The Lost Girl

Jade's face burns red again, she looks to the ground. "No…..it's ok, my…...my lo….locker is only in the next hallway. I…..I...I will be ok. Tha….thank you so much though." She reaches out and grabs her books gently and starts rushing the other way towards her locker again, this time paying attention to where she is going. 

"WAIT WHAT'S YOUR NAME!!!!???!!!???"

Jade hears him call for her name but continues rushing down the hall to her locker. She reaches her locker and catches her breath. Jason standing there with an eyebrow raised and a curious look in his eyes. The minute bell rings though and she has no time to explain everything and he has no time to listen. She simply smiles and looks at him and says softly. "You don't even want to know, but I will explain everything in third hour. I love you, got to go." Then she runs off. 

"I love you too! See you third hour!" Jason slightly yells since Jade is only a short distance away when he says this. 

     Jade is sitting in her first-hour class, English, and all she can think about is that boy's eyes, the way he looked at her, and the way he spoke to her. The way he got defensive over someone bothering her and she doesn't even know him. What's his name again, she thinks to herself, oh yeah, Leo. The whole hour Leo is all she can think about. Finally, when the bell rings she looks lost. She asks the teacher for the work and admits that she was daydreaming all hour and then apologizes. She's amazing at English though so her teacher doesn't say anything to her, but instead just smiles and hands her the work. 

Jason is at her locker by the time Jade gets there with eagerness in his eyes. "That new kid everyone has been talking about finally came in today. His name is Leo, he's in my first hour. He seems cool. I like his style." Jade smiles and laughs at that statement considering that's the first thing she noticed about him, that him and her brother share the same style. "What's so funny sis?"

"Nothing, I met him this morning, not in the most pleasant way though. Something came over me this morning and I kind of stood up to Vincent. After I ran off kind of shocked at myself and what came over me. Anyways, I ran into the poor guy. He got a little protective when I looked back at Vincent and saw him glaring at me in rage. He...." before she can finish her story, the warning bell rings. 

"Crap, I am going to be late for class, I love you sis. We have some things to discuss though, I see the way you smile when you talk about him. I won't say anything to him until we talk" Jason smiles a crooked smile and runs off to get to his class as soon as possible. 

During Jade's second-hour, she can't stop smiling behind her long black and teal hair, but she can pay attention and take her notes this hour. She knows that if she misses anything in Geometry class that she's screwed for the next two weeks because she would be completely lost and confused. About twenty minutes into class, Leo comes in. Jade's eyes go wide. He doesn't notice her at first. The teacher introduces him quickly and then asks him to sit where ever he wishes. He glances around the room, overlooking Jade at first, then he catches something and turns and looks directly at her and sees the two empty seats that surround her in the back of the class and picks one. 

 "You know, sitting next to me may give you a bad reputation already in this school." Jade whispers over to Leo as soon as he sits down. Everyone turns and stares at him in shock. Leo ignores the stares. 

"Why do you say that?" Leo whispers back while looking directly at the board. 

"Me and my brother are the least popular in this school. No one likes us. They think we are weird and creepy. We are the loners, outcasts if you may in this school." she whispers back while writing her notes from the board. 

Leo looks over at her and stares sympathetically. Jade turns and sees him then smiles. "Oh, don't look at me like that. It doesn't bother us. We prefer it to be just me and him. It's safer that way. No drama and no one can hurt us that way. We don't do sympathy so don't feel it for us, please. It's just the way we prefer to live."

Now he looks at her in shock. The bell rings and Jade scurries to grab her things and rushes out of the room. Leo runs after her this time. He catches up to her and then, out of breath he asks her, "Why do you keep running from me? What's your name?"

Jade gets a little frustrated even though she enjoys the attention she can not understand why he keeps giving it to her. "Why do you care so much? You know nothing about me and yet you seem to keep wanting to get my name. Why is that?"

"You seemed sad and scared and I felt some kind of connection. I felt like I knew you before I can even know you. You're oh so very beautiful and you caught my eye." Leo says.

"Well thank you for the compliments. But I'm not who you may think I am. There's no way I could be anywhere near your type and there's no way I could be a part of your friend group. You are way out of my league. I don't believe you will like me very much. I'm a pretty forgettable person. I appreciate the compliments though they are very unlikely. You should probably go…..people are staring. They may start to see you as they see me." Jade says to him as politely as possible. She knows she can not risk being hurt again. She can not risk another heartbreak to make her fall apart. She has her brother and as far as she believes that's the only true person in her life. Everything is safer with just him. 

"And how is it that these people see you? I couldn't possibly understand how someone could not like a beautiful, smart, and sweet women like yourself. You seem friendly and nice enough to me. So how do these people in this school see you?" Leo says to her sympathetically as soon as the bell rings.

 "Fuck, I am late. Everyone is going to stare as I walk in alone and late. It was nice talking to you Leo. Make some friends here. Not everyone here is an asshole." Jade says as she runs to class. A tear rolls from her eyes and she falls to the floor crying. She missed her brother this passing period. He probably felt like a fool standing and waiting for her at her locker. Then he appears by her side as if he sensed where she was and that something was wrong. She and Jason always joke that it's a twin thing they have. 

"What's the matter sis? Did someone say something to you? Do I have to hurt someone this time?"

"No, that new guy, Leo, he wants to get to know me and he's so intrigued by me, but I'm such a little bitch that I have to turn him down every time. I can't be hurt again. Vincent and Neil ruined me and broke me down as a person, and you saved me, but I don't know if you can save me again. I can't risk that." Jade says to Jason as he wipes her tears away and holds her. 

Jason looks her in the eyes. "Maybe this one is different. I can sense it in him, and I know you do too. We sense those things in people. Vincent was a mistake, we both misread him, or maybe he just changed into the person he is now. You two met and fell in love at a time when you both were too young to know who you were let alone know each other. This is high school Jade. Some people are still immature dicks around here, but we can sense who they are now. Remember, our senses have become clearer. Our sympathy has grown stronger. I can sense Leo has a true heart and maybe you are too shocked and scared to see it so your own emotions are blocking it away. It wouldn't be the first time sis. I love you and no matter what happens I will always be here to save you as you have saved me. Now let's go to class. We will walk in together. No need to feel alone. I am here and our whole schedule is almost identical. Don't scare me again, please. I couldn't find you. If Leo keeps trying then I think you should let him try and give him a shot."

"I sense the kindness in his heart. You know how many people we have lost because of others in this school. They all want us to be alone forever. I am afraid that Leo will get fed up with it and just leave because his kind heart may not be able to handle just me and you as his group. Me and you alone is all I am used to and bringing someone else in is terrifying. Bringing Leo into what this school has in for us may only break him. I sense how fragile he is Jason. I can feel it when I look into his eyes. I don't want someone as gentle and fragile as him to get broken." Jade says frantically but quietly.

"It's ok sis, let's just get to our class and if he keeps trying then he cares enough for that. You can't shut everyone out sis. I love you, come on." Jason puts his hand out and Jade grabs it. As soon as she's standing up Leo is behind them. 

"Sorry guys, I didn't mean to intrude on anything, but do you guys know where room 105 is?" Leo says shyly. 

"Yeah, that's where we're headed right now. Walk with us." Jason says.

Leo looks over to Jade, "N…..no, it's ok. I don't want to bother or intrude. I can follow in the distance or you guys can just give me directions and I will leave before you if you wish."

Jade sees the pain in his eyes from being unaccepted. "Hey Leo, it's ok, you can walk with us." Jade gives him a reassuring smile, "I just don't want you to get hurt, no one accepts us. People in this school hate us and they don't like anyone associated with us….."

Leo cuts her off, "Look, I don't care about that. You are the first person who caught my eye. I want to know you. I feel like we could be great friends. I always say it doesn't matter how many friends you have, just how true they are. You are gorgeous and just shy enough and just nice enough but yet just blunt enough. I like you, Jade, I want to know YOU, not anyone else in this school." Leo looks at her a little nervous.

"Ok, but I come with issues and my brother Jason." she looks at him seriously. 

"Ok. I can handle it." he gives Jade a serious look back, then smiles and looks at Jason. "Nice to officially meet you Jason, I am Leo." he puts out his hand but Jason opens his arms and hugs him instead.