Being Jackson.

09.

Jackson Trent.

I had been nervous, I had been a wreck, but then Gina, Kat, Darcy and my mother came through and gave me the worst pep talk ever but with a swig of vodka like Gina recommended, I got out there and killed it, well I did my reveal, I talked to students who were fawning over me, from first years to seniors, I had even talked to Ryder and Pete, honestly I feel like that had been a mistake and Darcy thought otherwise.

"It wasn't a mistake, Jack despite how you want to discredit your own feelings, you know you like the guy, maybe not as a guy you would date but maybe as something less, a friend, you did say Weis liked him." Darcy argued and I scoffed at where she ended. "Really, my dog, Weis likes Wyatt." I pointed out and we both laughed but Wyatt whined.

"Sorry boo boo, come on lets go dance and finally show off your dance moves." Darcy announced dragging us to the dance floor where everyone made space for us but also joined us, the Ariana Grande song played and I did switch positions with a lot of girls and guys, it didn't matter, it was a safe space and anybody could be what they wanted, we had actually made sure to tell everyone via a sign by the door that if anything remotely bad was posted on any website, we would sue that person or persons.

We did a dance off, a konga line and finally a crazy dance, with everybody rubbing up on everybody, even Amber had joined in making my friends and I laugh but we appreciated her dance moves till the music stopped and the slow dance came on. "Come here." Wyatt told Darcy grabbing her gently and they danced, further proving me right that there was something going on.

"Can I have this dance?" Suddenly the question was asked and I turned to face the 6'4 sports addict Ryder Edwards. "Its a slow dance for couples, shouldn't you be having that with Pete?" I questioned qurking a brow and waiting for his response. "I don't care about Pete right now damn it, I care about you, I haven't seen you in a few weeks give or take a couple of days, you never showed up for our morning runs and then after blowing me off that day you just vanished, I deserve this dance." He growled pulling me into his embrace and I gasped.

I had to admit this, I didn't know Ryder Edwards could get any pushy and I didn't know that for a long time aside from his taunts and insults to my weight, I had an inkling feeling that I actually liked the person he was if he were to change. "You're still as offensively pushy." I hissed toward him and he smirked. "Because you were being stubborn, and I know for a fact, that you're incredibly stubborn." He chuckles and I narrow my eyes on him as we danced.

"You know this is toxic right, I shouldn't like you, you shouldn't be holding me, Ryder you watched as your friends harassed me, taunted and insulted me, you said nothing, I don't hold grudges but I somehow just expected better from you." I confessed and it seemed to break his macho attitude. "I know and I'm really sorry about that Jack, I should've been better, I realized later that what I was saying, what everyone was saying was wrong and it hurt you badly, and my words aren't enough to express how sorry I am that I didn't step in sooner." He explains with a heavy sigh and I just nod.

"So why now Ryder, why come now?" I demanded. "I know better, Pete told me some stuff about your past and what happened to you, honestly I should've put it together earlier, I had always been there since junior high and I watched you become a whole different person and said nothing." He exclaims and I'm sure the horror on my face was apparent, had Pete really told him about my dad, about what happened to me, I had trusted him with that, to never tell any one else.

"Jack please, I forced him to tell me because I didn't understand what was going on, I was trailing you around because I wanted to know what happened between you and Pete, I wanted to know the truth about what happened with the person I had fallen in love with and if you were actually the villain, I always had doubt and Pete, just proved me right." He tried to salvage the situation yet it was getting worse for me, this wasn't what I wanted to hear, Ryder was basically telling me that he was around me to know if I was the one who broke Pete's heart, nothing else and I had hope.