Pattern (JaDine AU)

1

"Hey, are you seeing anyone?"

Nadine sighed. 'Here it goes.'

Her friend, Karen, giggled. Nadine fought the urge to roll her eyes.

"No..." Karen said.

"Really? That's great! I was wondering if we could... You know..."

'As expected.' Nadine thought, sighing yet again.

It was always the same pattern. Always. Every boy is just the same. Nadine knew this all too well. She had lived with this pattern. She knew what will happen next: the boy would break the girl's heart.

And surely after a month, Karen had come crying to Nadine.

'As expected.' Nadine thought to herself. She had comforted her friend that day all the while thinking that Karen were still lucky.

'Cause it's just a month. It's not very painful. The longer you were happy with him, the more you will hurt when he says goodbye.'

Really, Nadine didn't know why girls bother with boys. It was always the same. Boys were made to disappoint girls. Why can't others see that? Why bother with 'love'?

It was the same for Nadine and her mom.

Before, they were living a simple and peaceful life. Her dad was always away on business trips but he never missed a birthday or any occasion.

They were happy... Just until a few years ago when her mom discovered that her dad had another family.

Nadine didn't much understand it then, but her dad stopped going home and her mom kept crying herself to sleep every night. She didn't want Nadine to know, but Nadine hears her soft sobs.

She didn't much know why or what was happening then, but Nadine was certain her mom was crying because of her dad. She grew to hate her dad. She blamed him for every bad thing that happens to them. But then one day, while her mom was cooking, she asked Nadine.

"Nadz, do you hate dad?" she asked with a fake smile on her face.

"Yes." Nadine said immediately. "I don't love him anymore."

Her mom cried; succumbing to tears in front of her daughter for the first time. Little Nadine panicked then, patting her mom on the back she asked,

"Why are you crying, mom?"

She gave Nadine a teary smile then.

"'Cause you know, Nadine... Mom still loves dad..."

Nadine let go of the grudge she had for her dad at that time. And she accepted that it was just how things work.

'Every boy is trouble.'

'Every boy is the same.'

'They only care about themselves.'

'They put everything else for granted.'

'They don't give a thought about a girl's feelings.'

'Happy ending only happens in fairy tales.'

These were what Nadine believed in. But she didn't blame the boys. 'Cause she knew it was just how they are.

'I would never fall in love.'

But then she met him.

JC.

And everything she believed in changed.

They met during Nadine's 2nd year in high school. He was a transfer student.

At first she just ignores him like she does every boy. But then they ended up being paired up for a project.