I stand in my bedroom, going through my closet. It is finally Friday.
After school I immediately went to Mr. West to give up my research paper then headed home to get ready for Dylan and I's date.
Wait. Date? Nope, it is just us hanging out. Yes, hanging out.
I turn around, already knowing that Jayce came in like a minute ago. He thought he was quiet but he wasn't.
My senses are always heightened. "Damn it. I thought I'd scare you." He say before plopping down on my bed.
"Try again maybe next year." I tell him and he sits up straight, a bit serious now.
"I wont be here next year." He says, looking at the window.
"How long are you even here for?" I ask, turning back to the closet. I rummage through it again for something casual but pretty.
"However long it takes me to get you back to yourself again." His voice is monotonous and I glance over my shoulder quickly. He is being weird.
"And you think it'll take less than a year to do that?"
"I hope so." He answers quickly and I turn around with a smirk.
"Already tired with me?" He shakes his head, a smirk building.
"Oh, I'm just starting to get to know you." His smirk is infectious.
"Good." I reply, turning to face my closet again. "Because there's more to me than ruining friendships." I laugh a little, referring to the entire Carmen situation hoping he will laugh along but he doesn't. I know my attempt at humour is futile most of the times but come on, it isn't bad.
I whip around again to show him two t-shirts. A plain green short in the front and long in the back jersey and an off the shoulder dark blue and white. He raises an eyebrow. "You want me to choose which t-shirt?" He looks between the two t-shirts.
"I was hoping that you would but now you're acting like I told you to choose my wedding dress or something." I laugh and he does so as well.
"That one." He points at the off the shoulder one, I nod and hold the top against me. I tilt my head a little to get a better look in the mirror and my hair falls into my face, shielding my view.
I quickly tuck the strands behind my ear, peeking into the mirror again. Like before, my hair falls around my face again and I sigh. I stand straighter. Just as I am about to tuck it behind my ear again, my hair suddenly lifts off my shoulder. I stiffen as Jayce stand behind me. I slowly look in the mirror to see him carefully pulling my hair into a scrunchie at the top of my head. One strand lay loosely against my face, defiantly. His hand goes up to brush away the strand, his knuckles brushing my cheek. My breathing becomes steady. "This one's defiant." He comments, tugging on the strand with a smile. I look up at him, my back resting against his chest. A grin breaks out on my face.
His eyes are pools of green that holds a forest beyond them. A wide canopy of mystery. He clears his throat then backs away. I look down at the floor in contemplation. He is so weird sometimes.
I now figured it out. There are two sides of Jayce from The Society.
The happy go lucky Jayce that cracks jokes and always smiles like the world is the safest place and the Jayce that is worried and serious at times. The Jayce that will look at me intently and try to figure out what is it that made me 'lose' myself as he puts it. That Jayce is intent on getting his job done. Nothing more.
That's why I can't hope that we'll become best of friends.
He is on a mission and I am his subject.
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I push open the front door with a lit up 'open' sign and enter Benji's diner. My eyes immediately catches Dylan's. He is chewing on his lip as he fiddles with his watch. Did I make him wait too long? I couldn't find my black converse.
I walk towards the table and his eyes settle on me. A huge smile takes over his face and my heart can't help but flip over. "Hey, sorry I'm late." He stands up to pull me into a hug. He smells good. Really good.
"That's okay. You're only like five minutes late." He pulls out my seat for me and I smile at his politeness. What a gentleman.
I sit, taking the menu from the waitress who brings it in almost immediately after. We thank her and she walks off toward a table. "You look lovely." I mutter a thanks.
After a while my eyes shoot toward him. "Y-you look lovely too." I stutter, stupidly. "I-I mean pretty. Uh handsome. Yeah handsome." Dylan is smiling and I scratch my arm, a tad bit embarrassed. Correction. A lot embarrassed.
Someone starts choking on laughter and I look up to see Jayce covering his mouth as his chest shakes. Jayce mouths something that falls along the lines of 'loosen up' and I give him a look. He facepalms then takes a sip of water. When did he even come in? Why is he here? I smile, returning my gaze on Dylan who is deep in thought as he scans the menu. I look up at Jayce again, mouthing a few words at him. 'What are you doing here?', is what I mouth as he focuses on my mouth.
He shrugs, grinning as he accidentally knocks the salt over. I snort as I try to keep in my laughter. Dylan looks at me with an amused look. "Are you okay?" I nod, probably looking like a red tomato. I am biting my lips so hard so I will not laugh and my eyes scrunch up at the sides as a result. Jayce places the salt upright and as he reaches for the napkin, his elbow bumps into the salt again, causing it to fall over. My chest shakes with laughter and I really can't keep it in again. The waitress is staring at Jayce with an open mouth as someone else watches him with annoyance sticking to their face. "What-" Dylan turns around and I place a hand on his shoulder, turning him back around.
"It's fine. Let's order." I tell him still smiling softly at Jayce's clumsiness. There are a lot of mysteries surrounding Jayce. I am curious to know what other personality surprises he has in store.
The remainder of the dinner, Dylan and I talk about everyday stuff. Our likes and dislikes. Our favourite things to do and what not. Talking to Dylan isn't bad at all. In fact, it is refreshing.
I will admit though, my eyes find Jayce's every minute or so. A smile comes on my face every time. He looks so curious about everything.
He would stare at the salt shakers or the burger he ordered with wonder. The way his face would scrunch up at the taste of vinegar. Poor thing. He didn't know it was a dip for the chicken he ordered. He sipped the liquid from the small ceramic bowl. I tried not to laugh then too. Jayce was such a distraction.
A waitress in a mini dress and a cap is now flirting with him and I can say it is the most funniest sight ever. I swear he'll puke all over the table tops if he gets the chance. The look on his face is priceless. His jaws are locked and his face remains neutral as she coos at him, batting her eyelashes flirtatiously. I glance at Dylan who is talking away then back at Jayce and the waitress. Doesn't she have tables to attend to? She looks so excited when chatting with him despite the unmistakable opposition on his part.
"So that was funny, right? The way he said it?" Dylan asks and I have to blink myself back to reality.
"Yeah, it was." I smile and he starts talking again. Jayce slowly brings his chair back then stand, taking his phone up from the table. He then walks off, leaving the poor waitress there without excusing himself. He doesn't even look back. The waitress stands there confused and slightly embarrassed. "I'm going to be right back." I tell Dylan before exiting the diner.
"Does it actually pain you to give a listening ear to girls? They won't bite, you know." I tease, leaning against the building.
"I didn't feel like talking." He justifies and I shake my head.
"One second you are bunnies and rainbows and then the next, you hate everyone." I say while tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "I don't get you." I admit.
His jaws clench. "I don't hate everyone." He says softly and I look around my surroundings.
"You are the most clumsiest person I've ever seen in a long time." I say and wait for his reaction. I want to laugh but is afraid he won't. In fact, he doesn't laugh. However, a really small lopsided smile grazes his face. He then turns on his heels then leave.
He has more mood swings than a girl on her period.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Where exactly are we going?" I ask as Jayce and I weave our way down a path that is nestled between tall bushes. He has an idea to take me somewhere earlier and now here we are, surrounded by a huge forest area with no signs of civilisation. "Is this the part where you announce that you being me is actually a facade and I am now going to be murdered for my stupidity?" I ask out loud, glancing around me cautiously.
"While that sounds like the plot of a typical Lifetime movie, if that was really the case, will you be following me right now?" I roll my eyes as he tucks both his hands in his black, hooded jacket.
"Didn't peg you as a Lifetime fan." I state, revelling in the thought of how strange it will be to witness Jayce watching a Lifetime movie.
"I'm not. My sister blab to me all the time about the psycho ex or the obsessed neighbour." He sounds annoyed when talking about it. "She never stops talking." He smiles at that.
"I-" My foot tangles on a tree root and I trip and topples forward. Jayce turns around quickly to grab me before my knees can hit the ground. I stare up at him as his eyes search mine, an amused expression coating his face. My eyes then travel down to his hands on my bare skin near my waist where my top inched up from when he caught me. I immediately stand upright and pull my top down. I then strut off with my chin raised high. My feet catches a tree root again and this time I fall face first. With my face inches away from hitting the soiled ground, I am held back by my hand in Jayce's.
My eyes are wide as I eye the distance between the ground and my face. I let go a long breath and dust blows into my face. I start coughing and he pulls me up, my back hitting his chest as his palm presses against my forehead. My eyes bounce around the forest as awkwardness slowly creeps in. I pull away and walk forward only to realise he isn't following me so I stomp my way ahead even louder. "Wrong direction, Adams." He calls out and I divert my direction. I go right this time without glancing back. "Still wrong." I shuffle a bit unsure of where else I can go. I move an inch to the left, then to the right, then forward then to the left. "It's straight ahead but then there's a huge stone there so you'll get even more confused than you are right now." He tells me and I roll my eyes while folding my hands on my chest as I wait for him to catch up.
We weave our way through hanging vines and broken paths until we finally arrive at said stone from Jayce's previous statement. Indeed I am confused. Is this the place we walked for ten minutes to see? Unbelievable. It's a giant rock.
"Are you coming or what?" Jayce asks just as he make his way around the stone. My eyebrows furrow. I could have sworn that huge rock covered that opening Jayce just went through. If Jayce murders me today, I hope he suffers for the rest of his life.
I go around the rock and I am surprise to see a vast land with green grass covering each layer. Where land ends, a beautiful ocean begins and continues to stretch out into the horizon. A pier is situated from land to a few meters down onto the ocean. The sky is clear with white puffy clouds drifting in the summer-like breeze.
The scenery is truly enchanting.
"When you're finish creating puddles of drool in the grass, I'll be down here contemplating life." Jayce calls out from the bottom of the stone steps. My mouth immediately shuts close and my hand unconsciously wipes my mouth. I take a step forward, admiring the stone steps leading to the bottom of the small hill.
How can this be real? It feels as though this is some kind of fairy tale scenery snatched right out of Tangled. When I reach the bottom, my feet gets caught on one of the jutting stones and I trip once again. This time, Jayce is quick to catch me, as if expecting it.
"Shoot." I mumble as I steady myself.
"You're definitely not the most coordinated person today." Jayce comments then continues walking toward the pier. "Come to think of it, if I really did take you out here to 'murder' you, don't you think you would have done so yourself by the number of times for the last five minutes you almost broke your neck." I roll my eyes as I follow him, paying close attention to the path so I won't trip again. "You need to drink more milk." He turns around to grin at me and I roll my eyes.
"I drink enough milk, thank you very much." I reply as my feet hit the wooden pier. "You need to go out more." I instruct, smoothing my hair back. "Because apparently you're not the most sociable person."
"What do you mean I'm not sociable?" He snorts, turns to face me and I stop.
"Well first of all, you're only decent in conversation with me from what I've seen so far." I tell him and his brows furrow. "But on other occasions..." I trail off and he starts walking again as I follow close behind. As I continue, I spot a board sticking out from the platform of the pier and I step over it with victory, grinning triumphantly as I look back at it.
"Didn't get me this-" Shoot. What I didn't realise during my five second victory was that there was another protrusion from that same platform a few feet down. My feet got caught on it and I toppled sideways, my scream echoing through the air.
I can feel myself falling. I wait for my body to hit the water but just before I completely fall, Jayce's hand intertwines with mine. My feet are on the edge and the only thing preventing me from falling is Jayce's grip on my hand. "Oh no. Looks like you're going to slip." He pretends to let go and I grab at his arm, desperately.
"Jayce! Jayce, no!" My eyes quickly search for an escape. He will drop me if he continues to play around like that.
"Wait. You're going to fall." I scream out again as he pretends to let go, laughing his head off. So my fear is his amusement.
"Jayce, I swear if you drop me I'm going to kill you." I laugh, whining. He then sharply pulls me toward him and I slam into his chest with a thud. "You idiot." I hit him upside the head then on his chest as he continues grinning.
"Jeez, Milenna. The one time I bring you out, you're acting all clumsy. You're going to incapacitate yourself out here." He says, shaking his head as his grin completely spreads across his face.
"It's not my fault that the one place you brought me has so many obstacles." I defend, stupidly. We finally near the end of the pier and Jayce and I sit. He hangs his feet over the edge and I sit cross legged as we both stare out at the horizon. We sit in silence as we admire the scenery.
"Do you come here often?" I ask, looking over at him. He glances at me then tugs on his jacket sleeve, uncomfortably.
"I thought asking questions is my job?" He says with a grin. "I'm not the subject, you are."
"If I'm going to spend the next few months with you then I may as well know something about the strange guy who's pretty much convinced that he's me." I retort.
"There isn't much to know about me when I'm basically you." He says and I shrug. "Whatever you know, I know."
"Why do I have a feeling that is not entirely true." He sighs and passes his fingers through his chocolate coloured hair. "Everyone has a story. And you Jayce, are full of mysteries." His gaze remains forward, not daring to glance at me.
"I grew up here." He finally answers and I shift my gaze from the ocean to him. "Back then, The Society had a base here."
"Wait. So this place once housed The Society?" I ask excitedly as my eyes rake over my surroundings again. Pure enthusiasm radiates off of me. He nods. "That is so cool."
"The Society has bases all over." He adds and I nod slowly. "Generations upon generations lived here."
"Where's your base now? Still here?"
"I can't tell you that."
"Why?" I ask and he gives me a look. "Oh come on, just tell me. I'm curious."
"Nope. Can't. The Society is highly secretive." I hit him on the arm then bring my ear closer to him.
"You can whisper. I can keep a secret." I whine, impatiently. I am so curious now. He can't back out.
"Yeah, like you kept Isa's secret in the eight grade." He teases, laughing loudly.
I gasp and cover my mouth. "That does not count!" I laugh, shoving him in the arm. "I was highly manipulated by Keeva!"
"Right. I completely trust you." His sarcasm is obvious.
"Fine, whatever. Don't tell me about your base." I cross my arms over my chest, stubbornly. "Always thought you lived in a cage, anyway." I mutter and a cheeky grin lights up his face.
"You're cute when you're stubborn." He announces and I turn to him with a dry look.
"Was that a compliment because I'm not impressed." I say, staring at the uneven board beneath me. He quietly chuckles, shoving his hands in his pockets. We remain silent for the next minute or so. The silence between us is comfortable and not at all awkward.
"Before everything went south, my parents used to take me sightseeing all the time." I say, a bit dazed. It feels as though I am talking to myself. I completely forget Jayce is sitting beside me. "We would pack our backpacks with camping supplies and prepare a huge picnic for just the three of us." I remember dad stuffing his face with pie as a seven year old me laugh uncontrollably with amusement and adoration shining in her eyes. That time I was easily the happiest child on earth. "Dad always carried me at the top of his shoulders so that I may get the perfect view." I paus to look at him. "Here reminds me of this." I admit.
"What do you think changed that?" He inquires and I pinch my arm.
The business. The Adam Minors Agencies changed dad.
Of course I won't say that out loud. I have always been embarrassed when that particular subject surfaces. I am not going to tell the world that my dad basically ignored me for the past three years. I can't tell people that my dad chose his business over his family.
How embarrassing.
"I don't know what caused it. It could be anything." I openly lie. "I don't know for sure." I can tell he doesn't believe me by the way he looks.
"What do you think it is then?" He urges on and I frown.
"Subject change." I blurt out, scratching my wrist. I have a habit of doing that when I am nervous. "Tell me something interesting."
He stares at me as if contemplating on whether or not he should drop the previous subject. He then sighs. "Did you ever heard the story of the Weeping Princess?" He questions and I think about it.
"Nope, but it seems tragic."
"Tragic indeed. At first, anyway." My brows furrow as his eyes roame over the topography.
An entire minute passes by and I begin to get impatient. I punch him on the arm and a loud 'ouch' escapes his lips. "So are you going to tell me the story or not?" I scold and he grins while rubbing his arm.
"Calm down hulk." He teases, still grinning. "No need to go all green on me."
"Hell, I'll go blue on you if you don't start the story soon." I deadpan and he raises his hands in surrender.
"There was a hidden warrior princess. I can't remember her name. It's ridiculously long. She lived in the Eastern jungle along the tangled forest among her tribe." He is calm while saying it and I instantly feel calm as well while I listen attentively. "She was known for her strength and power. Her wisdom would earn their tribe new allies and her determination rendered others speechless." I lean in closer as his voice become quieter. "She was unfairly beautiful. Both inside and out." He pauses for effect and my eyes widen with anticipation.
"Go on."
"One day while they were in their huts, a rival tribe came demanding that they give themselves up as slaves." I gasp and Jayce laughs softly. "But with the power and determination of the princess, they put up a great fight."
I smile. "Did they win?" I ask a bit hopeful.
"No." My smile drops. "Every single one of them. Gone." Oh. "The Princess was devastated. She had let her people down. And so, she cried. She cried for hours and hours turned days, days into months." That's a lot of crying. I grimace at the thought of crying. "Soon she had enough tears to fill an entire ocean." He looks far away in thought. "As her tears covered their lifeless bodies, their wounds began to heal and their heart, restarted."
"Well, that's something you don't see everyday." I comment at the authenticity of the story itself.
"For sure." He agrees. "Her tears held magic of the heart. They were all given a second chance to live." He finishes his story and I sit there.
"If only that story was real." I state and he smirks. Jayce places a hand on my shoulder.
"This very ocean is a result of the source of her tears. Legends have it that anyone who reunite with this beautiful ocean, would have a guaranteed amount of luck." I perk up when I hear that. Luck? I don't know who that is so I have to meet it. I stand to my feet, take off my sneakers and move to the edge. "Hey, what are you doing?" Jayce's hand wraps around my wrist to pull me back.
I beam. "I'm receiving my good luck." I reply and pull my hands away then saunter off to the edge of the pier. I crouch low, slowly lowering myself into the water.
"Is she mad?" I hear Jayce whisper and I smile. That smile completely morphs into a grimace as I shriek at the coldness of the water. The water is freezing cold. Jayce shakes his head and stretches his hand out for me to grab. I take his hand gratefully and hoist myself up. I crash into his chest with a thud.
I shake uncontrollably from the cold as his hands rub my upper arms to provide warmth. My teeth knock against each other harshly as I try to speak. "I-It's s-so cold." I stutter. His eyes search mine with worry and before I know it, he is shrugging off his jacket. As the thick material cover me, a vast amount of warmth surrounds me.
"I didn't know it would be so cold at this time of year." He whispers with a frown. I nod and he pulls me into him. "The water goes under zero degrees Celsius sometimes. But it can be deceiving, it never freezes over." I hear him explain.
"T-that doesn't make any s-sense." How can it?
"It doesn't but it has been like that for centuries. The Society noticed it when we had a base here but it gets like that around February." I am listening intently. How strange and intriguing this is. "The anniversary of the Weeping Princess." I look up at him.
"That sounds impossible."
"So is someone who temporarily becomes you." He laughs and so do I.
"I guess you have a point." I reply with a smile. I shove my hands into the jacket and Jayce places the hood on my head.
"Come on. Let's go. It's getting dark." He stretches his hands out to me and I stare at it. I chew on my lips for a while. "Any time today would do." He chuckles and I quickly grasp his hand. As soon as my hand clasps his, I feel a deep connection spiralling between us. In the sense that, I can trust him. I can confide in him. It is a strange feeling. A feeling of being safe. That realisation both frightens and intrigues me.
"I saw your mother on the streets today. She looked..." He trails off. "She looked sad."
"That's been frequent for the past few months. Trust me, I've gotten used to it." I reply as we make our way up the stone steps. A canvas of orange, red and yellow paints the sky as the sun slowly hides itself behind the horizon. It is beginning to get dark.
"You know all she needs is you, right?" I snort, stopping to look at him.
"My mom needs my dad." I state and he closes his eyes.
"All that is required of you is to give her a hug once or twice a day." My face scrunches up in confusion. "I can tell you're not one for words. Everyone need a hug sometimes. The majority of times, actions speak louder than words." With that being said, I begin walking again.
Actions speaks louder than words?
Update!
Hope you enjoyed this chapter!