Chapter 2
Jace
I wake up from the sun shining through the windows. I let out a groan and sit up in my bed and rub my face. I let out a deep breath and walk into the kitchen making a bowl of cereal. Walking out of the kitchen and to the open counter in front of my kitchen, I sit on the bar stool. Once I finish eating, I walk into my bathroom getting ready for my little brother to come over later.
My parents and I never got along. We were always arguing and fighting. I honestly don't know when it all started but it never stopped. So in freshmen year I moved out and been living at this apartment ever since. Then when I turned 16 my parents emancipated me. So they no longer have to worry about me. I'm no longer a part of their lives. I'm no longer a burden to them.
My brother on the hand my parents adored. So he still stays with them. For him, our parents are the greatest, especially since I'm not there, so he no longer has to hear us fighting. He still wishes I lived there with him but he knows I can't. I don't want him to have this bad image of our parents so it's better for him like this.
He was thrown in to all of this mess so it's good that it's over for him. I hated having to try and comfort him after one of my parents and mine fights. He would be so scared. I'm just really happy that he never hated me. That's the last thing I wanted, for my little brother to hate me. I still want to be the person he looks up to.
To keep up with living here and stuff I got a couple of jobs. No one knows about this except for my best friend Collin and my cousin Brayden. I don't really like talking about it though.
After I finally moved out of my parents' house is when I became a "bad boy" according to everyone else. Everyone decided that I'm a drug dealer since I got a nice motorcycle and a car and all these nice clothes. None of it is true. I worked hard for all of it. My parents paid for the apartment freshmen year so I saved up all my money to buy the car and motorcycle. All of the clothes, I just spend a lot on me here and there but I never did try to correct anyone when the rumors started. I just really don't care that much. Besides every girl at Langston High wants to hook up with me because I'm a "bad boy" so why should I just turn them all down. I tried a real relationship before but she cheated on me so after that I could never find it in me to truly date again. I just haven't found a girl that makes me want to try. They're just always trying to impress me. I guess I can't really complain though. I mean like it's all good for me.
I hear a knocking on my door breaking me from my thoughts. I hop off the couch to go answer it to see my little brother standing there smiling. I instantly smile back and ruffle up his hair and say, "What's up little man," like I always do.
His smile immediately gets bigger and he says, "Hey, I'm not little," with the best pouting face he can do while still smiling. We always greet each other like this and I'm just happy to see nothing has changed between us.
"Get in here Jaden," I say while stepping aside to let him in. "I missed you. How have you been? I haven't seen you in a week! Was the train ride over here okay?"
He immediately finds his way to the couch kicking off his shoes and finding the remote to my TV bolted to the wall. "You talk a lot," he bluntly says while flipping through channels. I just roll my eyes at him, he knows I'm over protective when it comes to him. I don't want anything to happen to him especially not for my parents to hurt him in any kind of way. I can act like his parent sometimes. I just want for everything to go perfect for him. I don't want him to deal with any of the things I had or have to deal with. "But I'm alright. The train ride was as good as it can get and I'm sorry I haven't been over sooner but I couldn't go out. Ma and dad grounded me and stuff but it was only for a week so I'm here now," he tells me finally finding a show.
I walk over and sit beside him on the couch to see he's watching Sponge Bob. I know it's probably an episode he's seen before but he laughs like it's his first time seeing it. It instantly makes my day to see the smile on his face. Then I know I have to get a little bit serious when I ask him, "What you get grounded for?" I question hoping it's something minor and he won't do again.
"Umm...I kinda got in to a fight cause Caleb said that his big brother told him that you were a drug dealer and that you were a, umm, a druggie," he tells me looking at the floor, fidgeting with his fingers. "I told him that's not true but he kept on saying it was. So I hit him and told him not to say that again. Then his mom told ma what happened and then I got grounded." I get angry from what he's telling me. I never wanted him to hear those rumors. "It's not true though right?" he snaps out, quickly looking at me with wide eyes.
"Of course not Jaden. I would never get into that kinda lifestyle! I'm not in that kinda lifestyle." I tell him while smoothing out his hair. "That's just something for people to talk about." He looks down and I just hope he doesn't believe any of the rumors. I don't want him to get a bad idea about the person he looks up to. I most definitely don't want for him to think that he should get involved with that kind of stuff because he thinks I am.
He looks back up to me and questions, "So then why do they say it?" I can see hurt in his eyes. I just need him to believe me.
I carefully think of how to answer him because he still doesn't know the whole story of me moving out and I kind of want to keep it that way. I look at him to see him waiting patiently for an answer. I open my mouth and carefully say, "Sometimes people get bored with their own lives so they make up stories about other people's lives. They're never true though it's just a rumor." I think that was a good enough answer and that's actually true.
"Oh...I knew it wasn't true," he says turning back to watch the TV. I take a deep breath and turn to look at the TV too.
We've been watching TV for a while. We would talk a little here and there. Then I look at my watch to see it's one o'clock. I've completely forgotten I have to work overtime today at 1:30. "Shoot," I say remembering Jaden's here, "C'mon, you wanna come with me to work today?" I ask him.
He looks up at me and then smiles saying, "Sure. Which one?" He loves coming to work with me. We worked out a schedule of when he comes over and what time so I'm not having to go to work when he comes over. I work every day though but we worked it out so we can spend more time together having fun.
"Alright, put your shoes on. We're gonna go to the YMCA," I tell him and his dark brown eyes light up. He loves coming to the Y with me. Especially since he saw this cute girl there but he will never admit to me that he likes her. We both reach to put on our shoes and get up going towards the door. I find the keys to my Audi S4 and my house before we rush out of the door.
"I'm gonna drive up there cause we're running a little late okay," I tell Jaden knowing he's use to catching the train to work as I usually do. I hear him mutter an, "Alright," before we start to go down the stairs to get out of the building.
~~~
We get to work and I teach my lessons and go to work in the back on some paperwork. Jaden plays with the other kids and talks to the girl he has a crush on. He comes to the back to hang out with me eventually. We leave around seven. I drop him off at the train station on the way back to my place. He doesn't tell our parents about coming over my house because I don't think they will take it too well. So whenever he comes over he just says he's going to see a friend or something like that.
I ruffle his hair while telling him, "Bye Jay," he smiles and says, "Bye," before he gets out of the car just like we always tell each other goodbye. Then I start to head home. Once I'm home, I watch some TV then head to the bedroom and get ready for a good night's rest. I don't plan on doing much tomorrow except for going to work. So with that, I turn off the light and go to sleep.
A/N:
*Emancipated means that you are legally an adult before you turn 18 years old and your parents no longer have to take care of you.
P. S. Picture of Jace to the side.
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