Knowing Jude
Chapter 12

The moment I walk into the school, on my own like most days, I catch sight of a trio that I'd rather not draw attention from. I've not talked to Jax in a long while, and I still haven't figured out what I'd say to him about him and Jen. Is it even any of my business? But it bothers me; every time I think of Angeline, I remember how she was so in love with him. How she could have been heartbroken and taken forever to get over him had anything happened to keep them apart. Maybe I could have managed if it was just Jax and Simon, but no, Jon is with them too.

Now, that complicates everything.

They are standing at the stairs that lead to the huge front doors, with Simon leaning on the other side of the rail. I watch other students pass by, but only in ones and twos, and not a group I can hide in the midst of sometimes being short is a blessing and go past them without being noticed.

I should have worn my snap back today.

While I stand there and hope they disperse soon, someone knocks into me from behind. I lurch forward, but they wrap their hands around my shoulders and hold me upright. I'm about to turn, breathing fire, when they jump onto my back! "Fuck you, Nicki. Get off me," I order because there's only one person in my life who likes doing annoying stuff like this on any unsuspecting victim, and there's also one person in my life who could be smelling like water paints early in the morning.

"Morning to you too, Avery," she chirps in my ear, and I feel my bag dig into my back because she jumped on it.

I crawl at her hands, but she tightens her hold and giggles like a happy monkey. I change my strategy and pinch her arm. Hard.

"Ouch, Jo!" She shrieks, immediately withdrawing the hand around me and flapping it around. I grin and pinch the other one, and she finally lets go and drops to her butt with an oomph!

I burst into laughter, even more as she stands up and rubs her behind. "You're such a bitch," she cusses at me.

I huff. “Yes, I am, whenever you are." My poor muscles are already complaining from her assault.

She rolls her eyes. "You didn't have to drop me on the ground. That hurt."

I shrug. "At least you didn't land on the concrete, be grateful."

"Oh, you..." She trails off, her eyes widening as she looks past me. "Oh, it's Mr. Lover Boy himself."

I suppress a groan.

Nicki grabs my arm and abruptly turns me around. "This is a chance; use it well. He's with Jax and Simon, perfect."

"What! Ah, let me go, you crazy woman!" I complain when she starts dragging me towards the steps. And then, because she and Simon have some sort of craziness connection, he looks at us right then, and his brow shoots up in amusement. The other two simultaneously look at us and Nicki lets go of me. I hear her talking to some Bella girl, forgetting, deliberately, about me. Given they are all looking at me now, I have no choice but to approach them. "Hey, guys!" I greet, standing a step below them. I have to look up at them, and it sucks.

"Hey, Jo," Jon replies.

Jax looks at me for a few seconds, then looks away uneasily. Jax is a tall guy-like everyone else around me with curly dark hair that he has always kept short on the sides and longer but still trimmed and layered at the top. Angeline had several of his photos as a little boy and a younger teenager, in which his curly hair was long and fell around his face. She used to say she would one day trick him into a bet or something and have him grow it again.

"You have something in your hair," Simon says and reaches out to rub his finger in my hair. He pulls back and I look at his finger; it has a red substance on it. Paint.

I look behind me to replace Nicki and send her a death glare, but she's nowhere to be found. I'll get her. I press my palm to my hair and rub it. "So I have to meet Ms. Fernandez before class, see you later," I lie, looking sorely at Simon, then I skip around Jax and disappear through the double doors, taking a deep breath.

I feel something weigh down on me. Maybe the fact that what has just happened with Jax has never happened before. When Angeline was around, he used to tease me to no end, and now he didn't even say a word to me. I didn't know what to say to him.

With her gone, everything seems to have changed.

"Why is Bethany giving me the stink eye?" I ask Jen, having just noticed Bethany Hill giving me the ultimate evil eye as if I danced all over her wedding dress. We are in line for lunch, and Bethany is seated with her equally snobbish friends at some table.

Jen turns to look at me, pushing her hair back. "Maybe because she found out that Jude Walker followed you on Instagram?"

Why would that be...

"While she dated him for two months and he didn't bother following her?" Jen adds suggestively.

I raise an eyebrow. "Two months?" Jude dates?

"Yes, and I'll have you know that's the longest...actually that's the only relationship he has ever had in this school."

Impressive.

"So why is she mad?"

Jen sighs. "Are you dense?"

I nod. "A bit."

She rolls her eyes. "She asked me earlier on if there's anything going on between you and Jude. I also heard some girls discussing it in the bathroom."

"Me and..." I scoff. "Oh, please."

What's wrong with this school? Why would such a simple thing be taken to mean so much?

"What were the girls saying?" I ask.

"Nothing."

"Jen-"

"See you later," she cuts me off, taking her lunch tray. Then she leaves me hanging and goes off to sit with her friends.

Some friends I have.

I have a free period after lunch, and I take that chance to go to the office to deliver a list of the students going to the Math contest to get clearance for the bus and other stuff. I walk into the waiting room where there's also the secretary's desk, but she's not there. I turn towards the seats and see Jude sitting there, head thrown back over the top of the chair, staring at the ceiling. There's another guy, a James Hardy that's also on the football team, seated three seats away from Jude. They are the only other people in the waiting room. I walk towards Jude and kick his black boots. "Hey."

He jerks up and glares at me. Whoa. The blue of his eyes is surrounded by an overwhelming redness, and there's a darkening bruise on his cheek.

"What are you doing here?" I ask.

He grunts and looks away. "Mind your own business."

I gulp at the cold tone in his voice, and I feel a little hurt because I wasn't rude to him or anything, yet he is talking to me rudely. I hear the sound of a door opening, and I turn to replace the secretary coming from the principal's office. "You two can go in now," she instructs, then gives me a smile. "Ava? Need something?"

I take a deep breath and step forward, her friendly tone and smile already making me feel better. "Yeah, here."

She takes the sheet of paper from my hands, and I watch as the two boys shuffle into the principal's office, Jude trailing James.

Uh oh, someone's in trouble.

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In the evening, after another day with double club meetings, I head over to the library balcony to wait for Jude. He had better not be in a cranky mood, because then I'll leave him right there. I shoot him a text to notify him that I'm waiting, then retrieve my books and start on my homework.

I get so into it I don't even realise how long it's been until the security lights come on. I rear back in surprise and pick up my phone. I see the text was delivered, but Jude didn't reply. My first reaction is to feel pissed off at him for not telling me he wouldn't be available, but then again, if I hadn't lost track of time, I could have left when I realised he wasn't coming. I still feel bad that he didn't tell me he wouldn't show up.

The cold has now swept in, and I take out my hoodie and put it on. I push my stuff into my backpack and hurry out of there. The school is eerily empty, and I look back at my phone. It's half past six.

I hurry out of the school premises and down the sidewalk. The wind is getting stronger, and I tilt my head to look at the sky. Dark clouds, which are making it darker than it ought to be. The last thing I want is to get caught in a storm.

Five minutes later, the first drop hits me on my nose. It starts out scarce, then it's suddenly pouring like a shower.

Which means I'm getting soaked.

There's a service station on the way, and I stand under the roof, huddled up in my wet hoodie, teeth chattering.

This has been a bad day.

I watch the rain falling in sheets, and it doesn't look like it's going to cease soon. I look into the restaurant at the station, debating whether to get in there and get a hot cup of coffee while I wait.

I'm about to do just that when a familiar car pulls up to the station. I don't know why, but my heart skips a beat as I recognise Jude's Subaru. Maybe because our last exchange wasn't exactly heartwarming, and he didn't have the grace to tell me he wouldn't show up to our study session?

The car pulls to a stop and the driver's door opens, but it's Cole who gets out.

I sigh. I had no idea I was holding my breath.

Cole immediately notices me, and he comes forward. "Jo? Shit, you're drenched."

"Thank you for noticing," I mutter, teeth chattering even more.

He chuckles. "Want a ride?"

My mood brightens considerably. "Yeah, I'd appreciate that, thanks."

He points towards the convenience store. "I need to go in there for a second. Wait here."

I nod, my teeth too busy chattering to allow me to talk.

Cole disappears into the store and I stare back at the car. There doesn't seem to be anyone else in there. My phone rings then, and I take it out of my pocket to replace my mother calling.

"Where are you?" she demands the second I pick up the call.

"On my way-"

"In this rain?"

"No, someone from school offered me a lift." No need for her to know I'm soaked yet.

She sighs heavily. "Okay, good."

She hangs up and I grimace. She's going to throw a fit when she catches sight of me drenched. Cole returns and we walk to the car, but I hover just outside the passenger side, staring at the perfect seats. He gives me a look and I shrug. "I'm all wet, Cole."

As you reach the final pages, remember that 000005s.com is your destination for the complete story. Share the joy of reading with others and spread the word. The next chapter is just a visit away! "Just get in, Jo. It doesn't matter."

I nibble on my lip. Is he sure? At home, you wouldn't get caught getting into Mum's car wet.

He taps his fingers against the steering wheel impatiently. Then he reaches into the backseat and retrieves a black trench coat. He thrusts it towards me. "Put this on."

I take the coat and, getting my backpack off my back, I put it on. It covers my clothes, even my shorts. I get in the car then. Once I've closed the door, I feel like hugging Cole because of the warmth in the car and from the coat. “Thanks, Cole,” I say again, holding my backpack on my lap.

He pulls out of the station and into the highway. "It's cool. You coming from school this late?"

"Yeah. Where's Jude? Why didn't he come for our session?"

"Jude? Don't tell me you were held up waiting for Jude?"

"Partly." If he had replied to my text, I couldn't have kept on with my homework and lost track of time.

"He got suspended. He should have told you he wasn't available," he explains.

I look away from the wipers on the windscreen and at him. "Suspended?"

"He got into a fight."

"With James Hardy? I saw them at the office earlier."

"Yeah, Hardy."

I sigh and lean back into the seat. "How long?"

"Just for the rest of the week, he'll be back on Monday."

"Okay," I reply.

A couple minutes later, Cole pulls up to my driveway. I start unbuttoning the coat, but he looks outside at the still falling rain and raises an eyebrow. "Keep it. You'll give it back tomorrow."

It's so warm and comfortable that I don't even bother politely declining the offer. "Thank you."

He nods, and I get out of the car. I run towards the house, the coat protecting me from the harsh drops. When I get to the porch and look back, I replace he has already backed out of the driveway, then the car shoots up the street.

I enter the house, take off my wet shoes, and then tiptoe towards my room to escape my mother's scrutiny. I get there safely and drop my bag on the ground. It's only now that I'm thinking my books could be wet. They had better not be.

I start pulling off the coat when I catch a whiff.

A distant, familiar whiff.

"Shit," I Mumble and hurriedly take it off. Then like the weirdo I am, I bury my nose in the fabric, and the heady scent of Jude's cologne assaults my nose.

Cole gave me Jude's coat.

What the fuck?