Call it Fate, Call it Karma

Overreacting

After a quick shower, I threw a hoodie and some sweatpants over my underwear and I trudged into the living room to await my lecture.

Albert was leaning over the kitchen counter, scribbling something in a notepad like he always did when he was pissed off about something. I sneakily took a look at it one time. I think it was full of poetry or song lyrics...same thing. I looked over to see the rest of the guys all squeezed onto the sofa watching TV.

I walked into the kitchen and gave Albert a kiss on the cheek. "I'm alive and well, in case you were wondering."

"Where did you go?" he asked, not taking his eyes off the notepad. "Why didn't you tell me you were leaving?"

"I don't remember." I shrugged. "I did look for you though."

"Where were you before you got here, then?"

"I, uhh..." I was planning on not telling Albert anything...but I figured hiding it from him would only make it worse, and he was my best friend, so... "I slept with someone."

Albert squeezed his eyes shut as he vigorously rubbed his temples. "Who? If you even fucking remember."

"Promise me you won't tell the guys."

He looked at me sternly, daring me to continue.

"I woke up in that Ryan dudes bed. The one with the label."

Albert took a second to process what I'd just said and he slammed his notebook closed. "Are you serious? Jade, do you know how badly that could fuck everything up for us?!" He looked like he was about to pull a chunk of his hair out. "Does he know that you know us?!"

"Yes, but before you flip out...he likes you guys and he's thinking about signing you." I said as I looked to see if the other guys were paying attention to our little spat. They weren't, their eyes glued to the TV screen.

"I really hope you're not lying to me right now."

"Why would I lie to you?"

Albert sighed. "I don't know. I just...ugh."

"I'm not blaming you for what I did or anything, but why didn't you stay with me all night like we planned?"

"I'm just sick of having to worry about you all the time and I thought that maybe, for this one night, you'd chill out a little, y'know? It just bothers me so much. I never get to relax." I could tell Albert didn't mean it as harshly as he put it, but it still hurt me to hear him saying shit like that. "I never have fun anymore."

"If I annoy you so fucking much to the point where you're so stressed you can't relax, then why the fuck do you even bother at all?!" I cried, slamming my fist down on the counter beside him. That seemed to have caught everyone's attention.

Albert stood there with his mouth open. He didn't know what to say.

"I'm sorry I'm so fucked up, Albert! I'm sorry that I ruin your quality of life so much!" I yelled at him as I choked back a sob. I was probably taking my passive aggressiveness up to a lever higher than I should've, but I just felt so hurt at the time.

I stood there as tears streamed down my face, waiting for him to say something. But he just stood there staring at me with a furrowed brow. I looked over at the guys, they were staring just the same.