She's the Girl Next Door

Chapter Four

Jen was driving to school with her neighbour in the passenger seat, she started to think about what her friends would say about her arriving to school with a 'geek'. Jen started to slow the car down and flashed Matt a look, he understood and got out of the car. Jen felt really bad but she couldn't handle being made fun of.

As soon as Jen got out of the car her boyfriend Owen came walking towards her
And kissed her but Jen didn't respond
"What's wrong baby"
"Nothing I'm just ... don't worry about it" Jen replied

Jen was worrying though, worrying about the person she was becoming, the person she swore she wouldn't be but was to scared to change herself. Jen walked to class and sat down, to the right of her was Matt, she started to check him out a little. He was good looking there's no denying that, she just didn't understand why he wasn't popular.

During lunch Jen sat down with Stacy and Owen, they seemed a lot more closer than they were before but Jen didn't think anything of it, she was grateful that her best friend and her boyfriend were getting along.

A week had passed of Jen driving Matt to school everyday. They hadn't said one word to each other the entire time, he would get in the car and they wouldn't say a word to each other, not even a hello. The next Monday Jen planned to at least say hi to Matt, which she hadn't done since the first ride to school.
"Hey Matt" Jen greeted as he got in the car
"Uh...uh..hi" Matt stuttered.
That was all they said to each other that day, at least it was something Jen kept telling herself.

Jen couldn't find Stacy or Owen in the morning but met up with them during lunch break with the rest of their group. Stacy was rambling on about something and everyone was listening apart from Jen, she looked at all her friends and started to feel a pit in her stomach, she really didn't want to be there with any of them her boyfriend and best friend included. Jen excused her self and ran into the bathroom and she started to cry. She didn't belong anywhere, there was no one she felt safe and loved with,
not with her mum, boyfriend or any of her friends. Jen wanted to be somewhere else she just wasn't sure where. Someone knocked on the bathroom stall
"Are you okay" the girl asked
"I don't think so" Jen replied as her voice cracked
"I'm here if you want to talk" the girl comforted
With that sentence all of Jen's feelings just came rushing out, she told the girl about her dad and how hard it was when he died, whether she really loved her mum or not which Jen realised was a horrible thing to think. Jen talked about Owen and how she was scared that after they had sex he was going to leave her because he got what he wanted and how Stacy never really understood her and never really seem to enjoy being with Jen.

The two girls were silent for a little bit
"I'm sorry, I'd don't even know you name" Jen noted
"My names Aubrey and I'm guessing you're Jen Cooper huh"

Jen finally walked out of the bathroom stall and standing in front of her was a girl with red hair and glasses, she was very pretty. Jen vaguely recognised her but this was the first time they had ever spoken.

"You won't tell anyone right, I just bore my soul to you"
"I won't, don't worry" Aubrey promised
"Well if we're doing the whole confession thing, I guess there's some stuff I could contribute to the whole 'baring of soul' conversation" Aubrey continued on.

Aubrey vented about her friends, her boyfriend. She said it's hard because she feels like she's third wheeling with two best friends so when she feels uncomfortable she hangs out with her boyfriend Liam but his friends Matt and Ben never really warmed up to her.

"Are you talking about Matt Carter" Jen asked
"Yeah I am, he's always so awkward around me but I try my best to be nice"
"He's sort of my neighbour, and I kind of started driving him to school"
"Oh yeah I heard about that, Ben and Liam always tease him about you"
"Why would they tease him about me" Jen pondered

Before Aubrey could answer the bell went,
"I'm I'll see you later, thank you for listening to me, sometimes it feels like no one ever does" Jen said with a sad smile
"Hey we can walk to calculus together if you want, I mean you don't have to. Just a suggestion" Aubrey hesitated
"Of course we can, I just didn't realise you were in my class"

The two girls started walking to class only to be stopped by Stacy
"Girl where have you been you missed out on so much gossip, there is a chance that Todd slept with Ms Sullivan you know the calculus teacher"
" huh, I actually have her calc right now" noted
" uh huh right, so who who's this" Stacy asked while pointing at Aubrey
"She's in my class, we kind of met in the bathroom" Jen answered
"Um okay, by Jen" Stacy said with a sour look on her face.

The girls arrived in class and Aubrey sat next to her boyfriend Liam and Jen sat next to one her 'friends' at the back of the class. Jen was happy her day started off terrible but she made a new friend and even though Aubrey wasn't the most popular Jen really liked her, and that's when she realised why does it matter if people see her rock up to school with Matt Carter everyday it's her life, screw everyone else's opinion.

The next day Jen was driving Matt and they passed the spot where he normally get's off,
"Don't you want me to uh" Matt hesitated
Jen didn't say anything she just kept driving, she pulled up in the student car park and both her and Matt got out and a few people started to stare.

Stacy came rushing up to Jen
"Ew why are you riding with this loser I mean what has gotten into you lately first that weird girl you were walking to class with and now this, I mean come on Jen".