Tetrology Of The Sea - Book 2: Until the Sea🪼

Six

Esper hoped that she didn't run into Jude again after what had happened the day before. It bothered her a lot about what he said in regards to Lacey saying something about her but she didn't want to get into it with him. They were no longer friends and she had accepted two years ago when he told her to her face that they were not friends. Why was he trying to make up for all that lost time now?
"Who do you think you are?"
Esper looked behind her locker to see Lacy and frowned.
"What do you want?"
"That's what I want to know. Jude said he went to your house and now he looks like shit."
"He was like that before. You drive him to drink so it's not my fault that he looks that way. Why do you even go out with him? Can't you tell he hates your guts?"
"He doesn't hate me. We have tiffs but that's about it."
"People don't get drunk because of tiffs. He even tried to tell me some bullshit story about you threatening me and that's why we couldn't be friends. Whatever you're holding over him is just tearing him down. You're going to turn him into the man he never wanted to be: his father."
"Whatever the case may be, stay out of our business. It's not your place to question our relationship when you have none of your own. You're the freak who told him you had fantasies about him being pregnant. What kind of weirdo does that?"
Esper made a face and Lacy flipped her platinum blonde hair from her shoulder.
"Seriously, weirdo girl, stay away from Jude. He doesn't like you anymore, he doesn't want to be friends, he wants nothing to do with you."
She walked off and Esper made a face at her.
"She's an odd one, huh?"
"Yeah..." Esper turned swiftly and was met by a chest instead. "Oh, I'm... I didn't know you were there."
She stepped back to look up at the person in front of her and was stunned to find a very nice looking man with deep black hair and odd green eyes looking down at her.
"Do I know you?"
"No, but let me introduce myself: my name is Jessen Lancastor and I've been looking for you."
"L-Looking for me?"
"Yes. You're Esper Bagery, right?"
"I am... How do you know who I am?"
Jessen shrugged. "Through the grape vine here and there. I know Lacy and she can be a real bitch. I'm sorry that you have to deal with her."
"I wouldn't have to but my friend- er, well... he used to be my friend... he is dating her and she made him not be my friend anymore. It's complicated."
"I see. Well, if you don't mind, would you like to be my friend?"
Esper took in the very handsome and quite charming guy but she had an eerie suspicion about him and didn't think it was wise to become friends with him anymore than the pleasantries she was having as of now.
"Uh... we can... try?"
"Excellent! I know this seems super awkward and all but I won't bite or anything. Can I take you to class?" he asked, holding out his elbow.
Esper took it and he whisked her off to her class.

****************

Jude closed his locker slowly and slumped his way down the hallway. He was still getting over another hangover from the night before and thinking about his life, again. He hated that everything he ever did made him think his life over again. He just wanted to know how he had gotten where he was. How did his life turn so weird?
"Excuse me?"
Jude looked over his shoulder at Arix, who walked up to him.
"Oh... hi..."
"I'm Arix, Esper's cousin."
"Oh, nice to meet you. I'm Jude Carson."
"I'm aware of that. May I ask you a question?"
"Sure?"
"Why do you keep making my cousin cry?"
Jude was taken aback by the comment and rubbed the back of his neck.
"What do you mean?"
"Whenever she is near you and then is away, I always find her crying. Why is that?"
"Did you come to beat me up? Not that I don't deserve it..."
"I am coming to get an answer to my question."
"I can't tell you why. I really don't know. She yells at me and gets mad at me when I try to get her to understand why we can't be friends and then we end up fighting and... I don't know... Do I really make her cry every time I leave?"
"At least the last four times you have been together, when I have seen you, yes, she has cried every time."
Jude felt bad about that and kept rubbing the back of his neck in confusion and agitation.
"Well... jeez... shit I didn't know. I thought she just stayed mad at me. I never knew she was crying behind closed doors."
"She cries harder behind closed doors. I think it would be best if you did not come near her anymore. If you're going to make her sad all the time, then you aren't good for her."
"I don't need you to tell me what I can and can't do. You're a cousin I've never even heard of so what the hell gives you the right to tell me what to do? Besides, I'm working on it... I can't leave Lacy because of some stuff but I'm trying to. I don't want to see Esper cry anymore and I don't want to be the reason for it either... But I don't need you to run interference for me, Arix."
Jude began to walk away but Arix grabbed his shoulder.
"It is my familial obligation to do this. I'm sorry."

*****************

Esper went to get a drink of water when Jude came around the corner. She noticed he had a black eye.
"Your eye..."
"You can thank your cousin."
"Huh?"
"I'm sure you put him up to it."
"Put him up to what? Punching you?"
"Yeah."
"I didn't even know he knew who you were. He saw you the one time at the house and that's about it."
"Yeah, well, he punched me for you so I hope you're happy."
"About what?!"
"He said I made you cry and that it was his familial duty to defend you."
Jude kept walking as Esper looked at the space he had been standing in in complete shock. She didn't know what to do anymore.

*****************

"So, where do you live?" Jessen asked as Esper put her books in her locker.
"By the ocean... Look, are you going to snoop around me all day? It's a bit annoying."
"I'm sorry. I'm just... so happy to finally see you and meet you."
"Why? I don't know you or anything. It's not like we met in passing..."
Jessen was about to say something when Arix walked up. Esper looked at him but didn't say anything and the tension was getting thick.
"I can feel that you guys need to talk about some things. We'll see each other tomorrow, okay?"
"Sure..."
Jessen waved and left.
Arix looked at Esper.
"I don't trust him."
"Yeah, well, don't do anything. And what the hell? Why did you punch Jude in the face? Not that he didn't deserve it, but seriously, you have no business in doing that sort of thing."
"He angered me."
"Is that so?" Esper said with a huge frown on her face. "Well hell, Arix, why don't you go kill him if he's pissing you off that much."
"Humans do not kill for those reasons."
"They also don't go beating people up either you moron."
"I did it for you."
"Why? We've known each other for like, two days, and all of a sudden you feel like you can just do what you want? I can take care of myself you know."
"I have no doubts on that but... It angered me how sad you get when you are done talking to Jude. True, we don't know each other that well, but a female in distress is not something I can ignore. Whether or not you can defend yourself is not for me to judge but I couldn't sit around and watch that boy hurt you again and again. All of the times I've seen you with him, he has done nothing but cause you to cry."
Esper sighed, understanding that it was a sense of loyalty that made Arix do it. She pat him on the back a little.
"Even though you shouldn't have done it, thank you anyway. I'm sure I would have ended up doing it sooner or later. And Jude really is a nice guy it's just... Lacy is screwing around with him for some reason and I don't know why he just can't let go."
"She has something over him. He didn't tell me what but he said he's trying to fix it. I, too, think that he could be a nice person but all I have seen so far is nothing of the sort. You are my family and I must protect you, from physical and mental harm."
Esper laughed a little. "You're sweet in a really weird way."
"Thank you."
"Seriously though, don't go punching people you don't know very well, okay? Other than that, I think you're getting the hang of this human thing."
Arix smiled as they walked out of school towards Esper's car.

Jude got home and his mom looked up from reading a book in the living room.
"Jude! What happened? Did you get into a fight?"
"No, I'm fine. Really..."
"I see. Honey... have you... have you been drinking my beers in the fridge?"
Jude stopped and turned to her as she looked at him in worry.
"Why?"
"Please answer me."
"Yeah... I have..."
"I see."
She looked away and then back at her book but Jude knew she was now very worried. He went in and knelt in front of her, pushing her book down.
"I'm sorry... I've been going through a lot and I just... I won't do it anymore."
"Promise me that you won't. I have those for me when I have a stressful day and you promised me you'd never touch them and now..."
"I know. It's just a thing with Lacy. I want to break up with her but she has something on me about Esper and I can't put Esper in danger."
"If she's that horrible then don't you think you should break up with her? I mean, do you think she'll hurt Esper?"
"Yes, I really do. I never meant to stop being her friend but if it keeps her from getting hurt..."
Jude's mom put her hand under his chin and smiled at him kindly.
"Sweetheart, I've watched you two play since you were little. She's beaten you time and again at wrestling and I know for a fact a couple of those times was not you letting her win." Jude smiled. "I think if Lacy was going to do something to her, she would have to go through Travis, then Shana, and then Esper herself. Kurai would probably get in on it as well. There are plenty of people to help Esper if there is a problem. I only have one you, Jude, and that girl has done nothing but drag you down and beat you up. I've seen it. Break up with her."
"But how?"
"You can blame it on me if you want. I'll take the blame. I just want you to be happy and you're happiest when you're with Esper. I'm not saying to date her, but you have always been your best with her. I don't want to see you cry anymore."
Jude smiled and got up, kissing his mother on the cheek.
"I'll break up with Lacy on Friday."
His mother smiled and Jude went to get ice for his black eye.