Perrie
I straightened my SnapBack on my head, ruffling the rest of my straightened hair softly with my hand. I grabbed my small stack of textbooks and shoved them into my messenger bag, slinging it over my shoulder and heading out of my house. As I tromped down my drive towards my car, I noticed something out of the corner of my eye.
My new neighbors.
I saw a girl who looked to be around my age heaving a box into her house, very obviously struggling with it. She nearly tripped over the grooves in the pavements, regaining her bearings shakily. Her long brown hair fell loosely over her shoulders in small curls, a pair of glasses pushed up the bridge of her small nose.
She looks like she needs some help.
I trotted over to her quickly, lightly tapping her shoulder.
"Oh... Hello... Who... Are... You?" She said, taking brisk, heavy breaths between each word.
"I'm your new neighbor. You looked like you needed some help." I explained, grabbing the box from her arms.
"Thank you, but aren't you going to run late for school?"
"I'll get you there quicker if I help. Where does this box go?" I asked, shifting the box around in my arms.
"Kitchen. Walk through the first open doorway on the right when you walk in."
"Okay." I nodded, walking towards her house.
"Wait." She stopped me. I turned around on my heel and looked at her. "I never got your name."
"Perrie. Perrie Edwards." I laughed, turning back around and taking the box into her house.
~*~*~*~
"Perrie, what's up with you?" My best friend, Leigh-Anne asked me, having caught me staring off into space.
"My new neighbor moved in." I clarified.
"Somebody's crushing on the new girl." She snickered.
"I am not. Calm yourself, woman." I chuckled, absentmindedly swatting my hand at her.
"Sure. That's why you're checking her out, isn't it?"
I groaned and glared at her, thoroughly prepared to punch her in the face.
"I said, I'm not crushing on her!" I said through gritted teeth, my blood pumping furiously throughout my body.
"Alright, alright. Calm down. I didn't mean to offend you."
"I'm sorry I got worked up. It's not really like me now is it?"
She shook her head and chuckled, returning her eyes to her textbook. I, on the other hand, was still watching the new girl. I ended up driving her to school, but I never got her name.
-:-:-:-:-
"Now that we're all done with that, do you need a ride?" I offered, smacking my hands together to remove the dust and dirt.
"Um, yeah, actually, I do. Thank you." She smiled, her brown eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"Right this way." I led her to my car and unlocked the doors, holding hers open.
She chuckled as she stepped in and sat down, her petite hands reaching for the seatbelt.
I walked over to my side and got in, buckling the seatbelt and starting the car. I drove very carefully, still getting to school on time.
"Well, here we are. The office is the first room on your right. They'll get everything sorted out for you."
She nodded and walked off, her hair blowing gently in the wind. Her small purple skirt swayed gently, following her body closely as she disappeared into the crowd.
-:-:-:-:-
"F---." I cursed under my breath, seeing that the new girl caught me staring.
She turned around and smiled at me from her chair, not even beginning to pay attention to the teacher.
"Hey. What were you looking at?" She asked softly, the sound of Leigh-Anne snickering beside me filling my ears.
"Oh, nothing. Just staring off into space." I lied.
"Are you able to take me home after school? I don't have a ride." She whispered, not breaking eye contact. Leigh started snickering again, not stopping when I glared at her.
"If you need me to, I can. I don't have a problem with it." I whispered back.
"Thank yo-" She was cut off by our calculus teacher, Mrs. Shepherd.
"Miss Thirlwall, would you like to tell the class what you were talking about with your," She looked at me and glared before continuing. "Little friend, Miss Edwards?" She bellowed as the class fell into an eerie silence.
"I-I was just asking her if she could take me home, because I don't have a ride..." She mumbled, an embarrassed heat rushing to her cheeks as she looked down at her lap. The entire class erupted into uproarious laughter, the sound beginning to give me a headache. I placed my hands to my head and rubbed my temples in a feverish attempt to push the sound out of my head.
"Thank you Miss Thirlwall. Here is your detention. As for you, Miss Edwards, I'm letting you off this time." Mrs. Shepherd took one look at me before scoffing and turning back to the board, taking the chalk in one hand and furiously scribbling equations on its dirty surface.
"I'm sorry." I muttered to the new girl, her head not shifting.
Freaking idiot, you screwed her over on her first day! What the h--- is wrong with you?!
I shook my head and stared out the window, admiring the way the wind shook the leaves and grass instead of facing my problems head on.
I can't look her in the eye. I feel much too guilty for that.
~*~*~*~
I sat at the barren lunch table, eying my food with distaste, quite upset Leigh-Anne couldn't sit with me, when I saw Thirlwall out of the corner of my eye. I got up from my seat and walked over to her, placing my hand softly on her shoulder, startling her.
"Oh, it's just you. Phew." She said, her chest heaving up and down.
"Yeah, I was wondering if you'd like to sit with me? No one really sits with me, so my table is free." I offered, pointing at my abandoned lunch table.
You can almost see the tumble weeds.
"Oh, sure, I guess. My name is Jade, by the way." She replied, grabbing my hand and walking towards the table. I was quite shocked by this action, standing frozen in my spot. "Are you coming?" She giggled.
"Oh, uh, yeah, sorry." I mumbled, walking forward. I quickly fell into step with Jade, the overbearing silence between us completely incomparable to the clamorous lunchroom. We quickly approached the table, my lunch perched atop it. We got to the table rather quickly, despite the traffic of noisy teenagers. I sat down on the plastic chair in front of my lunch and Jade sat beside me, her lunch now atop the table as well. She started to eat while I just awkwardly sat there watching her, shifting in my seat every couple seconds.
Eventually I began eating as well, not really wanting to look Jade in the eyes. Many times Jade attempted to make small talk, but that only left the table in an air of awkwardness, seeing as I wasn't conversing with her.
"Wow, look at the new girl! She's hot!" One of the jocks, Evan, presumably, yelled across the lunchroom, causing Jade's gaze to flick in that direction. "Why is she sitting with Edwards?" He questioned loudly, causing the rest of the cafeteria to look our way, a embarrassed heat dancing across my pale cheeks. Jade looked between me and Evan, taking a few seconds before she spoke again.
"What are they talking about, Perrie?" She asked quietly, not wanting the rest of the room to hear.
"I'll tell you later alright? Just not right here." She nodded, smiling at me.
See, the entire school knew I was gay. It kind of slipped one day when I told Leigh-Anne.
-:-:-:-:-
"Hey, Leigh, I have something I need to tell you." I whispered to my friend, leaning against her locker with my hair pushed under a beanie, nothing but a fringe sticking out of the front, the rest of the loose hair cascading down my back, just past my shoulder blades.
"Yeah? I need to talk to you about maths, while I'm thinking about it." She replied, pushing her glasses into their proper place.
"I'm gay." I said bluntly, not bothering to stretch it out. Her eyes widened and her mouth fell agape, her usually talkative self now speechless.
"YOU'RE GAY?!" She yelled, clamping a hand over her mouth as she realized how loud she said it. The entire hall fell silent, each pair of eyes now looking at the two of us. "I didn't mean to-"
The entire hallway erupted into to laughter and chatting, everyone spreading the gossip about me like wildfire.
Soon, a few kids started yelling "Edwards is gay?" around the building.
What a great way to start Year 10.
-:-:-:-:-
Even though I'm a junior, I'm still joked about around the school.
Jade's eyes travelled around the lunchroom, her gaze landing on Evan. She had this look on her face that was indescribable. It was somewhere between anger, sadness, happiness, and embarrassment. Her eyes had an unrecognizable gleam in them, something quite off-putting, like a sense of revenge, almost.
Had she met Evan before? He did transfer last year.
"Hey new girl, why don't you come over here? I can show you a thing or two." He flirted, gesturing to his body.
"No, I'm good, thanks." Jade retorted, revealing a new side of her that I'd never seen before. "I don't want any of that," she paused, gesturing at his body. "Within twenty feet of me, you arsehole!" She sneered, her hands clenching and unclenching at her sides.
"Alright, alright. Whatever you say, princess." He hissed, causing Jade's whole body to tense.
I don't like where this is heading.
"Jade, please, calm down. He's not worth it." I whispered, trying not to agitate her. She calmed down almost instantly, relaxing at the sound of my voice. "Do you want to leave the lunchroom? We're allowed to go to the library during this period." I suggested quietly.
"That sounds great." She replied, her eyes not leaving Evan's gaze for a second. I nodded and began gathering my food, piling it back into my lunch bag. I did the same with Jade's, zipping it up and handing it to her.
"Come on, follow me." Jade reached out to grab my hand but I stopped her. "Don't, that'll egg them on." I said, glaring intensely at Evan as we walked out of the lunch room, hearing him say something along the lines of "They're probably going to snog in the bathrooms." to his friends, snickering.
Jade nodded softly and followed closely behind me as I walked through the winding halls, my eyes glancing at every door we passed. Eventually we came up to the library, hearing virtually no sounds from the area.
"We're here." I said softly, chuckling at my obviousness.
I pushed the doors open with a steep burst of strength, surprised at how easily they gave. We entered the room, an eerie hushed silence falling over us. I led her to the only spot in the library I'd ever spent more than twenty minutes in, a little alcove near the back corner, a single beanbag stationed exactly where I'd left it last.
"Looks like you'll have to sit on my lap." I chuckled, stopping as I took note of her confused facial expression. "Actually, you can take the beanbag, I'm good."
"Are you sure?" She questioned, a finger resting on her lip as she fidgeted with it.
"Yes, I am." I insisted. As soon as she got comfortable in the beanbag, I decided to explain things. "So I think that it's better for you to hear this from me rather than the douches around the school," I began, taking in a sharp breath. "I'm gay. Please don't leave. I don't know if I can handle knowing my next-door neighbor is disgusted by me."
"Why would I be disgusted? You love who you love. It couldn't matter any less to me than it matters to your friend." She replied calmly, her face showing no signs of disgust, only sincerity.
"Oh, thank god you aren't homophobic. As for Leigh-Anne, I love her, but she's a total arse about it sometimes." I said, letting out a low chuckle. "She teases me about it all the time."
Jade gave a sympathetic nod, her features softening more than they already were. "Hopefully your parents don't mind then?" She tried, looking up at me.
I shook my head softly. "My mum didn't take it too well. My dad didn't really care, but he wasn't supportive either. My brother honestly didn't mind, though." I shuddered at the mere thought of the way my mother reacted when I told her.
-:-:-:-:-
"Hey mum, I'm back from school. I have news." I cheered, throwing my backpack onto the sofa.
"Really? Love, I want to know everything." She smiled, shuffling around the kitchen.
"I had my first kiss." My mum seemed unfazed by this, only continuing to ask questions.
"Was he nice? Is he smart? Do we know his parents?"
"Mum, it wasn't a boy." I said, surprised when my mother stopped in her tracks, turning around to look at me. The expression on her face was cold and emotionless, not an ounce of love.
"Are you telling me you're gay?" She jeered, her eyes burning holes through my head.
"Yes?" I said, more of a question than a statement.
"You absolutely disgust me. I will not support a daughter who treats me so horridly." She yelled, violently grabbing her phone and dialing a number.
Next thing I know, my father is at the door telling me to grab my backpack and take it to his car, walking upstairs to my room. He began bringing everything from my room that he could fit to his car, telling me that I'd never see my mum again. My body racked with sobs, my petite figure violently shaking in the front seat of his car.
-:-:-:-:-
Jade looked at me with pity, something I most definitely didn't want anyone having for me.
"Don't pity me. That's like dumping salt in a fresh wound. That was only the beginning of Year 10."
"Perrie, you look like you need a hug." She said, standing up, about to embrace me.
"I'm not really into girly, romantic stuff, sorry." I pushed her away, brushing my hair out of my eyes. She stepped back from me and analyzed my outfit. I looked down at what I was wearing and shrugged. Nothing different than what I usually wear.
I had on a baggy Fall Out Boy top and ripped jeans, a pair of red trainers gracing my feet. Compared to her outfit, I looked quite standoffish. She was wearing a mid-length purple skirt and a white top, her feet covered with pastel flats.
"I never really noticed that." She smiled, jolting slightly as the bell chimed overhead.
"Well, I guess we'll be on our way then." I chuckled, walking out of the library, sneaking a couple glances at Jade. She just stood there smiling, making no attempts to move from her spot.
~*~*~*~
I didn't see Jade again until that afternoon, and I was excited. I felt like I made an actual friend, not someone like Leigh who is the greatest best friend ever until her other friends come around. Jade actually cares. When I saw Jade walking towards me from across the hall, my eyes lit up and I started smiling, my smile faltering slightly when she got closer. Her eyes were red and puffy and her cheeks were tear stained. I said nothing, only grabbed her hand and ran, taking her to my car.
As soon as I sat down in the car with her and took one more good look at her quivering face, I couldn't hold it back any longer.
"Jade, what happened? You can tell me, I promise." I asked softly, my hand on her arm.
"T-they mocked me. And threw things at me. And laughed at me. What did I do wrong, Perrie?" She wailed, crying into my shoulder.
"I don't know. Did you say anything, or did they just do this out of the blue?"
"I-it was Evan. He told the class I was g-gay." She sobbed, looking up at me sadly.
"That f---ing douche!" I yelled, my blood boiling.
"P-please don't confront h-him. I don't want you getting hurt." She whimpered.
"Jade, I'd protect you with my life if it meant I had a real friend. You don't deserve any of this. You are much too kind for that arse to even look your direction. He deserves it." I was seething at this point, irritated beyond belief at Evan for this. He had no right to disrespect someone like that. I got out of the car and harshly slammed the door, leaving all of my stuff behind. I poked my head into Jade's side. "I'll be right back, alright love? Don't leave the car, the keys are in the cup holder."
Jade only nodded as I left the car behind, storming off into the noisy crowds of hormonal teenagers, pushing past every single one until I saw the one student I was looking for. He was standing by the lunch room doors laughing with his friends as he ran a hand through his dark brown, almost black hair.
"YOU!" I started, shoving my way up to him and jabbing him in the chest with my finger. "YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO DISRESPECT JADE LIKE THAT!" I screamed, capturing the attention of virtually the entire school.
"Oh what, does Edwards not want me talking about her girlfriend?" He bellowed.
I snorted. "As if. Evan you know better than anyone that no one wants to date me. I don't want you talking about my best friend." I retorted.
Evan walked toward me and put both of his hands on my shoulders, slamming me against the wall. I groaned in pain before crouching out of his grasp and popping up behind him, climbing onto his back. I took my arm and hooked it around his neck, jerking his head lightly so he was looking at me. I took my other hand and clenching it into a fist, shoving it harshly into his jaw. He threw me off of his back and held a hand to his jaw, his foot hovering over my chest, prepared to strike me.
"NO, DON'T HURT HER!" Someone screamed, running up to me.
Jade.
"P-Perrie, are you okay? How badly did he hurt you?" She spoke softly, looking all over my body for bruises or cuts.
"I'm fine, Jade."
"LESBIANS!" Someone shouted, causing the whole hall to laugh, except one person.
"Alright, I'm tired of ignoring this. I can't stand the way we've been treating Perrie. She's done nothing wrong." Leigh spoke up, walking over to me. "I'll stand by you the whole way, Pez."
I winced as I tried to smile, her eyes showing sympathy to my pain.
Jade and Leigh carried me out to my car, Leigh-Anne insisting she drive me home. I couldn't object, as every time I tried Jade hushed me and nursed my wounds. When Leigh got to my house, Jade carried me inside and told me she was going to back with Leigh-Anne to get Leigh's car. I nodded slowly as she walked out of the house, leaving me all alone.
Jonnie and my dad left me alone in the house after my consent, knowing I could full and we'll take care of myself.
I waited patiently for Jade to return, so long that my eyelids started getting droopy. Jade finally walked inside my house, trying not to make noise in an attempt keep me asleep, even though I was awake. When Jade saw I was awake, she smiled. She leant down beside me and softly put her hand on my arm.
"Are you alright? I can stay over here if you need me to." She offered, looking into my eyes.
"I'm fine, thank you though. I do have one request, before you leave." I said quietly.
"Hmm?" Jade hummed.
"Can you help me upstairs and wait until I fall asleep? My spare keys are on the kitchen counter if you need them." I questioned.
"Of course I can. You're the nicest person I've met in a long time." She shuddered.
She helped me up the stairs and sat beside me on my bed, rubbing circles gently into my shoulder with her thumb to calm me down. The small smile playing on her lips never left, not even when I complained about not being tired. Not even when I begged her to get me water, all four times. Not even when my eyelids fluttered shut and the weight on the bed shifted.
The smile never left.