The girl shifts, uncomfortable. “I’m just—”
“Juliette?”
Adaline’s voice cuts in from behind her. She’s walking down the stairs and she looks exhausted. Not ‘I just woke up’ tired but a more tedious type. When she sees me, something flickers across her face that I can’t read. I push past the girl and into her house.
“Who is this?” I ask immediately, irritation coating my words. It’s almost taking over the relief that I feel seeing her.
The girl looks between us like she’s stepped into something explosive. “I should go.”
“No,” I say. “I’d actually like to know why you’re here.”
“Juliette,” Adaline snaps. “Stop.”
“What?” I fire back. “You disappear and I show up to this. What do you expect?”
I stare between her and the girl, rage building up in my chest. I wanna break her hands, kneecaps or anything at all for the way she’s standing here. Jealousy is a green ugly monster and I hate the way it’s hiding under my bed, but I can’t help it.
“I’m just here for tutoring,” the girl blurts. “For biology.”
Suddenly the monster is retreating, replaced by the even bigger guilty one.
“What?”
Adaline exhales slowly. “I’m tutoring again.” She crosses her arms.
My chest tightens. “Why?” Even though I know the answer.
She reluctantly meets my eyes. “Extra money.”
“Because of my mum,” I say quietly.
She scoffs but doesn’t answer. Before I can say anything, the girl speaks up.
She grabs her bag. “I’m really sorry. I didn’t know.”
“You should go,” Adaline says gently. I want to shout at her for being gentle with someone else. I must truly have something wrong with me.
The girl slips past me without looking at my face. I don’t apologise. Why would I? I don’t even move. She has to squeeze past me to leave, and when she does I turn back to Adaline.
“So,” I say. “That’s what you do now? Shut me out to prove a point?” I know I’m being unfair. I’m the one in the wrong, but the residual anger from seeing that girl here still hasn’t left.
“I didn’t shut you out,” Adaline snaps. “I left.”
“I wanted to talk it out with you.” I step closer to her and she only moves back. It makes me want to sob.
“You didn’t protect me,” she fires back. “You screamed at me.”
“Baby.” I plead, trying to hold her hands but she yanks them out of my grasp. “I’m sorry, so sorry. I told her she was wrong. I promise I did. I was just so angry.”
“You had no right to be angry with me.”
“I know.”
“You should have listened to me.”
“I know.”
“I hate you.”
