Outliers

Chapter 15: Jennifer

Jennifer's POV:

Jennifer felt Adam slip his warm hand into her left one; since she was right handed. The sudden motion made her face flush, the warmth tracing hot fingers on her cheeks; it had only been days since Adam asked her out. What was she supposed to say? 'Sorry, no. I have no eligible reason why either. You're actually really cute and sweet, but I'm still saying no just because.'

It wasn't peer pressure, at the least. But what was showing through to be peer pressure, was how everyone was always suffocating Jennifer. Lately she hasn't been able to get a moment to herself, at school nor home.

If she was at home, painting, her phone buzzed in her pocket 24/7. Most often it was Bridget or Adam, each wanting her to feel like she was loved among the "group". Jennifer must admit one thing... She never pictured herself with the super cute, super sweet Adam; she never thought of being Bridget's best friend; and most of all, never imagined that she'd leave Austin behind.

It wasn't totally her fault, though. When Adam and Jennifer first began to hang out a lot, Jennifer was trying to squeeze "Austin time" into everything. Nobody seemed to approve.

-

"Hey Austin!" Jennifer remembers calling him out in the middle of the hall. "Hey, Austin, slow down." Panting, Jennifer finally caught his shoulder and he turned to her.

"Oh hi, Jenny," Austin spoke. Jennifer winced at the pet name, but shrugged it off as Austin kept talking. "I haven't seen you in a while, where've you gone?"

"Nowhere much -" Jennifer tried to lie, her lips pressed in a tight line. But a loud voice cut her off.

"Hey Jenni-poo! Get over here," Tristen's annoying voice sneered, but Adam elbowed him in the ribs and Tristen scoffed. "Hey man, I was playin' around. Chill."

"Come hang with me, Jenny." Adam shouted, yet still seemed quieter than Tristen had. The fact that Adam wanted to hang out with Jennifer and tell it to the public made another blush creep into her cheeks; flaring them up.

Jennifer gave Austin an apologetic glance, with a sorry smile before running to Adam. The last thing she heard from Austin's lips was inaudible from where she was, and if he spoke softly it must not have been too important.

"'The hell you hanging with him for? You're chilling with us now!" Tristen elbowed Jennifer in the ribs, and gave her a signature smirk, causing Jennifer to roll her eyes. Although she was having fun with these two guys, she couldn't help catch Austin's fallen, heart-broken face as she turned the corner and his face faded from her peripheral view.

-

Jennifer looked down at her free, right hand; she was trying to make herself look bored, examining her gnawed fingernails. Adam seemed to notice her distance and tried to look in her eyes, but to no avail. They were sitting at lunch, at a lunch table, but no food sat in front of any of them.

Jennifer had noticed this on more than one occasion, that none of the girls - Simone, Bridget, and Chantal - ever ate lunch when the guys were around. It made Jennifer grimace at how they tried to get the guys' attention.

But the days when all the guys were out of sight, or went elsewhere, the three of them pigged out like it was the only meal they'd had all day... And it probably was.

Adam gave Jennifer's hand a reassurring squeeze, continuing to acknowledge her silence and trying to get her to talk. Jennifer finally looked up; her head snapped up, and her gaze flickered around the table. No one else seemed to notice her rigid, foreign motions, until her gaze met Adam's worried expression.

"Are you okay?" Adam asked, and Jennifer nodded, although she wasn't. It wasn't really an easy concept to explain. Was she supposed to go off on Adam, about how the group was so shallow and dim, how she wanted them all to stop being such bullies, and that she should be able to hang out with Austin, too?

Or would Adam just fire back with how they were actually really nice, just for letting a dyslexic hang out with them in the first place? All of this uncertainty was making Jennifer's head hurt, and she grimaced.

"No, you're not okay." Adam noted, and Jennifer wanted to spit in his face: Well, thank you, Captain Obvious! Instead, Jennifer settled for a bitter eyeroll; but to make sure he didn't take too much offense to it, she gave a light, false laugh.

"Okay, I'm not." Jennifer admitted, giving a tired smirk. Adam raised his eyebrows, signalling for her to give more detail. So Jennifer did, in a whisper. "I don't know, but to me you guys seem mean and really awful. You all are always making comments and condescending on other people. And whenever I try to hang out with other kids, it's like they're never good enough in your eyes."

Jennifer dettached her hand from Adam's grip, and avoided her gaze, unsure of his reaction. Adam picked her hand back up, sending tingles up her arm. Jennifer glanced at the other kids, and noticed that no one else noticed. She guessed it was good, because right now she was spitting words that seemed to drip in hate. Adam cleared his throat, and by instincts she snapped her attent gaze back to Adam's dark eyes.

"Hey, it's okay," Adam whispered, looking around in case someone might pick up on his conversation. "I think the same thing, a lot more than you would think. I guess they can be cruel sometimes... But it's one of those things where... they do something nice or... cool, you forgive them. Sometimes, I think that I'll leave 'em, because they're so hypocritical. But, I never do because then I think, who will I have left after that?"

"Well, now you would have me?" Jennifer tried to state, but it came out as a question. Adam nodded at that, like it was a new discovery. The words that Adma spoke still proccessed in Jennifer's mind, and she continued. "And tell me about being hypocritical," Her voice grew louder, unconscious that the others - Simone, Bridget, Chantal, Isaac, and Tristen - could, very well, hear her. "Bridget can't even afford anything anymore, yet she comes and waltzes in here like she can afford to own the place; yelling with snippy little words at the kids with grimy clothes, making fun of them."

Silence trailed her words, leaving a loud echo across the entire room. Jennifer must've spoken loudly, and Bridget was staring at her with dark blue, watery eyes. Jennifer had no more words, her lips opening and closing like a lost fish.

Bridget rose from her seat quickly, and dashed out of the room. Anyone who blinked, or turned their heads too late, would've missed it. Jennifer tried to get up and follow, but Simone and Tristen had beaten her to it, and Adam had yanked Jennifer by the hand, back down to her seat.

Jennifer plopped back down into her seat, and cupped her face into her hands before sobbing.

What did she do?

----------------------------------------------------

A/N:

So sorry, for the long wait. But I went on a school trip for half a week, and before that I had writer's block. So, enough for that.

ALSO! I am very glad to say thanks to 2 new followers. I'm not sure if you guys are reading this book or the other, so imma be thank you both in both books. but I was dancing when I saw that I had them. :) Thank you so much, you guys! These kind of people are who make my day, and I wanted to acknowledge them. SO, here's to you, "Alexiluvsroses" and "happycoocoo".

AND, go read "Wonderlust" by happycoocoo. although it IS an ed sheeran/1D/gossip-girl-actors fan fic, it's REALLY good. Good grammar and everything! Originally, I am NOT a 1D person. Can't stand 'em. Hatethemhatethemhatethemhatethem. Gahhhhhh. Really, I cant. But I was bored, and no one was updating the books i was following so i picked it up. Couldn't put it down. haha. so yeah.

That's all for now, my lovely dovely'ss. until next time, vote, comment, follow, share it with your pet rock. I bet he'd want to read this! Andd read Wonderlust (; xx <'33