Waiting For Superman- A Team Crafted/ CaptianSparklez Fanfic

Chapter 8- Someone Who Understands

I decide on going out to dinner at some random café on campus. On my way home, I run into Jordan. That's a bit weird. The one person that I really want to see conveniently shows up? I shake it off, just glad to have him around. His face lights up a bit when he sees its me. I don't think I've ever seen anyone react that way about me. My chest warms a bit. "Hey you!" he says, smiling. I didn't realize we were best buddies all of a sudden. Oh well, I'm perfectly ok with that. "What's up?" I say, mimicking his tone of voice. He chuckles "Actually I was about to go record some Hexxit." I perk up "Ooo when's it going to be up?" He tilts his head "Maybe Thursday or Friday. Takes a bit to edit and upload." I nod, knowing that Youtube is notoriously slow about video uploads for some reason. "But...maybe you'd want to come watch?" he says, shrugging. My heart leaps up just about to the moon. "Yes! I mean... sure." I say, accidently fangirling. I'm going to be in his house. And he is going to record. I tell myself to stop it and smile. He laughs "Well come on then!" He walks to his car, which is also extraordinarily nice. "Is this a thing?" I say pointing at it. He raises an eyebrow "Youtubers having really fancy cars." I explain, and he thinks for a moment "Yeah, I think it's all the GTA and stuff." I grin, getting in the passenger side.

I notice him frowning a bit as we drive "Whatca' thinking?" I ask, glancing out the window. He shrugs, shaking his head slightly. "Just that Mitch also has a nice car." I blink. Guess I shouldn't have mentioned that. "What happened? Between you two." He asks suddenly, slightly agitated. I bit my lip. It's going to come out eventually. He told me his story the second I met him, so I shouldn't be keeping secrets. "Well, I was at GameStop..." I start, launching into the somewhat abbreviated version of my brief encounter with Mitch. When I reach the part when Jerome warned me, I pause. Jordan looks at me, concern in his eyes. "Um...Jerome pulled me to the side. He told me Mitch would never date a fan. That he was just leading them on." I take a shaky breath, the memories rushing back "He was right." I look down, and Jordan touches my shoulder. "Tell me. It will help." He says, face gentle and concerned. I take a deep breath, blowing out air in an attempt to keep myself calm. "We were watching a movie, and Mitch kissed me. I was pretty insecure; it was my first kiss. Apparently that's really weird. But he kissed me again. But then he saw my..." I stop, tears welling up in my eyes. Should I tell Jordan this? He might think I'm damaged too. "My scars." I whisper, a tear falling onto my lap. "And then it all fell apart. The way he looked at me... I was just a damaged, insecure, stupid fan!" I say, my voice rising and tears running faster. I don't really pay attention to Jordan anymore, absorbed in my own cooped up feelings. "Jerome was right. So I left. I haven't seen him since." I say, wiping my checks with the back of my hand. Jordan just watches me, silent. My heart pounds slightly, worried about rejection, worried about if I can even be around him anymore. "Maybe I won't record tonight. We should just talk." He says, smiling a bit. I break into a relieved grin, my eyes finally drying up a bit. As revealed as that made me feel, it felt good to say. Jordan made it ok.

We sit on the couch by his dining table, the one he doesn't know what to do with. I first saw it in his apartment tour a year or so back. He starts talking almost immediately, seeming eager to tell all. Which should be weird, but if he's like me, and hasn't ever been able to tell anyone, it isn't. "I was born in 1993, in LA. My family always had enough money, but they pushed me academically. I only realized I wanted to game professionally in college. They were not so happy with that decision. I feel a bit guilty about that sometimes. Also the fact that I was able to get some of my equipment without working for it." I roll my eyes "You've worked harder than most of the others. They had to feed off of each other to even get to half the amount of support you have." He grins a bit "That's why I said sometimes. My school life was, well, rough. I was the weird kid- a nerd, obsessed with video games. I didn't have a lot of friends. I still don't." I blink "I find that hard to believe. You're so... I don't know, likeable? Kind? Funny?" I say. He laughs "Maybe not so much back then. Youtube saved me. Just like it saved Adam. You guys saved me." He says, looking down, his voice becoming quieter. I follow his gaze, and he pulls up his shirt, revealing long scars across his chest. I put my hand over my mouth. I never would have known. He's always so happy. He pulls his shirt back down, frowning. "I don't do that as much anymore. Not often." He says. "But, sometimes?" I say. He wrinkles his forehead, nodding. "Me too." I say holding out one of my arms, not covered with a sleeve of many bracelets, or any of the other things I use to hide it. He looks at my wrist, crisscrossed with old scars and more recent cuts. I close my eyes, finally releasing the secret that I've kept to myself for all of this time. I didn't dare tell anyone. They only looked at me with pity, or disgust. Jordan looks back up at me, eyes full of concern, and a strange relief. Maybe because we are the same. "I understand Ali. I doubt Mitch ever will, but I do. I will never look at you like he did, because I know what it feels like. I know we can't help it." He says, heartfelt and a bit emotional. I blink back tears, but my heart feels free. I finally have someone to talk to. I finally have someone who understands. I hug him, thinking about the scars on his chest. I never thought anyone would understand. Especially not my idol.

A/N: Hop you guys enjoyed! Slap dat vote button, and I'll see you next time!