Chapter 30, Reading Through Your Lies

You're only mad because I won't let you manipulate me, do me a favor and disappear again.

"What if I got my septum pierced?"

I asked to the boy next to me, Jaden looked up from his phone and at me.

He's been over quite alot ever since Lola.

I know it sounds petty and selfish but I don't want to be over if she is.

She's brainwashed and taken what I cherished most, so I stopped going over.

In fact I was so annoyed, I started losing motivation to even want to work with him.

I've been thinking of things to do to get my mind off of the two but nothing dared come to mind.

"Don't, just no."

Jaden laughed, we were taking a lot of photos.

I'm pretty sure his storage is going to complain soon but he didn't care, he was there for me whenever I cried late at night.

Call me dramatic but I really like Javon and the fact he's been ghosting me for lOlA is wow.

"You can't ignore him forever, NJ, we both know you're not capable of ignoring him."

Jaden said with a sigh, I looked at him and sighed as well.

He was right, every post on Instagram of Lola made me hate the two but never for too long.

I just wished I made a move on him a long time ago, now I suffer the consequences.

"I know that, trust me I do. It's just difficult, I didn't think I'd act the way I do right now."

I admitted embarrassed, I was ashamed of myself as I seen my actions as petty and quite rude.

But at the same time, it was quite reasonable, the one person I liked a lot is busy with someone else.

"I got you a present, since our one month of being friends is coming up."

Jaden said with a smirk, he got up and grabbed my hand, forcing me up along with him.

I sighed and walked out of my room as he lead me downstairs.

"I feel like a middle school girlfriend right now."

I couldn't stop myself from laughing, when I'm around Jaden we say the dumbest things and laugh at it.

That's why I consider him a best friend, he sat me on the couch and told me to close my eyes.

"No peeking or I swear NJ, I'll throw you and you'll literally fly across the room."

I chuckled a bit and kept my eyes closed, I wasn't trying to peek but now the image of me flying across the room was in my head.

After a moment, Jaden finally allowed me to open my eyes.

In front of me was a white marble notebook, it was big.

It had a lot of pages which was good, I grabbed it and hugged him tightly.

"Jade, you didn't have to!"

Tears were messing up my vision, he laughed at me and wiped them away before they got the chance to fall.

I was grateful to have an amazing best friend, he always treated me with kindness no matter what.

Jaden even came over every night when I was having nightmares, he of course bullied me a bit before actually helping but he always helped.

I needed that a lot, I sat on the couch and let the tears flow.

My eyes were now bloodshot red, I had my head in my hands.

I knew what I was going to use it for.

"Nat, look up for a second?"

Jaden asked, I was confused nonetheless but I looked up anyways.

He had his phone out and snapped a photo of me, I laughed as he posted it.

@ Onwardjdub Posted!

I scrolled through the comments, laughing at whatever my siblings would say.

Jaden kept doing a weird voice which me made laugh harder, he knew how to make me feel better than ever.

I continued to scroll through the comments when I saw a user I never thought I'd see again.

I closed my phone fast, my heart was beating faster than ever.

I didn't think I'd see her again, I wish I never saw her again.

Everything was going around in my head fast, it was like I was spiraling out of control.

Jaden seemed to notice and placed his hand on my shoulder, he looked at me with a confused expression.

"Who was that?"

He asked, I was hyperventilating.

I needed to relax to tell him who it was but the thought of them coming back scares me.

"Veronica Martin, she was my best friend. She was well, she was what every toxic friend was."

I answered his question, finally relaxing.

I thought I had blocked her when she moved out of Atlanta.

But I didn't and I've never been more angry with myself, I turned my phone off and as I clicked her user to block, my phone rang.

It was her calling me, I looked at Jaden who just nodded and grabbed my hand.

Maybe I was overdramatic and sensitive, but I couldn't help it.

"Hey, long time no see."

The voice I haven't heard in a while, I hated it now.

It felt like nails on a chalkboard now, she harmed me in ways that I didn't think was possible.

"Yeah.."

That was all I could say, I was still in shocked.

I mean if you expected someone from the past to stay dead and they did, I'd give you all my money to teach me your ways.

But I have to deal with my own demons.

"I'm in town and thought I could swing by, maybe take you to a gym. You've gained weight, I looked through your posts."

There it was, immediate body shame.

Soon there will be the mind games and the making me do things I don't want to.

Jaden looked at me, he shook his head and mouthed 'your body is beautiful.'

I smiled and took a deep breath, I wanted to cut the conversation short but there had to be a reason on why she's now trying to contact me.

"Is there a reason on why you called me and bring me down?"

I asked, my tone was harsh and cold just how it should be.

I don't want her to take my kindness for weakness, she's taken everything I wanted away from me.

"Wow, hostile much?"

"It's just a question, you've been gone for about three years without conversation and now I'm doing good and you pop up."

It was true, everything was suspicious.

Either she tells me now or I hang up and block her from all social medias.

I'm not joking right now, I want to have a better life.

"You know, you should be glad I even contacted you. Maybe you're still the same soft person, I gave you everything. I was there to protect you."

That was all a lie, I called her once to help me with a problem and she believes she protected me.

What is going on in her sick mind?

I took a deep breath and looked at Jaden, he's been giving me reassuring comments.

You're only mad because I won't let you manipulate me, do me a favor and disappear again.

With that being said, I hung up.

I deserve an amazing life, I deserved happiness.

But it felt like forever until I actually got it.