Chapter 10

“Hello, beautiful.” Aiden slid into the seat next to Jade in the cafeteria, flashing his usual playful grin. “Where were you this weekend? Not a single phone call. Don’t tell me you’ve got a new best friend you’re sneaking around with.” He looked at her with exaggerated puppy eyes.
“You know, now that you mention it, I do have a new best friend,” she teased, rolling her eyes and shoving her notebook full of Civil War notes toward him. “It’s called my term paper.”
“Jade, Jade, Jade.” Aiden shook his head dramatically as he flipped through her notebook. “When will you learn? Term papers are meant to be completed during the last week of the term, not two months before it’s due.” He skimmed her notes, raising an eyebrow at some of her ideas. “But hey, let me know when you decide what to focus on. I’ll definitely be stealing one of these discarded theses.”
Jade snatched her research back, smirking. “We’ll see,” she said, knowing full well that if he needed help, she’d be there.
“Hi, y’all!” Lacey waved as she and Sam arrived, trays in hand. Jade noticed Lacey’s new pink dress and couldn’t help but guess that Sam had been playing the part of the chivalrous boyfriend all morning. From the back of the cafeteria, Jade saw Alex struggling under a towering stack of library books, the blue rims of his glasses barely visible over the pile.
“How are you guys just sitting here laughing?” Alex asked breathlessly as he dropped what must have been twenty pounds of books onto the table. “Are you not at all worried about college?”
Jade had noticed lately that the stress of getting into Yale—had made Alex go a bit over the edge.
“Relax, man,” Sam said, giving Alex a reassuring slap on the back. “It’ll all work out.”
“Yeah, seriously. Go get some lunch and take a breather,” Aiden added, pushing Alex gently toward the lunch line. “The books will still be here when you get back.”
As soon as Alex was out of earshot, Aiden grinned mischievously. “We should totally hide these.”
“Oh lord, leave him alone,” Jade said, laughing as she gathered the books and pulled them closer to her, away from Aiden’s reach. Lacey and Sam helped stack the books protectively around them.
When Alex returned with his lunch, he seemed a little calmer, though he at once turned the conversation back to college applications. Jade tried to stay engaged, but she couldn’t help letting her gaze drift out the window. For once, Benjamin’s group—weren’t watching her. In fact, they seemed completely uninterested in everything happening inside the school.
Jade’s thoughts kept circling back to Benjamin. She needed to find a way to confront him, to return his drawings and get some answers. But how could she get him alone, away from his friends?
“Earth to Jade,” Aiden teased, waving his hand in front of her face.
She blinked, snapping out of her thoughts. “Sorry, I’ve had a lot on my mind.”
“We were just asking what your plans are for next year,” Aiden said with a grin.
“Oh, a gap year to work in a restaurant, hopefully,” Jade replied, her mind still half on Benjamin. “Then I’ll apply to culinary school. I’ll be just as crazy as Alex is now.” Alex finally cracked a smile at her comment, and the conversation flowed easily from there.
As Jade walked to English class with Aiden, she knew this would be her best chance to catch Benjamin alone. But just as Mr. Wells walked through the door, Benjamin rushed in and took a seat on the opposite side of the room. Jade felt a pang of frustration—so close, yet so far.
When class ended, she tried to reach him, but Benjamin was already out the door before she could even stand. The next two days followed the same pattern. Every time she was one step away from approaching him, he would disappear before she could even catch his eye.
It was like he was avoiding her on purpose.
Jade’s determination only grew stronger. She wasn’t about to let this go, not when the questions in her mind kept growing louder by the day. She just needed to find the right moment.
On Wednesday, after her third failed attempt to catch Benjamin alone, Jade pulled Lacey aside at the end of the day and led her to one of the benches outside of the school. She needed advice, and Lacey was her best bet.
“So, I need to get some advice,” Jade began once they were settled. “Can I give you the short version of my weekend?”
“Ooh, this sounds juicy,” Lacey said, her eyes lighting up with excitement. Jade could tell that Lacey was ready for some gossip to live vicariously through.
“Okay, well… on Saturday, I went to Savanah to start working on my history paper, like I told you all in the cafeteria. But what I didn’t mention is that I ran into Benjamin. We snuck into a church steeple, and… we ended up making out for a while.” Jade let out the breath she had been holding and watched Lacey closely, hoping she wouldn’t see any judgment in her friend’s eyes.
“Whoa, I was not expecting that. Way to go, Jade.” Lacey grinned and held up her hand for a discreet low-five. Jade laughed and slapped her hand in return. “Now, back up—give me more details. And tell me what the heck the problem is.”
Jade took a deep breath and began to explain. “I ran into him early in the day, and he offered to be my tour guide, showing me all the hot spots. We ended up having a great time. Then, Benjamin told me he wanted to show me his favorite place in the city, which happened to be the top of a church steeple. So, we snuck up there. We talked for a while, but then we started arguing, which turned into kissing… and then, out of nowhere, he freaked out. He ran off and left me in the church.”
She sighed, unsure how much to reveal about why Benjamin had run away. She could see Lacey was doing her best to stay patient, though her foot tapped with barely-contained enthusiasm at this unexpected twist.
“I’m not completely sure why he left,” Jade continued, “but I think it has something to do with his friends. And now, at school, he’s been avoiding me. I know I need to catch him alone, and that’s where you come in.” She looked at Lacey hopefully, desperately needing a plan—and fast.
“And the only class you have together is English, right?” Lacey asked.
Jade nodded. “With Aiden.”
Lacey chewed her lip, thinking. “I’m going to need a minute. A little scheming time.”
Jade did her best to wait patiently as Lacey sat in deep thought, her chin resting on her hand. The school parking lot had emptied during their conversation, leaving them in peaceful quiet. Jade was grateful there were no eavesdroppers around; the last thing she needed was for her secret afternoon with Benjamin to become the talk of the school. She ran her sweaty palms down her pants, trying to calm herself.
“I’ve got it,” Lacey suddenly exclaimed, her whole face lighting up with excitement. Jade felt a surge of relief—having Lacey on her side felt like having a secret weapon, especially when she looked so mischievous. “Today in my English class, we got into groups of two to read lines from Romeo and Juliet—something about how hearing the words gives them more meaning or whatever. Anyway, you’ll only have about five minutes, but if you can trap Benjamin and force him to be your partner, it might give you the time you need.”
“Lacey, you’re a genius!” Jade grabbed her friend’s shoulders, shaking them with glee. “I completely forgot when Mr. Wells made that announcement at the end of class.”
“Too distracted by your lover?” Lacey teased with a grin. Jade tried to laugh it off, but the blush on her cheeks gave her away. “Seriously, though, I need some details. Was he a good kisser?”
Jade flashed back to the feeling of being backed against the wall, Benjamin’s lips on hers. “Yes,” she admitted, biting her lip to keep from smiling too widely.
“Okay, more details, please!” Lacey demanded, leaning in closer. “I need the play-by-play. Every girl in this school wishes she were in your shoes right now. Well, more likely your shoes in that moment.”
Jade laughed and indulged Lacey, recounting the romantic details of the afternoon—their argument that turned into something more, the intense way they had been caught up in the moment. Lacey hung on to her every word, sighing at all the right parts. For the first time in days, Jade felt lighter, as if she could momentarily set aside the weight of her thoughts and just enjoy the memory.
It was a perfect ten minutes, filled with the kind of girlish chatter she hadn’t had in what felt like forever. Jade realized she needed this—someone to share the romantic ups and downs with, someone besides her mother who could appreciate a heartbreakingly romantic movie night. Next time she needed to watch A Walk to Remember and cry over the love story, she knew exactly who to call.
Eventually, Jade drove away from the school, her mind buzzing with the plan she and Lacey had concocted. When she arrived home, she set herself to making dinner, trying to push thoughts of Benjamin out of her mind for a while. She perched her little sister, Abby, on the counter as she prepared chicken piccata, listening as Abby animatedly told her all about her day with her imaginary friend, Ann. Sometimes, Jade wished she could slip back into those days of make-believe, where the world was simpler and less confusing. But despite how nerve-racking the past few weeks had been, she knew she was close to figuring it all out. She just needed a little more patience.
The next day, however, patience was in short supply. All Jade could think about was how to put her plan into action. She barely spoke to her friends at lunch, her mind consumed by the task at hand. She walked silently to English with Aiden, her thoughts swirling with possibilities. Just as they were about to enter the classroom, she stopped abruptly.
“Hey, Aiden?” she called out. He turned to face her, eyebrows raised in curiosity. “I forgot something in my locker. I’ll meet you inside.”
He nodded and continued into the classroom without question.
Jade tried to keep a normal pace as she walked down the hall, but the moment she was out of sight, she hurried to her hiding spot near the lockers, peering around the corner to keep an eye on the classroom door. For a brief moment, she worried that Benjamin might sneak up on her—catch her in the act—but then she saw Mr. Wells enter the classroom, followed closely by Benjamin. As soon as he disappeared inside, Jade made her way to the door, praying that there was still an open seat next to him. If all her planning went to waste, she didn’t know what she’d do.
Luck was on her side. Aiden sat at the front of the room, with an empty seat beside him, while Benjamin was a few feet away with another open seat. Jade shot Aiden an apologetic look, trying to appear guilty for being late rather than pleased that everything was going according to plan. She quickly slid into the seat beside Benjamin, doing her best to seem casual.
Benjamin didn’t look at her, but Jade noticed the way his arm muscles tensed when she sat down. She pretended not to notice, pulling out some paper and a pen as though she were dutifully ready to take notes. In truth, she was growing more impatient by the second, waiting for Mr. Wells to finish his lecture and move on to the acting lesson. If he didn’t assign partners soon, her carefully laid plan would fall apart. And there was no way she could pull the “forgot something in my locker” trick again without arousing suspicion—especially from Aiden.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Mr. Wells began assigning pairs. Jade exhaled a silent sigh of relief when he paired her with Benjamin.
“Okay, everyone,” Mr. Wells said with a grin. “Now that we’ve finished reading the play, it’s time to bring Shakespeare’s words to life. After all, he was a playwright—his words were meant to be spoken! Since I’ve paired you all in co-ed groups, I think the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet will do nicely. You’re all hormonal teenagers, right?”
The class burst into laughter, and everyone flipped their books open to act 2, scene 2. Jade glanced at Benjamin, who was staring at his book with a pained expression. When he began reading the famous lines, his voice was flat and devoid of emotion.
“But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, who is already sick and pale with grief that thou her maid art far fairer than she.”
Jade couldn’t help but laugh at his monotone delivery. “You know this is supposed to be a love scene, right?”
Benjamin looked up at her, his expression a mix of annoyance and frustration. “Oh, really? I hadn’t noticed.”
He glanced back down at the page, continuing to read in the same dull tone, completely ignoring her. But Jade wasn’t about to let him off that easily.
“Come on, Benjamin,” she teased, leaning in slightly. “Put some feeling into it. Romeo’s declaring his love here. Don’t you think he should sound a little more… passionate?”
Benjamin’s jaw clenched, and for a moment, Jade thought he might snap at her. But instead, he let out a long breath and glanced at her from the corner of his eye. “You want passion?” he asked, his voice low and edged with something she couldn’t quite place.
“Yes,” she replied, her own voice softening. “You can’t just read the words. You have to feel them.”
Benjamin’s gaze lingered on her for a moment, and Jade felt her heart quicken. There was something in his eyes—a flicker of emotion that he was trying desperately to suppress. Then, just as quickly, he looked away, shutting down whatever had momentarily surfaced.
“Fine,” he muttered, flipping the page. But when he continued reading, his tone was just as emotionless as before.
Jade sighed in frustration. She had hoped this scene would be her chance to break through to him, to make him talk to her, but it seemed Benjamin was determined to keep his walls up. She needed to find another way to get through to him—something that would force him to confront whatever it was he was hiding.
For now, though, she would play along. There was still time.