9 - The Part Where Consolations Were Showered Almost Everywhere

"Perrie Edwards? Isn't she your blonde classmate?" Leigh asks the brunette, an eyebrow slightly arched.

"Yes," Jade sighs, "she's the girl who confessed her feelings for me."

"Lucky you!" Leigh exclaims, "Perrie is so pretty, Jade! You should've gone out with her instead!"

"Leigh!"

"What? It's true," Leigh shrugged.

Jade rolled her eyes at her best friend. She was absolutely not surprised to hear Leigh gushing about another pretty girl in this school, or other places for that matter. Jade knew Leigh liked girls even before Leigh had to come out to her. Perhaps it must be because Jade would always find pictures of pretty ladies in the girl's phone with a drawing of a heart on the top right corner of the photo. Or maybe because whenever she has a volleyball game versus another team, she would always catch Leigh staring blatantly at someone who was playing on the court.

Either way, Jade didn't mind. Because she herself knew she was like her best friend.

Jade sighs, "I just need to find Perrie and apologize to her."

One edge of Leigh's lips stretched up as she smirks slyly at her seatmate, as if she knew a secret. "Okay, then."

       On that same day and just right after her conversation with Leigh earlier, Jade wasn't quite certain why suddenly the blonde disappeared during the rest of the school hours. Jade waited for Perrie outside her classroom, but Jesy told her that Perrie didn't come to class, and Jade's stomach twisted in worry of where the blonde might be.

"Please, Jesy, you're Perrie's best friend. You should know where she is," Jade pleads one time when she saw Jesy step out of the classroom.

"I don't know, okay?" Jesy impatiently says, feeling slightly frustrated already. "Look, Jade, I know that you're really guilty and apologetic right now but wherever Perrie went, don't bother following her, please."

"But do you know where she is?"

"No, Jade, I don't know where Perrie might be. But like I said, don't bother following her," Jesy pats Jade's shoulder before brushing past the brunette, leaving Jade unsatisfied.

~•~•~

"Well, well, look at you being all alone under the big tree, aye?" A figure shaped of a woman stood beside Perrie who was sitting comfortably under the tree where it shaded her from the burning sun. And when Perrie heard this familiar voice, she heaved a sigh.

"Jenny, if you're here to tease me of being stupid to think that Jade might like me, then not right now when I'm already hurting," Perrie warns the ginger. And even if Perrie didn't get the chance to take a glimpse of the person's facial expression, she could tell that Jenny was taken aback by her somewhat blunt reply.

       Jenny's eyes squinted then for a few minutes and widened in realization. Her mouth gaping as she points her index finger at the blonde. "You! Perrie, you're the one Paul was talking about awhile ago!?"

Perrie snapped her head to look at the girl standing beside her, her face showing absolute bewilderment. "What? What are you talking about?"

       "Paul...he talked to me about a girl who confessed her feelings to Jade during Valentine's Day...was that you?" Jenny asks hesitantly, trying not to be too pushy.

       Even though Perrie just so happens to hear the boy's name for the first time, Perrie was beginning to despise him. After all, this Paul dude was the one who must have told everybody in school—aside from those who knew about this—about what happened during Valentine's Day. Perrie locked her gaze on her ginger friend who was looking nervous.

       "You're gonna think of me as a dyke now, are you?" Perrie bluntly asks her, breaking eye contact when she felt her tears starting to form. "It's fine, you can judge me, degrade me if you want—I don't care."

       And as if goodness was on her side, Perrie felt her relief splashed through her whole system when she felt Jenny's presence sitting beside her with arm on Perrie's boney shoulder, bringing the blonde closer to Jenny's body, and Perrie leaned her head on her friend's shoulder and she smiled when she felt a slight heavy weight on top of her head and a warm air hitting her hair.

       "I won't judge you, Per. Don't worry." Jenny gave Perrie's forehead a little peck, though it seems like the blonde must have been stuck in her own world now.

~•~•~

Slam! The volleyball came flying up in the air and into the floor with a hard blow. It was the only sound accompanying Jade inside the school's gymnasium. About this time around, Jade usually practices her serves in the court while the rest of the team are possibly in the bathroom changing or chit-chatting.

Jade grabbed another volleyball, threw it in the air before slapping it with her palm, and it came flying up in the air and down the floor once again.

"Hey, Jade!" Jade's teammate, Ellie, walked up to Jade with a volleyball that laid on the ground awhile ago on her hand and handed it to the brunette. "Nice serve, by the way."

"Thanks," Jade lightly smiled at her in acknowledgement, and Ellie smiled back. Jade gladly grabbed the volleyball from the other brunette and walked towards the service line before serving the ball once again. Another slam! was heard inside. She glanced at Ellie with the same smile, and panted, "You did well, too. Coach should've picked you as part of the competing team. Mckinley Red Eagles would've won if you were with us."

Ellie's eyes darted down to the rough ground, looking a little sheepish as she shyly shakes her head. "Nah. The team is better without me."

"I see potential in you, Ellie. And I saw how drastic you've improved with your service and recieving skills. Trust me, you're good enough. Can you get another ball for me?"

Ellie quickly obliged, practically running to get the ball from the sack and threw it in Jade's direction. "I have a question, if you don't mind."

"Shoot."

"Was it true that Perrie Edwards asked you out on Valentine's Day?"

Slam! It was different this time. It was probably the hardest hit that Jade threw today as the ball came all over the other side of the court. The sound was echoing throughout the whole gymnasium and Ellie jumped slightly, a little frightened.

If Jade could actually take a look of herself right now, she would see her eyes probably bulging out at the mention of the girl's name. Jade's head slowly turned to Ellie and her expression was unreadable that Ellie kind of took this as a bad sign.

Jade knew that this was coming. How could it not be? After all, she is Jade Thirlwall, Mckinley High's queen bee—not that she was being boastful or anything. Jade couldn't live her freedom without hearing Perrie's name everytime a person comes to approach her. In fact, Jade couldn't even count the times in one hand she heard the blonde's name, starting from yesterday.

"You, too?" Jade sighs frustratedly. "Can't all of you just let this go? I'm almost to the point of forgetting yesterday happened until you came here and mention the topic again. I've never been this culpable, alright? And I hate that I feel that way."

       Jade's bright features shrunk until it began to seem colorless. Ellie could sense how the guilt seemed to somehow suffocate her teammate and her face softened at that. Knowing it's the only gesture she could offer, Ellie wrapped her arms around Jade's waist considering Jade was taller than her and drew her own body near until a millimetre was left between the two teammates. For a minute, Jade and Ellie remained embracing each other until Jade pulled away.

       "Thank you," Jade tells her. "I kinda needed that one to be frank."

       "No problem," Ellie smiles. "And just so you know, you're lucky you're admired by everyone—especially girls."

       "Lies," Jade interjects. "It isn't simple. Sometimes people get hurt, even when you think they aren't. I've realized that since I started dating Jed."