MoreJade_LPavlov-eBooks

by Pavlov, Laura

  “Not a problem, I’m going that way anyway.”

  “So, why are you even in my bio class. I thought you were a junior?”

  “Well, thanks for not making me feel like shit. I am a junior. I’ve put this class off until now. I hate fucking science.”

  “It’s my favorite subject,” she said with a big, stupid grin on her face.

  I led the way. “Of course, it is. So, what’s with all the colored pens for your notes?”

  “There aren’t that many colors. Pink is for notes. Purple for quizzes. Blue for tests. Green is for the extras. You know, study groups, or office hours.”

  I laughed. I’d never heard of such insanity. “Why can’t it all be in one color?”

  “Says the guy who falls asleep in class. The different colors help me remember things.”

  “So, what’s your major, More Jade?”

  “Will you stop calling me that? Just Jade, please. And it’s human biology.”

  “Are you pre-med, Just Jade?”

  Her head tipped back, and she laughed. And I fucking loved the sound of More Jade’s laugh. It was sweet, and sexy, and genuine.

  “Please call me Jade,” she said with a shake of her head. “And, yes. I’m pre-med. That’s the plan.”

  “Very cool. At least you know what you want to do,” I said.

  It was still warm in August, but a light breeze kept the air comfortable. Fall was around the corner, and the leaves on the trees were beginning to change color. Campus was buzzing with people making their way to class.

  “What’s your major? Is it music?” This was the first thing she had ever said to me that wasn’t laced with sarcasm or annoyance.

  “Nope. Art history.”

  “Oh. Meagan told me you’re a singer. She said your band performed at the welcome party in the quad last week. I didn’t make it, but everyone in the dorms was talking about how great it was,” she said, tucking a loose piece of hair behind her ear.

  “That’s what they tell me.” I laughed. “Are you a rock and roll girl? No, I’m guessing pop. Maybe a little rap?”

  “Um, no. I like the classics.”

  “Like Beethoven and Mozart?”

  She smirked. “No. Like Earth, Wind and Fire, and Barry Manilow.”

  I come to a stop. “You’re fucking with me.”

  “No. That’s what I listen to.”

  “What, are you, seventy? Barry. Fucking. Manilow. ‘Oh, Mandy’ and ‘Copacabana’? You need to get out and live a little, More Jade.”

  With those words, she got pissy. “I get out plenty, thanks for your concern.”

  I stopped in front of the large building with big letters across the top spelling out Winslow. Yes, my family’s name was everywhere in the state of Illinois, but it was here on campus because it was my grandfather’s alma mater. He went to undergrad and medical school here, so this school was special to my mother, who also attended Northwestern for two years before she dropped out to marry my father. And, well, Dad had one soft spot in his life. Mom. Thankfully, Jade doesn’t know the connection. People always acted different once they realized who my father was.

  “You’ll have to come hear us perform sometime if you can handle some alternative rock with a little R&B. We play every weekend at The Dive. This is you.” I motioned to the building.

  “Maybe. Thanks for showing me the way.”

  “Yeah, I’ll see you around, More Jade.” I couldn’t see her face, but I knew she was smiling. And like a fucking lame ass, I smiled too.

  Chapter Three

  Jade

  The first month of school was a whirlwind. Thankfully I met Ariana, and we clicked. I avoided my roommate Meagan at all costs. I’d decided she was clinically insane. She cried to me about her boyfriend, Josh, daily. She suspected he was cheating on her. I made the mistake of mentioning what happened on the first day I met her and that maybe they both just wanted to test the waters a little. You know, sow their wild oats. My mention of the event sent her into a tirade. She claimed my interruption the day we met ruined everything, so nothing happened between her and Cruz, and now he wouldn’t give her the time of day. Go figure. Meagan was needy, unstable, and immature. She woke me up at two o’clock in the morning to ask me why I didn’t go out more. I pretended to be too sleepy to hear her, because I didn’t want to deal with her type of crazy. Ariana and I had requested to live together second semester, so hopefully we’d be able to make the switch. My RA Dom was cool, and she said she’d do what she could to help us out.

  Biology was my favorite class so far even though Cruz Winslow made the spot next to me his permanent seat. I just found out that the Winslow Building was named after his grandfather, a well-known doctor. Yet the kid hated science? At least he bought the book and actually managed to stay awake the entire class now. Professor Lockhart was brilliant, and we just had our first test.

  There was a knock at the door, and I grabbed my backpack.

  “Ready?” Ariana said as I pulled the door closed behind me.

  “Yes. You have your calc test today, right?”

  “Yep. I hope I’m ready. I’ve heard Professor Hamlin grades really tough. There’s no curve.”

  “You’re going to do great. You’re a freaking math wiz,” I said.

  “We should celebrate. That cute guy in my class, Jace, told me to meet him at The Dive tonight. Exiled is playing, and it’s going to be packed. I think we should do it.”

  “I would go with you, but I can’t get in,” I said, biting down on my bottom lip.

  Not having a fake ID was becoming a problem, as everyone seemed to go to The Dive. I hadn’t rushed a sorority, so it wasn’t like I was going to frat parties.

  “Yeah, we need to find you a fake. Maybe there’s a way to sneak you in? Isn’t that Cruz guy in your bio class? He’s the lead singer of Exiled. I’m sure he could find a way to get you in.” Her tone was desperate. I wanted to help her, but asking him for a favor was not high on my list.

  “Yep. I can mention it. I don’t think he’d help me though. He’s not like that.”

  “Not like what? Didn’t he show you where your class was the first day of school? He doesn’t sound so bad.”

  “Well, yeah, I guess. We haven’t really spoken since that day. But he does sit next to me. I just usually avoid him.” And by avoid, I meant I ignore him.

  He’s the kind of guy you wanted to hate, but kind of liked, but you knew it was a bad idea. Cruz Winslow was definitely a bad idea.

  “Please, please, please try. I’m not going without you, and I really want to go,” Ari said, stopping and clasping her hands together like she was praying.

  “Okay, I’ll see what I can do. I’ll meet you for lunch at noon.”

  “Yay. See you in a few hours.”

  I jogged up the steps and into the building, down the hall into room two twelve, and took my seat in the front row. Cruz walked in and settled next to me. He was consistently one of the last to arrive, which had been part of the reason we barely spoke. Class usually started right before he entered the room.

  “Hey,” he said.

  “Hi. You’re early.”

  “Am I?”

  He was acting strange. Less cocky than usual.

  “I hope we get our tests back today,” I said, pulling my notebook and colored pens out.

  “Yeah, I think we will.”

  “How do you think you did?” I asked.

  “Not well. Which is going to blow. I have to pass this class. I can’t take my upper division courses next semester until I complete bio.”

  He appeared genuinely stressed.

  “I’m sure you did fine.”

  I wanted to bring up the show tonight, but I couldn’t just randomly ask him for a favor. He was so good looking, I tried not to stare at him. His dark blond hair was shaggy and di
sheveled, but it worked for him. He had a striking face, and he made looking good seem effortless. He stretched his long legs out and leaned back in his chair.

  Professor Lockhart and his two TAs started passing out our tests. When he placed mine down in front of me, I saw the one hundred percent on the top of my paper, and I wanted to burst. Yes, I had good grades in high school. But Northwestern was no joke and making it through this program would not be an easy task. Approximately sixty percent of the kids planning to become doctors would change their major by December. This quiz was a huge boost to my self-esteem. I pushed all the doubt and insecurity away. At least for today. I was going to enjoy this moment. I turned my paper over to keep my score private.

  “The class average on this quiz was fifty-three percent, which is disappointing. I don’t curve, I’ve made that perfectly clear in my syllabus. So, you need to decide if you’re going to dig deep and turn it around, or you may want to consider dropping the course now while it’s still an option to drop without it showing up on your transcripts. It is possible to do well. One student received a perfect score, and eight students scored above a ninety percent. It will take hard work. Refer to the syllabus for my office hours and take advantage of my availability. You can also consider getting a tutor,” Professor Lockhart said.

  Thomas, one of the TAs, handed Cruz his quiz. He stiffened beside me. I didn’t want to look, but I couldn’t help it. I saw the fifty-eight percent on his paper because he dropped it on the table and didn’t flip it over.

  “Fuck me,” he said under his breath. It was barely audible, but I heard it.

  My stomach twisted because I knew what it was like to be disappointed by a grade. I hated the feeling too.

  “Hey, you can bring it up on the next test. You scored above the average. You can turn this around.”

  He scrubbed a hand over his face. “I don’t know. I studied for this. Hell, I studied more than I ever have. And, I still fucking failed.”

  No one paid us any attention as several students stood and slowly walked out. They must be dropping the course. Over the next few minutes, more than half the class left the auditorium. Cruz remained in his seat, and for some reason, I was relieved. I didn’t want him to quit.

  “You aren’t far off. You have plenty of time to pull it up. You still have three tests and a final exam,” I said just above a whisper.

  He nodded, but it was obvious he was torn about what to do. Professor Lockhart began his lecture and didn’t acknowledge the fact that so many students had abandoned their seats. Cruz sat beside me but didn’t take notes or speak the rest of class. I didn’t run off ahead of him like I usually did when we stood. I walked beside him, not saying a word, as we headed in the direction of our next class.

  “You got the perfect score, didn’t you?” he asked.

  My heart raced. Should I tell him? I didn’t want to rub it in his face. The only person I wanted to share the news with was Dad. He lived for this stuff. But telling someone who just failed a test that you got a hundred percent, seemed cruel. “I did okay.”

  “I saw your score before you flipped your paper over. It’s impressive.”

  I tucked my hair behind my ear, unsure why I felt guilty about doing well. But I did. “Listen, you aren’t far off. You can pass this class.”

  “Will you tutor me? I’ll pay you.”

  Flecks of amber and gold sparkled in his honey-brown gaze where the sun hit his face, and he stared at me. He wasn’t kidding. My instant reaction was to say no; however, I could use the money. I tried to stretch what Dad gave me, because I couldn’t work and maintain my grades, but a tutoring gig wasn’t a bad idea.

  “You’d have to work around my class schedule.” I bit down on my bottom lip. I didn’t even know what a tutor got paid.

  “That’s not a problem. What about two days a week, an hour each time? I’ll pay you a hundred bucks a session,” he said.

  “That’s two hundred dollars a week. Eight hundred dollars a month.”

  His black skinny jeans were torn in the knees, and he wore a Rolling Stones T-shirt. I noticed a tattoo peeking out from one of his sleeves and I wondered what it said. People turned and stared at him as they walked by, like he was some kind of celebrity. It was weird. He didn’t acknowledge it.

  “Is that not enough? I don’t know what tutors make. I’ve never had one.”

  “No,” I said, waving my hands in front of me. “That’s a lot of money. I didn’t know if I heard you right. Are you sure you can afford that? I think it’s too much.”

  “You might be the worst negotiator on the planet, More Jade. I can afford it. It’s not a problem. So, what do you say?”

  “I’ll do it.” What the hell. I could save a ton of money, and I’d technically be studying the material at the same time I was tutoring him.

  “Can we start this weekend? I have a show tonight, but I can meet tomorrow or Sunday,” he said. This side of Cruz was different. Vulnerable, maybe? I liked it.

  The mention of his show reminded me of Ariana. I was so uncomfortable. I hated asking for things from people. “Yes, I can do either day. Um, I actually have a favor to ask you.”

  “Shoot.”

  “Well, I know Exiled is performing tonight at The Dive, and my friend Ariana really wants to go, but she won’t go alone. She really likes this guy Jace, and he’s going. And, well, she’s begging me to go.” Oh my god. This was painful. He watched me with a puzzled look, and for some reason, I couldn’t stop rambling.

  “So why don’t you go with her?”

  “I, um, I don’t have a way to get in,” I said. I hated the desperation in my voice.

  A grin spread across his face. “You don’t have a fake?”

  “No. I’m saving up for one, so I should be able to get one soon. Especially with my new tutoring gig.” I paused and winked for dramatic effect. “But I just haven’t gotten that far yet. And, I know there probably isn’t anything you can do, but I told Ariana I’d try—” My rambling was so uncomfortable, but I didn’t know how to stop it. Thankfully, Cruz interrupted.

  “I got you, More Jade. Give me your phone,” he said, and I handed him my cell.

  “You think you can get me in?”

  He laughed. “Yeah. Text me when you and your friend get there. You don’t have to wait in line. I’ll come out and get you.”

  “Oh, okay. Thank you. And, just text me and let me know what day you want to start working on bio.”

  “Yep. See you tonight,” he said, handing me my phone back before he walked away.

  I went to my usual spot in Anatomy class and texted Ariana.

  Me ~ Cruz thinks he can get me in tonight. I need to text him when we get there, and he will come out and bring us in. Hopefully we don’t get in trouble.

  Ariana ~ SHUT UP! Awesome. It’s meant to be. We’re finally acting like college freshmen. We’re going to have so much fun. Imagine Meagan’s surprise when she sees you out!

  I couldn’t believe I had found a job making eight hundred bucks a month. And I got a hundred percent on my biology quiz. I texted Dad as people started to stream into class. He may or may not get it depending on his schedule at the firehouse.

  Me ~ Hey! Got my Bio quiz back and I got 100%!

  Dad ~ That’s my girl! Couldn’t be prouder, Jady bug. Just telling the guys, and they are cheering, acting like idiots.

  Me ~ Thanks, Dad. Tell everyone hi from me. Class is starting. Talk to you later.

  Things were coming together. I had an actual friend. A job. Classes were going well. I was going out for the first time tonight. And I was looking forward to it.

  “Oh my god, it’s so crowded,” I said when Ari and I stepped out of our Uber.

  “Are you sure he said not to wait in line?”

  “Yeah, I think so. But, how are we going to sneak in if we’re cutting this huge line? Th
at’s not very inconspicuous.” The line ran all the way down to the far end of the block.

  “Maybe we should get in line, and then you can text him and see what he says.”

  “Okay. What if he doesn’t respond? I mean, how is he going to get me in? Look at this line, and those are some big bouncers. I think this is a bad plan,” I said. My chest tightened, and I was having second thoughts about doing this.

  “Don’t panic. Just text him. If he doesn’t respond, we’ll leave.”

  “Okay.”

  Me ~ Hi, it’s Jade Moore. I’m here, but the line is really long, so no worries if it isn’t going to work tonight. I can try another time.

  I chewed on my thumbnail and watched the three little dots appear and then disappear. He didn’t reply. My stomach twisted.

  “He’s not responding,” I said as we both stared at my phone.

  People were shouting up ahead, but I couldn’t see over the tall guys in front of us.

  “Maybe we should go,” Ariana said.

  “Okay.”

  We stepped out of line.

  “Jade,” someone called out from the crowd.

  People continued to yell, and it took me a minute to realize they were calling out to Cruz. And he was yelling my name. Butterflies fluttered for some reason. Maybe it was the horror of all these people staring at me. He jogged toward us, and some girl screamed his name in the highest pitch causing everyone to laugh. I hadn’t been to a concert before, but this seemed a little outrageous for a local band.

  “Oh, hey. Thanks for coming out here. I don’t think there’s any way you’re getting me in there tonight. Look at this place,” I said, and Ari squeezed my hand beside me because we were both awkward freshmen and for some reason, this moment felt important.

  He looked me up and down, taking a slow perusal of my body. I crossed my arms in front of my chest, suddenly self-conscious about my outfit. I was normally a jeans and baggy T-shirt girl. Tonight, Ari convinced me to wear her pink bodysuit, which was way too low cut for me, not that I had much to contain in the boobs department. I could easily be the president of the itty-bitty-titty-committee. But all the same, it was way sexier than anything I’d ever worn before. Top it off with my black ripped skinny jeans and Ari’s black heel booties, and I was certain I looked like a skank.