Soulmates

Chapter 31

Thank you to riptide2406 for the "gold rush" song prompt for the first bit of the chapter!

Why did Jaz need to retake that test?

She turned in the test to Mr. Hoffman and slid her headphones into her ear. Her playlist was still on.

Jaz tensed when she realized what song was playing. Did Spotify just know gold rush was what she was feeling? She skipped the song.

As the bell rang once again, Jaz considered skipping the next period. But, the performance was tomorrow, and Jaz needed to make sure she had vocals down.

Sadie was there first, determined to ignore Walt's stares.

Jaz didn't like how everybody wanted Sadie. How everybody wondered what it would be like to love her. How everyone would die just to feel her touch, even if it were just a quick brush while walking by.

Jaz ignored how her stomach fell at the thought and smiled as she walked over to Sadie.

Sadie was twirling her hair around her finger, not noticing Jaz next to her. When she let her hair go, it fell into place perfectly, like dominos.

Sadie glanced up at Jaz. "Sorry, did you say something?"

"Oh, no," Jaz said. "I heard Walt asked you to homecoming."

Sadie's gaze darkened. "Oh. Yeah, he did. I said no." Sadie looked up at her. "I like your shirt."

Jaz also didn't like anticipating her face in a red flush. "Thanks. Are you interested in someone else?"

"Yes."

"What's his name?"

"Her name is--" Sadie stopped, contemplating. "I don't even know if she's into girls, so..." Sadie looked Jaz in the eye. Her eyes were like sinking ships with water so inviting, and all Jaz wanted to do was jump in. "What do you think?" Sadie asked.

That was when the realization struck. Instead of the flush, Jaz sent reeling. The world was in slow motion, with her face going into a rosy blush.

"I think," Jaz said, trying to use her hair to cover her face, "that she does."

"What do you think I should do, then?" Sadie asked.

"Ask her."

"Okay then," Sadie whispered. "Jaz, are you interested in girls?"

Jaz's heart skipped a beat. "Yes, I am."

"Then if, hypothetically, I were to ask you to go out with me, what would you say?"

"I don't know," Jaz said. "I think you'd need to ask her. Not hypothetically."

Sadie's face flushed red, and she cleared her throat. "Will you go out with me?"

Jaz could have sworn she stopped breathing as she said, "Yes."

-

Alex took as long as possible to open her locker, and she regretted not taking longer when a note fell on the floor.

She took a deep breath before she read it.

Faiz Ahmed Faiz:

Before you came,

things were as they should be:

the sky was the dead-end of sight,

the road was just a road, wine merely wine.