Jude looked at me really touched, “Thanks Nats” he said giving me a one armed hug. “You’re welcome” I said smiling. I looked at Stephanie, ha! Two for me and none for you McBitch.
But I didn’t do it to spite her; I did it because I felt like it. By now I had almost forgotten about my stalker and we kept moving from one shop to another. Sean had me in splits when he swore that a guy in the men’s changing room had squeezed his butt and that he felt violated.
“Get out of here!” I said still laughing.
“I swear he did!”
Wade was laughing with us too and Jude smiled. The guys bought some clothes, Wade also bought a pair of Police glares. Which looked really hot on him and I let him know that.
For some reason Jude frowned at me and looked away. I shrugged it off willing for him to see what Stephanie truly was. I hadn’t got a chance to tell the boys what Nick had told me. So when Stephanie pulled Jude to a lingerie shop we all opted to sit at the little café at the mall and rest our feet.
“So boys I need to tell you something” I said as we placed our orders. They looked at me quizzically and I filled them on what Nick had told me.
“So that’s why she’s come back to Jude” said Sean slapping the table top.
“Yep”
“So let’s get Nick to tell Jude” Wade said.
Sean spoke up, “It’s not that simple, Jude already doesn’t trust Nick, he would hardly be a credible source”
I nodded in agreement; we stopped talking as soon as Jude and Stephanie approached us.
“Honestly Steph I think I have run out on my credit limit on my card” he said half jokingly. Stephanie gave a very fake giggle and said, “Oh come on Jude you know that’s not true!”
“Yeah right” muttered Sean so that only Wade and I could hear him.
“Well what do we do now?” asked Jude. I shrugged while Wade and Sean contemplated on what to do. “We could go for a movie” said Sean.
I shrugged again, I was ok with whatever. “Or we could go drinking!” said Stephanie. I wrinkled my nose in disgust. “Well Nats doesn’t drink so that’s out of the question” said Jude which made me grin like an idiot. Ha! Take that, three to me and none to you.
Stephanie looked like she was going to explode any second now but all the boys studiously ignored her and decided which movie to go to. Finally it was decided that we would watch a movie at Jude’s place. The boys decided that I would get to decide what movie to watch since I was so down.
“Final destination 5!” I said with glee, both Jude and Wade groaned. “Oh and lets order some pizza and pick up some popcorn” said Stephanie. No one bothered to acknowledge her; I was sick of her demands already why wasn’t Jude sick of her? She made me want to gag.
We got up and started counting our bags so that we could keep track of them. I had one, Sean had two, Wade had two, Jude had one and Stephanie had five! Jude looked at me in surprise and said, “you have just one?”
“Yep”
“Why didn’t you buy anything else?”
“Oh come on Jude you know me. I don’t like sending my money or anyone else’s just because its there in abundance!” I giggled convincingly as if I wasn’t taunting Stephanie at all. But she understood what I was doing and gave me the stank eye.
“Still, this was supposed to be your day of shopping therapy, I could’ve bought you something if you liked anything”
“Thanks but I already have everything I need”
He smiled at me and we all started walking towards the exit.
“Oh Sean!” yelled Stephanie, “could you help me with my bags?” Sean looked at me incredulously as if to say can you believe this woman? But he turned to her and said, “Nope, if I liked you any better I might have considered it but nope” yep that was Sean for you he didn’t bother mincing words. She turned to Wade but didn’t say anything. Wade always looked at her with disdain but right now he was looking at her with a ‘I dare you to ask me’ look.
At the same time Sean took my bag from despite my protests, I mean it wasn’t even heavy. I could barely keep myself from laughing. Stephanie’s face was green.
I got in next to Wade in his car while Sean got in the back with all our bags.
“See you soon” Wade yelled at Jude and took off. We reached before
Jude and got inside. I took all our bags and placed them neatly by the couch. Jude and Stephanie came soon and Stephanie just threw her bags across the couch. Jude looked at the ones I had laid out neatly and looked at the ones splayed across the couch with half of the contents falling out of them. I sighed and got up to pick them properly when Jude spoke, “Leave them be”
I looked at him really hurt. I was just trying to straighten them up. “Stephanie pick your bags and keep them properly. You have just bought all of this stuff”
I looked at him in surprised, he seemed to be in a bad mood and so was Stephanie. I wondered if they had argued on their way back. “Well I was about to!” she exclaimed and picked up all her bags in a huff and took them to Jude’s bedroom. I shrugged while Wade and Sean winked at me. It seemed to e that their plan was working and I couldn’t help but feel happy.
Jude’s P. O. V
I was beyond irritated with Stephanie right now. All the while back to my place she kept wining about how Wade and Sean were mean to her and how they didn’t respect her. I mean seriously? What was she expecting? My brothers had stood by me when she had left me. They had seen how devastated I was. She would have to win them over everything doesn’t come easy and I let her know that.
“But you could’ve said something when Sean was being mean to me!” “He is not your personal slave! Would it kill you to carry your own bags? If you cant carry them then don’t buy all the things you don’t need maybe then you can manage your stuff!” I said raising my voice. Throughout our time at the mall I couldn’t help but make comparisons between Natasha and her. The way she got along with my brothers like Stephanie never could even when we were dating before. The way she didn’t spend unnecessarily and her independence. Compared to her Stephanie had felt like a leech today.
I was beginning to wonder if all of this had been a mistake. I mean Stephanie’s behavior was nothing new but I probably didn’t realize it then because I didn’t have anyone like Natasha at that time. All he girls I had dated had been like Stephanie.
When I came back home and had seen Natasha trying to clear Stephanie’s mess it had been the last straw. I mean I know we had said that we would take it one step at a time but I was already losing my patience with this girl.
I made my displeasure clear to her. We did call for Pizza to watch during the movie because no one felt like cooking except for Wade and Nats and I wasn’t about to allow that remembering what had happened the last time they had cooked together.
We stopped the movie halfway to take a bathroom break and Natasha got up to use the washroom. As she was about to enter my bedroom Stephanie stopped her, “You need to use the guest bathroom” “Oh ok. Sure. Sorry its just that I am used to using this one.” “Natasha go ahead” I said coming up.
“Um are you sure because I am ok with anything. I just need to pee for God’s sake!”
I laughed at her annoyance and motioned for her to go ahead and then turned to Stephanie, “I think I will decide who is a guest in my home”
She looked at me and said, “But Jude she isn’t even a guest! She’s the hired help!”
“No she isn’t!” I raised my voice again, “don’t you talk about her that way. She is like a friend to me dint you ever call her that again”
“I am sorry” she said placing an hand on my shoulder, “I didn’t ealize you felt that way about her”
“Well now you do” I said coldly. Just as I was about o walk away I heard Natasha yell, “Oh my God! Jude!”
I ran into the room wondering whether she had got another message from her anonymous stalker. “What is it Nats?”
“What have you done?”
I saw her look at my closet in horror. None of my clothes were folded and half of them were hanging out of it which blocked the doors and wouldn’t let it close.
“I tried to keep it organized”
“Well you didn’t try hard enough”
“Umm I will clean it up I promise”
“Where is my stuff?”
“Its right there on the top shelf, I swear I didn’t touch it”
“uhuh you do realize I am not cleaning this for you”
I gave her my best puppy dog look and she said, “huh I am immune to it” she said turning away. Just then Stephanie stepped in and said “I will do it”
“Really?” I asked in disbelief.
“Yeah” she said smiling.
“Oh in that case” said Natasha, “you better start now because his parents are coming tomorrow and you won’t be able to. All you have is right now” said Natasha and walked out of the room as Stephanie stared at her speechless. I swear I saw Natasha smile to herself as she left.
“Well” I said rubbing my neck, “I guess she is right” Stephanie smiled a little uncertainly and said, “You really want me to do it?”
“Yeah” I said grinning, “I hate doing it and Nats won’t do it for me. Besides if mom and dad come tomorrow and find it like this they will think Natasha is a slob too.” Stephanie gave me a tight smile and started pulling out my clothes.
“Don’t touch the top shelf it belongs to Nats” I said and went to join the rest and finish the movie. When I went there all three of them were bent over in silent laughter, I frowned at them and they tried to control their laughter but eventually I joined them too. We watched the remainder of the movie and finished the pizza. We sat chatting and Stephanie had yet to emerge from my room.