𝓦𝒶𝓇𝓈𝒶𝓌 || 𝐅𝐞𝐳

VII

I met Jade on accident.

"Ow- what the fuck?!"

Literally.

"I'm so sorry!"

"Damn! What the hell was that?!" Jade was sprawled on the floor after slamming into Rue, groaning and pushing up on her hands. "You good?"

"Am I good? I just ran into with this huge ass history book!" Rue scrambled to stand and help her up, Jade waving her off.

"Let me sit here a moment." She mumbled. Rue looked her over, taking in the light sweat and pale skin. "Fuck, man. Today is not my day."

"Are you sick?"

"It's just my period." Jade pushed herself to stand, turning to make sure she didn't bleed on the floor before grabbing hold of Rue's shoulder when she almost fell again. "Sorry, but I'm gonna go puke in the bathroom."

She doesn't know why, but she followed after her. Rue set her things down and held her hair up for her as Jade retched and vomited into the toilet, her body jerking as she did. Her skin was cold and sweaty, still pale as she huffed for breath.

"Go to class, kid." She rasped out, batting Rue's hands away from her. "Don't get in trouble for me."

"I thought you'd be meaner." Rue simply said, Jade side eyeing her. "You're Jade, right? The one who's always fighting with that guy?"

"....yeah."

"I'm Ruby, but you can call me Rue."

"Well, Rue, I'm fine." Jade sat back on her heels, digging in her bag for her water to rinse out her mouth. "I've got everything I need in here."

"And I'm already late for class." Rue shrugged, sitting crisscross and playing with her hands. "I might as well stay."

"You're just as stubborn as O'Neil." Jade distastefully said, fishing out her pain and nausea pills.

"Is he your boyfriend?"

"Do you want to die?"

Jade said I was an annoying fly that wouldn't leave her alone. Not that she'd have it any other way, especially since she needed someone to actually call a friend.

"Jade!" Rue was dragging Lexi behind her, Jade looking up with a sigh. "Come on!"

"I'm comin, I'm comin."

I had to learn how her relationship with Fez worked. At first, I-like a lot of people-thought they absolutely hated each other.

"Shut the fuck up!"

"You shut the fuck up, big head." Fez mumbled, nailing her in the head with a hard candy. Jade threw her book at him. "Leave my store, young man."

"Kiss my ass, young lady."

Over time I learned that not only did they not hate each other's guts, they were really protective of each other.

"BOP! Get him again, O'Neil!" Jade was cheering Fez on as he kicked some guy's ass for her and Rue, the younger girl watching in shock as Fez knocked the guy out. "ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR! FIVE! SIX! SEVEN! EIGHT! NINE! TEN! WINNER!"

"You aight, Rue?" Fez ignored Jade when she walked by and took videos, checking on the shaken girl.

"Yeah."

And because I was a really good friend, they were protective of me too.

"Come over here, I don't want you seein that shit." Fez led Rue away from the scene, Jade dragging this girl around and kicking her face in angrily. Why?