Tales of the Underground: Crestfallen - 19. Trampolines and Backflips

I woke up that morning with more energy than I’ve ever had in my life. I mean this is it! I actually have a date! I’ve been waiting for this day for years! To be honest some days I even worried it would never come, that I would never find anyone. I laughed to myself as I thought about all the times I had chased the straight boy, or even Eli!

As I made my way to the bathroom mirror I realized something was seriously wrong. “PERRY!” I screamed as I got a closer look at my half bloody eye. “No, no, no not today! Come on that’s not fair!” I screamed to myself.

“What’s the matter sir?” A panicked Perry let out as he ran up the stairs.

“My eyes bloody!” I shouted, rubbing it in an attempt to get the blood away. Every time I touched the area below the stitching I was met with worse and worse pain from the light bruise that had taken form.

“Sir” Perry sighed, exhausted from running up the stairs “You’ve had this happen before; it’s really no big deal. Your eye will be fine.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about! I have that thing today! I’m gonna go looking like some type of freakin monster?” I exhaled furious with my appearance.

“Oh that’s right, the thing.” Perry said trying to hide a slight smile “Well maybe you can get Madam Brooke to cover up the off coloring with make-up. As for the bloody eye” Perry said resting his hands on my shoulders “It is what it is sir. You’re a warrior, its simply just another battle scar. If Master Jayden can’t accept that now then he won’t ever be able to.”

“I never said this date was with Jayden!” I spit, shrugging his hands off me

“Let’s just call it butler’s intuition.” He shrugged walking back towards the stairs.

“Brooke!” I screamed in a piercing voice, knowing she wouldn’t come if I had done it any other way. She slowly crept out of her room, still not daring to talk to me. “I know you’re mad but can you please just cover up my bruise! Please!” I begged “I’ll do anything, but today needs to be good! I need to look good!” Brooke rolled her eyes, but pulled open one of the small drawers and took out her make up bag anyway. She quickly got to work without saying anything. I wiggled in pain as she tried her best not to touch my face too much. Each time the makeup pad lightly touched my face it felt like a hundred needles piercing the skin. I let out a big sigh of relief as she finally finished up her work. “Really? All that and still not a single word? What did I do that was so bad anyway?”

“Ask Eli about Viper, and you’ll understand why I don’t want you in a car with him.” She spit, turning and walking away.

“You’re still on that?” I sighed, not fully understanding why she was so obsessed with it. I shrugged as she walked out, and made my way to my own room to get ready. As I walked into the big closet, and tore apart the drawers nothing seemed quite right. Everything just seemed too nice. Not that Jayden doesn’t deserve the best! It’s just…he’s Jayden. He’s not going to appreciate Burberry or A.P.C.I finally got to my drawer full of gym gear and pulled out a nice reebok shirt and shorts. It’s not exactly what I thought I’d wear to my first date, but then again I never thought my first date would be at a trampoline park! I threw on the change of clothes and fixed my hair into its perfect style. I ran my hand across the shaved side, where a thin line ran across the top left side of my head separating the buzzed side from the hair, and observed the top and right side where most of my hair actually stayed. I could do without the stitching and blood filled eye, but damn I don’t look bad. I laughed to myself about my cockiness, and did my best to build up my confidence before walking downstairs. The truth is when I used to get pushed around as a kid; it was mainly for my looks. I was the runt of the litter, with long weirdly styled hair. I was tormented and teased for looking not rich enough or gay. Worst of all it wasn’t just by the kids at school, but also by my own parents! It took some time and some fight, but since I’ve tacked on a good amount of muscle and finally found a hair style I’m comfortable with, one I’m confident in. See the main key was I just had to fake it until I made it. It’s funny not too long after wearing that fake smile, it became a real one. I gained real friends like Ivy and Henry, and found something I’m good at, something I feel fulfilled doing. Now I let that confidence show every chance I get, and try to look out for all the people who I used to be.

I felt my heart pound as I climbed into the car, and off we went. It didn’t take long to get there, yet it felt like an eternity. I have no idea how this is going to go, but damn am I excited! As we finally pulled into the parking lot, I jumped out of the car, and noticed Jayden getting out of a car a few spots down. He was dressed like…well…Jayden. A band shirt, with skinny jeans, except this time he swept his brown hair to the side of his head, in an attempt to change things up.

“Nice hair.” I teased, as he got into ear shot.

“Nice eye!” he spit, giving it right back to me.

I couldn’t help but laugh, taken back a bit by how comfortable he was. “Low blow” I said trying to cover it, of course it’s the side where I don’t have hair!

“I think it’s cool” he giggled

“Oh yeah?” I asked, removing my hand from my face.

“Yeah it’s pretty metal” he joked “But like can you even jump around with stitches?”

I shrugged my shoulders, not having thought of that “I guess we’ll find that out now wont we?”

He let out another short laugh and we entered into the warehouse sized building. “You must be Aidan Taylor” Let out a much too preppy man in a shirt and tie.

“That’s me.” I said returning a polite smile, shaking his hand.

“Well my name is Alexander, I’m the manager here. Anything you two need you can just come ask me. Other than that, you have the full run of the place.” He said stepping aside.

I nodded my head along with what he said “Thank you Alexander” I said leading Jayden into the main area of the actual building.

“Oh, and don’t forget to tell your father I say hello” Alexander yelled as we began to walk away.

I looked to Jayden, and raised my eyebrows, and he quietly laughed. “So your family really owns this whole place?”

“Yup” I sighed looking around “For the past few years. My dad was sure these were going to be like the future version of Chuck E. Cheese but they never really took off. I mean it’s cool to have and it makes a good profit so he’s kept it around. Perry used to take me and Brooke here all the time.” I looked around, and reflected back on the memories “I’m glad you came today.”

Jayden blushed a bit, and got a little more timid then usual “So am I.” I led him to the center area where a giant trampoline the size of a few rooms covered the floor.

I kicked of the shoes and immediately jumped on to the huge tarp. Jayden followed but was a little less elegant when his feet hit the rubbery floor. “Let your legs do all the work” I laughed watching him struggle to keep his balance “You just kinda pounce down then let your body fly up.” He let out an involuntary squeal as he followed my advice and wound up going a lot higher into the air then he expected. “There you go!” I shouted with a laugh “See it’s not so hard now is it?”

He shrugged and kept bouncing “It’s definitely not easy!”

“Sure it is!” I giggled, with a devious idea “You just need to keep your mind focused on…” I held as I reached over and shoved him onto the soft trampoline “catching me!” I said running away. We spent the next half hour chasing each other around and laughing. It all felt so magical…so surreal. It was as though I was living a dream, innocent laughter, and jokes filled the air, and the more we joked around the more comfortable I could see Jayden getting. Finally when we both had enough we laid against the angled walls, which we’re also covered in trampolines. I spent a minute or two catching my breathe before getting back to my feet and doing a back flip.

“Woh” Jayden let out “I didn’t know you could do that.”

“It’s not that hard” I shrugged “You’ve just gotta do it with confidence, why don’t you give it a try?”

He thought it over in his head, but left his weight against the wall “I don’t think that’s a good idea”

“Why? What’s the worst that can happen? You fall down onto a soft trampoline?” I offered, pointing out all the open space

“I land on my neck” he sighed, looking down

“Oh that’s not gonna happen.” I said leaping high into the air “I’m right here with you, just get real high and toss your weight back, then let your body do the rest. Trust me it’ll know what to do.”

“I’m not a cat!” he giggled “I’m not just going to land on my feet!”

I shrugged my shoulders “You’ll never know if you don’t try.” I spit doing another flip in the air. He let out a deep sigh before getting to his feet and giving it a try. Halfway through he lost confidence and landed on his back. “You were so close!” I yelped “Give it another try! This time have faith in yourself.”

He shook his head “Once is enough for me, I’m not like you. I’m not like masculine or mainly or athletic or anything.” He spit, sitting up, but not daring to look at me.

I jumped up and let myself fall down next to him “So who cares? It’s not about any of that. Hell I’m wearing makeup right now.” I laughed, rubbing off some of the foundation Brooke had put on “With enough confidence you can do whatever you friggin want!” Jayden looked over at me with clouded eyes “Is that why you’re confused about who you are, or about what you are? Because you think you’re not tough enough to be a guy?”

He shrugged his shoulders, and bit back some words but after a few seconds of silence finally decided to speak “My older brother was just so tough and crazy and I’m just so not. I like drawing, and writing and music. I mean he always wanted to work with his hands and shit, and yet all I want to do in life is be a tattoo artist. I suck at sports, and I get scared easily.”

I felt my heart begin to race, and before I could even stop myself I threw my arm around him “So” I spit “That’s not what makes a man. What makes a man is…it’s…it’s doing the right thing without second guessing yourself. It’s standing up for what’s right and being there for the people you love. You don’t’ have to be tough…you don’t have to be brave…you don’t have to be anything you’re not. Don’t let other people tell you who you are J. You’ll figure it, and you don’t have to do it alone. You have me and Henry and Ivy.” He let his head fall onto my shoulder, and let out a short laugh, speechless of what to say. “To me you’re the toughest man I’ve ever met.”

I heard another small laugh escape his lips “You really like me this much?”

“You’re the first person in a long time I’ve let touch me. I think that speaks for itself.” I joked, letting him lay on me “I don’t just like you, I trust you.”

Jayden shyly looked away “I like you too. You were there to protect me when no one else would…twice. You keep checking on me, when you think I’m not okay, even if I tell you to go away…you’re still there.” Jayden struggled to put into words what he was feeling “It’s only been a few days, but maybe I want this to go on longer than a week.”

“Maybe I do too” I joked “Maybe I do too.”