Chapter 30.3

"I don't think anyone is ready when they get a kid," Alina answered before punching Jason playfully on the shoulder. "But hey, I'm around, right? So is everyone else. We'll figure it out."

"Yeah …" How do you figure out the method to fixing this mess I'm in? Jason thought. How? I screwed up with Katelyn and now Alice … Elizabeth ...

Jason smiled at Alina again but failed to notice the disappointment in her eyes. She lived with him long enough to know when he fakes a smile, and right now, she knew he was just smiling for the sake of it.

Good grief, She thought. Can't he just stop thinking about it all and focus on the good for just a little longer?

A message interrupted her and Alina checked her phone. A rather bashful smile etched her lips and she slightly moved away from Jason who looked on incredulously. He rubbed his eyes when he saw her texting back enthusiastically with a bigger smile. Then, the realization hit him and he smacked his forehead while looking upwards.

"It's Ken boy, isn't it?" Jason groaned and Alina hastily locked her phone before putting it away.

"No, it's not. Why would you think that?" Alina asked with that silly smile still on her face.

"Oh, I dunno … maybe cause you look like this?" Jason made a comical face with a lopsided smile while batting his crossed eyes with sickening infatuation. "Heuheuheu."

After giving a stupid girlish giggle, his face changed in a split second, turning serious with a hint of annoyance present between his lips.

"Ungh, weirdo," Alina muttered.

"That's exactly what I was thinking when I saw your face," answered Jason, earning Alina's ire as she flared up.

"I did not have that kind of look!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Wanna bet, then?" Jason asked with a snigger. "There are cameras everywhere, I'm sure Ava can-"

"Don't you dare!" Alina hissed before relenting. "So what if it's Ken? Is that a problem?"

"Yeah. Yeah, it's a real problem," Jason nodded seriously with his arms crossed. "I don't like him."

"You don't like any dude that hits on me!" Alina pointed out. "You do the whole 'Oh, you hurt my sister, I break your neck' routine! With. Every. Single. Guy!"

"And you sabotage every date I bring home!" Jason shot back. "You even told the recent ones how I peed in bed till I was twelve! Twelve! Which wasn't even true!"

"That's to save them from your grubby hands!" Alina returned fire.

"Oh really?"

The two glared while nearing each other before they both burst out laughing a moment later.

"Ok, ok. I may have overdone the protective part," Jason said. "But you gotta admit, every brother needs to say that at least once to the boys that date his sister."

"Yeah, and I may have been pulling your leg when I told those girls that lie," Alina admitted sheepishly.

"May have been?" Jason asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Don't sweat the details," Alina replied dismissively.

"Ok. So, truce?" Jason asked. "I don't scare Kenny away, and you don't trick my girl away?"

It was only a matter of time before Alina found out about both Katelyn and Elizabeth, and Jason sure as hell didn't want her to push them both away, especially Elizabeth. Specifically Elizabeth.

"Oh?" Alina looked at Jason with interest. "What's this? You're seeing someone?"

"Something like that," Jason replied evasively while running a hand through his hair. "It's ... complicated."

"Considering that you're seeing some chick while your daughter, from another chick, is, you know, here?" Alina asked cheekily and Jason deflated faster than an air balloon. "Yeah, yeah. That's pretty complicated. It'll make you look real good to your new date. I can even see it already: 'Oh yeah, by the way … I have a daughter. But, don't worry, I've only got eyes for you, babe.' Yep. That'll work out really, really, well."

Jason said nothing but slouched his shoulders as Alina barraged him with a critical hit. He wasn't sure how to explain this to Elizabeth either, especially since they were now technically married.

"Oh quit sulking," Alina said after a while, rolling her eyes when she noticed how down Jason appeared and stopped poking fun at him. "It's a truce then. We mind our own … relationships without sabotaging the other. Deal?"

Alina lifted her pinky finger to Jason who connected his own to it.

"Pinky swear," Jason said with a smile while crossing his other hand's fingers behind his back. What he wasn't aware of was that Alina was doing the same, just in her mind. The two walked back to Michelle and Alice, both of them were impatient for their return.

***

Asami walked through the campus looking for Emily. While she walked, she was preparing the video clips of Jason singing for the school forum along with a tabloid-style article about how melancholy the hottest teacher was. Halfway through, she passed a group of girls and overheard their conversation.

"Still … are you sure it's okay?"

"Why not? She deserves it for stealing him away! Besides no one will care, she's just a level zero."

"I heard she levelled up … what if she reports it?"

"So? Who cares? At least she learnt her lesson."

The group of four left Asami's earshot but her eyes narrowed from what she heard.

She they said. Don't tell me …

With a sinking feeling, Asami followed the path they came from and paused once she saw the washroom. Following her instincts, she entered the washroom and checked the cubicles. She noticed one was locked and knocked on it gently.

"Emily, you in there? You alright?" Asami asked.

"Asami?" Emily called out. Asami could tell that her voice was stiff with more than just her stuffy cold.

"Can I come in?" Asami asked. She waited patiently as Emily hesitated but, eventually, the latter opened the cubicle's door.

Asami hissed a breath in when she saw Emily's condition. The outfit she borrowed from the Loft was left in tatters, preventing her from leaving the cubicle since her body would be on display. On top of it, chunks of her hair were missing, the haphazard cut was apparent as parts of her hair were still long. What surprised Asami was the lack of response Emily had. She was hurt by what happened, no doubt, but she had a rather dismissive look in her eyes.

"Holy," Asami said. She thought back to the girls she passed and couldn't help but feel indignant. How could they be so vicious? "This … this is too much."

"No less than I deserve," Emily said, truly believing that. She understood why they did what they did, especially since the one that led them, Rachel, was her former friend. Unfortunately, she hated Emily with a passion. After all, which girl would like seeing their crush or boyfriend spur them for someone else? For, in their eyes, a slut who seduces everyone?

"Could - can you help me find something to wear?" Emily asked with her head down, refusing to look at Asami. She couldn't bear the thought of seeing the latter's look of sympathy.

"Sure, I'll be back soon," Asami said as he quickly took off. Emily closed the cubicle's door again and waited silently, thinking about her situation instead. She decided to skip school and fix her hair before checking the arcade.

After gathering some clothes from her girlfriends, Asami returned and handed them to Emily.

"Here. It'll be harder to notice your hair with this on," Asami handed Emily a sunhat when she exited the cubicle. Her outfit was a white t-shirt that was long and a pair of colourful leggings. She also tied a knot at the front of the shirt, exposing a bit of her belly button while making the shirt look more fashionable.

"I'm heading home," Emily said after putting the sunhat on. The straw hat, while seemingly off place with the outfit, hid the snippets of missing hair perfectly while covering a bit of Emily's face, much to the latter's relief.

"Nope, not happening," Asami said as she grabbed Emily's arm and hooked herself to it, preventing the former from escaping. "Right now, we're gonna go to the salon, get a new haircut, a pedicure, and maybe some ice cream."

"Asa-"

"Look Em, I get it," Asami interrupted in a serious voice. "I know you want to be alone right now, but that's not what you need. What you need is to hang out and forget about all ... this. So let me be a good friend and help you."

"All right," Emily answered after a moment. Her heart was warmed by Asami's actions, and she felt like she was a true friend.

"Great!" Asami cheered. "Let's sneak out from the side. There's an exit that used to be locked till Jason arrived. Personally, I think that's how he sneaks away."