All Rubber Duckies Go To Heaven

Chapter Three

****I like this one...kinda. I adore Aerin. Song is: "Holding Out For a Hero" by Ella Mae Bowen. Enjoy!!****

****EDITED BY LOVEHYMN****

The next day at school I hadn't even tried to hide the shiny black eye that attracted way too much attention. All through the hall I was being stopped by stranger who swooned over the bruise. “Oh my gosh! Sweetie, what happened?”

"Well, sweetie, my boyfriend likes to practice his mixed martial arts on me out of the blue. What about yours?" I thought silently, like heck I was going to say that! Instead I came up with a clever lie. “I was lying down and something fell off the shelf and hit me.” It has happened.

History class was about to start, when Jayden plopped down on my desk and pulled out my earphones. I winced the second his hand set itself in motion.

“Sorry babe,” he said with a fake smile on his face. Like he really was! “Are you coming over tonight?”

“No,” I answered bluntly. The word was more infused with attitude than I wanted. Ouch. No wonder I could tick him off.

“What? Why not? If it’s because of the last night, I can’t believe I did that. I swear it won’t happen ever again.” He said. Liar. Liar, liar, LIAR!

“I need to study for my English test. I just can’t come over.” I figured it was time to spit out a few lies of my own.

Jayden shook his head in disapproval, “Fine. But you need to come over sometime this week. I can’t stand not hanging out with you.” He tried to peck me on the cheek before joining his buddies but I ducked before he could. Idiot! He just stared at me with his face contorted with confusion, like he couldn’t figure the reason why I was so freaked out.

"That’s it! I’m breaking up with him. In public!" I thought to myself, "I'll just wait till I find someone who I know can keep me safe…"

But I couldn’t wait any longer, so I thought to do that at lunch. And then I thought to probably I wouldn’t be able to go home today. Maybe I could stay back into that church; they hadn't seemed to be so bothered the last time I hung out there. I guess they were used to troubled teens bunking it out in there.

So, my mind was already made, I looked down and counted my steps on my fingers, trying to calm myself down and be sure that it was actually what I really wanted. "Breaking up at lunch, running away to the church after school" I said to myself soundlessly. I’d call my dad to tell him I'm spending the night at a friend’s place. He wouldn’t cross examine me.

History was an extremely boring class. We went over some stuff we were going to have a test over, stuff I’d already aced and committed to memory.

You remember that animal in my stomach? It came back as I grabbed my stuff for English. You know that class with Aerin? The distant hottie who was practically the accidental reason for Jayden beating my butt last night?

Yeah, that Aerin.

I snuck into class, trying to keep a low profile. Today was another free class. I fell into Ella Mae Bowen's remake of "Holding Out For a Hero" and didn’t stress over the fact I’d forgotten my book at home.

“...He's gotta be strong, he's gotta be fast,

and he's got to be fresh from the fight,

I need a hero,

I'm holding out for a hero till the morning light,

He’s got to be sure, and it gotta be soon, and he's to be larger than life...“

“Who are we listening to today?” someone asked, causing me to jump. The screech of the chair sliding across the tile didn’t help.

“Excuse me?” I asked, pulling one of my headphones out and turning to the mystery voice. It was Aerin.

“Oh. It’s you. Well right now it’s Ella Mae Bowen. It's from a movie... [A/N: The new footloose. This is such a January song.]” I handed Aerin the earphone. Shocks went up my arm when his hand brushed mine.

“Cool.” We sat in silence, listening to music together for a few minutes before he turned to face me better, “So….”

“So….” I repeated awkwardly. I didn't like conversations!

“So why are you going out with that jerk?” he asked, not missing a beat.

I was stunned. First of all, I barely knew that kid and there he was asking me questions like we were all buddy-buddy? Not that I minded but he sure was odd. And secondly, why wasn’t he scared of Jayden’s goon-like friends would hear him and rat him out? Didn’t the kid like the way his face was arranged? I sure did…

“I don’t know.” I took a deep breath. “Can you keep a secret?”

He leaned over so I whispered quietly into his ear. “I’m going to dump him soon. Probably today.”

His eyes went wide and his mouth sort of fell open as the song switched to ‘How Far We’ve Come’ by Matchbox Twenty. “Wow. Can I ask another question?”

I nodded, totally unprepared for his question. “Why the heck did you stick with him for so long if you knew he’d just keep beating you?”

Now my eyes widened. “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.” I snapped at him. Easy, Jan! Not suspicious at all.

“You can’t lie to me. I know. I’ve been watching you for a while now. It might’ve taken me longer if you at least tried to cover them up. It’s kind of like you wanted someone to find out.” He blushed when he mentioned watching me.

I kept playing the lie. “You’re wrong. Jayden has never beaten me. He’s a jerk, but that’s a horrible accusation.”

Aerin just looked at me with disbelief and pity on his face. He quickly masked it. “Oh. I’m so embarrassed. Sorry. That was out of line.”

“It’s okay,” I reassured him, although something inside me was about ready to die. I could’ve completely spilled to him because he already knew, and instead I lied. Why the heck was I protecting Jayden? He didn’t deserve it. I was so messed up it wasn’t funny.

I spent the rest of the period having small talk with Aerin about different things, including our favorite bands and that kind of stuff.

When the bell rang he smiled and handed me back my ear bud. I gathered my things as I thought he left, but apparently mistaken when I ran into his chest.

"Oof!"

He caught me, laughing. "Steady there. I'll see you later, okay?"

I nodded and he started for the door, stopping only to look back at me. "Jan?"

"Yeah?"

"If you ever need a hero... I'm right here, okay?"

****A/N******

So what do y'all think of Aerin?