Admittedly, it wasn’t his proudest moment.

The initial shock was replaced with an ache and throb that radiated through his face, and a ringing in his ears. He’d barely been able to take a breath before a streak of black leather raged past him and smashed into The Titan. Taking advantage of the distraction, Jake got the hell out of there.

Okay truth be told? He ran.

Well, not full on sprint – ran, but he moved as quickly as he could without looking like he was running for his life, and dropped into the familiar bench seat of the bus.

He was still in shock though and that, mingled with the pain he was feeling, and the sight of blood, had left him shaken. His hands, shirt and even the front of his jeans were streaked with blood and it overwhelmed him.

It took Beth a second and a double take before she really took in the sight of him and her eyes widened impossibly large and her jaw dropped. “Holy Sh…!”

“Shhhhh!” He hissed at her. He didn’t want her drawing attention to his condition.

“Oh my GOD Jake! What the hell happened?!” She was on her knees on the seat in an instant, digging through her backpack, and pulling out the t shirt she wore for gym class. Folding it in half messily, she pressed it to his face as Paige’s head popped into view above the back of the bench he was resting against.

“Holy cheesus! What the fudge?” She exclaimed.

Eclectic and ever the artist, Paige had this thing about replacing the usual curse words with funnier versions and hearing her declare the holiness of cheese would normally have made him smile, had the situation not been what it was.

“Please…both of you…shhh…” He pleaded, voice muffled by the jersey knit currently soaking up the blood smeared on his face.

“Tilt your head back and pinch your nose!” Paige instructed, yanking his head backwards, her fingers curled around his forehead from behind, and he coughed and spluttered as the flow of blood suddenly shifted and begin to drip down the back of his throat.

“No! Tilt it forwards and pinch! If you tilt it back you’ll swallow it and be barfing it all up later…just trust me…I took a first aid course!” Beth countered, and pressed against the back of his head, until Paige released him and he leaned forwards. He batted at their hands though, because while they were trying to be helpful they were about to give him whiplash.

“M’fine…it’ll stop in a minute.” He told them, pulling the shirt away to test that, noting that the amount of blood had slowed considerably. “Do either of you have any water, though?” He asked quietly, wanting to wash as much as he could off his skin so he didn’t look like something out of a monster movie for the rest of the ride home. Some of it had already begun to dry against his skin and it felt gross.

Paige procured a full bottle of water from the seat behind them, and handed it over the top to Beth, who uncapped it and held it out to him. “And a mirror?” He added, and in moments one was dug out and held out for him and he worked in silence for a few minutes to clean his face and hands as best he could, considering. All the while, two pairs of eyes remained locked on him expectantly awaiting an answer but he did his best to avoid their gaze.

The feeling of being watched is one you can’t exactly ignore forever though, and after he had cleaned up as much as possible, his eyes eventually ended up sliding over to meet Beth’s who were wide and full of concern as she sat and chewed on her thumbnail, watching him.

“Jake..what happened? Who did this to you? Spill!” She ordered, growing impatient with his avoidance and he sighed lightly and muttered almost inaudibly.

“Derek did.”

Paige, being at a disadvantage because she was behind him, was nearly climbing over the back of his seat at this point, trying to hear. “Wait, what? Who? I can’t hear you…and I need details!” She demanded.

He sighed again and his fingers moved to the hem of his shirt to worry the edge of it, pulling at a loose strand.

“Derek hit me. It’s a long story.” He repeated quietly, though louder this time, eyes darting up as the bus pulled to a stop and a couple of students made their way down the aisle past them.

Beth shoved his shoulder, her usual playfulness and joking tone replaced with an impatient one because of the way he was avoiding explaining the situation and telling them everything.

“Details! You’ve like…never gotten into a fight as long as I’ve known you…why did he hit you?” She huffed at him, but her expression was one of worry.

“I’ll explain it all when we get home…okay? Not here..not now…I promise…” He responded, wanting to be off the bus as soon as humanly possible, and not having to give them all the gory details of the days events where they could be overheard.

“I’m coming to your house then, I wanna hear this.” Paige declared, from behind him, and he nodded, sinking further down into the seat to stay as far out of sight of the bus load of teenagers as possible for the remainder of the ride.

…

As the bus groaned to a stop at the end of the dirt drive to the Owens’ farm, they stood. Beth took the lead Jake followed her, and Paige brought up the rear, as they made their way to the front.

He was just about to the top of the steps when a hand suddenly reached out and gripped his forearm. He whirled his head around to see who was grabbing him so roughly and why. His eyes slowly traveled over the hand, and up the black leather sleeve from earlier and came to stop at the most intense green eyes he’d ever seen. Recognition washed over his face, and he smiled his thanks when their eyes locked for a instant.

Josh looked him over, eyebrows furrowed, inspecting him quickly to see how badly injured he was. After a moment the hand gripping his sleeve relaxed and released him, the teen nodding silently, and sat back in his seat.

As the trio made their way up the dirt drive to towards the Owens’ home, Josh’s green eyes followed them, then glanced at the mailbox facing the road, and read “Owens Ranch” as the bus pulled away into the afternoon.

It was decided quickly that the best place for them to go and talk would be Jake’s loft, and the three friends hastily made their way towards the barn before one of the adults spotted them.

…

While his loft space above the barn wasn’t exactly typical for a teenage boy’s bedroom, it was his, and it was comfortable and made him feel safe.

The first few weeks he’d spent on the Owens’ Ranch he’d spent in a regular bedroom inside the house with the rest of the family. They’d made the guestroom as homey as they could on such short notice for their newest family member, who hadn’t had much in the way of personal belongings to make it his own.

For the most part it had served it’s purpose, and had been comfortable enough, but when night fell…

It was an entirely different atmosphere.

The first night his screams of terror had cut through the silence of the dark, the house had erupted into turmoil. Lights had snapped on, the smaller children cried out in fear, and Mrs. Owens had fled down the hall to fling open the door to his room and rush to his side to try and comfort and quiet the distraught boy.

Once he’d finally woken completely and realized that he’d not only scared the entire family out of their wits, but roused them all from their sleep too, he’d been embarrassed and ashamed. Night after night, the weeks passed, and his night terrors continued like clockwork. He felt he had to do something.

He’d always been drawn to animals. As a young boy he’d bring home whatever creature he could find to keep and turn into a pet, though at the time it had mostly been caterpillars and other insects much to his mother’s dismay.

At six he’d found a kitten abandoned and carted it home in the chest pocket of his overalls nursing it with an eyedropper of milk, almost instinctively knowing just what to do to ensure the helpless being survived and even thrived.

So he’d been naturally drawn to the barn, and befriended the animals within it. He’d visited it on a daily basis, spending much more than the necessary time to do his chores, and eventually explored and found the hayloft, and instantly knew he wanted the space to be his.

It had taken all of his courage to ask about the dusty open loft, nearly trembling when he approached Mrs. Owens and queried about the boxes and trunks of odds and ends he’d found up there. His plan was, he’d offer to clean the space, and sort of slip in at the end of the conversation how much he enjoyed his time there, and how it would make a great hang out.

The very next night there hadn’t been any screams piercing the night air.

Anne Owens had risen from her bed, her motherly instincts nagging her from her slumber, and she’d padded down the hallway in slippered feet and peeked her head in to the doorway of the guestroom, only to find the bed empty.

Worry tugged at her insides, and she’d continued searching the house. The bathroom was the next place she’d looked for him, but she’d found it empty. She reasoned with herself that he was likely getting a drink or even a late night snack, and she’d continued on to the kitchen.

Finding it empty of people, she noticed the family dog, Zeke, sitting staring out the kitchen door, whimpering and pawing at it as though he was in distress. She’d pulled it open and watched him trot off towards the barn, unusual behaviour for him in the middle of the night, and again her instincts kicked in, telling her to follow.

She’d clutched her robe around herself to ward out the chill of the night air, and made her way over the porch, and down the steps. She watched quietly as the shepherd sat at the door to the barn and pawed it, looking back at her expectantly.

Her curiosity was getting the better of her now, and she eased open the smaller side door to the barn. Observing the intelligent dog sniff first the air then the ground, she followed him as he trotted inside and made his way up a set of wooden stairs tucked away in the back corner.

The stair treads creaked slightly as she ascended them, and at the top her eyes scanned the space, following the furry form as it made it’s way to a silhouette laying curled on the wooden floorboards wrapped in blankets. Satisfied at being reunited with his charge, Zeke curled up next to the sleeping boy, resting his head on Jake’s hip, protectively.

She realised he was sleeping soundly for the first time since she’d met him, and his body was entirely relaxed. For once he wasn’t drenched in the sweat that his night terrors always left him in, his breathing gentle and even.

She knew in that moment he needed this space, needed the safety and sanctuary it brought him, and a plan formed in her mind as she smiled. The worry and tension eased from her as she lowered herself down onto the top step to sit. She watched over him while he got his first good night’s sleep since he’d been entrusted into her care and eventually dozed off herself.

As the sun peeked over the horizon the following morning, blue eyes stared at her as he blinked awake and scrambled to his feet, waking her. He’d sputtered apologies and explanations and she’d simply held up a hand to silence him, with a warm smile.

“I understand, and the answer is yes, but I have a few conditions…” She began. “If you’re going to make this your space, I insist it be clean and structurally sound. You must allow my husband to help you renovate it and inspect it to ensure it’s safe enough for you to use and live in. The bunkhouse is attached to the barn, so there is a washroom there you can use in the middle of the night…but you’re not to spend all of your time up here…I want you to become a part of the family,” she’d told him, setting out the boundaries.

The smile on his face and the way his entire body seemed to relax in relief, made her smile. She watched as he stood a little taller, and with more confidence as excitement overtook him, and she thought she saw a spark of hope in his eyes. It was astonishing what a little bit of understanding could do for a person, and her granting permission seemed to have given him a much needed boost.

 It had been a turning point in their relationship, and in the path to healing for his troubled soul and it was in that very moment that she’d planted the seeds of trust with him.

 …

It was to this place now that he led Paige and Beth. He slid his backpack down to the floor and sunk onto the edge of his bed before he realized that Beth was not behind him as he thought she’d been. He looked to Paige confused.

“Hey! Grab the door!” Beth’s voice called out, and he returned to his feet and pulled it open for her. He moved aside, observing as she entered the space, lugging a metal bucket that sloshed water over the floor. Draped over one arm she carried a towel, a wash rag, and one of those instant ice packs, and she set all of it down near his bed and wriggled out of her backpack and jacket.

“You gotta get your shirt off so I can soak it or it’s gonna stain…your jeans too…the sooner we get ‘em soaking, the better the chance we can get all the blood out and mom won’t see…cause if she sees it you know she’s gonna freak and you’re gonna have to tell her what happened. So, shirt off.” She commanded him.

For being younger than he was, she’d followed in her mother’s footsteps and learned how to take control of a situation.  She seemed to know exactly how to handle the situation, and her motherly instincts were in full gear. She stared at him, waiting for him to comply.

He looked at her incredulously, then stripped off his outer button up shirt, but froze with his fingers on the hem of his tshirt.

“Holy crap Jake…it’s not like we’ve never seen a guy shirtless…you don’t have to be all like, bashful you know…” Paige teased him, leaning forwards from her perch on the rolling chair at his desk, waiting in anticipation for him to remove his shirt so she could get an eyeful.

He blushed slightly, looking at her, then returned his eyes to Beth’s and they had a silent conversation through the look they shared.

Realization dawned on her, and she suddenly understood his hesitation.

“Hey…Paige..I’m hungry…come help me find something for us to snack on?” Beth turned to look at her friend pleadingly. Paige looked back and forth between the two of them narrowing her eyes suspiciously, but got the hint that they needed to give him his privacy.

“Fiiiiiiine. Deprive me of my eye candy. I see how it is.” She huffed, causing his cheeks to pinken further, but got up and moved towards the door, to follow Beth. The two girls descended the stairs and made their way to the house to check in with Mrs. Owens and dig up something for the three of them to snack on.

He mouthed a silent “Thank you” to Beth as they retreated. He crossed the room and emptied the pockets of his jeans onto his desk before letting the blood stained denim drop to the ground. He kicked them off and dug around in the drawer of his dresser, finding a pair of sweats to slip into.

Had Paige been allowed to stay, she would have gotten more than the eye candy she’d hoped for. She’d have seen the patchwork of scars that decorated his torso that he’d been so desperate to keep hidden from her view. He hastily pulled on a clean shirt to keep them from being seen.

They returned shortly, and dropped the package of cookies, and bag of chips onto his bed, setting three canned sodas onto his nightstand.

“Okay…seriously…now spill…what happened? And we want details!” Beth looked at him, dunking the washcloth into the bucket of water she’d brought up. The water was freezing, but she wrung it out and handed it to him to finish cleaning up with.

He explained the situation slowly and carefully, beginning with the incident in chemistry class, the silent showdown, Brenna typing her number into his phone, and then the confrontation in the hallway.  Jake winced lightly, dabbing and wiping his face gingerly, removing the last of the traces of blood from it.

As she listened, Beth gathered up his soiled clothing and dunked them into the bucket to soak. She then moved to stand in front of him and examine the damage Derek’s fist had done to his face, her expression somber.

“Your lip is split…but I don’t think it needs stitches.” She said seriously, once he’d finished telling his tale of the days events. Paige dug a cookie out of the package and nibbled on it, sitting crosslegged on his bed facing him.

“But who was that guy on the bus?” Paige piped up, curiosity peaked. “He was all like…grabby hands and stuff…and I didn’t recognize him.” She continued, putting a cookie in his hand and popping the top on one of the drinks. She took a sip, eyes studying him curiously.

He’d left out the part at the end of the story where the streak of leather had nearly tackled Derek and put a stop to his assault. It had almost been like a super hero swooping in and saving the day, and he shrugged now, trying to play it off kind of nonchalant.

“He’s some new guy…he was in a couple of my classes…his name’s Josh…and he stepped in and shoved Derek away from me. It was…kinda cool…” He responded, doing his best to make it seem like it wasn’t that big of a deal and he didn’t completely owe Josh his life or something.

“He’s so hot!” Beth blurted out, then slapped a hand over her mouth giggling, only to be met with an eager grin and nod from Paige.

“I know right? He’s got that like…James Dean – bad boy thing totally working for him…You totally have to introduce us Jake!” Paige agreed.

“I don’t even know him…I’ve never even talked to him!” He retorted, before cramming an entire cookie into his mouth.

“Yeah but he totally saved you so now you have to, and you gotta introduce us. It’s your duty! Help a sister out, you know?” Beth grinned at him, biting her bottom lip as she squeezed between them to sit on the bed. She clutched the ice pack she’d been mashing in her hands to mix the chemicals together so it would get cold and handed it to him.

“Alright..Alright…I will when I can…” He conceded, testing his nose and feeling relieved to not find it broken, before tenderly pressing the ice cold pack of gel to his face.

“Cool. Now can you help us with this project we gotta do? It’s totally impossible and boring and you’re older and oh-so wise so you can totally help us, right?” Paige pleaded, batting her eyelashes. She used all of her charm and her brightest smile to try and convince him. He nodded, not minding helping them, grateful for the company and swallowed his cookie as they began filling him in on the assignment.

…

The following morning, he was somewhat surprised when his homeroom teacher told him not to bother taking his seat, but to present himself to the principal’s office.

Josh wasn’t, when he received the same instruction.

Nor was Derek.

They filed in, one at a time to the small office and took a seat. Jake paled, as he was instructed to take a seat between the two who were shooting dagger-filled looks at each other.

He especially wasn’t expecting the uniformed deputy who was also in attendance for this little early morning pow-wow.