2 STRINGS

Breaking Point

Thursday, November 14

Last night was hell. I cried so much my pillow was still damp when I woke up. My head throbbed, my eyes were swollen to slits, and honestly, I looked like absolute shit. But life doesn't pause for breakdowns, so I dragged myself out of bed, threw on the first semi-clean outfit I could find, and stumbled downstairs to face another day.

Greg and Kooty were already at the table, scarfing down breakfast like they were competing for a medal.

"You look like you got hit by a truck," Greg said around a mouthful of cereal.

"Shut up," I muttered, collapsing into my chair.

"Jamie, eat your eggs," my mom said sharply, giving me a look that said don't push me today.

"I'm eating," I grumbled, stabbing at the eggs halfheartedly with my fork.

Kooty, being the nosy little brother he is, leaned over and squinted at me. "You sure? You look like you cried all night."

"Enough," my dad said, his voice low and commanding. He didn't even look up from his coffee, but Kooty immediately backed off.

"Okay, okay," Kooty muttered, stuffing a piece of toast in his mouth.

The rest of breakfast passed in awkward silence, with my parents exchanging those annoying we're worried about you but don't want to make it worse looks. I didn't give them the chance to ask any questions. The second my plate was clear, I grabbed my bag and bolted out the door.

By the time I got to school, I was barely holding it together. Melody found me at my locker, her face immediately softening when she saw mine.

"What happened?" she asked, her voice quiet but full of concern.

I sighed, slamming my locker shut. "Xolo was kissing Bianca Torres. Bianca fucking Torres, Mel. And he ghosted me. I haven't heard shit from him since that bullshit 'I'll talk to you soon' text he sent me." My voice cracked as I tried to laugh it off. "She's so pretty. How the hell am I supposed to compete with her? It's not like we were even together, but still..."

Melody frowned, her brows knitting together. "That's messed up. What the hell is wrong with him? I thought he liked you!"

I shrugged, trying to act like I didn't care even though my heart felt like it was splitting in two. "I don't know, and honestly, I don't care anymore," I lied, my voice brittle. "He doesn't owe me anything, right?"

"Bullshit," Melody said, pulling me into a tight hug. "He does owe you. At the very least, some respect. And for the record, Bianca Torres isn't half as interesting as you. She's boring as hell. Don't let this ruin your day, okay?"

I nodded against her shoulder, not trusting myself to speak. For a moment, I thought I could get through the day without breaking.

And then lunchtime came.

Jessica strutted up to our table like she owned the place, her smirk already grating on my last nerve.

"Jamie," she started, her voice oozing fake sweetness. "I saw Xolo on TV last night. He looked... cozy. Guess you couldn't keep him interested, huh?"

My stomach twisted, but I kept my face blank. "We weren't together," I said flatly, taking a sip of my drink.

"Obviously," Jessica said with a laugh. "You can't even get a man, let alone keep one. It's kind of sad, really."

My blood boiled. I clenched my fists under the table, my nails digging into my palms as I tried to stay calm. But then I heard myself say, "Maybe I'd have better luck if I wasn't busy keeping your boyfriend from staring at me all the time."

Jessica's smirk vanished. "What the fuck did you just say?"

"You heard me," I said, leaning back and crossing my arms.

Her slap came out of nowhere, snapping my head to the side. For a moment, the cafeteria went dead silent. Then something in me snapped.

I launched myself at her, grabbing a fistful of her hair. She screamed, clawing at me, but I didn't care. All I could think about was shutting her up.

"Jamie, stop! No, wait—beat her ass!" Melody's voice barely registered as teachers rushed in, pulling us apart.

The principal's office was tense. Jessica sat across from me, her hair a mess and her face red. For a second, I thought I was screwed. But then one of the witnesses, a quiet girl from math class named Riley, spoke up.

"She slapped Jamie first," Riley said, her voice calm but firm. "I saw the whole thing."

I blinked at her in surprise. Riley and I had barely spoken before, but she'd just saved my ass.

Jessica turned redder, sputtering excuses that no one cared to hear. I walked out without a suspension, but I knew this wasn't over.

Coach didn't waste any time punishing me.

"You want to fight, Jamie?" she barked. "Fine. Run laps. The whole practice. Maybe that'll burn off some of that anger."

By the time Greg picked me up after school, my legs felt like jelly, and I was barely holding back tears.

"You wanna tell me what's wrong, or should I just guess?" he asked after a few minutes of silence.

I broke. Tears poured down my face as I told him everything, from Xolo to Jessica to the fight.

"Jamie, come on," he said, pulling the car over. "Fuck Xolo. And fuck Jessica. You're better than this, you hear me?"

I sniffled, wiping my nose on my sleeve. "It's not just them. It's everything. School, soccer, life... I'm just so fucking tired."

Greg sighed, resting a hand on my shoulder. "You're stronger than you think, Jamie. Don't let these assholes win. They're not worth it."

When we got home, things got worse.

"We don't raise fighters in this house," my dad snapped when I told them what happened.

"She slapped me first!" I shot back, my voice breaking.

That gave them pause. After I explained everything, their anger shifted.

"We're calling her parents," my mom said, her eyes blazing.

"Wait," I said, panic rising in my chest. "Her dad is your friend. I don't want to ruin anything."

"I don't care," my dad said firmly. "This is about you, my little girl, not him. And if he's anything like I think he is, he wouldn't let this interfere with our relationship."

Dinner was tense. Greg and Kooty kept throwing me glances, but I ignored them, barely touching my food. When I finally escaped to my room, I collapsed onto my bed and stared at my phone, willing it to buzz.

Nothing.

"Screw you, Xolo," I whispered, tears slipping down my cheeks. But deep down, I knew the truth. If he called, I'd answer in a heartbeat.