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Chapter Thirty-Three: Jayden's New Life

A/N: Hello readers! I've finally finished an update for this chapter! Yay! Enjoy!

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

-1 Month Later-

Jayden when he heard his alarm clock go off. He turned it off and stretched as he sat up. He looked around the small bedroom with pride. Everything in the room consisted of the mattress he slept on, including the faded red blankets, and sheets and his clothes folded up along one wall neatly. He got up and stretched again. His mattress and blankets had been from one of his trips with Lorrie to a Goodwill. He left his bedroom and entered the kitchen/living room. It was the largest room in his shabby apartment, still being on the small side though.

One the left there was the kitchen part of it along one wall. Closest to the bedroom was the small fridge that he could see the top of easily. Next to that was the counter that stretched the length of the wall until it reached the door. The counter was broken briefly by the four burner gas stove/oven. There was a single basin sink in the counter about halfway down it. Two cabinets on the wall next to the fridge held most of the food he owned. The living room part consisted of a really shabby couch tang was being held together with nothing more than duct tape and determination. A card table with two folding chiaroscuro served as a dining area, and suited Jayden just fine. The whole apartment still smelled slightly of mold and something illegal from his neighbor next door. But he didn't care.

Jayden smiled as he went into the bathroom, which was right next to his bedroom. The bathroom wasn't that much better than everything else. It had a toilet and sink, which didn't have any kind of cabinet underneath so the pipes were visible, and a tub/shower. He shut the door and turned the shower on. After stripping down, he checked the temperature and was pleased to find it was hot. Hot water was sometimes spotty in his building. He still grinned as he showered, humming to himself. I should see if I have enough money in my next paycheck to buy another towel,he thought, rinsing off his light brown hair. And maybe some more dishes. And more clothes.

He laughed it himself as he shut the water off and steps out. He grabbed his towel from where he'd left it the night before and dried himself off, wrapping it around his middle. I would pay to see the look on the Kāpiā's faces now, he thought gleefully. "A head of the Shiba Clan living in a bad apartment off a minimum wage salary, buying his clothes and other necessities at a Goodwill and other thrift stores. The scandal of it." He left he bathroom and the front door opened.

"Morning Sunshine," Lorrie smiled. "And what a good morning it is."

Jayden realized he'd let go if his towel and it had fallen in the ground. "Sorry," he said quickly, recovering himself.

"Don't be." Lorrie came over and kissed him. "It was a nice show."

Jayden felt himself blushing. Even after all the time he'd been spending with Lorrie, every time she said things like that it embarrassed him a little. "I need to get ready for work."

"I know you do," she smiled. "But I wanted to walk with you. And see you before you left."

"Well that's ok I guess."

"You guess." She kissed him again and let go. "I suppose you have to go get dressed now?"

"Preferably. The boss won't let me in the restaurant if I don't."

Lorrie giggled. "I don't know, you might get more tips that way."

Jayden nodded. "That'd be nice. And then there's the possibility of getting arrested for indecent exposure."

"Oh fine. I wouldn't like to have to bail you out."

"Thank you. So,mill go get dressed, then eat. And then you can walk me to work."

"Awesome."

Jayden pulled away and went into his bedroom. He shut the door and started to get dressed. He put on the black pants and green shirt he had to wear for work. He tied his tie around his neck and smiled. He was particularly proud that he'd learned to tie his own tie. He grabbed his hairbrush and combed his hair into submission. He grabbed his socks and sat down on his mattress. His samuraizer went off and he answered it. "Hello?"

"Hi Jayden."

"Tiara?" He dropped the shoe he'd been trying to put on. He took his phone from where it'd been balanced between his cheek and his shoulder. "Uh...what's going on?"

"Not much. I just...I wanted to talk to you."

"Well that's ok. How've you been?"

"Ok I guess."

"Just ok?"

"Yeah. It's kind of lonely around here. Lauren's been really busy running the Shiba Clan lately. Ji has been working a lot with the guardians at the Tengen Gate. It's just me most of the time."

"Oh." He felt his heart go out to her. He knew first hand how empty the house could feel when you were alone. "How about this? I have to work until four. I'll meet you at Jungle Karma Pizza then ok?"

"Ok," Tiara said, sounding considerably better. "I'll see you then!"

"Ok." Jayden hung up and finished getting ready for work. He grabbed his apron and orange hat, the left his bedroom.

Lorrie smiled when she saw him. "Who could you have possibly been talking to in there?"

"It was nothing." Jayden grabbed a bowl and poured his tasteless, own dollar cereal in. "I just have plans after work now."

"Should I be jealous?"

"I don't know, should you be?"

Lorri smiled and kissed him again. "You look hot in that you know."

"I know."

Lorrie giggled. "Let's go."

-Samurai Ranger Life-

"Here you go," Cassie said, handing Jayden the pizza. "One large pepperoni with extra sausage. And one large sausage with extra pepperoni."

Jayden rolled his eyes. "I swear people over these kinds of things to make me sound stupid."

"Don't I know it."

Jayden carefully balanced the two pizzas and brought them over to the table. "One large pepperoni extra sausage. And one large sausage extra pepperoni." He set the two pizzas down carefully in the table of the seven girls. Over the last month he'd learned the art of setting burning hot pizzas down without dropping them, or burning himself. "There you go. Can I get you anything else?"

"No thanks," one of the girls smiled. She gave Jayden a little wink that made him blush a little.

"Ok then. Enjoy your pizza." He turned away and smiled. He knew he'd blushed, but not as much as he used to when girls flirted with him. He saw four people come in and went to greet them. Three guys one girl. "Welcome to Jungle Karma Pizza, karma location, Panorama. My name is Jayden, and I'll be your server. If you'll follow me, I'll show you to your seat."

"Thank you," one of the men said. They followed Jayden to a booth and say down. He gave them menus, but they put them aside.

"One large pie with peppers, mushrooms, pepperoni, and extra cheese. And a pit her of soda," the man with a red shirt said. He gave Jayden a strange look; as did a guy in a blue shirt and the girl, who was wearing a yellow shirt.

"Coming right up." Jayden took the menus and noticed something strange. All their shirts had the same three marks in the corner. Like an insignia of some kind. Even the oldest of them, who was wearing a shade of purple, had one. He turned away and went to relay the order to the kitchen.

Casey leaned over the table at RJ. "RJ, why is the red samurai ranger working here?"

RJ shrugged, still looking at his phone. "I don't know."

"But I thought the Shibas were loaded," Lily said.

"Oh they are."

"Then why is Jayden working here?" Theo asked. "Did you know he was working here?"

"Yup. I was the one who hired him."

"And you didn't think to tell us?" Casey asked. "All you said was, join me for a quality inspection of one of the restaurants. You forgot to mention Jayden was an employee."

"Did I now?"

"RJ!" the three rangers hissed in unison.

RJ sighed looked up from his phone. "Look guys, I don't know why he's here. All I know is, Cole heard something, and he passed it onto Jason, who put it through Tommy, who called me and said I needed to give Jayden a job. So I did. No questions asked."

"Veteran ranger policy and all that?" Theo asked.

RJ nodded. The unofficial, yet outspoken agreement, that all former rangers who owned a place of business and to provide a job for another fellow ranger who need one. No questions asked, no credentials needed. "That's what I thought at first, but I think it might be more than that."

"Why?" Casey asked.

"Because I asked Cole if he would keep an eye on Jayden, just to make sure he was ok. He reported that Jayden is living in a shady neighborhood."

"So he's not living in the Shiba House?" Lily asked. "Why not?"

"No one knows," RJ shrugged. "No ones heard anything. I told Tommy and he discreetly grilled Mike, but nothing. Apparently Jayden's been a little out of contact with everyone."

"Can't say I blame him," Casey said, sitting back. "He was trained his whole life to be a ranger, and now he's striking out on his own. I say good for him."

RJ nodded. "All the same, me and Cole are keeping a close eye," he said as he went back to his phone.

"Because Cole is the best person to be near Jayden," Lily said. She sat and Theo sat back and got silent as Jayden came back with their drinks.

"Hers you pizza will be right out," he said.

"Thank you," Casey said. He watched Jayden head towards the counter and started to poured himself a drink.

Jayden went behind the counter and grabbed a rag. He started to wipe it down absentmindedly. "Hey Jay!" Cassie said. He turned around. "Hers the pizza."

"Thank you," he said taking it. He balanced it carefully and held one hand against the tray to steady it. "Here you are," he said to the customers. "One large pizza with peppers, mushrooms, pepperoni, and extra cheese. Can I get you anything else?"

"No, that'll be all," the purple shirt guy said.

"Ok. Just yell if you need me." It was that strange a request. The restaurant small, like all the Jungle Karma Pizza restaurants apparently. As far as he knew the big boss from Ocean Bluff wanted everything pretty uniform throughout all the locations. Small buildings, small staff. Small staff indeed, he thought. There were six employees at their location and he and Cassie were the only ones who showed up to work on a regular basis. There were supposed to be four people working this shift. Not two. He went back behind the corner and Cassie looked over the brick oven to talk to him.

"How's it going?" she asked.

"I think the boss-man is here."

"What makes you say that?"

"Because I just served him a pizza."

"Oh, well that could be a clue."

"Probably."

"Should we be worried."

"Not yet. He seemed pretty content."

"Ok. Keep me posted."

"Will do Boss." He turned back around and grabbed his rag. He started working his way around the dining area, wiping tables down and re-arranging condiment containers so they were meticulously straightened. He nodded to himself. He really enjoyed his job. He liked making pizzas, cleaning tables, even talking to customers. It made him feel clam. It made him feel normal. He really enjoyed the normalcy. Plus it pays rent and food bills well enough, he thought. So there's that too. He finished up the tables and and saw that one table was finishing up. He went over to collect their money and clean the table off.

"He's very thorough," Theo noted as they ate pizza and he, Lily, and Casey discreetly watched Jayden work. RJ was still playing on his phone.

"He is," Lily agreed. "And he seems to be enjoying himself."

"Must be really different for a kid who comes from the richest family in town to be serving others," Casey noted. "But he's handling it pretty good."

"He is," Lily agreed. "And like I said, he seems to be enjoying himself. Almost like he like work."

Theo made a face. "What a freak.

Lily laughed and RJ growled. "Damn you bird!"

Lily leaned over and looked at his phone. "Don't tell me you're playing flappy bird again!"

"I will master this game!" the wolf growled.

Casey rolled his eyes. "Honestly, I didn't even know why Dom would introduce you to it."

"Tell me about it," Theo agreed. "Worst thing he could've done."

"Dammit!" RJ cursed. His three finer students laughed.

"Looks like you've finally met your match there RJ," Lily smiled. "A little yellow, electronic bird."

"I hate you all."

"We know," Theo smiled.

Jayden meanwhile, was clearing two tables that had just left. He knew the clam they were experiencing right now would be fleeting though. The lunch rush hadn't even arrived yet. Then he knew he would be in for an interesting time. He saw another table finishing up and went over to them. "Are you all set?"

"We are," RJ nodded. He handed Jayden the money without even looking at the bill. "You can keep the change."

"Thanks. Have a good day."

"You too," Casey replied. Jayden walked away and the jungle fury gang stood up. "Satisfied with the quality RJ?"

RJ nodded. "Yeah. Let's go."

Jayden waved to them as the left and put the money in the cash register. Only a half hour left til the lunch rush, he noted. Oh joy.

-Samurai Ranger Life-

When Jayden's shift finally ended, he threw his apron on its hook in the kitchen. "I'll see you Cassie."

"Later Jayden," his manager said. "Maybe tomorrow we'll gate more people."

"Hey, David showed up."

"After being three hours late!"

"Yeah. Well, I going to meet my sister. Bye."

"See you tomorrow."

Jayden left the kitchen and headed for the front entrance. He saw David taking orders and hoped Cassie would be able to handle him alone. The other employee who was supposed to be working still hadn't shown up. He left the restaurant and looked around for his younger sister.

"Jayden!" Tiara said happily. She ran over and gave him a hug.

"Hey Tiara," Jayden replied. "How's it going?"

Tiara shrugged. "Could be better."

Jayden put his arm around her as they walked down the street. "So, what've you been doing?"

"Not much really. Crying and wallowing. Akito comes by and visits me sometimes. He says he might apply for citizenship someday."

"That's nice. He must really like you."

"I think he really does."

"Wonderful. How's everyone else?"

Tiara shrugged. "Lauren is gone most of the time. And Ji too, lately. The house is just so empty."

Jayden squeezed her shoulders. "It's ok."

"Jayden, when are you coming home?"

"What?!" He almost stopped walking, but keying pushing himself forward.

"When are you coming back?"

Jayden sighed. "I'm not."

"What'd you mean you're not?"

"I'm not going back to the Shiba House. I've left the samurai life behind me."

"Jayden-"

"Tiara, just listen. I can't let everyone tell me what to do for the rest of my life. Who I'm going to marry. How many kids I can have. What college degree I get. Where I can live. What kind of job, if any, I can have. I did what I was told my whole life. I want to be out here in the real world. To discover who I really am. I have a normal life now. A job, an apartment. I need to live my own life without the constraints that others place on me."

Tiara didn't say anything. She knew deep down that Jayden was right. He deserved a chance to really live his own life. But a selfish part of her wanted her older brother to be back with her again. "I miss you."

"I miss you too. But you can come and visit me anytime. I'll give of my address."

Tiara smiled. It was the first time she'd smiled in weeks. "Sounds good. Want to get some ice cream?"

"Sure. Been a while since I've had some."

"My treat. After all, you probably need all your money for food and stuff."

"I actually kind of do. This is the first time I've had a treat in weeks."

"The let's go! Have you talked to any of the others?"

"Not recently, why?"

"I think you should talk to Kevin. I heard Ji talking to Lauren and he's giving everyone a stroke."

Jayden laughed. "I'll have to give him a call then."

"You do that. And Antonio. It's basically forbidden to mention his name in the house."

"Him and Lauren still fighting?"

"I wish. She doesn't even talk about him. She's trying to get him official recognition still, but other than that she acts like he doesn't even exist."

"That's unfortunate."

"Yeah. It really is. Apparently Mike is living with his new girlfriend."

"Oh really?"

"Mhm. And Emily is living with her boyfriend."

"They still not speaking to each other?"

"As far as I can tell. Mia's been busy with her boyfriend. He has cancer I guess and has surgery next week."

"Damn."

Tiara grinned. "Did you just swear?"

"I think I did."

"Jayden Shiba I am surprised at you."

"Isn't that what they all say these days."