Re: Behind These Eyes

[Michelle]

"I won't," she whispered fiercely. If Rebeka could be strong and Jayden could let her in then she would be damned to be the weak one of the three. Smiling, she gave him a gently squeeze.

"Well, Beka's going to be rubbing this is my face for quite some time." Rhiannon smiled, wrinkled her nose and laughed. "She has been going on for the last two weeks, pestering me about you." Pressing her lips once more to his cheek, she grabbed her English text and notebook.

"As much as I'd rather sit here with you and do nothing, if I get home tonight with no homework done, I'll be in trouble." Grinning, she cocked her head to the side.

"Shall we get this over with so we can relax a bit before I have to go for the night?"

[Hee-chan]

Jayden allowed a little smirk to creep across his face. "Might as well prove we can be productive in New York..."

Jayden moved off his bed to retrieve his schoolwork where he abandoned it on the floor. Just as he turned back to face Rhiannon, there was a light knock. He barely had time to mutter an "aw, damn" before it opened and a man, whom Jayden bore a striking resemblance to, walked in.

"Hey, Jayden, I--"
"Dad. Uhm."
"Your mother talked to me this morning about Virginia?" Jayden's dad, who smiled kindly at Rhiannon, didn't bring that little issue up at the moment.
"Actually... could we talk about that for a second?"
And, grabbing the manila envelope of paperwork for New York, Jayden left the room and went to his father's study.

He was gone for about 20 minutes.
While with his father, they discussed him moving out, living situations, and just who exactly Rhiannon was. Alexander Rivers had no anger seeing Jayden alone in his room with a girl, he would just like to know the circumstances. And then New York
Penthouse.
Independence.
Fleeing the place that terrified him... Again, in a sense.

Jayden then returned, manila envelope in hand.
"Here," he said softly, handing it over to her. "They're all filled out and everything."
The papers bore the signature of Alexander Rivers, CEO. He had no doubt that Rhiannon would have no idea what exactly that entailed... Nor did he doubt the fact that her father would probably know... And Rhiannon herself would probably be finding out soon just who exactly Jayden's father was... And what exactly that entailed for Jayden.
And if her father telling her didn't have much of an effect... Well, the party at the Rivers' residence that weekend sure would.

[Michelle]

Laughing, she flipped the book open again to their required reading. Watching him gather his things, she was startled by the knock on the door. Scarcely hearing Jayden's "oh damn", she bit her bottom lip as a man entered. From just a single glance, she knew, without a doubt, that he was Jayden's dad. Mouth dry, she returned the smile. Glancing at Jayden as they left, she exhaled after the door closed. Closing her eyes, she hardly had a chance to notice him grabbing the manila envelope before she was alone.

Time passed slowly as she waited and she found herself rereading the short story in an effort to keep herself from reliving some of the more exciting moments of the afternoon. When he finally returned, she looked up and smiled. He handed her the envelope and she looked up at him, her smile growing larger.

"This is so great!" She hugged the papers to her chest for a moment before stowing them safely away in her backpack. Tomorrow, both of their paperwork would be turned in, assuring their future move to NY.

Biting her bottom lip, she looked back up at him and couldn't help but smile.

"I can't believe how easy this has all been. I expected it to be so much harder." Sighing softly, she looked up at him expectantly.

"Homework awaits!"

[Hee-chan]

Jayden smiled at her eagerness and excitement over getting his papers. His resolve fluttered momentarily as she mentioned how easy it had been. It really was no problem on his part, seeing as he was planning on leaving anyway... It was just a change of destination. There were a few details he would work out with her later... Like, how they would be getting there... And where he would be staying... Of course she was more than welcome... But, he supposed, those details would come later...

"Don't worry about planning any travel arrangements, though," he mentioned. "I'll take care of that."
He supposed there may have been something through the college bringing Rhiannon to New York, but his preference sort of cancelled that out. That and it would be much more comfortable, too.

"Ah. Right. Homework. The devil awaits."
With another light grin, he picked his things up again, but this time sat on the floor, facing his bed. He was much more comfortable sitting there to do homework. With the few other papers scattered around that area, it was a bit obvious that was his preferred spot. Jayden opened his binder again, laid out the short story, his text book, the sheet with the prompt, and the novel. And when his pen hit the paper, it was obvious he knew what he was doing.

[Michelle]

"Alright. Sounds good but if you want some help, let me know. Mom and Dad have set aside some money for the move. Not a whole lot but enough to really be helpful. We'll have to figure out living accommodations at some point but homework is a bit more important." Smiling, she was relieved that everything was going a lot easier than she had anticipated. Jayden seemed to have no troubles convincing his parents and while hers had taken a little work, they had agreed.

Laying the prompt next to the open text book and the novel laying in her lap, she glanced down at Jayden as he sat on the floor. Biting the inside of her cheek, she wondered idly what he was thinking. Shrugging it off and knowing he would speak up if something she said bothered him, she got to work.


And now I have dinner to make and some homework to deal with. (: I'll try to post again tonight but I'll make no promises. <3 Love ya, Hee-chan!

[Hee-chan]

Still writing, Jayden responded. "Really, Rhiannon. Don't worry about travel. Or where to live."

He sighed, pausing a moment. A nervous habit, Jayden bit his lip lightly. Maybe he should just tell her now...? Oh, no no. Not yet. Not quite yet. There would be plenty of time for that later. ... Assuming Rhiannon didn't come down with a terminal disease...

Jayden shook it off.
"Just don't worry about it. We can talk later about it. It's not that important right now."
And with a light grin, he went back to work. His thoughts flowed together nicely as his pen seemed to glide across the page. The responses, which only needed to be about five sentences, would definitely be longer by Jayden's hand. He thought quickly, complexly, completely, and he knew his ideas wouldn't be argued against... Not really. The teacher was on his side anyhow. Perhaps counterarguments would be offered, but only to see just how complex he really could think.

Pausing again, in the middle of the second prompt, he looked up to Rhiannon. "So. I'm curious. Do you really believe I get sent to the principal's office every day, third hour?" Sure, it was true. He just wanted to hear what she had to say about it.

[[ok, that's fine. (: I'm sure I'll be around for a little longer, but I'm working on homework as well, heehee. <3 you!!]]

[Michelle]

At that, she looked up at him, her head cocked to the side with a slight smile playing about her lips. Pushing her hair behind her ear, she chewed on her bottom lip for a split second then went back to homework. She had already met the five sentence requirement for the first prompt but felt that she needed to expand some of her ideas. In other classes, she would have made sure to sum it all up within the allotted amount but she was sure there would be no issues.

Glancing up at him once or twice throughout, the only sound in the room was the scribbling of their pencils on their paper. Licking her lips, she pressed them together as she searched for the right words to cap it all off. Once she was fully satisfied with what she had written, she shook her head slightly and looked up. She turned her thoughts to the second prompt when Jayden spoke up. Blinking in surprise, she giggled softly and pressed her pencil to her lips.

"Honestly, considering your teacher, Mr.Bowden, it really wouldn't come as much of a shocker to me. I've never had the misfortune to have him but he sounds really awful. Truth be told, if I had him, I'm sure I'd be heading to the principal's office every day, too." Grinning, she stretched her arms up over her head. Suppressing a yawn, she glanced down at the next prompt and started chewing on her bottom lip again.

[Hee-chan]

With a light grin, light glancing off his snakebites, Jayden just looked back down to his paper.

***

Driving back home after dropping Rhiannon off at home, he couldn't help but laugh lightly to himself. He could only imagine what her family was thinking at that moment... Oh well. It was only a matter of time until Rhiannon knew that her father worked for his... And what exactly that meant for him. Oh well.

Whistling as he reentered his house, keys swinging around his finger, he paused, thinking he heard something.
"Jayden!"
Yup, there it was...
"Jayden?!"
"Yeah! Dad! What's up?"
"Oh, good. You're back."
Jayden's father came rushing down the stairs, a large bag in hand.
"Dad, what's going on?"
"There's an emergency in Chicago. We need some immediate restructuring, your mother and I have to get over there as soon as possible. Tim will be there as well."
"Wait, Mom's going too?"
"Sorry, Jayden, we need a united front this time. Come to think of it, Kassidy might be there with Tim, because... Well, anyway."
"Well, ok, I guess I--"
"I already called you in at school, Jay. I need you to stay here tomorrow. I left a list in the kitchen of the things we need fixed before the party on Saturday. All the numbers you need are there, too."
"Wait, Dad--"
"Jayden, please? The moron I hired said he knew what he was doing, but he clearly didn't. I need you to supervise. I know you'll make sure things get done the right way this time."
"All right, Dad. I can do it."
"Thank you so much, Jayden. We should be back on Saturday. Hopefully before noon but who knows with this fiasco? I love you, Jayden! Have a good few days."
"Love you, Dad. See you soon."

***

The next day, Jayden clambered out of bed around 7. It would only be a short time before the decorators and hired help showed up... again. This time to fix the mistakes they made. And, being left in charge by his father, he would make sure nothing would be messed up this time.

Jayden obviously knew how to use authority. He would not let the "pro" tell him what to do. The stuck-up jerk thought he knew better... But Jayden let him know differently. Though he was much younger than the decorator guy, he would never get pushed around. Jayden held himself in Bowden's classroom and he held his own with this loser jerk.

By the time noon rolled around, Jayden was so sick and fed up with those decorating, he shut everything down and kicked everyone out, save the actual house cleaner. With his phone up and charging in his room, it didn't even occur to him that he hadn't told Rhiannon where he was, that he wouldn't be coming to school at all that day. His mind was scattered, and so he walked into the back of the house, where there was a small exercise room, turned on the music, and turned out the rest of the world. And this is how he completely decked the two football morons who were attacking Rhiannon. Aside from his technical skills with engines, Jayden had a thing for working out. It made him feel pretty good: strong, a rock... Someone who wouldn't get knocked around for anything big or small...

Like he could defend himself or anyone around him... Even if--

As his arm cramped up, Jayden lowered the weight he was benching. No big matter, just dehydrated. He shook out his arm as he walked over to where his water bottle was sitting, against the wall by a small window facing the backyard. He had been working out for quite some time now, sweat beading on his skin, his breath a little heavier. It felt good. It felt good to let go and just forget about all his worries and concerns.

For now at least.

[Michelle]

Is wasn't long after they finished their homework that Jayden drove her back home. She watched him drive off with a longing sigh. Shaking her head, she hefted her bag further up on her shoulder and headed inside. Her parents were off doing God-only-knew-what and her brothers were off with their friends. So, she was home alone - something that rarely happened but she enjoyed. Unlocking the front door, she hummed to herself as she entered the darkened house. Locking the door behind her, she went into the kitchen to grab a snack. Apple and bottle of water in hand, she headed up to her room.

Flipping on the light switch, she turned on some music and parked herself on her bed. Laptop on her pillows, she surfed the web for awhile to kill time.

Night came quickly and her family arrived home around dinner time. She has just finished cooking one of their favorite meals when her mother came into the kitchen. There was something off about the way she kissed Rhiannon and smiled. After they enjoyed their meal, she offered the clean the kitchen up and her father said he would help. Knowing looks were passed between her parents and she shook her head. Gathering up the dishes, she headed to the kitchen nad deposited the load in the sink. Once she had all the dishes and had taken care of the left overs, she rolled up her sleeves.

"Hey baby-doll. Got a minute to talk to your old man?" Her father stepped up next to her, smiling and rag in hand.

"Ummm sure.... What's up?" She eyed him wearily as she filled the sink with warm, soapy water. There was silence as she washed the first few plates and silverware. Eventually he spoke up.

"Your mother and I decided that since you'll be going to New York soon, you needed some things to help you. You already have a great car, so we aren't worried about that but...you need some new clothing, right? And you'll need furniture and things for you place. So, we put some money into an account for you to use once you get to New York." He caught her eye and smiled. "It's more than enough to get you going, sweety."

"Oh...oh Daddy...." Rhiannon's eyes swam with tears. Why now, of all times, were her parents being so sweet and helpful. Wiping her eyes on her sleeve, she looked at him.

"Thank you."

----------------------

Morning came all too quickly and the dark haired girl woke begrudgingly. Yawning, she dressed and headed downstairs. Yawning, she greeted her parents warmly. They were suddenly seen in a whole new light to the teen. She had never expected them to be so understanding and helpful. Eating and chatting more animatedly than usual, she headed out the door. Her car shone brightly in the parking lot. A smile crossed her lips and she ran her hand alongside it. Her parents had paid for it to be serviced completely. It looked brand new. Climbing in, she made the short drive to school and thought of her parents with a surge of warmth.

Jayden wasn't there......a strange knot gathered in her stomach. Where was he? Was he okay? He had never miss a day...and he hadn't said anything to her. Worry over-rode all other thoughts and by lunch time, she was sick with concern. Swallowing against the bile that rose in her throat, she pushed herself to finish the day. Her parents would freak if she skipped.

It felt like fifty millions years had passed before the bell rang. Relief was short coming and she rushed to her car. Grabbing her cell, she inhaled slowly and dialed his number. Calling him was much less dramatic than just showing up at his house, right?

[Hee-chan]

Jayden had just stepped out of the shower when the house phone started ringing. Quickly throwing on a pair of jeans and a white v-necked shirt, he rushed out of his room to grab one of the wireless receivers. Yet, his cell phone was still just chilling in his room. He hadn't checked it all day.

On the other end of the phone was his father, asking about how the morning went, giving more instructions. Jayden when over every little step about three times before Alexander was satisfied. But then, barefoot with his hair still drying, he got right back on the phone, making calls and demanding greatness from several sources. Ending up in the kitchen, still glued to the phone as he called the caterers, he glanced at the clock, making a light mental note that school had gotten out. Oh, right, school. He was still a student after all... Well, not today he wasn't.

As he got off the phone, the housemaid walked into the kitchen. She was a sweet Polish lady and had spent many years with the Rivers family.
"Mr. Jayden, you look tense."
"Oh, no, Rena, it's nothing."
"It's a shame Mr. Alexander had to go and leave you with all this."
"I guess, but it's no big deal. I owe him a lot."
"I wish you were not the only child here."
"Yeah, Rena... I do too."

There was a certain sadness in his voice that carried the knowledge more than his years should allow. Rena knew that tone well, and knew that it was time to change the subject.

"Mr. Alexander said you had a lady friend over the other day."
Jayden grinned with a little laugh, "Yeah, Rhiannon."
"Do I sense a little romance, Jayden?"
He grinned again, tossing the towel next to him at her. Oh, no-- He suddenly realized...

But then the house phone rang again. Time to forget about himself and do what needed to be done. Things were to be delivered tonight to be ready for set up in the morning. Rhiannon wouldn't be too worried... Would she? Well, no time to worry about that now. Time to coordinate deliveries and send off clothes for tomorrow to the dry cleaners. Too much to do, and only Jayden to do it. With Jayden on the phone, Rena would be the one left to answer the door.

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