Love on the Brain

“I can’t believe you went to that concert,” Olivia hissed through half-greeted teeth, as the two girls made their way out of the hallway, her cousin pressing her English-book close to her chest.

“Oli, you’re overreacting,” Jade sighed, her fingers playing with the ends of her brown locks, meanwhile she clasped her other fingers around the strap of her leather bag.

“I’m not! They’re all gross and not good for you, J. You gotta stop hanging out with those rats,” Olivia all but demanded, before she went to fish for her phone that she had abandoned inside her purse.

“I know what I’m doing and who I’m hanging out with,” Jade insured her cousin. “They’re not who you think they are,” she went on.

“Honey, I know exactly who they are,” Olivia protested. “I just don’t want you to show up in fishnets and too much eyeliner,” the girl wrapped her arm around the brunette, glancing over at her cousin.

“Look, I haven’t changed at all after that night,” the brunette responded, as she stopped and looked at her cousin with her eyebrows high on her forehead.

Olivia rolled her eyes before she crossed her arms. “It doesn’t happen over night, darling,” she argued. «And that skirt is kinda one step,” she added, pointing at Jade’s black denim skirt.

This time it was Jade’s turn to roll her eyes, as she watched her cousin try to catch up with Sierra and Tracey, leaving the brunette behind.

Jade shook her head. Olivia had been hanging over her shoulder ever since she confessed that she joined Michelle last Friday. Her cousin hadn’t let her out of her sight since the confession, and Jade was beyond tired of it by now.

As the brunette was about to continue to walk down the stairs, the sound of a dark chuckle stopped her.

“Your cousin is such a bitch,” Brian sniggered from behind, as he had been leaned up against the wall with a cigarette tangled between his fingers.

Jade turned around and looked at the dark-haired boy who looked as though he had listened to their conversation.

“You don’t know her,” the brunette retorted dryly, while she watched how Brian pushed himself off the wall and walked towards her.

“She doesn’t know me either, but that doesn’t stop her from bitching,” he shrugged back.

Jade sighed, before she looked down at her phone, her eyes scrolling over the clock.

“What do you want?” she half-scolded at him as he companied her down the stairs.

Brian soon stumped on what was left of his cigarette. His dark orbs looked over at Jade, embracing the sight of her brown-red woven top that exposed the upper parts of her tan back. His eyes then followed her black denim skirt that stopped halfway down her thighs and the black leather tassels she was wearing along with the skirt.

“Hello?” she snatched her fingers in front of his face, snapping him out of his thoughts.

“I was just giving you some company. You know, being nice. You should try it once,” Brian suggested, a shit-eating grin decorating his thin lips.

“You’re not really good at it,” Jade responded, as she avoided the way Brian rolled his eyes at her.

“How’s Michelle?” Brian asked, burying his hand inside the pocket of his torn jeans.

“I haven’t spoken to her all day, but maybe you can ask her yourself? You guys seemed to get along well,” the brunette half-spat back at him.

Brian sniggered, as he instantly knew what she was referring to. “Is that jealousy I hear?” he grinned.

Jade’s eyebrows climbed high on her forehead as she looked at him. “Because you got to dance with Michelle? Yeah, she’s a great person,”

“She’s cool,” Brian agreed.

“But?” Jade grimaced, as she burned her gaze into his face, waiting for whatever was to come.

“There’s no buts. Why do you care so much?” he sniggered back, the same shit-eating grin curving his lips.

“Because she’s my friend and she’s such a great girl,” Jade responded. “Way too good for someone like you,” she added.

“And what’s someone like me, Miss know-it-all?” Brian asked, looking genuinely interested, as he crossed his arms over his broad chest.

Jade looked back into his dark eyes that were being framed by the dark eyeliner he had drawn close to his waterline.

“Someone who cheats on his girlfriend,” Jade responded, deadly honest.

Brian pressed his upper lip against his bottom, drumming his thumb against his jeans, before he cleared his throat.

“Why do you care?” Brian cocked his eyebrows at the brunette. “I mean, it doesn’t involve you,” he added.

“But you’re getting my friend into your mess,” Jade pointed out.

“You don’t have anything to do with my relationship with Maddie,” Brian argued.

“The same goes for Michelle,” said the girl, before she cleared her throat.

An awkward pause fell over them, as the two teenagers had stopped, their gaze avoiding one another.

“Have you ever been in a relationship?” he asked.

Brian slowly turned his gaze up to her face, his eyes taking in the sight of her dark eyes and her rich glossy lips.

“Yeah,” Jade lied, not even blinking as she moved her gaze from his face.

“Can’t believe a guy would put up with you,” Brian shrugged, just as Jade smacked his shoulder.

“Don’t be rude,” she hissed.

Brian chuckled at her reaction. The way her eyes narrowed every time he joked with her made his throat tickle with the urge to laugh. She was so ridiculously easy to tease, and the way she reacted every time made it impossible to stop joking with her.

Just as he was about to open his mouth, someone called out for Jade, gaining their attention, as the two of them turned around and noticed Michelle who was stalking towards them.

“And Brian,” Michelle said, her face revealing how taken aback she was by the sight of seeing the two of them together. “What are you guys doing together?” the words escaped her lips.

“Oh, I was just-” as Brian tried to voice his words Jade decided to cut him off.

“Leaving,” she finished the sentence for him, her eyes meeting his in one brief second, as the dark-haired boy nodded.

“What was that about?” Michelle asked, her elbow poking Jade’s ribcage.

“Nothing, really,” the brunette insured her friend. “We just bumped into each other,”

“And started talking?” Michelle cocked her eyebrows.

“Kinda,” Jade admitted.

“Cosy,” Michelle smirked.

“Stop it,” Jade demanded. “We’re not friends,” she insured her.

“Sure thing,” the blonde said, as the sarcasm was dripping from her words. “I believe you,” she giggled.

“Michelle, seriously!” Jade protested.

“I just think it’s funny,” Michelle began. “I mean, you guys actually go along so well, yet you’re both too stubborn to admit that you could be friends,”

“We could not be friends,” the brunette claimed.

“Of course you could! Just give it some time,” the blonde girl said. “Which reminds me,” she started.

“What now? Another crazy concert? Another wild afterparty loaded with booze and pot?” Jade guessed.

“Not exactly! But there’s a beach party coming up by the end of the week,” Michelle said. “Val and the boys are going, and she invited us,”

“A beach party?” Jade repeated.

“Yeah. People are gonna bring food and something to drink,”

“And you want me to come?” Jade asked, trying to catch up with whatever Michelle was getting at.

“It would be so much fun! I mean, Johnny’s gonna be there and the guys think you’re so cool!” Michelle insisted.

“The guys? You mean everyone except for Brian, right?” the brunette narrowed her eyes.

“Anyway,” Michelle ignored her question. “Come on. You had fun last week, you even said it yourself!” her friend begged.

“I’ll think about it,” Jade said.

“I can’t wait!” Michelle squealed, bringing her arms around her friend.

“Hey! I didn’t say I’m coming!” the other girl reminded her friend.