I shouldn't be upset. Jace has always done what he wants, and he always will. Except this time it's different, he's not just making out with the girl – although there is a lot of that – he's holding her chin, smiling as he surveys every feature on her face. The girl smiles ecstatically, probably thinking she's the luckiest girl in the world. Jace doesn't act that with his random hookups.

"You're staring," Santiago tells me.

"At what? I'm just daydreaming."

Santiago shakes his head, seeing right through me as he takes a draw from his cigarette and the strong, thick smoke seems to go straight to my nostrils, determined to inject me with cancer.

"How can he just stand there and do that in the parking lot? And why is she touching his car? She probably has herpes or something. Why is she touching him, for that matter?"

"Probably 'cause she likes him."

"Shut up, Santiago."

"I didn't say he likes her."

"He obviously does," I scoff.

"Remind me why you care?"

"I don't know why I care. I had become an expert at not caring and now it's gone and i'm about to lose my shit."

Pulling open the backseat door of Santi's car, I sit in, pulling my water bottle filled with vodka out of my bag and start forcing it down my throat no matter how disgusting it is and how much it feels like it's burning a whole in my throat. I would rather drown in this alcohol than go to my next class.

"Jace seems to have lost interest in tall blonde now that you are out of sight," Santiago says.

"Don't say shit like that."

"Just stating what I see."

"People see what they wanna see."

"Deep. But seriously, see for yourself."

Sighing, I put the cap on my bottle and get out of the car, looking over the other ones and seeing Jace still being all disgusting with the girl.

"He started again when you got out."

"Sure he did. Let's just go back. I'm getting nauseous watching this."

"It's probably the disgusting vodka you just drank straight that's making you nauseous."

Santi and I start walking to the main building just when, coincidentally, Jace makes his way back too. When we get inside, Jace stops and looks at the girl he's with, but while doing so we meet eyes and I take that opportunity to say something.

"Jace, you're not mad at me about last night, are you?"

"No."

The girl turns around, smiling while taking an interest in our conversation. Why is her smile so damn cute anyway?

"Are you coming over tonight? I'll make up for it." I didn't mean for that to sound so dirty and his girl seems to take it the wrong way.

"Nah, I'd rather hang out with Leah," he slings his arm around the girl and starts walking the other way.

What the fuck?

I'm standing there, a little shocked for a few seconds before I realise who I am.

"What makes you think you can talk to me like that?"

He stops, turning around and letting go of Leah. "You do and say whatever you want, no matter how it makes a person feel. I thought i'd start doing the same."

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"Did you have fun with Wesley last night?"

Ugh lord.

"You're mad 'cause I hung out with Wesley?"

"No, I'm pissed 'cause we had plans and you cancelled just to spend time with that prick. You could have just told me the truth instead of me having to find out from Alex."

"What do you want me to say? Wes showed up and I tried to say no. But fine, don't let me make up for it since you'd rather be with Leah."

"I wouldn't put you through the bother of seeing me since you'd rather be with Wes."

Leah backs up away from us, "I think i'm
gonna go." Jace doesn't even look at her.

"You're acting like a ten year old."

"You're acting like a bitch."

"Alright, cut it out," Santiago stands in between us.

"He's not getting the last word."

"Who's the ten year old now?"

"Stop it; people are staring," Santi says with his stern voice that always makes me not want to challenge him.

Jace's angry eyes bore into mine, long enough for me to see the hurt in them. Maybe he sees that I've realised how he really feels, because he quickly turns away and leaves.

The next classes are spent with blurry vision and ringing ears and repeatedly telling my teachers that I just have a sore head.

Eventually, my health teacher lets me go to the nurse, but I don't actually go. Instead I walk around the halls, swinging my legs and mumbling curses at Jace. I walk past Mr. Aarons class, seeing Amelia sitting with Chrissy in the front row. I haven't spoke to him since we slept together just before school stopped for Christmas break. Alex is also in that class... Jace too.

It's a bad idea barging into that class, but I freaking did it anyway. Alex snaps his head up, eyes widening and Jace screws his face up in confusion.

"I-need-to-talk-to-Alex," I say really fast and loud.

Mr. Aarons is taken aback by my entrance. "Um, Yasmin... You can talk to him at lunch. I'm teaching a class."

"I need to talk to him now." Why am I having to repeat myself?

"Why are you out of your-" He pauses, seeing Alex walking towards me. "I said no, Alex."

"I think you can survive a couple minutes without me," he says and people laugh. Aarons's cheeks go red and Alex takes me out and closes the door before he manages to say anything back.

"You just love to make my life hard, don't you?"

"What? Why are you drunk?" He says the last part so quietly I barely hear.

"I know you don't want me to be friends with Jace but-" He stops me from talking by covering my mouth with his hand.

"It's a thin door, Yasmin! Would you lower your damn voice."

I slap his arm, making him pull it back then I kick him in the shins.

"Owe, fucking fuck," he leans down, grabbing his leg. "What was that for?"

"You told Jace I was with Wesley."

"So?"

"He didn't need to know that. You just go out of your way all the time to make us hate each other despite us only being friends."

"I thought he knew, and I didn't think he cared since you're with Wes all the time. What changed with that? Why does he suddenly not want you to be with him?"

"I don't know!"

"Stop yelling!"

The door swings open and Aarons steps out. "What is going on? You're disrupting every class in this corridor."

"Just a good old family disagreement," Alex crosses his arms, leaning against the wall. "Got any siblings?" 

The fuck is his deal with him?

"Go back to your seat. Right now."

Alex raises his eyebrows, smiling. "Fine. You first."

"I need to have a word with your sister first."

Nah bitch get me out of here.

Alex steps closer and Aarons shifts, possibly intimidated. "Do you really think I'd leave you alone with her?"

"Why is that bad?" I ask.

"Are you accusing me of something?" Aarons says.

"No, man. I've just noticed you take an interest in things that are mine. Amelia's pretty, I get it. So is my little sister. See my concern?"

"You are being very inappropriate. I think you should head down to Principal Harris."

"Happily." Alex puts his hand on my shoulder. "Come on, Yas."

"What was that about?" I ask when we are far enough away for Aarons not to hear.

"He's so fucking weird with Amelia. Last week he basically grabbed her ass; I wanted to knock him the fuck out."

"You exaggerate a lot."

"Ain't exaggerating."

"I forgot i'm supposed to be mad at you."

"It's not like he won't talk to you again."

"I know that... but I didn't want to make him upset."

"I want to know what's going on with you and Wes."

"Nothing is going on."

"I notice every time your mood is even a little off. You've been so weird recently especially around Wes, and I've known you like him for ages."

"How can you know that?"

"Because I know you." He grabs the handle to Harris's door. "Go to class and stop drinking."

"Think i'll be sober for my dance class after school?"

"Not unless you drink two litres of water and sleep."

I sigh. My dance teacher is getting tired of me missing classes because of 'homework'.

"Got money?"

"Not on me, why?"

He goes into his pocket and takes out a handful of change, dropping it into my hand. "Go get lots of water before going back to class."

I lean against the wall. "I don't wanna go back; I have a sore head," I screw up my face and whine like a kid. "Do you have pain killers?"

"¿Eres estúpida? You can't take pain killers with alcohol."

"Oops. Forgot."

"What's taking you so long to come inside?" Harris asks when he opens the door. "Why are you not in class, Yasmin?"

"She has a migraine," Alex says.

"Well, go to the nurse. I hope you feel better."

I smile, taking a step back and clenching the money in my hand in case I drop it all which is something that would happen to me. "Sorry for kicking you," I say to Alex while he's going into Harris's office. I hear him laugh before the door closes.

+++

"Yasmin Fuentes, honouring us with her presence at our table," Tyler says as I drop my bag on the seat across from him. "What's the occasion?"

I don't want to sit with Jace and I want to sit with Wesley. "Just missed you too much."

"Please make your feelings for me a little more subtle."

"Oh yeah, dude, Yasmin is definitely crushing on you; the guy who's had a million STD's," Wesley says.

I spot Amelia in the lunch line with Chrissy, so I walk straight over there, dying for food.

"You look like you're struggling to walk in a straight line," Amelia says, knowing that I drank too much probably because Alex tells her everything.

"You made quite the entrance in our math class," Chrissy points out and I just give him my 'I don't like you' stare.

"Okay, what did you do to her?" Amelia asks with an accusing tone.

"He just turned out to be like every other asshole in the world, you know; acting like he's into me for a month until I finally sleep with him and suddenly he has no interest in me anymore."

Amelias jaw drops and she glares at him until he jumps to his own defence.

"Thats not what happened. You're the one who pushed me away."

"Did not."

"Straight after we had sex you started acting weird and would barely answer my texts. Eventually I gave up trying with you."

Actually that does kind of sound like me. I don't even realise I push people away because I'm scared of them being the ones who leave me.

Amelia clears her throat, "Hi, Jace."

I turn around, finding Jace with his eyes locked on Chrissy.

"Feelin' better?" He asks me.

"Yes."

"I would ask if you wanted to hang out tonight, but seems like you've had enough alcohol for one day."

"What happened to Leah?"

"Turns out she's not my type."

"Hmm, and what type is she?"

"Virgin."

That never stopped him before.

I feel myself getting uncomfortable as I look down at the floor. When I look back up, Jace is watching me as if he knows what I'm thinking about and his features turn sad.

"So, you're not pissed at me anymore?" I say to change the subject.

He shakes his head no, glancing behind me. "Did you really bang that guy?"

Oh jeez.

+++

teaser: Yasmin has sex with someoneeee

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