3 - BROKEN

Jade curved her lips up into a wry smile as she stared into the mirror at her reflection. Her black hair which was dripping with water, stayed glued onto her smooth skin, making her look like a goddess - or so she felt. She had washed off her Gothic makeup all that was left was the angelic-looking beauty in the mirror. The innocent-looking face that had ruined her life. She smirked as she turned on her feet and walked out of the bathroom into her room, with only a towel tied around her chest.

She got to her dressing table and was about to apply lotion when she heard a knock on the door. Frowning, she went to open the door, wondering who it was. It definitely wasn't her stepmother - as she had warned her to stay off - and it wasn't yet time for her dad to return home. Unless he had been informed of her current mischief. She looked through the peephole and on seeing Shawn, she shuddered. What was he doing here?

She opened the door and he walked in. His eyes widened with embarrassment as soon as he saw her and he tried to leave the room but Jade shut the door. She found it funny seeing his face turn red in embarrassment.

"Why are you here, Bucket?"

"I.. Uhm... I uh... I.. I.." Shawn stuttered, trying to get rid of the silly thoughts in his mind.

"You haven't gone home, have you?" She teased, noticing how he still wore the same clothes from school.

"No, I haven't," Shawn confirmed, turning his back toward her as seeing her in only a towel was making him uncomfortable. "I wanted to talk with you. You have to stop what you're doing. It may seem harmless, but you're hurting a lot of people."

"That's their cup of tea, not mine." Jade shrugged, slightly disappointed that her game wasn't working anymore.

"How can you say that? Knowing how many people you've hurt, even Principal Dolan." Shawn criticized, a little annoyed over her calmness.

Jade shrugged. "I just gave him a new makeover. Stop making it sound like I made him cry."

Shawn burst out. Jade was simply being outrageous. "Yes, you did. Principal Dolan fu... Principal Dolan cried."

Jade smirked. "Impressive."

Shawn turned to face her, visibly annoyed. He couldn't believe how much she had changed over the past year. "Impressive? That's all you have to say?"

Jade replied calmly. "Well yes. But, I doubt that's what you came here for." She curved her lips up in a naughty smile as she put her arms around Shawn's shoulders. "I feel you came here because you're attracted to me." 

"No way. That's... That's impossible." Shawn stuttered, his cheeks turning red in embarrassment again. His heartbeat became uncontrollable as Jade leaned closer to him. She tilted his head down until his ear was just right beside her mouth, then she whispered:

"Well, let me tell you something, Bucket. You're not attracted to me because we're opposites. You're attracted to me because we're both broken." And, with that she let him go. 

Seeing him rush of the room like a deer being chased by a tiger, Jade gave a light smile and went back to the dressing table. After applying cream to her body and wearing a pair of shorts with a tank top, she lay down on her bed watching the ceiling. Soon she drifted off into a deep sleep. And there, the memories came.