their thursday night had begun somewhere productive, full of the will to study, get their last semester out of the way. but scout found that whatever essays they had to write and case studies they had to present were swimming in a sea of numbers and images that made no sense. so they’d graduated to the tv, tried to get their mind off of hundreds of things that didn’t stay there for more than a few seconds each. luci. seb. ria. what they were doing. how rainbow bank was going — how jade was going.
each thought was brushed aside in favour of the blaring white noise of the tv and the eerie silence of an empty apartment.
which is why they quivered at first when there was a knock. they looked at it from their couch, accusingly, as if to curse whatever was behind it away. but it didn’ t work — a presence was palpable. maybe kat had ordered food to her own address by mistake, because there was no one else that’d bother to come over then. they picked themselves up, each weary joint creaking as they did. god, they just weren’t going to be like they used to.
not all visitors were friendly, and the peephole usually cleared all misconceptions. but from what they saw on the other side of it, the vague, distorted image of dark hair and wet cheeks and some kind of unnatural tilt to her stance — it made their hand reach for the doorknob was soon as they registered it. but before they opened it, they kept their entire arm taut, their breath hitched, and their voice low. they could sound rather harsh if they had to.
the door clicked open to even more silence in the corridor. “ what ? ”
jade smiled at the sight of scout, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. she couldn’t claim to be ecstatic to see them ; after all, their prior conversation had cut them both to the bone and the silent treatment had been the only way to recover from it all. still, the woman stepped into the quiet apartment, dropping the half-empty bottle of whiskey into her brother’s arms as she invited herself in. with her now free hands, she ran her fingers through her dark tresses as she spun about, deceivingly warm gaze surveying the surroundings.
‘ got rejected from stanford today. ’ she answered pleasantly, a cynical smile in place. ‘ the very same stanford that has been begging me to join their psychology program since undergrad, the very same that sends that stupid little gift basket every holiday. ’ jade was rambling. but who cared, really ? this needed to be off her chest.
the university hadn’t given her a reason why for her rejection. but they didn’t need to. she knew exactly what had changed.
‘ my prediction. . . ’ she piped up, her voice softer than ever expected. she was too exhausted to be any louder. taking a moment to collect her thoughts, jade flashed the other a broken smile, blinking back the rapid onset of more tears. ‘ i won’t get in anywhere, i think. not even a state school. i’m being. . . what’s it called -- blackballed. that’s what it’s called, right ? that’s what’s happening, isn’t it ? ’
her sad gaze landed on scout as if they had the answers between the two of them. for once.
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