sixteen → jade west

poker and m&ms

In the well-lit living room of the Vega household, the gang gathered around the card table. Everyone was chatting, sipping on sodas, and munching on snacks, the usual teenage ambiance. There was a brief lull in the conversation when Jade reached into her bag and pulled out a deck of cards.

"How about a game of poker?" she asked, smirking.

Robbie raised an eyebrow, "Poker? Don't you need money for that?"

Jade waved her hand dismissively, "Not exactly." She pulled out a pack of M&M's from her bag. "We'll play with these."

André chuckled. "Poker with M&M's? You come up with the weirdest things."

Jade began shuffling the cards expertly. "Trust me. It's fun."

Trina, never one to shy away from a challenge, leaned in, "Deal me in."

While they played, it was evident that Jade knew her way around a deck of cards. She played her hand with confidence, explaining the rules with a flair that had the rest of the group intrigued.

Cat, being her usual bubbly self, kept getting distracted by the colors of the M&M's, while Robbie kept second-guessing every move he made, hoping Rex would whisper some strategy in his ear.

"I never took you for a poker player," remarked Beck, looking amused as he watched Jade gather a pile of M&M's after a winning round.

Jade leaned back, the tough girl facade still in place, but with a hint of nostalgia in her eyes. "Old money gatherings. Lots of poker games. Picked up a thing or two," she replied nonchalantly.

There was a silent acknowledgment from the gang about her old money background, except for Tori who looked slightly confused but chose not to press the matter.

André mused, "Must've been something, growing up like that."

Jade just shrugged, her eyes betraying a mixture of defiance and distance. "It was something alright."

The night went on with laughter, friendly banter, and lots of M&M's changing hands. It was moments like these - simple, silly, shared memories - that bound them together. But for Jade, it was also a moment of letting them in, just a little bit, into a world she didn't often speak of.