The bus is waiting outside our block and the hall is rowdy and loud because everyone is pumped about staying in a hotel for free for the weekend.
"Are you guys really not going?" Yara pouts at us. Damien, Lee and I shake our heads slowly.
"Enjoy the game though and bring back some souvenirs," Lee tells her. She's all set for the game, I never really realised just how much Yara was into lacrosse but judging from how her colour code matches the school's team code, it's a lot.
"Uh oh, trouble's coming," Lee says under his breath. My eyes fly to the direction he's looking at and I spot Jessica Jones heading towards us, her nostrils flaring.
"Adonis. Are you seriously not coming?" She demands immediately she's in ear shot.
"Do I look like I'm coming?" I shoot back. Jordan comes running to her side and latches her hands on Jessica's like she's trying to pull her back.
"It's your duty! Why don't you just do what you're supposed to do and stop poking your nose where it doesn't belong?"
"Why don't you stop shouting?" I watch her lazily. For a member of the Student Body (which has the major work of dialogue) Jessica has no idea how to talk to people.
"You asshole-"
"Jessica stop. There's no need for you to vent your anger on him. He's done nothing wrong," Damien steps forward. Jessica's face falls a bit, like she's surprised he's standing up for me. That hurts her I guess.
"Nothing wrong? Everything that's happening to Declan is his fault!"
"Maybe you should check your facts Jessica," I suggest to her.
"And watch him at the conference, you wouldn't want him riding that bike again would you?" Lee adds. Jessica glares at all three of us for seconds like she's trying to decide which of us to devour first but then she locks eyes with Damien and her eyes say: you're royally doomed. Then she storms off. Jordan sends us all pleading looks before running after her.
"Sorry man," i tell Damien. He shakes his head and watches Jessica's disappearing figure.
"She'll cool down. Yara, you better get going." He nods at the kids entering the bus. Yara grabs her bag and blows us all kisses.
"Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone!" She shouts as she runs off.
"I'm going home you guys, feeling a bit under the weather," Damien tells us.
"Alright, take care of yourself bro," I pat him at the back. He takes the other exit and leaves.
"Any plans for today?" Lee asks me.
"I can't say, things just sort of throws itself at us these days," I shrug. We walk out of school together and today's activity is standing on the other side of the street.
"Nick! What are you doing here?" I call out to the lanky boy leaning on the street. He straightens up.
"Sports Conference eh?"
We cross the street and Lee replies. "Yeah, they just left."
"Declan's there?"
"Yeah, why?"
"I think I've got a way we can figure out if it's him or someone else."
"You do?" We gape at him.
"Come on."
*Jordan*
We're almost at the hotel when I get a message from Adonis. I can't read it though because Jessica's peering into my phone like she's my insecure boyfriend.
"At this rate your neck will break," I murmur into the part of her hair that's fallen in front of me.
"I just don't get why you're talking to him," she sneers.
"He's my friend," I say tightly. I really don't want to talk about this here, in a bus where anyone can hear us but Jessica doesn't seem to understand the gravity of this entire issue. To her, Adonis is a jerk and Declan is innocent case closed.
"A friend you kiss?" She sneers at me. I sigh and look away. I'd always been thinking about my choices but when Avery went missing it constantly weighed upon my mind. Especially when I met Reyna and Nick. The parallels between their friendship and the ones I had were glaring.
I love Jessica but she's really just a rich spoilt brat at heart. Occasionally she goes out of her way to help me but then when things don't go her way she goes back to Bitch mode. Like now, when her relationship with Damien is on the rocks but I went and kissed Adonis. Forget the fact that this kiss was a mistake and Adonis pretty much closed that chapter, Jessica can't get over the fact that I wasn't sulking with her when Damien left her stranded in her room.
Okay, maybe I am a bad friend.
"Hand me some chocolates," I try to change the subject. A pack of chocolate is placed on my palm but when I look up I meet the wrong pair of eyes.
"You weren't sitting here before," I say mostly to myself but Declan shrugs.
"I swapped."
I haven't been able to look at Declan in the eye for months. I mean things have been so weird between us for ages and now he's being accused of doing all these things. He looks tired, worn out, not like what a psychopathic killer would look like.
My phone pings again and it's another text from Adonis. Declan sees it and immediately his expression changes like we're going to war.
"What now? Are you two fucking?"
"Gosh, don't be so vulgar," I snap. On the other side Jessica snorts and brings out her headphones. She wears them over her head and leans on the window, great, it would be better if she slept.
"Are you two dating?"
"Is that supposed to bother you?" I shoot. He stretches his legs and looks away.
"Let's do something," he starts.
"What?"
"This weekend, let's forget everything else back there. Let's go back to the way it was before all this."
"All what? Do you hear yourself Declan?"
"Stop it, you've already agreed," he turns his head to look at me.
"No I haven't," I frown. Declan watches me like he's never seen me before and I mentally curse myself for being so dumb, fickle and idiotic because when he leans in to kiss me I don't stop him.
||
The hotel is beautiful, elegant and scents like money but I don't stop to gaze at the building. I look for the first ladies room I see. When I'm sure no one's following me I open Adonis' text.
A.D: If this goes well we'll find Avery soon. I'll send you an address, make sure Declan and the others hear about it. Saturday night, we'll be there. Watch him and report his every move to us.
"What are they planning?" I mutter to myself. Just as I'm about to read the address the door slams open and Yara walks in. She stops once she sees me and gives me a once over.
"What?" I snap at her.
"What are you doing here? Jessica and Quinn are outside," she sneers. I wonder why Adonis and Lee hang out with this girl. It's obvious she's just pretending to be a sweet pea. Deep down she's just like Quinn.
"I know that. I was actually going outside-" I start towards the door. She steps aside so I can pass but grabs my arm at the last minute.
"Do you think it's fun?" she asks me.
"What are you talking about?"
"This game you're playing. Adonis...Declan. Is it hard to pick?"
Did she see him kiss me? How? She sat in front.
"I don't have to pick." I pull away from her grip. "And you should mind your own business." I walk away before she can speak again and go to find Jessica.
"Where are we staying?" I ask her the moment I spot her.
"My dad got us the best rooms at the top suite. It's pretty much away from the others," she squeals.
"Does coach know?" I search the reception for Declan and his teammates.
"Yeah sure. It'll just be you, me, Declan And Kavinsky."
"Same room?"
"No of course not! Clean your mind! Adjoining rooms," she wiggles her brows.
"What's the difference? And why do you look so excited, are you going to hook up with Kavinsky?" I side eye her.
"I made a deal with him. I'm going to make Damien regret messing with me," her expression turns grave.
"He wasn't messing with you Jess. He just didn't want to rush things," I spell out for her.
"Well too bad. He lost his shot."
I fold my arms and count the tiles.
"Declan wants us to act like before this weekend," I say under my breath, half hoping that she doesn't hear me.
"That explains the kiss."
"You saw that?"
"I wasn't asleep, I was just listening to music," she chuckles. "I think you should do it. I know you want to to. You don't actually believe all those accusations against him do you?" she cuts her eyes to me like she's just realizing that I might.
"No," I answer quickly just because.
"Great. Declan likes you, you know he does. You have my support!" She pumps her fists into the air.
Declan likes me. But he was dating Avery. What's the deal with that?
"Girls! Come on, our rooms are ready!" Kavinsky yells from the elevator. Declan is standing next to him, hands in his pockets. This is my choice. If I follow them then I'm all in, at least for this weekend.
I am all in. Not just with them.
Jessica grabs my hand and we walk to the elevator.
"The first game is tomorrow, don't you guys have to practice or something?" I ask them as the elevator closes. Jessica's pushed me so that I'm standing in front of Declan while she's next to Kavinsky. A couple months back this would've brought butterflies to my tummy. It still does, it just also brings worry. I'm conflicted.
"We've already practiced our heads off Jords. Now we leave the rest to luck, the universe, God and any other force out there," Kavinsky replies. Jessica whistles at that.
We spend the rest of the ride listening to Jessica plan what we'll do this weekend and I'm mentally preparing my excuse for each activity. When the elevator opens I'm the first person to get outside. The suite is empty, just like Jessica said it would be.
"Dibs! This is mine and Jordan's room. You guys can have the other," Jessica squeals. She's much too happy about this trip. The boys mutter their agreement and drag their stuff to the adjoining room. Jessica closes the door and motions for me to see the things she brought. She opens her box and brings out a blue one piece bikini.
"I didn't know we were swimming," I say, picking up the brown one. "I'm guessing this is mine?"
"Brown is your colour babe."
"What's this?" I pull out a tape.
"Hmm? Oh that's Declan's. I'm supposed to keep it real close."
"What's in it?"
"He never said. Deep shit I guess," she shrugs. I stare at the tape, wondering how best to take it.