Chapter 15

Exhaling after a deep breath Daniel moves from the window walking closer to Jasper, they look at each other and for the first time Jasper notices a look on Daniel's face he's never seen before... fear. He almost looks as if he's scared, "I'm sorry," Daniel softly says trying so hard to keep Jasper's gaze. "For this and for how I've acted since I've been back, I know you don't deserve it but I— I don't know who to trust at Everton, everyone is so against me... except for you for some reason. I don't know why you keep giving me chances, and standing up for me but I don't deserve that—"

"Yes you do Daniel, no one should be made to feel like they can't trust anyone. I should apologize too for what I said the other day, I'm sorry I said that about your parents—"

"No stop, don't apologize to me sitting in a hospital bed I put you in, it doesn't feel right." Walking back to the chair Daniel drops in it letting out a worried sigh, "I think I might as well drop out now, when everyone finds out about this it's pretty much over for me."

"No one has to know," Jasper says making Daniel look at him a bit shocked he'd say that. The boy shrugs, "it was a mistake and I'm not dead, no one needs to know it was you."

"Are you sure?" Jasper nods, letting out a relieved breath a small smile appears on Daniel's face, "thank you."

Jasper dramatically gasps, "was that a smile? Did I actually make Daniel Atkinson smile?" Daniel shakes his head quickly dropping the smile, "you should smile more often, it looks better on you," Jasper complements with a grin of his own.

Before the words can register in Daniel's mind the nurse walks back in.

When he's finally set up in the brace the doctor leaves and Jasper is left with the nurse, "your mom and brother should be here any minute"

Jasper nods, "thanks."

"Sure," she turns to Daniel, "I know you're fine, but are you sure you don't need me to call anyone?"

"I already called my mom, it's ok."

"Okay. so, Jasper make sure you pick up your medication, and whenever your mom gets here and you're ready to leave just come out front."

"Thank you," Jasper smiles and she finally leaves.

Alone again the boy sighs shutting his eyes, "what's wrong?" Daniel quickly asks noticing

"My mom's going to come in here and freak the fuck out, just watch." Daniel stands in the middle of the room while Jasper is sat in the bed with his leg propped up. The boy impatiently waits for his mom to arrive knowing it's not going to be pretty.

"Mrs, Bell?" Jasper hears the nurse's voice and sits up "Yes, where's my son?" She asks

"Right through there,"

Not a second later she comes rushing through with extended arms, "oh my gosh my baby" she grabs Jasper nuzzling him to her chest, "are you ok? What happened?" She throws questions not giving him a second to react.

"Mom I'm fine don't panic," he tries to loosen her tight grip, "You're cutting off my circulation" "Sorry," she starts to let go but grabs his face, seeing the cuts on the side of his head she frowns,

"what happened exactly?"

"Um the chain fell off my bike again," he admits lowering his eyes because he knows she warned him about riding a wrecked bicycle to school. "It stopped in the middle of the street and..."

"What?!" His mom asks anxiously

"He hit me with his car," Jasper says pointing.

"What?" His mom, Jonas, and Jasper turn to look at Daniel who's keeping his distance away, just observing everything.

"YOU HIT MY BROTHER WITH YOUR FUCKING CAR?!" Jonas screams charging for Daniel who he grabs by the chest forcibly pushing him into the wall, "how fucking hard is it to keep your fucking eyes on the road?!" Daniel has been in way too many of these situations to panic, and also the martyr act. He'll accept whatever Jonas has to dish out.

"Jonas get off him!" Jasper quickly stands forgetting to put his weight on his right leg instead of his left, tripping he limps towards his brother. "It's not Daniel's fault let him go!" Jasper grabs his brother pulling him off Daniel and standing in front of him, "I stopped in the middle of the street, it was his light I shouldn't have done that." Jasper explains hoping to calm Jonas who is still huffing while he glares at Daniel, "calm down, ok? Thanks but I'm fine this is not necessary."

Everyone stands quietly for a second trying to calm down, Jasper and Jonas hear their mom say, "wait—" she walks closer, "this is Daniel?"

She looks at Jasper who's eyes grow, "as in—"

"Danny?!" Someone interrupts bursting through the door

"Mom?" Daniel moves from behind Jasper walking towards his mom, "what are you doing I told you not to come"

Ignoring him she wraps her arms around her son hugging him tightly, hugging her back Daniel tries not to think about the family watching his mom in all of her mess. What he really didn't need is what she did next, unable to hold it in Daniel's mom starts to sob against the boy's shoulder gripping tighter at his clothes. "Don't do that to me, ok? I can't lose you too" her muffled voice speaks against his shoulder

"I'm ok I swear, you should've stayed home." They start to let go and she wipes her face.

Nicole Atkinson is a mess, with messy hair, red puffy eyes, and pajamas she hasn't change for days, the woman didn't have a chance to think about how she looked after getting that call from Daniel. Minor or not Nicole was too fragile at the moment for anything to happen to her son, which is why Daniel never tells her about what it's really like at school.

"You can't call me and tell me you're in the hospital and expect me not to come, Danny, that's not fair." He sighs knowing he should've expected this, stepping back from her son Nicole finally sees the people standing behind them.

Jasper and his family watched that whole thing and for Jasper that was maybe all it took, Daniel Atkinson is not who everyone thinks he is.

This side of Daniel was the real him, the soft side that only wants to protect his mom. How could Jasper doubt him? Daniel is way more than meets the eye.

Looking at her son after seeing Jasper, Nicole starts to whisper in a language the Bells can't comprehend. Daniel speaks another language, Jasper finds that so intriguing. After whispering back and forth Nicole move from her son's orbit walking towards Jasper and his family.

Stopping in front of their mom she starts, "I'm so sorry about this, and your leg," she looks at Jasper, "let me take care of the bill it's the least I can do."

"That's all right I already gave my insurance," Jasper respectfully denies, "and it wasn't Daniel's fault so please don't blame him."

Nicole smiles maybe for the first time in a while, "I won't," she replies to Jasper. "I'm Nicole Atkinson by the way," she reaches out to Jasper's mom first.

"Chelsea Bell," nice to meet you she shakes the woman's hand

"It's really nice to meet all of you," she shakes all their hands. "I'm really sorry for showing up like this, it's just when Danny called I didn't have time to think,"

"We understand," Jasper's mom smiles, "no worries."

"Okay, well is there anything left to do? Are you boys free to go?" Nicole asks Jasper "Yeah, we are."

"Great," she walks back to Daniel picking up his bag and jacket from the chair, "ready?"

"Yeah I just need a second with Jasper," Daniel says looking over at the boy already staring at him "We'll wait by the desk," his mom whispers, both moms and Jonas walk out leaving the boys alone.

Taking steps until he's close enough but not to close to make it weird Daniel says, "I don't know how to trust people," he starts meeting Jasper's eyes. "But I want to trust you," it's not easy for Daniel to be vulnerable in front of others, but he feels like he can let his guard down for Jasper. "I'm everyone's enemy but you're clearly not out to get me,"

Jasper chuckles responding, "I'm really not, I just want to be your friend"

"Ok then," Daniel smiles looking anywhere else but the smile on Jasper's face. "Do friends give each other their phone numbers?"

"Of course," Jasper replies with a grin, "how else would they keep in touch?" Exchanging phones they put their numbers in and hand them

back.

"Thanks," Daniel puts the phone back in his pocket, and Jasper nods. Turning as he walks to the door and Jasper starts to limp behind him, Daniel hears the sound of his brace hitting the floor and stops. Turning back to Jasper he looks down at the boy's leg then back up at him.

"Do friends also buy each other gifts?" "Yeah all the time," Jasper nods

Walking back Daniel stands next to Jasper and extends his arm, pausing for a second to make sure he understands the gesture, Jasper grabs the arm and they slowly start to walk towards the door, "I think I know the perfect thing to get you," Daniel says as they exit the hospital room.