The Other Side by Alison Garza (best novels in english txt) 📖

it I'm changing all my locks tonight and i don't want to ever speak to you again.

seeing that jt is serious this time abby hops out the window and disappears into the night. jt examines the wound her entire mid-section is pure purple her pale white skin is hidden and she can see the places where the biker chicks steel toe boots kicked her dead on. she swears that she will never talk to Laicee or abby again. she gets a thick bandage and wraps it around herself hoping that it will keep the cracked ribs from moving she takes a sleeping pill and passes out.

the next morning

MOM:

jt you need to get up for school.

JT:

I'm sick i cant go Ive been puking my guts out

MOM:

okay that's fine if you need anything let me know.

JT:

okay thanks mom.

jt waits for her mom to shut the door then slowly gets out of bed, the bruises look worse in the daylight she feels around and knows that nothing is broken just beaten badly she gets up trying to get dressed she finds a loose shirt and pulls it slowly over her face. she goes to the bathroom and looks at her face she looks like someone took a hammer to her face. she puts heavy makeup on trying to cover up the damage as much as possible. she goes and sits in her room and looks through her back pack. she notices that she has a lot of missing assignments.

MOM:

i thought you were sick why are you doing homework?

JT:

i noticed that i have been falling behind so i thought id do as much work as possible so i can get a better grade. also i was wondering if i could have some money to go buy new clothes.

MOM:

what brought all of this on you have never wanted to improve before.

JT:

i decided that my friends aren't the most important things in the world and that i need to do good.

surprised her mom gives her the money leaves jt puts the money in a safe planning to save it. she gets up carefully and leaves the front door. after she gets around the corner she decides to take a short cut she goes through an alley and at the end of it is Laicee waiting for her with a bat.

LAICEE:

hello jt.

JT:

Laicee i already told abby, i don't want to be apart of this madness ill give you anything you want just don't hit me.

LAICEE:

fine you win ill leave you alone all i want is you to never speak to abby again and i don't want you try to take any power from me.

JT:

is that what this is all about? power! i see it clearly now. your jealous of how i have become popular among our friends and now they consider me your leader.

LAICEE:

its nothing like that

JT:

don't lie! i see you look at me when abby is laughing at one of my jokes i see the way you look at her and your afraid I'm going to break that special bond here's news to you but I'm not like that.

LAICEE:

just leave us all alone. there's a lot more to all of this then you know to me abby really is my sister.

jt then goes to the store and buys what she needs. she returns home and starts to do her work for once.

int. classroom.December

TEACHER:

jt did you do your homework?

JT:

actually i did also i was wondering how much late work would you accept from me.

TEACHER:

really? you actually want to try in class?

JT:

yeah i decided that I'm not going to let the people I'm around destroy my way of life.

TEACHER:

that's good for you, ill make an accept ion and allow any missed work for the past month

JT:

cool, i was prepared so i did two months work worth

TEACHER:

in that case ill accept it, I'm glad that you are trying to improve things keep it up.

jt goes to all of her other classes and manages to make up for all the work she didn't do. her grades are now D's and she is no longer failing everything.

INT. JT's HOUSE

JT:

mom I'm home. guess what i managed to raise my grades up to at least a d for all classes.

MOM:

that's an improvement just keep trying hopefully they will continue to get better. i was wondering would you like to go shopping with me for some clothes.

JT:

that would be great i don't really have anything to wear.

they go to the mall and look for some nice clothes for jt. she tries on a tank top and goes out to show her mom.

JT:

how do you like this one?

MOM:

whats that on your shoulder?!

JT:

oh that's a tattoo i got one night its the trinity pyramid just like my name.

MOM:

you shouldn't be proud of getting a tattoo it just shows how much you've messed up lately.

JT:

I'm not proud of what Ive done but i promise i wont be like that again.

they continue to shop and jt gets a lot of clothes so she will no longer feel like an outsider in school. she still has a drug problem and continues to buy speed from the kids around the corner.

KID:

what do you want tonight?

JT:

the usual just speed.

KID:

okay, you know you can try some harder stuff like meth right?

jt:

I'm already hooked to speed I'm not going to do anything else.

she buys a small bag of speed and goes home. her mother does not know about this addiction. jt goes into the room and locks the door while in there she takes the speed and gets the high she loves.

next morning

MOM:

jt i want to talk to you about something

JT:

what?

MOM:

i found a baggie in your room i know your doing drugs, i don't care what kind but your going to go get help.

JT:

i don't need help i need the drugs they help me forget that i have this worthless life.

MOM:

at least go to counseling they could help you deal with all of the pain and feelings you have.

JT:

if it makes you happy ill go.


int. therapists office. January

DR gatner

hello Jamie how are you today?

JT:

my name isn't Jamie its jt all ways has been always will be.

DR. GATNER

okay then jt, why are you here?

JT:

because i have a drug problem

DR. GATNER

i don't think that's the real problem do you want to talk about your father.

JT:

whats there to talk about he was killed in Iraq he died an honorable death.

DR. GATNER

do you miss him?

JT:

who doesn't he was a great man but i didn't know him very well i was only five when he went missing.

DR. GATNER

whats your relationship like with your mother.

JT:

its gotten better ever since i stopped hanging out with my friends but we are not close, i think i remind her of my father.

DR. GATNER

that must be hard for the both of you

JT:

i haven't really noticed anything. i go to school or at least i left the house everyday she tends to pass out on the couch.

DR. GATNER

does it make you sad that your mother drinks.

JT:

not really because she is in less pain when shes drugged up.

DR. GATNER

i still don't see why that's a good thing for you, kids need their parents to help them grow up.

JT:

my friends helped with that

DR. GATNER

and how did you turn out?

JT:

not well but I'm working on it.

jt leaves and goes home

int. back home

MOM:

how was therapy?

JT:

it went well i guess.

jt goes into her room she sees the small bag of speed she picks it up and takes it to the bathroom she pours the contents down the toilet.

MOM:

what did you do?

JT:

something i should have done a long time ago i poured out the drugs.

MOM:

I'm proud of you

JT:

thanks. is the phone turned on this week?

MOM:

i paid the bill yesterday so it should be. why do you ask?

JT:

i need to call up and old friend, i owe her an apology.

JT:

hello is Jake there?

JAKE:

this is him.

JT:

hey Jake this is jt I'm just calling to say that I'm sorry for what happened last time you called.

JAKE:

its okay i knew you would come around you always do.

JT:

hey i had gotten so caught up in trying to be different and hanging out with my friends that i forgot about those who matter most

JAKE:

so what happened to you, i had gotten a call about a month ago from your mother she said you tried to pull some crazy stunt

JT:

yeah i was being stupid and i had gotten into x and it made me hallucinate and then i cut myself

JAKE:

that doesn't sound like you jt are you sure your friends didn't make you do that?

JT:

yeah I'm sure it was all me, i was wondering if you wanted to come over this next weekend and maybe stay for a couple days?

JAKE:

way ahead of you, your mom called this morning and talked to my mom apparently I'm going to move in with you for a few months just to make sure your doing alright and not getting into trouble. i even get to go to school with you!

JT:

that's so cool thanks for still being my friend.

JAKE:

your welcome well i got to go I'm packing hopefully ill be there by Friday morning if the traffic isn't that bad.

JT:

okay see you then.

jt goes into her room with a trash bag and starts to throw away all of the notes and pictures of her and her old friends she actually has a clean room and she gets the spare mattress from the garage so Jake has somewhere to sleep

int. JT's house Friday morning

JAKE:

hey jt its been like forever

JT:

yeah it has, here ill show you where my rooms at.

they go into JT's room and Jake gets all of his things settled.

JAKE:

you look bad jt

JT:

i know but believe me I'm trying.

JAKE:

when was the last time you slept?

JT:

idk Ive been