Bet On You

Chapter Five

Jessica

I hate looking into his eyes knowing that there is no way I will make it to his game, especially because it is late. Unfortunately, I always have to think about transport to and fro any certain place I go to.

When I get home, I head towards my mother's bedroom,

"Hi, sweetheart," she greets.

"Hi, mom."

I notice that she is counting coins on her dressing table and my heart hurts at the sight. I wish there was something I could do to help her, but there is nothing I can do until I finish high school.

I have tried applying to shops around town, but nobody wants to hire me. They don't even give me valid reasons. They all just tell me they are not hiring at the moment. How about they don't have any part-time vacancies or whatever bull they can cook up. I have given up on finding a part-time job.

She quickly puts the coins away. "What do you need, sweetie?"

"Well...there's this rugby game at school on Friday and I was wondering if maybe I could go with my friends?" I wring my hands as I say this.

"Oh, when does it end? I like that you have some friends and that you are getting out more, I just don't want you to stay out until too late." She says.

"Rugby games are usually about an hour and a half"

"I guess that's alright then. I'll talk to Ivy and see if she's going so she can give you a lift home." I catch her before she can even add on to that,

"NO!–I mean that's not necessary, I don't want to inconvenience Ivy. I'm sure she will go to some after-party with her friends." I say with a smile, hoping that mom doesn't notice the panic on my face.

"Sweetheart, I know that you are not friends with Ivy, but there is no need for you to act as if she bullies you or something." She ends that with a little laugh, but stops as soon as she sees that I am not laughing at all.

Then the mamma bear comes out.

"Does she bully you? Hit you? Jessica, tell me what she is doing to you? I swear if I get my hands on that little brat I will, ungh!"

At this point, she is pacing up and down in front of her little dresser. It's little because it was the only one that would fit in her tiny bedroom and the cheapest we could find.

"Well, she doesn't bully me per se, she's just mean to me and makes life a little unbearable and uncomfortable for me. That's all."

"Don't you, that's all me young lady. I will not sit idly by while some spoilt rich girl bully's my baby girl. Why didn't you tell me? How long has this been going on?"

"Mom, calm down. It's not that bad, you're making this much bigger than it is." I say.

"Well, that's because you won't tell me anything and I have to keep poking you for answers."

With tears in her eyes, she says, "You are my only baby and I love you. I gave up everything because I wanted to give you a good life. To hear that someone is giving you trouble, it tears me up inside. Honey, I know that you don't have a father and maybe that's why you feel you can't tell me stories about bullies. You think there is nothing I can do about it but know that I am much stronger than I look, so please try me."

There is nothing I hate more than my mother with tears rolling down her face. So I give in and tell her of the torment that I have endured at the hands of Ivy and her friends.

I tell her of the times I had no friends because Ivy ordered everyone at school not to talk to me or they would suffer her wrath. Because people feared her, they stopped being my friends or even talking to me.

Primary school was the worst, but I had no choice but to keep going because I wanted to pass and leave that hellhole. Much to my dismay, Ivy followed me to high school. Because her father is funding my schooling, I have to go to the same school as her. I don't want to seem ungrateful, that's part of the reason I say nothing.

"Honey, I promise you, it won't always be like this. One day we will be rid of these people and their underhanded ways. Remember that God works in miraculous ways. Okay?"

"Okay, mom. And I'm sorry for not telling you about everything that Ivy has put me through."

"It's alright honey, but make sure it doesn't happen again. I love you," she says as she hugs me tightly.

"I love you to the moon and back," I respond the same way I have always, ever since I could talk coherently.

*** Ivy

"Isn't that Max and Brian at the Hugo Boss store?" My new friend Chelsea says.

I don't like her very much because she thinks she is better than me. She always has to have the latest clothes and the most expensive things.

We are at the mall doing our shopping. We have money, so why not spend it on beautiful clothes?

I turn my head and see that it is indeed Max and Brian. The gods must be with me. This is now my chance to get Max to notice me without his eyes wandering to the other girls at school.

He can get to know me and see that we could have something explosive together. I know that I am beautiful, no guy can resist me, just ask the guys at my old high school.

I walk into the Hugo Boss store with Chelsea following me and add a little sway to my hips. As I am making my way towards where they are standing I overhear their conversation. I decide not to show myself yet. I hear Jessica's name and God do I despise that girl; she is like a fly that just won't go away.

"Dude, you mean it?" one of them says.

I think his name is Chase something. I can't remember his surname, he is not really my type so his surname is not worth remembering.

"Yeah man, she's it for me." This is coming from Max.

I will them to hurry and say something that will make sense to me. As it stands I don't know what they are talking about now. I know it has to do with some bet and a girl, but that's about it.

The Chase guy helps me out and gives me some leverage against Max and hopefully something to make him mine.

"This is one for the books, hey. Imagine telling yours and Jessica's grandkids how you met. That their grandparents met by their grandfather trying to make their grandmother fall in love with him as a bet. Only to have the bet working against him as he was the one who fell in love." He says this with a laugh.

Oh, hell yeah, this bit of news is priceless. I can hit two birds with one stone. I can get Max for myself and get one up on Jessica, take that miss goody two shoes.

I'm split between two options now that I know this. I could either tell Jessica this news and let them break up on their own. The other option, I can threaten Max to break up with Jessica. Even better, I could threaten to tell her the truth about how they came to be a couple.

I will threaten Max, as that will be the ultimate revenge on Jessica. I can just imagine the look on her face when she sees that I have taken her man, and she is not all that beautiful after all. I love it!