Learning to Love Again (A Jeyna Fanfiction)

Chapter 1: Best Friends and Betrayal

Jason's Point of View

The look on her face said it all. The hurt, the confusion, mixed with the pain in her eyes was too much to bear. "Reyna, I--"

She cut him off there. "No, I understand. I get it. The pretty face always wins, right? I'll always just be your second choice." she spat. Reyna shook her head and quickly walked off before he could say  more.

He turned away and closed his eyes as a gentle piano melody sang behind him, waiting for him to join in. He took a breath, ready to pour all the raw emotion he could into this next song, when-- "CUT!"  the short, bald-headed man shouted, cutting his ballad short.

Jason shook his head. "Coach Hedge," he argued, "what was  wrong with that scene? I think that was the best it ever was. There was so much connection on stage."

Reyna jogged out of the curtains. "Yeah, there was definitely a lot of built up energy there. I think if you'd have let Jason do his solo, he would have killed it." Reyna looked over at a smiling Jason.

Thanks, his electric-blue eyes told her. She gave a small nod. Conversations like these passed between the two all the time; they had been this close for years. She could tell him everything he needed to know about a situation with a single glance.

"I know he would have killed it, but we're 15 minutes overtime. I already dismissed the rest of the cast, and the Yankees game is on in..." the Coach's thick New York accented voice continued after glancing at his digital watch, "half an hour. You know, I like you two kids, but not enough to miss my Monday night baseball games." Jason decided to look at that the positive way and focus in on the "I like you two kids a lot" part. "Now," the coach went on, "get out of here before I throw you both out." The two teenagers grabbed their stuff and walked out the auditorium doors.

 "So, you need a ride?" Jason looked a Reyna. His eyes caught her stunning black hair. He loved the way it tangled and tumbled. It's softness. He found himself wondering if it was as hugely voluminous and seemingly endless in length as it looked.

"Jason? Jason. Hello?" Jason was brought back to Earth by Reyna flicking him upside the nose impatiently.

"Wha-- ow! That hurt! What'd my nose ever do to you?" the blonde-haired boy complained as he rubbed his nose protectively. "Really, though, do you want me to drive you home?"

Reyna raised her eyebrows at him. "Well, you'd know that if you weren't too busy staring off into the distance, daydreaming about, I don't know, Pegasus or something, wouldn't you?"

Jason looked down sheepishly. "I-- I wasn't daydreaming about Pegasus..." he stuttered. Reyna didn't catch the soft blush that conquered his face. He regained his composure and sighed. "Do you need a ride home or not? Because I don't allow smartasses in my car."

"Yes, I do. And if you want to hang out at my house and do homework or something, we can."

"Okay, cool. I've got tons of Bio homework and a Geometry test tomorrow, so I can't stay long."

"Fine," Reyna handed him her bag to throw into the beat-up truck Jason owned. "You know," she continued as she climbed into the passenger side, "this thing is gonna give out on you someday. You're gonna have to replace it sooner or later."

Jason looked personally hurt. "Hey, you insult Helga, you insult me. I'm telling you, Rey, this car's a good one. A real gem," he patted the steering wheel affectionately.

"Roll down the windows," Reyna groaned, "It must be, like, a million degrees in here."

"I can roll mine down, but the passenger side windows don't work."

"Which just proves my point."

Jason stuck his tongue out at the brown-eyed girl, making her smile. She did that a lot, Jason realized, smiled or laughed or punched him without thinking about it, like it was just a reflex. Like it was natural.  As they sped down the road, Jason was distracted by Reyna's bubbling laugh and didn't notice the deer in the middle of the street. He inhaled electric fear and stomped on the brakes. Then everything went black.