Numb

Numb Ch. 7

Ugh, I wish more people read this story. :S Oh, well, I don't know why, but I love it. :D

Here's another MichellexJayden chapter. Enjoy.



~*~



By the loading buses, Michelle pulled Jayden aside. "I don't have to go on this field trip," she said, playing with his fingers. "I'd rather stay here with you. You know, make sure no one beats you up."

He smiled and handed her her back pack. "I'll be fine. You already paid, go with your friends."

"You mean those friends?" She looked over her shoulder to the preppy cheerleaders who were reapplying lip gloss and mascara. Jayden snorted.

"Have fun, okay?" he said, pulling her jacket tighter around her and zipping it. "Just because I won't doesn't mean you can't. Just give them a chance. I'm sure there are... some qualities about them that you won't hate." They stared at each other for a minute, then burst out laughing. "Try not to kill them, 'kay?"

She spun on her boot heel. "No promises." She blew him a kiss over her shoulder and loaded the bus with everyone else.

Jayden stood in front of the cappuccino machine, watching the steaming, brown liquid pour into his cup, when he heard sobs and sniffles. He had never been one for snooping, but since his two choices were either go back to class to get picked on by the teacher and students, or console whoever was crying, he chose the latter.

He had to do a double take when he saw the hunched form on the floor in the custodian's hallway behind the vending machine. He scooted closer to see if it was really who he thought it was.

"Kahn?"

Kahn looked up and for a second he looked scared. But the second passed and he stood up to glower menacingly at Jayden. "What did you see?"

Stupid question, Jayden thought. He said, "Nothing, I swear."

"You're lying," Kahn said, roughly swiping at his cheeks.

"Well, yeah. You saw me walk in on you crying." He rolled his eyes. Like, duh, buddy.

"I wasn't crying!" Kahn shoved Jayden backwards with his muscular forearm pressed against his throat.

"It's okay!" Jayden choked out, holding his hands up. "I won't tell anyone! Get off me." He pushed Kahn away, but the taller boy still watched him closely, as if making sure he wouldn't run and blab to the first person he saw.

"You'd better not, or I'll... hurt you."

"Your threats are seriously lacking today. What's wrong?" Jayden put his hand on Kahn's shoulder consolingly, but Kahn wasn't having any of the sympathy routine. He gripped Jayden's hand and twisted it, squeezing and pushing until he forced Jayden down onto one knee.

"I don't need your pity," he spat, his jaw clenching.

"I wasn't pitying you! I just want to help." Jayden winced as the vice abruptly disappeared and he let his arm drop to regain the feeling.

"Why would you want to help me? All I've ever done is bully you."

Jayden shrugged, muttering, "I dunno." Truthfully, he only said that to make Kahn let go of him. "Look, can we talk about this where there isn't a strong smell of formaldehyde and lemon? It's making my nose itch."

Kahn checked to see if the hallways were empty, and when he was satisfied, he grabbed Jayden's elbow and ushered him out into fresher air.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong?" Jayden asked, rubbing his shoulder.

Kahn sighed. "It's not something I want to talk about."

"Then how am I supposed to help you?"

"Maybe you're not." He started to walk away, but Jayden sighed.

"Just tell me what I can do to help."

"Unless your dad would be cool with me crashing at your place, which he won't be, then I really don't see how you can help."

"It's surprising that you're right, but yeah, you're right. My dad hates me, so asking him for a favor would probably be, um, my death. But I think I know a place you can stay."

"Are you shitting me right now?" He stepped forward and fisted Jayden's shirt, drawing him so close, Jayden could see the tear tracks on Kahn's cheeks. "You're actually going to help me?"

"If you let me down, I can think about it." He did. Jayden reached into his back pack and ripped out a sheet of paper. He scribbled down an address and directions and handed it to Kahn. "I'll meet you there at four."

Kahn stared at the paper, blew out a defeated breath of air, and let his arms drop to his sides. "You don't have to do this for me."

"I know I don't," Jayden snorted. "And I don't know why I'm doing it... but I am. So, just go with it."

Kahn nodded. "I don't know how I'll thank you."

"Stop beating me up after school?"

Kahn chuckled. "Deal." He stuck out his hand and Jayden put his into the taller boy's grasp. "But this can't seem like a friendship. If I'm mean to you, just know that it's to protect my rep as a bad boy."

Jayden shook his head with a snortle. "Whatever, you little weirdo."

"I'll see you later?" Kahn suggested.

"Sure." Jayden slung his backpack up from the ground. "I'll see you later."

Before he could walk away, Kahn punched him lightly in the arm. "I'm still going to hit you once in a while."

"Jerk." But Jayden was smiling.



~*~



Jayden was sitting on a stone bench in the school's courtyard for study hall with a book folded in his hand and a highlighter in the other. He was right in the middle of highlighting a significant sentence when Michelle threw herself into his side. His marker went up and down the page.

"Aww, you messed me up. Now there's highlighter where it shouldn't be." He frowned at the page, putting little x's near the accidental line.

"Who cares? Look I got you a souvenir." She held up a keychain and smiled proudly.

"Thanks," Jayden said, taking it into his hand. "Where should I put it?"

"Oh, I don't know, on your keys maybe?"

"My key is a little retarded." He dug in his pocket and held up a single key that had no hole. He gave her a sheepish smile and shrugged. "My dad gave it to me. It opens the back door, too, so when he has parties I can sneak in and his guests won't have to see me." He examined it. "I guess that doesn't really explain why there isn't a hole, though..."

Michelle stared at him, trying to process what he just said. Didn't it bother him at all? "Yeah..." she said quietly. Then she snatched the key chain away and said, "I'll make it into something else. I'll give it to you tomorrow. Do you need a ride home?"

"Oh. No," he said, putting his key away and regaining his composure. "No, I'm not going home right after school. But, if you could give me a ride somewhere else..." he trailed off, raising his eyebrows.

She smiled at him. "Say no more. Wait, yeah, say more, tell me where I'm going."

"The abandoned lighthouse, just off the shore of Montauk."

She raised an eyebrow. "Abandoned lighthouse?"

"It's kind of a long story."

"Wanna go now?"

"But school's not over yet."

She rolled her eyes. "Come on, you goody two shoes, live a little." She grabbed his arm and dragged him to her bike. She swung a long leg over and pulled on her helmet.

"Michelle, I really don't think-" Jayden started to protest.

"Get on the bike, handsome." She winked. "I'll give you a kiss." She pursed her lips and leaned forward.

Interest peaked, he took a helmet and straddled the bike behind her. "When do I get that kiss?"

"When you don't have to ask for it." She kicked up the stand and revved the engine, then they were off.

He directed her down a long road with no cars on it. He counted the trees, making sure to tell Michelle to stop when she reached the tenth palm that had no fronds. She pulled over onto the side of the road and Jayden got off, putting his helmet under the seat. Michelle was more reluctant.

"What are we doing here? There's nothing around for miles." She craned her neck, trying to get a view of where they were; there was thick vegetation on each side of the road, and nothing else. She looked down at her feet. Her bike was parked in leaves and hard-packed dirt.

He smiled mysteriously. "Just trust me," Jayden said. He held out his hand. "I'll take you on an adventure."

She took his hand in hers and let him take her through the bushes and trees, like a small forest, except more compact and shorter. Soon enough, the dirt and leaves gave way to sand and seashells. They were on a beach. And ahead of them stood a proud lighthouse, shining and glinting red and white in the sun. Michelle gave Jayden a curious glance when he smiled at her.

"It was my grandpa's," he explained, slowing his pace to leisurely as they enjoyed the walk along the shore, avoiding the water. "He left me the key before he died." He produced another key from his pocket, similar to the previous one he showed Michelle. She took it to examine and turned it over in her hand.

"What's with you and hole-less keys?" she asked, handing it back to him. "Do you like them better, or..."

"No," he laughed, swinging their linked hands. "It doesn't happen on purpose. It's just like that. Why, do you have a problem with my hole-less keys?"

"Yeah, kind of. I mean, I got you that kick ass key chain and you can't even put it on your keys. What the hell is that all about?"

Stepping up to the door, he slid the key in and had to jiggle it to make it open. It was old and, like he said before, abandoned.

He let her inside and she looked around at... stairs. White, slightly dirty, stone stairs. "There's just stairs."

He laughed again. "This is the stairwell." He pulled her by the hand up the first flight of stairs and through a small opening in the floor. In the next room was just shelves of useless knick-knacks his grandfather had collected over the years. Boxes lined the walls, full of what, Jayden didn't know. Up one more flight was the kitchen, with oil burning stoves and a single person refrigerator. A two person table was placed by the small window with two chairs, a table cloth, and vase of fake flowers. A pantry and a cabinet were nailed to the wall above the stove. Above that room was the bedroom, with merely three bunk beds, all stacked on top of each other. And the last room, just below the lantern, was the library.

"Wow, look at all these books," Michelle commented appreciatively. There were bookshelves lined with books of all different genres. A small love seat was in the corner and an old fashioned record player was just next to it. Jayden pulled out a box of records and blew on it. The dust rose up into the air to create a cloud.

"This was one of my favorites," Jayden said, sitting down on the sofa. He spun the vinyl in his hands. "I used to sit on my grandpa's lap right here and listen to it over and over." He laughed a little to himself and felt the record being slipped from his hands. Michelle placed it in the player and positioned it. The old time music filled the room and Jayden stood up, sliding his arm around Michelle's waist and grasping her hand in his.

"Come on," he whispered. "Let's trip the light fantastic."



~*~



"Can't you just stay a little longer?" Jayden said, swinging Michelle's hand as they neared her motorcycle.

"No, I really can't." She mounted her bike and tugged her helmet on.

"Make sure you strap it," he mumbled, reaching out to do it for her.

She rolled her eyes. "Don't worry so much. You'll get wrinkles." But she let him do it anyway, knowing it would make him feel better.

"Drive safe, okay?"

"Always. Are you sure you don't need a ride home?"

"Yeah, I'm gonna stay here for a little while." He leaned forward, rested his forehead against hers. He stared into her eyes, her beautiful, honey eyes, and tried to tell her he was so immensely happy with just a look. Tried to say he felt his heart bursting, his stomach fluttering, his knees shaking and his mind turning to mush. She wrapped her slender arms around his neck and rubbed her nose against his, smiling when he laughed.

"I really do have to go," she whispered.

At the same time, however, she tightened her grip and drew him even closer.

"One more minute," he begged. He took a deep breath, absorbing the fruity scent of her long, luscious hair, then buried his face against her soft neck. She was so small against his large frame and she snuggled perfectly into his broad chest. His heart swelled when he heard her say, "Hold me harder." And so he did because he knew he'd do anything she said, anything she wanted, and he couldn't have been happier, and he almost started to cry. That moment was his new favorite moment in his life; he no longer cared about that one time his mom hugged him or when his dad smiled at him that one day. He didn't care about those moments anymore because now he had Michelle. And Michelle would make sure there were many more moments like this. And he felt that he would never have to feel alone again.