Authors note: Not much I can say but enjoy. I’m still happy with the review response. I’m always happy to see more but I’m not going to complain. School is kinda killing me right now so….yeah. That’s why it took forever. Sorry. Please ignore the spelling/grammatical errors. I wasn’t able to check this over at all.

Chapter Four

When Crazy Gets Crazier

My bed covers are like a sanctum. A sanctum of shelter, of protection, of…relief. When I’m in my bed covers, I feel safe. I feel like the day is perfect. It’s comforting and warm. If I could live in my bed covers, I would. If it was legal, I would marry them.

Well, today I was in my bed covers. I was feeling safe. Then my brother called me. And well, the sanctum’s power seemed to quickly wear off.

“You were the one who told mom I didn’t go to ACT class?!” I screamed into my cell phone.

“Who did you think did it? Shirley?” Jaden replied with a chuckle.

I heaved a sigh. This was the reason my mother had angrily called me home last night. Someone had told her that I hadn’t shown up to my ACT classes. This confused me for awhile because I wasn’t even signed up for any classes. Of course, it had to be Jaden.

My eyes squinted in irritation, “Why did you do that?”

My brother paused. During this time, I heard several people laugh and shout on the other line while a TV boasted sports news in the distance. My brother was having the time of his life while I was actually having the “time of his life”.

“I just need to make sure you would do it…” he finally muttered.

“Do what?” I spat.

“You know…be me.”

I took this time to bang my phone against my dresser.

“Why do you keep doing that?” he said when I returned the cell phone to my ear, “It doesn’t hurt…”

I just groaned, “You got me in trouble for nothing. I was at school. I was you!”

Another silence ensued.

“Really?” Jaden said.

“Yeah…and it was horrible and stupid but I was you. So now you got me in trouble for doing just as you told me to.”

“Wait…so you really are going to pretend to be for four months?”

“Not anymore!” I shouted, “I already decided yesterday. I’m done with this. Leah is a dimwit who is actually buying this. The football team should catch on soon. My teachers are suspicious. I don’t even want to talk about mom. And then there’s Nel…how can you do this to her?”

“Do what?” my brother inquired.

“Lie,” I answered, rolling my eyes.

“Look…she’ll understand. Nel is like that. The point is, now that I know your going to be me…I don’t know have to check up on you anymore. And if you don’t go to school for me, I’ll just call mom again and tell her that you’re skipping the standardized classes.”

I really wanted to murder him. I seriously wanted to grab my baseball bat, track him down in New York, and beat him to a pulp. Jaden was just that kind of person. And I was just the kind of person to do away with him.

“Fine,” I sourly muttered, “For now. Let’s just see how long this delusional charade works out. Soon you’ll be foiled and it will be all your fault.”

“I’m sure it will…goodbye Jade,” he said in a ringing voice, “You’re late for chemistry.”

Then he hung up. And then I screamed. Then my mother screamed at me for screaming. And then…I was off to chemistry.

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“Today, we’re going to go over chemical reaction types. I know beforehand I told everyone to look over the practice problems and ask any questions so…does anyone have any questions?”

Mrs. Steedback’s bellowing voice reached all the way to the back of the lecture. I could hear it as I quietly tried to enter the lecture hall. However, being the idiot that I am, I tripped over a cord on the floor and found myself on the ground in front of the entire class.

No one laughed.

“Mr. Truman…” Mrs. Steedback started slowly, “glad you could join us. Now…there has to be a reason for your tardiness. Maybe it’s that you didn’t set your alarm clock or that…you slept through it. Or maybe, you just planned to come up late so that you could just show off to the class that you know five chemical reaction types.”

I knew right then, right there and then, that I loathed Mrs. Steedback. She was smart. Really smart. And she was used to my brother being stupid, and late, and well…stupid. But I wasn’t Jaden…I was smart too.

“I’m sorry ma’am,” I said, slowly lifting my body from the ground, “You know what...I actually decided to show up late just so that you would say that. It’s funny really…and well, I needed some entertainment. I’ll take my seat now but just so you know…five chemical reactions are Combustion, Combination, Decomposition, Precipitation, and Single Replacement.”

A few people began to murmur and Mrs. Steedback raised her left eyebrow. I just lowly smiled as I took a seat in the back of the class.

“Well then,” Mrs. Steedback began with a smirk, “now that Jaden is done proving the teacher wrong, let’s look at these reactions in depth.”

I grinned again, feeling quite content. Mrs. Steedback was on my hate list now. I would destroy her whenever possible. As I pulled out my textbook, I glanced at the person I was sitting next to. He looked like me…like a nerd.

“Hey,” I said

“Hi…” he murmured in reply.

I flipped open a notebook, “I’m Jaden.”

“I know,” he answered.

I shrugged, “This class tanks.”

He didn’t say anything but I think he nodded in agreement. Mrs. Steedback was now pointing to the chalk board while scribbling something relating to chemistry on it. I had already learned this in eighth grade so I decided to start doodling.

That’s what I liked to do. Doodle. I guess that was something I had in common with my brother. When we were little we both doodled together. Then we’d show each others drawings to each other. We didn’t say anything…all we did was smile; it was kind of like twin telepathy.

“What’s your name?” I murmured to the boy after awhile. He glanced at me and rolled his eyes.

“The King and master of my life has bestowed enough gratitude on me to actually call upon the name of which I have been given…”

I shrugged again, “Nah, I just want to know your name.”

I think this surprised the boy for all he could say was, “John.”

After that, chemistry seemed to go a little faster. John showed me programs on his computer that I messed around with for an hour and by that time, class had ended.

I think I had bonded with John. I was determined to be with friends with at least one person in every class.

“So, are you in any clubs?” I asked him.

He was about to respond when creepy Mrs. Steedback walked up to us.

“Jaden, for your wonderful little outburst earlier…you get detention.”

I was shell-shocked. Detention?! I had received detention, the worst and lowest punishment of all for a student of my prowess. Mrs. Steedback handed me a detention slip before coldly walking away. I swear she was smiling

I was going to give Mrs. Steedback a piece of my mind. However, I suppose disagreeing with teachers was not something typically done in the life of Jaden. I guess being hounded by the whole football team was.

“Coach says you’re playing today!” one of them yelled as the football team surrounded me in the hallway. I didn’t even remember walking out of the chemistry class room. It was all a blur.

“Yeah, he says your sprain wrist should be good.”

My heartbeat began to quicken, “How can the coach do that to me? He doesn’t have my wrist.”

“Look, the coach doesn’t have to know shit…just be at practice.”

I guess the hoard of the men found something else to attract there interest and drifted from me quite quickly. I was just left, in awe. I had detention and I had to go to practice. No fooling this time.

“Why does everyone in this school follow the rules?” I murmured to myself as I opened my locker. My brother had conveniently written down the numbers in his history book.

“Hey you,” I heard someone murmur from behind my locker door. I moved it out of the way to see Nel. She was smiling.

“Hi,” I answered, “How are you?”

“Tired,” she murmured, “My Papa wants me to take over cooking dinner for my mother because of my grandmother’s chemo therapy.”

My eyes widened, “Your grandmother…she has cancer.”

I tried to say it like I already knew it. I would have to learn to do that.

“Yeah, it’s a total mess,” Nel mumbled, “She pukes everywhere and she lost her hair two weeks ago. Sometimes I wish God would just take her…heaven will be better.”

I nodded, trying to have a reassuring look on my face. However, Nel didn’t look like she needed to be reassured. She just looked…tired.

“Do you have your tacos?” she asked as the hallways began to fill up with students.

“I do,” I said with a smile, “There all…tacoee.”

“Tacoee?” she said with giggle, “Is that a new lingo?”

“I don’t know,” I said, finding my hand shoving Nel gently. She liked me doing that for her cheeks seemed to redden.

“So you do want to go to the mall later? I just got my paycheck.”

I wanted to say no. I had to say no. Spending time with Nel would only give her time to figure out who I really was. Of everyone, she was the most dangerous.

“Sure,” I replied. I hate myself.

“Cool, so I’ll just call you tonight maybe and see-”

“Jay! Jay!” someone screamed, drowning out Nel’s voice.

I closed my eyes as my lips began to quiver. It was my girlfriend. My Leah.

“You little bastard! I knew you were cheating on me!”

Not only was she loud, and boy was she ever, but Leah was also quite embarrassing. Everyone was looking at me now as my girlfriend began to slap my chest and stap her little heels on the floor. Tears were spewing from her eyes and her outfit looked dysfunctional. And there I was, with pleading eyes, just begging for her to stop.

“Leah,” I said softly, “I think you’re overacting…”

“Overreacting!? Overreacting?! You are cheating on me! I hate you, I hate you, I hate you. I knew you were cheating on me with Jacqueline!”

Nel’s jaw was currently on the floor.

“What?!” she screamed.

Oh dear God.

“Yes, you little skank!” Leah cried, “You’ve always wanted him and you’ve always hated me…it works out perfectly!”

“Skank?! Your calling me a skank,” Nel retorted, “You’re the one wearing skirts so short every guy can see everything! Put on some clothes!”

“Stop looking like a boy and maybe I will!”

“Maybe when being stupid and blonde is a paradox!”

“Stop!” I screamed.

And they did stop. The whole school now had my full attention but they did stop.

“Leah…” I started gently, “We’ll talk about this later.”

“Jaden!” she screamed.

“I said we’ll talk about it later,” I answered firmly. She kept quiet.

I then turned to Nel. But she was already gone. She had a thing of doing that, disappearing. I sighed, returning to Leah. She was just whimpering, her face red with rage.

I glanced around to see the hallways back to normal. Students weren’t staring anymore. I had now concluded that Beaumont High School was used to drama, and lots of it.

I rubbed my forehead as I slowly made my way to a bench. Leah had followed me and was staring on with discontent.

Everything about this day was horrible. And it had only started two hours ago! But I couldn’t quit now, or Jaden would call mom and I would be busted. I didn’t want to go to standardized testing programs…but I didn’t want to be my brother either. What I really wanted was to go the reading program. I wanted to be in school again. I wanted to be myself.

“What’s wrong Jay?” Leah’s high pitched voice asked.

I glanced her way. One thing was for sure. I didn’t want to talk to Jaden’s over the top, psycho girlfriend.

“Leah,” I muttered, “Please just go to class.”

“I don’t have class,” she quickly answered, “This is our free period.”

I rolled my eyes. Of course it was.

“Then don’t talk to me,” I replied, “I’m…frustrated right now.”

“Why?” she asked.

I’m pretty certain asking “Why?” counted as talking. But I didn’t yell at her. I just straightened my jacket—my brothers jacket, and sighed. This made Leah inch closer to me and lay her hand on my leg. I was going to push her away but I already had enough trouble. I didn’t need to have a fight with her.

“Tell Leah what’s wrong?” she said with a smile.

She was the closes thing I had to comfort. It was worth a shot.

“Well, I have to go to football practice today and well…my hand hurts. And the whole football team is expecting me to be as good as I was last game but I don’t think I can be. The whole school expects me to be flawless…perfect. I can’t be something I’m not!”

This made Leah jump and move her hand. I was glad for that. This also silenced her for awhile. She ran her hand through her bleached blonde hair and her eyes twitched. I guess this was her “thinking face”.

After some time, she turned back to me. I gazed at her as her mouth slowly opened.

“All the school can ask from you is for your best. The school deserves your best and you do too. Now maybe your best is failing an exam and maybe it’s winning the football championship. But your best is your best Jaden…we can’t ask for anything more or anything less. I guess for you…your best…just happens to be perfect and flawless.”

I stared at her awhile, trying to understand the statement. I know there was some logic and moral to it but it was all drowned out by her Barbie looking face. I’m sure some of it was meaningful.

“Thanks,” I mumbled, still feeling dejected and lost.

I was about to grab my backpack and wander away when Leah forcefully grabbed my cheeks with her right hand and forced my chapped lips against her sticky ones.

I always thought my first kiss would be with Rebecca Stoner from third grade, or maybe Amy Reeves from my old neighborhood. The depths of my heart had hoped it would be Shirley. A passionate, loving, kiss with Shirley…that’s what I wanted.

Instead, I was making out with my brothers girlfriend after the worst morning of my life. Yeah, I definitely wasn’t expecting that.

Her lips tasted like cherry lipstick and I ended up only kissing her upper one. I didn’t know if that was an inappropriate way to do it. I don’t know if kisses are supposed to be romantic. I don’t know if my kissing was romantic. But I liked it. I wouldn’t deny that. Kissing Leah was nice.

I don’t know who pulled away from the lock, it was probably me.

“Okay then…” I whispered, slowly touching my mouth.

Leah just giggled, leaning in to kiss my cheek lightly.

“You are the best,” she whispered, before jumping up. She tip-tapped quickly down the hall, only turning around to apologize for accusing me of cheating.

I was still touching my oral cavity.

“I kissed a girl…on the lips…” I murmured, “I’m a man…”

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“I’m not a man! I’m a boy! Please coach, don’t make me play!”

Coach Neefall, as he was called, was literally dragging me onto the football field. My spindly legs were trying to keep up with his surefooted steps. I whined a cried. I’m sure anyone else would if they were being brought to their executioner, their death. Football.

“Alright team, we’re going to start out with sprints, twenty around the field. Let’s go!”

“Twenty laps…you’re kidding?” I said with a horrified expression.

“Jaden Truman, get your ass out there!” Coach Neefall roared.

I knew better than to disobey. So I got my “ass” out there. Let’s just say, it got murdered, killed…annihilated. Whatever word you use to describe torture, my whole body was feeling it. After those twenty laps, I don’t think I was able to stand. Thankfully, the quarterbacks were allowed to do squats. I just rested in agony on the ground.

“Truman!” the coach screamed, looking at me, “You’re throwing now!”

“Throwing?” I whimpered.

Yes, throwing. And even though I was terrified, I didn’t completely stink at it. Of course I did hit a few boys in the head and in the crotch. They are still living, hopefully. But I actually did complete some passes and I learned a touchdown is a score in football.

Passing was okay. Then came sacking.

I’m not going to describe what happened at this point. It was simply tragic.

Three hours later, I was sprawled out on the field, dead. I could see heaven’s rays as my eyes slowly fluttered open. Turns out it was just some girl with a lot of make up. A lot of girls with a lot of make up. Cheerleaders.

“Hey Jay,” they all said at once.

I waved with a smile, trying to awake myself from death. I was in the process of lifting myself from the ground when suddenly I was hit from behind. My body, being weak and in mortal pain, collapsed back to the ground.

“I know your secret!” the person screamed.

Oh crap.

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Authors note: Hehe, yes, a cliffhanger. I know you all love it. So I hope you all enjoyed and please review. I’ll update as soon as possible.