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Kinsey side-eyes the wretched condition of the party as she steps through the door. The potent smell of alcohol and sweat assaults her nose, forcing her to contort her face in disgust. The bodies already passed out around the home reminds her of why she never liked parties. She takes a timid step over some guy sprawled out across the front door like a human doormat. His thick, curly mop-style hair extends out like the heavy woolly coat of a Mammoth.

Her eyes scan the area, immediately recognizing the place. How could she not when she met the girl she's in love with at this very house? At a party that was meant to be forgettable like the others. She's had dreams about this very house, finding Jade at the end of the maze every fucking time.

Kinsey squares her shoulders, carefully stepping around more people who have already passed out on the floor for the night. It seems the party is dying down. Kinsey would argue that it had died down a while ago from the looks of it. The granite countertop in the kitchen is covered in empty glass bottles and shot glasses, while there are only a few people who are still dancing around the DJ stand.

Those people most likely crossfaded tonight. The mixture of alcohol and marijuana guaranteed an experience nonetheless, whether it was positive or negative depends on who you ask.

They appear idiotic as they dance hypnotically to the slow and sensual rhythm and blues. On the other end of the party-goers spectrum, some are awake, apparently horny as most of them seem to be solidifying their hookups for tonight with intense make-out sessions littered throughout the home.

Kinsey tucks her unruly, frazzled dirty blonde hair behind her ear as she scans the room, looking for her very special brunette. Her heart races as her initial search come out unsuccessful. Assuming that Jade is drunk right about now, Kinsey expects the brunette to be loud enough to catch her attention. Kinsey can't help it as protruding thoughts of Jade being in a situation like the last time cloud her mind. The mental scenario makes Kinsey's blood boil.

I will ki-

"Kinsey, sweetheart!"

The blonde snaps her gaze over to Lucia resting her head in some guy's lap. The girl with hair that appears to have been vomited on by a rainbow, catches Kinsey off guard, but not by much.

Why am I not surprised?

Kinsey doesn't seem too fazed by the new look, considering Lucia's spontaneous personality. As Kinsey makes her way over, Lucia rises from the boy's lap like a zombie coming back to life. The blonde rolls her eyes, not in the mood for Strawberry Shortcakes' energy. That nickname will remain as long as Kinsey wants it to despite the change to her hair.

Kinsey is slightly miffed at Lucia for bringing Jade along to this thing and visibly abandoning her like this. The blonde tries to reason with herself, knowing damn well that Jade makes her own choices, but she needs someone to blame for the anxiety she is suddenly feeling about Jade. And that person happens to be Lucia, unfortunately.

"Is he breathing?" Kinsey questions as the guy sitting on the staircase that Lucia was lying on barely flinches as she stands to her feet. His eyes remain shut as his limp body rests back on the staircase.

"Yeah, he's alive," Lucia casually responds, running a hand through her already disheveled, curly hair. She lets out a quick yawn as she comes face to face with Kinsey. "Surprised you decided to join us tonight." Lucia presents innocent, squinted eyes and a wide smile, a killer combination that anyone besides Kinsey at this moment would find endearing and charming.

"Not 'us', just Jade. Where is she by the way?" Kinsey clarifies, stuffing her fidgeting hands into the pockets of her oversized dad jeans. She actually borrowed them from her father this time, but without permission since they accidentally got mixed in with her laundry. Finders keepers.

"She was headed for a drink of water," Lucia says, weakly pointing over at the cooler by the kitchen bar. Her eyes squint pathetically now, showing that the girl is nearing slumber whether she liked it or not.

Kinsey follows Lucia's feeble, outstretched arm and glances over at the area, seeing only empty bottles of alcohol and water bottles around the cooler, "Um... how long ago was that?" Kinsey's sharp eyes penetrate Lucia's half-closed ones.

"Hmm... not too sure," Lucia ponders, rubbing at her chin with her fingers. "Wait! Oh yeah, I saw her head down the hall or something."

A bulb lights in Kinsey's mind, igniting relief within her constricted chest. She's just a geek. She's probably reading again. Kinsey chuckles at the thought of finding the brunette reading again at a party. Some things never change, huh?

"Alright, I'll head back and find her."

"You should," Lucia chuckles," your girl was getting looks tonight, especially from this one redhead. She kept looking at her like fucking meat. Too bad for her, Jadeypoo already has a girlfr-"

"What'd you say?" Kinsey pauses, gripping Lucia's upper arm tightly, glaring intensely at her.

"Woah, Kins! Princess Ariel was checking her out, but I wouldn't worry. She doesn't have a chance," Lucia slurs with her eyes squinting even more.

Kinsey's heart races as her feet stagger into a jog to the back of the hallway, rounding the corner. The oversized jeans prevent her from garnering more speed as they nearly fall down her legs. She quickly pulls them up as she gets closer to the parlor room. Who would've thought she could remember how to get there?

The skin on her legs tingle with goosebumps as anxiety settles in. She places her hand over her stomach as it sinks mercilessly. She feels dizziness blur her vision and her mind.

Zoé kisses Jade hungrily, pulling the brunette's body close to her own with possessive hands gripping her waist. Her tongue jams down Jade's throat, forcing involuntary moans and groans to expel from Jade's mouth. The brunette's eyes shut as her own hands work to pull Zoé closer into her body.

Zoé grinds her body into Jade's slowly, dragging her hands down to caress Jade's ass.

"Sh-She can't be that drunk," Kinsey murmurs barely above a whisper. Her eyes flare with flames but she can't find it in herself to peel them away from the sight. She tries to fight the places her mind wants to go, but in the end, she finds that she is just as much a slave to her thoughts as a lot of people are.

Her soul feels like it's been snatched from her body and stepped on. It burns internally to see the pleasure on Jade's face. The way her lips part to allow Zoé more access to her mouth. It stings to see how Jade slightly pulls Zoé in closer with every kiss as her delicate hands rest on the demon's tiny waist. Her eyes shut tight in obvious pleasure as her head tilts back. Kinsey can't take her eyes off of the chipping teal polish coating the nails of her slender fingers. Kinsey's favorite color.

Jade's eyes flutter open amidst the bliss and she is immediately sobered at the sight of Kinsey's unsteady body in the doorframe. Jade's body reactively flails within Zoé's embrace. The brunette raises her arms from around the girl's waist, realizing that she's lost her damn mind. The redhead is slightly befuddled by Jade's sudden panic until she turns her shoulder to see Kinsey Scott utterly bewildered at the door of the parlor room that was left open.

Zoé catches Kinsey's deadly glare and smirks maniacally like a satiated vampire who had just feasted on their daily intake of blood. She swipes the back of her hand across her mouth before indulgently licking her bottom lip with Jade's taste still all over her mouth. Zoé could recognize the vanilla flavor that had always been the brunette's go-to.

Fury.

Devastation.

Embarrassment.

Kinsey feels weakness develop in her knees for all the wrong reasons. Her entity isn't enough to hold itself up at this very moment. Her teeth clench to combat the sudden aching in her chest. It hurts so fucking bad that the blonde actually thinks she may be dying.

"Kins, please look at me." Jade's plea sounds muffled to Kinsey's ears. The brunette pushes past Zoé's body swiftly. Surprisingly, she's found more strength to bypass the redhead at this moment than when they had been alone.

She rushes up to the blonde at once and cups her tender, but textured face to direct those soft, ocean blue eyes to look at her again. Kinsey's supple skin nearly burns Jade's hands with how heated the blonde's body is. Her dazed eyes eventually glance in Jade's direction but they are empty and misguided. They gaze right through Jade instead of looking at her, rejecting her presence altogether.

More heat radiates from Kinsey's face onto Jade's hands that still cup her face. Jade desperately stares at Kinsey's face, lightly caressing the blonde's freckled cheeks with her thumb. The first tear that drops, rolls down the blonde's cheek, igniting Jade's heated skin, gutting her in the process. It immobilizes her in place, bringing upon an aching in her own chest.

She can feel how strongly Kinsey feels at this moment. So much so, that her own array of tears start to wet her heated cheeks. Her eyes warily scatter across Kinsey's face, aching to connect to her in some fashion.

What can I say?

It's not what it looks like? She came onto me?

I held onto her only for a little bit because it felt so familiar? I wasn't thinking straight? Her lips were so inviting because they were the first lips I've ever kissed?

I fucking despise her and I would never kiss her again? I was caught up in the moment for only a second?

That kiss means absolutely nothing to me?

I never wanted her.

Kinsey shoves Jade's arms away with the backs of her hands. Her strength renders her successful in forcing the brunette to stumble back a bit, unexpectedly. Kinsey's eyes completely fill with tears now, so uncontrollable that the blonde genuinely feels that there may be something physically wrong with her. She's never produced so many tears before.  The last time she remembers nearly crying this much was when her grandmother had passed.

What the hell is wrong with me!

Her eyes burn with irritation as the tears fill them to the brim. A soreness develops in her throat, making it harder for her to even swallow her spit. How can anger and sorrow exist simultaneously? The combination makes Kinsey feel insane. She wants to head over into that parlor room and smash Jade's face in until she isn't much more than black and blue, but she can't find it in herself to do so.

"Get the fuck away from me," Kinsey mumbles in an insistent tone. This is when the blonde makes purposeful eye contact with Jade, ensuring the brunette understands what she is demanding. She uses her eyes to communicate because if she continues speaking, she feels that she'll further fumble her words.

Jade stares at Kinsey, ashamed. Her brows squint hard as she stares at her girlfriend, confused as to what can be done. She feels powerless against the feelings that she's never wanted to admit. So suddenly, she realizes what she feels when the threat of losing it all becomes real. I think I'm in love with her.

These past couple of weeks have made Jade ponder a lot. She's questioned the intense feelings she has developed for Kinsey. The feelings of attachment to Kinsey made Jade wonder what she would ever do if Kinsey wasn't in her life anymore for whatever reason. The mere thought almost had her crying in the line for milkshakes at a fast-food restaurant called Steak Shack.

To believe that she, Jade Hill, had been capable of love seemed so out of reach. But as the magnitude of her feelings amassed over the last few months, Jade realized true vulnerability. And that became too overwhelming for her to accept.

And at this moment where it seems like she'll lose Kinsey, Jade has gotten her answer. The excruciating pain she feels at this very moment at Kinsey's words shows her that Kinsey's well-being and safety are what matters to her the most. She cares so much for the girl despite her flaws because that's how much Kinsey matters to her. She's honestly been the best thing that's happened to Jade in a while. To see that she's caused the blonde to break down like this leaves her breathless in realization.

I fucking love Kinsey Scott.

Jade's eyes widen in disbelief at her sudden epiphany in the face of her teary-eyed girlfriend. Kinsey's sharp features glisten with stains from tears rolling down her face, branching every which way. Strikes of red spread from the deep blue of her irises, almost like lightning.

But what is lightning without thunder?

"Kins," Jade pauses, feeling the words catch in her throat, "please don't go?" The brunette can already feel the distance forming between them within the energy surging between them. Their own form of telepathy.

Kinsey stares down the brunette with intensity, making Jade's knees nearly buckle under the pressure of the glare.

The blonde's lips part but close, apparently changing her mind. She simply tears her eyes from the brunette reluctantly, turning her shoulder and disappearing beyond the corner she came from. Heavy stomps can be heard down the hallway as the blonde escapes, but the scene doesn't alarm many of the party-goers who are still far from sober.

Jade's heart sinks almost immediately, frozen in space and time. Paradoxically, emptiness fills Jade's heart as soon as Kinsey leaves her behind.

She's supposed to show her anger for everyone to see. She's supposed to yell and rage. She's supposed to fight for me. She is supposed to fight with me.

"Kins?" Jade whispers to herself, standing alone in her mess. Her nose flares in itchiness and heat as sadness officially overcomes her system. Mess seems to haunt Jade wherever she goes and she can't seem to get away from it.

Her head falters, trying to fight the tears so that she can keep her eyes open. She catches a glimpse of her boots as a tear drops from her eyes and lands on the leather fabric. The drop spreads, glossing over the leather.

The self-pity doesn't last long as her own brand of rage develops. The brunette's pupils dilate in an instant. Her eyes shoot up and around to the devil incarnate smiling wholeheartedly at her from afar. Her sight becomes blinded by the red of the flames igniting within her eyes.

"You fucking bitch!" Jade yells, rushing at Zoé who leans stolidly against the bookcase with her legs and arms crossed as if she had been patiently waiting for something. The smug grin on her face doesn't make her appear any more innocent.

"You did this on fucking purpose! Y-You took advantage of me!" The redhead barely flinches as the brunette rushes over to her, enclosing her hands around her throat. Jade applies a gradual pressure against Zoé's trachea using the crevice between her thumb and pointer finger. Her usually soft, doe eyes hold a sinister glare, calculatedly observing the redhead as she struggles to breathe.

Zoé only shows conflict through her wheezing and the stammering of her mouth as her body naturally pleads for more air. Even with that, Zoé doesn't appear too frightened by the possibility of her breath being taken away.

The force and violence she sees in Jade right now cause something in her to twitch. She'd never seen this side of the brunette before... and she kind of likes it.

Jade proceeds to slam Zoé's body up against the bookcase, glaring deeply into her dead blue eyes with so much resentment and disgust.

"I'll never fucking like you. I h-hate you," Jade seethes. "I never wanted you and I'll never come back to you. Get that through your thick fucking skull! I'm with Kinsey, I-I... I love her." The brunette's voice cracks at the spoken confession, feeling the words rock her core. Her heart quite literally skips a beat.

Jade suddenly releases her grip on Zoé's neck, causing the redhead to cough relentlessly as she stumbles forward.

If the choking didn't shock her, Jade's confession most definitely did. How can she say that? Zoé thinks, utterly bewildered by what Jade thinks she and the blonde has.

Her whole reason for coming to this lame party in the next town over was to convince Jade that what they used to have was real. To persuade the brunette into giving them another chance. To show Jade that she, herself, missed what they had, despite their ups and downs.

Jade starts up again as she revels in Zoé's struggle to find a steady breathing pace again. "At this point, I don't give a fuck what you do. You've already fucked up a lot for me. You are a monster that sucks the life out of everyone you fucking touch! You're pure evil and every second that I spent with you was hell. You treated me like shit and I let you get away with it because... I was lonely, because no one else wanted me. I- I just can't," Jade exasperates, losing her breath as the words that have been sitting on her chest for so long have been uttered. Every word that comes out, lifts a pound off of her chest.

There is so much more to say, but thinking of all that she's been through, not only with Zoé but in the course of her life has her feeling sobs ready to erupt from within.

"I'm sorry," Jade apologizes, not to Zoé, but herself.

Zoé knits her brows at Jade, watching the girl's eyes fill with tears. A part of her heart twitches at the sight. She'd never seen Jade cry this much, not even when she'd been bullied relentlessly when they were younger. No amount of teasing and shoves into a locker had made Jade express this much.

"Jade, it's okay," Zoe consoles, moving forward towards Jade while keeping a hand on her throat to soothe her own pain from Jade's grip. Her brows knit in concern. She finds unfamiliarity in her own sentimental tone.

"Touch me and you die," Jade forewarns, wiping away her tears with her fingers just so she can see clearly again. Her fingers aren't enough for the number of tears so she uses the larger surface area of her forearm to help.

Zoé scoffs, "She can't really mean that much to you. You've only known her for a couple of months." The redhead wrings her lips together, utterly confused by the feelings that Jade seems to be going through. She'd never seen someone express so much emotion in her life. Not even her parents.

It's kind of pathetic really.

"Shut up!" Jade hollers, feeling frustrated by the sounds of Zoe's gratingly annoying voice. The alcohol in her system is most definitely not helping with her agitation.

"I-I have to g-go find her." Jade raises her head, quickly starting for the door. Kinsey matters more than punching the redhead square in her nose.

That day will surely come.

"Jade," Zoé calls out with her voice almost echoing from the increasing distance between them, "Tell James that I said thanks for setting up our little reunion."

Jade halts at the door, refusing to turn back to Zoé but itching in feverish frustration at the revelation. Her jaw clenches as the image of the boy and his fake smile play back in her mind. Motherfucker.

Jade knew that it had to be too good to be true. Why would anyone be that kind to her in real life? Jade knows that the brunet will get his own exclusive punch to the face soon enough too.

Her brain can no longer take this much overload anymore. At this rate, she'll drown beneath the pressure of it all. Although she's curious about how the two came into contact, she decides it's better to deal with James later.

Her feet scurry across the hallway out into the main living area where the remains of the party are present as many have left or have decided to stick around and crash here for the night. A few make themselves comfortable on the couches that were pushed off to the sides of the room.

"Kins! Kins, please!" Jade pleads, catching sight of the blonde as she exits the front door.

The blonde continues, ignoring Jade's obnoxiously loud pleas. The brunette sprints toward the door, only seeing Kinsey at this moment. Her body moves faster than her mind as she mindlessly follows Kinsey straight out of the door.

"Kins, babe please!" Her body is immediately shocked by the chilly weather outside but she ignores it, eyes shakily searching for her girlfriend in the darkness. She tightly crosses her arms, tucking her hands in her armpits to warm herself in her search.

"Quit your fucking yammering," Kinsey snaps, turning her body around to face Jade. The slightly taller girl stands a few feet away with a scowl decorating her face.

Jade breaths heavily, un-crossing her arms. "I-I'm sorry. You shouldn't have seen that."

Kinsey scrunches her brows together, her mouth dropping open in the process. "Yeah, maybe next time I won't make my presence known so you can keep doing what you're doing." Kinsey throws her hands in the air to emphasize the ridiculousness of the statement.

"No, that's not what I meant." Jade shuts her eyes to initiate thinking to find the best way to articulate her messy thoughts. Between plotting her revenge on Zoé and James and trying to mentally sober up, Jade finds it difficult to think logically about her words.

"You don't care about me as much as you do her. Just admit it." Kinsey shrugs her shoulders.

"That's absolutely not the case! I fucking hate her! You know what she did to me," Jade lowers her tone, still tormented by the dark past she shared with Kinsey.

"Then, how are you kissing her back after what she did? Does that make any sense?" Kinsey squints, tapping her temple with her fingers. The blonde wants to be understanding right now, but it's so damn hard. The images of Jade half-naked flash in her mind. How could she be okay with kissing back the girl who did that to her?

"I didn't kiss her," Jade mumbles, confused by what actually happened in there. Everything happened so fast that she can't be sure if she pulled Zoé in or not. Her drunkenness is becoming more apparent as she fails at retrieving her memory from a few minutes ago.

"You held onto her as if your orgasm depended on it," Kinsey snarks. "I'm not a fucking idiot."

Jade rolls her eyes at the exaggeration Kinsey added, "I- I just don't know how to explain it."

"Then don't."

"Stop being like that, Kins. I care about you, a lot. I like you very much and I can't imagine being with anyone else. It's all you, baby." Jade stretches out her arms to the blonde.

"Is that what you told her?" Kinsey crosses her arms, allowing her jealous tone to come out entirely.

"For fucksake, yes... wait no, I told her that you are who I care about. I kissed her back for a little, maybe, but it's complicated. She was my first, and I am drunk out of my mind."

"You seemed pretty sober when you got caught. It just doesn't make sense. I-I thought I could be enough for you..." Kinsey stops, tightening her lips together to fight the second uncontrollable phase of tears. She'd never felt so inadequate before, not even after being told that she couldn't play at Nationals.

The imagery of Jade and Zoé forced all logic from Kinsey's thought process. It hurt her more to see them together because their relationship with one another had always made her feel insecure. Kinsey hates to admit it, but her feelings for Jade made her question everything about herself.

No matter how much confidence Kinsey has, Jade is her kryptonite. Even though Jade makes her feel alive, Jade also makes her question everything she does because the blonde wants to live up to the person that Jade decided to date. The girl she only 'likes' a lot.

But Kinsey had been okay with that.

"Kins, please stop this," Jade begs on the verge of tears. She can feel herself already being pushed away by the blonde's insecurities. The thought of being completely cut off from Kinsey genuinely terrifies her. The fear is enough to have her begging like a child. Tears erupting again.

Kinsey knits her brows at the brunette, pressing her tongue against her cheek as she fights the guilt she feels at Jade's pain. The sight of Jade like this nearly sends Kinsey into a frenzy. No matter how angry she is, she can't find it in herself to purposely want to hurt Jade, especially after all that she's been through recently. But, the blonde is hurt and the only thing she wants to do is escape for her own good. Some will say, it's growth since Kinsey had only known aggressive outbursts to be the best way to deal with her issues. But that goes to show how fucking in love she is and it pisses her off.

This hurts for sure, but she knows that losing Jade would hurt even more.

Jade cautiously steps closer to Kinsey, eyes locking with hers. Kinsey shifts a little but remains still as her craving for the brunette consumes her. She doesn't know what is happening but her body just wants to be close. Jade's eyes flutter from Kinsey's eyes to her lips, moving forward to plant a gentle kiss on them. The blonde refuses to kiss back, turning her head to the side as her reflexes kick in.

Jade stumbles forward as her lips grace Kinsey's wet, tear-stained cheek.

"I'm not gonna be your sloppy seconds." Kinsey powerlessly stares down Jade, her penetrating blue eyes finally looking at Jade again instead of through her.

"You um... You need a ride home?" A strained cough disrupts the dramatic scene.

The deep, feathery voice belonging to Alexander provides comfort amidst the tension. His voice demolishes the barrier between Jade and Kinsey and the rest of the world. The pair look around as if they had just been transported back to reality. Kinsey gazes up at the stilled starry night above them while Jade stares at one of her best friends with wide eyes.

The boy stands by his car, holding Lucia up as the alcohol refuses to wear off completely. Her newly dyed hair sways all over since her entire body is pacified at this point. The alcohol has placed her into a state of uncontrollable slumber that leaves her limbs weak in Alexander's hold.

Alexander had gotten to the party pretty late but ended up spending most of his time there taking hits outside with his dealer. Initially, he wanted Antonio to join him at the party but the player had an exam to study for, so Alexander ended up finding a way to make the time pass. All Alexander had witnessed between that pair is how far apart they're standing. A couple of feet apart.

Jade stammers, "Oh, um I think I'll catch an Uber a bit later." The heat of Kinsey's gaze in her peripheral encourages her to maintain her vision on her best friend in the beige hooded denim jacket with coffee brown slacks. He raises a brow in confusion as Lucia stumbles in his arms.

"I-uh... I think Lucia needs one though? I'll give her mom a head's up so she can expect you," Jade offers, wanting to just be alone with Kinsey right now so that they can talk.

"Yeah, um that's fine. I'll just let Janine know that Lucia's back before I leave." Lucia stumbles again, causing Alexander to nearly trip backward.

He knows her name? Did he know about Lucia's mom before me?

Jade nods despite the random thought.

"Part of me doesn't wanna ask, but... is everything alright between you two?" Alexander inquires, holding onto the unexpectedly heavy Lucia for dear life. At this moment, it's obvious that he is trying to make sure both of his best friends are safe before the night ends. Luckily, he hadn't taken too many hits so he is the soberest out of the three of them.

He waits patiently for Jade's answer despite Lucia falling apart in his arms like melting ice cream. Alexander looks down to lift Lucia again, missing Jade opening her mouth to speak.

"Yeah, we're good!" Kinsey responds instead, eyes avoiding Alexander as if she hadn't spoken up for the both of them. She stuffs her hands into the deep pockets of the jeans as she finds difficulty in swallowing her own spit. Her eyes waver around, catching the starry night above them.

Jade disappointedly shuts her eyes for a second and nods in agreement at Alexander. She smiles at him despondently.

"Okay, come on Luc. Get in the car," Alexander sighs as he assists a drunken Lucia into his car.

The girls look over warily, awkward twitching in their body movements, watching in silence as Alexander pathetically guides Lucia into the backseat. It would be the kind thing to offer the guy some help but even though they appear to be present, they're not. They're in their own bubbles, contemplating.

"Let's go," Kinsey dryly demands as Alexander drives away, waving at Jade. The blonde uncrosses her arms not worried about the weed that Alexander promised to get her. Even though she thinks she'll need it, especially after a night like this, she doesn't ponder on it for too long. She makes her way to the driver's side of her car which was parked over in the grass. Kinsey plops in the car seat with the weight of the night weighing her down.

Jade nods silently, swallowing her spit as a way to quench her drying throat.

Jade pauses for a moment, staring at the passenger door handle. One can call Jade spoiled since she expected the blonde to offer to open the door since she had passed by the passenger's side. Kinsey often would, on more than one occasion, offer to do that for Jade.

The brunette accepts the blonde's actions for a moment before she decides to move. Jade's movements are slow as the alcohol resists leaving her bloodstream. Even though the situation may have sobered her up a little bit, Jade is closer to the drunken mess end of the spectrum.

Kinsey's dull eyes watch Jade struggle to get into the car. She doesn't make a move to help the brunette but instead starts up the engine with her key.

It doesn't take long for the engine to get warmed up since Kinsey hadn't been inside the house long enough.

She silently pulls the shift in reverse, creeping back out of the driveway, carefully avoiding the array of cars parked every which way around the house. All that while enduring the silent tension brewing in the car. The shared air seems so thick and throat-constricting that it scares both girls into silence.

"They don't know how to park for shit," Jade monotonously jokes, slightly smirking as she glances over at the blonde methodically driving on the main road. Her smirk drops immediately once there appears to be no sign of relief in Kinsey's features.

Her sharp eyes bore into the rearview mirror. Her jaw tightens as her teeth clench. She tries to hold back all that she wants to say, a feat that has always been difficult for Kinsey Scott.

Luckily, the blonde cares about hurting Jade even more. She thinks it would be better if she didn't share everything that she is thinking about.

All Kinsey knows is that she is hurt. It hurts on a completely different plane because she doesn't just like Jade. I love you, idiot.

I trusted you with my heart and you know how hard that is for me.

The pair maintain silence as they continue down the road ahead. Jade steals a few obvious glances over at Kinsey while Kinsey fights the yearning inside of her to reach over and grab Jade's thigh, hand, or whatever. The blonde desperately wants to feel her girlfriend's warmth but the heat of anger is more inviting, familiar almost.

"Can you please speak to me?" Jade bursts the bubble of silence with a weak voice. Her beady eyes shamelessly look over in Kinsey's direction with no restriction.

Kinsey feels the heat of the gaze on her face. The blonde chooses to lick her lips and fidget in her seat instead of looking at Jade. It's a dangerous game indeed. If she dares to look into those eyes she won't be able to stand her ground.

"I fucking hate her. You know that" Jade continues, "She cornered me in there an-and it was terrifying," Jade's voice cracks as the moment replays. As she sobers, she can piece together more of that mentally debilitating scene. Dialogue and Zoé's movements play as fragments in Jade's mind.

Despite that, Jade persists, "That girl scares the shit out of me. She scares me so much that I felt like I had to become the old, submissive version of myself in order to survive. The Jade who gives into Zoé every time but also craves that attention."

Pathetic. That's how Jade views herself. For that to be her excuse, it troubles her deeply. She isn't supposed to allow her abuser to have this much control over her, especially when it's obvious that all that Zoé does is absolutely wrong.

Her eyes wander off to the trees and power lines through the window. "I know it's pathetic to feel that way. I'm an idiot for believing that she could hurt me at a party with all those people, but it felt possible at that moment. I-It felt so real." Jade drops her head, gazing at her fingers twitching in her lap.

Once she laid her eyes on those dead blue rocks, she immediately sensed danger. Instinctively her body knew that Zoé's presence was a walking red flag.

Kinsey notices Jade's drifting focus, glancing down at her lap. The sight tears Kinsey apart, reminding the blonde of herself. She bites the inside of her bottom lip as she reaches her free arm over the console to hold onto both of Jade's hands to stop them from trembling so much.

The subtle touch ignites Kinsey's soul, allowing the blonde to heavily sigh as if she was holding in her breath the entire time. Part of her feels right at this moment, but part of her still feels off. The sparks are there but they don't shine as bright as they usually do.

Jade melts in Kinsey's warm grip. She hadn't realized that her fingers were so cold until Kinsey's hands had met hers.

"I can't lie to you," Jade musters, lifting her head to look over at Kinsey. "I kissed her back because her lips felt so familiar. I've been through a lot of shit with her, Kins. And I- I just missed how they felt," Jade's lips tighten as her big eyes hesitatingly gaze in Kinsey's direction, observing the tightness developing in her jaw.

Kinsey loosens her grip on Jade's hand but doesn't completely remove her hand. Jade investigates Kinsey's every move, hoping that she won't be shut out for being honest.

The blonde presses her tongue against her cheek, visibly annoyed by the thought of Zoé in general.

If I hadn't lost my fucking mind over this girl next to me, I would've almost killed the conniving redhead bitch.

Jade's willful expression dies down as Kinsey removes her hand from her lap. The action leaves the brunette briefly speechless. 

"Cut it out," Jade mutters as her eyes wander to the center console where Kinsey's free arm resides.

"What was that?" Kinsey asks sharply.

Jade picks her head up steadily, "I said to fucking cut it out. You know that it wasn't my fault, she came onto me first. I don't know why it seems like you're forgetting that part."

Kinsey snaps her head over as she makes a harsh right turn onto some random street, "Yeah, it's pretty hard to believe when I saw you pull her in like some starved fucking..." Kinsey stops herself as her voice rises to a level she's never reached before.

"A fucking what? A whore? A slut? A bitch? Come on, Kins. Finish," Jade encourages with spite in her tone.

Kinsey sighs as the heat rises within her cheeks. She didn't mean to go off like that. "No, I wouldn't say that." The blonde adopts a low tone now, realizing that this bickering isn't getting them anywhere.

Jade crosses her arms and rolls her eyes, "I wouldn't be surprised if you did. I'm sure most people think that way about me by now." Jade's strong tone weakens as her eyes drop to the floor of the car, gazing at her boots in a stupor.

It's only a matter of time before people figure out it's me in those pictures.

Kinsey's sympathetic eyes dart over at Jade appearing so lost in her own shoes. "Hey, I didn't mean it like that at all," Kinsey dictates with a gentle exhale and shaking eyes.

"I know."

Neither of the girls says anything for the rest of the drive to Jade's house. They nonverbally agree that speaking isn't their best choice at the moment.

_______

"And she ended up kissing me and I kind of kissed her back for like a millisecond." Jade grimaces at the memory.

"Ah, shit."

"Ah, sugar cookies."

The best friends respond in unison as Jade explains what exactly happened at the party about three days ago. Today marks Monday, the start of the week for many but not for those who had decided to continue partying the entire weekend, even after the party on Friday night.

Partying as high schoolers usually doesn't mean much but it's just one additional thing to do here in Kingsman Bounty.

Lucia runs her hand back through her straight rainbow-colored hair, a nervous tick that shows when the girl is genuinely uncomfortable.

"Babes, I don't even know what to say. I don't blame you at all because you were drunk, but I do know that if I saw Antonio do the same thing, it wouldn't be easy for me to forgive and forget," Alexander reasons, sending Jade an empathetic gaze as he leans his shoulder against someone's locker.

Jade sighs, shoving the door of her locker shut. She turns around to face Lucia and Alexander.

"I don't know why my drunk ass didn't just lie?" Jade huffs, pouting as she knits her brows.

"Drunk Jade doesn't lie," Lucia inputs.

Alexander nods gingerly, "You don't remember this, but during the party, you found me for a sec and told me that my breathe reeked from the weed and suggested that I down some mouthwash in the bathroom before heading over to see Tony." Alexander's brows raise at Jade.

Jade's face morphs into horror. "No fucking way." The brunette covers her mouth with her hand to mask her shock.

"Mhmm," Alexander nods. "And I was more offended by the fact that you assumed I would whore out and see Tony after the party. By the way, I plead the fifth on any questions about whether I did that or not after dropping Lucia home." Alexander's eyes suspiciously waver around.

Jade lightly laughs at his goofiness.

"You told me that my armpits stank while we were on the dance floor," Lucia adds with a slight smirk.

The smirk dissipates from Jade's face,
"What the fuck?" Jade ponders on why she had to be so mean and blunt when she was drunk. Maybe being drunk truly gave Jade the superpower of saying everything on her mind? "I'm so sorry for that guys. That's so fucked of me, my bad."

Jade tries to remember when she said all of those things, but she can't seem to think when she catches a glimpse of someone. Someone blonde, of average height, and pretty darn gorgeous.

Kinsey strolls down the hallway with her entourage. The hallway filled with students part at her entrance. Jade watches in excruciatingly slow motion as the girl with the most electrifying blue eyes walks past her without sparing a glance.

Kinsey knows exactly where Jade's locker is. In her routine strut down the hall in the mornings, Kinsey passes by her girlfriend's locker to grace her with a 'good morning' kiss. Today, Kinsey graces her with nothing.

Kinsey simply walks by, smiling her ass off with James at her side as she ignores the brunette desperately eyeing her.

Jade feels the embarrassment devour her body from head to toe. Her feet implant into the ground, leaving her helplessly staring at her girlfriend like a spectator.

_________<~>_________

We okay? I promise it'll get better from here on lol.

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Thoughts on Kinsey's feelings about this whole debacle? Would love to read differing perspectives on this!

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I will see y'all in the next update. Don't forget to comment and vote! If you'd like to give me a follow, I wouldn't mind it. ❤️