Stonebrook High School

Chapter 88

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On the other side of the school, Jesse was messing with a random piece of plastic he had found while listening to Petra bounce her tennis ball off the concrete wall. Autumn turning into hints of winter, the last of the leaves on the skeletal trees blew off of the branches by the chilly gusts of wind that came in from the north.

"November 10th, huh?" Jesse said, fidgeting with his fingers. "It's pretty much almost winter. We couldn't even celebrate Halloween from the shadow of the Storm; how are we going to celebrate Christmas?" A small chuckle left his mouth as he crookedly smiled.

"It's probably going to be a lot better this year if you think about it," Petra answered. "People are disgustingly optimistic and Christmas is the best time of year to get that stuff out without seeming like a creep or weirdo. Compared to all the negative feelings from a month ago, Christmas is going to seem like a utopian time with all the gifts and crap." Her hand twisted with sharp accuracy as she aimed for a certain crack on the wall across the pathway, launching the ball across.

As the ball bounced back, Jesse looked up at her from his spot and tossed the plastic in a nearby recycling bin. "Speaking of gifts, it's almost your birthday, Peets."

She caught the ball, turning around to look at Jesse with a disgusted face. "Are you gonna get me something? You do that every time. Please don't tell me you're doing it again this year."

"It's your 17th birthday, Petra. I gotta get you something! You're so close to being an adult!"

"Last year you said 'Sweet Sixteen', now 'almost an adult.'" She rolled her eyes. "Seriously. You don't have to get me anything, Jesse. Birthday stuff is a waste of money."

"Hm? Then what about the time you bought Jess an ankle bracelet that was fifty bucks? She still wears that, you know. How is it a waste of money? Tell me, please."

"That's Jess! She's awesome and a best friend. She deserves a gift. The difference between me and her is that I don't want anything. Especially from you because I'm telling you face-to-face!"

"Fine," Jesse grumbled. "Can I at least get you something cheap?"

"Ugh, since you insist. But it better not be big like that bear."

"You still love that bear, though. I've seen you cuddling with it."

"S-Shut up! It's cute and fluffy, okay? Plus, I'm not going to waste something I got. That's all."

"Whatever you say."

Petra sighed in exasperation, sitting next to Jesse and using her legs as a rest for her arms. "Anyways... how do you think Jess is doing right now?"

Jesse's face scrunched up a little bit as he recalled the morning's events. "Well, she's resilient. She'll probably be okay when we see her. I'm scared that the Storm triggered something like depression within her, though. Both she and I have PTSD – that's a given – but she might start falling into depressive states as she has been recently. I hope we can get to the root of her problems before they actually form."

He saw Petra look at him from the corner of his eyes before she rested her head on his shoulder. A healthy, bright red blush splattered his cheeks and he held his breath. She continued to gently nudge herself into the crook of his neck and stayed there, relaxing in a rested state. He exhaled and looked down at her face as best as he could and she sighed.

"Jay, I know I'm not the best at emotional stuff or whatever," Petra began, staring off into the distance. "I get pretty angry easily and don't always pick up on things like other people or you and Jess. But you two are the most empathetic people I've met, and it's honestly appalling." She jokingly gagged and he laughed at her actions. Petra adjusted how she was sitting before continuing on. "How one can feel bad for the problem someone put themselves into, for example, I will never understand. But because you guys are so sensitive, it gets to you much more easily. Don't let Jess's vibes pass on to you, dude. You guys need each other and at least one of you needs to be in a healthy mindset."