That One Love Story (1)

Chapter 3 Jaxx: Heavenly Fast-Food and Navy's All-Knowing Gaze

I really have no where to go.

I have no one I can trust.

All of the friends I've had, I've never really had. They just used me to get close to my brothers.

I have no one left.

All I can do is walk. And cry.

A good amount of crying.

"Jaxx?" I look to my right and see him. Not 'him' my father, but him.

Sitting on the steps of his porch, a blanket over his shoulders and mugs of something beside him.

In all his glory, Navy St. James.

My brothers best friend.

Ex-brothers I should say.

Yup, all three of them are "besties" with Navy.

"Are you okay?" Navy jumps off his porch and crosses the space between us in seconds. Stupid long legs. I'll have you know when we we kids I used to be taller than this mountain.

"I'm fine." My voice is hoarse and crackly.

"And I'm the King of England," he snarks back. "Have you been," Navy leans closer and rubbed a tear off my face, "crying?"

I pull away from his warmth and march down the sidewalk.

"Were you punched?" His voice is a soft feather that flys steady in the breeze. And it makes me freeze.

He's always been a slight jerk to me, why was he doing this?

"No!" I snap and turn to face him. "I wasn't!"

He looked at me with empty eyes; no pity, no confusion, not even concern.

Every girls dream. He's too hot right now...

"I got a text from Jaze," Navy nods to me. "You wanna come inside? My mom is away."

Of course it was Jaze. We've never gotten along.

We used to though.

I remember the 10 year old song writing.

And the 13 year old band ideas.

I remember him abandoning me for the hockey team, a cool look on his face. A pencil and paper in my hands.

I brushed tears off with the back of my hand.

"Jaze told me if I see you I should look the other way," Navy tugs the blanket off on his shoulders and throws it in my direction. It falls to the ground. "I'm not going to do that though."

I pick up his blanket off the ground and sling it over my shoulder. "Why?"

"Well, your eye looks like shit and it looks like you have no one to talk to." He then shrugs, "If you want to be technical, I'm not too good at talking, but I can probably listen to you."

I scoff, "Probably?"

Navy cracks a smile and holds out a hand.

Does he want me to take his hand?

"Your bag?" He looks like he's trying to hold in a laugh.

"I'm not going inside! I'm catching the next bus outta here."

"Uh huh." He rolls his eyes and snatches one on my bags from my grasp.

"Hey!" I stomp after him, into his house.

Navy leads me into the guest room and drops my bag softly on the bed.

"You can sleep here," he says, "I'm in the room across."

"Okay." I mutter.

He looks back before leaving. "Want some food?"

I stare at him in surprise, why was he being so... nice?

"Well?" Navy blinks.

"I'm still not staying here."

Navy just stares at me.

Suddenly I think it hits him that he's staring. He rubs the back of his neck and looks away. "Yeah, I'll order something." Navy leaves the room, a nervous look on his face.

I chuckle ever so softly. What happens to the bad boy Navy St. James? The guy who has more than 6 tattoos at seventeen? They guy who ride his motorcycle to school?

Was he really blushing?

As hard as I try, I can't talk myself out of what I saw.

Navy really is something else.

•••

"Oh my god," I groan to myself as I stuff more food in my mouth. "How is this possible?"

It looked simple, just fries and a burger.

But it tasted like heaven.

Absolutely deliciously sweet heaven.

And Navy is smirking his ass off.

Note to self: Thank Navy for letting me stay here and for the god sent food.

Navy breaks the silence. Unless you count my fast food thanks. "Good, right?"

"Was the food moaning not enough?" I smirk behind my half-eaten burger.

"Maybe a bit too much," Navy rolls his eyes.

I lean back in the chair, "I haven't had fast food in ages."

Navy pulls the chair across from me out and slides onto it, graceful as a swan.

"Doesn't your family have Fast-Food Friday's? Your brothers talk about it all the time."

"Yeah, they do." I say, licking the sauce from my burger off my fingers, "my par-" my parents. "-ents would kill me if they saw me eating fast food."

"Why?"

"I don't know, they think fast food is going to make me lazy and unhelpful."

"Then why can your brothers have it?"

"Ah the old, 'your brothers deserve it because they win their sport games and get a hundred percent in all their classes, blah, blah, blah'."

"They always said it was because you never wanted it." Navy's head tilts slightly.

I scoff harshly. Now my fast food high is shattered. "Of course I do, I'm a teenager. We all want deep fried food and stuff."

"Not me."

"Sure." I shove more food in my mouth.

Navy stares at me with his all-knowing gaze and opens his mouth.

The door bell rings.

And who says you can't be saved by the bell?

"We will talk later," he mutters.

I nod. No we're not. "Alright."

Navy's eyes glance from me to the food to the door and back to me again. And the boy growls.

I can't feel my heart anymore.

"If you want to have a shower you can use mine, there are towels under the sink." He says.

I don't move.

"Unless you want to be caught by one of those brothers of yours, I suggest you hurry Little Warrior."

I'm at the top of the stairs and half-way into Navy's room, when I realize I missed what he said.

Little Warrior.

I thought he forgot about that.