Knowing Jude
Chapter 18

I should have known the dramatic part of my Monday-turned out to be an interesting day, didn't it was far from over because when I get home, I walk into a heated argument between Trey and Maria. It's not the usual tiff about who used whose what or got in whose way.

"Don't be rude to her!" Trey is saying as I tiptoe to the kitchen doorway and stand there like a ghost, unseen and unheard.

"Don't tell me what to do, it's none of your business," Maria says from her spot near the fridge. She's clutching a diet coke in her hand, glaring daggers at Trey.

"You're just jealous, can you get over it?" Trey snaps.

"Jealous? Oh please. You're just frustrated that she doesn't like you back, don't drag me into your crap," she snaps back.

Sounds interesting...

"Don't even try to make this about me. You can't make Mike like you, and it isn't her fault he likes her instead, so how about you stop acting like a desperate bitch and stop bothering her?" Trey yells. Maria is likewise fuming, her cheeks red with anger.

"What's going on here?" Mum's voice sounds from behind me, and Maria huffs. She leaves the room, ploughing past me and Mum.

I look at Trey, who's standing at the island, one hand holding onto the edge tightly, his knuckles taut. I take a step into the kitchen. "What was that about?" I voice my curiosity.

He sighs and blows out his cheeks. "Nothing," he replies then walks out of the kitchen too, leaving me and Mum behind.

I shrug and go to the fridge, grab a carton of yoghurt. I'll wait until dinner after which I'm sure I can get the full story from Trey.

"Where have you been?" Mum asks, giving the clock on the kitchen wall a pointed look. It's nearly seven.

"Our Math session ran a bit late. I wanted to put a little more time in since I have that contest tomorrow," I reply. I mean lie. I hate lying. Why did I lie?

"Oh?" She asks, raising an eyebrow, and for a moment I'm afraid she has detected my lie. She walks around me and to the other side of the counter. "So who's this Math partner?" she asks, pulling out dishes. "Uh, Jude. Walker," I answer.

Her dark eyes shoot up to me in surprise. "Jude Walker?"

She looks surprised.

"Yeah," I answer, grabbing a glass. "Why?"

She shakes her head quickly, dropping the surprised look and smiling instead. "Nothing."

Okay...

"How's he?" she asks while I'm pouring the yoghurt into the glass and I almost spill it on the island.

I look at her and shrug. "He's okay. Why?"

"Nothing," she says again but I give her a dissatisfied look. She laughs at my quiet insistence. "He's a good kid, just been through a lot is all. Now help me set the table."

My curiosity spiked more than ever, I ask, "Through what?"

She tsks. "Curiosity killed the cat, Jo. Here," she says, thrusting the dishes my way.

I grumble in dissatisfaction and head towards the dining room, my active mind almost bursting with thought.

It should be illegal to start someone on a seemingly interesting fact only to leave them hanging.

"Come in," Trey's voice sounds from the inside and I push the door open, getting into his bedroom. He's on his bed, sitting against the headboard with a laptop on his lap. Which he shuts when he sees me. He sighs and runs his hand through his dark curls. "What are you doing here?"

I close the door behind me and head towards his bed. I glance over towards Sam's smaller bed on the other side of the room. He's completely covered up, and given he sleeps like the dead he's not bound to wake up no matter how much noise we make. "To get juicy gossip, what else?"

He rolls his eyes. "I want to sleep, Jo."

I snort and lay across the bottom end of his bed. "Clearly."

He has not changed, and I don't think he has even done his homework since his school bag is lying where he drops it once he comes from school-at some random corner of the room.

"Who do you like?" I shoot because I hate being held in suspense. "What were you two squawking about?"

He snorts. "Nothing."

"Yeah right, even ducks don't squawk for nothing."

"Where does this squawking shit even come from?" he asks in annoyance.

I think we are losing focus...

I stand up and hold my palms up in surrender. "Okay. If you don't want good old feminine insight on whatever is bothering you, fine. Go ahead and figure it out with your slow masculine head, all the luck. And better luck going up against Maria, I mean you would do better if a girl like me told you how girls worked and then you would have better chances of winning this tiff, but it's okay if you trust in your "

"Okay, dammit! Shut up and sit down, I get it. Jeez!"

I grin like the smartass I am and sit down. I gaze at him expectantly. "So?"

He glares at me, then tips his head back and stares at the ceiling. I wait for several seconds, and just when I'm growing impatient again, he says, "I like Jade."

My brow shoots up. "Jade? Jade who?" How many Jades do I know? "Jade Walker?" Jude's sister?

You sound dumb, the voice in my head points out.

I know...

Trey nods. "Yeah. We are friends, anyway," he adds.

"You're friends with Jade."

He nods.

"You like her."

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! "Are you a recorder or something, because you're repeating what I just said?"

I ignore the jab. "And this Mike dude likes her, and Maria likes said Mike dude, and Maria knows the Mike dude likes Jade instead, and therefore she's rude to her," I conclude.

"You didn't have to put it in so many words, but I think you got the point."

"What exactly did she do to Jade?" I ask.

He sighs. "Jade wouldn't tell me, but some other friend of hers did. You see how Jade is in the swim team?"-no but okay- "Well today they were at practice, and Jade told Coach how she wasn't feeling well and was going to leave, and Maria was there with some friend of hers, and she purposely pushed Jade into the pool, clothes and all. Then earlier on she pushed into her and spilt her lunch, and directly told her to stay away from Mike. Like what the fuck, Jade isn't even interested in that douche!"

He ends the rant on a high note, and I almost squeal with laughter. Little bro likes someone something fierce.

"How do you know she doesn't like him?"

"She tells me stuff," he says.

"Have you told her you like her?"

His head swerves towards me, his eyes wide. "WHAT? No! Of course not!"

"Why not?"

"No way!" he insists.

"Don't go and be a coward, Trey," I tease.

"I'm not a coward," he growls.

I laugh, then sigh. "Wow, your little sister can be quite the bitch."

His eyes narrow at me. "Yeah, your little sister is a bitch, always has been. She's mother bitch sophomore year, I hear she rules the hallways."

I'm glad we are situated in different buildings at school.

"So, what are you going to do?" I ask, propping my chin on my palm.

"What am I going to do?" he asks incredulously. "You are going to tell me what to do! Feminine insight, remember?"

"It's easy," I say.

"Yeah?"

"Tell Jade you like her, then it will happen she likes you too, then you two will date and Maria gets off her back, simple!"

Even as I say that absolutely shit piece of advice, I slowly get up and away from his bed. I'm not the best at giving advice, okay? He should have known I used that feminine insight excuse to get him talking. Or maybe he doesn't, some boys can be so den-

He jumps from his bed and I cut that thought and turn to run for the door.

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! "You little piece of "

I jerk the door open then bang it closed and rush down the hallway.

No, I don't think he is a dense one. He can even sort his troubles out on his own, I bet.

I'm woken in the middle of the night by the incessant ringing of my phone, and I curse myself for not putting the stupid thing on silent or simply shutting it off while I slept, which is what I usually do. Who would be calling me at such an ungodly hour, anyway?

My hand wanders to the bedside cabin and I grasp the phone and bring it to my face under the covers. I open one bleary eye and peep at the caller Id. The other eye pops open.

Jude.

Umh.

I look at the time.

1.40 am.

What in the freezing hell?

Why would anyone...

Why would Jude call me at such an ungodly hour, the hour when witches and vampires are getting out of their lairs to prey on innocent powerless humans like me?

I turn around in my bed, push the covers off, and slide my finger across the screen. "Really, Jude?" I croak in a whisper.

"Hey, favourite stalker." His voice is hoarse and unstable, and I get the feeling he's drunk. Last time he texted while drunk, now he's calling? It's Monday, won't he have a hangover tomorrow at school?

I groan. "I swear if that's some sort of nickname or something, I'll gladly pay you to stop using it, just name the price."

"Really? Any price? It doesn't have to be money, right?" he asks, his voice going a little high.

I snicker. "No, you ass, I'm not about to get into such a vague agreement with a bad boy, or any boy for that matter, thank you very much."

"You're no fun," he whines.

"Any other fact you decided to bring to my attention in the middle of the night?" I complain. My eyes are heavy with sleep and I really want to go back to sleep.

Suddenly there's a new voice over the phone, Cole's. "I'm so sorry, Jo. He's hammered, I'm sorry he woke you up so-LAY BACK DOWN YOU ASS! Sorry, he can be such a dick sometimes-JUDE I'LL KICK YOU OUT OF THIS BED I SWEAR! Sorry, I'll go now, sorry."

Then the line goes dead, Cole's voice still ringing in my ears. I switch the phone off and place it back on the cabin, then burrow back into the covers. Why did he call me? Why did he fight with those guys? Why is he drunk? I don't really know him, but it seems that all the curiosity in my lineage was dumped on me, other than the little bits sprinkled on my siblings that allows them to be excessively nosy-and I want to know the answers to all these puzzles.

Not that I'll put any conscious effort in getting them, but I'd really like to know. I don't care but...

Curious people just like knowing stuff.