done with that, right? You weren't lying?"

"Pft, please." She flipped her hair. "I was young and stupid, like everyone in highschool. I had no common sense back then."

"You still don't," April grumbled under her breath.