Detention Boys

Chapter Forty-Six

Dylan’s Point of View

“If you want to go talk to him, I don’t mind.”

I turned towards Alec, shocked. I wasn’t expecting him to say that. I opened my mouth, but I didn’t know how to reply.

 “I know how you might not like him, but maybe if you speak to him he might leave? Or better yet, he might tell you what he’s actually doing here?”

I glanced over at Jayme and slowly nodded my head. Alec was right, if he wasn’t going to leave before talking to me, I might as well get it over with.

 “You’re probably right,” I said and quickly got to my feet. I leaned down and gave Alec a quick kiss. “I won’t be long.”

“Dylan-“ warned Mitch, but I ignored him and made my way towards Jayme. I would deal with Mitch later.

He didn’t turn around as I approached, so I chose to stand next to and turned my attention towards the flames, just like him. I didn’t say anything. I had nothing to say. If he wanted to talk to me, now was his chance.

“You look good,” said Jayme, not turning away from the flames. I looked at him in surprise, that wasn’t what I was expecting him to say.

“So do you,” I mumbled back, and his mouth turned up slightly at the edges. I was telling the truth; he did look good. He was cleanly shaven, and his dark hair was shorter than I was used to. He didn’t have dark circles under his eyes; I used to think they were permanently marked onto his skin. What was familiar was the smell of cigarettes; that smell never left him.

He looked down at the ground quickly before turning to face me, and at the sight of him before me I felt whatever anger I held towards him simmer way and be replaced by nostalgia.

In a way I had been lying to Alec. Jayme wasn’t the bad guy I had made him out to be. Yes, he broke my heart, but I also drove him to doing it.

“How are you?” he asked, and I could tell he was testing the waters. He wasn’t used to Dylan that Alec  knew; he was used to the one I had been when he had been my boyfriend.

“I’m good,” I replied, trying to be as vague as possible. Jayme had always been much more reserved, whereas I was more inclined to be as honest as I could- to the point where I could appear too honest.

Jayme gave me a knowing look. “How are you really?”

“I’m better.”

He nodded and turned back towards the bonfire.

“Why are you here?” I asked, still looking at him. He refused to look at me as he spoke.

“After the car crash... I guess it gave me perspective. I woke up and there was Cally, crying and telling me how stupid I was and how worried she had been... and all I wanted was for her to shut up because I had a massive headache.” He chuckled bitterly and glanced at me before turning back to the fire.

“I realised that I shouldn’t have left you. I used Cally as an excuse to leave because I knew that I couldn’t help you. I introduced to my lifestyle, and I couldn’t pull you away from it. That was my fault.”

Jayme was the one who gave me first cigarette, who I went out drink with and who took me to places where I got into fights. His lifestyle was rough and dangerous, but he only skimmed the edges of that world. When he introduced me to it, I got sucked into the middle and couldn’t get out. Didn’t want to get out.

“I’m sorry,” I said. My apology made him look up at me in confusion. “I got angry when you refused to get dragged down with me. I couldn’t handle it and that wasn’t your fault.”