Only The Brave

Star-talk

She was strange; she had grown up that way, and no intention to change that. She was used to the stares she received for being so strange, as well. Usually, though, the stares weren't so intense, and there were never so many as far back as she could remember. For a flat chested freak, she sure was getting quite a bit of attention. Emily did her best to ignore it, though, and went through the first couple days like it was nothing. The stares never dwindled, they only multiplied, until she eventually felt the only time she could get to herself was the bathroom. She'd heard whispers about dating, and being a slut, and immediate spotted Darren across the hall. He started to walk her way, followed shortly by Jace.

The stares were divided, then, and she bit her lip as Dare got close enough for her to turn and walk with he and the blond, “What on earth's going on here? First the blond's weird, and we solve the mystery right before you fly off the handle, and the school's gone apeshit.”

Darren made sure to keep their pace quick, as the three of them headed outside for a smoke on their lunch. He had an idea which he'd already talked over with Jace, and he was worried about the decision that might have to be made, “We need to go somewhere that we can all be alone.”

She didn't like the sound of it, but Emily tagged along. The second they were outside, Darren and Jace lit up cigarettes, but didn't breathe a word until they found their way to the park, up on the hill, “Okay, what is it, boys? I don't hear anyone talking.”

Jace dropped his gaze, taking another drag of his cigarette, leaving Dare to start, “I've been walking with Jace for the last couple of days, and I noticed that people have been staring at him oddly. Even his friends, who were yelling at me just the other day were paying more attention to staring at him than kicking my ass.”

“They saw me the other evening with Darren in my car. After he'd taken his medication, he ran to find me, and they found us together.” Jace added, his voice quiet. He wouldn't even look at Emily.

“What does this have to do with me?”

Darren looked down, taking a drag of his own cigarette, and pursing his lips, “I guess they thought I was you. We weren't doing anything too bad, but I mean...”

“...but whatever you were doing, they assume it was me doing it. Why didn't you say something sooner? Did you just assume it wouldn't get around? Look, I don't mind rumors, but you're my friend, Dare. What the hell?” He looked up at her with desperation in his bi-colored eyes, and he shook his head. She could tell that something was different about him, so she knew at least his blond asshole of a boyfriend wasn't trying to get him off of it. It was more than obvious he needed to be on it.

She inhaled sharply, then glared at Jace, “I would get mad at Darren if I could, but it isn't him that I dislike, Jace, it's you. Who the fuck made you so goddamn perfect, huh? Who said you could treat him like shit just because he made one mistake? I heard everything that you said to him by his car, and I'm not fucking impressed!” By then, people were starting to stare, her voice getting so loud.

Jace was caught off guard, and nearly dropped his cigarette, “E-excuse me?” He didn't fucking like her either, and her gutsy move to be the one to put the spotlight on their mutual dislike for one another was not something he really appreciated. His eyebrows knitted together, and his lips became a hard line, “Who the fuck do you think you are,” He hissed at Emily, “listening in on people's conversations like that?”

“Ask yourself that question! Who the hell do you think you are?” Jace tensed up, and Darren motioned for the both of them to keep their tempers under control. He didn't think that it was a good idea for her to raise her voice with so many people paying attention from across the park, “Who do you think you are, hiding someone in the dark just because you're so fucking worried about a shitty thing like reputation? You're FAKE. You're garbage, and Darren is too drugged up to notice what a shitty fucking friend he has in you. It's pretty pathetic when the only one to fucking have his back like a real friend is a girl he met less then a damn month ago.”