He awoke to the sound of thunder rumbling in the distance, and for a brief, terrifying moment, he thought he was that scared twelve-year-old boy again, waiting for help to arrive while his father bled out. He clutched his stomach and groaned as his pain asserted itself. He could hear the rain pelting against the windows and feel the caustic chemicals in his nose.
With his breathing ragged and frantic, he raised his head off the desk and took in his surroundings. He was sitting on a stool by himself at a large table, and all around him were other students quietly working alone or in pairs. Finally, he realized where he was. It was the final period of the day, art. The storm had come back for round two and hammered the third-floor windows. The chemicals he smelled were paints and fumes from the kiln. His breathing slowed, and he gradually calmed down.
He searched his memory and couldn't figure out how he got there. The last thing he remembered was being kicked repeatedly by five massive football players. And now he was sitting on a stool, still in pain but without significant injuries. He could have sworn they'd broken a few of his ribs. However, the worst thing he could find was bruises. He hurt all over like he'd been in another car accident. But, somehow, he was relatively okay. There was a brief flicker of hope as he tore open his bag, looking for his tablet. It was there, but to his horror, it was just as broken as he remembered. The screen was utterly shattered, and the case had been snapped open, a cracked circuit board protruding like a fractured bone.
Jaeson sat in a melancholic daze at his table, staring off into the middle distance, expressionless. It was as if he was a ghost haunting the room, unable to move on. His pain continued to boil over inside his abdomen. It would intensify, then diminish, then come back worse, again and again. The rest of the class worked on their portfolios, oblivious to what Jaeson was going through.
However, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Jenny looking at him. She had been painting a series of fantasy minis with her friend, a colorfully dressed pastel goth girl he could never remember the name of, but her attention had shifted to him. His heart broke as their eyes met. She looked just as miserable as he felt, and seeing her like that only made him feel worse. He considered reaching out to her, but then, he thought better of it. He'd only screw that up just as he had years before with Fiona. So, instead, he put his hood up, laid his head on the desk, and huddled his face in his arms.
Finally, the school day was mercifully over. He didn't bother stopping at his locker; he just set off for home through the pouring rain. The streets were already flooded by this point. Without his jacket, his hoodie wouldn't do much to keep him dry, but he couldn't find the energy to care.
About halfway through his march, Jaeson heard rapid footsteps splashing along the sidewalk from behind. Jenny had caught up with him. She had a long red raincoat and an umbrella resembling an orange slice, the only colors in the world in that dreary September rain.
She lifted the garish umbrella above them and said, "Hi, Jaeson."
"Hi, Jenny," he mumbled.
She looked awkward and uncomfortable but did her best to keep a positive attitude. "Can I walk with you for a while?" she asked carefully.
"Yeah, sure, I guess," he said.
Jenny seemed shy as they walked in silence for a bit. She would turn to look at him periodically, seemingly at a loss for something to say. Then, finally, she blurted out, "I, um... just wanted to thank you for buying me lunch. My mom forgot to send me lunch money again."
"It's no big deal," he said.
"I know, but..." Jenny paused, searching for the words she needed. Eventually, she asked him, "Why'd you do it?"
It was an odd question, and he wasn't sure what answer she sought. "I dunno," he shrugged, "can't have you going hungry, I guess."
"...Y-Yeah," she said, her voice breaking. "Thank you. I'll get you back someday."
Suddenly, Jaeson clutched his chest as a dull knife slowly cut his heart out. The pain forced him to stop and lean against a nearby telephone pole to catch his breath and wait for the pain to soften.
"What's wrong?" she asked cautiously.
He let out a dry, wheezy cough and caught his breath before answering her. "I'm fine," he grunted. "Just a heart attack, nothing to worry about."
She reached up to put her hand on his shoulder. Even hunched as he was, it was still a stretch. "I saw what those jerks did to you. Do you need a doctor or something?"
He shook his head and dismissed her concerns with a wave.
"Are you sure? You always look like you're in pain. But I've never seen you this bad."
"Jenny, can you please just..." Jaeson stopped.
Several school buses were coming up the road, and the street nearby was practically flooded. Without another word, Jaeson positioned himself between Jenny and the bus. It hit the massive puddle and splashed a wave at them, but Jaeson could easily shield her from the deluge thanks to their size difference. Jenny yelped in surprise, but Jaeson held fast until the other school buses passed by. The first had displaced the water enough that the others didn't get him as much, but he was still soaked to the bone. He heard jeers and laughter from the bus as it continued down the street.
Jaeson spat out the dirty street water that made it into his mouth and resumed his walk. Jenny was still shocked. "Assholes!" she yelled after them. She then noticed that Jaeson was leaving without her and trotted forward to catch up.
"Jaeson! Wait!" she said nervously while raising the umbrella above him. "I don't want to leave you alone right now. Please? My house is close by. You could come over and..."
"And what? You have some magic spell that can make everything better?"
"No, I... I have a washing machine and a dryer." She was starting to get annoyed, and Jaeson noticed.
"Thanks, but I have those at my house, and I'm almost... there," he groaned as his stomach shook from a phantom punch. "Save your charity for someone else."
"Stop!" she shouted and jumped in front of him, doing her best to keep him under the umbrella. "Just stop already!"
Jaeson tried to get around her, but she just moved to bar his path. "What?" he said, raising his voice. "What do you want from me?"
"Just just look at me for a second!"
Jaeson avoided her gaze, fearing what she'd say if she could see how much he wanted to go with her. Perhaps they could've been friends, with a better version of himself in another life. A part of him wished he had a companion like her, but the idea of someone wanting to be his friend was beyond him.
"Please," she pleaded softly, her voice straining to stay composed. "Please just look."
Realizing he wasn't getting out of this, Jaeson reluctantly raised his eyes to meet hers. He expected Jenny to be angry with him for his shitty attitude. But instead, she took off her glasses to reveal her dazzling blue eyes, cute freckles, and soft, hopeful smile. Her bright red and gold hair, slightly damp from the rain, framed her face like a photograph. For a brief moment, Jaeson could feel something familiar about her, as if he'd seen this look before. But suddenly, the pain came at him as a splitting headache, just like the one he received the night of the accident.
By now, Jenny was on the verge of tears. Finally, after a few brief moments, she asked, "Can you see me?" She gently held his cheeks with both hands and looked deep into his eyes. "Please, tell me you can see me," she pleaded.
He did his best to do as she asked. Aside from realizing how pretty she was, he couldn't understand what he was supposed to get from this. Frustrated, Jaeson shook his head and looked away from her once again. "Yes, okay. I can see you. So what?"
"No!" she cried. Jenny seemed determined to get the reaction she needed and forced him to look at her, startling Jaeson with her assertiveness. Her eyes pierced through his pain, begging for recognition. But she found nothing. Jaeson watched as the sadness that had been welling up in her eyes began to fall, the tears staining her cheeks through the rain. She was crushed, utterly. "What happened to you? Why can't you see?" She said more to herself than to him.
Unable to bear her disappointment any longer, Jaeson pushed her hands away. "I'm sorry, alright!" he shouted, and Jenny jumped back in surprise. "Whatever I did to you, I'm sorry!" The pain in his head intensified three-fold, and the rain dripping from his hair felt hot.
And then he heard thunder rumble in the distance.
Immediately, Jaeson was beset by flashbacks. His breathing, already labored from the pain, became heavier with each distant boom. A large truck approached, and Jaeson thought it would smash into him. As it passed, he saw his father's mangled body splayed out on the pavement, partially crushed by the impact. He felt faint and stumbled onto the wet sidewalk, trying desperately to catch his breath.
Jenny dropped her umbrella and quickly knelt by his side. "Oh my gosh, Jaeson, are you okay? What's wrong?"
"Stop," he cried. "Please stop. Please..."