Outsiders

Pain

It's been about a month since AJ has been working for Jack. She thought her life was bad before but she never knew how much worse things could have gotten. It helped her appropriate the little things she had before. Privacy. A real home. Even though the trailer wasn't much it was something. At least she lived with people she loved. That's the thing AJ missed the most. Love.

The love her friends and Dean had for AJ was what kept her going. Knowing that there are good people in the world who want to help you and like you for who you are were the ones AJ loved being surrounded by. Now all of that changed.

At school she was labeled as a lunatic because of all the fights she got in. Most of the time AJ was the one who started the fights. She saw this as a way to release some anger. The Uso's and Naomi would try to talk to AJ but she would stare off into space every time. AJ was scarred for life. It's hard to concentrate when all of your bad experiences flood your mind. Things got so bad that not even Finn was able to comfort her anymore.

"AJ. AJ. Wake up."

AJ slowly picked her head up off the desk, "Sorry Mr.Langston." AJ yawned. "I haven't got much sleep lately."

"I can tell." he said, placing her last test on her desk. "Not your best work."

AJ sighed at the 37 written on her paper. She stuffed it in her bag then fell back to sleep until the bell woke her up when class was over. Dean didn't even attempt to talk to AJ after class which worried her a bit. Did he stop caring?

AJ took it upon herself to approach him, "Hey."

Dean looked around then glanced down at AJ. "Me?"

"No the person behind you." Dean took her literally and looked behind him. "There's not really someone behind you." she smiled, well at least tried. AJ studied him. Something was off but she couldn't tell what. That's when she noticed the cuts on his wrists. "What happened?"

"Nothing."

"Dean, don't bs me. Why are you doing that to yourself?"

"It doesn't matter." he spat before turning around. AJ grabbed his forearm forcing Dean to turn around as she held him in a loving embrace that both of them needed. "What are you doing?" he whispered.

"Comforting you. Is it working?"

"A little." he admitted, bringing her closer into his chest.

"Stop hurting yourself, Dean." she told him, her tone sounding a bit hurt.

"I can't. Do you know what it feels like to be numb inside and out? Sometimes I can't sense anything and I feel like I'm dead. I need to feel something so I can feel alive."

AJ slowly pulled away not knowing what to tell him. "Maybe you should talk to a counselor."

Dean laughed dryly, "Why? So they could tell me I'm crazy like everybody else does? To tell me I have issues? I'm not depressed. I'm not suicidal. I'm not paranoid. I just feel emotionless. I feel empty. There's nothing else for me to live for. I have no purpose. I'm nothing. I know I'm living but I'm not really here."

"You know, the most dangerous place you could be in is in your feelings and mind. Maybe you have a lot going on inside and you can't figure out what you're sensing yet."

"I feel so lost. Alone."

"I know how you feel. Like it's you versus the world. Nobody has your back and life just likes to bend you over and screw the hell out of you. But you don't have to hurt yourself to make yourself sense that you have a purpose."

"I know that... but I've tried to do good. I've tried to help people. Things just never go as planed. What do I have to do to stop hurting the people that I love the most?"

"You can start by not blaming yourself for every little thing that happens. Look at all the positive not the negative."

"The one positive thing in my life was taken away from me. The thing that pains me the most is when or if I'll ever get her back."

AJ thought about what Seth told her. She debated if she should tell Dean but she didn't want to get his hopes up. The little voice in the back of her head convinced that this could be the strand of hope Dean needs to hold onto. "Seth told me he might have a way of helping me escape Jack."

Dean's face was emotionless. AJ tried to read him. Not even he knew what to think about this. Seth Rollins of all people was offering his assistance. "I don't know. This all seems kinda fishy. Why would he even care?"

AJ explained to Dean everything that Seth told her about Vanessa and Jack going back on his word. "If that doesn't convince you that he's on our side then I don't know what will."

"How's he going to help?"

"I don't know yet. But he said he's thinking of a plan. I'll talk to him about it when he picks me up right now." AJ said as Dean walked with her outside. "I'll see you later. And stop hurting yourself, okay? Cuz I hate when you're in pain." she told him before hopping into Seth's car and leaving the school.

"You and Dean talking again?" Seth asked trying to make conversation.

AJ nodded. "Have you thought of how to help me yet?"

Seth looked at her through the mirror, "I have actually. But I'm not going to be able to do it on my own."

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A/N: OMG! What do you guys think Seth is planning? Find out next chapter! Stick around✨

Song: Pain by Three Days Grace