Gym Class

Chapter 13

9 days until the move.  I had spent most of my time driving between Jaime, Olivia and Jess's houses.  They were the only ones I really wanted to see.

I had told Jess about moving when I dropped her off at her house on the way back from the cottage. She cried a lot when I told her. It took 15 minutes for me to calm her down and talk to her about everything.

I had felt horrible knowing I hurt her like that and had spent the next 3 days in bed. Gabe finally pulled me out of my sadness and got me happy again.

Now I was getting ready for Jaime's house. Dylan and her parents had left to go visit her aunt. I had met Jaime's Aunt Margaret one time and that was enough for me. She was the most horrible woman I had ever met. Almost every word that came out of her mouth was a racist or homophobic slur and when she wasn't hating on those people, she was hating on women and how they dress now.

"You're part of the problem." She had told me when I met her last year. "You're one of the ones that dress like a slut for attention. No self respect whatsoever."

I had been wearing a see-through tank top with faded blue short shorts. Jaime had just opened her pool for the summer so I wore my bathing suit under. Aunt Margaret just yelled at me, calling me a "whore" and a "slut" the entire day.

Jaime and her aunt Margaret despised each other. They could not be in the same room without fighting so Jaime stayed home. She decided that tonight she would invite a bunch of people over and we'd have a 'going away bonfire' for me.

Ashley drove me over once I was ready. I got the same greeting as always once I knocked on the door. King would bark loudly as Jaime pulled me into a tight hug, Moony would be wagging his tail excitedly and licking me and Padfoot would be trying to crawl up into my arms despite how big he was.

People started showing up around 8:00. I walked around in Jaime's backyard hugging people I knew. I was sitting around a small table on Jaime's patio with Ryder, A.J., Lucas and a boy from my old school named Nick. I was on top of sprawled across Lucas's lap, laughing at A.J.'s jokes, when Jess showed up.

"Hey babe!" I laughed and pulled her in for a kiss.

"Hi." She smiled back at me sweetly and grabbed a chair.

We sat and talked for a long time.  A bunch of people kept coming up to me and hugging me.  When Olivia showed up Jess excused herself and went off to the bathroom.

Olivia and I talked and laughed as we told old stories and reminisced on times we had together.

"Tess!" Jess's voice called out happily from behind me.  I turned to see a tall girl with white skin and long black hair hanging off my girlfriend's arm.

"Who's this, babe?" I asked, standing up and moving over to her.  I had to admit, this girl was gorgeous and I was extremely jealous of her.

"This is my friend Marley!" Jess beamed.  "We were best friends in grade 8.  She's coming to our school for grade 10!"

"Friends with benefits if that's what you mean." Marley laughed and lightly hit Jess in the side.  I stood there and cocked my head slightly to one side.

"Oh Jess didn't tell you?" Marley laughed as she covered her mouth as if she had let out a secret.

"What is there for Jess to tell me?" I asked Marley while I stared at Jess.  Jess shrugged nonchalantly while Marley said, "We used to date."

"Y-you um, used to date?" I asked.  Something inside me just seemed to deflate.  Jess hadn't really talked about her past but I always figured I was her first girlfriend.