Gift of a Lifetime

II

The next morning Jayden and my mother were sitting on the couch for a bit, asking him so many questions I felt bad. He didn't deserve that. He didn't ask for this; all he did was help me.

I sat at the island in the kitchen across the room from them, my face pressed against the countertop, my arms around my head to hide my exhausted expression. Eyelids half way open, leg bouncing rhythmically. The faint confused chatter of the only people currently in my life just a few meters away.

"There's these rumors going around that he's gay," Jayden murmured sheepishly.

"What? Why?"

Jayden hesitated, before answering, "Me and Tommy are pretty close, and people tend to think we're together or something. It's weird."

"That's awful," My mother answered in a surprised yelling whisper. "Ever since what happened with Ryan, he's gotten a little more sensitive. He doesn't seem himself, you know?

"Thank you, Jayden, for being such a good friend to him," I could hear the smile in her voice.

"Well, he's a good friend to me, too."

"Yeah?"

"He checks up on me often, and knows when to give me space if I need it."

I couldn't help but smile. I picked up my head to look straight forward. Instantly I felt dizzy, and, my hands failing to stabilize my balance, I fell forward and felt the hard marble bang against my nose. I could smell the pain. I hadn't heard anything, but it must've been loud because of my mother calling my name.

"Tom?" I felt her hand on my back, then grabbing my shoulders to sit me up. I noticed Jayden on the other side of me, watching in concern. He leaned over briefly to check if my nose was bleeding, which I was relieved because it wasn't.

"I'm fi- I'm fine," I muttered, feeling my nose to make sure it wasn't broken in any sort.

When my head almost fell again, Jayden caught me with his own hands, "Woah, woah, woah," In a startled voice.

My mother began pressing a cold rag to my forehead in which I had no idea where it came from, but it felt good.

"Hey, why don't we go and lay him on the couch?" Jayden suggested, who was the one holding onto me in a gentle manner to be sure I wouldn't fall over anywhere.

"Okay," My mother took the rag off of me, and began walking off, going to grab something, when she paused and turned around, "You think you can handle him?"

"Yeah, yeah."

He had a hold of one of my arms as he walked me over, assuming I could walk fine(which I could). On the way over he grabbed a small blanket that was resting on the head of the reclinable chair, and let me find my way down to lay on one of the couches. After I found a comfortable sleeping position, he unfolded the blanket and laid it on top of me.

He squatted next to the couch, his hand holding onto my arm again, smiling reassuringly at me.

"I should probably get home," He said when my mother came back. In the very few times I'd been at Jayden's house and seen his father, I'd once tried to apologize for the unexpected sleeping-overs, which he immediately insisted that he wasn't bothered and that he trusted Jayden. Usually whoever it was that accidentally fell asleep at my house would get so anxious about their parents getting worried to the point where they got me worked up. But Jayden was always so chill about it, Oh, I texted him, it's fine, or don't worry about it, he trusts me.

"Oh, you don't have to go if you don't want to," My mom said to him as she was walking up to us, airing out a fresh wet rag, and smiling knowingly, "I know how close you two are."

Before she put it back onto my forehead, she felt it with the back of her hand for a fever, which at the time I couldn't tell if I did or not because of how blankly she'd reacted. But my guess would've been a definite yes, considering my throbbing headache and shivering. I could see Jayden thinking as he watched me.

"I guess I'll just run home real quick to get changed and let my dad know."

"Alright, be safe," They waved at each other, but our goodbye was just a look, a small smile with the pleasure of knowing we would see each other again within just a few minutes.