“Fate doesn’t always work out in our favor, unfortunately. My dreams would have to be put aside, I’ve accepted it. A lawyer is what I’m meant to be, otherwise there wouldn’t be so many obvious signs pointing me towards that.”
Jen wanted to give Willow a slap on the back, a little good job for going first, friendly gesture, but instead Jennifer let out a small chuckle at Willow’s comment, her tone lighthearted but a bit rude though she was joking, in an almost good friend kind of way. But still, she had laughed at Willow. Maybe not her best move.
Jennifer listened intently, and her eyebrows raised in surprise at Willow’s revelation. “Well, well, well,” she said, smirking slightly. “Don’t you just love it when your parents tell you what you’re supposed to do with your life? That’s their way of showing they care, I guess.” She leaned back on the desk she had claimed, crossing her arms. “But you know what? Screw them. You know what you want, and that’s all that matters. You want to study psychology and maybe become a poet? That’s awesome. Follow your dreams and make them a reality. Don’t let anyone, not even your parents, hold you back.” Jennifer paused for a moment, her expression softening. “I know it can be tough when your passion doesn’t align with what’s expected of you, but you’re not alone. Look at me? I know society doesn’t expect much from me, statistically, being raised by a single woman and growing up around poverty even if I didn’t completely go through it.” This was common knowledge, so Jenny kept spouting. “And yes, I have standards but… I’m not dumb. I’m not the person to give a big warm speech about this, because to an extent I do play into my ‘statistics’ ” Jenny air quoted very dramatically. “But that doesn’t mean my mom doesn’t want me to succeed. She pushes me to get out of my life style. She pushes me to get away from some of the people I hang out with. She pushes me to think about college. And maybe I don’t know what I want to do after high school yet, but she still tries to set me on her pre-decided path. And I resist … a lot.” Jenny chuckled a bit. “We’re all here to support each other, no matter what. We can’t get out of this situation now. And if you ever need someone to talk to or a kick in the butt to get you back on track, you know where to find me.”
Jennifer felt her heart speeding up, she had never really given anyone a… a—a prep talk like this. “But you know what? Don’t let anyone tell you what you need to be. Willow, I honestly thought you were a little weird before I actually… met you. And I still hardly know you… so maybe you are, but you also seem so… cool. If you want to study psychology and become a poet, then go for it. Your dreams matter just as much as anyone else’s, signs or no signs.”
Jenny had had enough. She was tired of everyone’s crap and wanted to get it over with. So, she decided to share her secrets like everybody else did.
“I’m not gonna sugarcoat it, the only reason I haven’t been kicked out of school is because I’m academically gifted. It’s not some humblebrag or anything, it’s just… the truth. I’ve worked my butt off for these grades.” Her words lacked any enthusiasm, almost robotic. Jenny took a moment to observe her classmates’ reactions, some were surprised—not in the way they were for Hazel, while others remained unfazed. It didn’t matter to her though, she only shared this because everyone else was doing the same. “Yeah, look, I’m not here to brag, I swear,” She repeated, “but the truth is my grades are one of the highest in our school," Jenny said, sounding a bit agitated. The school isn’t even that big. “And it’s not just about my academic performance, it reflects on the school’s reputation as well. That’s probably why I can get away with some stupid sht sometimes and still not get expelled. Don’t get me wrong, I get in trouble a lot, but I’ve never crossed the line that would get me kicked out.”
“My second secret is that I have a pet bird. He’s a little cockatiel named Malcom, and he’s been with me since I was a kid. I know it’s not as exciting as some of the other secrets that have been shared,” Jenny peaked at everyone, “but he’s really important to me. And yes, I know a bird is probably not fitting for me.” Relieved that she had finally shared her secrets, she didn’t know what her classmates thought of her now, but she didn’t care. She felt better having gotten it all out in the open. Generally. There was a part of her that regretted it, but hey, if they could why couldn’t she? She was Jennifer freaking Boyd. Rebellious and hated. What was a little more gas to keep the fire going?
As Jenny looked around, she couldn’t help but chuckle. It was a strange feeling, being so vulnerable and yet so liberated at the same time. Despite the fact that she had laid her secrets bare for all to see, she felt lighter somehow, as though she had shed an invisible weight.
A smile lit up her face as she made eye contact with all the losers across the room. Everyone was mostly taking all the secrets in stride and Jenny was grateful she didn’t get to hung up on them either. It could have gone so much worse and so much better, she knew. People could have laughed at her, or worse, used her secrets against her. But nothing of the sort happened, and for that, Jenny felt grateful. And plus, she had all the dirt too now. “And as much as I hate to admit it, paper girls right, soooo?” Jenny gestured around, waiting for the last of the secrets.
@Detectives • @idiot.exe • Willow • Writing this was literally a fever dream so let me know if anything doesn’t make sense 
sorry it’s so long everyone~