POV: Jade
"Surprise! And Hello!" I say into the camera.
We decided to stream after all. Skylar wanted to and she also said it could distract people and keep our family from asking prying questions.
I ended up wearing a big baggy shirt over my swimsuit, it's the inner thigh hickeys that I can do nothing about. We just have to cross our fingers no one notices or says anything on that one.
I have my hair pulled up and big chunky sunglasses on.
"Okay, today Skylar and I are floating the river with our friends and family. Meet Mackenzie, my annoying cousin," I introduce her.
"More like you annoy me," Kenzie says.
"Hey, I'm the narrator here," I say.
"Skylar! Put more sunblock on, you know you get like a lobster!" Skylar's mom chases her down with sunblock.
"That lovely woman chasing my best friend is Skylar's mom." I aim the camera at her.
"Mom!" Skylar complains.
I giggle and zoom in.
'Hi mom!'
'Lol love her mom'
'Hi! Glad you guys are back already!'
"You already know our wonderful Heiress friend, Aphrodite," I turn the camera.
She flips her hair.
"Stop rubbing in how pretty you are," I quickly shift the camera over to Aunty struggling to get in a tube.
She screams as she falls into the cold water.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the woman who raised me. My Aunt."
"Don't film that!" she calls.
I giggle and move the camera.
'I can see the family resemblance (laughing emoji)'
'I love this lol'
"My other best friend, who loves to hate me and my cousin's wife. Darleen Grayson folks," I introduce her as she puts a life jacket on Sprinkle.
"And my little dog Sprinkle too," Darleen says.
I zoom up on Sprinkle.
'not to be dramatic but I would die for Sprinkle'
'So cute!'
'I want a Sprinkle!'
"Smile Sprinkle, the people love you," I say.
"Don't exploit my dog," Kenzie says.
"No fun," I move the camera.
"Everyone remembers Skylar's sister, Oli."
"The one and only," She bows.
"Shut up," Skylar shoves her into the water.
"Skylar!" Oli screams in protest.
Skylar laughs.
"Sisters... got to love 'em," I say.
"Will you put that thing down and help your old man out," Dad says to me as he struggles to tie up the tubes.
"My dad ladies and gentlemen," I zoom up on him.
"And her mother," Mom poses.
"Oh god, abort mission," I quickly pan away.
'Iconic (laughing emoji)'
'Like mother like daughter'
'Go help your dad!'
"I'm where she gets her good looks!" Mom calls.
"God so embarrassing," I grumble before locking onto Uncle.
He's struggling to read the ingredients on the face sunblock.
"And the embarrassment continues," I zoom up on his face. He has three white lines of sunblock on his face. "Meet the man that raised me, my uncle."
"I can't even read half the things listed on here," he complains.
"Give me, give me, give me," Skylar reaches for the phone.
I hand it to her.
"Hey!" She introduces herself to the camera. "Nothing like a day on the river with friends and family."
"What are they saying?" Vida wraps herself around Skylar and rests her head on her shoulder to look at the screen.
"Hmm, seems like Jade forgot to introduce someone," Skylar says.
I didn't forget, I just didn't want to.
"Everyone, you are officially meeting my surfer girl, my other best friend, Vida."
Vida laughs at the comments, and I roll my eyes.
"Jade come help me," Dad calls again.
"Coming," I sigh and march over to him.
"So," Mom comes up behind me.
"I wish people would stop doing that," I snag the tubes from my dad.
"What?" she gets defensive.
"Saying sooo, when they want to address something they know will make me mad," I tie a knot in the strings connecting them.
"Relax, your jealousy is showing," she playfully swats me.
"That's not the only thing either," Dad mumbles.
I subconsciously pull my shirt down and look around to see if anyone is looking.
"Ah! Vida!" Skylar screams as Vida chases her and pushes her into the water.
I glare after them.
"You think they still have feelings for each other?" Mom asks.
"I don't know," I mumble and force myself to look away.
"Have you asked Skylar?"
I give her a look.
"Okay, okay, just saying." She holds her hands up in surrender.
"Here," I hand the tubes back to Dad. "And stop embarrassing me."
"Well excuse me," Mom says with attitude.
I roll my eyes and walk away from them.
"Sassy pants," Mom complains.
"Holy shit this is cold!" Vida gasps like fish out of water after jumping into the river.
"Vida! Family-friendly!" Skylar says.
"Sorry, fuck it's cold."
"Vida!"
"Sorry."
"Skylar turn it off already, you are supposed to be out with family." Skylar's mom chastises her.
"Jade catch!" Skylar tosses me the phone.
'I'm shaken!'
'We have been thrown!'
'I'm dizzy!'
'I believe I can fly'
"Relax you guys, I would never drop you," I say to the camera.
"Turn it off Jade," Aunty orders.
"Ugh, one thing about hanging out with parents, they are parents." I shake my head.
"Vida stop!" Skylar laughs as Vida dunks her under.
I sigh and zoom up on them.
'heard that sigh in my soul'
'girl same, smh'
'your silence is too loud Jade!'
'Damn can't hear over all the silence'
'Jade? Still there?'
'everyone be quiet!'
"Someone is jelly'
"Everything okay?" Aphrodite walks over to me.
I zoom out.
"Yep," I force a smile.
She raises an eyebrow.
"Okay before we go, give me a question of the day," I say to the camera.
'leaving already? But I just got here ☹'
'booo'
'Does Skylar know you are still in love with her?'
'What's it like constantly being with the girl you love but not being able to be with her?'
"Anything good?" Skylar pulls herself out of the water to walk over to me.
"Uh no!" I quickly jerk the phone away from her.
"What? Are you guys talking about me?" she giggles.
"Yep, Jade eyes only," I say.
"Okay, okay, well let me know when you sign off. And make it quick my mom is getting cranky." Skylar backs away.
"I'll be back!" I shout at everyone before running off with the phone.
'We have been kidnapped.'
'oooh, I'm excited'
'Spill tha tea!!!'
'Team Jade!'
'lowkey Vida kinda cute (side eye emoji)'
I climb up the hill and sit alone by a tree, making sure no one followed me before looking back at the phone to answer the question.
"You guys got to promise not to screen record this okay, promise me. otherwise, I don't know what will happen. I just... don't want Skylar to hear this." I say.
'I promise!'
'No one screen record I swear I will kill you if you do!'
'No one better screen record'
'anyone who screens records, your moms a hoe'
"Thank guys," I giggle. "What's it like being with someone but not being able to be with them like you want? Well, it's... probably the hardest thing I've ever done in my whole life. God I love that girl, there I said it, I love her, as more than a friend. I always have, and always will. But Skylar... she's not in a place for a relationship right now, and I have to respect that. She needs me as her friend, her best friend, so that's what I'm doing. I'm being her best friend. But I won't lie and say it's easy. Because it's not." I explain.
'aww jade baby, don't cry'
'just tell her how you feel!'
'communication is key'
'don't give up! Your feelings will get through to her.'
"I get jealous, I get nervous, I see how happy she is with other girls and I just... feel something in me die each second that passes. I want to be the reason she smiles, want to make her laugh and hold her hand and wrap my arms around her. I want to kiss her like no one is looking, look into those sky-blue eyes every waking moment of my life. Not being able to do that, is soul-crushing. I'm not going to lie, it sucks." I sniffle and wipe at my eyes.
'then why do you do it?'
"I do it because I'm not doing it for me, I'm doing it for her. Sometimes... we have to put the people we love before ourselves. I'm not going to lie and sugarcoat it, I fucked up you guys. I am the reason Skylar and I broke up in the first place. I kept trying to force it, kept trying to make her into something she wasn't. I was selfish and childish, and naive. Maybe it wasn't 100% my fault, but a majority of it was. I wasn't able to be there for Skylar when we were together, but that doesn't mean I can't be there for her now. So what's it like being with her but not being with her? Painful, frustrating, gut-twisting, anger. But not every love has to be a romantic love, there are other ways to show the people in your lives you love and care about them. Being with her like this is also so fulfilling, so eye-opening, it's warm, comforting, light, and floaty. I don't know if this makes sense to anyone, but yeah. It sucks, but also, it's kind of awesome. Will Skylar and I ever get back together? I don't know," I shrug. "but right now, that's not what's important. What is most important to me is her happiness, and if she's happy, so am I." I smile.
'I'm not crying you are'
'awww true love will win! Don't give up!'
'I understand this, I feel it.'
'You are not alone!'
'Stay strong!'
"Thanks guys," I wipe my face again.
"There you are," Skylar marches up the hill.
"Shh," I say to the screen.
'Shhh!'
'Shhhhhh!'
'Everyone be quiet!'
'Shhhhhhhhhhhh!'
"Okay question answered, ready to sign off?" I say to Skylar.
"What are you guys talking about hmm?" she snags the phone from me.
'Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!'
'It's Skylar, everyone shhhhh!'
"You turning my community against me?" She chuckles.
"You have no proof," I say.
"Hmmm, okay I see how it is, traitors." Skylar narrows her eyes at the screen.
"Will you stop," I giggle.
"Fine, let's sign off. But I will not forget this treachery."
'Forgive me Skylar for I have sinned'
'I am unclean'
'Team jade!'
"Okay everyone, remember to practice patience," I say.
"Don't talk to strangers," Skylar adds.
"Remember you aren't alone."
"Live your lives to the fullest."
"And always be your truest self!" We shout before I end the stream.
"You okay?" Skylar asks me.
"Duh, come on." I grab her hand and drag her back to the river.
"Finally!" Kenzie says.
"Alright, two for one!" Darleen scoops us up in her arms.
"Ah! Stop!" I say as she drags me to the water.
"No! You beast!" Skylar laughs.
Sprinkle barks and jumps around all happy-like.
"Three, two, one!"
"Darleen!" I scream before hitting the water.
"Oh my god!" I scream as I come up.
It's ice cold.
Everyone laughs.
Sprinkle jumps in after us but quickly starts to paddle back to land.
"Oh Sprinkle," Kenzie laughs. "Come here baby, come here." She scoops her into the little doggy boat.
"All right, everyone get your butt in a tube." Aunty orders.
We all tie our tubes off and get in.
"Toss me a cold one!" Vida calls to my dad who has the cooler float.
He tosses her a soda.
"Ah! Vida stop!" Skylar laughs when she touches the cold can to her skin.
I watch them.
"Word of advice, don't make it so obvious." Aphrodite puts her sunglasses on and relaxes back.
"Can I drown you?" I glare at her.
"You can try," she flicks her hair at me.
I roll my eyes.
"Soooo," mom says again as we start to finally float down the river.
The way the tubes are tied makes up three groups. My group is with Mom, Aphrodite, Kenzie, Darleen, and of course Sprinkle.
Skylar is with her mom, sister, and Vida.
Dad is with Aunty and Uncle as well as the cooler and most of the stuff.
My group quickly floats behind everyone else.
"Mom," I groan.
"Jade," she copies my tone.
Kenzie laughs.
"Dude, just tell Skylar you want to get back together," Darleen says.
"Oh sure, let me just count out how many times that has worked for me. One, oh wait." I say unamused.
"She obviously wants to get back together with you," Mom says.
"What?"
"Jade that shirt is doing nothing to hide those marks," Kenzie says.
"I don't know what you are talking about," I straighten out the shirt.
"Right," Aphrodite drags out the word.
"Skylar... Skylar doesn't want more. She just wants a friend with benefits. That's all." I say.
"You sure about that?" Darleen indicates to Skylar and Vida who are horsing around, Skylar falls off her tube.
I hate Vida. She and Skylar just go so well together. It makes me sick to my stomach. Even her being with Aphrodite is better than Vida.
"Stop it!" Skylar pops up from the water laughing.
"What about you, do you still have feelings for Skylar?" I ask Aphrodite.
"I plea the fifth," she sips her drink.
"It's hopeless. I'm... stuck in the friend zone," I say in defeat.
"If anyone can claw her way out of the friend zone, it's Jade Tate," Kenzie says.
Sprinkle barks in agreement, causing me to smile.
I look back over to Skylar but she's gone. I look around in confusion until she pops up from the water right next to me.
"Ah! Skylar, you scared me!" I whack her.
"Hey," she smiles up at me.
Curse her for being so stinking cute.
"We are supposed to be floating the river, keyword floating. Get back in your tube," I brush her hair back with my fingers.
"K, just checking on you. Bye." She ducks back underwater.
"Oh my god Jade," Kenzie shakes her head.
"What?" I turn to them.
"It's obvious," Aphrodite says.
"What!?" I whine.
"Dude, she's all over you. She's in love with you too." Darleen says.
"Open your eyes! It's clear as day, I haven't seen her look that goofy in front of you since high school." Kenzie says.
"They are right baby, Just tell her how you feel. Chances are, she feels the same." Mom says.
Sprinkle barks in agreement.
I glance over to Skylar as she pops back up in her tube.
Does she?
But what if I tell her and it ruins everything?
"She's not ready," I say.
They all groan in unison.
"I want her to come to me, not the other way around. I'm pretty sure everyone on planet Earth knows I'm in love with her. She has to know too. When she's ready, she'll come to me." I say sure of myself.
"You are doing that thing again, that thing where you wait too long and ruin your own life," Kenzie says.
"Shut up, I've made up my mind."
"Well, if you don't tell her, someone might get to her first," Aphrodite says.
I watch Vida pull Skylar out of the water and into her arms, the two laughing.
"Can I switch with someone, this sucks," Oli complains.
"Go!" Kenzie splashes me.
"Hurry!" Mom urges.
"Switch with me!" I call.
Then I duck out of my tube.
Holy shit that's cold.
I quickly swim over to Oli and she jumps out of her tube to swim to mine.
"Hola," I climb into her tube.
"Were they being mean to you?" Skylar's mom says.
"Yes! Sprinkle too," I pout.
"Oh come here, my poor baby," she comforts me.
I giggle.
"Let's race to the end," Vida says to Skylar.
"I'll win." Skylar laughs.
"No way, you may run faster but I got the water advantage."
"You should stay in the tube." Skylar's mom snaps at them.
"You are getting me in trouble," Skylar pouts.
Vida giggles.
"So what have you been up to these past few months?" I ask Vida.
She finally turns to look at me.
I can feel that hate coming from her eyes.
"Well I graduated college, but I still work at the bar. Makes good money. Jobs have been slow coming, but I may be moving up soon. Still waiting to hear back."
"What!? That's awesome, what job?" Skylar asks.
"You know I don't say, I'm not going to jinx it." She zips her lips.
Yeah right, you big liar.
"Well I have my fingers crossed then," Skylar says.
They interlock pinkies and hold pinkies.
I must have been making a face or something because Skylar looks at me with a worried look and draws her hand back to her lap. I quickly avert my gaze from them. For a moment we all sit in silence.
"Well!" Skylar's mom breaks the silence. "I don't know about you three but I'm burning up. I'm gonna take a dip." She slips out of her tube.
"You okay?" Skylar asks me.
"Huh? Yeah!" I force a smile. Just act natural Jade. Stop blowing it. Just act natural!
"So you two dating or what?" Vida asks.
"You watch the streams, you know we are just friends." Skylar stabs me in the heart.
"Yeah, but I thought you just said that for the camera and have been secretly dating behind the scenes."
Skylar and I share a look, I have to look away.
Damn it, just act normal. Fuck! How hard can it be!? Don't blow it, you're blowing it! Fuck!
"Uh, nope. Just... friends." Skylar says.
Just friends.
Just Jade.
The best friend.
Just... friends...
"Cool," Vida says.
"What about you, anyone special?" Skylar asks her.
"Nope," She says.
"Cool." Skylar echoes.
"Cool," I add.
The three of us float down the river in silence.