"Aaliyah...please stop," Jackson pleaded as he followed her out to the parking lot. "Aaliyah!"

Aaliyah turned and slapped Jackson across the face, making him grab his face out of surprise. "You knew...you fucking knew," she cursed, which caught Jackson by surprise because she didn't curse often, "that she leaked the video and you played dumb this whole time!" She yelled. "I️ trusted you!" She shouts at him. "And you lied to me!"

"It's not because I️ didn't want to. It's because I️ couldn't!" He urgently explained. "You remember how you said Elijah was blackmailing?" He asked her. "Well she was black mailing me!" He points behind him. "She said she would tell people about what happened if I️ didn't do what she told me."

"So you really did kill someone?" She frowns deeply.

"It wasn't like that," he said defensively. "Do you honestly believe I'm capable of murder?" He scoffs.

"I️ don't know what to believe about you anymore. That's the point," she hissed.

"I'm the same person you've always known and loved," Jackson confronts her.

Aaliyah looks up at him sadly. "Are you really?" She chokes. "There's been too many lies a-and Jackson we just keep breaking each other's hearts," she cries.

"But it's over now! That's all over now Liyah!" Jackson tells her, reaching out to wipe her tears away. "We don't have anyone or anything keeping us apart now. Aaliyah please," he breathes.

She pushes his hands away from her. "I️ need time," she choked.

"Where are you going?" Jackson asked in a panic.

"Home," she tells him before turning and walking away.

"No- please! We're not done here!" He yells after her. "We're not finished, you hear me?! We are not...through!" His breathing ragged. Suddenly feeling hot despite the cold January air, he takes off his jacket and throws it in the ground out, running a frustrated hand through his hair.

Aaliyah opened the door to her cousins car and cried as soon as she shut it. Janina stroked her hair before pulling her in for a much needed hug. "I️ don't know what to anymore," she sobbed. "We try and try to make it work but, nothing ever goes right," she tells her. Janina frowns sadly as she rubs her cousin's arm soothingly. "I️ just...I️ don't think we're meant to be together at all," Aaliyah finally realizes.

"That's not true Aaliyah," Janina says. "I️ know I️ haven't been here long but I️ can see how much y'all like each other," she cheers up.

"I️ can't believe this is happening again," Aaliyah cried, burying her face in her hands. "What did we do to piss off fate?" She mumbles.

Janina looked down at her in confusion. "What are you talking about?" She asks.

Aaliyah looks up at her with tear streaked cheeks. "Nothing," She sniffled. "Nothing, I'm just upset," she quickly covers up. "Can we go?" She asks.

"Yeah," Nina nods, starting the car so they could go home. After a few minutes of silence, they finally arrived home. "Can I️ tell you something?" Janina said as they entered the dark house, everyone already asleep.

They enter her room, taking their heels off and flopping in to her bed. "I've never had the urge to drink more than I now," she groans.

"Oh you should've told me earlier, I️ have some friends..." Janina spoke but stopped when she say the look on Aaliyah's face. "Girl I️ know you not judging when your life just went to shit right now, okay? I'm trying to help you," Janina sassed. "Anyways, I️ know what you're going through," she says, catching her attention once more.

"Did your best friend also sleep with your abusive ex boyfriend and tried to steal your current boyfriend right in front of you while ruining your reputation and the only way you would've find out about any of this was through a drunken mutual Indian friend?" She asked.

"No...because I️ wouldn't even let them get the chance," Janina rolls her eyes. "I️ mean't the whole "wanting to be with someone but can't"."

"Wait do you have a boyfriend? Cause I️ just told Carolina that so she could leave you alone," Aaliyah said.

Janina whipped her head around to look at her. "What did Carolina say about me? Like I️ won't drove over to where she lives and drag her outside in front of her family myself-"

"I'm taking your keys," Aaliyah jokingly says. "Forget about her. What were you saying?" She asks.

Janina sighs. "I️'m in the same boat as you. I️ kind have a boyfriend? But not really? But I️ don't know," she flops down next to her. "And it's complicated cause...my dad hates him."

Aaliyah sits up at this. "Wait what?" She gasps.

"And his family hates me," she somberly tells him.

"Why?" Aaliyah wonders.

Janina looks at her. "He's white. I'm black. Plain and simple," she mutters.

"But you're also half-Nicaraguan," Aaliyah points out.

"That's even worse! I'm not only black, I'm now a black immigrant for a "shit-hole" country," she quotes.

Aaliyah frowns. "You don't believe that, do you?" She asked.

"Nah but, Lucas' parents do," she rolls her eyes, the whole thing clearly upsetting her all over again. "And then my dad doesn't like him either. Says all he does or gonna do it bring trouble to our house," she huffs. "I️ don't understand how a guy like him have parents like that," she sighs. "Anyways, yes, I️ understand how complicated relationships work," she says.

"Then you understand how tired I️ am," Aaliyah tells her. "I️ thought love was supposed to be...easy, you know? Peaceful."

"I️ don't even wanna be in love at all," Janina scoffs. "It's stupid," she said. "But that doesn't mean I️ don't think you and Jeremy-"

"Jackson," Aaliyah corrected.

"...shouldn't work it out," she encourages softly.

Aaliyah was silent for a moment, thinking it over. "He lied Janina," she reminds her.

"Wasn't he being blackmailed, just like you?" She questions.

"It's not just that. He lied about who he is. What he's doing here. I feel like I️ don't know him as well as I️ thought I️ did," Aaliyah expresses. "He killed someone," she whispers to her in disbelief. "I️ still cant believe it."

"Then don't! Hear him out first at least," Janina pleaded on his behalf. "What if it was a mistake?"

"How do you accidentally kill someone?" She whispers back harshly.

"It's easier than you think!" Janina whispers back. "If there's one thing I️ learn growing up in the hood, it's that human life is fucking fragile," she lectured. "You know why Jason-"

"Jackson."

"tried so hard to keep it a secret?" She asked her. Aaliyah shook her head. "Do you know why he moved?" She asked her again.

"No," Aaliyah said.

"Exactly. Ask him," Janina advises before turning over in bed to sleep. Aaliyah stays up with her thoughts a few minutes more before the emotional exhaustion proves too much and she finally falls asleep.

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please read my other works during this quarantine 😌😌