Jain

Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

I spent the rest of the evening texting Harley and Sarah on a group chat we had created a while ago—Kate had been privy to this, but since she had turned into the worst friend in the world, we had deleted her.

Petty, yet necessary.

Harley did his best to make me smile, including coming round one time with copious amounts of chocolate when I burst into tears one evening on the phone.

What’s not to love?

Arden seemed to have got the message, and rumour had it he was now involved with a girl in the year below—Dana or something.

Whatever.

“Kate looks miserable.” Sarah sighed as we sat in the library working on our revision.

I glanced up, noticing our old friend was indeed looking glum.

“If you honestly expect me to give a fuck—”

“No, but she looks ill. You know she has no one at home who gives a shit. ”

Sarah couldn’t help but care, chewing on her lip anxiously as she gazed at Kate.

“If you want to go and speak to her, I won’t be offended.”

I frowned at my notes before deciding to highlight something when Sarah stood up.

“I know you fell out with her over a boy—”

“It wasn’t over a boy! She was just a bitch.”

Sarah sighed before standing up.

“I’m going to see her. Are you sure you don’t want to come with me?”

I shook my head, making a face that told her categorically that no, I didn’t want to. I watched as she walked away, irritation zipping through me.

Kate glanced over at me before dropping her gaze guiltily. I stared daggers at her before turning my attention back to my page. I scribbled away frantically, absorbing as much as I could whilst the floodgates were open.

“Do you have a minute?”

I blinked before lifting my head slowly to see Kate standing there. She swallowed, her eyes filling with tears as I slammed my book shut.

“Are you talking to me ?” I asked quietly, my rage bubbling up from the pit of my stomach.

“I’m sorry. I understand if you don’t want to talk to me ever again, but I’m sorry. I liked him for so long, but it was always you. Like Harley.”

I couldn’t reply. Instead, I stared at her in silence.

“So, I got jealous. I’m not proud of it, but I miss you. I miss our friendship and our—”

“Bit late for that.” I snapped bitterly.

I didn’t want her declarations of woe nor her crocodile tears.

“Please. I was wrong, haven’t you ever been wrong? ”

Sarah walked up beside her, her eyes pleading with mine as I scowled.

“If you think we can just go back to how it was considering how you have treated me—Arden, and before Arden; frankly, you’re mistaken.”

“If you would just talk to me—”

“I’m talking. Do you want more? You’re a vindictive bitch who only cares about herself. You tried to force me to be with Harley at every opportunity clearly so you could get your claws into Arden.” Kate’s eyes dropped to the floor before I continued. “Then you showed your true colours, didn’t you?”

We stared at one another before I stood up, shoving my books into my bag.

“Oh, and for your information, I don’t think being like my mum is a bad thing. She is hardworking and wants the best for me. So, if I end up half the woman she is, I’ll be elated. I wish you the very best.”

Her eyes widened as she stared behind me, and I followed her gaze to see Arden standing there.

“Well, that was quite the speech. I got your message, Kate. You wanted to see me?” Arden drawled, his eyes drifting over to Kate with disinterest.

Kate seemed to have frozen, her eyes flitting from me to him before she spoke.

“Wait, it’s not what it looks like—”

I turned and pushed past Arden, refusing to entertain their reunion.

“Jain, wait up,” Arden called as I turned to him, my eyes flashing.

“Aren’t you seeing someone in the year below? Why are you toying with Kate?”

Arden leaned against the doorway as his gaze travelled up my legs slowly.

I stared at him in a fury.

“I’m not seeing anyone, and I’m not toying with Kate. She said she wanted to talk to me, so I came. You happened to be standing there. Still the hottest girl I’ve ever seen.”

He walked over to me, and I went to walk away when his fingers slipped into mine.

“Tell me you’ve felt this with anyone else,” Arden murmured into my ear, his breath sending tingles all over my skin.

“Oh, I have, don’t flatter yourself.”

His eyes flashed with fury then, and I found myself rolling with it.

“So, if you don’t mind—”

“But I do. I do fucking mind.”

I noticed people start to whisper around us, and I groaned.

“I don’t care. Move, please.”

“Not until you tell me who.”

Oh .

I’d not planned this far ahead. I wasn’t about to make anyone up either—I would be the laughingstock of the school.

“Fuck you.”

“Baby, come on...” he pleaded, and when his eyes met mine, I felt my resolve weaken. “Fuck everyone else.”

“The problem is, Arden, that’s what you did.”

He slammed his hands on the wall on either side of me and leaned in closely.

“You want to be Bonnie to my Clyde, babe? If monogamy is what you want, monogamy is what you get.”

I searched his eyes as I laughed in disbelief.

“Just like that? The great Arden speaks, and I bow down at your feet and accept? ”

“No... but you can’t just give this up without trying. I don’t want to.”

I stepped forward, my lips close to his ear as his hand slipped around my waist.

“I gave up already. It’s time you did.”

Arden’s eyes narrowed as I walked away, aware everyone was dying to know what I’d said to him.

I smiled when I pushed through the crowds, so pleased with myself I didn’t notice a teacher slipping back into his classroom, a broad smile on his face.

If I had, then maybe my free period would’ve been much more interesting.

I was walking home some hours later when my phone rang.

It was Kate.

“What? Just because we exchanged some words today, it doesn’t mean—”

“Jain, please just forget that you hate me for five minutes. I need you to come round. Please, please .”

I wasn’t sure whether it was the fear in the voice or the desperation, but something made me stop in my tracks.

“Kate, what’s wrong?”

She didn’t answer immediately, her sobs filling the silence. I waited until she finally spoke.

“Can you come over?”

I sighed with irritation, knowing I was going. Whatever was wrong was severe enough to make her expect me to bypass all the shit we had been through despite what I’d said to her already today.

“Fine. I’ll come now.”

Her house was close to Mr Silver’s, so it didn’t take me long to walk there. When I got there, I was surprised to see Harley standing outside, waiting for me. His face was pale, and he ran a hand through his messy hair .

“She rang me crying. I came over and saw you—”

I nodded before sprinting up the steps to her house. When I walked into the front room, I saw her sitting on the sofa with mascara-stained cheeks.

“Kate, what happened?”

I knelt in front of her as my eyes searched hers. She seemed to be in shock, mumbling something incoherent. Harley shrugged at me helplessly when she whispered something to me.

“I think I’m pregnant.”

I stared at her as Harley demanded I tell him what she said.

“Think?” I repeated as she closed her eyes.

“I’ve missed two periods, and I’ve not done a test yet—I can’t—”

Harley’s eyes widened as he figured it out, holding his hands up and making a face to tell me it wasn’t his fault.

“You need to do a test, Kate.”

“I can’t. If I am—” she broke off into a sob, burying her face into her hands.

“Then you’ll deal with it,” I said soothingly. “Let me go and get you a test. Harley, stay with her, please.”

He looked horrified as I forced a reassuring smile.

“Just sit with her!”

He sank into the seat beside her, awkwardly exhaling when she fell into his arms sobbing.

“I’ll be right back,” I mumbled, heading down the street to the nearest supermarket.

It was only a fifteen-minute walk, and I prayed there would be no one there when I bought it. But, knowing my luck, my mother would be passing by for milk, and she would hyperventilate and die on the spot. Or kill me.

In my heart of hearts, I knew that the baby she was carrying was probably Arden’s. That explained why she wanted to speak to him today, and I realised how much it must’ve hurt her to see him chasing me down the corridor. I could only hope she didn’t hear his offer of monogamy.

I entered the supermarket, breathless and ruddy-cheeked, thanks to the brisk walk. I made my way to the small medical aisle and scanned the shelves. Ironically, the pregnancy tests were right beside condoms, almost like a joke; if you don’t buy me, you’ll be buying that—and so on. There were two different pregnancy tests, and I picked one up, scrutinising it, like even touching it could make pregnancy contagious.

I felt sick for Kate, knowing that this was precisely the situation my mother had been in. It must be terrifying, especially when the guy in question wasn’t overly interested in you.

I couldn’t understand it. Arden always used condoms. Maybe at my insistence but—

“Jain?”

I spun around, the test hidden behind my back, when I heard the voice. There was no mistaking the husky tones, but more than anything, I could hear the disappointment that weighed heavily there.

“Mr Sil—Sir—”

He stared at me before holding out his hand.

“Is that what I think it is?”

“It’s not mine,” I babbled, turning around to make sure no one was around.

He looked pained for a moment as he closed his eyes.

“I said if you needed to talk—”

“Sir, it’s not mine. I’m not juvenile, and I wouldn’t be ashamed of being pregnant. I think it’s a wonderful thing, although yes, eighteen is young, you could always pick up study later on in life—”

He raised his eyebrows as he let me finish .

“What? It’s not mine,” I protested as he nodded.

“Right. So, this friend? Did she have casual, er, relations, or is she in a committed relationship? Does she have any support or—”

“Sir, just don’t ask,” I whispered, and he stepped towards me.

“Jain, if this is you, let me help you.”

“It’s not. I’ve got to get this for her, though. She needs me.”

He studied me before I noticed the basket in his hand—two bottles of red wine, flowers, and chocolates.

“Romantic evening?” I said, nodding at the contents, his eyes holding me prisoner in his gaze.

“Something like that.”

“Oh,” I whispered as he leaned forward, close to my ear.

“Let’s pay for this, and then I’ll drop you off wherever you are going. No questions asked I promise.”

I closed my eyes when his scent enveloped me, my hands clutching the cellophane box tightly as I nodded.

“Yeah, I’ll just...get this...”

I stared at the cost, realising that these tests were 99.9% accurate because of the price. I slid the box on the till as the checkout guy gawked at me, handling the box like it was made of glass. I wondered if he thought it was growing a baby, and in that box, a potential life sat waiting to be purchased.

I chuckled to myself as I paid, walking outside to wait for Mr Silver. He soon came out, opening his car doors with the click of a button. I dived inside, checking around us to make sure no one had seen.

“What’s wrong with you?” He mused, a smile playing on his gorgeous lips.

“Well, let’s think. I’m an eighteen-year-old student holding a pregnancy test and getting into my handsome, young teacher’s car. You wanna start rumours?”

“Pregnancy test aside, yeah, I’m down for starting rumours.”

I definitely didn’t imagine that.

“Where am I taking you?”

Uh, to bed?

Instead, I gave him the address whilst heat rose all over my body. I couldn’t deny the attraction I felt to this man, however inappropriate it was.

We pulled up outside as I tucked the pregnancy test in my pocket. I turned to him, nodding at his carrier bag that sat dutifully in the back seat.

“I wish I was having a night like that. Enjoy.”

“I wish we were having a night like that, and we would,” he said as his thumb touched mine softly.

Oh. God.

I shivered, not wanting to leave the car.

“Would we?” I whispered as he dragged his eyes away from my mouth.

“Yes. We would,” he whispered before I dragged my phone out of my pocket, checking the time.

“I have to go. I’ve been gone for ages.” I groaned as I gave him a dreamy look. He grabbed my hand, lifting it to his lips as he kissed it softly, making me shiver in response.

“If you need me...”

“I won’t interrupt your romantic evening,” I said when he held his phone out.

“This is breaking every rule I know but put your number in there. In the interest of safety, of course.”

My heart hammered in my chest as I entered my number, knowing we had just crossed significant boundaries.

I saw Kate open the door, followed by Harley as they stared at the unfamiliar car curiously.

“Blacked out windows. They can’t see me, but I can see them. Are they the potential parents?”

I grimaced before turning back to my friends.

“No comment, Sir .”

His eyes glinted in the dark as I opened the door, blocking him from view as I walked towards my friends, who stared at me inquisitively. Kate, with her blotchy, tear-stained face and Harley, looking terrified.

“Did you get it?” Harley muttered, glancing around us as I began to smile, feeling stupidly giddy.

“It’s not class A, Harls. Calm down.”

I handed the box to Kate, who burst into another flood of tears, and I wondered if I was going to have to piss on the stick for her.

At least that would guarantee a negative result. I thought to myself as we walked back into the house.