Tales of the Underground: Crestfallen - 17. The Crush Blooms

Jayden’s words echoed like electricity in my head. A new energy consumed my body, and before I knew it the tired overhang from last night’s adventures had worn off. The whole morning my mind flooded with ideas of where to take him, what to give to him, and even how to talk to him. I couldn’t tell you a single thing a teacher taught that morning, or if I even wrote down any notes for that matter!

“Hey numb nuts!” Henry cried out in an attempt to break me from my trance “You ditched us yesterday during lunch, and now today you’re here but not actually with us.”

“What?” I said finally snapping back down to reality for the first time all day.

“You know, when you bailed on us all day yesterday.” Ivy jabbed, supporting Henry.

“I was busy” I shrugged “and I’m with you today.”

“Just barely” Henry shrugged “You’ve been staring off for the past 5 minutes.”

“I’ve got a lot on my mind.” I sighed “Where’s Jayden?” I pushed out in an attempt to divert their attention “I guess this will make 2 days for him.”

“2 days of what?” Ivy asked shooting me a confused looking.

“Ditching” I ushered in fading confidence.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Henry spit with some frustration “He sat with us yesterday, of course he didn’t say anything but he sat with us.”

“That reminds me, do you know what was up with him yesterday?” Ivy pressed “I mean sure he’s usually pretty sad but yesterday looked like a new low for him, and you ditching us at lunch didn’t help.”

I shrugged my shoulders in an attempt to look innocent “Hey you guys are his friends too, you can cheer him up.”

Henry looked over at Ivy and rolled his eyes “It was clear he wanted you” she spit “He kept looking at the door, and towards your seat just waiting for you to walk in.”

My heart skipped a beat, and I couldn’t help but snicker at the irony, this morning it almost felt like Jayden couldn’t get me far enough away, and now they’re telling me he wanted me to be with him yesterday? “I think I know where to find him” I snickered picking up my food and heading towards the trash.

“What are you doing? You barely ate!” Ivy pestered

“I’m not hungry” I shrugged, quickening my pace so they wouldn’t follow. I quickly made my way out of the lunch room and up the short staircase which led to the hallways. I quietly slowed my pace and turned into the library. Sure enough I saw Jayden’s small frame invested in some history book in the corner of the library. With quiet footsteps I crept up near him and sat down “Watcha reading?” I loudly let out, making him jump.

His face turned red as a few other students turned to shush me “You’re such a jerk Aidan!” he let out “Shouldn’t you be at lunch?”

“Shouldn’t you be at lunch?” I teased in a mirror tone.

“I’ve got…ugh…history homework I need to study for.” He quickly spit shoving his face back into the book.

“Oh yeah history homework?” I teased “Like an essay?”

“uhm…yeah an essay!” he echoed with confidence “I have to write just some stupid 500 word essay, you know how it goes.”

“Considering we have history together, I can’t really say I do.” I let out with a laugh, as Jayden walked right into my trap.

My laughter grew a bit louder as his already pink face turned a shade brighter “Did I say history?” he sputtered “I meant ugh….”

“Drop it J” I said finally recollecting myself “What’s the matter? I heard yesterday at lunch you were looking for me, and now today when we’re cool again you’re ditching?”

“I wasn’t looking for you yesterday” he shyly let out, hiding his face even further in his book.

“You’re a terrible liar” I pressed, growing even more nervous myself “I already know you kinda like me, would it be so bad to admit you missed me yesterday?”

“I didn’t!” he stubbornly defended

“Well I missed you.” I quietly admitted, his face started to pull away from the book as I spoke “Yesterday, last night, this morning and even at lunch. You’ve got me under some kind of spell Sanders.”

“No I don’t” he shrugged, not believing a word of it “You’re just saying that to get me to eat with you guys tomorrow.”

“I’m not. To be honest I don’t give a shit if you eat with us.” I coyly whispered “I’d much rather have this time alone with you.”

“You really do fall fast” Jayden giggled, finally putting his faith in my words.

I nodded with his words “It’s my Achilles heel.” I shrugged “So try not to kill me with it.” I grabbed my bag and quickly got back to my feet.

“Wait, where are you going?” Jayden asked leaning forward in his chair.

“To my locker to get ready for the end of the day.” I teased, knowing what I was doing to him “Maybe next time you should come tell me where you are so we have all period to hang out.”

“Maybe” he teased with a smirk.

“Or we could just hang out at Bounce on Saturday afternoon” I confidently offered, returning the smirk.

Jayden shot me a confused look “The trampoline place?”

“Yeah, my dad owns the one on the parkway” I shrugged “I’ll text you what time to meet me, I’ll make it a private event so we have the whole place to ourselves.”

“If this is how you’re going to wow me it’s not going to work.” He stubbornly called out as I began to walk away.

“We’ll see about that!” I laughed. I have to admit, it’s good to see Jayden ease up around me. Maybe kissing him wasn’t the best option, but hey he needed the push! It’s even better to hear that he might’ve actually missed me yesterday! He might not know where he’s going in life, but I’ll be damned if I don’t walk that path with him, or at least try to! The next few days seemed to go by in a flash, Jayden rejoined us at the lunch table, and helped define his role in the group. I did my best to hide any flirting I dared to attempt in front of others, not that he would even really let me. Every time I tried he shot me his sad brown puppy eyes, and would later tell me to save it all for the trampolines on Saturday. As Friday night finally rolled around I let my inner champion feed off the new found energy that soared through my heart. I felt the emotions give me strength, and each prefight warm up felt better than any I had experienced before. The best part was that Eli even promised to come to the fight! Said he wanted to exactly what type of fighter he was getting behind!

As the warm ups finished I found myself in my normal corner of the warehouse blasting music in my ears. This is my fuckin house, no one’s gonna disrespect me here…No one! When the time got closer I made my way back towards all my trainers and coaches, however when I turned towards the crowd I felt something hit me even harder than any type of punch I would take that night…a wide eyed Jayden sitting between Henry and Ivy. I quickly waved him down to the floor before I would have to actually start preparing.

“What are you doing here?” I quietly demanded trying not to sound annoyed as he made his way to me.

“Henry told me about your fight, I figured I needed to come support you.” he uttered, put off by my intensity “Did I do something wrong?”

“No, no, no” I reassured “It’s just…you know how I have to act during these fights, I don’t want to upset you again is all.”

“So that’s why you didn’t tell me?” he asked with some mischief in his voice “You’re worried I can’t handle it?”

“No, it’s not like that…it’s just everything’s starting to go so well, and now you have to see a not so pleasant side of me.”

“Well you don’t have to show that sides now do you?” Jayden let out, showing what his plan really was.

“I…I…” I looked towards my father, and immediately felt any sort of indecision fade away “I do…you don’t know my father. He doesn’t take no for an answer.”

Jayden shrugged his bony shoulders “then do what you need to , I’ll be here cheering you on. “ he decided, his words not matching his eyes.

I shook my head and scanned the bleachers once more, suddenly I made out Eli sitting in the crowd and our eyes locked. A subliminal conversation took place, and I immediately knew how I had to fight tonight. I quickly got my stuff together, and heard my song come on through the loud speakers that decorated the building. I ran up into the octagon and stared down my opponent as he prepared. It's time to rumble!