Until you were gone

5. Keep it mello

Nikki(born in 1999) played by the teenage Nina Dobrev up top
Keep it mello by Marshmello
~
"Did I ever tell you how magical Nikki's hands are. Her massages are amaaaazing, so much so that she can make headaches go bye bye just like that," Aaron said clicking his fingers above his head. "One time she even did that for her Afrikaans teacher and did her class and teacher a huge favour since her teacher was busy marking their exams and didn't feel like looking for marks like she usually would because of that migraine. Migraine magic I'd say. Isn't that right Niks?" He asked turning his head slightly to see me out of the corner of his eye.

"Well yeah but-" I began before getting cut off by a grinning Aaron
"I think that maybe she should do you a favour too Jase, seeing as she's the reason you're still stuck here..." He trailed off expectantly

At this point my jaw had completely unhinged
Which I quickly changed upon noticing Jase who was looking at me intently with his head cocked to the side.

"Well uhm yeah I guess I could, It wouldn't inconvenience me in any way so why not right..?" I answered hesitantly

"Brilliant!" Aaron said clapping his hands excitedly and telling Jase to haul his ass over and take his place on the bed.

The only sound that could be heard was that of the music as Jase obliged and walked round the bed seating himself in front of me with his back incredibly stiff.

I couldn't blame him seeing as we'd have been mistaken for strangers the way we acted around each other. Jase was a complex guy whereas I was easy going, I could have a conversation with a tree if need be but he chose to be silent, to observe quietly. The two of us had both had lives that weren't the easiest and I'd spent all 16 years of my life holding it all in and putting on a facade so that nobody could break down those steel walls that guarded my heart. Jase had those same walls I could tell but he didn't hold it all in, he had his best friend Aj and the two were as close as brothers and they'd been that way for years leading up to 2016, their final year of high school, they did everything together and that included drinking, smoking, drugs, all of it. He had an escape, I wasn't so lucky.

I slowly lifted my hands up and began lightly caressing his shoulders to relax him slightly before pushing my fingers into the tender areas I'd found, working them until I felt the knots release and his tense posture becoming more and more relaxed with each. But he was still straight and stick as I worked my way to his mid back, kneading along either side of his spinal cord and it just wouldn't work so I did what I knew would do the trick, I took my closed fist and pushed it into the middle of his back causing it to arch.

"You're right Parish, she is amazing."

After that he was much more relaxed and even went as far as to lean back slightly on me by which point I'd moved back up to his shoulders and was carefully massaging the base of his neck and skull. Aaron took a picture.
Speaking of him, by his point Aaron had babbled himself to the point of boredom and stepped out the room to go call his female cousin who's name I never got.

"I brought company," he informed us before sitting back down at the foot of the bed and telling her to lock the door behind her and make sure the lights were dull enough to easy my headache which had become a daily thing for me. Aaron had offered me a massage at one point but it felt like he had salad fingers so I just told him to stop eventually and he'd agreed.

"Y'know I'm starting to think it's unfair that he's getting such a long massage," Aaron grumbled from his spot and his cousin laughed.

My legs began to cramp from being folded for so long and I wiggled in my spot, Jase noticed this and took it upon himself to move over to the side so that I could stretch them out in front of me which I did with a contented sigh. In was at this mint in time that things changed. Somehow he ended up laying his head on my tummy and draping his arm over me while I lay there propped up against the pillows and gently massaged his scalp with one hand. I felt this unfamiliar sense of comfort throughout my entire being and first the first time in a while I felt mellow and at peace with my thoughts.