***

"This looks amazing, Liz."

She gave me a warm smile. "I didn't realize it was that good until now."

"How come?"

"Because you, of all people, seem genuinely excited for it."

I rolled my eyes at her. "Hilarious."

"Elisabeth."

Elisabeth? I turned around to see Liz's parents coming towards us. They stood out from all the crowd, especially considering the fact that they were in a room full of college students, dressed as if they were going to a fancy restaurant.

Liz's face was priceless. "You made it."

"So, this is your work?" Her mom looked around curiously.

I could tell Liz was nervous, she was fiddling with her fingers as she followed her mom's gaze. "Yes."

"Not bad at all," she finally said.

Liz scanned her dad's eyes for approval. "Father?"

"I suppose I don't completely understand it, but it does have its charm." I don't think I had ever seen him smile before. Even if it was just a half smile like the one he gave just then.

I couldn't help but smile at Liz's prideful grin. It's about time they stopped being assholes.

"Have a walk around, there's incredible work by other students, too," she said.

Both of them nodded and off they went.

I raised my eyebrows as I looked at Liz. Her mouth was open in shock but still held glimpses of that previous smile. "Did I dream that?"

Laughing at her expression, I flicked a finger on her forehead.

"Ow." She flinched and rubbed the spot with her hand. "Why?"

"You asked me a question. I thought that would answer it."

I hadn't noticed the girl that was eyeing Liz's work until I saw Liz give her a quick glance. She had very distinctive ashy blonde, almost white hair that fell just below her sharp jawline. The girl looked at us and smiled. I raised an eyebrow at Liz when she looked back at me.

"What? I thought I'd recognized her from my art class." Liz tried to keep a straight face.

"You know what? Maybe I'll have a walk around, too. I'm suddenly in the mood for some college student art."

Liz gave me a threatening glare. "Don't you dare leave me," she whispered.

I smirked before ambling away.

"Jade!" I heard her protest faintly. She'll thank me later.

I was pretending to look at some paintings and sculptures when I spotted Jesse and Millie talking across the room, she was laughing at something he had said. Since when is Jesse funny? She was really determined to give me a tough time, and being completely oblivious to it, too.

A male voice spoke beside me. "They seem to be hitting it off, don't they?"

"And you are?" I said without taking my eyes off them.

"The one you're murdering with your eyes? I'm her brother."

My eyes lit up. Millie has a brother? I raised an eyebrow and turned to face this brother of hers. "Is that so?" I took a moment to really look at him.

Okay, hi Millie's brother. Damn.

"Well, now I know who the attractive gene went off to," I said with a sultry smile.

He let out a low chuckle and smirked.

I extended my hand toward him. "I'm Jade."

"Brody," he said as he shook it.

Ugh, really? I was starting to like him,

Memories of Aria's douchebag of an ex came flooding into my head, and with all those memories, came others I'd much rather forget. Although I suppose he technically has no fault in sharing a name with a moron.

I looked over at Jesse.

"I get protective of him sometimes, he's like my brother." I paused. "Your sister just happens to be the one I'm protecting him from," I said casually, my gaze never leaving the pair of them.

"Then we kind of already have something in common."

Seeing as I continued to observe them closely, he tried to reassure me. Probably because he wants me to pay more attention to him. "You don't have to worry about Millie, she's a good girl."

I chuckled humorlessly. "Yeah, well I've grown to know girls like me are harmless." I looked at him straight in the eye. "It's the short, quiet ones you have to watch out for."

He was taken aback by my statement.

"Yeah? And how exactly are girls-" His eyes glided down my body and a small smirk curled the corner of his lips, "- like you?"

I turned my whole body to face him, then smirked and tilted my head.

"You tell me."

He narrowed his eyes, failing to figure me out.

It's funny how all guys end up thinking they actually can. As if they were the ones who finally saved me. I suppose it makes them feel special. I'm like a puzzle to them, and they enjoy trying to put it together.

But the fun quickly fades when they realize the pieces are all jagged.

"I like you, Jade."

"Of course you do. What's not to like?"

A small laugh escaped his lips. "I don't know where it is you came from, but I can already tell you leave a mark everywhere you go."

I had to hold in a laugh of my own as my mind went to all those boys whose corner of their lips I marked with a red kiss.

How ironic.

I looked up and pretended to think for a second, then gave him a knowing smile. "I suppose you could say that."

My smile vanished and was replaced with a frown the second I saw Liz arguing with her parents. They couldn't give her this one day, I thought bitterly.

"Is something wrong?" Brody asked.

I looked back at him and forced my eyes shut as I shook my head. "I'm sorry, I have to take care of something."

"Yeah... No, I understand. Good luck."

I made my way to those human sacks of garbage, probably way angrier than I should be. I guess these types of things hit close to home.

Liz caught me striding firmly in her direction and shot me a look that I understood as, "Don't do what you're about to do." Which I ignored, of course.

I stood beside her and pulled a fake smile at her parents. "May I ask what the problem is?"

Mr. Astor's gaze drifted all the way down to my defiant eyes. "I believe this doesn't concern you."

I despised that tone. It reeked of superiority.

Maybe if I speak their language they'll finally listen to what my mouth is trying to say.

"I beg to differ, Sir."

"But whatever concerns my- " I motioned at Liz as I thought of a fancy word, "- ...acquaintance right here is in fact, a dispute of mine."

I gave him a stern stare before he dared to speak more nonsense. "In other words, I'm staying right here."

"Jade, it's -" Liz tried to say before I cut her off.

"No, Liz," I blurted out harshly. "It's not."

Her mom had to intervene before Liz's dad and I started exchanging some words we would later regret. "It wasn't that big a predicament, really. We were just talking to Liz's friend."

I scoffed loudly. So that's what this is all about.

I gave Liz a sympathetic look before turning back to them.

"I really hope you take the blindfold off your eyes before it's too late." My voice was softer now. In a way, I kind of felt bad for their ignorance.

We both walked off, but not before I addressed them one last time. "Or one day you'll find yourself without a daughter."

***

"You didn't have to do that. I'm used to it by now." Liz's deep blue eyes hid a glint of disappointment.

"You know that only pisses me off more," I told her. "Damn it, Liz."

I sighed. "Stand up for yourself. Let them know they're acting like idiots, it's the twenty first century, for crying out loud."

Her eyes were watery and her voice struggled to come out, and when it did it could barely sustain itself. "You think I haven't tried already?"

"Then try harder," I said in a low voice. "You're this completely different person around them. You lose your assertiveness, your stubbornness. Where is that rebellious Liz I know?"

She forced a weak smile.

"Dude, you toy around with boys and girls at your will." I raised my hands in frustration. "Straight girls!"

That got her to laugh, this time without holding anything back.

"Careful, Jade," she teased. "It's dangerously starting to sound like you care."

I shoved her with my arm.

"And she's back," I joked. "You're probably the only one that can reach their hand out long enough to get a tiny grasp of my humanity."

"And I almost lost an arm in the process," she added.

My best friend's smile I knew and loved had return. Her face fell, however, when she glanced at the stand where all her work was displayed. "It's missing."

"What?"

Her posture stiffened as she clenched her fists and strut towards the empty space on the wall. I followed close behind.

"The ocean painting," she said. "It's not here."

"Jade, it's part of my final grade."

"You don't think your parents took it, do you?" I honestly didn't know what to believe at this point.

She pursed her lips and shook her head. "I don't think they'd want to take anything of mine right now," she muttered.

My frown deepened. I was just as confused as she was.

Liz raised a hand up to her forehead. "I don't get it it was here when-"

She stopped dead in her tracks...

"That bitch."

***

A/N

DUN DUN DUNNNNN....... THAT BITCH!!

Wait, what bitch?

What the hell is going on?

And no disrespect to Jade and Jesse, but I kinda' ship her and Brody... #oops

Question is... will Jade like him as much as me???????? We shall wait and see.

***