Jaded

It was midnight when Jade walked through the door. She tried hard to be as quiet as possible. The house was dark, and cold. Her family had been asleep for hours at this point. She was scared, scared of what was going to happen when her parents found out. Terrified of what this would do to her relationship. But let’s not jump ahead of ourselves the real story starts a few days back.



Jade walked into the kitchen to join the rest of her family for breakfast. It was her mom’s idea to make the family eat together every morning. Her twin brother Declan and little sister Lilly were already sitting at the table eating blueberry pancakes. Her father had the newspaper out and was pretending to listen to mom ramble on about what she had to do today. Jade sat in the vacant seat next to her brother and grabbed two pancakes off the stack.



“Can you take me to the mall today, Jade? I need to pick out a dress for the dance tonight” Her 13 year old sister asked while shoving food into her mouth



“Well that’s real ladylike Lilly, who are you taking to the dance a caveman? And why didn’t you get a dress earlier you knew about the dance for three months!”



“Very funny. I am going with Robert Fairfield, and I have been so busy that I didn’t have time to go shopping”



“You’re 13, Lilly. What could be so important that you couldn’t go?” Jade said as she buttered her pancakes. “Did you have to color a picture for your teacher?”



Declan tried to conceal his laugh but to no avail. Lilly gave him a glare that immediately shut him up.



“Why do they even have dances for 13 years olds anyways?” Jade asked cutting into her pancake and taking the first bite. The doorbell interrupted them, and Jade went to go answer it. It was Liam right on time as always. She gave him a quick kiss then motioned him inside the house to come join them. Liam always came at exactly 8 on Saturdays to join them for breakfast.



“Hello Mr. and Mrs. Fairfield” Liam said politely as he sat down next to Jade. They both mumbled a hello, and then continued chatting. Well, Mrs. Fairfield did while Mr. Fairfield continued to ignore her and everyone else around the table. Jade didn’t understand why her mom even bothered trying to get the family together every morning. They have been doing this for the last year, and nothing ever changed it was always the same.



“So the gang is getting together today to play some beach volleyball, you want to join us?” Liam asked Jade



“I would love to! I got nothing else to do today” Jade said turning towards her sister, and smiling.



“Awesome! How about we head down to the beach after breakfast then?”



“Sounds great!” Jade said as she shoved the rest of the pancake's into her mouth. “Let’s go” She said as she stood up and grabbed Liam’s hand and rushed out the door. Jade hopped into the passenger seat of Liam’s blue convertible.



“Why the rush? We could have stayed to finish our breakfast” Liam opened the drivers door and sat down on the comfy leather seats. He started the car and pulled out of the driveway.



“I need to get out of that loony bin! They are driving me nuts.”  She replied fishing around in her purse for her sunglasses. “My mom thinks that us eating together as a family will fix all of our problems.”



“I take it that it isn’t working?”



“It’s not even close to working, Liam. My family is so far gone already I don’t think there is any chance to fix it!”



Liam made a right turn at the stoplight instead of a left toward the beach.



“The beach is to the left..” Jade said confused



“I know, but I promised that I would pick Claire up from piano lessons before I headed to the beach”



“Why do you always have to do exactly what your parents want you to do?” She said putting on her huge sunglasses, and pouting.



Claire, Liam’s little sister is perfect. She is good at everything that she did, and the prettiest girl Jade ever saw. Jade would never admit it out loud, but she was jealous of her.



“I love being able to help out my parents” Liam said pulling into Miss. Hartwell’s driveway. “They need help sometimes, and I feel that I owe it to them” he continued as he put the car in park and turned off the engine. He turned up the music and put his head back against the headrest. The sun shone  into his tan face. Liam was perfect and all hers. She was the luckiest girl in High School. Claire came out of the small white house carrying a load of piano books with her. She had on a beautiful yellow summer dress, and her short brown curly hair bounced as she walked to the car. “Hey Liam thanks for picking me up.” she said with a smile as she hopped into the back seat. “How are you doing Jade? It’s been a while since we have seen you around our place.” She continued as she put on her sunglasses.



“I have been doing good, just dealing with a lot of things at home right now.” Jade said trying to be as vague and polite as she could be.



“I always pray for you and your family.” She said with a smile and patted Jade’s shoulder. “So where are you two off to today?”



“We are heading over to the beach for some beach volleyball.” Liam said as he backed up the car out of the driveway, and started heading toward his house. “Would you like to join us?” Jade shot him a glare. One that if looks could kill he would have been dead. 



“Awe thanks for inviting me, but I am actually heading downtown with the youth group to witness.” She smiled “You guys should come down after volleyball and hang out with us.”



“I can’t tonight I have to get back decent, and help Lilly get ready for her school dance. I promised that I would help her find a dress to wear.” Jade said avoiding the glare that Liam was now giving her. “But thanks for inviting me,” she continued.



“I would love to join you tonight after volleyball, Claire. Maybe we could meet up at that place down on the boardwalk that sells bubble tea?” He said a little too enthusiastic.



“Jimmy’s? Oh I love that place! Sounds like a plan. Just text me when you finish volleyball. And remember to take a shower” She playfully punched his arm.



Jade was annoyed. At this point she would rather be hanging out with her little sister finding a dress for the pointless dance. She pulled out her phone from her purse, and pretended that her mom sent her a text message “You know what? I can’t make it to volleyball this afternoon. I need to get home right away. My mom needs me.” She said trying to sound disappointed that she was going to miss out on beach volleyball.



“Do you want me to come with you and help?” Liam asked



“Nope. Could you drop me off at my house though?”



“Sure, of course I can.” He replied making a u turn and heading toward the Maxwells house. “I’ll call you tonight after the game, and let you know how it went.”



“Thanks sweetie. Maybe we could go get dessert together tomorrow night, if your not busy?”



“Yeah I would love that.” He said as they pulled into her driveway. She leaned over and gave Liam a kiss on the lips, and then glanced back at Claire to say goodbye. She knew Claire hated when they kissed. “It was great to see you again, Claire. Have fun this afternoon at the boardwalk!” She smiled a fake smile then got out of the car and headed inside.



Chapter 2



“What are you doing home?” Her mom asked while loading the dishwasher with the breakfast dishes.



“I need to take Lilly to the mall.” She said setting her purse on the counter, and opening the refrigerator. The cool air felt wonderful on this hot day.



“You never do anything with your sister, why the sudden interest now?” Her mom said stopping what she was doing.



“Well it must be those family breakfasts that you have been doing. It got me in the caring mood today.” Jade said pulling out the orange juice and pouring herself a big glass.



Jade’s mom looked at her suspiciously. “You saw Claire today didn’t you?”



“You know how much that girl drives me crazy, mom. She is so perfect. Everything she does is perfect I can’t stand it!” Jade said frustrated. Lilly walked into the kitchen wearing one of Jade’s old t-shirts that didn’t fit her anymore, and some holy jeans. “You ready to go shopping?” Jade asked putting the orange juice in the refrigerator, and holding the door open a extra few seconds.



Lilly gave Jade a puzzled look “I thought that you were busy today”



“Yeah, busy helping you look pretty. That’s an all day job in itself!” Jade said as she grabbed the car keys off the hook and headed toward the front door.



Lilly looked at her mom “She saw Claire today didn’t she?”

Mrs. Maxwell laughed “How could you tell? Have fun with your sister this afternoon!”



“Can you tell how excited I am?” Lilly said with fake enthusiasm as she walked out the front door. Jade was already in the car when Lilly came outside. Lilly got into the passenger seat and made sure to buckle her seat belt.



“So what sort of dress are you looking for?” Jade asked while backing out of the driveway not really caring what her answer was.



“A cute summer dress” Lilly said.



Jade thought back to what little miss perfect was wearing this morning when they picked her up. “How about we stay away from cute summer dresses?”



“Ok... an ugly summer dress then?” Lilly tried to joke around with her big sister but she didn’t seem to be in the mood for it. “Jade, everyone is going to be wearing a summer dress to the dance!”



“Perhaps, you should dress differently then? Why not stand out from the crowd!”



“No, actually I am good being the shy girl that no one knows.”



The rest of the car ride was filled with awkward silence. Jade was thankful when they pulled into the mall parking lot. She pulled into an empty spot as far away from the mall as she possibly could, and shut the car off. She heard her phone buzzing inside her purse and went digging around trying to find it. By the time she found it the buzzing had subsided. She glanced at the caller ID and saw a picture of her and Liam on the beach together. She smiled and called him back. “This will just take a minute, Lilly. You can go in the mall if you would like?” Lilly was glad for the chance to escape on her own, and practically jumped out of the car and slammed the door.



“Hey sweetie, what are you up to?”



“I am dress shopping with my little sister what are you doing? Aren’t you supposed to be playing volleyball?”



“Yeah the game got canceled. Tori is sick and Rory and Aiden are out of town for the weekend. We tried to round up three more players, but no one seemed interested. Where are you at? Can I join you?”



“We are at the mall. Is your sister with you?”



“Nope she is at the boardwalk right now with the youth group. I will be there in five minuets!” He said and quickly hung up the phone. Jade put her phone into her purse and turned some music on. She sat listening to the radio and drifted to sleep. She was startled by the sound of someone pounding on her window. It was Liam.



“Come on sleepy butt it’s time to get up” He laughed as he opened her car door. “Did you not sleep to well last night?”



Jade got out of the car and locked the doors. “I thought I slept just fine. It must be the heat it makes me sleepy. Thanks for coming to the mall I love spending the afternoon with you!” She smiled and grabbed on to Liam’s hand. They walked toward the mall and were greeted in the front by Lilly who had a handful of dresses.



“Wow. You’re productive!” Jade smiled “Have you tried them on yet?”



“I tried them all on, but I don’t know which one to buy” She replied sounding exhausted. “Can you help me out?” They followed Lilly to the changing room. Jade and Liam sat outside on the comfy couches. Lilly came out of the dressing room in two minute intervals each time wearing a different summer dress then before. She modeled it for Liam and Jade then went back in to try the next one. Each time they would reply that they loved it.



Lilly came out in the last dress. It was the same exact one that Claire was wearing this morning when they picked her up.



“Not that one, I hate it”  Jade said without thinking



“Awesome then this one it is” Lilly smiled and walked back into the dressing room



“I thought that one looked cute on my sister this morning.” Liam said sincerely



“It looked great on your sister, Liam! Just not on mine” Jade smiled and took Liam’s hand. Lilly walked out of the dressing room with the yellow dress. They headed up to the cash register and Lilly paid for the dress. Then they headed out to the parking lot.



“What time are you meeting your sister for bubble tea?” Jade asked Liam while searching in her purse for her keys.



“Around noon” Liam said looking at his cell phone for the time. “Would you like to join us?”

“Can I come?” Lilly asked.



“Of course you can. What do you say Jade?”



“Fine. But I can’t stay for long I need to help Lilly get her hair done for the dance” She replied as she finally found her car keys. Jade unlocked the door and Lilly got into the passenger seat. Jade gave Liam a quick kiss then got into the driver seat.



They pulled into Jimmy’s parking lot. It was empty just like always. Jade was surprised that this place was still in business. She pulled into a spot right next to the door and Liam pulled in right next to her. They got out and went inside.



“Hey kids! It’s great to see you again!” Jimmy greeted them as soon as they walked in. He was wearing his checkered red and white apron while holding a white plate and dishcloth. He was aways such a happy man. “What would you like today?”



“Bubble tea” Liam smiled and sat down at an their favorite empty booth that overlooked the parking lot. Jade sat next to Liam so she wouldn’t have to be squished in the booth next to Claire.



“Two watermelons and a blueberry” Jimmy smiled and walked back into the kitchen to start making the drinks. A forest green jeep pulled into the parking lot and Claire, Micah and Haley got out. They all had smiles plastered on their faces and were laughing and joking with each other. They walked into the restaurant and sat down next to them. Lilly immediately realized why her sister didn’t like the yellow summer dress she picked out. Jimmy came out with their bubble teas and set them down on the table.



“Claire it is good to see you again, sweetie. What would you and your friends like?” Jimmy smiled and pulled out his writing tablet.



“Strawberry bubble tea for me” She smiled politely. Haley and Micah ordered their bubble teas and Jimmy went back into the kitchen to make their orders.



“So how was witnessing?” Liam asked sipping his watermelon bubble tea



“Really good! We were able to share the gospel with a lot of people this morning.” Claire said excitedly. “What did you end up doing since your game was canceled?”



“Well we went to the mall to help Lilly find a dress for the school dance. You will never believe what dress she picked!” Liam smiled “She got the same one that you’re wearing now” Lilly felt her face turn bright red.Jimmy came back with the other three orders and set them on the table then went back to the kitchen.



“Awe! You’re going to look so pretty tonight Lilly” Claire smiled



“Thanks, Claire” Lilly smiled back.



Jade noticed the way that Micah kept looking at Claire and smiling at her whatever she said. Even when she wasn’t being funny, which was all the time, he would smile at her. It was making her tummy queasy. Maybe she was jealous of the way he looked at her, maybe she was jealous how fascinated he was with her, or maybe she was jealous because she wanted what they had. Jade took the last sip of her bubble tea and sat back trying not to stare at Micah and Claire.



“So what are you all doing for the rest of the day” Jade asked trying to be nice.



“Haley, Micah, and I were going to see a movie tonight. Would you guys like to join us?” Claire smiled sipping her bubble tea.



“What movie are you guys going to see” Jade asked almost kicking herself for even asking. She knew exactly what movie they were going to see. It was the only Christian movie that was currently out.



“Believe” Claire said pulling out a pamphlet from her purse with all the information about the movie on it, and handing it to Jade. “My church printed out these flyer's for the movie.”



“Thanks, maybe Liam and I will join you tonight!” Jade replied thinking of a zillion reasons why they weren't able to go tonight instead. Liam looked at her knowing that she didn’t want to go to the movie.



“Jade and I are actually busy tonight” He said putting his arm around her. “Were heading to the beach for some s’mores and Hot chocolate”



“Oh that’s right! Thanks for the invite though” Jade smiled and handed the pamphlet back to her. “We’ll catch it when it comes out on DVD”



Lilly checked her watch “Hey Jade, I need to get home!”



Jade and Lilly got up from the booth “Thanks for the bubble tea, and it was wonderful to see you again Claire.” She smiled “I will talk to you later Liam” Liam got up and gave her a kiss.



Jade saw Claire and Micah give each other glances of disapproval.



Chapter 3



Jade walked downstairs into the kitchen to once again see her family ignoring each other. When will her mother get it through her head that this isn’t working. Jade sighed and took her seat next to her brother. He was enthralled with his phone at the moment texting someone so Jade reached over him to get some bacon.



“How was the dance, Lilly?” Jade asked between bites of bacon.



“Boring” she said stabbing her eggs with her fork



“Well don’t take it out on the eggs they didn’t cause it to be boring!” Jade tried to lighten the bad mood of her sister.



“Robert only went to the dance with me to make Katie jealous”



“Now how do you know that?”



“Because he told me that he only went with me to make Katie jealous” she said almost in tears



“I’m sorry Lilly” Jade half smiled.



“Can I hang out with you and Liam today?”



The doorbell once again interrupted them, and Jade jumped out of her seat and ran to the door. She greeted Liam with a kiss. He was dressed in Khaki pants and a dress shirt “ I am so glad to see you this morning. You are looking very handsome! What’s the occasion?”



“Bad news. Our trip to Sacramento is cancelled. Mom is making me go to church with them this morning”



“That’s alright we can go afterwards, right?” Jade asked pleadingly



“Family day... I can’t. Maybe next year?” Liam said kissing her and then walking out the door. Jade stood there watching him pull out of the driveway. Lilly came up behind her.



“This means that we can hang out instead” She smiled and rested her arm on Jade’s shoulder.



“No! I am going to Sacramento with or without Liam” She said as she brushed off Lilly’s arm and ran upstairs. Lilly following closely behind her.



“What’s in Sacramento?” Lilly asked as she sat down on Jade’s bed and watched her shuffle through her clothes.



“Only the biggest party of the year! Maddie Brook, the most popular girl in school, invited Liam and I to her party. We have never been invited to this party ever.” Jade replied as she held up a cute blue dress up in front of the mirror.



“Sounds like fun! Maybe I could go with you instead of Liam?” Lilly asked knowing the answer would be no.



“This is not a party for little girls, Lilly”



“Will mom and dad let you go?”



“They hardly notice what we do now anyways so I don’t see why not.”



Half an hour later Jade was in the car on her way to Sacramento. She didn’t fully tell her parents the whole truth about the party, but she said exactly what they wanted to hear. Jade knew that if her parents knew that there was alcohol at the party that they would have said no. She promised herself that she wouldn’t drink. After driving for an hour she pulled into Maddie’s driveway. The music was so loud she could make out every word without even getting out of the car.



Jade stepped out of the car and was greeted by her friend Mia. “Hey Jade! Where is your boyfriend?” Were the first words that slipped from her friends mouth. Mia had always had a thing for Liam, and she never hid it.



“He had some family thing today.” Jade replied as she locked her car door and walked inside with Mia. “How long have you been here?”



“I have been here since three this morning” She replied putting her long brown hair in a pony tail.



“Wow... what have you been doing here since three?”



“Partying. You missed out on all the fun!” Mia said snickeing. They walked into the huge house that reeked of alcohol and smoke. Maddie saw them walk in and came over. “Hey...”



“Jade. My name is Jade. You invited me and my boyfriend, Liam to your party.” Jade smiled and offered her hand which was rejected.



“ Where is your boyfriend?” Maddie asked looking behind Jade



“He had some family event to attend today, so he couldn’t make it”



“I only invited you because I knew that Liam wouldn’t come without you.” She said and then left to go talk to a group of people that Jade didn’t know. Jade felt hurt and decided that it would be best if she just left the party. An hour later she pulled into her driveway and saw the Livingstons black mini van parked where she usually is. Jade shut the car off and got out, Liam came outside still wearing his Khaki pants and dress shirt. He had a glass of lemonade in one hand and a plate of food in the other. “Hey there you are! I was going to text you and let you know we were here, but we got to watching old home videos”



Jade laughed “It’s alright, I am just glad to see you” she locked the car “I went to Maddie’s party, and she kicked me out because you weren't there with me”



“Come join our party it’s way better then Maddie’s” he smiled as they walked into the house. Jade was greeted by Mr. and Mrs. Livingston and Claire who all gave her hugs.



“So glad to see you” Claire said as she poured Jade a glass of Lemonade and handed to her. “I hope you aren’t smoking, Jade you know how bad it is for your health”



“I’m not smoking I promise.” Jade said smiling and trying to hide her anger. “So I thought that you guys were having a family day today” she continued trying to divert the conversation.



“We are but we just wanted to stop over here after church to invite you to a party” Mrs. Livingston said



“And you couldn’t have just called” Jade mumbled under her breath



“Claire is turning 18 tomorrow, and were inviting her friends from school over. We thought it would be fun if you all could be there” Mrs. Livingston said excitedly



“Isn’t she a little old for a birthday party?” Declan asked what everyone else was thinking



“It is a very special day tomorrow for her! Turning eighteen is a big deal” Mr. Livingston said “The party starts at five. I hope you guys can all make it”



“Wouldn’t want to miss it” Jade said holding up her glass and taking a sip. The Livingston family said their goodbyes, and headed out the front door to their car.



Chapter 4



Lilly walked into Jade’s room wearing one of Jade’s old dresses. “How do I look?” She asked twirling around.



“Like a mini me” Jade said laughing “Isn’t that a bit big on you? Do we have to dress up for this party?”



Lilly shrugged and sat on the edge of Jade’s bed “Mom said to look nice so I assumed she meant no jeans”



Jade went to her closet and pulled out her favorite purple dress. She held it up to herself in the mirror and smiled with approval. “This was what I wore when Liam asked me to be his girlfriend”



“That’s nice” Lilly said getting up and going to Jade’s closet. She pulled out a jean skirt and floral top. “Can I borrow this for tonight?”



“Sure...” Jade said as Lilly walked out of her room.



“Hurry up girls were going to be late” Mrs. Maxwell yelled up the stairs. Jade threw on her dress and sprayed Liam’s favorite perfume all over her. She glanced in the mirror one more time, and then walked down the steps to the foyer. Her mom, dad, and brother were all standing there waiting. Lilly finally came down and they all headed out to the cars together. The sun was starting to set and the clouds looked like Cotton candy. Jade drove her car so that she could hang out with Liam after the party. The others piled into the van and drove to the Livingstons house.



When they arrived at the Livingston’s they had to park on the street a few blocks away and walk. The house was packed. There were people inside and outside, most of which Jade didn’t know. “Probably people from church” she thought. Liam came outside as soon as he saw them “I am so glad that you guys are here. I don’t know anyone at this party.”



Micah and Claire came outside holding hands and said hello.



“Happy birthday, Claire” Jade said as she gave Claire a hug.



“Micah proposed to Claire today” Liam said smiling and looking at the two of them holding hands



“Oh, wow! Congratulations” Mrs. Maxwell said.



Jade had to fight back feelings of jealousy. How could little miss perfect be engaged before she was. When will Liam propose to her? She didn’t like Claire even more now. The party seemed to last for an eternity, but finally people started leaving. Her parents had left an hour ago so they could get some rest since tomorrow was a weekday. Jade assured them that she would be home at a reasonable time.



“Would you mind if Micah and I joined you guys tonight?” Claire asked still holding Micah’s hand.



Jade wanted to say no so badly, but instead she agreed to let them come. “It will be fun to have you guys hang out with us”



Liam knew that this was the last thing that Jade wanted to do tonight. He grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze.



Claire and Jade rode together to the beach, and Micah and Liam took the other car. Jade turned on the Christian radio station and started pulling out of the driveway.



“Thanks for letting Micah and I come with you guys tonight.” Claire said turning the radio down. “I know that we are the last people that you guys want to hang out with”



“It will be fun. Honestly we never had any time to get to know each other so I am looking forward to some one on one time with you”



“My brother talks about you quite a lot, Jade. You are really a special girl to him!”



“Really? I am extremely lucky to have Liam in my life I don’t know what I would do without him. So when is the big day for you and Micah?”



“Well we don’t want to wait to long to get married so we plan to have the wedding in three months” Claire replied excitedly



“I am really excited for you both. You are going to make a beautiful bride, Claire” Jade said actually meaning what she was saying. Jade pulled into an empty spot right under the lamp post. The beach was vacant except for a few crab hunters and couples walking along the shore. It was a beautiful night not to cold but not to warm. Claire practically jumped out of the car as soon as Liam and Micah pulled up next to them. Jade snickered “She really loves that guy”



The four of them walked along side the ocean laughing and talking like they had known each other for years. This was the first time in a long time that Jade actually felt she belonged. They found a quiet spot underneath the boardwalk and the guys started a fire. Claire and Jade sat down on some logs that were left there. Jade couldn’t help but notice the way that Claire looked at Micah, you could tell that she was in love. She couldn’t seem to take her eyes off of him.



“You really love him” Jade smiled “How did you know that Micah was the one for you?” she asked as she shoved her hands into her pockets trying hard to stay warm. The boys were still working on getting the fire to start.



“I had been praying to the Lord for many years to bring a man into my life, not just any man though. One that could be my priest, prophet, protector and provider. Micah is everything that I wanted in a godly husband and more.” Claire blushed as she spoke. “I really am extremely blessed”



Micah and Liam finally got the fire to start and they took their places next to their girls. The four of them sat and talked for an hour while they roasted marshmallows and drank hot chocolate. Liam glanced at his watch then looked over at Jade. “It’s getting late we should probably start heading home” he stood up and started packing up everything.



“Would you like to ride back to your house with me, Claire?” Jade asked



“Are you sure that’s not too out of your way?”



“No not at all!”



The four of them got into their cars, with the boys following right behind the girls.



“So when are you going to propose to Jade?” Micah asked blatantly



Liam laughed “Well honestly I haven’t really put much thought into it. I love her, but I don’t know if we are really ready to get married yet”



“Why do you think that you guys aren’t ready?”

Liam shrugged “You and my sister are perfect together! It is quite obvious that you two were meant to be with each other”



“Thanks” Micah smiled “I really love that girl”



Liam and Micah heard the sound of screeching tires on the pavement and heard a loud crash in front of them. Liam slammed on the breaks to avoid getting hit. They sat in the car stunned not sure as to what just happened. Both boys looked up to see the little blue Jetta that Jade was driving, upside down in the ditch. As Liam dialed 911 the boys bolted out the car doors to help the girls. Silence. Nothing. No movement. Liam could feel his heart beating faster as he talked to the police explaining the situation. “Jade? Claire? Can either of you hear me?” Liam yelled into the mangled mess.



“Liam help me” a small voice called out.



“Jade is that you? How is Claire?”



“Claire isn’t moving or responding” Jade said struggling to get the words out



“An ambulance is on it’s way over” Liam said “Micah and I are right here.”



At this point Micah was a mess pacing back and forth, and tears streaming from his eyes. He had lost all hope that Claire was even alive. The faint sound of sirens filled the night air. When the police and ambulance had arrived they immediately got to work getting the girls out.



“Were either of the girls drunk while driving?” A policeman interviewed Liam and Micah



“No, neither one was. The person in the other car drove into their lane and hit them head on” Micah said looking at the other car in the ditch.



After ten minutes they had cut both girls out of the Jetta, and the teen out of the other car involved. Jade had some minor cuts and bruises but she was fine and insisted on them letting her go home. Claire on the other hand was badly bruised, cut, and had several broken bones. They put Claire on a stretcher and loaded her in the back of the ambulance, Micah hopped into the ambulance with her. Jade was also put on a stretcher and loaded in an ambulance. Liam got in his car and followed them to the hospital.



Chapter 5



Jade sat in her cold hospital room alone staring out the window at the big bright moon. She replayed the accident over and over again in her mind. A knock on the door startled her as Doctor Hanson walked in carrying a clip board. “How is she?” Jade asked immediately.



“She didn’t make it. She passed away in the ambulance. I’m sorry Jade” He said sadly as he sat down on the seat next to her bed. “It looks like you only had some minor cuts and bruises, but nothing too major at all. So you are free to go home”



“Go home? But Liam and Micah... I can’t leave them here!” Jade said getting out of her hospital bed, and putting on her shoes. “Where are they?”



“They are both in the waiting room, waiting for their parents to arrive” Dr. Hanson stood up from his chair. “Take care of yourself, Jade” he smiled then left the room. Jade rushed out of her room and into the waiting room. Liam and Micah were sitting there with tears streaming down both of their faces. Liam looked up and saw Jade, but didn’t move or say hi. Jade went to his side and sat down next to him. She wrapped her arms around him but he shrugged her off.



“Liam I am so sorry” She cried



“This is all your fault, Jade! You never liked Claire. I should have been the one to drive her home not you. You planned all this didn’t you? You wanted her dead. I never want to see you again!” He yelled at her then got up from his seat and walked down the hallway. Jade tried to keep the tears back but it was of no use. She got up from her chair and walked to the exit of the hospital not making eye contact with anyone around her. Jade dialed a taxi and waited outside on a bench.



She saw the Livingstons van pull into the parking lot. She was not ready to face them yet but there was no place for her to go. She sat on the cold bench shaking as they got closer. The both had red puffy eyes and tear stained faces. Mr. and Mrs. Livingston saw Jade but kept walking right past her not saying anything. Jade wanted to curl up in a ball and die, she couldn’t take it anymore. She didn’t do anything wrong, but why did she feel so guilty? The yellow taxi pulled up and Jade got in and gave the driver her address.



It was midnight when Jade walked through the door. She tried hard to be as quiet as possible. The house was dark, and cold. Her family had been asleep for hours at this point. She was scared, scared of what was going to happen when her parents found out. Terrified of what this would do to her relationship. She heard the phone ring and someone getting up to get it. Jade tried to hear the conversation but she couldn’t make out any of the muffled words. The the light in the hallway turned on and her mom walked out of the her room.



“Jadyn Elizabeth!” Her mom yelled as she ran down the steps to hug her. “Thank God you are alright”



“I’m so glad to see you mom” Jade said hugging her mother tighter then she even had.



“I just got off the phone with Mrs. Livingston. She isn’t too happy with you right now” Mrs Maxwell said as she took Jade into the kitchen and started the water heater.



Jade sat down on a bar stool and proceeded to tell her mom all the details about what had happened that night.