Jameson saw Scarlett and Matt fighting and went over to make sure everything was okay.
"What's going on over here?" Jameson asked with a worried look on his face.
Scarlett just kept staring at Matt with tears starting to fill her eyes and what hurt more was the fact that Matt didn't seem to care.
"Ready to go to work, Scar?" Jameson asked.
"Actually, I'm not feeling good. Could you drop me off at home please?" Scarlett asked with a defeated look on her face.
Jameson could tell something was off and nodded. The two walked back to Jameson's car and he knew better than to ask her what was wrong. The car ride to her house was silent, except for Scarlett's silent crying and sniffling every now and then. When Jameson pulled up to Scarlett's house, he said,
"If you need anything let me know. I hope you feel better," with a kind smile. She just nodded and got out of the car and walked to the house, intent on running to her room to really let it out.
Amelia was home from work early that day and she was in the kitchen unloading the dishwasher. She heard the door open and walked over to see Scarlett just as she closed the front door.
"Aren't you supposed to be at work?" Amelia asked with a raised eyebrow.
Scarlett turned around with a red nose and puffy eyes. It was clear she had been crying.
"Are you okay?" Amelia asked as her face fell into a concerned mom look.
Scarlett just sniffled a little and felt her body start to shake.
"What's wrong?" Amelia asked as she tilted her head a little.
Once she saw Scarlett start to shake she walked closer. Scarlett instantly leaned into her mom for support. Shocked at first, Amelia furrowed her brow but then gave in and just hugged her daughter who clearly needed it.
Once Scarlett calmed down a little she pulled back and said,
"Matt ditched me for Alexa and Kayla at lunch and they were all shit talking me."
"Matt, the boy who was here like a week ago?" Amelia wanted to clarify.
Scarlett sniffled and nodded as she wiped away her tears even though they kept falling.
"Isn't he one of your best friends?" Amelia asked as she too wiped away one of her daughter's tears.
"Not anymore," Scarlett muttered.
"Did something happen?" Amelia wanted to know as she refocused on her daughter's eyes that seemed to get more blue the more she cried.
"He told me he liked me but I don't like him like that so he got angry," Scarlett explained as she furrowed her brow.
"Ahh gotcha," Amelia said with a slight nod of her head.
"Alexa also told him about Noah, so he probably really hates me now. He said that he knew he wasn't my type because I dated people like Noah," Scarlett went on to say.
Amelia still didn't know the whole story with Noah, but she knew it was the wrong time to ask.
"I'm sorry," Amelia said and pulled Scarlett in for another hug. This time Scarlett didn't pull away.
"High school is hard," Amelia told her.
"But you, my dear, are strong and you'll get through it. Friends come and go," she added.
"I know, but this really sucks right now," Scarlett told her.
Amelia kissed her head and then pulled back and said,
"If he was willing to believe those girls over you, he didn't deserve you. He wasn't a true friend and it's better you see that sooner than later."
For that last week of school before break, Scarlett had been having a really hard time. Everyday she'd see Matt with Kayla and Alexa and they made sure to make their presence noticed. In class they would move to sit near each other and make it obvious about who and what they were talking about. They'd make plans in front of Scarlett and never think to include her. It made her feel like shit and the worse part was that everyone knew Scarlett and Matt were close and now they were never together so people would ask Scarlett what happened and all she would say is that she didn't know.
Luckily winter break rolled around but Scarlett was so stuck in her head that she didn't even enjoy the snow and festivities and everyone in her household could tell something was different. Amelia told her sisters about what happened with Matt and everything with Alexa and Kayla and what she knew about Noah.
On Christmas, Scarlett was distracted enough to enjoy the day with her family, but as soon as she woke up the next day her heart sunk when she read the text from her friend Jessica.
You slept with your teacher at your old school?
Was the text message.
Scarlett instantly called Jessica and demanded to know who told her that.
"It was posted on the anonymous confessions page on Instagram," Jessica told her.
Scarlett hung up and then knew what she needed to do. Her whole body went numb and into auto pilot. She sent one more text message, got dressed and then went downstairs. She only knew of one way to deal with her negative emotions and it was to not feel them. Bad habits are hard to drop and Scarlett had yet to learn good healthy coping styles.
"Where are you going?" Amelia asked from the kitchen as she watched Scarlett grab her coat and head for the door. Scarlett looked to her mom and almost put her coat down but she didn't and instead she said,
"I'm going to meet a friend for breakfast."
"Which friend?" Amelia asked innocently.
"Just Jessica and Victoria from school," Scarlett told her.
Amelia remember those names and said,
"Were having a brunch here, you could invite them over."
Scarlett just froze so Amelia shrugged it off and said,
"Never mind, maybe another time."
Scarlett nodded and then scurried out the door. She felt the cold air hit her face and instantly closed her eyes to take it in. Then she walked a while down the street and got an uber to the park. There she waited for another car.
A nice BMW pulled up and Scarlett got in. The driver looked over at her with a smile as he said,
"Long time no see."
"It's good to see you too, Jack," Scarlett said as she matched his smile.
The two headed back to his place since his parent were out. They have been friends for a while and Scarlett trusted him. They went up to his room and he pulled out a joint.
"You sure you just want to smoke?" he asked.
"Yeah at least for now. Any chance I could get some pills for later though?"
she asked.
He nodded and went through his drawers, pulled out a bottle and tossed it to her.
"How much?" she asked.
"Don't worry about it," he told her with a smile. He knew she had been having a rough time lately.
"Thanks," she said with a small smile.
Jack lit the joint and after taking a hit he passed it to Scarlett.
"So, what is this whole thing about Noah?" he asked.
Jack went to a different school from her but news like that travels fast.
"He was a student teacher so he was only twenty-one," Scarlett said in defense as she exhaled and hit Jack with a cloud of smoke.
"But still, you were his student," Jack commented.
"He took advantage of me," Scarlett told him as she passed him the joint.
"What happened?" he asked before inhaling.
"He was only there for the second semester and we got really close and then one thing led to another. I was going through a hard time. My dad had recently gotten remarried and I felt invisible in my house," Scarlett explained as she thought about her past. Jack then handed her the joint and she took a hit and passed it back before continuing the story.
"Noah made me feel seen and he listened to me and was there for me. Over time though he kind of manipulated me and the whole situation and it got way out of hand. It's part of why my family moved to Seattle to get away from him and everything that happened there. My dad thought a fresh start would help me with my... problems," Scarlett added but she broke eye contact and just stared at her lap, ashamed and embarrassed.
Jack was silent and kind of shocked. He took a hit and handed it back to Scarlett. She did the same and handed it back.
"Noah was perfect until he wasn't. He threatened to tell the school I came on to him if I told anyone and that it was my reputation on the line and that no one would believe me if I told them the truth," she added as she looked up into Jack's eyes.
"And what exactly is the truth?" Jack wanted to know as he let out a cloud of smoke aimed towards the window.
Scarlett took a second and then said,
"He abused me. Emotionally, mentally, and physically. I remember there was a time where he'd force me to sleep with him even when I didn't want to. But I felt obligated to and I was honestly scared of what would happen if I didn't do what he said."
"I'm sorry that happened to you, Scar. That guy is the scum of the earth," Jack said to her sincerely. She looked at him and gave him a small smile as if to say, no worries.
"I'm sorry for over sharing, you didn't need to hear all that," she apologized.
"You don't need to apologize and I'm always here to listen if you need me," he offered.
She decided on changing the subject by saying,
"Enough talking, pass it over."
They finished smoking, had some snacks and then Jack dropped Scarlett off at home.
High as a kite, Scarlett walked in and went straight to the bathroom. Amelia didn't even have a chance to ask her how breakfast went. She barely caught a glimpse of the girl. Scarlett showered quickly and then went to her room to change. She didn't need the stench of weed on her. Luckily, Zola wasn't in their room so Scarlett was free to do as she pleased.
Scarlett got a text from another person at her school about Noah and it really sent her over the edge. It made her paranoid that everyone knew and the weed sure wasn't helping. In order to get out of her head, her grand idea was to get higher. Scarlett pulled out her pills and crushed up some and snorted them. Once she finished she laid down in bed but then felt her heart slow down and she felt her breathing getting harder. Eventually, she passed out.
Everyone else was still in the kitchen cleaning up their brunch from that morning and Amelia said to Zola,
"Can you got tell Scarlett we're going to go sledding and ask her if she wants to join us?"
Zola nodded happily and skipped away to her room.
When she opened the door and saw Scarlett on her bed she assumed she was asleep.
"Scarlett, wake up," the girl said and went to shake her cousin. Scarlett did not budge or open her eyes. Zola then narrowed her eyes after a few failed attempts to wake up her older cousin and focused on Scarlett's chest, which wasn't moving up and down like it does when she breathes.
"Scarlett?" Zola asked with a scared voice. She then put her head up to her cousins chest to listen for a heartbeat and when she didn't find one her eyes widened and she ran down the stairs to tell her mom and aunts.