Chapter 1: Jayden Nelson

At the cafeteria…

《Kaytlyn Jones》

“Hi…” I put down the spoon from my hand back into my Quaker oat bowl in front of me. Someone just greeted me, someone who was very unfamiliar to be exact. “May I sit beside you?”

‘Wait a minute!’

‘I know this guy, he is one of Jayden’s friend.’

He knitted his eyebrow while looking straight at me; still waiting for my answer whether to let him sit beside me or not. “So, may I?

‘But why he insists to sit here, with me? I don’t get it. What is he really up to?’

"What are you doing here, Joji?" Oh God, thank goodness. Ivy was here to save me from this weird guy. She approached us with a tray of food on her hand along with the squint eyes as she was looking at that guy.

"O-oh....h-hey Thompson" The dark brown hair guy named, Joji suddenly became stutter out of the blue.

Ivy rolls her eyes, "Move away...,” then pushed him away from the seat. "So Kaytlyn, what's our plan for today?" She looked at me with her beautiful crystal blue eyes, totally ignored Joji who was standing beside her.

I could see Joji’s surprised face through the corner of my eyes.

"You know her, Thompson?" He finally braced himself to ask Ivy.

"Duh…of course I know her," Ivy looked at him in disbelief. “She's my best friend."

Both of his eyes went bigger, "Y-your best friend??" It was looked like he was not expected that answer coming out from Ivy’s mouth.

‘Well, he should be. Because Ivy and I totally in a very different world. She is so popular in our campus meanwhile for me, I am just a nerd and a very weird girl.’

‘To be honest we are so opposite with each other.’

Ivy gives him a glare, "Why? Don't you believe me?"

"Yea...Yea, I believe it,” he quickly replied her. "I'm just asking anyway."

"Whatever,”

*****

Both Ivy and I went to the nearest mall after our evening class since Ivy said she wanted to buy something there. "Aww....Kaytlyn, you are the best friend in the world," her sudden hug made me startled a bit.

“What was that for?” I asked confusedly while looking at my beautiful friend.

Ivy releases the hug, "For accompanied me of course. Zac was too busy with his training so he didn't have much time for me anymore. Thank you, thank you so much, Kaytlyn."

I giggle a bit, “You are welcome.”

We then entered into our dorm as Ivy unlocked the door with the key. She surely bought a lot of clothes; from the hair stuffs until the shoes….And yet, she never change a bit from the first time I met her years ago.

‘Ivy indeed really loves shopping.’

She was having hard time with her shopping bags and I already tried to offer my help, but she stubbornly insisted it. She said she wanted to carry it by herself and did not want to trouble me much.

She sighed heavily as soon as she reached at her bed and swiftly landing on the bed along with all the shopping bags.

“Shopping was so tiring but….I like it SO MUCH!” she murmured to herself.

I laugh, “Yes, you do love it so much. I agree with that.”

There should be three students per room, but our room still has one more bed unoccupied; the bed opposite of Ivy’s, the pink color one. Our best friend must be like it when she transferred here. Well of course, because pink is her favourite color. And I really hope that the management will place her into this room when she returned back here by next month.

"Kaytlyn..." Ivy suddenly grabbed my hand then made me sat beside her on her bed.

"What is it Ivy?" I curiously asked her.

‘Is there something she would like to talk to me? Something that trouble her so much.’

She was looking at me worriedly and I never seen her like that before in my life.

"About Joji..." A guy with dark brown hair suddenly flashed in my mind.

"What about him?" I asked.

"You should avoid him, Kaytlyn," she continued with the conversation. She placed her right palm on my right hand and patted it gently once. "He's a jerk and always used people for his benefits,” I never saw her this serious at all. “I heard it from Zac. Even those guys don't like him very well,” she added more.

I did not why, but I found her words were funny though. So I just burst into laughing which made her looked at me in confused.

She cuts me in, "W-what...w-why are you laughing, Kaytlyn? Hellloo...I'm serious here."

I quickly stopped from laughing or it will be turn worse if she ever sulked. I will never let that happen, enough with Zac only who accidentally did something to her last time.

‘She was so scary if she was mad though.’

“Alright….so sorry about that,” I quickly apologized.

"You're so mean..." she complained.

"Aww....I'm sorry, Ivy. I really didn’t mean it."

"Never mind," she waved her hand. "Anyway, back to Joji..." Ivy then changed her sit position so she could sit comfortably to face me.”I really advice you to stay away from him. He’s really a bad guy. Trust me. Besides, we already made our promises to take care of each other and Amelia too, although she is far from us. We will always be with you no matter what happen.”

"I'll be fine, Ivy." I patted her shoulder along with a smile curved in my lips. "Please don't worry about me."

《Jayden Nelson》

I was laying on my bed upstairs in my dorm after got back from the late training. My whole body surely was numbed enough and I barely can move my feet at all.

"...*lays on the bed*...Man, this is so comforting," I murmured to myself. "What a very tiring day.”

Surprisingly, that Jones girl’s face was suddenly flashing in my mind. Plus, the images where Joji went to approach her at the café this morning. Those memories were playing over and over again in my mind like a DVD player.

‘I wonder what they were talking about at the cafe. Is he planning to do something with the Jones girl.’’

‘Man...he worried me so much about her. Joji might do something like the way he did to the other girls before. No! I will never let that happen to her, she’s way too innocent for his stupid game.’

"Yo dude!" A loud voice suddenly snapped me out from my thought, "Do you want to join us?"

I raised my head a little so I could see the person who approached me rudely in my own ROOM!

‘Of course he is Karl….no one else will do that kind of thing instead of him.’

There he was, sitting on the half wall in front of me while munching his apple. "To where?” I knitted my eyebrow while looking at him. “Clubbing again?"

He nods once, "Yeah, of course clubbing, dude…what else?” He then took a large bite on his apple.

"Nah...I feel like I'm not going today,” I declined his offer along with a sigh.

"What!?" He stared at me in disbelief with both of his eyes went bigger than usual. "That's so weird. You never declined this before, dude."

"Just go and have fun," I pulled my orange blanket to cover half of my body from the cold. “I think I’m gonna be sick now.”

Karl sighs heavily, "Alright then," He then took several steps towards the stairs. "Later..."

"Man....my whole body is aching," I’m whining in pain. "I need to sleep; a very nice sleep, or I might not be able to play for this week's match."

*girl's screaming*

"What...what..." I fell from my bed in shocked when heard that loud screaming coming out of the blue. "Man…that's really hurt!" I complained in pain. "Who the hell was that, screaming in the middle of the night like this!?" I have no idea I was asleep for two hours already as I checked the time on my phone.

"Someone....please help me!" A girl suddenly shouted for help.

‘Wait! That voice…..it’s Ivy’s!’

‘Damn! She's really in trouble.’

I quickly grabbed my black sweater from the floor and wear it before rush towards Ivy’s room which is not too far from my room. Although my body is currently punishing me because of I overdid my practice today, but I force myself since Zac and Seth were not here to help her.

‘What if there are some bad guys trying to disturb her….that’s why she is screaming for help.’

"Damn...*gasps for air*...Was it me or this stairs were actually seemed to be many than usual," I murmured to myself. "Phew....finally!" Both of my knees trembled as I soon as I reached at the top of the stairs and I even almost trip on my feet.

"Please, help us!!!" This time, Ivy’s screaming was louder than before.

"Wh-what...*pants*...ha-happened?" She looked scared of something when I approached her at her dorm. There were other girls too with her and they looked scared too, just like Ivy.

"Thank God you are here Jay," I jumped a bit when Ivy’s cold hands clung into my arms. “T-there's s-something in our room.”

“What is it?” I took a peek into her room; wondering what she meant by that ‘something’.

"A f-fox," Ivy stuttered while pointing her index finger towards upstair.

‘That animal must be scared her so much.’

‘But wait a minute.....How can a fox entered her room anyway?’

‘That's really weird.’

*another girl's screaming*

My heart pounded so hard when heard that voice, it was familiar though, “Who’s still in there?” I asked Ivy.

‘I really have a bad feeling about this.’

"My roommate.....she's still up there," Ivy shook my arm in terrified. “Please save her….” She said while bursting into tears.

"Your roommate?" Even my hands started to tremble. That Jones girl’s face kept flashing in my mind.

She nods several time, "Please save Kaytlyn..."

‘Oh God, I was right! I should g-.....’

“Move away!” Joji who came out of nowhere suddenly pushed both of us away from the doorstep. “Kaytlyn, I’m coming!” He shouted.

‘Wait, where did he come from? And why I feel so pissed of him with his sudden ‘heroic action?!’

I followed him from behind upstairs and the Jones girl was standing on her bed with a broom as a weapon on her right hand. The fox was growling and wandering around her bed which made me think twice on how to rescue her.

She was crying, totally scared of that wild fox.

"W-whoa!" Joji took a step back as the red eyes fox growled at him.

"Stay back!" I instructed Joji and he did obey me. But still as usual he made that annoying face to me. "Let me try calm him down...." I looked straight on that fox’s red eyes, trying to calm him down. I think there was something special about him…but I was not sure what. He automatically seemed to calm a little when I slowly approached him and even stopped from growling anymore.

I braced myself to take several steps closer towards the fox; with full of cautions so I could save that Jones girl. Fortunately, he did not show any aggressive movements to me.

"Good boy," I said in a low voice then quickly turned to the Jones girl. I could see the tears flowed down her cheeks and her hands even trembling while holding the broom.

‘She was indeed scared of that fox.’

‘Just look at her, that Jones girl was crying for god sake. And, I feel so bad for her for not coming so soon.’

"Don't be scared, Kaytlyn. Everything is going to be alright," I tried to calm her down. "Just jump into my arms after I count on three...I'll catch you, trust me." She looked at me with her eyes which the same as her cousin, Bryan. But, those eyes were more beautiful and unique. Plus, she seemed so different without her big glasses.

‘She’s so gorgeous.’

"O-okay...." she took a deep breath, shuddering breath to be exact, gaining more courage to do what I suggested her.

"Oh for the God sake," Joji suddenly interrupted us in a very annoying way. "You are so slow dude!" Without even thinking of our safety, he selfishly approached Kaytlyn and grabbed her into his arms which causing the orange fox turned aggressive again.

‘Damn it!’

The fox started to growl at him and seemed like he was going to attack that stupid dark brown hair guy! Without even thinking any longer, the fox accidentally clawed me right on my left arm as I jumped in front of Joji all of sudden. I was not sure why I did that, but I was trying to save Kaytlyn who from getting hurt.

"Jayden!" That Jones girl's screaming filled the whole room.

"I....I'm okay," I replied, trying my best to hold the pain. The wound was so deep and hurt so much with the blood kept flowing from the cut. The fox was staring at me as I turned to see him and I could see his red eyes were glimmering. He even made weird noise as if like he was so guilty for hurting me.

‘That’s weird…’

“Shoo….” The fox then ran out from the nearest window as Joji chased him with the broom he took from Kaytlyn.

"J-Jayden...you're bleeding!" Kaytlyn gently grabbed my injured arm and examined it carefully. "We should go to the hospital now."

I shook my head along with a small smile curved on my lips, "It's okay, Kaytlyn. It's just a scratch."

"B-but, your injury looks really deep," she disagreed.

"I’m fine….Don't worry about it."

"I'm sorry, Jayden," Joji interrupted by apologizing to me.

"You're really an idiot, Joji!" I could not hold my anger any longer when heard his voice. He really did test with my patience today and almost get the Jones girl’s hurt.

"I said, I'm sorry, okay!" He said with loud voice.

"Whatever dude," I ignored him then walked away from both of them with the blood still coming out from my wound.

“J-jay…” Ivy tried to stop me, but I ignored her too.

I felt relieved Kaytlyn was not hurt, even though I got hurt for saving her.

‘What am I going to say to Bryan and her family if she did get hurt? ‘

‘I might be dead, though!’

To be continue.....