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"Oh my poor baby"

"Mum, please I'm fine. It looks worse than it actually is"

"Who did this to my baby boy?!"

"I'm 18 and really it's nothing, I just ticked off the wrong guy."

"Hmm fine I'll let you off this time BUT if this ever happens again, I want his name"

"Okay, okay. I'd rather just forget it ever happened."

"Well before we do what did the nurse say?"

"That I'd be fine, nothing is broken and if I need to take a couple days off to recover I can."

"Okay good because you're staying home tomorrow"

"Mum!"

"No buts, I want to keep an eye on you"

"You're working tomorrow" I deadpanned. Why did she insist I stay home, honestly I didn't mind staying home. I hate school, I just don't want that to mean I can't see Jasper.

"Actually I have a day off tomorrow so I can stay home and take care of my precious baby boy"

Urgh no...I really hate it when she babies me like this. I love her and everything but she needs to remember that I'm not a little kid anymore. I'll never be able to leave the house tomorrow if she's here...crap!

"Uh mum?"

"Yes sweetie?" She was currently in the kitchen cooking dinner, chicken by the smell of it.

"Does that mean I can't go over to my friends house tomorrow?"

"I'm sorry sweetie but I don't want you to strain yourself. I'm sure your friend can go a day without seeing you." It's more the fact that I've got no way of telling him I can't make it. My only other option would be to sneak out but any other day I could get away with that but now that she knows I'm hurt, she'll be checking up on me every 5 minutes. Over protective much? Sigh.

"Will dad be joining us, today?"

"Yes, he'll be heading back from work now. Why don't you head upstairs and rest and I'll give you a call when dinner done?"

"Okay mum, thank you" I like when dad joins us for dinner as usually he's so busy with work, he works the late shifts so he's usually heading off to work by the time I'm coming out of school.

I lay in bed trying to think of something I could do to entertain myself until dinner is ready. I could always play a video game but somehow I knew I wouldn't be able to focus. Instead I ended up lying in bed worrying about Jasper, I won't be able to go to his tomorrow and I really hope he doesn't get the wrong idea. Nah, surely he'll figure out there's a reason, my mum did call me freaking out when I was there maybe he'll put two and two together and realize my mum wants to keep an eye on me. I really hope so, I've just managed to form a friendship with the guy, I don't want him thinking I've changed my mind so soon. I'd never change my mind, not when it came to him.

-Thadump-

I...I think I l-like hi-

"Lucas! Dinner's ready!"

Urgh, no! What am I thinking. It's just because I've never had a proper friend before so I'm getting my feelings mixed up.

When I got downstairs, my parents were already sat around the dining room table.

"Hey Lucas, come sit" Now it's my dad's turn...

"What's up?" I asked, sitting down at the table and dishing food onto my plate.

"Son, I just want you to know that if you're having problems at school you can tell us. We can help you"

"I know that, dad. But I'm not having problems at school, this was just a onetime thing, a misunderstanding, that's all"

"Well then that's fine, Lucas. I just wanted to make sure you knew you could talk to us"

"I do, thanks guys" I started shoveling food into my mouth, with all the distractions of today I completely forgot that I didn't get to eat lunch so I was now really hungry.

I could tell they wanted to say more but were hesitant. I hate it when they do this. Sigh.

"What?" Figured I'd ask, that way they wouldn't feel like they were pressuring me. This was my everyday life and this was me throwing them a bone.

My mum was the one to speak this time as she seemed to tread carefully with her words.

"We..wanted to know..about this new..friend of yours" Please don't ever talk like this, if you want to say something then just say it, don't dance around the words if you're just going to end up saying them anyway.

"What about him?" They want to know about Jasper? But why?

"Well what's he like?" At least my dad doesn't dance around his words.

I shrugged while picking at my food "Shy, timid, a complete book worm b-but he's funny and a dork like me. He's-he's" amazing, I finished under my breath. I heard them both hmm which made me look up in confusion.

"What?" What was the humming about?

"Nothing, we're just glad you have a friend" My dad spoke as my mum sat there smiling and nodding. Okay...

"So I was going through the garage earlier today and I found one of my old phones. I was surprised it still works" Old...phone...

"Can I have it?" Oh real smooth, Lucas. Just straight up ask for the phone.

"Uh well It's really old but I have no use for it anymore. What do you want it for?"

"Um...well it's always good to have a back up...uh...just in case, you know?" Pathetic...oh shut up, brain!

"Uh-huh, sure. Here, as a...back-up" He dug the old phone out of his pocket and gave it to me. He didn't buy my excuse but I'm glad he didn't pressure me on the subject. I was a really bad liar as you can tell.

After dinner, I made my way back up to my room. Walking up the stairs really hurt so I took it slow. Clutching my ribs as I did, that jock really did a number on me.

Sitting down on my bed, I pulled out the phone my dad gave me. I plan on giving it to Jasper, of course. It's an old Nokia phone but that didn't matter because at least I'll be able to message him now, although I'll have to wait to give it to him. Sigh, maybe I can convince my mum to let me go over there if I prove to her the damage really isn't that bad. But even as I thought that I knew it was bad. I struggled to get up the stairs but it's not like I'd really be traveling far, she doesn't know that though and I don't think there would be any way I could tell her, either.

I set up my PlayStation, deciding to play video games for the rest of the night. I'm way too addicted to this thing but it helps, it really does. I loaded up Kingdom Hearts and lent back against my bed, causing pain to once again shoot through me. Come to think of it, I haven't even checked the bruising on my stomach yet. I pulled up my t-shirt and instantly cringed, I must have hit a nerve or something. If only I had kept quiet.

I must have freaked Jasper out, I mean I was lying asleep on his bed beaten and bruised. Heavens knows what must have been going through his mind when he saw me. It was sweet of him to take care of me though, even though I just kind of barged into his house and fell asleep on his bed. I think he's slowly getting used to my unexpected visits. Unfortunately he won't be getting one tomorrow though, I really hope he understands.

Wait, was he trying to make me feel better before? It was kind of surprising for him to suddenly want to play a game. He was trying to cheer me up? I felt my cheeks heat up at my own thoughts. Well if that was the case then it definitely worked. Sigh, I really had to sort my head out...

Pushing thoughts of Jasper out of my mind, I spent the rest of the night killing heartless and exploring the towns of Disney.

The following day was awful, my mum literally smothered me the whole day. I didn't get a break, she did buy me some cream for the bruising though so that was nice. I know she cares and she is just trying to help but sometimes it can be too much. There was no way I could tell her to back off though, she'd rip my head off if I even tried.

So currently it was about the time I'd usually go over to Jasper's and I've been confined to my bed all day. I'm so restless, it hurts. So to distract myself I've been watching Anime and let me tell you laying in bed all day watching Anime is far better than going to school.

I tried convincing my mum to let me go over to Jasper's but she was having none of it. You need to rest, she'd say. I've been resting all day and the pain is already fading.

"How are you doing, honey?" My mum asked as she entered my room for the millionth time today.

"I'm fine, the pain has faded considerably"

"Well that's great" She replied, a giant smile forming on her face.

"Does that mean I can go to Jasper's now?"

"Not a chance" The smile on her face didn't fade as answered, a sign that she knew I was going to ask.

"I bought you some food, though"

"Thanks mum"

"No problem, sweetie. Have you done your homework? You're back to school tomorrow"

"Yeah it's all been done" I finished it off earlier when I was laying in bed, bored. Yeah, I was that bored I did my homework.

"Good, now eat" She placed the plate on my bed next to me and left the room, smiling.

"This sucks" I said to myself, before taking a bite out of the sandwich.

I had trouble sleeping that night, probably because I've been in bed all day and now I just wanted to get up and do something. But alas I couldn't so after twisting and turning in bed for several hours, I finally managed to fall asleep.

I didn't see the jock that attacked me, the following day at school. I wonder if he got in trouble, to be honest I wouldn't be surprised. So my day was peaceful, thankfully.

I paid attention in all my classes and worked hard like the loser I am, no but seriously if my grades dropped my mother would kill me and at lunch time I once again sat by the tree at the back end of the field and read from my book while eating my lunch. And when the end of the day finally came I rushed to my car, eager to get home.

I pulled up in the driveway and entered the house to greet my mother.

"Dad? What are you doing home?"

"I got off early, why don't you come join your mother and I? We're going to watch a movie"

"Uh, I'd love too but I was kind of hoping to go over to Jasper's"

"You can go to his anytime, how often do I finish early? Come join us"

Crap! Jasper will be okay if I don't show up again, right? What am I saying? Of course he will, he's coped for many years before I showed up. Sigh. He probably isn't even thinking about me...

*Jasper's POV*

Where is he? He shows up everyday uninvited and lets himself into my home without my permission and when I finally start opening up to him, he disappears. Did I scare him off? Urgh why does it even matter? If he doesn't want to come round then that's fine with me. I'm better off on my own anyway.

But what if he's hurt?

I shook my head, trying to clear these thoughts. I was just being stupid. But he did come over the other day with a bruise on his face. He was actually asleep on my bed, at first I was livid but then I saw the markings on his face and my heart melted. Melted? My heart? What am I even saying? I was fine until he came along, now I'm all confused.

And what's up with him calling me Jas? He thinks he can just give me a nickname now, well it's not really a nickname, is it? He's just shortening down my name. But then why does my heart race when he calls me that? I've never felt this way before, I don't understand it....

What if I never see him again?

Get a grip Jasper, you were doing just fine before he came along, you'll do just fine when he leaves.

But I don't want him to leave...

My heart hurts, I'm so confused.

Will I see you again?

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