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Beautiful With You Part Six |
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Chapter Six
Jade got the text after she got off work that evening from Audrey saying that Professor Brooks had picked her to be his work partner and that she wanted to celebrate. Jade had classes for a few hours so Audrey agreed to work around her schedule so she could be a part of the celebration too, which Jade was pleased with. She wanted to be there to celebrate with her friend more than anything.
She changed back into her regular street clothes and headed out, dialing the number to call a cab while she walked. As she went down the street, a big truck pulled up next to her and the window rolled down. Inside was David with an apologetic smile on his face. At fourteen years old, Jade would have caved and forgiven him. But now at eighteen, that smile wasn’t cute anymore. It just annoyed her even more, “David, it’s a little late to be driving over here. My shift is over.”
“I know but I wanted give you a ride back to school so you don’t have to take a cab again,” David said.
“I never took a cab.”
David frowned, “Then how did you get here?”
“My professor was on his way to lunch and he drove me to work,” Jade couldn’t look at him while she explained herself because for some reason she felt a little shame. She hadn’t exactly spoken to Professor Winters like he was her teacher. They got a little too friendly and personal she though. And though she was royally pissed off at David, she still felt horrible.
“That one you keep mentioning all the time?” David sat in his seat and pouted, “I can’t believe you let him drive you.”
“Well since my boyfriend wasn’t around to drive me it seemed like the best alternative!” Jade countered, “If you don’t want me driving with other guys you need to be more reliable!”
“Jade, I’m a musician!” David began raising his voice to match hers, “This is my life Jade! And you’re a part of it again!”
“You told me the same thing four years ago David,” she said, “You said I was a part of your life and I believed you. But you care more about your goddamn guitar than you do about me. I don’t wanna waste my time again David. I don’t think this is gonna work.”
Jade had David’s attention now. He scrambled out of his car and grabbed Jade by her arms and shook her a little, “Jade don’t give up on me now. I’m so sorry. I promise I’ll be better. Just come to my show the Saturday after next. It’ll be the last one I drag you to and then I’ll ease up on the shows for awhile and focus on you more. Ok? Can you give me that much?”
Jade had a feeling this would be a mistake and she should just press the talk button on her phone to call that cab. But when he leaned in a kissed her so sweetly like he never had before, she forgot about it, pressing the home button on her phone and putting it away. He broke away and opened the car door for her and helped her climb in, “Thank you Jade. I promise it’s gonna be so much better this time. I don’t know what I would do if I just let you walk away again.”
Maya was waiting for Frank to come meet her. She was sitting on a bark bench near a duck pond which was probably the worst place for her to be considering there were more geese than ducks but it was the easiest to find area of the park. She saw Frank’s car go past her and into the parking lot around the corner. After a few minutes, he reappeared and waved over his head and smiled. She gave a less enthusiastic wave as he sat down next to her, “So you wanted to talk about us?”
Maya folded her hands on her lap and just stared at them for a second. She didn’t know how she was supposed to do this. She wished she didn’t have to do this, “Frank, I’ve had a good month to calm myself down so I can think rationally. But after today, I was all wound up again and I was ready to mutilate you.”
“I’m sorry,” he said in a soft voice. She held up her hands to stop him, “No. I’m not finished. That was not fair of you to back me into that corner. You made me look like a b***h in front of everyone.”
“Your teacher seemed to come right to your defense,” Frank replied bitterly.
“I’m glad someone came to my rescue or you would’ve never left!” Maya threw her arms up in the air and shouted at him, “You can’t do these things to me. We’re not fifteen anymore Frank. I have responsibilities now. And you don’t. You cave in to your friends and you sink to their level and I hate it because when it’s just you and I you’re smart and you’re witty and you’re funny and I love being around you. But, it seems like you’re letting Gerard and Vivian influence you.”
“They’re not Maya I swear!” Frank pleaded. He grabbed her hand but she pulled it out of his grip and stood up off the bench, “Frank. I can’t be with someone who puts his friends before me all the time the way you do. Especially when those friends are toxic the way they are. I can’t watch you piss away every opportunity you’ll get in life. It’s too much. I can’t do it.”
“Maya…” Frank said. Maya kissed his cheek and hugged him but he didn’t hug her back, “I’ll always care for you Frank but I can’t be around for the major s**t storm to come.”
She pulled her keys out of her purse as she walked away from the bench. She told herself not to do it, “Don’t you dare look behind you. If you do you’re just gonna turn around and tell him you changed your mind and everything will be fine.”
Against her subconscious mind’s orders, she stopped and looked over her shoulder at him. He was sad for a brief moment but eventually stormed off angrily to his car. Maya never really saw Frank get angry but in that moment she was torn between feeling horrible and feeling a little scared. But the things Professor Gray had said to her were too strong to make her change her mind. She was just going to let Frank be as pissed off as he wanted to be.
It was the first time Jade and Maya had seen Audrey’s dorm. Jade nodded in approval as she sat down next to Maya on Audrey’s bed, “Nice dorm Audrey. I kind of regret not getting the extra money for this.”
“We could’ve been roommates,” Audrey added, “But I’ve really gotten to know my roommate. She’s actually kind of nice. She’s just busy like me.”
Maya nodded, growing impatient with the useless conversation about Audrey’s mystery roommate, “So enough about her. Tell us what happened today.”
“What’d he even say to you?” Jade added.
“Well he said I was his favorite student and I was really smart and that I was the best student he’d had in a long time,” Audrey recapped and she played that moment over in her head when he’d said all those nice things, “He’s so nice. We were at an art gallery together a month ago and-”
“Wait, wait, you were alone together?” Maya stopped her and she and Jade exchanged looks, “A month ago? Why didn’t you tell us?”
“I guess I just didn’t think of it,” Audrey said with a shrug, “But he told me I had a way with words and he loved reading my essays and stuff and I’m just so happy he picked me!”
Maya and Jade just smirked at each other and then back at Audrey, “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“You like Professor Brooks!” Jade blurted out. Audrey pressed her hand against Jade’s lips and shushed her, “Keep your voice down Jade! There are other people living here you know. That’s how rumors get started!”
“You’re getting a little defensive,” Maya teased with a big grin, “It’s not bad to have a crush on your professor. It’s not like he knows.”
“And no one is gonna know,” Jade added, prying Audrey’s hands off her mouth, “Your secret will stay with us in this room.”
“Well I just don’t want him to know ya know?” Audrey leaned in and lowered her voice, “Especially since everyone in my art history class has gotten super competitive. They could try to sabotage me by spilling this secret.”
“Well luckily no one is here but us,” Maya said, patting her friend’s shoulder, “And you have nothing to worry about. Promise.”
Audrey smiled and nodded and they continued with their celebration. Little did they know that outside her dorm room was Audrey’s roommate, Kelsey. And she had heard everything. She didn’t have art history but she definitely knew who Professor Brooks was. She ran down the hall, holding in giggles. She had to tell someone about this!
Ok, so this is shorter than normal. Forgive me. It just happened that way.
THE PLOT THICKENS wink
~B
 Rockstar_Angel17 · Sun Aug 18, 2013 @ 02:54am · 0 Comments |
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