Chapter Ten: Wasn't It Kylie?

Chapter Ten: Wasn't It Kylie?

Vanessa's hairs are roughly dyed in silver, and it was like she was homeless.

Jayden's eyes wandered all over her face. Thanks to God that the whole cafe was deserted except for us unless it would've been really weird when he hovered over the counter and grabbed Vanessa's face on his hand. She flinched at the contact but stood there, still confused about everything.

"Jay, it's fine, I'm okay..."

"I'm deciding if it is fucking okay or not Van, just tell me what happened!"Jayden's voice boomed inside of the small place that I had to take a step back in terror. Vanessa moved her head from his hands and mumbled.

"Nothing happened."

Jayden took a deep breath and started ruffling his hair with his hand, another on his hips, his nose flared in anger.

"Okay then..." he at last calms down. Taking his phone out of his pocket, Jayden looked up at Vanessa. "You're not going to tell me? That's fine. I forgot to call Sam and Austin here..."

He scrolled through the phone when Vanessa shrieked and yanked that away from his hand.

"Please, Jay no! Fine... just... okay."

She exhaustively gave up. "I'm going to tell you."

Biting my lip, I spoke between their conversation for the first time. "You guys talk, I'm gonna wait outside."

They both glanced at me and uttered in unison. "Stay."

Waving my hands in front if me, I grinned weakly. I don't want to put my nose on the glass where it doesn't belong. And I really don't want to, because interfering on things I shouldn't, wasn't my thing.

"No. I shouldn't be in here." I gave them a reassuring smile, letting them know that I'm completely okay with that. Vanessa looked over at me from behind Jayden's shoulder.

"Eve, stay. I've no problem."

Jayden turned his head to me. "Consider yourself lucky, Queen. This piece of shit here doesn't do that a lot."

She smacked his arm with her hand. "Don't call me that."

I examined both of them back and forth before sighing. "Okay, but don't regret this decision later."

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Jayden grabbed a chair and sits on it, as he plopped his legs on a table near him. Vanessa appeared with three cups of coffee, that reminded me that we had something just a while ago and the first thing she did was kick Jayden on his leg despite she had a trey full of coffee mugs but managed them perfectly that one drop of the coffee's doesn't fall from them.

I couldn't help but snort from my place when he yapped in pain. "Control your body parts lady."

She doesn't bother to reply and sat beside me. Delivering me a mug, one to Jayden and one for herself, she sipped the liquid. Jayden brings his legs down from the table, crossing his hands on his chest.

"Are you going to tell me?"

Vanessa inhaled deeply before answering. "This might sound a little intimidating, but I'm telling you this nevertheless, since you told me to." She waited for a little moment and bit her lips. She was really nervous.

"My mom and dad are getting a divorce."

Jayden's lips parted in disbelief and I constantly felt like a third person here. "I ran away from home five days ago and the manager of this cafe told me to stay in her home for a few day because she lives alone. Mom and dad both are thinking that I might be a burden for them cause they are going to live separately from now and neither of them doesn't want me in their personal life."

After a long pause, Jayden opened his mouth. "And you didn't tell us?"

Gripping the mug tightly with her two hands, she gritted. "I wasn't in a situation, Jay. Try to understand."

Jayden nodded, understanding. After a while, he brings up the coffee near his mouth and slurped. "Why?"

Vanessa shrugged. "My mom was having an affair with some guy in her office."

I scratched my back. "Not to be rude, but you seem to be taking it so normally. No offense."

She turned her head to me and shook them. "Maybe because I have seen too much family drama in my life and they are starting to work on me."

I understood what she tried to meant. A girl like her age should be studying right now, not dealing with this shit.

"So, are you going to leave school or not?" Jayden asked.

"It's a home school, dipshit."

He fumed. "Still!"

"Well, luckily my bank account has enough money so I can continue my studies without relying on my parents, that's why, no. I'm not going to leave school. At least not yet. And you look like you'll be happy if I did. Trying to beat me in studies? You can't."

Jayden muttered. "Shitbrick."

"Ass-face."

"Bitch."

"Freak."

"Nitwit."

"Motherf-"

"Okay can we give it a rest?" I interfered in their trails. That needed to be stopped. They looked at me simultaneously before raising their hands and howled together. "Okay!"

"Good."

Jayden ran his fingers through his hair several times and asked. "You look horrible. Aren't your mom and dad searching for you?"

Vanessa rolled her lips inside of her mouth. "Maybe they are, But they would never expect me to take a job here. Running away from home was already beyond their imagination."

Sucking a deep breath, Jayden rubbed his wrist warily. "I think you should go back, Van.."

"What for?" She seethed. "Did they ever come back from any business trips for me? Did they have any time for caring for me when I was sick? Did they care when I starved after school and was unable to make anything for myself? Then why would I go back for them?"

Vanessa snapped them out all in one breath, cutting him off. I realized it is so hard for her. My parents don't love me much as much as they love Blake, but simply, I didn't care whether they did or not. But with Vanessa, it was entirely a different case.

"So are you gonna live here for the rest of your life?" Honestly, that's the dumbest thing I've heard in my life.

Nonetheless, she shrugged nonchalantly. It could be even yes or no but they stared at each other for a long time and by the look, I could say that they were talking with their eyes. Jayden get the message already so he breaks the eye contact as he nodded.

We silently drank our coffees, hardly talking with each other. Moments later, Jayden put down the mug as he stood up, the chair screeching backwards for the force of the back of his knee. I stand up too. We were getting late for school. Jayden has to catch his detention in time or we'll both be in trouble.

"Don't run away from here Van, or else I'm not finding you again. And plus, I'm telling Austin and Sam about this."

She scoffed. "Oh yeah? You didn't find me Mr Grumpy, I was here. And about Sam and Austin..."

"What?"

"Don't tell them anything right away. They'll misunderstand. Just tell them to... to..." Vanessa stopped. Unsure was an understatement, there was indecision in her eyes. She curled her fingers into a fist. "Okay, just tell them to t-talk with me. I'm sure they'll understand."

The last sentence came out of her mouth as a whisper. Jayden shook his head and gave her a one-handed hug before leaving and I waved at her awkwardly and turned on my heels to leave.

"Do you think she'll be okay?" I asked Jayden once we were out of the place. Silently walking for some few minutes, he exhaled.

"She's the most strongest person I've ever saw in my life. If there is no one who can survive in this situation, I know she can. And living in a strangers house and selling coffee in a coffee shop- that's no matter to her."

I didn't know how long they have known each other or I don't also know if it is okay to ask him about her but I decided to go with the flow. "Did she have a lot of trouble with her parents?"

Jaydens hand instinctively went to his hairs and he starts to ruffle it unconsciously. "Everything you heard inside of the restaurant from her Queen, is true." His hands came down with a sigh.

"Everything."

There was again an awkward silent between us as we walked towards his bike. Think something to talk about. I clenched my teeth. Say something!

"Um...what do you want to do when you grow up?"

I thought Jayden will definitely laugh at me of my stupid question, but to my surprise (or horror) he doesn't laugh. "Me?" He chuckled lightly. "When I was young, I always wanted to be a doctor or an engineer or some shit like everyone else."

I laughed at that. Not because I found it funny, because that reminded me of myself. Of course I wanted to do something like that when I was young too, everyone did. But I grew up and found out being a doctor or an engineer wasn't for me. Designing dresses was the only thing I was and am good at.

"But when I hit my adolescence, I found out that wasn't for me." We have that in common. "So I wasn't sure what I wanted to be, and then I get this anxiety everytime I start to think about my future because I just can't imagine myself out of highschool- doing real world things... doing a job... It's like I'm stuck in a life where all I have is my highschool glory days."

I didn't speak.

Come to think of it, I've always thought of Jayden as a side character in my life. It was the first time I realized that people have a whole life other than me and they were not just extras in a movie set.

He keeps soundless and asked after a long pause. "You want to become a dress designer right?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

The sight of Jaydens bike catches my attention as I ran towards it and took the helmet I've been using since grocery shop. Getting up behind it, I clipped the belt of the helmet under my chin and slapped my palms on my knees, waiting for him to get up. That was when I heard him hiss a curse word as I tilted my head to see what was he up to.

"Jayden what are you- Holy shit!"

I jumped out of his bike as quickly I can and ran to him, unaware of the fact that the helmet was still on my head. Grabbing his hand rather fiercely, I stare at the cut on his hand, more particularly his wrist, which has started oozing blood out of it and mentally face palmed. How can a person cut his hand out of nothing?

"It's the helmet." He spats out, biting his lips in pain, as though reading my mind. I noticed His Adidas black helmet innocently laying down on the earth.

"Out of all things in the world, how could you hurt your hand with a helmet?"

"Well, how could I know there is a sharp broken point?! Not my fault Gina betrayed me."

Still holding his hands firmly and not planning to let that go, I frowned. "Who started betraying you?"

Jaydens eyes grew big and his cheeks eventually becomes like a ripe tomato as he turned his face away so that I wouldn't be able to see his face.

I laughed like a donkey. "Who, Jayden?"

"Ah fuck," he cussed out, "It's my helmets name. The fact my stupid sister likes to name everything surrounding her..." He murmurs almost incoherently. I grinned this time and in return he glares at me in annoyance. "Are you going to sit there holding my hands all day or are you gonna get on?"

I rolled my eyes. "As if I'd let you drive this with blood in your hands."

Approximately seven minutes later, I'm running out from a small pharmacy where I was able to find bandages and some other medicines to the guy who is resting his back on his bike, clutching his wrist.

"How is it?" I asked the him after I dumped the packet and the helmet on the carrier and brought out band-aids. As I slowly start to wrap the thing around his wrists, he winced and tried to jerk his hand away from mine but I kept a tight hold.

"Not good enough! Ow! Why are you holding my hand this tight?"

"Shut up, let me see it."

I examined the cut closely. It was nothing that serious that I had to scream and cry for calling an ambulance. He was pretty much totally fine.

"Can you drive this?" Once I was done dressing his hand, I looked up at him, waiting for an answer.

He huffed. "I don't know."

Here he goes again. I rubbed the bridge of my nose. "You know what, I'd rather talk with Kate than with you."

There was a frown on his face and I wondered if he ever heard of her. I mean it's pretty normal. He stays with a girl barely a week or two. If that's the case, it's almost expected from a guy like him.

"Who's Kate?" I knew it.

I opened my mouth to give a answer but that wasn't necessary.

"Oh the girl who's like, popular? I thought her name was Kylie, wasn't it Kylie?"

A giggle bubbles up inside my chest and before I knew what was I doing, a small laugh came out from my lips. "No Jayden. It was Kate. And pretty sure she's gonna strike at you again."

A scoff was heard. "What does she want more? I told her it was an one time thing. She was clingy from the first night..."

I hide an obvious grin that was starting to ache my mouth.

"Anyways, we're not gonna stand here like a fool right? How's it? Will you be able to drive this thing?" I pointed at the bike.

He ran his fingers on the bandage delicately. A gentle breeze of the spring blew past us, some dry leaves following them, giving us the sign that winter is almost there. I glanced at Jayden from my side. His hairs were sticking out in different direction just like yesterday, but this time, I knew it was unlikely.

"Let's go," Jayden announced loudly, making me jump.

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"But it's impossible. No one dies from choking on food." I argued with Jayden when we were back in the school compound to catch his detention, God knows why he gets them for. The hallway is usually silent after school when all the students are gone except the students those were n detention or other things. Luckily, I didn't have any detentions today and actually I'm still surprised I haven't been expelled for screaming with Mrs Goldwell.

"It is possible. Once I stole some lasagna from our fridge and started eating behind our sofa then I choked and almost died but I was lucky that I had water with me so things were controlled and I didn't have to give that lasagna to Jessi."

"Yes, you said almost, that doesn't mean..."

"Oh please Queen, will you let me finish? Once I had the first bite I heard that someone was coming, I didn't know it was Jessi or mom so I..." He threw his hands here and there to prove his point right but I stood high on my decision. I mean, how can a person almost die while eating?

We were both near Jayden's detention room, about 10 minutes earlier than the schedule. The teacher went out to grab some coffee or something so he sprinted inside and told me to wait outside and 10 minutes later, the red-head guy comes out, a grin plastered on his face as usual.

"Did he find out?" We walked down the corridor to get to the parking site because we lived in same residence so it would be a weird thing if he goes there by his bike and me, by walking.

"Nah. If he found out, I wasn't gonna have fun with you."

We got into his bike after Jayden picked up his bag from the detention room.

"Thanks a lot man! I owe you some." I slapped on his back once we stopped beside our place, rather forcefully as he squeaked in pain. Rubbing his wrist, Jayden muttered.

"The slap wasn't necessary. "

"Oh forget it." I get off from his bike and walked around it. Last time I remember when he was seriously drunk, he mentioned this beauty as Ducati.

"That's a nice thing you got here."

He chuckled at my remark. "Yeah. I love it even more than my sister."

I stretched my arms to get rid of the soreness. "Speaking of which, you are my neighbor now."

Jayden snorted. "Can't believe out of all people, I had to run into you. Who are you actually? Why didn't I notice you before? "

I shrugged. "How would you? You're busy all along. Although I knew you from middle school. The light of the school, our 'Mr Popular'."

I made an air quote with my finger. "Okay. So bye then! See you tomorrow." Stopping, I made the a face and gagged. "Teacher."

I happily sprinted towards my house, hearing the sound of Jayden's bike roaring and stopping just in a few seconds. I looked back to see that he was looking back at me while getting off from that bike, the trade mark smirk dangling on his lips. I waved at him, grinning broadly and he does the same.

I guess he isn't that bad after all.

Entering inside of our rainbow land, I chirped. "I'm home. Blake?"

If I remembered that Blake and I were in a fight a few days ago, I wouldn't have said it because I think I just smeared salt in the wound.

There he was, standing in the middle of our living room, his face hooded in annoyance and no one had to tell me what was going on. He saw me. Going out with Jayden.

"We need to talk."

Oh this was going to be fun.

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