Chapter 21 Apologizing Isn't Enough

uI hauled Jade across the school grounds, knowing she'll be in trouble if she stayed. She was struggling and eventually knew who I was.
       "Bradley!" She kicked at me as I flopped her over my shoulder. She hit my back, but I couldn't let her get in trouble. "Let me go you stupid baka!"
       "What's 'baka'?" I sort of laughed.
"It means idiot!" She shouted out loud, her chest rising and heaving on my back. "In Japanese!"
I smiled a wary smile, she got into a fight with Cassidy and I just stood and watched her. I knew she could stand up for herself, just took sudden realisation.
       I remembered when she ran out, her diary dropped. I desprately wanted to read some of it, however, I couldn't leave her alone when shes hating me. Then I ran after her like the wind, she took different stairs, so I lost her. Then I found her by the Cafe, I was slowly walking over until Cassidy turned up on the scene, I didn't want to get involved, so I ventured to the other side of the Cafe. I watched intently, my heart beating faster and faster. She and Jade stood off to eachother, I felt like punching Cassidy every time she hit Jade, I felt weak. But that was between girls, and when I heard what Jade said, I felt crushed. Beaten, even. And when Jade actually counter attacked Cassidy's blow, I felt so happy and gleeful that I couldn't stand to see Jade hurt. I knew I had to protect her now, there was no going back about that.

Once we were inside my dorm house, I placed her on a student chair by the window in the lounge. Our lounge consisted of student chairs and desks with a radio. I don't think no-one could be trusted with t.v's here. The carpet was polish blue, but very rough.
       "I wanna get out of here." She didn't sound to happy. She folded her arms, I quickly got an ice pack from the small yet handy freezer/fridge. I gave it to her to prevent her already slowly fading black eye. I took out my pocket Cassidy's fake nail. It was dirty and smooth between my fingers.
        "Listen," I said sternly, she looked away out the window as I explained. "I'm sorry. Okay, I'm sorry." I said that with great depth, sounded weak when I said it. "I know Cassidy did it, before I came over. When I seen the dirty fake nail, I knew straight away." I looked at her untouched face. She placed the ice pack down and got up.
         "Can I go now?" She seemed more hard and a tiny bit confident. I flicked my hair out my eyes and looked at her.
         "Won't you forgive me?" I tried reasoning. "I said 'I'm sorry', what else?"
She looked at me with pure ice. I couldn't help but feel the cold chill off that glare.
"You hurt me Bradley." She began to cry. It pulled at me, it hurt me to see her cry. "You don't know how much it hurts for someone to say they 'hate' them when they already have feelings." She placed a shaky hand to her eyes. I stood, frozen. I didn't know what she was on about, but I felt defeated like this.
          I stepped closer to her and opened my arms.
She gasped as my arms encircled her, I held her in my arms while she sobbed little by little. "What are you doing?" Her arms were trapped by my chest. She questioned me, all I could do was blink my eyes and squeeze her tighter.
          "I take it back." I said. She did a 'uh' sound as if she didn't know what I was on about.
          "What do you mean?" She hicupped.
"I never meant what I said, Jade." I placed my chin on her head, she smelt wonderful. Made me smile with ease. "I take back what I said." She stopped crying and I felt her tiny hands strain to grab handfuls of my t-shirt. She grabbed hold of me and buried her head in my clothes. Slowly and quietly wimpering.
           "I wouldn't dare speak a word of what we speak because it stays between us." She cried softly. "I wouldn't, I wouldn't I wouldn't." She kept saying over and over. I hushed her as I stroked the back of her head.
           "I know." I smiled, thinking of Nora's speech that drew my attention to her. "Nora already filled me in on that one." I thought for a moment, I was being funny since she physically filled me in by punching me. I did a stupid face while holding Jade. Her muffled cries silent and soft.
I heard clapping to my side.
Me and Jade turned to whoever was clapping alone.
             Nora stood there infront of Lewis. I swear they will become a couple.
"Well done, Romeo." Nora smiled. "You actually apologized."
             I let go off Jade, feeling cold as soon as I let go.
"Wait a minute," I turned to them two. Nora's smile turned laughable. "You were watching the whole time?" I asked.
             She nodded. "Me and Stalker here wanted to find you guys. When we headed outside, we seen a rather sad and victimised Cassidy, don't get me wrong, it was rather enjoyable." Nora laughed along with Lewis. I think Lewis has won a gold medal for becoming Nora's stalker. "When I asked her where Jade was, she said that she was dragged away by you and into Hell." I like it how she referred the boys dorm to 'Hell', I wonder what th girls dorm is?
             I nodded. I turned to a beated up Jade.
Nora was a few steps away, so I don't think she could see how bad it was from up close.