Departure ↠ Argent [3]

02. Hard Luck

"Guess who is no longer the crazy one," Lydia remarks as we push open the doors to Beacon Hills High, the four of us grimacing at her.

Stiles scoffs. "We aren't crazy."

"I might have almost killed Allison and I this morning, but what he said...we're not crazy," I fade out, remembering how real that image had felt this morning. Hell, I thought I was reliving it again. It felt like I was actually there.

"Sleep paralysis, hallucinations, and loss of remembrance to the present sound totally normal," Lydia says, turning around to stare at the four of us. We all stare at our feet, knowing that she was right.

Scott sighs. "We're just suffering side effects from dying."

"Either way, you guys need to be careful," Allison says, her doe eyes scanning everyone in our little group. "Keep an eye on one another, okay?"

We all nod our heads. I had a terrible feeling in my gut that something worse was bound to happen sometime, so keeping an eye on one another wouldn't be all that bad. I was just worried that I would forget where I was again and see something like what I did this morning and get someone or myself seriously hurt. I wouldn't even know what I was doing.

I look up then from Allison and see Jade walk around the corner, surprising me that she was even here at school. "Uh, I'll be right back guys. See you in class."

They all mumble under their breaths that they'll see me later before I'm walking away from Allison's side to go talk to Jade. It's been awhile since I've seen her last. I mean, the last time I really talked to her was that night she killed Jennifer. She kind of went into hiding after that.

I speed walk before I turn the corner, seeing her standing there at a locker, shoving her new supplies into it. She hasn't changed much over the past few weeks; I mean, her hair was a little bit longer and she had a long look on her face, but that was just Jade. She doesn't notice me at first, but then she shuts her locker door and looks over at me, the look on her face telling me that she wasn't prepared to see me today.

"Hey," I call across the hall as I walk over to her, stopping in front of her locker. "I didn't think you would still go to school here."

"I've got to finish high school one way or another," she says while picking at the chipped black nail polish on her nails.

I noticed her odd behavior, but I wasn't going to say anything about it. "What have you been up to these past few weeks? You kind of disappeared."

She looks up at me, making eye contact. "Just figuring things out. I moved in with Ethan and Aiden a little while ago, but who knows how long that's going to last."

I started to comment on what she just told me, but then her eyes trailed to the floor, and I knew that she wasn't done talking yet. There was something on her mind that she had to say.

"Corey, look, I'm sorry for disappearing like that these past few weeks, which I'm sure you didn't even notice, but I am sorry. I should have been here for you after Jennifer did that to you..." she pauses for a moment, a look of hurt and anger washing across her face before it was gone. "But I had to figure things out. I'm different now...at least, I hope I am."

I wasn't sure how to take what she just said. "I noticed, Jade. You deserved a few weeks away. You went through a lot."

"How are you and Allison?" she asks suddenly, taking me off guard a little.

Something in her tone reminded of how she used to always talk about Caitlin. "We're good actually. I mean, we're still alive." I laugh until I realize that she wasn't laughing.