Conflicted Emotions

Chapter 17: Uh oh, she's in trouble...

{~Jess POV~}

Pain. The only way to describe what alcohol does to you. You feel bad, you drink lots, and in the morning you feel ten times worse. Remind me, why did they invent that infuriatingly addicting stuff?!

I was lying on my bed, with a killer hangover and a worse headache. Heh, that's what...mm...seven pints of vodka does to you...! I was struggling with myself, trying to get up but at the same time I really couldn't be bothered. Medicine? When I'm feeling better. Wait, I need medicine to feel better. OK, never mind. Just go back to sleep...

But I couldn't. Something was nagging me, as though I had done something I shouldn't last night. Which was weird, because the only things I can think of that I shouldn't have done were sleep with someone or sleep with Spencer. Spencer doesn't count as a person.

I shrugged, and then slowly sat up, still feeling awful. I drew back the curtains of my four poster and saw Steph was already up. I went into my bathroom and stared at my reflection in the mirror. The small amount of makeup I borrowed from Steph was in streaks down my face, but I couldn't work out why. My eyes were slightly red and puffy like I'd been crying. What the hell?

I stepped into the shower after having some water and aspirin, getting myself clean. The bruise on my ribs had faded lots and the scratch marks on my face were hardly visible anymore. I turned the shower off, dried off, dressed in black skinny jeans, white 'too cool for school' hoodie and blue t-shirt and some random converse and went to find Steph, the only friend I had left.

Thinking that made me feel worse. All my friends turned against me because of that bitch Jamie...apart from Steph, who's loyal and at the moment seems to be invisible because I can't find her. I started thinking about my friends again. A whole week talking to no one in our group but Steph. I didn't think I could go on for much longer.

I walked into the hall, which was miraculously clear from last night and laid out with jam-packed tables, and spotted Steph talking to my friends. No, my ex-friends, they all hate me now.

Feeling slightly awkward, I made my way over to the table, but halfway there they spotted me. I cringed and beckoned Steph, but her gaze remained cold and hard. She was glaring at me. WTF? I saw Nina beckoning me, and cautiously made my way over. They were all glaring at me. I couldn't work out what I'd done.

"I suppose you don't remember last night's conversation, do you?" Michelle was first to speak. "I'll wrap it up for you. First you get me into that mess with Spencer, then you touch up your best friend's boyfriend. What is WRONG with you?!" she shrieked. I looked at her blankly.

"Proof," snarled Nina, and she thrust a phone at me. I recognized it as Steph's. It was showing a text message from an unknown number, and the message was a picture of Jared and me. His hands were on my arse and my hands were tangled in his hair.

"Oh shit," I said under my breath. "Steph..."

"Save it," said Nina, "and go, before we kick you into next week."

**

I didn't think it could get worse than that. But it did.

It was lunchtime. I had gotten death glares from everyone, and boy did I feel bad. I wasn't really that bothered about sitting alone, but I would rather not have sat alone on the only table with a free seat that was across the opposite side of the hall to Steph. Partly because it had Spencer on it, but right now he was the least of my worries. Jared was sitting the other side of him, and Jamie opposite. The only free seat was next to Jared.

Grimacing, I sat and pointedly ignored them until I heard Jamie say, "Hey, Jess, you still being a traitor to your friends? I see you've still got scratches down your face from the last time you betrayed them. They like me better than you right now, and that's saying something," she smirked. I was tempted to throw my fork at her but that would just land me in even more trouble.