here without you

40

"How do I look?"

I turn around to Jade. She's sitting on my bed, grinning.

"I don't think how you look matters to Steph, to be honest," she says.

"What if it does? What if she really hates skirts? That could mean she'll hate me just because I'm wearing one."

Jade lets out a laugh. "I know you're joking, but that's probably the most stupid thing you have ever said."

"Thanks."

She smiles at me, and I can't help but grin.

"How come you don't seem to be nervous at all?" I say. "Aren't you worried that Nate will somehow stop liking you and hate you after this evening?"

"No, not really." She shrugs. "First of all, I know he likes me, and second - have you seen me? It's pretty much impossible for people to hate me, they all love me."

"Right, I totally forgot how unbelievably charming you are... Well, I am definitely not. I'm not like you, Jade. I'm not good with people."

"Yeah... You really aren't."

I let out a sigh. Jade gets up from my bed and walks over to me.

"Roze, I'm just kidding."

"Yeah, I know that. It's just... I just really want Stephanie to like me. She's Nate's girlfriend, and it's really important to him, and..."

She puts her hands on my shoulders. "This is really important to you too, isn't it? Well, you know what? You really don't have to worry, I'm sure Steph will like you. She kinda likes everyone anyway."

"Which doesn't mean she'll like me. There are always exceptions."

I walk over to my bed and sit down on it, frustrated. I close my eyes for a second. When I open them again, I see Jade standing at my stereo, my iPod in her hands.

"What are you doing?"

"Obviously, I'm putting on music."

I guess Jade is trying to calm me down because it's a rather slow song which I hear coming out of the speakers. She steps over to me and holds out her hand to me. I look at it, and then up at her.

"You're meant to take it, idiot," she says.

I grin, just a little. I put my hand in hers, and she lifts me from my bed. She tells me to put my hands around her neck.

"Really?" I snort. "I'm not gonna dance with you, Jade. I don't do that, I hate dancing."

"You know, it sounds so cute when you say dance. I just love your accent."

"Are you seriously complimenting me right now, so that I'll dance with you?"

"Maybe." She grins. "But I really do love your accent, I swear."

Jade tells me again to put my hands around her neck, and this time I -rather grudgingly - listen to her. She pulls me closer to her, and I feel her placing her hands somewhere on my back. We move to the music, rather awkwardly.

"This is so..."

"...much bloody fun?"

"I hate it when you try to sound like me by putting on an accent."

"I know. That's the reason why I'm doing it." I see a grin on her face. "This really is nice though, you can't deny that. And it's making you feel better, I can see that."

She's right, even though I don't like to admit it. As always, Jade does the exact right thing to help me.

"Yeah, maybe you are right... But you know what would make me feel even better?"