One New Message (Random Updates)

Chapter 9

"I'm sorry but I have to go," she shook her head and tried to step out of his grasp.

"Do you have another class?" Gabe asked as he continued to walk beside her. "I'll walk you to it."

"Th...th...that's okay," She shook her head. "I don't want to—"

"Hey Gabe," A long legged blonde wearing a bright pink mini skirt and white halter top beamed as she came up to him. "Come have lunch with us."

"No," Gabe said coldly, "I'm with Jade."

"What?" She asked as if someone just dumped ice water on her. "Her?"

"Yeah, what about it?" Gabe glared at her.

"Since when have you been interested in nobodies?" The girl asked as she twirled her blonde hair around her finger while chewing gum.

"Listen here you plastic wanna be barbie with mismatched hair extensions and nails your daddy probably pays for," Gabe growled turning his full attention to the girl. "First off chewing gum with your mouth open makes you look like a damn cow, second off who I hang out with—"

Jade took a step back and when she realized no one noticed she took off blending into the crowd until she got to her building. She raced up to her room and slammed the door behind her. Quickly locking the door she slid to the floor and tried to control her racing heart.

Gabe glanced around and groaned in frustration, "Fucking hell!"

"That's fine," the blonde smirked, "I look better on your arm than her."

"Don't fucking touch me," Gabe glared as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. "You don't know the shit you just caused. Hey, yeah no went ghost, Bailey Jones decided to run her fucking mouth about shit she didn't know." He smirked darkly as Bailey pouted and twirled the gum around her finger. "Got it. Anyway, about to text you some good shit." He hung up the phone and started walking. Groaning when he heard heels following he turned back around. "Stay the fuck away from me Bailey."

"But Gabe," she whined.

"Listen you stupid bimbo. I'm not fucking stupid, I know you only want to be around me because you are trying to use our names to make you look good. It's not going to fucking work. None of us want anything to do with you so go away!"

She gasped then stomped away making Gabe roll his eyes. He opened the group chat and sent out two words Jade Ford before heading to the house.

"So what happened?" Corey asked when Gabe entered the house and dropped his bag onto the ground.

"Fucking idiots," Gabe sighed as he sat down on the couch and tilted his head back. "We are surrounded by fucking idiots!"

"We already knew that, Mr. Coleman," Owen said as he continued to grade papers, not one bit bothered by Gabriel's declaration, "so please elaborate."

Meanwhile

Jade finally managed to pull herself up off the floor and crawled over to her bed. Needing to focus, she pulled out her books and binder and threw herself into her schoolwork. She refused to open her laptop right now, she just couldn't.

When her alarm rang, she quickly changed into her work clothes and tossed her books, binder, and laptop into her bag before grabbing a thin hoodie and headed out to work. She slipped her headphones on and started walking to her first job. After that shift, she headed to her second job.

"Oh thank god you are here, we are getting swamped," the manager said as Jade entered. "Hurry up."

Jade raced to her locker and sat her bag inside. Locking it, she grabbed a notepad and pen and started her shift. When it finally died down, she took the chance to start wiping down the empty tables. "Hey, where's the purple?" a woman asked.

"New rules," Jade mumbled as she kept cleaning, not hearing the new people enter the restaurant. "If I want to stay in the art program, I have to fit in. That means natural color hair and no piercings. Art has to be created on something everyone can view and cannot be on one's body, according to the school."

"That's stupid," The woman rolled her eyes. "I miss the purple hair and piercings. I was living vicariously through you. I never had the guts to do that in my younger years."

"Yeah, well, can't be a rebel all the time. If I want to be taken seriously, I have to follow the rules, which means giving up some things. I can always change my hair again once I graduate," Jade shrugged. "You good while I get some assignments done? It's pretty dead right now."

"Of course," The woman nodded, "I'll let you know if I need help."

"Thanks Annie," Jade smiled gratefully as she tossed the rag into the bin and headed to the back just as she heard Annie say, "Welcome Gentlemen, what can I get you to drink?"

Jade grabbed her bag out of her locker and sat at the table in the back where she was facing the employee's door that way if she needed to quickly get back to work, she could. She pulled out her laptop, a notebook, and a book then started focusing on her assignment.

"So how goes it with you and your mystery pen pal?" Annie asked after she noticed the customers were content and she had a few moments to spare.

"We're not pen pals," Jade shook her head. "We're just..."

"Are you not communicating through letters on your laptop?" Annie asked. "That's pen pals, just through a computer now. Anyway, how is it? You haven't talked about your friend in a while."

"That's because it's complicated," Jade sighed as she tapped her pen against the notebook in thought. "I found out some information..."

"Oh don't tell me, he's a prince and wants you to move to Russia and be his princess," Annie giggled, "Girl you have to bring me, maybe he has a brother."

Jade burst out laughing and shook her head. "Nope, sorry."

"Damn," Annie smirked, "well one day I'll meet my prince."

"Fingers crossed," Jade smiled softly.

"Well, what did you find out that's got you all sad?"

"It's not him, it's me," Jade shook her head. "If he ever found out who I was, I would lose the only person that really gets me. I couldn't bear that, it's just better that everything stay in cyberspace."

Her laptop pinged letting her know she received a new message on in the chatroom.

Just as she was about to open it she heard, "Hey, Boss Man said since we're dead and you got class in the morning you can go," another waitress said coming up to Jade.

"Alright," Jade nodded as she stood and started gathering her book and notebook. After putting them in her bag, she bent down and opened the chatroom. You would never lose me and it's not best to stay in cyberspace. I miss us, please talk to us. What time do you get off work?

She slammed the laptop shut and went to the back. Quickly clocking out she blinked back tears and hurried back to her dorm, ignoring the voices calling out to her.