Somewhat Dead

05: Goodbye to mother dearest

Dedicated to ShajuanaStewart
[05: Goodbye to mother dearest] Sahaya to the side.

Jaslynn Fine

"There's still a lot you need to learn." Leo informed me as we walked down the corridor. Much to Sahaya's dismay, Jasper had decided he actually wanted to hang out with his girlfriend, and the one he was bound to. I know. Crazy right?

"Really? How much more could there possibly be?" I questioned. I mean, I knew all this would be complicated. It already is complicated. But, I don't know how much more that I can take. Leo laughed and licked his bottom lip, leaving it glistening in the light of the chandelier, and particularly tempting. Woah! Bad Jaslynn! Bad!

"Well, around here we like to think we're well rounded. You don't have any knowledge of how we came to be, what we are capable of, and how we live." Leo spoke with a smirk.

"What you're capable of? Please." I replied. This is coming from the guy who looked like he'd need help opening a pickle jar. Suddenly, something made impact with my side, sending me cross the room and into a grand piano, with my impact, the notes chimed and the wood split, leaving us both toppling to the ground in a pile of rubble. A pale hand reached out and grabbed on to my throat, squeezing just harshly enough so that I could feel my windpipe bending, but not enough to break. I looked up to see Leo crouched over me, eyes blazing with determination. I was terrified. Not because of the situation we were in, but that in spite of it, his smirk was still so alluring, even with the sharp fangs poking over his lips.

"I don't think you realize the magnitude of the situation you're in. I could break every bone in your body right now. I could suck you dry, leave you gasping and sputtering in pain and satisfaction, for air you don't need. I could kill you right now, and you couldn't do a thing about it. And even if you could, you wouldn't want to." Leo spoke, before leaning over to whisper in  my ear, "Looks can be deceiving. If I placed a picture of you before you died, and a mirror right in front of you, would you be able to tell the difference?"

Before I could react to his words, he was yanked off of me by someone who moved too fast for me to spot. A warm torso pressed into my back, and a familiar arm wrapped around me. I turn knowing already who it was. It was Braxton.

"Are you alright?" He asked, his face void of all emotion.
I shrugged, "Yeah, it's an everyday thing being tackled by forty eight year old man and chocked over a broken piano. No biggie." Braxton gave something that almost seemed like a smile, but his attention soon turned to the direction Leo was taken in. It was Sahaya that had yanked him off, and she now had him pushed into a corner next to a picture of Mona Lisa that looked a little too real for me. "Sahaya, I'm fine. He did no harm." I spoke, and looked down at the bits of piano crushed under me. "To me, anyway."

"Are you crazy? He attacked you."

"For good reason. I'm now aware of the life I'm living- or dying or something in. I know the dangers. I get how small and weak I am now." I felt Braxton tense behind me, and his arm tighten around me, pushing me farther into his chest.

"That might be true, but he had no right I put his hands on you. You aren't... You aren't..." Braxton started, his milky tone catching in his throat when he stopped.

"I'm not what? Tell me, Braxton." He looked down at me, but I could tell I wasn't what he was focused on. He was arguing with himself.

"Mine." Leo spoke drawing my attention back over to him. "He was going to say that you aren't mine. So I have no right to touch you."

"Be quiet you idiot. I wouldn't say anything of the sort. She isn't mine. I don't want her." Braxton spoke through his teeth and pulled back from me. He took one look at me and said, "Stay away from me." Before leaving through the door. And as soon as he left, I was cold again.

"That bastard. I'm sorry Jaslynn. Don't worry. He doesn't mean it. He just doesn't know how to handle his feelings very well." Jasper consoled me. But what feelings exactly were he struggling to handle? Why was it so hard for him? And why did his words hurt me so much?

"I know you're confused. But just give it time. Everything will be okay." Raven said, causing Kamina to nod next to her. The two always seem to be close to each other. And always lurking in the background of every situation. Almost as if they waited until the moment was right to announce their presence.

I managed to hoist myself up out of the rubble without much difficulty. But standing up was a different story. A white hot pain shot up my leg, and I had to bite my lip to keep from yelling out.

In a flash, Leo was by my side looking down at me in concern. "I hurt you? I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you too much. Maybe to just give you a bruise or two."

"Well, I'm sure that Jaslynn is grateful for your curiousness, and the fact that your only intent when slamming her into our grand piano was to give her 'a bruise or two'." Jasper hissed as he bend down to look at my leg. I looked down with him to see a jagged piano key hanging from the side of my leg. How come I hadn't felt that before?

"We'll need Braxton if we want to get this out painlessly. From the looks of it, this has already hit bone." Sahaya cringed and hid her face in the side of his neck, "No offense Jas, but that is really gross."

Leo scrunched up his face and pointed at a specific part of the wound. "Is this white thing a piano key too?"

Jasper sighed and shook his head. "No. That's just bone." Everyone grimaced and gave noises of unease.

"Love, can you go and find Braxton?" Jasper asked looking back at Sahaya. She nodded and started towards the door.

"No!" I objected and everyone looked back at me in surprise, "I mean, He doesn't want to see me. Leave him be." Kamina gave me a sad look, and opened her mouth to speak but I stopped her.

"I'll be fine." Everyone shared looks before Jasper sighed. "Leo. Bring her to the lab."