Exchange with New Hope Club

Chapter 21

Reece's POV

I woke up at ten in the morning to find Jade already awake. She told me that she's been awake since seven. On a Sunday, need I add.

"Well look who's finished all their homework and look who hasn't!" she'd exclaimed. I'd rolled my eyes but secretly thought she had a point. Three hours later, we'd eaten breakfast and lunch and I was in Jade's room, getting help with my maths homework.

"No! But Jade, you can't just disappear the x and be like 'nah we don't want you anymore' and replace it with the y!" I exclaimed frustratedly.

"Reece! Look, how many times to I have to point it out! You're not 'disappearing the x'," she said mockingly, rolling her eyes. "See here? It says that x is equal to three y plus seven so you're not 'disappearing the x', you're substituting it!"

"Oh...oh! That kind of makes sense now and so do I just solve for y now?" I asked, understanding it more.

"Yay!" she said, clapping her hands with relief.

"Is that right?" I asked, showing her my answer.

Jade checked the answer book then my working. "No."

"What? Come on! How?" I complained. I was so done with maths.

Jade burst out into laughter. "Just kidding! Yeah, it's right, see if you can do the next one by yourself."

"Jade! Take this seriously please!" I said, trying not to laugh. Jade smiled and got her phone out.

"Antisocial, much!" I commented.

"Focus on your sums, Reece!" she said, without looking up. I rolled my eyes and set to work. After a repeat cycle of getting a (wrong) answer and then starting again, I finally got an answer that seemed to be what I'm looking for. I sat back and checked over my working.

"You done yet?" snapped Jade, glaring at me. I looked at her, taken aback.

"Pardon me?"

"I said, 'Are. You. Done. Yet?' You're taking forever," she said, getting angrier.

"What's gotten into you?" I asked, bewildered. I couldn't tell if she was joking or not.

"Don't you ask what's gotten into me, Reece Jamie Bibby!" she said shrilly, shaking.

"Jade, what's wrong?" I asked, getting concerned.

"Jade, what's wrong?" she sneered. "Like you fucking care!"

"Jade!" I said, frustrated. There was clearly something very wrong that she wasn't telling me. She stifled a scream then stormed out of the room. I sat there, on my bed, looking at the spot where Jade had sat just seconds ago, laughing and joking around. I racked my brains to try remember if i'd done anything particularly offensive. I couldn't think of anything so as if my hands were acting of my own accord, they reached for my phone then dialled a number. I wasn't even aware of who I'd dialled until I heard a voice on the other end.

"Hey Reece! What's up?" said the voice. Riley! Why had I called Riley? "Reece?"

"Oh! Yeah, sorry, hi Riley," i said, remembering.

"How are you?" she asked.

"I'm good. Jade isn't though," I said darkly.

"Hmm? What about Jade?" she asked, sounding as if she was paying more attention.

"Well, she was helping me with maths and then told me to solve something myself and she was you know, laughing and joking and such and then when I'd finished she was really cold and snappish and really...angry," I explained.