Breaking Her Rules

Chapter 15

*

Apparently Jake has started avoiding Ainsley around school. Although Ainsley is kind and pretty, she can be dependent and needy. I can see how that would turn him off. At the same time, I think Jake is an absolute asshole for treating Ainsley the way he is. Jake is treating Ainsley the same way Toby is treating Scarlet. Toby and Jake don't really want to be with their respective girlfriends, but they're too scared to end it. Toby can dangle Scarlet as long as he wants, but there's no way I'm letting Ainsley be played by Jake. So at lunchtime I walk across the school to the shady area behind L block, where the Landor senior boys sit.

When I approach the table I see Toby stir and almost stand up, as if he knows I'm coming to talk to him. I ignore Toby and his pretty eyes and say to Jake, 'Can I talk to you?'

'Uh, sure,' Jake says, evidently confused.

Jake and I walk around the corner away from his group and sit down on a low brick wall. I contemplate how to talk to him. I do want to get his version of events, just in case Ainsley has exaggerated how much Jake has been neglecting her.

'So what's happening with you and Ainsley?' I ask him finally.

'Excuse me?' he says.

I shrug. 'How are you two?'

'We're fine, not that it's any of your business.'

I frown. 'Do you still like her, Jake?'

'Of course,' he says defiantly. 'She's my girlfriend. I haven't done anything wrong.'

'She's worried you're not interested anymore,' I say. 'It seems like you've grown bored of her.'

Jake raises his eyebrows but doesn't say anything.

'If you don't like her, and you're still going out with her as if you do like her then you're doing something wrong. I'm not saying you should break up with her. I'm saying you should try harder to be a better boyfriend, because she deserves that. She's not going to sit around with a fake boyfriend who doesn't even care about her when she could find someone better.'

Jake seems to ponder this for a second. I stand up, ready to leave. He stands up too and says, 'Em, can I say something?'

'Sure,' I say.

'First of all,' he says, and it's like he's looking for the words. 'You're a meddling bitch, do you know that? My relationship with Ainsley is absolutely none of your business. If I wanted your advice on how to treat your stupid little friend, I'd ask it. Second of all, you told Watson that Taylor is cheating on him? That's low, Em, even for you. Taylor is one of my best friends and you don't think I'd defend her on this? I don't care that you're Ainsley's best friend. Taylor has not been cheating on Watson and you're a bitch for telling Watson she has. Taylor has been nothing but nice to you, but you're so selfish and jealous you'll make up anything to break two happy people apart. And who are you to throw stones when you've been fucking Toby behind Scarlet's back? And then telling him he's the one with issues? You're a bitch AND a slut. Focus on your own life, Em. When you've got that sorted, then you can start judging everyone else.'

I have nothing to say, so I just spin around and walk back towards the table of Landor boys.

'Thanks for telling your mates about us, genius,' I tell Toby, loudly. The boys stare at me. 'I guess if you've told your mates about us then I'm allowed to tell mine? Gee, I hope it doesn't get back to your girlfriend!'

'Fucking hell, Jake,' I hear Toby say as I walk off. 'Are you kidding me?'

'That girl is a bitch, Toby,' I hear Jake say. 'She's already spread rumours about Taylor cheating. Trust me, no one is going to believe her about you.'

I grit my teeth. Good, so now everyone hates me. That just makes everything so much easier. For a second, I have this urgent and overwhelming desire to set fire to the school and run.

Jake dumps Ainsley with a single text message. I hear this news not from Ainsley, but from Julian, who is standing in my bedroom, arms crossed.

'So understandably, Ains is really upset, dude,' he says.

'What a joke,' I say. 'I talked to Jake, I told him if he was gonna keep playing Ainsley he had me to answer to. Then he called me a manipulative bitch. Fucking hell.'

'Em,' Julian warns. 'You can't just meddle in shit! Ainsley is so upset; and she refuses to talk to you so she's talking to me about it! She just wouldn't stop sobbing and I have never seen her like this, it's fucked. I'm not equipped to deal with this shit. Why did you think you could just go and talk to Jake like this? She didn't ask you to. You did it behind her back.'

'She didn't ask me to because she wouldn't!' I say. 'I know Ainsley! She'll sit in an uncomfortable situation because she's too scared to fight for change. If I hadn't done anything she would just keep hoping Jake still likes her, and when he did eventually dump her she'd be just as upset!'

'Ah dude come on, she's not upset about Jake, she's upset about you! I don't know what's gotten into you lately. Listen, I'm not going to say whether what you said about Taylor is right or wrong, but it seems pretty suspicious, and I don't blame Watson for not believing you. And now this? How is Ainsley going to get over this? You're her best friend and you went behind her back and meddled in her relationship and made her boyfriend dump her. She's not going to forgive you easily.'

'I didn't meddle! I was looking out for her!'

There's a knock on the door, but before I respond Dan walks into the room. 'Em, is everything alright?' he says.

'Dan, tell your sister she's a fucking idiot.'

'Jules!' I say. 'I have done nothing wrong!'

'What did you do, Em?' Dan asks me. He's just had a shower so his curly hair is damp and clinging to his neck and face. He's wearing a band t-shirt, as always, and he has his arms crossed over his chest, with his first tattoo just peeking out beneath his sleeve.

'Ainsley told me Jake has been treating her like shit, so I talked to him, and then he dumped her,' I say miserably, imploring Dan to understand my point of view.

'Meddling, Em?' Dan says.

'I just told him he should either make a change in the way he treated her or stop being cowardly,' I say.

'That's a bit cruel to Ains.'

'How is it cruel?' I cry. 'I'm looking out for her. It's better they break up now than after a few months of pretending. She'd be even more hurt then.'

'Bloody hell, bro,' Julian says. 'You don't get to make that decision.'

'Well what can I do?' I say. 'Jake dumped her. She'll get over it.'

Julian sighs. 'Yeah, she'll be fine. But she might find it difficult to trust you again, Em. This isn't just her high school boyfriend dumping her. This is her best friend hurting her. Look, I've got to go home. I've got a big art project to work on and I really don't have time to be Ainsley's counsel. So please try to make things right with her.'

Julian walks out, and Dan sits down with me on the bed.

'I thought I was looking out for Ains,' I say, deflated.

'Em, has everything been alright with you recently?' he asks. 'I heard you and Watson are having some trouble. I know you're probably doing it tough.'

'Yeah,' I say. 'I don't care about Watson. He chose his girlfriend over his best friend. That's not the kind of guy I want as my best friend.'

'Em,' Dan warns. 'Watson is your best friend. You're not going to lose a best friend over some stupid fight. Not again. Who's going to be there for you this time, if you don't have Ainsley and you don't have Watson?'

I feel like screaming. 'Dan,' I say, with as much calm as I can muster. 'Can you please just leave me alone for a bit?'

I lie down, staring up at the ceiling, frustrated.