What I Couldn't Tell Him

24 - You don't have to be brave

ALDEN WOLFF-

I watch from a distance as Jaimie has a serious conversation with Jenni, who nods her head at intervals.

Jenni smiles weakly and walks away. I catch Jaimie's eye and she smiles, striding over to where I stand, leaning on a wall.

"Hi, is she okay?" I ask as she walks up. She looks confused for a moment then her eyes light up with realisation.

"Jenni? Oh yeah, she's fine." I assume it wasn't important.

"Looking forward to class?" I joke and she pouts. I sit next to her and just in front of Jordan's relentless teasing.

"No; I have to go sit next to this asshole, he picks his nose and has really bad BO..." She holds her nose and wafts her hand dramatically.

"You mean he smells incredibly masculine like the wind and pine needles-"

"Wait, how do you know?" She grins, catching me off guard. I pause and open my mouth to retort, realising sourly that I am sat with her second period.

"Oh, you're gay! I'm so proud of you for coming out." She cheers, hugging me animatedly. I shrug her off and scowl, blushing deep red.

"F*ck off." I moan. She smirks at me.

"Hey lovebirds, how is the morning flirt going?" Brooklyn calls, bumping me with his shoulder.

"Screw you," Jaimie says, sticking her tongue out at him.

"But I'm sure you'd rather do it." He teases and she pulls a face. Her eyes set into a glare and he looks at me for support. I shrug.

"You're so arrogant." She shakes her head. He looks amused and mildly offended.

"Calm down princess, I was only kidding." He says defensively, retreating slightly behind me.

"Don't call me Princess."

She laughs. I join in, seeing him flush with colour, probably more than I did. He storms away, head low.

"Sometimes I wonder how you guys get through a day. I mean, you get offended by someone using a ten-year-olds insult?"

"No, just Brooklyn." I chuckle as he dodges people on the way into the building, disappearing through the doors.

"Are you coming to the match tomorrow?" I ask her, remembering last time. She lets her eyes roam for a minute then nods her head slowly.

"Yeah, sure."

"And the party?"

"Erm... I don't know." She says quietly, still thinking to herself.

"Please?" I say before I evaluate my words. I blush again, not like before. She doesn't notice. She is unaffected by my words.

"I dunno." She repeats and I figure that is the best I'm going to get. I nod and change the subject.

JAIMIE PERRON

I struggle to keep up with the conversation with Alden, thinking about Jenni. She said she was fine, but she looked tired and disturbed. I couldn't find the words to reassure her.

Eventually, he takes my mind off it. It is calming, only focusing on him and I try to shake myself out of it. It doesn't work.

I don't know if I want to go to the party. I hate parties but for some reason, I enjoyed the last one. Way more than I should have.

He gives up convincing me and moves on to something else.

"Have you ever been to Pinemere Park?" He asks casually. I can tell there is a question on his mind that he wants to ask me.

"No, what is it like?" I respond naturally.

"You'll have to come. The boys are going tonight, you gonna come?" He prompts, almost pleading. I see no harm in it, I have messed up with these boys already.

"Sure." I shrug, seeing no danger in it.

"I'll come get you at nine." He grins and walks away, without a glance back.

I stay for a minute, thinking about what I just did. I am prodded out of my remorseful daydream by a sharply manicured fingernail. When I see the candy pink colour and smell a sugary, cloying perfume, I immediately know who it is.

"Elodie! What a sickly, fake-tan coloured surprise!"

"Shut up, b*tch." She rolls off her tongue, her voice polished like her compact mirror.

"If you didn't want me to speak you shouldn't have got my attention; I have a whole slew of insults to tell you."

"I said shut up!" Her voice changes pitch to more of an agitated squawk.

"You're talking too." I point out facetiously. She rolls her eyes and her heavily coated lashes strain to flutter, but are glued together.

"But b*tches aren't allowed to talk." She smirks a primary school insult at best.

"Then why are you still talking?"

"I just want to make sure you know how much of a useless, ugly, fat, sl*t you are and that you should go and kill yourself." She says proudly, hands on her hips.

"Thank you for the reminder. Can I just make sure you know that I don't give a f*ck either?"

She spins on her nude heels and clicks down the hall, tight pencil skirt revealing the hem of her underwear as an unattractive ridge. I snigger.

When I turn, I see Alden looking concerned. I don't want his sympathy now, I don't need it.

"Are you alright? What did she say?" He asks urgently, watching her sashay down the corridor with hate in his eyes. It's odd that he is concerned and it looks genuine. I smile and sigh.

"Oh you know, I'm an ugly, fat sl*t that doesn't deserve to live. Nothing creative." I give him a weak smile. His face furrows in anger.

"Where did she go? Such a b*tch-" he starts down the corridor after the echo of her cheap heels.

"Hey, it's fine." I grab his arm and he turns to face me, expression still the same.

"Leave it. I can deal with her." I reassure him, adding a warning to my tone. I don't need anyone's protection, this is my problem.

"Jaimie! I can stop her, you don't have to be brave-"

"Alden. Really, I'm fine." I take his other arm and force his eyes down to mine. He sighs and looks down the emptying corridor. His muscles relax and I feel the warmth if his skin under my cold hands, wanting to drop them but not being able to.

"You don't have to be brave. You can let people help you." He says softly as I drop his arms. I shake my head and smile, a bitter weakness in my body.

"I don't need help with insignificant things like that," I answer, walking away. He follows me to his first lesson.