Jaylin and her group are hanging around a shiny, blue Chevrolet Jeep. Whit, Isabelle and the brown haired guy from the night before sit on it's hood while Jay and the rest stand to the side and in front of it. Looking around the student parking lot and seeing only a couple other kids scattered around increases an emotion I haven't felt in a while: fear.

I'll never admit out loud why, but social situations freak me out. Something about a whole bunch of strangers staring at me, sizing me up, sends me into panic mode. The fact that I know some of the people just a few yards in front of me doesn't help in anyway. My brain is too forced on the people, the guys, I don't know to draw comfort from that thought.

The more I think about all the different ways asking Jaylin for help could go wrong, the more I start to realize walking home isn't such a bad idea. Don't get me wrong, Jaylin is an ok person at home, nice even. It's the person she turns into when a group of her friends are around that isn't.

Looking at her now wearing a huge smile with her arms around King, anyone would guess that she's in a happy mood, but I know her well enough to understand that just because she's smiling, doesn't necessarily mean she's happy.

When it comes to Jaylin, reading and then predicting what her reactions to my actions might be is never an easy thing, mostly because more times than not I'm wrong. I blame it on the fact that she isn't consist. With most people, all it takes to know what their reactions might be is reading their facial expressions and body language.

Jaylin is completely different. With her, I have to take the day it is, her mood, and the time it is just to have a fifty-fifty chance at knowing what she might do.

With all this in mind my guess is that if she's in a good mood, she'll just snap at me for interrupting, Jay's group never shuts up. It's either interrupt or don't talk, and then take me home. If she's in a bad mood, she'll snap, 'discreetly' glower at me and then make me walk home.

Since I'm already considering walking home, I figure I might as well just pick that instead of risking the chance of getting on Jay's bad side. Plus side to this plan is that I avoided the social situation I would have had to be in, down side is that home is two point eight miles away, aka, an hour walk.

I'm taking my last glance at Jay and her group when I hear a guy shouting, "HEY!"

Thinking that the shout is meant for someone else, the fact that I'd rather not plays a part too, I don't look up. Instead, I climb down the last few steps to reach the cement platform. I'm pulling up the rout home on google maps when another shout sounds out, "HUDSON'S BLACK CHICK!" I look up briefly, and accidentally meet the blazing blue eyes of the guy who's name I still don't know. His tan hands are cupped in a megaphone-like shape around his mouth. I don't need to see the sly smile he probably has to know his intentions: the quick look in his eyes said it all.
"YEA. YOU. COME OVER."

No thanks.

The thought of wasting any more time with his over confident, obnoxious alec doesn't scare me in anyway. Nauseated would be the best word to describe what I feel.

I shake my head no, and am about to turn away from the group when I hear Jay's voice.
"Don't be an ass, McCay. She's my foster sister."

I'm taken aback with so much shock that my mouth falls open.

In the whole month I've lived with her family, Jay has never once called me sister in any formation, and I never expected her too.

In the past, some kids have never got their heads wrapped around me joining their families. During the time I lived with them, they would keep their distance until it was announced that I was leaving. Then they'd pretend we were best friends until Seleya came and got me.

Until this moment, I fully expected Jay to be just like that. To have her prove wrong, causes a gallon of emotion to rush through me.

Jaylin doesn't hate me. Who would've guessed?

"I wasn't being an ass."

"Yea, Whatever. Where's Hudson, Jacqueline." She gives the brown haired guy now formerly known as McCay a pointed look when she says my name. In turn, he rolls his eyes at her and pulls Whit's body between his legs.

"He ah," I unconsciously flare out my hair into my left eye. Being unable to see at least half of the group helps keep me semi steady while their eyes burn my body. "Went t-to talk these g-guys out of trouble."
I'm more than sure most of the group could hear my quiet voice from the distance separating us, but I'm too weirded out by my stutter to care. I haven't heard it in such a long while, that it feels a bit surreal to my ears.

"Need a ride home then?"

I'm about to answer with a yea, but decide against it last second, and just nod. If I were to talk, Jay won't hear me, so what's the point?

Jaylin gestures me over before turning to King. "I'm leaving."

"You can't. I drove you to school today." He pats the side of his keep to prove his point.

"I know." Jay rolls her green eyes, her face saying she can't handle his stupidity. "You're leaving too."

"I don't...want to."

"You shouldn't have picked me up this morning then." She knocks lightly on his head, "Think before you act." Before kissing it.

"You heard the girl, we're leaving." He looks at the trio still seated on his car. "Get off my car."

King unlocks the Jeep and I'm about to open the passenger door when a light hand on my arm stops me.

"Sorry if you found what I said earlier offensive. I didn't mean for it to sound like that."

I look down at his black nike shoes. They're a clean white around the bottom, probably brand new. "What do you mean then?" My mumble is quiet enough that McCay could easily pretend he didn't hear me and walk away, or own up to his earlier words and explain himself.

"Hudson has dated many girls. You're the only black one, so far." Without looking up, I know his shrugging. "Hudson's black chick seemed like a pretty ok nickname."

I rise my head to the sky to stare at his face. He looks genuinely ignorant, like he sees no wrong in his choice of words. My voice is even and quiet when I say, "I don't like it. My name is Jacqueline."

McCay draws his lips into what most would call a charming smile. I too would think it charming if he didn't pat my head as he spoke, "Alright. See ya around, short stuff."

"Sure." The word hits the back of his grey sweatshirt as King honks at me.

I take another moment to breath in the September air, glowing in how I managed to look a guy in the eyes, before opening the door and getting in the car.

The moment my butt hits the soft cloth of the car seat, both Jaylin and King turn around to talk to me. It's like they're in a race on who can talk faster, King, and loudest, Jaylin.

"You shoulda seen the look on McCay's face while you gave him the beat down, Shorty. Priceless!" King exclamations, looking at me with pride and admiration.

I don't understand why me 'beating down' McCay is such a big deal to King. He could've easily done more damage to McCay's ego than I. None the less, I flash him a reflection of his excited smile as Jay says, "As proud as we are of you finally standing up for yourself, I suggest you don't brag to Hudson about this."

"Why?" I stare at Jay out of the corners of my eyes as I pull my seatbelt cross my chest. In turn, she looks at me like I'm stupid for a long couple seconds before turning back to front, saying,

"Because he's Finn, you're his girl, and McCay made a dumbass remark about you."

I nod my head like I understand her when she finds my eyes in the review mirror.

The rest of the ride home is filled with talk about Veronica's party, a party I wasn't invited to-who even is Veronica?-and the homecoming dance scheduled for next week.

Halfway home, I decide to send Finn a quick text.

Me: Not working today. Help me with Spanish?

________

Thanks so much for reading! Please vote, comment and share if you liked this chapter.

Sorry I didn't update on time. I rudely feel bad since the reason was this awesome show called Merlin, but none the less: I love you guys and the support you've shown for this book. For that reason, I'm going to spend a ton of my winter break writing just so I can update in time.

DP: Dec.20.17
DF: Feb.2.18
WC: 1,498