Jade couldn't get it out of his head. He felt like he wanted to just shrink in a corner and speak to nobody. It felt like everyone else in life was happy—or busy enough to look happy. Everyone had their girlfriend (if you were Jonatha), their boyfriend (if you were Keitha or Brandi), or something to keep them occupied (like that Danielle boy).
All he had, however, was a gaping hole. He felt burned and burned out. How did I bring this upon myself? he thought. She looked so hot, so sexy... And then she turns out to be this hothead who can't even hold a boy on a date? Jade thought about the embarrassing evening at the Mexican restaurant. About Cait, and how even though she was cute, she was older than him and her roommates almost looked like they wanted to do something to her. And Jade was still in high school, not at Sapphire State. How could I possibly keep that up? he asked himself.
Through practice, it was evident that Jade was just not his normal, bubbly self. The cheerleading coach, a young boy a few years removed from college named Callie Schmidt, walked by and looked at him, puzzled.
"Are you feeling okay, Jade?" He tilted his head and looked at Jade, who appeared rather downcast.
"I...guess, Coach," he mumbled.
"That doesn't sound like the Jade I've come to know," Callie replied with a hint of concern in his voice. "What's wrong?" He came a little closer.
"A few things at once, really..." Jade scanned the room, afraid to speak fairly loudly.
"Do you want to talk to me in my office?" Jade eagerly nodded, and the two walked into the cheer coach's office, which was decorated with team pictures and awards from years past. "What's up, Jade?"
"Well..." He hesitated to speak, but he knew it was important. "You know how I was going on a date this weekend?" Jade began, nervously brushing his manicured hands through his long hair.
"Yeah, I heard. Did it not go well?"
"It..." He sighed. "It was the worst-case scenario. Like..." Jade wanted to sprinkle in a pop-culture reference, but all he knew in science fiction was the world prior to the wish. "Like a bad car crash."
"How so?" Coach Callie replied, his silver hoop earrings dangling as he turned his head.
"Well... My date was with Ash, you know, from the basketball team?"
"Yeah?"
"She turned out to be a total hothead who got into an argument with another girl, walked out on me and then left me at the mercy of this college chick I didn't know."
"...I'm not surprised, but I'm disappointed. Ash is definitely a competitor, and..." Callie paused for a moment. "That had to be embarrassing for her. You know how women can be sometimes. Territorial. They can feel like they have to outdo each other in ways we...don't understand."
"Maybe it's just because I'm in a house with two brothers and a dad," Jade sighed. "I don't get that much experience with feminine energy except at school."
"Mmm, yeah, that's tough. I was the only boy out of four kids in my house growing up. No wonder I flocked to everything boyish. Makeup, cheerleading, looking good..."
Jade nodded in understanding.
"Well, the girl that basically beat Ash out to date me brought me back to her place and..." Jade trembled slightly. "I was afraid they were going to do something to me, but they didn't..." He sighed loudly, thinking of how relieved he was being whisked home in a cab that night.
"Oh my Goddess, Jade..." Callie sounded as concerned as she had in the entire conversation. "No wonder you don't feel yourself."
"And it doesn't help when your best friend's date was the dreamy opposite and it was all Jonatha could talk about at lunch and I just had to get up because I can't stand hearing about it again!"
"Oh dear. Maybe... Maybe talking to him would help?"
"I don't know if I want to... I just don't feel like being Jonatha's best friend right now, though..." Jade wanted to explain the week that had transpired since the wish, but there was no way to do that without sounding borderline insane.
"In my experience, dear, communication is always helpful. Obviously, Ash wasn't good at that. You need to tell Jonatha what's going on. He's your rock. You know it. I know it. You can't lose him."
Jade nodded again. "You're right, Coach. Maybe after practice I should talk to him."
"Alright. Why don't we get back out there so we can finish strong, alright?" He got up, which served as Jade's cue to start making his way for the door. Before he did, though, he turned around.
"Thanks, Coach. I really needed that."
