Just the Beginning

30

ANA

We're back at Jada's now. Chase and Matt have a trip to see Chase's grandma. Matt was acting weird so I'm not sure if I believe it fully. He just hasn't given me a reason to not trust him, so I'm really trying to.

"So what are we doing today?" Jada asks as I walk downstairs.

"Yeah what are you two up to?" her mom questions, "you guys haven't been around much. Want to catch me up?"

We look at each other for a few seconds. I'm honestly paralyzed in fear. "Well," Jada clears her throat, "we've been hanging out with some friends from school."

"Friends from school?" she smiles, "who? Why haven't I heard?? You girls never hangout with anybody."

"Well," Jada sighs, "uhm- their names are uhm--- Chase and Matt."

Sarah's eyes widen, "Chase and Matt? Boys? You've been hanging out with boys?"

"Mom it's really not that big of deal-"

"No," she snapped, "no. You didn't even have the courtesy of letting me know? What have you been doing with these... boys?"

"Nothing," I shake my head, "I uhm- I actually kinda like Matt." I have to get the heat off Jada and I know Sarah will be a bit more lenient with me given everything that's happened.

Her eyes almost immediately soften, "you like him? How long has this been going on?"

"A few weeks," I shrug, "basically since the beginning of school. That's when I met him for the first time. We've kinda just talked ever since."

"And who is Chase?"

"His best friend," I nod, "he's really nice. Both of them are." She stares at the two of us.

"And what do you do when you hang out?"

"Nothing really," I shake my head, "we talk, we just hangout. They actually know about the wooden house by that lake. He said he and Chase used to hear us in there all the time, making them think the ghost story was true."

"Really?" Jada laughs, "that's so funny."

"Where do these boys live?"

"Chase lives right across town supposedly. We've never been there. And uhm Matt, well he- he doesn't have the best home life. He lives there but doesn't. I'm not even sure where he lives."

"Do you really think a boy with issues is the best thing for you right now?"

My blood boils some. "Well considering the fact he's the only thing that makes me happy anymore, yes. Yes I do think he's the best 'thing' for me." I look back and forth between Jada and Sarah. I can tell Sarah wants to be mad, wants to yell... but she isn't.

"Well then I guess I better meet him, yeah?" Sarah stands, "you should invite him for dinner sometime."

"You- you mean it?"

"Yeah," she nods reluctantly, "yeah it's fine. You just tell me when."

"Can Chase come too?" Jada asks. Her mom looks at her. "What?" she asks, "he's cute and it's the first guy to ever pay attention to me. You know this." Sarah scoffs before nodding.
"Fine. Fine." She turns around, "I swear if my head wasn't attached I'd lose it because of you two. Go upstairs or something before I change my mind." The two of us laugh quietly before bolting up the stairs and into Jada's room.

"Oh my god," I sigh relieved, "oh my god. Did she really just go for that?"

"Yeah," Jada laughs while falling back on her bed, "oh wow. My heart is racing. I can't believe that just happened." She sits up quickly and looks at me, "you know what this means?"

"What?"

"It means trust. She's trusting us right now. Do you know how far we can go with that?"

"I mean I don't think we should fuck up," I shake my head, "I still think we need to listen-"

"Listen?" she laughs, "come on. No. You've always been the trouble maker, ever since we were kids and now you want to be goody two shoes? No way."