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Chapter Twenty-Two: Jayden's In Love

A/N: Finally got around to updating this one! Yay! Enjoy!

"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life. It goes on." -Robert Frost

Ji watched, amused, as Jayden ran around the Shiba House getting ready. "And where are you going today?"

"Lorrie finished her finals yesterday, so I'm taking her out for a romantic picnic today," Jayden explained.

"Aw, how cute," Tiara teased.

Jayden stuck his tongue out at her. Lauren barely glanced up as Jayden walked past her again. "I don't see why you bother."

"Excuse me?" Jayden asked, stopping in his tracks.

"You heard me. This is stupid. You're being stupid."

Jayden scowled. "Just because you broke Antonio's heart, doesn't mean you have to be mean to the rest of us."

"That's enough you two," Ji told them.

Jayden grabbed his bag with the food in it and left the house. He grabbed two motorcycle helmets on his way out. Tiara sighed and shook her head. "Sometimes I wonder about him."

"He has been acting strange lately," Ji said. "He's always smiling and just yesterday I heard him humming to himself."

"Not to mention that stupid dopey look in his eyes," Lauren put in.

"It's obvious, isn't it?" Tiara asked. She took a bite of her ice cream and smiled. "Jayden's in love."

"In love?!" Ji asked, incredulously. "Impossible. Jayden knows nothing about love."

"I wouldn't be so sure. He certainly could've learned enough from watching certain people."

"Why do I feel like that was directed at me?" Lauren asked, looking up from her book.

"It was just a general statement." Tiara looked at her ice cream. "Besides if you really loved Antonio you wouldn't have broken up with him."

"What did you say?!"

"Nothing," Tiara replied, putting her bowl in the sink. "I didn't say anything."

"That's what I thought. Don't concern yourself with matters above your head, little sister."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Tiara said as Lauren got up and left the kitchen.

Ji shook his head. "What am I going to do with all of you?"

"Well you could start by not being so naive to Jayden's feelings. Seriously Ji, I think things are getting pretty serious between him and Lorrie."

Ji sighed. "He's too young to be in love."

"He's almost twenty-one!" Tiara laughed. "Ji, I know you think of Jayden as a son, but you need to let him grow up. In a couple weeks he'll be old enough to drink."

"Don't remind me."

"I'm just saying."

"Well stop."

Tiara grinned. "There's nothing you can do to stop him from growing up."

Ji sighed. "Unfortunately."

-Samurai Ranger Life-

Jayden drove his motorcycle through the city, practically beaming about his date with Lorrie. He stopped outside her building and shut his bike off. He got off and approached the front door slowly. He paused the button and jumped a little when it made a buzzing sound. He stood there on the stoop; awkwardly leaning against a doorway. Lorrie came out and smiled. "Hey."

"Hey," Jayden said, hugging her. "How are you?"

"Feeling like I'm ready for the college semester to end already."

"Well, I know you've been under a lot of stress. And I thought maybe a picnic would cheer you up."

"Well then you must be some kind of a mind reader, Jayden Shiba." Jayden lead her down the steps and handed her a helmet. "I didn't know you have a motorcycle."

"There's a lot you don't know about me."

"It would appear that way."

"You hold the food."

"Ok," she said, putting the food bag on her back. She got on the motorcycle behind Jayden and hugged his torso. "Ready."

"Hold on tight," Jayden smiled, starting it up.

-Samurai Ranger Life-

They rode to a park in the city and set up their picnic.

"Did you makes these sandwiches?" Lorrie asked.

"Yeah," Jayden admitted.

"So they'll be poisonous then?"

"No! I'm not Mia."

"Who?"

Jayden realized she had no clue who he was talking about. "One of my friends, her name is Mia, she's a terrible cook. She likes to mix and match things that should never be together."

"Really?"

"Yeah. But no one has ever had the heart to tell her, so we just pretend to like it."

"That's sweet. Well, these sandwiches look fine to me."

"Just regular peanut butter and jelly."

"Wonderful." Lorrie grabbed a piece and held it out to Jayden. He reached out to take it and she laughed. "No, take a bite silly."

"Oh." Jayden leaned across cautiously and took a bite of the piece. He figured he should probably return the gesture and held out a piece for her to bite. Lorrie smiled and took a bite.

"This is nice."

"Yeah. It's nice to get out of the house. It's been so tense lately."

"Why?"

Jayden sighed. "My sister Lauren, you remember her right?"

"Yes."

"And Antonio?"

"The boy she was always hanging off of."

"Well, not anymore. They broke up. Or...more like Lauren broke up with him."

"Oh no. That's sad. They seemed like such a good couple. Do you know why they broke up?"

"No," Jayden lied quickly.

"I know you're lying."

"How?!"

"Because you look down when you lie."

How was I able to keep Lauren a secret all these years?! Jayden wondered. "I gotta stop doing that."

"So why they'd break up?"

"It's complicated. And I don't know for sure, it's just speculation. But it's like...like there was this pressure on Lauren to marry someone...not like Antonio. Someone...not better...just..."

"Richer?"

"Kind of. I guess Lauren just couldn't stand the pressure on their relationship anymore. But that's just my guess."

Lorrie was quiet for a minute. "Are you getting that kind of pressure?"

"What?"

"Are people giving you pressure to marry someone who's rich?"

"N..." Jayden stopped, and sighed. "Yes, but I don't care. I don't want to think about the future. I have you right now, and that's all that matters to me."

Lorrie smiled. "Me too." Jayden kissed her softly. He picked up some grapes and held them up. Lorrie grinned. "I have an idea."

-Samurai Ranger Life-

Kevin honestly couldn't stand being trapped in the apartment with a heartbroken Antonio any longer, so he decided to go for a run. He jogged through the city, deciding to take a path through the woods and a park. He was jogging through one particular park when he heard someone laughing that he recognized. He slowed down and slipped behind a tree. Peeking out, he saw Jayden sitting on a blanket and having a picnic with a girl.

What's her name again, Kevin thought. I can't think of it. She was at that school. He watched as the girl threw a grape and Jayden caught in his mouth. She clapped and Jayden tried to throw one into her mouth. Oh no, Jayden don't. The former blue watched as Jayden completely missed her. He shook his head, knowing Jayden could barely throw a ball. Jayden looked thoroughly embarrassed about it, but the girl simply laughed and smashed a grape on his nose.

Jayden grabbed a water bottle and poured some on her head. The girl squealed and grabbed the other one. The two of them started chasing each other around, squirting water at each other. Kevin shook his head and continued on his jog. After seeing Jayden so happy, the idea of got in back to Antonio was even less appealing. His samuraizer went off and her answered it. "Hello?"

"Kevin, it's Brooke."

"Oh, hi."

"We need to talk-"

"Sorry, I'm going to lose you. I'm going into a tunnel," Kevin said hanging up. He knew he was being a coward, but he didn't care. "Good thing she doesn't know Antonio made it so the samuraizers get reception everywhere. Even in space." He shook his head. "Still no idea how he did that, or how he knows it works."

-Samurai Ranger Life-

Jayden and Lorrie finally stopped their water fight after they were both out of breath and out of water. They laid down and laughed. "Jayden?"

"Yeah?"

"Some guys I know are throwing a part tomorrow night– kind of an end of the semester thing– and I was wondering if you wanted to go with me?"

"Sure. I'd love to."

"Great. It'll be lots of fun."

"I'm not much of a party type person though."

"It's ok. Just stick with me and you'll be fine."

Jayden took her hand and kissed her again. "Ok."