Jasper's Trauma

1544 Words
Jasper heard the news the moment he got to school. They were back, and he knew the cold fear that broke out over his skin shouldn’t have happened. But it did. And it made him feel weak as hell as he kept jumping every time someone approached him.  Running into the bathroom to breathe, Jasper looked in the mirror feeling like he was a walking bomb of emotions. And he knew the reason as to why he felt this way. It was disgusting because, after five months, he was still frightened. Splashing cold water on his face to cool down, Jasper's brain seemed to play the whole ordeal again. Jasper had been at his locker when the captain of the football team came barreling over. “Dude is it true?” Jasper looked at Todd Imogen confused, “What?” Todd looked at Jasper confused, “About Paige and Donny? That they were coming back today?” Jasper immediately felt like throwing up just hearing just their names. He hadn’t known that, hadn’t heard a damn thing about it in fact which was weird considering. “Ugh…I don’t know.” Todd looked at Jasper concerned seeing him paler now, “Look man if you need someone to have your back. I got you.” Jasper nodded dumbly and as Todd strolled off looking back occasionally, Jasper was left with a punched in the gut feeling. He went through two periods dreading every turn, hating himself for the way his heart raced. But when he didn’t see Paige or Donny, he relaxed a smidge thinking it was just a rumor. Lunch rolled around and Jasper went to hide on the bleachers and be alone. He could feel eyes on him, and they were making him uncomfortable. Like everyone knew he was uncomfortable about the upcoming hill he was facing. Sighing loudly, Jasper was so deep in thought, he didn’t even hear when Alaia sat down next to him. Alaia looked at Jasper concerned, “Those are deep thoughts.” Jasper sighed tiredly as he rubbed his eyes roughly, “It’s been a long day.” Alaia looked at Jasper worried now. He looked sickly, pale, and he obviously was having a bad day. “What’s wrong?” Jasper shook his head not wanting to burden her, “I just want to get out of here.” Alaia stood eagerly liking the sound of that, “Let’s go then.” Jasper looked at her stupid, “Like blow off the rest of the day? Me and You?” Nodding, Alaia stuck out her hand palm up, “Let’s go.” Taking Alaia’s hand slowly, he was surprised when she pulled him to his feet. Jasper and Alaia went to his truck and after climbing in, Alia looked up seeing someone rushing out the front of the school. Seeing a petite girl with dark hair pulled back in a ponytail, Alaia watched Jasper pale when she noticed his truck and started over. Jasper started up his truck and pulled out quickly and as they were leaving Alaia glanced back curious.  The girl stood in the middle of the parking lot with her arms wrapped around her chest. But she went back inside after a few moments as the cold air nipped at her thin black cardigan. When they were four blocks away, Alaia looked at Jasper and whispered, “Are you okay, Jas?” Jasper lied for the first time to Alaia and told her he was fine. But after driving thirty minutes outside of town, it was when they pulled up the lake, Alaia could see on his face how not okay Jasper was. He was paler than she’d ever seen him and shaking, he walked to the lake quick, and after retching behind a tree, fell on his ass in the mud and looked at the lake. It was a hundred strokes going across and back. In the late rainy afternoon, the trees and lake all looked mystical. With fog and the grey cloudy sky adding to it, Jasper took a moment to gather himself, and then a cold sprite was being pushed into his hand. He looked at Alaia surprised as she reached into her bag and pulled out snacks to settle his stomach and then a blanket. She wrapped it around him and her legs before curling into his side silently. After guzzling the sprite and eating crackers, Jasper threw the trash in the bag. He said nothing for a moment and neither did she. But Jasper knew she needed an explanation on why he was acting like a freak, “Last year-.” Alia looked at Jasper quickly, “You don’t have to tell me because you think I deserve to hear it. Tell me if you need someone to talk to and you trust me.” Jasper looked at Alaia for a minute and then a soft whisper tumbled out, “When I junior, I was dating this girl. Paige Storm, she was my first crush I’d had in a while and I didn’t know how to approach her. But then suddenly, she asked me out. At first, things were good, I liked her so much and she led me around like a puppy on a leash. And I let her.” Alaia watched Jasper look out over the water, “But then suddenly she dumped me, for this other Junior. Donald Shamus, or Donny.” Alaia jerked back as her mind caught the familiar name, “The mayor’s son?”  Not even surprised Alaia knew that, since everyone did, Jasper told her stressing with each memory, “He was relentless in getting to me. Of all the people I’m friends with at school, he was one person who went out of his way to make me miserable despite me doing NOTHING to him.” Scoffing in disgust, Jasper bitterly remembered the asshole, “He wanted to best me at everything and at first I thought it was just him trying to be big man on campus. But he wouldn’t let up after I tried to make it obvious, I wasn’t interested in a d**k measuring contest.” Alaia watched Jasper struggle for a moment and held his hand as he recounted last year, “I didn’t know it at the time, but Donny had…issues. He was abusing prescription drugs and got Paige hooked pretty quick to the same stuff.” Jasper winced as he rubbed a fading scar on his neck, an unnoticeable mark now. White and faded against his skin, but it had Alaia stiffening as she saw where this was going. “One-night Paige came over pretending she wanted to get back with me.” Jasper remembered voice quivering, “I didn’t fall for it and she got angry, tried to attack me, but I fended her off and kicked her out of my house. But then Donny showed up, he broke in, and he brought friends.” Alaia was mortified as Jasper told her, “They jumped me and robbed me and my dad. Stole Tv’s, his computer, my laptop, and all the money I had on me. Idiots couldn’t even make it to the pawnshop a town over before they were arrested.” Jasper rubbed his neck again and Alaia grabbed his fingers to stop him, “Did she do this to you?” Alaia softly whispered tracing it lightly. Head arched to let her continue to stroke the four-inch scar, Jasper whispered to her, “Donny did. He held me at knife at first, but then they tried to take my dad’s gold watch he’d gotten from my grandpa and I tried to stop them. They beat me unconscious and when I woke up I was in a hospital.” Alaia breathed out trying to control her anger, “Assholes, they got everything they deserved and should have gotten more.” Jasper shook his head, “The mayor was adamant that his son and Paige weren’t bad kids. Just had fallen in with the wrong crowd and needed to get better. So instead of jail time, he sent them to rehab.” Alaia shook her head, “And now they’re back and terrorizing you?” Jasper breathed out uneasy, “When they were gone they both wrote to me for forgiveness as part of the twelve-step program they were in. But I never wrote them back, I just…couldn’t. And now, seeing Paige, knowing I’ll see Donny again, I just feel sick to my stomach. Feel like I’m sixteen and still being held by a f*****g five-dollar pocketknife from the Piggly wiggly.” Alaia brought Jasper into her arms and he buried his face in her neck. Alaia always smelt good to Jasper. Unlike other girls, she didn’t use fruity perfume so sweet it made his nose uncomfortable until he sneezed. Instead, her scent was light and blended in with the cold nature around them perfectly. “I’m sorry you’re going through this Jasper. If there’s anything I can do, name it.” Jasper closed his eyes, “I hate to be that guy…but just do me a favor?” Alaia nodded and Jasper pleaded desperately, “Stay away from Donny.” Alaia looked at him surprised and Jasper shivered as he admitted, “He’s a rich spoiled brat who thinks life is a grand ole time. He doesn’t do change, and everything he did to get out of rehab was a front.” Jasper frowned remembering the cold boy who’d gleefully taken shots at his face, “Guys like him don’t change.” Already knowing that, Alaia readily agreed, “I know. I won’t go near him.” Jasper nodded and as she rested her head in the crook of his neck, he breathed in her scent and it calmed him down. As the demons around him got riled up for chaos. 
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