LONELY | JACOB BLACK

JEALOUS GIRLS

We sat opposite in the living room. Well - i sat on the sofa. She leaned on the wall as if she was going to leave as fast as she came. We both held cups of coffee, though i was awake. I had made toast, but if i ate i would probably throw up right now.

My Aunt Josephine was the cool aunt; she was the one who smoked cigarettes in her vintage cadillac. She was the one who would pour a full glass of wine when she had to watch us. She was the one who would order Chinese takeout instead of making me and my older brother eat our vegetables.
Yet here she stood, in a suit and her suitcase, deadpanning me as i folded onto the sofa.

"Question one. Where have you been?"
"Where have you been?" I scoffed. "Wearing a business suit like you aren't a raging alcoholic chain smoker."
"Hey, I'm asking questions right now. And I'll explain that later."
"If you say so."
"Take it away, Hannah Montana."

And so i explained everything; from my dad dying, to the house, to being kicked out, to staying at Jacob's.
By the end, her mouth was hanging open. I finally inhaled for the first time in what felt like ten minutes.

"You've been staying at a boy's house for the past nearly two weeks, and with no adult supervision? Have you been safe and taking precautions?" She frowned in disapproval. I blushed, staring at the black TV. "That's the bit your worried about? And it's not even like that."
"It better not be. Two is harder. Where is your mother?"

"I don't know. Last time i saw her i jumped out of the second floor away from her." I shrugged. My aunt gasped.
"Oh Ashley, you little cow." She muttered. "So she's a raging alcoholic after.. your father died."
I nodded.
"And she reached out to your father's side of the family for some money and a house to live in, because since the house is yours, you're the one paying all the bills."

I nodded again. I had realised that the other day.
"And you dumped all her booze, and she threw a fit and chased you."
"Yeah."
"And now she's fled the state. God, and everyone was praying on my downfall."
And my aunt proceeded to lift her case up into my mother's bedroom. When we pulled open the ransacked wardrobe, her favourite clothes, her best jewellery and all her toiletries were gone.

"So you're going to live with me? What about you're job? What if my mom comes back?"
My aunt sighed.
"Looks like it. I work from home, dipshit, and lastly.. i really doubt your mother will be back for a while."

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

As i pulled into the parking lot, Quil Embry and Jake were waiting in my usual spot. As i opened the door, Jake was the first to rush forward.
"Sadie, are you okay? I called you, like eight times.. and you didn't answer. Is it about your Mom?" He murmured. I shook my head.
"I can't be bothered hiding it from them Jake. I trust your friends." He nodded slowly.

"What's going on California? Maybe we can get a break from Jake's obsessive inner monologue."
"Shut up you rat."
"Well, long story short, my Mom's disappeared - probably to California again, and my Aunt's come to replace her for a while. Haven't seen her in years." I smiled. "I was catching up with her all night. Sorry Jake. I'll have to swing by to pick up all my stuff from your house.."

"You're moving out?" Quil's mouth was wide open. I laughed. "I can't sleep in his bed forever! Besides. I think i take up too much room anyways."
Jake glowered at the floor in disappointment.

"Sadie!" I frowned, glancing around me.
"Sadie! Over here!" I finally located the voice. It was Miriam; Miriam and Daisy, standing at the edge of the parking lot, beckoning me over enthusiastically.

"Uhh, I'm gonna go see them two. See you later yeah?" And they nodded and waltzed into school, playfighting with eachother.
"Sadie! Why weren't you answering my calls last night?!" Miriam grabbed my hands eagerly.
"I'm sorry. Family stuff. What's going on?"
"You will never guess what Ada did last night. Daisy, you explain it, I'm too energetic right now!"

Daisy joined the group huddle, whispering secretively.
"Okay, since you're like, never in on Tuesdays, you missed everything!"
"Stop being mysterious and tell me what's happening."
"Okay, basically what happened is Ada skips into first period, and sits down like she's got ants in her pants. And i said, 'Hey Ada, what's with you today? You seem really happy.' Right? And she says 'guys, I've finally made up my mind. I'm just going to ask Jacob to Prom.'" Daisy left a gap for effect, and i gasped.

"What?! They.. they don't talk!"
"Right? And so half of all the girls in our class are in our friend group or are associated with us. So i said 'hey, you realise him and Sadie are probably going right?' And she said, 'oh trust me, he won't take the California Bimbo." I gasped again.
"One minute she was all up my ass, showing me off like a toy out of the box, and now she's got her three seconds of attention shes dipping on me?"
Miriam nodded.

"But that's not all. The whole friend group is completely distraught. Theres a few on their side, a few on our side. Most are staying neutral though. Obviously Kate and Abigail are 'absaloutely on Ada's side because she's totally in the right!' But that's not the point. The point is, is that she actually did it! Right at the end of the school day. Infront of all of us."
I couldn't believe what i was hearing.
"And she did it, and in the background, we could hear you!"

And the dots connected in my head.
"Jake? Are you in there?"
"Yeah, I'm here!"
"Hey."
"Hi."
"Were you just on the phone? I thought you were talking to yourself."
"Yeah. Nothing."

"Jaaake! Are you in there?!" Miriam mocked my voice. I found myself cackling. "No way!" I said.
"You should have seen her face. Funniest think i've ever seen. She went to hang up the phone, and the last thing she heard was you saying 'hey.' And the sound of you two getting cozy. She's literally convinced you two stay off school every tuesday to sleep with eachother." She raised her hands in defence.
"If you are, that's okay too." She added. I shook my head.

"Definitely not. God, that's so weird. So is she going to be trying to steal Jacob away from me all night?" I mumbled the last part - it was too cheesy out loud - but the other girls were unphased.
"You need to prepare yourself. This is a whole ass war. This is the most drama our grade has had since the fourth grade when Jason Stevens held Megan Pompey's hand or some shit like that."

I glanced over my shoulder. Jacob Black was watching me smugly from the enterance of the building. I pulled the girls into a tight hug.
"Listen, thanks a lot for telling me. You've only known me about a month and that's a lot to sacrafice your friends from childhood for."
They shook their heads.
"Trust me, we've been looking for a way to get away from that friend group for years. You've done us sort of a huge favour." Miriam grinned at me.
"Now go, you're boyfriend's waiting for you." Daisy added.
"He's not my boyfriend." I murmured as i walked away. But i was grateful, grateful and confused. Why did Ada see me a competition? Why would she go for a boy she knew i was involved with anyways?

"Hi beautiful." Jacob slung his arm around me lazily. I smiled, burying the side of my face into his chest.
"What's with the compliments?"
"You don't like it?" His fingers ran through my hair gently.
"I don't have a problem with it."

I tried to meet his eyes, but he was shooting daggers across the atrium as we entered, his grip around my shoulders tightening. Joseph Arrow stared back at him from the lockers, his eyes flickering between his face and mine.

What did this mean? Why was i protecting him? Why was he protecting me?