We Could Be

Chapter 7

"Sometimes we try to make things better and have no idea that we're actually causing more pain." - Jessica Capshaw, Grey's Anatomy

Jane's Point of View:

Nearly a week later, Maura had been avidly avoiding both Lip and I. Lip had told me how he had asked her to go out with him but she had simply said, "No." and walked away. That wasn't like Maura. Usually, when Lip asked to do something with her she always said yes and got really excited.

Today, I'm gonna make Maura talk to me. Something is clearly wrong and I'm gonna determine what it is. God, I sound just like my mother. I watch her as she steps into the room, eyes meeting mine before she scurries over to where the blue-haired boy sits. He and Maura share a simplistic conversation before he teache
walks in, and everybody faces forward.
"Okay class, today we are doing a lab. Grab the supplies needed from the front and get to work with your lab partner." The teacher instructs, sitting in her seat. Frost stands and walks over to the table to grab our needed supplies.
"You should talk to Maura." Barry says setting the supplies on the table.
"Yeah, I will. I'm gonna have her come over tonight. Since it's Friday maybe she can spend the night." I tell him, setting the supplies up in an organized manner instead of Frost's pile.
"Turn to page two-hundred and seven and begin the lab. When you finish bring it to me." I quickly turn to the correct page and Barry and I begin the lab. We almost instantly finish half of it, and I sigh.
"What are we supposed to be doing?" Barry asks, pouring a clear liquid into the beaker where a crystallized form of something sits. I look at the book, reading the title aloud.
"Discover the Mineral." I read, and turn to him. Sighing, he draws a lighter from his pocket, dumping the contents of the beaker onto the table. Slipping a protection glove onto his hand and lighting the lighter, he holds the mineral over the flame and, unsurprisingly, it does not catch flame.
"Sucrose." He says, looking at it with a microscope and I write it down on the paper. He puts the next mineral over the flame, and it starts to catch flame.
"Sodium Chloride." I tell him, as I check the box next to its name. Then, since it is the only one left, I check the final one as Sodium Bicarbonate. After we turn it in, we sit back down and chit-chat until class is over.

"Maura!" I exclaim, fast-walking towards her. She just keeps walking not acknowledging me.
"Maura!" I scream louder. I stop when I see her walk into a classroom. I sigh and back track to PE. After I get changed out, I meet up with Barry and Casey.
"So did you talk to her?" Barry asks.
"I tried."
"Just do it tonight."
"I will."
"Don't you have a game tonight?" Casey asks
"Oh shit! I forgot!" I say rubbing my face. The rest of the school day goes by pretty fast. Before I know it I'm in my last period, English. When I reach class, Maura is already sitting at her desk. I take the seat next to her and she looks at me.
"Hey, I have a game tonight. I would like you to come. That's if you aren't busy." I say, dropping my bag to the floor.
"Okay, I'll see if I'm able to." We don't speak for the rest of class, and I can tell that the entire class can see the tension radiating off of Maura and I. Even our teacher, Miss Haynes, looks more weary as she glances at us.

Finally, the class ends and I escape to the parking lot for some fresh air. I could feel the tension killing me, grasping me in a chokehold so I couldn't breathe. It isn't until I get to my truck that I can steady my breathing, allowing me to see clearly. I see Barry walking over to me, waving. I wave back, and then I see Lip and Maura getting into Maura's car. I can't help but start to feel jealous.

Maura's Point of View:

After I drop Lip off, I can't help but wonder where my feelings for him had gone. Of course I still care for him, but my feelings have since altered from when he and Jane came to save me from Garrett's attempt at my virtue. There was a time when all I could think about was Lip. His hair, his eyes, his arms embracing me in a warm hug. But now, all I can think about is the empty hole in my chest, one that can only be filled by the fondness of a certain curly-haired Italian (not to sound cheesy or anything). When I reach my house, I go inside and see my mother and father sitting at the kitchen table. My mother looks furious, I then notice she is tapping her nails on a very familiar book.
"I knew your friends were irresponsible, Maura. That's to be expected in this dump of a town. But, my dear, I did not know they would go to these measures." She opens the book, flipping to a page she had obviously marked. She looked up for a moment and said, "Listen to what you wrote, Maura. "Today we went to the Fairfield's house." First of all, awful topic sentence. Would not grab the reader's attention, it did not catch mine either until, wait for it, "Their middle son, Garrett is my age. I knew him my whole life.. While we were outside, he made his feelings for me quite clear. But it wasn't until I left the bathroom to go back downstairs that he made any advances for me." And yada, yada, yada. "He laid me down on the bed, kissing me forcefully-"
"Alright, alright!" I yell, walking over to her to grab the book.
"Garrett tried to rape you, Maura!" Father exclaimed, standing from his seat.
"Jane and Lip saved me-"
"They broke into their house, Maura! Beat up their son!" My mother yells.
"You didn't tell me I'm adopted!" Their faces freeze in shock, my father looks slightly guilty. My mother takes a sharp intake of breath, before saying, "We didn't know how you'd take it. But anyways, don't turn this into us! You're friends did something incredibly wrong and we don't want you around them anymore."
I scoff, taking my journal from them and stomping up the stairs.
"I don't know what's gotten into her, Arthur." I hear her say, and I freeze on the stairs. He responds, "We shouldn't have moved back here."
"Maybe we should think about transferring her back." My mother says. I quickly run to my room and lock the door. I stash my journal on the top shelf in my closet. I take a seat at my desk and get started on my homework.