We're Not Friends. | A Jori Story | gxg

Don't talk About It.

   Tori's POV
After class, me, Andre, and Cat went to lunch. We sat down at our usual table. I got ravioli from the food cart and gladly started eating it.
  Suddenly, Jade came over. She grabbed the box my ravioli was in and she threw it to the ground. Beck came over and apologized.
  "Why did you do that?!" I exclaim.
  "You kissed me in front of the whole class!" She sounded pretty angry about it.
  "You told me to do something to prove I'm not a wuss, and I did."
  "Well I didn't mean something like THAT." She covered up her face with her hands.
  Beck chimed in. "Jade, you have to realize that it was improv. Everyone knows it. Besides, why are you so mad about it? You kiss me all the time in front of people."
  "Yeah, but you're a guy. She is a girl, and I don't like girls. I am not gay!"
My heart sort of sank. I didn't know why. All she said was that she was not gay. There shouldn't be a reason to feel sad about it.
  "Okay..? You're not homophobic either. I don't know why you're so pissed about her kissing you." Beck was trying his best to make her see that it really shouldn't be a big deal. He tried and tried, but Jade is so stubborn. She can't just give something up. She holds a grudge about it for a long time.
  "Look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that and I know it. I'm sort of embarrassed about it as well." I told her. I don't know what is going to convince her to just drop it.
  "I really don't think you are. You've ruined my reputation. Do you know how many people have come up to me today and asked why I was cheating on Beck? Too many to count." She started crying. "You ruined my life!"
  I didn't know what to say. I was speechless. Such vile words came out of her mouth.
  Yeah, Jade could be mean and hurt my feeling sometimes, but I usually consider her a friend even if she doesn't like admitting it. These words hurt me. And I hurt her. I ruined everything for her. I ruined her life. I can't believe I caused her to crumble. I just can't.
  Before I knew it, she had run off with Beck chasing after her. I felt bad.
  "You know her. Don't try to stop her. She holds grudges. She won't take them back." Andre reminded me.
  "She holds grudges, I know. That doesn't mean I can't try it make up to her. I feel bad. I'll talk to you guys later." I got up and ran after her.

  After a few minutes of searching, I found her in the janitor's closet. She was with Beck in there. She was bawling her eyes out, talking about how everyone is going to hate her. She looks up.
  "What are you doing here? I told you, you ruined my life. Leave me alone." She said those words again.
  "Look, I know you don't want to talk to me. But please hear me out when I say this. I never meant to ruin your reputation. I never meant to ruin your life. And trust me when I say this. No one hates you." I tried to comfort her and tell her that I never meant for any of this to happen.
  "You never do! You're Little Miss Perfect! And yeah, people DO hate me. People have told me that. Right to my face." People that of her this? That's insane. I kissed her, it wasn't the other way around. People should hate me, not her. I have to do something about this.
  "I'm sorry people have said this to you. You don't deserve it. They should be hating me. I kissed you. It wasn't the other way around. Beck, take care of her for me." I gave a slight smile and a wave and walked out.
  I grabbed out of my phone. I got on The Slap and made a public post. It read, "Stop hating on Jade. If anything, hate on me. She isn't cheating on Beck and I was the one who kissed her. It was for an improv class. Neither of us meant the kiss. Jade can be intimidating, but she isn't all that bad. Please stop. Hate on me. I deserve it. Jade does not."
  This may not convince anyone, but I'll be happy if it convinces a few. Jade came out of the janitor's closet along with Beck. Jade seems to have calmed down and has stopped crying. Hopefully it will stay like this.
  
The Next Day

  I walked into Mr. Sikowitz's class. Everything was sort of quiet. I went and sat down. As soon as I did, someone from the back of the class called out these exact words, "Go to hell, gross leech!" I don't know their name, but it was a young guy with a slicked back haircut.
  I may be getting hate already, but I'm just glad it isn't towards Jade.
  "I'm not gay, but sure." I looked over and saw Jade smiling. Not one of her smiles where she has just hurt me, but more of a smile that said 'Thank you'. I smiled back and she looked back at the front of the class. Sikowitz came in.
  "Guys, guys, settle down! We do not have anything planned for today, as I have not been feeling very well recently. According to the doctors, I have a cold. You may talk, get on your phones, really anything you want." He announced.
  I turned around and started to talk to Andre.
  "I'm glad I got some people to stop hating on Jade. It makes me feel better seeing that she isn't sad anymore." I told him.
  "Why did you do that yesterday anyway?" He asked me.
  "Jade is one of my friends, and I would do anything to see my friend happy. Even if it means I have to sacrifice myself."
  "Sometimes you are just too nice." He sighed.
  Jade walked over. She dragged a chair over to where me and Andre were sitting.
  "Thank you. I'm sorry you're the one being bullied now, but I really do thank you for that." I had never seen this side to her before. It was sweet and nice.
  "Anything to help a friend." I told her.
  "Yeah. Friend.." She sounded a bit unsure when she said that, but I think that might just be because she had never said I was her friend. I'm glad me and her are officially friends. 
  She walked back over to her seat with Beck and sat down. She seemed happier today than she was yesterday.

At lunch
 
  At lunch, Beck and Jade decided to sit with us. Sometimes I think that Jade isn't bad, and never has been. She's pretty sensitive to some things.
Someone came up to the table. Actually, it was a few people.
  "Look guys, it's the lesbian. Who's your crush, huh? Is it Cat or Jade? C'mon, tell us!" It was a group of 4 people, though the only one seeming to talk was this girl with long, brown hair.
  "I've already said it. I'm not gay. I don't like girls. I said it was for improv."
  "Improv. That's where you come up with your own scenes, right? You do realize that means that you made a decision to kiss Jade, right? You're not making this any better for yourself." Finally, they walked away.
  "You know, she was sort of right." Jade said. "You did make the decision to kiss me. Why did you do that anyway?"
  I don't know how to answer. I don't know why I did that.  Something just overcame me. She was just standing there, being herself. And I had the sudden urge to kiss her. At the time I thought it could just be because I was into the scene, but I'm kind of questioning that now. With everyone calling me lesbian and saying I like girls, I realized I might not be straight.
  "I don't know. I was just thinking that was the only thing you would find bold. You are kind of hard to impress." I thought that at the time, but do I really think it?
  "If you gave me a new pair of scissors I would have been impressed. Especially if you got a pair I didn't have yet." Jade replied. Her obsession with scissors is crazy, but cool.
  "Andre, can I talk to you in private?" I ask.
  "Um.. yeah..?"
  I pulled him away from the table to where no one from the table could hear me.
  "Um.. I have something to confess..." I slowed on my words.
  "What is it?" He questioned.
  "I think I might like girls.."
  "Oh well that's cool." He said. His eyes then widened. "Wait so you like Jade? Is that why you kissed her?"
  I stayed silent. As much as I didn't want it admit it, I knew it was true. I did like Jade.
  "It's okay." He reassured. "Let's just go back to the table."
  We walked slowly back to the table. They noticed I looked a little down, but they didn't say anything.
  We finished lunch and headed to our next class.