Alison Jade Jorgensen had it all - wealth, beauty, and the adoration of those around her. At eighteen, she was the epitome of privilege, shielded from the harsh realities of life by her affluent family.
But when her beloved grandfather passes away j...
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Lou Diamond Phillips as Gerard Esperanza-Jorgensen
JADE
I haven't spoken to either of my parents since last night. I've barricaded myself in my room and turned off the lights. I'm afraid to play any of my CDs in case my parents hear them and try to talk to me.
Luckily, my room has its own bathroom, so I don't have to tiptoe around the house to use the one downstairs. I don't want to risk running into my parents.
It's around 8 in the morning, and my parents are probably still in their room. I seize the opportunity to leave as quickly and quietly as possible. Glenda, our housekeeper, is nowhere to be seen.
I'm headed to Gramps' house. I need to get away from home to avoid my parents, especially my dad. I don't want to use my mom's car because then they'll know where I am. I know Gramps' house is an obvious place to look for me, but at least Chandler will be there. If my dad comes looking for me again, maybe I could hide in the closet like before. It's ridiculous, though, since the door is broken, and I know I wouldn't want to be there with Jared anyway. And why am I thinking about Jared anyway?
Jared.
I hadn't thought about him all night. Where could he be? And why am I even thinking about him when I'm sure I'm not on his mind?
The morning breeze in Washington hit my face as I stepped out of our gate. A morning walk would be nice after a night of frustration over my dad. He won't be staying for too long anyway, why did he even bother to come home?
Okay, I need to put that thought at the back of my mind. I'm taking this walk to clear my head from the pressure that's been building up. I strolled along the sidewalk under the sun, the leaves of the trees slightly shading me from its rays.
It took me about twenty minutes to reach my destination and soon, I was already walking alongside the walls where Jared had painted his art. I couldn't help but stop for a few seconds to admire the beautiful sight that lies before me.
As I thought about how Jared made them, my mind took me on a trip down memory lane, back when we were both stuck in the closet and how he teasingly fanned his minty breath on my face. The thought alone makes my face warm enough. I continued to walk until I was near the gate.
My eyes almost popped out of their sockets, and I suddenly came to a halt. I quickly spun on my heel to turn away as fast as possible, but it was quite too late.
Jared was already calling my name out.
"Hey, Jade..." Jared said, and my attempt to escape failed.
I closed my eyes shut and slowly turned so I could face him and Chandler, who was standing beside him. They were outside the gate, talking about God knows what.
