Fine Line

chapter two

Punches and Rudeness

"Let me get this straight. You mean to tell me that Jaden slept over at your house on Friday night? In your bed? Jaden fricking Campbell?"

"Yes, Kat, that is exactly what I mean to tell you."

I had told her this four times already today, and she still couldn't grasp the event just yet.

We sat at our regular lunch table in the dining hall. We sat at the end of it, nearest the wall so that we were out of the way of everyone coming in and out and getting food, but we could still watch over everyone else.

At the other end of the table sat some boys, five of them, who played for the school basketball team. Austin sat with them some days, others he would sit with us, and on rare occasions our groups would mix. Today, Austin sat with them, which was a fair call as they had practise straight after lunch as their PE session whilst Kat and I had PSHE which was just as boring. But next Friday would be their first game against another school, and they were stressing about their play after so long away from one another. Despite already being back at school for three weeks, their anxiety was still rising with the passing days.

"Oh. My. God. This is huge. I didn't even know he knew who you were," Kat said.

"Well, you're right. He has no idea; kept calling me Chloe," I told her, recalling the memories.

"Who the fuck is Chloe?"

"My sentiments exactly."

"Are you sure this happened? Like, this wasn't some figment of your imagination?"

"I'm sure."

"And you have proof?"

"I have his jacket, yes."

"You have his jacket?" she almost squealed, excitement replacing the concern.

"Shhh," I whispered, looking around to make sure no one else heard. "Yes. A dark red jacket that smells exactly like him if you want to check."

"Really? You'd let me smell it?"

"Good God, no," I scoffed, and disappointment slipped over her face. Kat, for as long as we have been attending this school with him, has had one of those crushes on him where it never goes away but it's not based on Jaden himself, just his looks. I always thought that, no matter what went on with her and her ex-boyfriend (Damon), she would always leave him for even just a night with Jaden.

"Do you think he left it on purpose?" Kat wondered.

"Why would he do that?"

"Why would he come to your house in the middle of the night?"

"I don't know, but probably not leave his jacket with me."

"You never know," Kay sang as though she knew more to it than what I had told her. "He could have very well done it in an attempt to come back and see you again." A smirk grew on her face as she said the words. Her desire for me to get a boyfriend was kicking in once again.

This wasn't the first time she had been desperate to find me someone to date, but before it was because she had Damon and wanted me to double date with them and don't want me to feel left out when she was with him.

"Kat, you need to stop living vicariously through me. I have less of a life than you do. And we practically have the same life now."

My best friend ignored me completely and looked straight past my shoulder at whatever could be more interesting right now than conversation with me. "Speak of the devil," she smiled.