Crossed Worlds

Chapter 26: Alliances

  When the time for dinner came around, Jade and all of her friends sat together with their trays, aware of the eyes on them. Not many other Wild Ones and Beings were mixing so openly yet, but to them it of course felt completely natural.

"I guess everyone else is going to take some time to adjust," Hunter said with a mouthful of pasta.

"What, to seeing you eat like a pig?" Anna nudged him and shoved a napkin at his face.

Queen Wild walked towards them and Jade felt the horrid mixture of hatred and jealousy start to bubble in the pit of her stomach. She balled her fists under the table, and it made her emotions ease, somehow.

"I know you're rebels and you don't like our leadership, but I'm hoping this process helps you to see we are on the same page," she lent right over where James was sat, and her hair was tickling his face.

Anna, instinctively knowing Jades feelings somehow, held her back in her chair.

"We'll see," Luke gave her a sarcastic smile, and she thankfully went back to standing straight.

"You set a good example, other than your rioting ways, of course. I hope everyone starts to see how well you mix, and that it inspires them," Tabitha Rosemary said.

She looked at James and patted him on the shoulder, before turning on her heel and walking away. She left behind a scent of luxurious perfume, and Jade hated her.

"Dude, why did she pat you like that?" Hunter asked James.

"You don't know? James and the Queen dated," Isaac laughed.

Everyone dropped their cutlery in shock. Luke's mouth fell open, and so did Hunter's, which was unfortunately still half-full of pasta.

Jade got up and stormed off from the table to refill her drinks cup, which didn't actually need refilling at all.

She hated that she let her jealousy control her so much, but it was hard not to when your boyfriend's ex was a literal Queen. Besides that, she hated her anyway, so this only fuelled her further.

There was a gentle pat on her arm, and she turned to see it was Luke with a sweet smile on his face.

"James just told us you were official, which we all had kind of assumed anyway. He explained that that's why you'd probably ran off, which we also all kind of assumed anyway," he squeezed her arm. "You've seriously got nothing to be worried about."

Jade appreciated the sentiment and squeezed her best friend's arm back, feeling good at least that now everyone knew her and James were together.

"He wanted to come and get you but Anna said you needed a moment or something. Girls know girls best, I guess!" Luke explained.

"They do. I'll come back now."

She sat down next to James again and reached for his hand under the table, whilst everyone else pretended they weren't paying attention.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm just adjusting to this whole relationship thing."

"It's okay. This setting makes it ten times harder," he whispered back, and squeezed her hand.

Just at that moment, a girl with dark black hair, dip-dyed vibrant purple at the ends, sat herself down on the table next to Hunter. She was wearing a spiked leather jacket, deep red lipstick and smoky eyeshadow.

They all just stared at her until she spoke.

"I'm Martha," she said. "You guys are the rebels, right?"