badnews { jace norman }

thirty- nine

I let my alarm ring for minutes before I reach over to hit snooze. The unfamiliar sounds of an automated chime was a nice replacements to the "get up shitheads"  back in juvie.

My body slides around the sheets, the soft cotton sucked me in, begging to stay, but as I watch two oclock near closer and closer, I get up, the warmth leaving with me.

As I get ready for the day, I pass on the makeup that's been a little over five months since last been on my face. My crimped hair fits messily into a bun, and my body frames a tanktop and jeans. A wave of confidence and piss off rushing to me.

Into the kitchen, I grab an apple off the table, glancing at my dad standing at the counter.

"Cassandra not work out?"

His eye twitches in annoyance,
"No"

"Sucks" I grab my keys in one hand and a jacket in another, the apple held between my teeth as I walk out the door.

》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》

I pull on the locked doors of the diner, a blunt teen stands on the other side, pointing down at the sign,

"We'll be back at four thirty for dinner"

I watch as Jace moves around the girl, wiping his hands on a rag hooked on the side of his apron, he opens the door.

"Hey stranger" I smile

"Hey M" he looks at the floor as he leads us to a booth.
"You hungry?"

"No, just ate" I sit, watching him as he sits across from me. I shed my jacket, setting it on the booth beside me.
"Whats been up with you?"

He shrugs, "nothing"

"Jace.."

He runs his hands over his permanent bloodshot eyes. Red from exhaustion.
"Ashley, she was a fling... I- don't know what I was doing, I lost you for someone not even worth it and I'm so s-"

"Thats not what I want to hear about... after I left, what happened?"

"Lost it" he breathes heavily, "worked 24 hours straight for days, weeks? Got money for my moms bail"

"But I thought you needed-"

"I spent what I had"

My expression grew soft,
"On what?"

"Percocet, oxi, weed, GHB, DXM, PCP... list goes on"

"How much did you spend?"

"5,000?"

"Fuck jace"

He raises his eyebrows, pressing his folded arms on the table.
"Ive missed you so fucking much"

My fingers tap on the table, I nod lightly.

"...anyway, I broke down for a while..."

"What about now?"

"Im working on it"

"Im back now... I'll help" I fold up my legs under me.

He shakes his head, "I fucked this up on my own, I couldn't ask for your help"

"You didnt ask anything, people fuck up... you were there at my worst"

"...thank you"

"Yeah don't thank me yet" I scratch my head "Not too many jobs around here will accept me anymore"

He sits silently, by the look on his face, there's something on his mind that he's not too sure to tell or not.

"What is it?" I ask

"...Im living with my dad"

"No"

He nods, "courts made me until mom gets home"

"He hasn't done anything to you right?"

"I stay at Sammy's often" he dodges.

"Jace... hes not hitting you?"

"But he didn't really help with the no drugs thing because, you know, Sam"

"Jace-"

"But it's okay because their mom makes good food"

"Youre not answering m-"

"Have you have had a baked app-"

"Fucking tell me" My hands bang on the table, rattling the salt shakers. I glance around at the girl washing the doors, looking at us as the cook behind the counter does the same.

"Is he hitting you" I repeted, my voice dropping down to a low whisper

He just smiles, looking around,
"Its a beautiful day today don't you think?"

I stare at him blankly,
"What the hell is going on with you?"

"Nothing, I feel great"

"Have you seen a doctor?"

"What are you suggesting?"

"Nothing" My voice shoots back "Just, im just worried about you Jace"

"Nothing to worry about" he runs his hands over his head anxiously, not able to sit still.

I sigh lightly, rubbing goosebumps off my arms,
"I know what this is.."

"What?" His eyebrows scrunch.

"My moms ex... he had it too"

"I- I dont know what you're talking about" His head shakes.

"You know what im-"

"No" His voice echos, causing looks "Stop."

"Okay" I hush, resting my boney hands on the tops of his. Clamy and damp from the rag. "Nevermind"

I watch the relief and anger flood from his face, the diner growing silent with the remembering echos. Juat like a switch, he smiles.

"How's being back from Juvie?" he changes.

"Different... my moms gone"

"Good, that's good" He nods, undersccepting the words that come from my mouth. His mind in a million other places than on my problems.

"Just one more year, yeah? Maybe we'll split rent on an apartment or something"

"Sure thing roomy" His tone had changed, changed from realistic to overly happy and forced. Slipping away deep down.

"Right..." I unnoticeably trail my eyes up the pale skin of his arm, he had always been tan. I stop at the bruises.
"What happened to your arm?"

"Hurt myself at work" he pulls his arms into his lap, out of sight

"How?"

"Storage rack fell" He shoots back as if he had told the story a hundred times.

I glare into his eyes, without hatred, but reason. My voice creeps down into a whisper,
"You can fool everyone else around you. But I'm not stupid enough to believe that. I'm taking you home, you're packing your things, and you're leaving."

"But i-"

"No buts jace- you want to leave... I know you do"

He glances down at his lap, bitting his lip as he thinks it through, the look of wanting to leave spreads his face.

"Where am I supposed to stay?"

"Stay at Sams for now"

"I have to work at six"

"Grab your stuff, you can settle in later- enough with the damn excuses"

"...what if he doesn't let me"

"Its not his fucking choice, alright?" I take a breath reliving the anger building up "Just say you'll move... please?"

He hesitates,

"Im not moving."

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A/N- covers

this book is shitty but I changed the covers to all my books which is kinda great iguess, bye