𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐆𝐄, jay kelso

chapter 13 • cycle of pretending that their love ended the next day

it was like deciding who's side she was on.

gwen followed after leia, as usual.

cherry adjusted her lipgloss in the mirror, trying to ignore everything that had happened.

"i'm on your side." ozzie whispered.

cherry laughed.

"me too." nikki said.

"i'm on your side because she's on your side." nate looked at his girlfriend. "and because it's messed up."

cherry smiled at the group of people.

"oh, i gotta take off." nikki glanced over the time on her phone. "i'm meeting my sat tutor in 20 minutes."

"but you're already so smart! you helped me escape from that trampoline." nate reminded.

"babe, i need to ace the sats, get into a good college, cure a disease, and have my face on a stamp so my enemies can lick it." nikki said, and kissed her boyfriends cheek.

she walked out the back door.

nate leaned against the couch's arm rest.

"she's spending a lot of time with that tutor guy." nate said, worried.

"let's jump him." cherry suggested.

"is someone feeling jealous?" ozzie questioned.

"no, i am! and i do think we should jump him! i mean, she's with this guy all the time. do you guys think i have anything to worry about?" nate asked.

"i think you should go find the tutor and fucking murder him so he doesn't get in the way of your relationship!" cherry said, slightly projecting.

she zoned out for the next few minutes.

maybe she wasn't ready to hangout with her friends just yet.

maybe tomorrow.

she could spend the day being angry, and return fresh the next day.

"i'm gonna go." cherry said.

she walked up the stairs, and entered the kitchen.

leia, gwen, jay, and for some reason, gwen's mother were having a conversation.

"hi." gwen greeted.

"hey." cherry said.

jay walked into the house.

"i missed you so much." jay said, wrapping his arms around her.

"missed you too." leia said, with a smile.

cherry gagged. "corny ass motherfuckers."

"what, did he just get back from iraq, or something?" gwen's mom questioned.

"they've been apart for one day. her grandpa banned him from the house." gwen explained.

'thank fucking god. i love leia's grandpa.' cherry thought.

cherry began to text her chauffeur.

"sounds like reds being a hard ass like my dad. he never believed in me. sometimes i wonder if that might've screwed me up." gwen's mother wondered.

"no!" gwen said sarcastically.

"that's nice, hon, but i really think he did. the point is, adults should be more understanding, you know? i mean, just throwing rules out at kids is not the answer."

"so you'll sign off on me getting a tattoo?"

"sorry, lady. i'm fine with you making mistakes, but not permanent ones. tattoos, babies, and duis, the unholy trinity."