(This story is told from Jade's POV.)
FADED
The early bird gets the worm. I loved mornings, I even looked forward to that daily hour I have all to myself. A moment of quietness, calmness and serenity before the rest of the herd woke up.
My name is Jade. I never really liked my name - too simple, too obvious. It wouldn't surprise me if my mom was drunk when she gave birth to me somewhere in those dirty bathroom stalls at the back of a random gas station. She probably took one look at my green eyes and had the epiphany of calling me Jade. Why not Emilia or Juliette or even Lola - you know, something pretty. But then again, it could've been worse, what if she called me Emerald or something. Yikes.
Oh, well. Can't have everything you want in life. I've learned that the hard way.
My bare feet were so cold, almost numb, as I walked on the icy floor of the kitchen. I could still feel some crumbs stick to my soles from our dinner yesterday. Ashton, or Ash as he liked to be called, was supposed to clean the kitchen last night but he sneaked off after midnight. That's usually what Ash does, running away from his responsibilities, from this life. Can't really blame him. He would always climb through my bedroom window because mine was right on top of the roof, giving him the perfect escape. You're probably thinking, why isn't he using the front door? Well, that's because my oldest brother, Jordan, has the senses of a dog - he could hear if you were lying or not and could smell trouble from a mile away. And anyone knows that if you get caught by Jordan Alexander Moore, you'll regret every decision you ever made. Jordan was frightening, everything about him screams authority. He had this obey-me-or-else-aura about him, no wonder he became a cop, he probably was destined to be one.
I decided to make some pancakes, Noah's favorite. He helped me with my homework a lot this week and thanks to him I got an A for math. Noah and I were often treated as the babies in the family. He and I would be mistaken for twins if it weren't for his ridiculously good looks and high IQ - I'd like to think of myself as plain looking and smart enough to know the difference between your and you're.
Noah is the good boy but then we have Tristan who is the funny one. I swear, he looks like a grown man but acts more like a pubescent boy. I like it though, I like him being playful and teasing our brothers. He winks a lot, that was his trademark. He also had girls falling at his feet and he liked to pick them up and do stuff with them I'd rather not talk about. A real lady's man some would say or you know, a man slut. A very funny man slut.
I was mixing the batter for the pancakes when I heard a tap on the backdoor. I sighed as I wiped my hands on a dirty dishtowel which I'm pretty sure was one of my brother's old t-shirts, I caught the print of a dude with way too much white make up and a long tongue sticking out - probably Kiss.
I grabbed the key from one of the drawers and unlocked the backdoor. Jordan liked to lock things up, he said that nobody was ever safe in their own home. I don't know what he was scared of, no one was ever gonna walk up to our house and think 'Hey, this looks like a place I can steal something from.' I mean, we still haven't even repaired our front window after Noah threw a ball through it - that was two years ago.
Opening the door, I instantly shivered when a cold gust of wind waved in. I wasn't surprised to lock gazes with a pair of hooded, blue eyes. Ash. My brother wasn't the smartest tool in the shed but he was smart enough to know that six thirty in the morning was the only moment he had a chance of sneaking back in without anyone finding out because he was always certain of two things - one, I was always up to answer the door for him and two, Jordan always leaves for his early morning workout.
He grabbed my face between his cold hands and I suppressed another shiver running up my spine, and squeezed my cheeks together. "Good morning, JJ."
I hated when he called me that. I already hated my name, but using my initials sounded so much worse. At least it wasn't J or Jay or something, that sounded like a fifty year old man who drinks too much beer and watches infomercials for fun.
"You made anything for breakfast yet?" he whispered once he got in.
I didn't understand the point of whispering. Jordan was going to find out one way or another that he didn't sleep in his bed tonight. Also he didn't lock the backdoor and he smelled like a walking club.
"If you wait ten more minutes, I can serve up a plate for you."
"I can't wait." He ran a hand through his wild, dark hair making it messier than it already was, and plopped down on one of the barstools. "Also, I'm not in the mood for pancakes, I need something greasy. Go make me some eggs and bacon."
"I'm not your servant. Do it yourself."
"I asked nicely," was his excuse.
"You didn't ask, you ordered me."
"Fine. You don't have to be a bitch about it."
He was watching my every move, his eyes following me the whole time. His fingers were drumming on the hard surface of the counter and I wasn't even sure if he was aware he was doing it, but it was making me nervous.
"You should probably take a shower. You stink."
"Are you telling me I smell?" His eyes narrowed menacingly. Ash was the only one in this house with blue eyes. He didn't have it from our mother, probably from his father. I only ever once met the guy and he gave me the creeps.
"That's exactly what I just said. Also if you don't want Jordan to find out, you should get cleaned up."
"What if I don't want to."
Right, Ash never really liked to be told what to do. Ashton also didn't like people insulting him or talking back at him. He had a short fuse and literally anything could make him blow up. Even me.
"Or else, I'll tell Jordan about how you used my window to sneak off again."
He shrugged carelessly. "I don't fucking care. He always finds out anyway. What's he gonna do? Ground me?" he snickered.
"I can also tell him about your secret stash you hid in that hole in the wall right behind my dresser."
He stopped tapping his fingers and glared. "You wouldn't."
I stopped mixing the batter for a second and met his stare full on. I'm not scared of him ... okay, that's not true, Ash was unpredictable, he did scare me from time to time even though he never put his hands on me before other than the occasional pinch or kick under the table. He wouldn't dare touch me, he didn't have a death wish.
"Dammit, Ash. You know I hate lying to Jordan, why do you have to make this so hard for the both of us?"
He rolled his eyes and slid off his chair. "Jeez, stop whining. I'm going already." He suddenly grabbed me around the waist, my arms trapped against my sides, and hugged me way too tight. "How do I smell now?"
Like a pig!
"Get off! Get off, why you being so disgusting?" I cringed. Why girls felt the need to drop their panties around him was a mystery.
"Ashton, leave your sister alone."
I felt my brother freeze for a second before he finally let me go. We both turned around to face our oldest brother, Jordan. He was dressed all black - black hoodie, black sweats. My brother was scary, he was big, I swear his arms are probably six times mine. His face was glistening with sweat and his jaw was clenched, showing off his stubble. His brown eyes darkened as he glared at Ash. Man, I would wet myself if he ever looked at me like that.
Ash cleared his throat. "I'm gonna go take a shower."
"When I'm back from work, you and I are gonna have a nice chat."
I thought I heard Ashton gulp before he ran off to the stairs. I kinda felt bad for him, he was just misunderstood I think. I hope Jordan would have some mercy and let him get off lightly. Last time he and Ash had a 'chat', Ashton had to run around the block until he passed out, literally. Poor guy couldn't walk for a week.
Jordan pulled off his hoodie, his wife beater showing off his ripped body. He threw the hoodie on the back of a chair before he marched over to me. "Morning," he said as he grabbed my chin, lifting my face up to press a kiss between my eyebrows. "Whatcha making?"
"Pancakes," I answered while heating up the pan. "Want some?" I asked because I knew Jordan was a health freak and he liked to torture himself by refusing to eat anything that tastes good in the world.
"No, I'm good. Make sure you get some before Noah eats all of it." He pointed a warning finger at me. "No skipping breakfast."
"I won't." Jordan was always on about how I was too skinny for his liking. It wasn't like I wasn't eating, it's just that I'm not hungry a lot.
He reached over to squeeze my sides making me squeal in laughter.
His lips twitched in a rare smile. "Is Noah up yet?"
I looked at the clock hanging above the fridge. "He won't wake up until seven."
Jordan nodded while he made himself some coffee. "When did Ashton get in?"
I shrugged, putting the baked pancakes on a plate before starting on the next. "Five minutes ago, I think."
"What did I tell you about locking your bedroom door?"
I avoided his gaze and focused on flipping another pancake. "I forgot," I mumbled.
I heard him sigh behind me and waited for the usual lecture.
"I don't know what to do with that boy anymore," he muttered under his breath as if talking to himself.
I didn't expect this and took the risk to turn around to face him. "He's just a little bit lost."
Jordan crossed his arms over his chest, making him bigger than he already was. He had a far looking gaze on his face. "Aren't we all."
I pursed my lips, not knowing how to respond to that.
"Your coffee's done," I said, pointing at the coffee machine, the small light flickering.
"So who's gonna pick us up after school?"
Jordan looked up from blowing on his coffee. "Tristan. Remind me to give him a call so he won't forget again."
"I swear I could smell the pancakes in my dreams," Noah suddenly said, gracing us with his presence. He playfully punched Jordan in the stomach causing our oldest brother to retaliate by grabbing him in a headlock, roughly messing up his hair before letting him go. Noah had a stupid smile on his face as he came up to me, grabbing me in a weird half-hug - my face was squished against his bare chest and I could barely breathe.
I groaned. "Go away, Noah!" I managed to successfully push him off. "Here's your pancakes, I'm gonna go get dressed."
"Sweet!" Noah rubbed his hands together, practically salivating. "Thanks, JJ!"
"Leave some for your sister," I heard Jordan say when I got up the stairs to my bedroom. My room was probably the smallest space on earth, it actually used to be a walk-in closet but when I was tired of sharing a room with Noah and Ashton, I needed my own bubble that didn't smell like sweaty socks. It wasn't much but it was all I needed and to me it was perfect. I stripped out of my pajama's and put on a woolen skirt and sweater. It was cold outside and I knew Jordan would never let me go outside showing off some skin so I decided to put on some warm tights underneath my skirt.
"Ash! I need to brush my teeth and hair." I knocked on the bathroom door, hearing the water of the shower running. I was probably the only person in this house who had the decency to knock and respect other's privacy.
"Well, come in! The door ain't gonna open itself."
I rolled my eyes and entered, waving away the fog. "Jesus, Ash, at least use the shower curtain." I was only twelve years old but I could swear I've already seen too many naked male bodies to send me to the psychic ward.
Ash chuckled. "Nothing you haven't seen before."
"Nothing I wanna see again," I grumbled. I found a chair and put it in front of the mirror so I could see my own reflection. The people in this house often forget that not everyone is around six feet tall. I'm a young girl, still growing but I'm not anywhere as tall as my brothers. The giants.
I had just finished brushing my teeth when Ashton asked for a towel. I passed him one I found on the floor, I didn't know if it was clean but it looked clean enough which was good enough. I was doing on of those fishtail braids when I felt Ash coming to stand next to me. With the stool I was nearly as tall as him.
"I never understood how you could do that," he said as he watched my fingers work through my hair behind my head.
"Practice," I mumbled with my hairclip between my lips. I finished the braid and turned to smile at him, "How do I look?"
"Too cute for your own good." His hands were around my waist as he lifted me up, putting me back down at door. "Now go away."
"But I'm not finished - " I started to say when his hands moved to his towel wrapped around his waist. "Okay, okay, I'll leave." I've already seen enough of him, too much.
I passed Noah's bedroom and saw him getting dressed. I quickly averted my eyes.
"Close the frikkin' door!" I shouted.
What's with these guys and their lack of modesty?
I made my way back downstairs and decided to watch some TV before leaving for school. I heard Jordan on the back porch talking into his phone with a cigarette between his fingers. For someone who's all about working out and eating healthy he sure did miss the memo of the dangers of smoking. I was on my stomach lying on the couch, a pillow tucked under my head and my feet swinging in the air. I was watching reruns of The Simpsons when the screen suddenly went black.
"Hey," I exclaimed, lifting my head up to see Jordan with the remote in his hands.
"Breakfast first and then you can go back to watching TV."
"But I'm not hungry," I whined.
"Jade."
His stern tone made me jump in action and I reluctantly walked back to the kitchen. I felt his big hands on my shoulders, steering me to the kitchen table, gently pushing me down on one of the chairs. He put a plate in front of me with a glass of orange juice.
"Eat."
I picked up my fork and poked at the pieces of pancake, how embarrassing is it that he even cut it for me. I swear Jordan sometimes forgets that I'm not a baby anymore. I understand he raised me singlehandedly and I saw him more like a father than a brother, he still needed to cut me some slack sometimes.
I took a bite, munching on the pancake and realizing he was watching me. I looked up at him from under my bangs and he cocked an eyebrow in question.
"I don't want orange juice."
"Fine." He stood up and opened the fridge to grab a carton of milk. He took my glass, emptied the orange juice in the sink and rinsed it before he filled it with milk. He put the glass next to my plate and took a seat right across from me.
"Thanks," I said before forcing another bite down my throat. His fingers were drumming around his own mug, steam rising up from his black coffee. "Can I have some?"
He snorted. "No."
"Why not?"
"Cause you're too young."
"When can I drink coffee?"
"When you're older."
"What's older?"
"Jade," he said. "Finish your breakfast, sweetheart."
I drank some of my milk to swallow down the pancake. "How about when I'm sixteen."
"No."
"Eighteen then."
"No."
"Twenty one?"
He ran a hand down his face, lightly scratching at his stubble. "I'll think about it."
"Okay." I nodded. "Can I have a taste?" He eyed me closely. "Please," I added.
He leaned over the table and I found myself pressing my back against the chair, his presence could be overwhelming sometimes. "If you take three more bites, I'll let you take a sip."
That didn't sound so appealing to me but whatever. I did what he asked and he passed me his mug. I've always loved the smell of coffee. I took a small sip and held the bitter liquid in my mouth, savoring the taste before gulping it down. "It's disgusting."
Jordan laughed, a sound he didn't make often. It was a rumbling sound, the kind you felt resonating through your body. "Never said you'd like it, baby."
"You wanna have some of my pancake?"
He scoffed, his eyes dancing in amusement. "Nice try."
Noah came running down the stairs, skipping the last three steps with a jump. "You gonna finish that?"
"Noah," Jordan warned. "Grab your lunch and get ready, we're leaving in five. Jade, hurry up."
I rolled my eyes as I gulped down my milk, feeling my stomach ache with the unusual amount of food.
I felt a light swat on the back of my head. "Don't roll your eyes at me young lady."
Noah pulled a face at me, making me snort. Jordan went to grab his coat and I sent a pleading look at Noah. He looked behind him, making sure Jordan wasn't watching before stuffing the rest of my breakfast in his mouth. Well that was disgusting but I smiled in thanks either way.
"Let's go you two," Jordan opened the front door, twirling his car keys with his fingers.
I hurriedly shoved my feet in my chuck's, haphazardly shrugging on my coat. I was looking for my bag but Noah nudged me forward, already shouldering both our bags. I put my plate and glass in the dishwasher and ran towards the door where Jordan was still waiting with his foot tapping.
I was about to step outside when he stopped me shortly. He adjusted the collar of my coat and wet his thumb to wipe away the milk mustache. "Next time I'll make you eat two pancakes if you can't even finish one."
I smiled sheepishly. How did he see everything?
With a hand on my back, he lead me to his car where Noah was already sitting in the front. "Why does he always get to have shotgun?" I complained.
Jordan opened the door for me to the backseat. "If you'd hurry up next time you can be the one sitting up front."
"It's still not fair," I pouted as I put my seatbelt on.
Jordan ignored me and moved to his own seat. The car rumbled and he swiftly pulled out of the driveway, onto the street. I leaned my head against the window and watched the other houses. We weren't poor by any means but we weren't nowhere near wealthy either. We had enough to put a roof above our heads and never sleep on an empty stomach but we couldn't afford any extra's. Jordan and Tristan were the only ones working - Tristan worked at a local car dealership and had recently moved out to live with his girlfriend Penelope. It was safe to say that I didn't like Penelope, not because I was jealous of her but because she was jealous of me. She didn't like when Tristan gave me any attention at all, I sometimes wonder if she knew that I was his baby sister and not a threat.
I was lost in my thoughts when the car suddenly pulled up in front of the school. I bent down to grab my bag right next to Jordan's where I knew he kept his uniform.
"I'll see you guys tonight. Tristan's picking you up. If he's not here by four o'clock, call me, alright?" The last part was specifically meant for Noah because I wasn't fortunate enough to own a phone yet. Jordan said that I was still too young and that I'll get one for my next birthday - he's been saying that for three years now.
"Okay, see ya."
"Bye buddy," Jordan said as Noah jumped out of the car, already joining his group of friends.
I threw my bag to the front and crawled over to the passenger's seat, earning a disapproving look from my brother.
"You're gonna mess up my upholstery," he tsked.
I adjusted my clothes before turning to him. "When will you be home tonight?"
His hand slid from the back of the seat to the top of my head where he smoothed down my hair. "I don't know, sweetheart. Don't wait up for me. I'll ask Tristan to order something for dinner."
"I can cook. I don't mind."
He smiled lightly. "You already made breakfast, stop pampering the boys so much."
"Whatever you say." I caught some of my friends waving at me and I grabbed my bag. "Be careful." I reached over to kiss his cheek.
"Be good," he kissed me back.
"Bye!" I smiled, not waiting for his response as I ran towards my friends.
Lauren and I have been best friends since kindergarten, she was the yin to my yang. Her Mom helped Jordan out a lot when I was younger, she used to babysit me and even let me sleep over whenever he had the night shift. Now that Noah and I were old enough to stay home alone, she wasn't needed that much anymore, but she'd still invite me over. She was a nice lady, not like the lady I called Mom.
Another friend of ours was Angela. She was a bitch and a bully. Lauren and I don't really like her that much, we don't even know why we let her be part of our clique, I think we're just too scared to kick her out. Angela could be really mean sometimes, she once cut some of my hair because she heard a rumor that Preston had a crush on me. Everyone knew she had a crush on him since primary and everyone knew that I don't like Preston, he smirked a lot and he always thought he was the coolest boy on earth. Angela ended up apologizing but I never forgave her because now I had this stupid fringe which makes me look like a baby even though Tristan said it was adorable.
"Hey," I greeted as I sat on the bench right next to Lauren. She just looked at me, smiled quickly before scratching at her chipped nail polish like it was the most interesting thing in the world.
"Okay ..." I nudged her. "What's up with you?"
She shrugged. "Nothing, just tired."
"Hey girls!"
I looked up to see Sophie, the nicest girl ever. She was always so happy and smiling like nothing could crush her mood. She was lightly overweight but had the prettiest eyes and smile.
"Hey," I couldn't help but smile back, her smile was so contagious.
"Uhm, I just wanted to tell you guys that I'm throwing a birthday party at my house this weekend. You're both invited. There's gonna be lots of food and drinks so you don't need to bring anything. Oh, and don't forget your swimsuit."
"Sounds cool," I said, the smile still plastered on my face. I was going to have to ask my brother first if I could go but I didn't think it would be a problem. "I'll be there."
She bounced on the balls of her feet in excitement and turned to Lauren. "How about you, you think you can make it?"
Lauren didn't even look up at her but mumbled something that sounded like, "Yeah sure, I'll be there too."
Sophie turned to me and tilted her head towards Lauren. I pulled up my shoulders, I had no idea what was up with her either.
Sophie bit her lip as she looked around before inching closer to us, whispering. "I'm not inviting Angela, so would you mind not telling her anything about it? Please."
"Don't worry about it," I offered her a promising smile. "Our lips are sealed."
She beamed. "Thanks, you girls are the best." She was suddenly shoved aside by Angela.
"Move over fatty."
Sophie's smile dropped and I glared at Angela but she ignored me.
"Uh, I'll see you in class," Sophie muttered. "Bye."
"Bye," I waved at her.
Angela was obnoxiously chewing on a chewing gum as she plopped herself down on the other side of Lauren. "Why you looking like your dog has died?"
"Angela!" I can't believe she just said that. Lauren's dog literally died like two weeks ago. Oscar was run over by a car and he didn't make it. "Stop being such a bitch."
Angela laughed and slung an arm around Lauren. "I was just kidding. I'm sorry, Lauren."
"Just leave me alone." Lauren pushed her off and hurriedly made her way to class.
As if on cue the bell rang and I followed. I felt Angela coming up beside me and I gave her a look. "Just leave her alone, okay."
"What's wrong with her anyway?"
"I don't know. But if she doesn't wanna talk about it, we're not gonna push her either."
"Whatever." She snapped her chewing gum and spit it out on the ground.
FADED
School was boring like usual. Angela didn't stop making fun of some girl who was wearing a nice dress. She said she looked like an ugly doll - I think she was just jealous that the girl looked prettier than her. I tried to get Lauren to talk but she wouldn't utter a word which was unusual, even for her - Lauren was a quiet girl, didn't talk much but being mute wasn't like her. I knew there was no way she would say anything with Angela around so I waited until after lunch, because then we had English together without Angela.
I was sitting at my usual spot at the canteen, scrunching up my nose when I saw the tuna sandwich Jordan had packed for me. I hate tuna. Usually I would throw away my food if I didn't like it or if I wasn't hungry but now Noah was given the task to keep an eye on me and make sure I was eating. Speaking of Noah ...
"BOOH!"
I nearly jumped out of my seat when he shouted in my ear. I turned around and punched his arm, I probably didn't even graze him and he wasn't nice enough to pretend I could pack a punch.
"I'll find out if you don't eat your lunch again," he warned me but his green eyes, the exact same shade as mine, were twinkling in amusement.
"Yeah, yeah," I waved him off.
A friend of his, Jason I think his name was, pushed him away. "Let's go man."
Noah pointed two fingers at his eyes, then at mine. "I'm watching you."
"Go away." I chuckled.
"Your brother's so hot," Angela sighed. "Why isn't he accepting my friend request?"
"Cause he's sixteen and you're thirteen." Duh.
She pushed her black hair off her shoulder. "So? I'm prettier than that Shannon girl that always sticks to him like glue."
Actually Shannon was probably the prettiest girl in school. She had beautiful red curls, natural long eyelashes, a sweet personality and didn't treat people like garbage. Of course I didn't say that out loud or Angela's food would've ended up on my head.
"Can you give me his number," she asked, although it sounded more like a command.
"I don't have his number," I lied. Actually I did have his number written somewhere in my journal I always have with me. Jordan forced me to write down all my brothers' numbers in case of emergency. I told him he could just buy me a phone instead but he wouldn't have it of course.
"I want his number. When you see him, ask him and write it down somewhere and then tomorrow you give it to me."
"Okay." I wasn't actually going to do it but Angela couldn't take no for an answer, and again I didn't want her food to end up all over me.
Lauren came back with her own tray and sat down next to me. She looked a bit pale and her straight blonde hair was hiding her face but she never put an effort into tucking it away. Lauren was a pretty girl too, when we were younger we used to pretend we were sisters. We both had blonde hair, only hers was straight and mine was curly. Also her eyes were brown and mine were green. But we understood each other and we were the same personality wise so we could've been real sisters.
"Okay, this is getting stupid," Angela snapped. "Just tell us why you're acting like this."
I shot Angela a look. "I told you not to push her, jeez. She'll talk when she wants to talk."
"She'll talk when she wants to talk," she repeated mockingly. "You girls act like a bunch of babies. I don't even know why we're even friends sometimes."
"Me neither," I said under my breath. I mean she practically forced us to befriend her, it wasn't like we actually like her. We hated Angela.
"What did you just say?"
I took a bite from my sandwich to give myself an excuse not to answer her. "What?"
Her icy glare remained on my face for another second before she started eating her own food.
Phew.
After we finished lunch, we made our way back to our lockers. I couldn't finish my sandwich not when I hadn't digested my breakfast yet but I still ate more than half of it which wasn't too bad. I waited until Angela had grabbed her books and left before I turned to Lauren.
As if sensing my unspoken question, she grabbed my hand and led me to a more quiet place at the end of the hallway where no one could hear us.
She took a shaky breath and whispered, "Yesterday, I - "
"You what?" I probed.
"I got it."
I frowned. "Got what?"
She gave me a look.
"What?" I said again, not following at all.
"You know what."
Now she was just being annoying. "Lauren, I don't know what you're talking about. You got what? A new dog, drugs, a boyfriend?"
"No, you idiot!" she hissed, slapping me upside the head. Okay, ouch. "I got my period."
I looked at her with a dumbfounded look. "That's it?"
She fidgeted on her feet. "What do you mean that's it? I got my period this weekend and it frikking terrifies me."
I rolled my eyes. "Jeez, Lauren, I thought somebody had died. Hell, I though you killed someone."
"No, it's worse."
"Don't be stupid. You think you're the only girl who has her period, newsflash every female human being has it."
"You don't."
"Not yet," I said. "And I'm not looking forward to it either but I mean it's not like we have a choice or anything. At least you have your mom." I really dread the day I'd have to ask Jordan about buying me lady stuff. Shiver.
"Well, it still sucks," she pouted. She slumped down against the wall and I took a seat next to her on the linoleum floor.
"Hey, it'll be okay. You're gonna get used to it. Are you having cramps?"
"Yes, but it's bearable," she said as she hugged her stomach. "Oh god, I'm a woman now."
I giggled. "You can make babies now."
"Ewww," she laughed.
"Yeah, it's kinda disgusting," I agreed. Just the thought of a boy sticking his you-know-what in my you-know-what makes me want to throw up everything I ate today.
"Angela said that she did it before."
I scoffed. "Yeah right, Angela lies about everything. I bet she has never ever been kissed before either."
"Who would wanna kiss her?" Lauren gagged.
I laughed. Happy to have my friend back.