The Girl Who Cried Help

Chapter Five

(Sorry that this is kinda late! I did some research for this chapter so it would be more accurate)

The oven makes a small beeping noise, letting Adrian knows the cookies were done. I feel my stomach churn, knowing that I was going to have to admit some things I would never tell anyone. I could hear my pulse in my ears. Adrian slips on an oven mitt and pulls the cookie tray out of the hot surface, placing them ontop of the stove.

"Don't do it, you don't have to tell her!" Repeated in my mind, screaming at me. I sit down at the kitchen bar stool, taking silent, deep breathes. Adrian sits down next to me, glancing in my direction. I feel my chest tighten, knowing she has many questions for me. "Jade.." She mutters, reaching for my hand. I flinch a little, I didn't mean to. "Jade you need to talk to me." Adrian whispers, gliding her thumb gently across the back of my hand.

I didn't know if I could, if anything,

I was afraid too.

I shake my head a little, avoiding her gaze. She sighs, "Do you feel comfortable?" With a nod I part my lips to speak, "It's not that I don't want to talk to you," I say, "It's that I'm not sure you'll be able to wrap your head around it."

I feel her muscles tighten, almost as if she's taken back. "Do you wanna wait 'till my mom gets home?" She asks, relaxing once more. I nod my head, "I'm sorry."

Adrian shakes her head, "Don't be, none of this is your fault."

I stifle an eye-roll, not wanting to be rude. I understood why she said it, but it felt forced. One of those monotone empowerment speeches. Adrian removes herself from her barstool, walking over to the cookie sheet. She hovers her hand over them, checking their temperature. "Cookies?" She asks with a small smile. The corner of my lips turn's up into a small grin and I nod my head, "Yes please."

She grabs two plates and sets them on the counter, "How many do you want?" She asks, gesturing to the deserts. I hold up three fingers with a smile, the cookies were pretty small. She flashes a quick grin before grabbing a spatula from a draw to her left, scooping up three cookies and placing them onto my plate. I thank her and slide the plate closer to myself, gently picking up the small, sugary treat.

I hear Adrian giggle as I take a small bite out of my first cookie. "What?" I ask, covering my mouth with my hand. She giggles once more before clearing her throat, "You take cute little bites." She says with a grin. I feel my cheeks heat up with embarrassment as I swallow the cookie. "I-I do not!" I say, my voice coming out with more of a whiney tone then I had hoped for.

She shakes her head with a smile, "It's a compliment." My cheeks become redder as I quickly shoot my eyes away from her. "O-Oh.." I mutter, not being used to compliments. I open my mouth to say "Sorry", but Adrian interrupts. "Don't say it!" She says, pointing her finger at me. Confused, I tilt my head. "Why?"

She chuckles to herself, "There's nothing to be sorry for," She starts, "You simply didn't understand. And for that, you shouldn't be sorry."

I open my mouth to say something, but soon close it with a scrunch of my nose. She knew I had a problem with apologizing. "For every time you apologize," She says with a mischievous smile, "I'll be forced to give you a hug."

I groan, "Adrian!" I whine. She knew that I hated hugs, they scare me. Some may think it's a weird fear, but I have my reasons.

*********

After a few hours of watching Netflix and eating junk food, I hear Adrian's mother walk in through the back door. Her daughter springs up from next to me to greet her, "Hey mom, how was your day?"  Her mother sighed, "Long, but good."

Her eyes drift over to me, confused. "Oh, Jade! I didn't see you there." I flash a small, shy smile. "Hello Ms. McNamara." I say quietly, waving my hand shyly. "Mom, we need to talk to you.." Adrian says, twiddling her thumbs anxiously. Her mother looked between me and her daughter, her eyes washing over with concern.

"Oh," she manages, "Alright."

"Let's sit down mom." Adrian said gesturing towards the couch. Her eyes darkened as we all sat down, the room overtaken with a thick silence. I could feel my stomach churn and my heart beat quicken. I had always told myself to never talk about this, to anyone. Opening up was, and will, never be easy. I've always been afraid.

I begin to question if I've ever, truly, been relaxed. Happy? Myself? I'm at loss. Would this even help me? Would everything, finally, be okay?

"Mom, Jade has been going through something that both of us could never understand.." Adrian says, her voice shakey. She cares. She's showing sympathy.

Her words begin to sound muffled as I let my mind wonder. Never, had it ever crossed my mind, that I would be in this situation. What would come of this conversation? Would I have to talk to the police? "God, I hope not.." I think to myself. Authority figures have always scared me, made me nervous.

I look over to see Adrian's mother in tears, listening to every little thing I've been through. I feel tears well up in my eyes, a few slipping down my face. Ms. McNamara, cries some more. "Jade..I-Im so-"

She can't even finish her sentence.

We all sit in the living room, crying. I almost feel angry, that they didn't have suspicions. "Your mother is a lawyer! She deals with this all the time! And your telling me that she had no idea?!"

The voice in my head screams, dismissing the sympathy and the "I'm sorry".  But the other part of me sits quiet, still like stone. Cold, numb. I still can't wrap my head around all of this.

Please, let this all be okay.