Page 1 of Break Out

Chapter 1

Jade

Simone

I crossed University Avenue with my eyes on Vicious Vinyl feeling relief, accomplishment, and excitement. I’d done it. The final exam for my last class was over, and my Computer Engineering degree was in the bag. To say this was cause for celebration was an understatement.

The only thing weighing on me was that Jordan, my boyfriend, wouldn’t be getting his degree this December, too. He’d dropped an important class earlier in the semester, and resigned himself to finishing next spring. Once it was clear I would graduate in December, Jordan arranged to move in with his buddy, Chet. Jordan had finished his semester earlier this week, and he’d spent the last few days boxing his stuff.

I’d asked him on Tuesday if things were cool with us. He’d smiled and said, “Of course they are.”

Still, that little voice wouldn’t leave me alone. Then again, I hadn’t seen him much the last three days because I was studying or sleeping while he was packing. Our Friday night tradition was to meet up across from campus at Vicious Vinyl, a “high-end dive bar.” I didn’t understand how a true dive bar could be high-end. (Weren’t they supposed to be seedy?) But I loved the contrary notion, and their Old Fashioned couldn’t be beat.

As I squeezed through the crowds inside, my excitement grew. Finally, I found the usual suspects I called friends. Everyone stood in a circle since tables were hard to come by after finals. I moved so I stood behind Jordan, but I didn’t push closer since he was mid-conversation.

“Oh, man! Don’t get me started,” Jordan said, leaning toward Chet. I smiled because I loved how animated he became. “I don’t know what was worse. How she latched onto a single phrase saying it over and over again, or how immature she could be. Putting olives on all of her fingers and buying those cheap-ass vanilla ring cookies so she could wear them on her pinkie.”

I did those things with the olives and cookies, but he’d always said I was cute.

He wasn’t talking about me, was he?

“She doesn’t glom onto phrases,” Lisette said.

Jordan’s head reared back and he almost bumped into me – proving he was oblivious to my presence. “If I had a fuckin’ dollar for every time she asked me ‘Have you’ve lost your mind,’ I could pay for all of our tabs tonight.”

To be fair, I rarely asked him, I outright said he’d lost his mind. At this juncture, he sure as hell had lost his mind.

I felt eyes on me, and noticed Tennyson staring at me. She cleared her throat and touched Jordan’s bicep.

He turned, blanched for all of a moment, and then shrugged. His hazel eyes had the tell-tale sheen that comes from being tipsy, if not drunk. “Simmy, what are you doing here? We’re done. I thought you figured that out.” Jordan’s voice hit me harder since the blaring pop music inside the bar forced him to yell.

My rage split like a two-headed beast coming to life. Did women named Kim get as outraged at being called ‘Kimmy’? Maybe not, but it was one helluva stretch to take Simone and use Simmy as the diminutive.

Add his condescending tone, the fact our four closest friends were gathered around, and the way Tennyson stood so close to him, I felt like laying into him with the force of a sledge hammer.

Yet, as my dad and all my ‘uncles’ had taught me, that gave assholes the upper hand. Every time.

I glanced at everyone in the group. Their discomfort was visible. I nodded, considered saying something, but turned around and left.

“Simone!” Lisette yelled after me.

I looked over my shoulder – tears threatened, but I blinked them back.

She caught up to me. “I honestly didn’t know—”

“That makes two of us. Have a great night.”

“Do you need anything?”

I needed a stiff drink, but I’d be damned if I stayed here.

After a deep breath, I aimed a blank expression at Lisette. “No, thanks. I’m gonna head home. His stuff is all gone, and if it isn’t, I need to move it into the hallway.”

She went back to the group and I shouldered my way through the crowd to the sidewalk. The December air hit me like a smack in the face. My nose stung with gathering tears. I clenched my teeth to will them away – never successful with that before, but it seemed today that record might change.

The door opened behind me, and I refused to look back.

“Simone, wait,” Jordan called.

---