So Bittersweet By Our Design

Alex's POV:

I stood against a wall outside of Dulaney, waiting for Jade to exit the school. I was going to apologize to her and hopefully she would listen. Kids in school exited and stared me like I was insane for standing there. Through a group of freshman girls, batting their eyelashes at me, I saw Jade quickly paced around them.

I ignored the girls batting their eyelashes at me and took off in a sprint for Jade. "Jade!" I called her name. She stopped and turned, looking at me sadly. Her eyes were swollen from crying and her eye makeup was smeared. I felt terrible, but I approached her anyway. She turned her back on me again and started to run away and I followed. "Jade! I'm sorry!"

That was enough to get her to stop. She turned back, giving me the same sad look. "Really?"

"Yes, I'm terrible sorry, Jade." I apologized. "I didn't mean to. It just came out all wrong. I really didn't mean to upset you."

"I know." she nodded. "It's not your fault. Hey, Alex?"

"Yeah?"

"Can we go somewhere and talk? I really don't want to go home until after five." she said, her voice getting quieter at the end of the sentence.

I nodded and took the opportunity to get inside her head. "Yeah, lets go somewhere." I walked next to her, placing my hand on her shoulder.

We stayed silent and walked down an old dirt path behind our school. We came to an abandoned bridge and she froze, giving me an unsure look. "Sorry, I've had a bad memory here." she said, walking to the edge of the bridge. She looked over the edge at the rushing water underneath it before setting down, letting her legs dangle over the edge. I studied her for a moment and sat down next to her, doing the same.

"What's up?"

"I've been thinking about it all day today and I think you deserve an explanation."

"Of what?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Of me." she sighed. "I don't know how to start though."

"Start from the beginning." I laughed. "Simple things."

"Like little things to help build it up?"

"If you think it'll help me understand more, go for it."

"Well, my name is Makayla Tyler Jade Everett." she let out a tiny giggle. "I'm known as Jade because my mom screwed up my enrollment form when I moved here in the fifth grade."

"Makayla. I like it. It's pretty." I smiled, seeing a tiny smile appear on her lips too.

"Thank you. I was born December fourteen of the year 1988-"

"You're fucking kidding me right?"

"What? No?"

"We share a birthday." I laughed.

"Oh!" she laughed along with me. "My parents split when I was fourteen. My real dad is living in Seattle with my step-mom Laura. I'm not allowed to speak with them because of my step-dad's controlling habits. I'm lucky to even get to talk to them on Christmas and my birthday. Mike is really mean. I'm not joking you." she said, looking down at the running water below us.

"Is he the one who did this?" I asked her, reaching for her purple wrist.

She nodded and shut her eyes. Her bottom lip quivered and she turned her head away so I couldn't see her tears. "He abuses me all the time. For every little thing I do, I get hit. My mom doesn't know either. I won't say or do anything because I want her to be happy. And apparently, he happens to be what makes her happy."

"Jade, I'm so sorry."

"That's why I was running away the other night. She hadn't came home from work yet so he took advantage of it and pushed me into a wall. I got hit in the face with a book and I fell.. Then he kicked me in the ribs a couple times. Once he was done, I hid out in my room and packed my bag up and after they went to sleep finally, I ran out. Then I got hit and luckily you were there, or I would've died a painful death. I wouldn't of minded dying, but I didn't want to go that way."

"Jade, don't say that please." I laced my fingers through hers. "Look, I know you go through a lot, but I don't want to hear you talk about dying. It kills me."

"And that's where you'll never understand, Alex."

"I'm perfectly capable of understanding this, Jade." I shook my head. I sighed and reached for the sleeve of my hoodie, yanking it up to the middle of my forearm. I pulled off bracelets and exposed the scars over my wrist. "Look, Jade. I do understand what it's like."

"Oh crap, Alex I'm so sorry." she apologized, covering her face with her hands.

"It's alright. I used to say the same thing every time. I wanted to die too. It killed me then to think about it, and it kills me now. It definitely kills me to see someone so genuine like you go through this."

"How'd you stop?"

"I found a distraction." I answered calmly. "I started a band with my friends. Afterwards, I was always thinking of the music and not my terrible problems."

"I suck at singing though." she sighed.

"Just because you can't sing doesn't mean you can't play an instrument." I laughed. "You should try."

"Try what?"

"Find your distraction and quit. I promise I'm here with you every step of the way, Jade." I stuck my pinky out.

"Again with the fourth grade stuff?" she let out a giggle as she wrapped her tiny pinky around mine. "Thank you so much, Alex."

"You're welcome. Can I hug you to seal the deal?"

She nodded and scooted closer to me. She wrapped her tiny arms around my waist and wrapped her fingers into my hoodie. I gave her a gentle squeeze and held her in my embrace for a moment. "You're warm." she said, still holding onto me.

"I take it you're cold?" I laughed.

"Yes, but I don't want to go home."

"Well there's a lot more to talk about." I said, pulling us to our backs.