Phoenix (boyxboy)

Chapter 9

Jackson's POV

I laid in bed, staring at my messages screen on my phone. Zero messages.

I sighed and tossed my phone onto the bed. I sent Phoenix the notes yesterday as soon as I got home like I said I would, but he hasn't even read it. Maybe I got the wrong number? No, I got the number from his phone, there's no way it's wrong.

He could just be too shy or nervous. That seems like something that would happen. He's always averting his eyes and stuttering around me. He's clearly nervous and I understand why. Everyone at that school treats him like shit. I wouldn't be surprised if he thought I would end up doing the same to him.

That's not something I would ever do though, not after what I've seen and experienced myself. People can be nasty, even if you never did anything.

I guess that's the reason I keep wanting to hang around him even though I don't want to be anywhere near the school drama. I can relate to him and it pisses me off that people keep attacking him, just like yesterday morning. As much as I want to help him, I won't intervene in the middle of a fight. I just found another way around it.

I knew he played volleyball and typically when a coach wants to talk with the captain of the team, they listen. Luckily, my plan seemed to go my way and Phoenix seemed fine afterward.

My phone buzzed and I reached for it immediately, hoping that finally, he had answered me.
I sighed when the caller ID said Grandma, not Nix, but I answered it anyway. She would kill my if I ignored her call. Besides, she would just come down here either way.

"Jackson! I've been yelling your name for five minutes. Don't make me come down there young man, get up here, I need to talk to you," My grandma yelled in my ear and I didn't get a single word in before she hung up on me.

Reluctantly I dragged myself out of bed and walked out of my room and up the basement stairs. The downstairs is like my den, it's my space. Only problem is, I can't hear people upstairs all the time. Really whenever I'm in my room. Which my grandmother finds irritating, but she puts up with it anyway because she knows I'm a teen boy that needs privacy.

That doesn't mean she leaves me alone all the time though. She's always checking on me. Which is understandable if you've been through what she has.

"Jackson," She started as soon as I entered the large kitchen that my grandma claimed as her space, attached to the dining room. "What have you been doing down there?"

I knew she already knew the answer to this question, but she asked anyway. I let out a small sigh and walked over to the granite counter top island and picked up an apple from the basket.

"I was meditating, you ruined my inner peace," I said, sarcasm dripping from my words. I know I should be nicer to her, I'm just not in a good mood today.

She rolled her eyes at me and picked up her rolling pin, pointing it directly at me, "Don't use your sarcasm on me, boy. I know how you teenagers are. You need to quit lying in bed all day. It's not doing you any good, go outside and get some fresh air."

I stared at her, biting into the apple slowly. She's been trying to get me out of this house for an entire year, she just barely got me to go to school this year. Now she wants me to go outside, too?

"What if I don't want to?" I ask, challenging her. It's not like she can force me outside, but I'm going to anyway. I'm just playing a little first.

"I'll get your grandfather," She said, narrowing her eyes at me. Oh. Grandma's serious.

"Alright, alright, I'll go," I said, giving in. Though I was going anyway, she's been through a lot, too and I know that. I peeled myself away from the counter I was leaning against and made my way over to the doorway where my shoes sat.