Chapter One
Jade Harley is lonely.
Don’t get the wrong idea, Jade has plenty of friends. Eight, to be exact. But a lack of friends isn’t why she’s lonely. Jade wants a boyfriend. And not just any boyfriend, Jade wants Dave Strider, who just so happens to have very recently introduced her to his new boyfriend. Which sucks.
She’s happy for him, obviously, but it still sucks that it couldn’t be her.
Currently, Jade is sitting on her bed staring blankly at her guitar as she attempts to come up with a new piece and failing miserably.
She’s snapped out of her trance by the familiar sound of her phone going off.
— tentacleTherapist [TT] began pestering gardenGnostic gardenGnostic [GG] —
TT: Good evening, Jade.
GG: hi rose!!
TT: I trust you are well?
GG: yeah im just how i always am
TT: And that is good, I presume?
GG: mhm
GG: how are you rose?
TT: I am fine.
GG: thats good!
GG: is something up?
TT: Yes, actually.
GG: oh
GG: what is it?
TT: I have some things I would like to ask you, if that’s alright?
GG: totally! whats up?
TT: Alright.
TT: I would appreciate it if you would just hear me out before you respond.
GG: okay ill wait until youre done!
TT: Thank you.
TT: So, Jade, for the past year or so I’ve began to harbour feelings for you.
TT: Of the romantic kind.
GG: !!!
TT: And I would like to say now that I fully understand if you say no and I hope this will not change anything between us.
TT: But I would be delighted if you would accompany me on a date next Saturday.
GG: oh
GG: rose..
TT: I take it that is a no then?
GG: rose :(
TT: It’s quite alright, Jade, really.
GG: i’m sorry :(
TT: I’ll get over it.
GG: its not you or anything!
GG: i just dont really think im into girls like that
TT: Yes, I understand.
TT: I trust our friendship will remain the same?
GG: yeah of course!
GG: wow youre taking this a lot better than i would
TT: That’s because I have my phone screen.
TT: I have plenty of time to clear my head before I respond.
GG: oh rose :(
GG: im so sorry :/
TT: It’s alright.
TT: Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go.
GG: okay sorry again :(
GG: bye rose
TT: Goodbye.
— tentacleTherapist [TT] ceased pestering gardenGnostic gardenGnostic [GG] —
Jade sat and stared at her phone.
She felt really bad.
Rose was one of her best friends, she didn’t want to mess things up with her.
She groaned and lay back on her bed, covering her face with her hands.
She hates disappointing people.
Jade sighs and picks up her phone again, checking to see who’s an active chum.
She feels a guilty pit form in her stomach as she sees Rose’s active icon in the corner. She’s probably talking to Dave or someone right now.
Jade frowns, looking for someone to talk to.
Terezi’s online.
Jade doesn’t know a whole lot about Terezi. She met her through John, who met her through Dave. They’d spoken in person a few times, she was pretty fun to be around, if a bit strange.
They’d exchanged chumhandles a while back.
She decided to shoot her a message, see what’s up. She would probably make for a pretty good distraction for a while.
Maybe take her mind off the guilt of rejecting her friend.
— gardenGnostic [GG] began pestering gallowsCalibrator [GC] —
GG: hi terezi!
GC: J4D3!
GC: TO WH4T DO 1 OW3 TH3 PL34SUR3? >:]
GG: um i was kind of hoping we could just talk for a bit?
GG: i need to take my mind off some things
GC: OH? >:?
GC: D1D YOU W4NT TO T4LK 4BOUT 1T?
GG: no not really
GG: thats why i came to you!
GG: i want to talk about something stupid
GC: W3LL 1 SUPPOS3 W3 COULD T4LK 4BOUT JOHN?
GC: H3S PR3TTY STUP1D
GG: terezi!
GC: >:]]]
GG: hehe
GC: DO YOU W4NT MY R3COMM3ND4TION FOR TH3 B3ST FL4VOUR OF CH4LK??
GG: ew no!!
GG: besides i know youll just say red anyway!
GC: OF COURS3!!
GC: 1T 1S TH3 B3ST FL4VOUR SO OBVIOUSLY TH4TS WH4T 1 WOULD SAY
GG: youre so weird!
GC: YOU LOV3 1T B4B3 >;]
GG: well of course
GG: everyone loves your weird antics
GC: Y34H TH3 B4B3S C4NT ST4Y 4W4Y FROM 4LL TH1S >;]]
GG: haha!
GG: have you been talking to dave?
GG: that sounds like something he would say
GC: NO TH4TS 4 T3R3Z1 OR1G1N4L
GC: STR1D3R 1NSP1R3D BUT NOT R1PP3D-OFF
GG: oh of course
GG: *eye roll*
GC: S1L3NC3 YOURS3LF
GG: what are you up to right now?
GC: YOU W3R3 R1GHT 4CTU4LLY
GC: 1 W4S T4LK1NG TO TH3 COOLK1D H1MS3LF
GG: the one and only?
GC: TH3 ON3 4ND ONLY!
GG: hehe
GG: whats he saying?
GC: 1 DONT KNOW
GC: 1 W4SNT P4Y1NG MUCH 4TT3NT1ON
GC: SOM3TH1NG 4BOUT ROS3 B31NG UPS3T 1 TH1NK??
GG: oh no :(
GC: DO YOU KNOW WH4T TH4TS 4BOUT?
GG: yeah
GG: its kinda my fault :(
GC: WH4T? >:?
GG: yeah rose kind of asked me out and i kind of told her im not into girls
GC: YOUR3 NOT?
GG: no?
GC: OH
GG: did you not know that?
GC: NO 1 TH1NK 1 D1D
GC: 1M JUST SO US3D TO B31NG SURROUND3D BY 4LL TH3S3 FL4M1NG HOMOS3XU4LS
GC: 1 M34N MY B3ST FR13ND 1S K4RK4T WH4T DO YOU 3XP3CT?
GG: haha!
GG: dont tell him that!
GC: OH H3 4LR34DY KNOWS
GC: W3 R1P ON 34CH OTH3R FOR 1T >:]
GG: normal friend stuff?
GC: 3XACTLY!
GC: S33 YOU G3T 1T
GG: yeah!
GC: SO YOU L3T H3R DOWN 34SY?
GG: yeah..
GG: i mean :/
GG: i dont know if i like girls like that!! how do you even figure that out??
GG: like
GG: where do you even start??
GC: W3LL USU4LLY STR41GHT P3OPL3 DONT H4V3 TO 4SK TH3MS3LV3S IF TH3YR3 STR41GHT
GG: well thats super helpful :/
GC: 1 4LW4YS 4M >:]
GG: tereziiiii!
GG: seriously!
GG: ive never thought about it before! i always just kind of assumed i was straight
GG: i mean thats kind of the default right?
GC: >:/
GG: ughhh you know what i mean!!
GC: 1 DO
GG: yeah?
GC: Y34H
GC: 1 DONT 4GR33
GC: BUT 1 S33 WH3R3 YOUR3 COM1NG FROM
GG: its just
GG: ive really never thought about it before you know?
GG: and now im thinking about it
GG: and im not sure :/
GG: i mean i know im definitely not into rose
GC: ...!
GG: oh no!!
GG: thats sounded really mean!! thats not what i meant :(
GG: i just mean that like
GG: i mean yeah shes pretty
GG: like shes really pretty!!
GG: but ive never like
GG: wanted to date her before?
GC: 1 S33
GC: SO YOU KNOW YOU DONT L1K3 ROS3
GC: BUT YOU H4V3NT RUL3D OUT WOM3N 4S 4 WHOL3?
GG: exactly!
GG: maybe if i meet a girl i really like ill know?
GG: but right now im just not sure :/
GG: is this normal???
GC: YOU KNOW 1M NOT R34LLY TH3 B3ST P3RSON TO T4LK TO 4BOUT TH1S
GG: ...
GC: 1 TH1NK W3 BOTH KNOW YOUD B3 B3TT3R T4LK1NG TO K4RK4T
GG: gahh!!
GG: but i dont really know karkat all that well!
GG: i dont even have his chumhandle!
GG: we met like a week ago
GG: why would he help me?
GC: H3 1S STUP1D 1NTO ROM4NC3
GC: 4LSO JUST STUP1D 1N G3N3R4L
GG: wow youre really mean
GC: >:]
GC: DO YOU W4NT H1S CHUMH4NDL3??
GG: hmm..
GC: YOU DONT H4V3 TO M3SS4G3 H1M
GC: YOULL JUST H4V3 1T 1N C4S3
GG: well..
GG: yeah okay
GG: why not
GC: OK4Y
GC: 1TS C4RC1NOG3N3T1C1ST
GC: W1THOUT TH3 4S 3S 4ND 1S
GG: the as es and is?
GC: NO TH3 NUMB3RS
GG: hehe i know
GC: >:[
GG: :D
GG: okay
GG: ill let you know how it goes?
GC: SUR3
GG: okay!
GG: goodbye terezi!
GC: BY3
GC: >:]
— gardenGnostic [GG] ceased pestering gallowsCalibrator [GC] —
Jade sat and looked at Karkat’s chumhandle for awhile. Should she really message him about this?
She sighed.
It’s going to be a long day.