Crimsonwings92: Oops, I'm in trouble, haha! Yes, I know, I know; it's been like three months without as single word from me, but look! I got another chapter done and now that I have more time, I should be cranking these babies out faster! It is summer after all, ha! Anyway, it took a while to get all of my ideas sorted the way I wanted them, but I think I did a mighty fine job of it, though I'll leave that up to you. I would love to thank my reviewers for being so patient and supportive of me, you guys are amazing and this story wouldn't even exist without you! So, without wasting any more of your time, he's chapter ten of A Frosty Season! Challenge!

Disclaimer: Rise of the Guardians is a creation of Dreamworks and William Joyce. None of it is owned by me, though if I did, I wouldn't be sharing Jack with anybody, haha!

A Frosty Season

Chapter 10: The Color Green

It was grey…really grey; the thick clouds in the sky blocked out any ray of sun that may have been trying desperately to penetrate their unrelenting wall and showering the world with their cold, silent rain. There were people all around him and yet he was alone. They passed him by, sitting on that bus stop bench, completely oblivious to his very existence for they had their own to worry about. He hardly saw them at all, insignificant shadows that move about as if in slow motion. His eyes were fixed to a single spot on a drab building across the street as he was drenched through, his thin jacket doing little to protect him from the unforgiving rain that pelted his body. The silence was deafening and he felt he would go crazy if something, anything, didn't happen and happen soon. He didn't know what he was waiting for, or why, but he dare not move lest he miss it and gamble with the chance of losing his mind.

Black and grey, black and grey, black and grey; the only two colors to fill his world and swirl together in a sickening blend. Black, grey, black, grey, black, grey, black, green, grey, black, grey…wait…green? Green? He blinked and jerked his head around, left and right, desperate to see that color again.

There…green…a green coat adorning a small, curvy body with two big black buttons on the back to synch the waist and the hood up to protect the owner from the downpour. Not that the owner seemed to care about the rain if their leisurely pace was anything to go by. For the first time since he found himself sitting there, he rose to his feet and followed the colorful stranger. He didn't know why, didn't ask why, but what he did know was that he wanted to. Past the bleak stores, past the empty streets, past the faceless shadows parting around them they walked, one in back of the other.

The stranger turned left; he turned left.

The stranger turned right; he turned right.

The stranger walked down a winding path with him keeping perfect time to their footsteps from seven feet behind. They were on the sidewalk of what looked to be an abandoned neighborhood, the eyes of the houses peering down at them in the form of empty windows. He felt he knew that neighborhood and the longer they walked, the closer they got to that familiar house. It was in view, actually, the tall powder blue structure with the white shutters and the porch swing. He couldn't fathom why, but his heart began to constrict tightly in his chest, anxiety gripping his bones like an anaconda. They stopped on the sidewalk just outside the house, the rain still pelting them relentlessly, but as silently as before. He stared at the stranger's back, feeling he knew them, but his mind still insisted that he had to learn more. With the icy rain now soaking straight to his bones, he reached out and curled his fingers around the stranger's shoulder, his eyes never leaving that splash of vibrant color in an otherwise dreary world.

Moving slowly, he forced them to turn around, the stranger putting up no semblance of a fight, her body slowly rotating to face him and her face lifting up to gaze at him…he felt rooted to the spot as hazel green eyes locked with his. The innocence and honesty he saw there, coupled with the wisdom and maturity beyond her years, warmed his heart in a way he never knew was possible. There was a strong fire blazing in those eyes, bright and powerful yet gentle and welcoming, and he moved even closer in an attempt to let that fire chase away the cold.

Reaching out, he wrapped an arm around her waist, just like HE did. He drew her close until their bodies were pressed together, just like HE did. He rested one hand on her warm, ebony cheek, just like HE did, and he was prepared to steal a kiss, to feel those plump, forbidden lips against his…when the tips of her fingers got in the way. She stopped him and pushed his face back gently, smiling in amusement now as she shook her head.

"Sorry, I'm not that kind of girl," she stated, her voice soft and sweet, yet her tone was absolute, "You're not the one I want."

Not the one she wants?

How different were they exactly? If he dyed his black hair white and wore blue contacts over his golden orbs, he would look just like HIM. Would she still say the same thing? If she couldn't tell who was who? Would she still stop him?

"Yes, I would stop you," she answered his silent questions, startling him as she smiled still, "because you two are not the same. You can change your hair and you can change the color of your eyes, but you will never be the same as HIM."

He narrowed his gaze at her as his arms loosened from her waist and fell to his sides, "Do you love HIM?"

Her eyes shimmered beautifully against the grey of the background, "HE'S my everything."

"But do you love HIM?"

Just a smile, quiet and certain; the only answer she would give him to that question. He decided to ask another.

"So you would never cheat on HIM?"

"That's the very last thing I would do to HIM."

They were silent and he was brooding, staring her down as if trying to drag the ugly truth out of her, refusing to believe that she would be that loyal, that pure…that genuine. She could read his expression, the same way she read his mind, and giggled.

"You don't believe me," she stated.

"I don't believe anyone in this world could be in a relationship without being unfaithful at least once," he explained in a hardened tone.

"I can," she replied easily, as if the fact should have been obvious, "But you know I can…don't you?"

She struck a chord somewhere inside of him and he found himself unable to retaliate, his eyes widening at the boldness of her statement…and how true it actually was. Before either one could speak again, a voice cut through the air.

"Maya!"

It was HIS voice; they both looked towards the house to see a figure standing on the porch, looking at her expectantly. Her smile brightened and she began walking towards the figure. He reached out and seized her arm before she could take another step.

"Just one," he said, his voice hinting towards desperation, "Just one kiss…HE doesn't have to know."

"I would never do that to HIM," she said firmly, those hazel eyes looking back at him.

"I know you want to kiss me."

"I know you want me to kiss you."

She stumped him again and he found himself growing increasingly irritated. Not with her, but with HIM, the one who she was tying herself to devotedly. He glared at her and clenched his hands into fists after she slipped her arm from his grasp.

"What…are you?" he sneered.

She blinked innocently and then smiled as the wisdom he had seen flash in her eyes before returned to soften their light, "I'm someone that you want…but you know you can't have."

"Maya!"

HE called her name again and this time, she turned resolutely away from him and made her way towards the figure. He watched as she walked towards HIM, towards the person with the snow white hair, the gentle blue eyes and that loving smile HE reserved just for her. He watched as she skipped up the steps of the porch and all but threw herself into HIS waiting arms, encasing herself in HIS protective embrace as they began to fade away into the house.

The sight made him sick and her words kept ringing over and over in his mind: I'm someone you want, but you know you can't have. He gritted his teeth and glared at them as they became nearly transparent. Looking down, he spotted a stone near his foot and stooped down to pick it up. Cocking his arm back, he threw the stone as hard as he could towards the couple.

He struck the house.

The scene cracked.

His bleak world shattered.

Golden eyes snapped open to meet the thin strip of yellow light streaming onto the floor of his room from the small space created by the crack in his curtains. Morning had risen to greet him, but he scowled a little at the friend that he did not want nor need at that moment, though he had to be grateful that it had come to pull him from his slumber and do away with the dream. He could still see those bright, vibrant hazel green eyes in his mind and he growled in agitation before sitting up abruptly, his bare torso quickly hitting the cool air circulating through the room.

"I really don't need this right now," he muttered to himself, glancing over at the digital clock beside his bed and releasing a heavy sigh while hanging his head when he realized that it was indeed time for him to get up and get ready for school, any thought of perhaps gaining an extra few minutes worth of sleep flying out the window, "I hate school mornings."

Flipping the comforter off of him, Jackson swung his feet off the mattress and onto the cream colored carpet, his toes and soles sinking into the plushness as he pushed off the bed and strolled towards the bathroom, his towel flung over his shoulder. The spray from the shower head rushed forth like a geyser against the wall of the walk-in shower, the golden eyed teen allowing the water time to actually warm up before he stepped inside. Hanging his towel on the bathroom door, he stripped himself of his black pajama bottoms and underwear before stepping under the flowing water and sighing softly. The heat immediately burned pleasantly over his pale skin, no doubt turning his shoulders and back pink considering his fair color. He spent a few minutes bathing, soaping up and rinsing off, even washing his hair, before he cut the water and stepped out to face the mirror, wrapping his towel around his waist and using another one to whip through his soaking hair. The mirror was fogged up and he placed his hand against the glass to wipe away some of the mist that covered the surface. He was met with his reflection in the next instant: silky black hair and piercing golden eyes so much like his father's, a strong jaw and pert nose from his mother's side, and, of course, the pink shoulders from the hot water.

He wasn't an ugly boy; no one that looked like Jack Frost could be considered ugly in any sense of the word, but unlike his exuberant, happy-go-lucky cousin, there was an underlying darkness that made people shiver; a seriousness he must have obtained from his near humorless father who only truly let loose once he's had a few drinks in him…or when he was alone with his wife. Jackson didn't necessarily care where he got it from; all he knew was that he had it and there was no changing that. Not that he needed to change it since there were enough people, enough females, in the world that considered his quiet countenance attractive to the point that they were more than willing to drop their panties for him. Still…he knew he would never be like his cousin; Jack, who was always the boyfriend and never the quick screw, and Jackson, who was always the quick screw and never the boyfriend.

He smirked darkly at his reflection, chuckling hollowly in response to his own thoughts, before standing straight again and retreating from the steamy room. He casually trekked across his carpet and over to the closet that took up half of the wall opposite his bed, sorting through his clothes for an outfit to wear. Picking the first pair top and bottom he found, he dried his body, slipped into a new pair of underwear then proceeded to dress himself in a pair of black jeans, a black shirt with three yellow stripes travelling down from the collar and shoulder, a gray pullover underneath his black blazer and his shoes. It wasn't fancy, but he wasn't going for fancy, so this was perfect. He moved into the bathroom to brush his teeth before grabbing his backpack and leaving the room altogether. Bounding down the stairs, Jackson swung around towards the kitchen to see his mother scooting about and making him a quick breakfast sandwich; Jackson would rarely sit and have breakfast at home before school, so his mother, to make sure he ate at least something, took to making him sandwiches on the go. Clara Pitchiner's dark brown hair tumbled over her shoulder from the low ponytail she had it confined in and her blue eyes, exactly like her brother's, who just so happened to be Jackson's uncle, brightened considerably when she caught sight of her son.

"Good morning ,sweetie!" she greeted, flitting over to wrap him up in a warm embrace, "How did you sleep?"

"Fine, Mom," he replied, returning her hug with one arm before she released him to skip over and get him his sandwich.

"Here you go! You need to make sure you eat your breakfast, Jackson. It's the most important meal of the day," she lectured, wagging her finger at him before she smiled brightly and mussed his hair.

His eye twitched slightly, but all he did was nod and lean in to kiss her cheek, "Of course, Mom. I'm off to school now; thanks for the sandwich. I love you."

"I love you, too, sweetie," she replied, watching with tender eyes as her only son turned to leave the kitchen, only to nearly run into his father.

Kozmotis Pitchiner gazed down at his son with that same piercing golden stare he had given to Jackson, nodding his greeting and mussing his hair in the same fashion his wife had though his was brief and more tamed; "Good morning, Jackson," he bid to the teen, removing his hand to fix the red tie of his suit, "Heading out to school now?"

"Morning, Dad. Just getting ready to leave; have a good day at work."

"Thank you, son."

Just before the teen left the hallway, he stopped and then turned around to face his father once more; "Hey, dad?" Kozmotis turned around at his son's call, his golden eyes holding a small shine of curiosity, "Are you working on the Rhodes case today?"

Kozmotis was a little surprised by the question, but he nodded anyway, "Yes."

"Will you be seeing them today?" Jackson pressed, his face void of any incriminating emotions.

A black eyebrow rose on the otherwise stoic face of the golden-eyed lawyer, the only light shining upon the confusion he felt, "Just the parents today. Why the sudden questions, Jackson?"

The teen only shrugged his shoulders, tightening the strap of his bag on his shoulder, "No real reason; I was just curious. Jack's girlfriend is a Rhode, remember? I was just going to ask you to say 'hi' to her for me, but that's alright. I'll probably see her later on today anyway if Jack has anything to say about it."

"Ah, I see. Well, then, have a good day, son," Kozmotis dismissed his child, taking a seat at the table as his wife bustled over to him with a cup of coffee and a bright smile.

Jackson only nodded and then proceeded out the front door, closing it behind him with a quiet click. Now that he was alone, he allowed for his stony face to contort to one of disgust.

'I was just going to ask you to say 'hi' to her for me? How pathetic,' he thought to himself, gazing up at the sky that was spotted with a few clouds, but otherwise perfectly blue with the sun shining high above him, though it was doing nothing to ward off the chill that still remained as Winter began its transition into Spring.

The cheery rays of the bright orb in the sky only served to repulse him more. There was very little he could do about it, though, so he shoved his hands into his jacket pockets and started his trek to school. As opposed to Jack, who had to catch the bus to the local high school before he got his car, Jackson actually didn't live that far from the learning establishment and made the effort to travel there by foot instead of troubling his parents for a ride every morning. So it was on this journey of solitude that he took the time to assess his odd and obnoxious infatuation with a certain hazel-eyed girl, his face contorting once more as a grimace overtook the pale, handsome features.

Maya…a name so sweet it repulsed him.

What exactly did he find so special about her? She was nothing but annoying what with all her smiling and laughing and whatnot. She didn't seem that intelligent; a bit of an airhead perhaps and no, he wasn't ignoring the fact that she was a near 4.0 student. She fussed over that kid, Malcolm, far too often, as if he were going to get kidnapped; it was laughable how close of an eye she kept on him, like a watchdog. He couldn't begin to express how aggravating it was when she spoke to him as if she actually cared about what he had to say, but the thing that really turned him off about her? She was much, much too clingy to Jack, always…walking next to him and talking to him…turning around when he called her name and smiling that dazzling and happy smile that seemed to brighten the world. He hated that brightness…it hurt his eyes.

She was just a nuisance. A pest that somehow weaseled her way into his dreams as if she belonged there.

He kicked aside an empty soda can, watching as it sped down the sidewalk, clanking all the way down against the concrete only to hit the lamppost near the street and fall in the gutter. He passed the lamppost and continued on until he found himself caught on the corner of the street as cars whizzed by, waiting for that little white man to show up on the black box across from him so he could continue his route to school. He looked up at the sky again, ignoring the roaring engines of the cars passing by.

'She's nothing special…I bet, deep down, she's just like all the other girls. Easy and desperate,' he thought to himself, a small giggle catching his attention as he looked over to see a group of teenage girls huddled together and glancing over at him continuously. One particular girl, a pretty blond with short, cropped hair and chocolate brown eyes, was twirling a silky lock around her finger and biting her bottom lip at him, winking and wiggling her hips. Jackson only smirked and faced forward again while closing his eyes, 'So easy…and so desperate. She would leave Jack for another guy in a heartbeat if given the chance.'

He opened his eyes again and then felt his heart skip a beat. Across the street…that green jacket…with the two buttons on the back to synch it at the waist. His eyes widened only a fraction, but his heart was beating rapidly now. He lost sight of her as she merged into the crowd, Jackson trying to look over the heads of people and the roofs of passing cars. Without thinking, which was very unlike him, he stepped off the curb and into the walk way, running across the street and just barely avoiding being run down by a red SUV while onlookers gasped in fear and shock. He dodged death two more times before making it to the other side, running down the sidewalk in search of that jacket again. He spotted her further down the sidewalk, practically skipping as the skirt she wore fluttered in the wind. A little voice in the back of his head told him that that girl couldn't be Maya; she lived across town and she would never walk this far by herself, especially not if it meant leaving Malcolm alone. Jackson ignored that voice, though, and ran faster to catch up with the girl. She rounded the corner and a few seconds later, he followed suit, panting slightly as he came to a halt. Golden eyes watched as a tall, dark haired lad embraced the girl and then pushed the hood of that green coat off of her head to reveal straight, brown tresses and a white face with pretty light blue eyes.

It wasn't Maya…of course it wasn't Maya. But that jacket…

Jackson clicked his tongue irritably and shoved his hands back into his pockets as if trying to shove away the embarrassment he felt. Without a second glance, he turned his back on the couple and continued his way to school. So he thought it was Maya, so what? It wasn't like he was excited to see her or even happy about it and he certainly wasn't worried about her being this far from her grandma's house alone. He just thought that, if it was her, how much of a nuisance it would be if she got lost or went missing and then, at that point, he would have to deal with a distraught Jack. He could be such a drama queen sometimes.

Yes, she was just a nuisance and he didn't care…he didn't. He was done thinking of this.

The school came into view, the red bricked building of Bolsten High standing two stories high with the black wrought iron gates guarding the entrance. Milling around outside the gates were small groups of Jackson's new peers, a good portion of them being girls that stopped and stared at him as he approached. A redhead with dazzling green eyes smiled sensuously at him, her eyes narrowed and the bottom of her ruby red lips caught between her pretty, white teeth.

"Good morning, Jackson," she greeted him, her surrounding friends all blushing and whispering amongst each other as they waited to see what the boy would respond with.

His once stony expression turned itself into one of tantalizing seduction as he smirked at the redhead, his golden eyes holding a flirtatious light that beckoned her towards him, "Hey Yolanda; looking sexy today."

"Well, I remembered how you said you liked how I looked in skirts, so…" she trailed off as she spread her arms a little bit, showing off her short, black and red pleated skirt coupled with a red, V-neck sweater shirt, black knee length boots and a black coat to keep her warm.

That smirk never left his lips, Jackson moving closer to Yolanda as she giggled when his finger lightly traced one of the pleats of her skirt, "I bet you're freezing, though."

"Maybe you should warm me up, then."

"Maybe I will." He brushed her chin with his thumb and leaned in, pulling her closer with his hand on the back of her thigh and making her gasp quietly with rising excitement as his lips trailed just along her jaw. "But later," he whispered in her ear, giving it a slight nip before chuckling and pulling away.

"…I'll be waiting," Yolanda replied breathlessly once she got her bearings together, her cheeks flushed red as she waved after Jackson.

He returned the motion then continued on through the gates, just catching the excited squeal from the redhead's friends as they crowded around her before he was lost in the crowds of his schoolmates. It was no real secret to the other teenagers how much of a player Jackson was, the black haired lad doing little to hide that fact from day one as his reputation of charming and bedding a girl quicker than a car starts quickly spread through the school. As stated earlier, there were certain perks to having a face identical to Jack Frost's and one of them was his ever growing supply of female company; Yolanda was just one of his many partners that was more than happy to go pantyless if it meant he brought their wildest pleasures to life. After all, he was always the quick screw and never the boyfriend.

Passing through the throngs of adolescent bodies, Jackson left the chill of the outdoors and entered the slightly warmer corridors of Bolsten where more of his peers could be seen clustered together in small groups- some giving their greetings to him, some whispering as he passed by, and others ignoring him. Within seconds, he found himself in front of a light blue locker, the young man quickly turning the combination and then jerking the metal door open. He was mulling over his own thoughts for some time in his loneliness before, to his bewilderment, his locker slowly closed seemingly by itself. The word seemingly is used because those golden eyes found themselves locking onto a thin, pale finger attached to a thin, bony wrist further attached to a lean muscled arm which belonged to none other than his happy-go-lucky look alike. Jack, leaning coolly against the wall of lockers that lined the hallway, grinned at his cousin as he ran his hand through his white tresses, blue eyes glimmering with mirth.

"Morning, cousin. Making a 'date' already? It's not even 8 o'clock yet," the white haired boy teased, slipping his hands into the pocket of his favorite blue hoody leisurely.

Jackson eyed his cousin with boredom then rolled his eyes, shook his head, and opened his locker again, "Morning, Frosty. Bothering me already? It's not even 8 o'clock yet."

Jack chuckled at the mocking tone in his cousin's voice, "Wow, someone's being a grouch."

"I consider it to be one of my finer personality traits."

"Yeah, if you're comparing yourself to psycho."

"What do you want, Jack? Now you're really just being a nuisance," Jackson snapped, slamming his locker shut and beginning his walk to his classroom.

Jack hurried to match steps with him, pulling a small, pretty pink envelope from his jacket pocket and handing it to his kin, "It's from a girl I know; she asked me to give it to you."

The golden eyed lad looked at the envelope then took it in his hand as the scent of vanilla and brown sugar flowed up his nostrils. He tore the flap of the envelope open and then pulled the note from inside to read it, his eyes darting back and forth over the words as Jack waited patiently and quietly for him to finish, greeting his friends and classmates along the way. After a moment, Jack heard Jackson chuckle and the rustling of the paper being pushed back into the envelope.

"What? What does it say?" Jack asked curiously, his eyes darting from Jackson's face to the envelope and back again.

"It's just another confession of 'undying love' for me," Jackson replied with boredom evident in his voice, "Let me guess…it's that Kathy girl, isn't it? From ASB."

The blue eyed boy averted his gaze for only a second before looking back at his cousin and chuckling humorously, "I'm not saying a word."

"Jack, I know it's her."

"How did you come to that conclusion?"

"Because ever since I stepped foot on this campus she's been following me and watching me like a lovesick hawk and nearly goes into panic attacks if I so much as glance at her. That and this envelope smells like vanilla and brown sugar which is the same scent I smell on her all the time."

"Pretty observant, aren't you?" Jack teased, stopping at his own locker to get his things.

Jackson stopped beside him and shrugged, "Not really; she just makes it so painfully obvious, I wouldn't be surprised if there were a plethora of people thinking the same thing."

"Plethora; that's a big word for you."

"Suck a dick, Frost."

Jack laughed as he pulled out what looked to be a Biology book, shutting his locker and turning the lock so no one could guess the numbers of his combination, "So, since you're so sure your secret admirer is Kathy, what are you going to say to her when you see her?"

"Do I need to say anything to her?" Jackson shot back, eyeing his cousin sideways as they started down the hall again.

"You should ask her out," Jack suggested with a shrug and a grin, "She's a really sweet girl and she's cute. I think you'll like-"

"Jack, the only reason I would even think of asking this girl out would be to get under her skirt," Jackson interrupted his cousin's words, catching the way the smile fell from the Frost boy's lips and was replaced with a curious frown, "and you should know that about me by now. Although she does have a pretty nice body…wouldn't mind bringing a couple of her fantasies to life. I bet she's a screamer, hehe."

"JayJay," Jack spoke up, feeling a bit of disgust start to well up in his chest, "come on, that's no way to treat a woman, least of all Kathy. She's one of my good friends and she really is a sweet girl; don't do that to her."

"Listen, Frosty, what I do and how I treat girls is my business. How about you mind your own?" Jackson shot back, a devilish smirk on his face.

"She's my friend."

"Who obviously has a bad boy fetish and if that's her game, who am I to say no to a quick round, huh?"

It was at this point that all Jack could do was sigh in resignation, turning his head to look at his cousin as the first warning bell for classes rang through the hall, "I really wish your conscious was strong enough to stop you from being so cruel to the ladies, JayJay."

"And I really wish you would stop acting like a damn mother hen to every Mauve, Diane, and Sally that decide to get themselves tangled up in me," was the quick retort Jack received, Jackson still giving him that devilish, unremorseful grin of his.

"I feel sorry for your next girlfriend."

There was a flash of red before Jackson's eyes as he slowed to a stop followed soon by an equally hypnotic color of golden green. He turned around to face his cousin who had stopped behind him, Jack looking like he was about to start scolding his cousin some more. Yes, Jackson stared for quite some time at his dear, popular and loveable cousin…but all he saw next to him was an unforgettable face with sickeningly bright, unforgettable eyes. Eyes that thought they would only look at Jack, but had yet to be subjected to the seductive golden gaze that Jackson possessed.

The dark haired teen smirked, "Yeah…you should feel sorry for her. She'll probably feel torn between the choices."

Jack quirked his eyebrow at those words, but before he could ask Jackson to elaborate on them, the teen was already walking away from him, a stony expression back on his face as he immersed himself into the multitude that was the student body. Blue eyed Jack watched his cousin until he had disappeared, sighing quietly to himself with a despondent look in his eyes.

"Jackson…it's a shame that you don't realize how beautiful a relationship with the right girl is," he whispered, his ear picking up on the small 'ding' that sounded up from his cellphone in his jean pocket.

Fishing the device out, he saw on his screen that he had a text message and went about reading what it said, his heart leaping and filling with tenderness when he saw Maya's name.

'I was thinking about you and wanted to say to have a good day. Pay attention and study hard.' –Maya.

The smile on his face stretching wider, he quickly wrote a reply message to her before looking up again and down the hall where Jackson had disappeared; "Yeah…it's a real shame that you don't know," he whispered, slipping his phone back into his pocket and making his own way to his first class.

&%&%&%&%&%&%&

"See ya later, Jen!"

"Hey, Mikey! You hittin' the gym with us or what? It's open gym tonight, man!"

"Bella, you wanna go to the mall today? I saw some really cute jeans at Forever21 that I want to get, but I don't want to go alone! Come with me, please!"

"Zander, hurry your ass up! I'm not about to get stuck in traffic for you!"

"Quickly, we're going to miss the bus!"

It's 3:05 and there was currently a tidal wave of teenagers flooding out of Bolsten High School, some rushing to the parking lots so they wouldn't get caught in the student traffic and others sprinting towards the bus stops so they wouldn't get left behind and have to possibly walk. Bringing up the rear of the tidal wave and mixing in with the trickling students that had after school activities or didn't feel the need to rush anywhere so soon was one Jackson Pitchiner. Considering his cold, distant, and aloof persona, he didn't have a lot of friends to meet up with after school, not that he minded all that much since he generally always met up with Jack anyway so they could both ride together either to Jack's house or to Maya's house. Why Jackson actually chose to go to the girl's grandmother's house was a mystery to mostly everyone, but no one ever pushed the question and he never gave an explanation. Upon realizing that Jack was nowhere to be found yet, Jackson just shrugged and began down the stairs, leaning against the end of the wide, cemented rail once he reached the bottom. His hand, that was stuffed into his jacket pocket, rustled around inside for a second and then retracted with a box of Newport 100s clutched in his fingers. Flipping the cover back and popping a cigarette out, he took the stick in his mouth and then quickly slipped the box back into his pocket, retrieving a lighter soon after. Switching on the flame, he lit the cigarette and took a long, slow drag, relishing the way the smoke slid down his throat and curled inside his lungs before he expelled it out of his mouth just as slowly with a satisfied sigh.

Jackson wasn't an avid smoker; he really only took to the box every now and again, but this day had been particularly stressful for him considering all that he had on his mind and how much it was annoying him. He took another drag and pulled the cigarette from his lips, letting the smoke fill his lungs again before blowing it out in a stream of white. His ears picked up on distant giggling and he turned his head to a group of girls walking by, the same group that he had encountered in the morning…with Yolanda taking the lead as usual. Her green eyes strayed over to him as she passed and a secretive smile came to her lips, pulling a smirk from him in return as he felt a certain heat begin to stir low in his stomach, almost diving down to his nether regions. As he had promised her that morning, Jackson and Yolanda had met up in secret during lunch for a quick, passionate and vocal tryst in the Janitor's closet all in the name of 'keeping warm'. He remembered how eager she had been to hike her skirt up and drop her panties for him, practically begging for him to do with her what he pleased. Of course, he had obliged and now, the two of them had another dirty little secret to share, another one that Jackson was going to add to the many others he had been collecting for quite a few weeks now from a variety of different girls. They broke eye contact and his golden orbs watched the redhead leave the campus with her little clique of friends, the pleats of her short skirt swaying provocatively over her nicely rounded rump.

'Too desperate and too easy,' he thought to himself, taking another drag of his cigarette, certain laughing from behind catching his attention once more.

It was Jack coming down the stairs with his own group of friends; Jackson dropped the cigarette off to the side and stomped it out, shoving his hands back in his pockets and turning to face his cousin just as he made it to the bottom of the stairs and waved good bye to his friends.

"Bye, guys! See you tomorrow. And make sure you bring my camera, Allen! I need that!" Jack called to his buddies with a wide grin as they walked away from him.

"Why? So you can take more voyeuristic pictures of your girlfriend while she sleeps?" Jackson muttered sarcastically, though it was loud enough for Jack to hear, the youth whipping around at his kin's words.

"What?! I do NOT take voyeuristic pictures of Maya! I always show them to her at some point; don't be sick, Jackson!" the white haired lad defended himself, his face as red as Rudolph's nose.

The only thing Jackson did in reply was chuckle in amusement as he turned his face away, "Whatever you say, cousin."

"Stop smirking like that! I'm telling the truth!"

"I'm not saying you aren't."

"You smell like smoke!"

"And you take perverted pictures of your girlfriend while she sleeps; probably jerk off to them, too."

"Jackson!"

"Frosty."

"Jack!"

The voice that cut through the squabble the cousins were about to get into was high and feminine, causing the two boys to turn around and give their attention to a petite little brunette with a short pixie cut, warm honey brown eyes, and fair creamy skin. She had a bright smile on her face as she approached them, Jack's own face breaking out into a grin as she got closer.

"Hey, Holly. What's up?" he asked the girl as she stopped in front of him, bouncing on her toes as excitement looked about ready to just burst right out of her.

"Nothing much, but there is something I wanted to ask you," the brunette answered, "A bunch of us are going bowling this Friday. You wanna come with?"

Jack flinched a bit and laughed sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head, "Ah, I don't know, Holly."

"Come on, Jack! It'll be fun and we haven't hung out in a while!"

"I know, but Fridays are usually reserved for my girl and her cousin exclusively. We usually go to the park or the Play Pen together."

Holly crossed her arms at his reply, tapping her finger almost impatiently as she stared at him with her hip cocked to the side and her eyebrow quirked; "Right, this 'famed' girlfriend that you keep talking about and yet nobody has ever really seen. I'm starting to believe that she's just someone you made up so you wouldn't have to hang out with us so much."

"She is not! She's very real! Look, I'll even prove it to you," Jack insisted, taking his bag from his shoulder and unzipping it, placing his hand inside to look for his camera when he remembered that he had given it to one of his friends, "Ah…okay, I can't show you right now because Allen has my camera with her picture on it, but she's real! I'm not trying to avoid you or the others, Holly."

The petite girl just rolled her eyes loudly, "Yeah, sure she is."

Jack floundered, his mouth opening and closing until he turned around to his cousin with a pleading look on his face, "Jackson, help me out."

"What? I don't have any pictures to show her. You would kill me if I did," the black haired lad responded, shrugging uncaringly at his relative's plight.

Jack just sighed deeply and slumped his shoulders, Holly's giggle filling his ears as he looked towards her; "Tell you what, Jack, why don't you bring your 'girlfriend' with you?" she suggested, using her fingers as quotation marks, "And bring Jackson, too. I have a really cute friend who's coming that he might actually like."

"I'm not interested in being set up on a blind date," Jackson voiced, glaring dully at the girl who only smiled back in his face.

"That's good because it's not a blind date. It's a group outing," Holly laughed and then looked back at Jack, "So what do you say? You in?"

Jack took a moment to think about the offer; on the one hand, he would finally be able to introduce Maya to his friends since he had pretty much been keeping them separated from each other since she had shown some discomfort the last time she was involved in something along with his friends, but on the other hand, it meant that he would have to share her with the others if she did go. It's not to be mistaken; he really does want his friends and his girlfriend to get along…but more than that, he wanted Maya all to himself with no one to distract them. He looked back at Holly, gave her a grin, and then finally shrugged.

"You know, bowling sounds fun, but I'll have to see if Maya wants even wants to go," he told her, tapping her forehead with the knuckle of his finger, "I'll get back to you on that, okay?"

Holly just shook her head with a sideways grin, "Whatever you say, Jack. Let me know later, yeah? See you tomorrow!"

"Later, Holly!"

The two watched the female run off to join a group of her own friends, Jackson soon turning to his cousin with narrowed, unamused eyes; "I'm not going," he deadpanned.

Jack just laughed, "You are if Maya's going."

"How do you figure that?" Jackson asked, quirking an eyebrow as they both started walking towards the parking lot.

"Because you're about as good at saying 'no' to Maya as I am and I never say 'no'," Jack replied, glancing over at his cousin, "Besides, it'll make Maya a little more comfortable being there if there's someone else there who's also not used to being around my friends. She won't feel like the only outsider."

"Isn't it your job, though, to make sure she doesn't feel like an outsider?" Jackson questioned, the two stepping onto the asphalt of the parking lot in search of Jack's car.

"Of course it's my job and I'm taking it very seriously! Which is why you're going; you're part of the plan," Jack grinned cheekily, "And on top of that, you'll get to meet a really cute girl."

Jack wiggled his eyebrows at the other boy, Jackson just merely staring at him. The two eventually found Jack's car and hopped inside, the white haired boy taking a few moments to text Maya that he was leaving the campus with Jackson in tow and heading to her grandmother's house now before he started the vehicle and pulled out of his parking space. He joined the student traffic jam at very nearly fought his way to the entrance, sighing at the ten minutes he lost just trying to navigate around everyone. Once he was on the main street, it was smooth sailing from there and, much to Jack's exuberance, he was getting every green light on the way to his girlfriend's house. Jackson only sat back silently as his cousin rambled on and on about everything that happened during the day, having figured out a long time ago that he didn't have to listen to the stories the first time around since he was going to retell them to Maya once he saw her, and stared out the window. At every streetlight and at every corner, he subconsciously gauged how close they were to Maya's place, his heart beginning to pick up speed as the minutes went by. It was like this every day after school whenever the prospect of seeing the girl's face crossed his mind, but that didn't make it any less annoying.

It was just a stupid girl! What did he care?!

They turned down Maya's street, her grandmother's one story abode coming into view and before Jackson was aware, Jack was pulling up in front of the house and putting the car in park. Cutting the engine, he reached into the cup holder between him and his cousin and retrieved a packet of gum. Taking a stick out, he held it out to his cousin and looked at him expectantly, Jackson raising a brow as he stared back.

"What's that for?"

"Chewing."

The dark haired youth felt his eye twitch in slight aggravation, "I know that, smartass. Why do I need to chew it?"

"Because you still smell like smoke and Maya's very sensitive to it," Jack answered, "One whiff of you and she'll go into a coughing fit. Come on, just take it."

Jackson rolled his eyes, but took the stick of gum nonetheless, shoving it into his mouth and chewing it grudgingly. Jack wasn't done there, though, and picked up a small can of body spray, spritzing his cousin who sneezed a couple times and waved the rest of the particles away.

"What the hell are you doing now?!" he growled, pushing the can away.

"It's on your clothes, too."

"Knock it off!"

"Alright, I think that should do it."

Storing the can of body spray away, Jack grinned at his cousin, grabbed his backpack, and then hopped out of the car with a bit more pep in his step. Jackson only glowered after the blue eyed lad, growling lowly in the back of his throat and getting out of the car himself when Jack beckoned him to hurry up. Together, the relatives began their walk up towards the porch steps, one smiling like a child being taken to his favorite store and the other looking relatively disgusted by this show, when a sudden shriek of laughter ran through the air. Stopping, both handsome boys lifted their heads curiously and took a listen, a chorus of laughter ringing over them now.

"…That sounds like kids laughing," Jack voiced, stepping away from the porch and walking around the side of the house to the side door that lead to the backyard.

He unlocked the latch and pushed the wooden door open, he and Jackson striding through as the merry shrieking only grew louder and increased in number. With a few more steps out into the open yard, they found themselves gazing upon the sight of about eight little five and six year olds all standing still in silly poses while giggling and a single teenage girl standing against the fence across from the back porch of the house. Maya had her arms up above her head as she beamed at the kids, the hood of her coat pulled up to keep her head warm and her booted feet shuffling in the remnants of the melting snow.

"No moving! No moving!" she called above the kids, seeming to be completely unaware of Jack and Jackson watching her from the side of the house, "Okay…green light!"

The kids started running towards her as quickly as their legs could carry them; "Red light!" she yelled and they paused again, stuck in silly stances though closer to her.

"Yellow light!"

They started walking, some very slowly and others at a quick pace.

"Red light!"

They stopped, but one fell out of his frozen pose and took two steps out of place.

"Ah, you moved Meloy! Back to the beginning!"

The child threw a playful tantrum, but followed the order given and went back to the steps of the porch, freezing again and waiting for the next color. The kids were closer to Maya now, the young girl feeling the effect of their squirming energy starting to surround her as she giggled, practically feeling their little hands grabbing at her.

"Green light!"

They ran.

"Red light!"

They stopped.

Green. Yellow. Red. Yellow. Red. Green. Yellow. Color after color passed through her lips, the children practically upon her with several little hands lifted towards her, prepared to touch her and nab the title of 'winner'. Maya was laughing as she all but coward against the fence, preparing herself for the 'slaughter'.

"…Green light! AH!"

With that last command, all eight little children jumped on her and knocked her to the grassy floor beneath them, sharing in her giggling as they climbed on top of her and shouted out, "I won! I won! I won!"

"Yes, yes, you won! Ah, okay, you guys!" she said aloud, moving to sit up just as little Malcolm jumped on her back and another boy child jumped on her lap, "Whoo, that was a fun game, huh?"

"Maya, Maya I won the game, didn't I? I touched you first, so that means-that means I won, right?" the child in her lap asked, his hands on her shoulders before grabbing the sides of her hood and tugging slightly.

"I remember strictly being tackled, but you know. Touched. Tackled. They're interchangeable."

"Maya, I won! I was in front!"

"Then you got sent all the way to the back, Meloy, remember? You moved after I said red light."

"Maya, I should win! I was fastest!"

"You were very fast, yes."

"Maya, am I a princess?"

"If that's what you want to be, Crystal, then sure."

The questions seemed never ending, the teen girl caught in the midst of it all, but not once did that smile drop or even diminish. Maya addressed and answered each little one that called her name, making them laugh and shriek and jump all over her again. Jack's blue eyes glimmered with a gentle light at the scene, his chest tightening with a warm emotion that forced him to inhale a shaky breath.

"She's…amazing, isn't she? She's so good with kids," he whispered, more to himself though he still caught Jackson's attention.

The dark haired teen didn't bother answering the quietly spoken question, but that didn't mean he disagreed. His golden eyes remained transfixed on the ebony teen, her smile as bright as the afternoon sun as she laughed and conversed with the children. A sudden firm thump in his chest made him gasp and lift his hand to rest over his heart, his eyes widening with surprise.

'What…was that?' he thought to himself, turning his face away to hide his shock at his own body's reaction just as another voice floated over them from the porch.

"Oh, hello boys. When did you two get here?" Annie Rhodes, approaching them from the backdoor and peering at the two cousins from over the railing with a plate of warm cookies in her hands, asked as smiled warmly at them.

"Afternoon, Ms. Annie. We just got here and would have used the front door, but we heard a bunch of yelling and laughing back here, so we came to check it out," Jack responded as he turned to the old woman, returning her smile and sweeping his hand in Maya's direction, "I see Maya has spawned several new cousins in the past 24 hours."

Annie tittered as she shook her head, "They are all friends that Malcolm has made at the Play Pen. He wanted them to come over today and play with him and Maya."

"I see…" Jack replied, his eyes straying back over to the teen who had finally gotten to her feet, Malcolm in her arms and her attention being divided amongst all eight little ones.

"It's so cute to watch, really. They love her."

"Yeah…it's really hard not to love her…even for a kid."

Jackson glanced over at his white haired cousin, seeing that sickening love-struck smile on his face again and half-heartedly rolling his eyes before he went back to staring at Maya. Even though he didn't voice any agreements or disagreements, it was still very easy for even him to see why she was so…likeable. Even he couldn't deny how…sweet…and warm…and kind she was to all those she deemed worthy. Not even Jackson- stoic, emotionless, and cold-hearted Jackson- could escape her pull, her magnetic tug on his heart that called to him and left him defenseless to her every command.

"Who wants cookies?!" Annie suddenly shouted through the yard, breaking Jackson of his thoughts and eliciting a mighty yell of excitement from the toddlers that scampered away from Maya and ran up the porch steps to get their treats from the woman who had moved inside.

The teen girl, now void of any small being surrounding her, let her shoulders slump as exhaustion began to show in her demeanor. Despite how happy she had looked on the outside, it had been a rough day on her; it was hard enough keeping up with just Malcolm, but eight of him? That was the challenge of the century. While the kids were distracted with Annie and while Maya was alone, Jack deemed it safe enough for him to venture towards her without the fear of being trampled by a herd of six year olds. He crossed the backyard, Jackson in tow, and chuckled as Maya bent down at the waist to place her hands on her knees and take deep breaths.

"Oh dear Lord, thank you Jesus…I needed a break," she mumbled to herself, shaking her head with her curls moving in time, "Those little monsters were going to be the death of me, sweet mother of God."

"Rough day?" Jack asked as he bent down as well, trying to be eye level with her.

Maya lifted her head some to look at the newcomers, smiling as her hazel green eyes locked with Jack's pretty blues, "Yeah, sort of. Those kids have been here since this morning and they apparently don't believe in nap time."

Jack laughed and stood up, following Maya's lead when she straightened herself out, stretched her arms above her head and sighed deeply; "So anyway, how are you guys doing? Were you here long? I didn't see when you arrived," she asked, her eyes straying over to Jackson as she offered him a smile and a wave, "Hey, Jackson. You're looking splendidly dark as usual, hehe."

The golden eyed youth smirked and looked at her sideways, "I made sure I was extra dark for you today, Maya. I know a bit of black excites you."

"Nice try, but I prefer blue eyed snowflakes, as you can see," she shot back with a playful grin of her own as she waved her hand over Jack's person.

Jackson clicked his tongue in mock irritation, "Well isn't that unfortunate for you."

"Actually, I consider it my best stroke of luck," she continued with a smile, looking up as her boyfriend chuckled and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer.

"Maya, you're making me blush," he said, those warm blue eyes of his gazing down at her tenderly.

"And that's a bad thing?" she shot back smoothly, lightly pinching his nose just before he tilted his head to the right and then leaned down to claim a gentle kiss from the girl's sweet, luscious lips.

Another painful pang stabbed at his heart, Jackson being forced to look away as his blood began to boil. He was just going through a few silent breathing exercises when the couple finally pulled apart from each other.

"If you're quite done," he hinted sarcastically, his teeth gritted together to show how uncomfortable they made him.

This only made Jack and Maya giggle to themselves before a little voice interrupted them from the porch again; "Jack! Jack!" Malcolm called to the teen, standing next to two of his friends, "Come here! I want to show you the new actions figures I got! One's a Power Ranger, the green one because green is better than red! Come and see! Come and see!"

"Alright, alright! I'm coming little buddy!" the lad replied back, giving Maya's shoulder an affectionate squeeze and then running off toward the porch to join the child that requested his time.

Maya and Jackson stayed behind, one needing another few moments to collect herself and the other…juts watching her. She noticed his golden eyes upon her person and looked to him curiously, still smiling and shrugging her shoulders when she thought he was wondering why she didn't follow Jack inside.

"I just need another minute or else I'm going to lose my mind," she stated, her hands shoved into her jacket pockets, "I've been going all day with them and I feel about ready to drop."

"I'll catch you if you do."

She paused for a second at his reply, not a single trace of joking humor on his face. However, never one to get any crazy ideas, especially ones that she could validate herself, Maya simply grinned and shrugged her shoulders.

"Thanks. That'll cut down on the possibility of a concussion if I do fall," she replied, giggling afterwards and then turning to make her way to the house, "I guess we better get inside. Jack's going to need back up soon, hehe."

Her stride was interrupted when Jackson suddenly reached out and took hold of her elbow, pulling her hand from her jacket pocket and forcing her to turn and face him again. Maya stared at the dark haired lad in confusion, furrowing her brow as his hand gently slide from her elbow to her fingers, holding them in his grasp softly as his thumb ran over her knuckles.

"Your hands are freezing; it's too cold out here for you. You should really make more of an effort to remember your gloves before coming outside," he stated, his eyes transfixed to her pretty ebony fingers that lay dormant in his grip.

Her giggle filled his ears and he looked up to see her smiling in amusement at him; "You sound just like Jack," she told him, shaking her head, "He gets on me about keeping warm, too. He's a real sweetheart and now I see that…you are, too."

Her fingers tightened around his in a firm and friendly hold as she giggled again, "Despite your aloof persona, you're going to make a great boyfriend, I'm sure of it. Your next girl is going to be very happy with you…just like I'm happy with Jack."

And with those last words-those last cutting words- she was gone. Maya turned those hypnotic golden green eyes away from him and slid her fingers from his hold, beginning her trek back into the house where the sound of shrieking and laughing children filled the air. Jackson was left staring after her, a mixture of feelings running rampant in his chest. There was one, though; one sure emotion that he tried to deny ownership of, but knew was a losing battle.

"What the hell have you done to me?" he whispered despairingly to the empty space where that bright sun of a girl once stood.

Silence surrounded his world and those hazel green eyes haunted him.

End Chapter

Crimsonwings92: Oh my…a second love interest? Gotta love Nightmare Jack; I always pictured him to be the sexy, bad boy to Jack's sweet natured self, ya know? I hope I was able to capture that idea in this chapter, though that's up to my wonderful reviewers to decide! So, thanks for reading and, uh, don't be afraid to leave me a review, yeah? See you in the next chapter! Ciao for now!