Meeting the Teacher [CLOSED]

[Jasper Devine]

Jasper couldn't help but smile as Serenity hung her head, giggling childishly. He wasn't happy that she was upset by any means, but he simply thought her actions were awfully cute. "Awh...!" He cooed femininely, cupping her face in his hands in order to look her in the eye. "Relax, I'm just kidding." His eyes sparkled humorously, holding his gaze with hers for a few seconds before he finally set his hands at his lap, "You're so cute." Again, he laughed, another giddy, innocent giggle, like a young, lovesick schoolboy. It felt kind of nice, to actually really like someone again, to finally be able to move on after four years of heartache.

"So far." Jasper repeated with a heavy sigh. However, he couldn't really stay on the subject for too much longer, for soon after he spoke, his attention was grabbed away by Serenity's warm embrace. His head lifted slightly at the feeling of her lips against his, somewhat surprised at her eagerness to kiss him in front of the class. Not that Jasper had a problem with it, of course -- on the contrary, it was rather pleasant. He leaned forward to return her kiss, only to find that she had pulled away before he could reach her. A disappointed yet playful pout pulled his lips downward, though it didn't last long, and before long it was replaced with a smile, "You're pretty easy on the eyes yourself." Jasper said softly, though he knew full well it would probably go down as the understatement of the century. Serenity was worthy of a far better compliment that 'easy on the eyes.' She was radiant -- like some sort of angel, or Greek goddess. In fact, such a simplistic, overused platitude was almost insulting to someone as stunning as her. Again, his hung his head low, suddenly beginning to feel inadequate next to her heavenly beauty.

"You sure? I don't want to force her on you or anything." After all, wasn't it a rule to wait to introduce your potential girlfriend to your daughter after things started actually getting serious? Whoops. Well, apparently it wasn't anymore. Oh well, though -- honestly, it didn't bother Jasper too much. He'd rather get the two of them acquainted as soon as possible, that way, if there was a problem, he could cut it off without having to worry about getting too attached. Hopefully, though, there wouldn't be any problems, because he was already hooked on her, and at this point, there wasn't anything he wanted more than to make things work with Serenity.

Her adorable, soft, little cry brought a small smile to Jasper's face, watching curiously as the teenagers scurried out of the room. Well... that secret lasted a whole, what, two minutes? It didn't really bother him much, though. If she hadn't let it out then, he probably would have sooner or later. After all, it was hard to resist kissing such sweet lips, no matter what company you were in. He held her wrists in his gentle grasp, pulled her onto his lap, and affectionately kissed her cheek, a faint smile over his lips, "I don't care if you don't." Jasper shrugged his shoulders, "They probably would've found out sooner or later, anyway."

[Serenity Lane]

Serenity felt his hands gently hold her face, only to smile, and put her arms around him softly. "Well, if I'm cute, you're way more than that." she teased. She laid her head on his shoulder, glancing up at him, after kissing him. She smiled as he spoke again and nodded. "Thank you." she blushed gently, then let her hug disappear.

"You aren't forcing anything. I want to meet her, Jasper." she smiled, looking down at him still. "It'd be good for her. After what you told me earlier." she said, then felt herself pulled down to his lap. She didn't mind, she kind of liked it. Her heart pounded loudly as he kissed her cheek. "I don't." she said, leaning in, kissing him again, her arms gently going around his neck.

She was in love, but why so soon? Was it the way he spoke? The way he looked? How sweet, and loving he was, or how he kissed? She wasn't sure, but she had a feeling that he'd never hurt her. Her lips parted from his after a moment and gasped slightly, looking back to him. "Um....so want to go get coffee?" she asked, her skin seemed pale, and her cheeks were bright pink. Embarassed on how excited, and scared she was when she touched him, let alone kiss him.

[Jasper Devine]

Jasper gave a slight roll of his eyes at her compliment, laughing quietly in disbelief. Needless to say, he wasn't all that fond of his appearance, which was probably pretty obvious from the caked on amounts of makeup he wore, a habit that was awfully strange for a man of his age. Sure, he wasn't really that bad looking, but at the same time, he wouldn't be throwing around the word 'handsome' to describe himself anytime soon. "Yeah, right." He muttered doubtfully under his breath, though his skepticism faded away rather quickly as he continued, "I wish that I had even just half of the beauty you have." A faint, timid smile crossed his face as he wrapped his arms around Serenity, holding her gently against his chest.

His grin widened a little at her excitement to meet Emma, relieved by the fact that his daughter might finally have a stable, kind motherly figure in her life. Since, after all, as feminine as Jasper was, it was hard for him to relate to any... womanly issues she may have. Not that that was something he really needed to worry about now, considering she was only six, but it was something to keep in mind for the future. "Yeah, I'm sure it would." He agreed, giving a small nod in concurance. Hopefully Emma would be just as thrilled to meet Serenity. Jasper couldn't really come up with any reasons that she wouldn't be, though. Plus, she normally tended to like all of his friends, so why should Serenity be any different? Still, at the same time, this was the first girl he took an interest in since Juliet left, which could potentially make things kind of awkward for Emma. But she could always learn to love Serenity, too... right?

Jasper went back and forth on the subject, becoming more and more wary of the situation the longer he dwelled on it. However, luckily, his attention was stolen away as Serenity kissed him once again, causing any and all of his worries to simply vanish. Of course, he continued it passionately, closing his eyes as his arms wrapped around her waist, holding her up on his lap in order to keep the poor girl from sliding off. God, how awkward would that be? That giddy, lovesick puppy kind of feeling began to return, and a sense of pleasure that he hadn't felt in months, maybe even years, washed over him. It sounded silly, but Jasper would've been extremely content to just sit there with her, all day and night. They wouldn't even have to talk, or kiss, or... do anything, really; just being with her made him the happiest person in the world.

Unfortunately, though, all good things must come to an end. Jasper was taken by surprise as he leaned forward to kiss her, only to find she had moved without so much as a warning. A frown tilted his lips downward, unhappy by the fact that they had to stop. However, he kept his mouth shut and simply rested his head lightly on her shoulder, reversing the roles from their previous stance. A sigh rolled off his lips as he looked up at her, managing a small smile. "Yeah, sure." Jasper lifted his head, releasing Serenity from his grasp so the two of them could stand. "I'll drive, unless --" There was a short hesitation before he corrected himself, "Well, you probably have a car already." He laughed a little at his own stupidity, leaning back in the chair as he tried to come up with an alternative, "Do you want me to just meet you there, then?"

[Serenity Lane]

Serenity watched his eyes roll and let out a small giggle. She frowned as he said he wasn't cute. "Not uh. You're very sexy, Jasper." she said, her arms going around his body as he pulled her to his chest.

She smiled as his face brightened up again. She ran her hand through his hair softly. "I love your hair so much. The color, the texture." she said, looking over him, dreamily.

Continuing to kiss him, since he didn't seem to want to stop, she moved her hands ono his neck gently as he held her on his lap still. Her lips parted from hus shyly, and she giggled as he spoke. She watched his frown and moved back to him, knowing it'd probably make him happier. She got up, staying close to him. "Or... I can drop my car off, and meet you back here, after you pick up your child?" she asked, not sure if he had told her the girl's name. "It's up to you. We can meet there, if you want."

[Jasper Devine]

Jasper couldn't help but laugh at her diction of choice, shaking his head in amusement. 'Sexy' was kind of a peculiar word to describe the young man, considering there was absolutely nothing suave or smooth about him. In fact, Jasper was quite the contrary. He was awkward, both in physical appearance and manner of speaking, and lacking in both grace and elegance. Still, though, he played along, smiling as he let off a soft yet suggestive purr of desire. Again, he laughed, knowing full well how silly it sounded coming from his lips, especially within a school setting. But, they were all alone, and even if they weren't, it was still all in good fun, right?

The day hadn't even ended yet and apparently Jasper was already pretty whipped. It was a rare and special moment whenever Jasper let anyone go near his hair with their filthy, nasty hands, so the fact that he calmly granted Serenity access to the mop on top of his head was nothing short of a miracle. He even dipped his head a little so it would be easier to comb through. Maybe it was a little sad, to suddenly be so infatuated with someone, but Jasper genuinely liked Serenity. Already, he trusted her, which was not something he did often, or so suddenly. "Well, I'm glad you find the huge ball of frizz on top of my head to be appealing." He teased, smiling pleasantly down at her, that giddy feeling of delight washing over him as he stared upon her adorable features.

Jasper listened intently to her idea as he leaned back in his chair, chewing gently on his bottom lip as she spoke. It probably would be better for them to just to take one car over, especially considering how expensive gas was getting to be. However, before he could really give much thought to the subject, he became distracted by the fact that Serenity referred to Emma as 'your child.' Didn't he mention her name before? Maybe not -- Jasper had a tendency to forget such simple things. "Emelia," He interjected quickly, a smile crossing his face, "E-Emma, for short." His eyes glanced to the ground for a moment, going back to his previous job of mulling over her suggestion. After a few seconds, he nodded, getting up in order to stand next to her, "Yeah, your idea would probably work out better." He agreed, shrugging his shoulders, "Honestly, I'm happy with whatever you want to do."

[Serenity Lane]

Serenity listened to his purr and giggled softly, not minding him laughing at what she had said. "What's so funny?" she asked, looking into his eyes softly, then they moved away shyly.

She looked at him again, her hands still in his hair. "I love your hair, Jasper. So beautiful." she giggled softly, leaning in, kissing him again. She couldn't help it. How close she was to him, and how she felt about him, it was hard to not kiss him.

Another smile came to her face as her lips left his. "I like that name.." she said. "It's so pretty." she giggled softly. "And it isn't wierd like mine." she added. "Hmm. How about we just meet back here? My house is like...five minutes away by car. So I'll be fifteen at the most." she added. "If that's fine."

Looking up she saw the principal walk in. She rolled her eyes some, as the older woman spoke. "Serenity? Why are you here? Back for more detention? Last time I check, you graduated dear. Go ahead and leave. I need to talk to Mr. Devine." she said, her voice full of strength, and snobbiness.

A sigh escaped Serenity's lips as she looked to Jasper. She wouldn't risk getting him fired so she nodded to the woman and walked out of the room, heading towards the doors to go to her car.

"So Jasper. How was your first day?" the woman asked, sitting on one of the desks. She wasn't old, around thirty four. "Well, lets get to the point. I've heard, from multiple students they didn't get any of the requirements because you were.... 'sucking face' with Miss Lane. We can't have that." she said.

[Jasper Devine]

"Nothing," Jasper denied quickly, a delighted smile over his face as he stared at her angelic face, "You're just... so... cute." He repeated, a blissful shudder running down his spine that made his grin brighten. It was crazy, how easily she could please him, make him happy. Just looking at her seemed to make his day twenty-five times better. Perhaps it was silly, to fall so quickly and suddenly for a person he barely knew, but Jasper couldn't help himself. She was so charming, and beautiful, and sweet -- it was hard not to become entranced by her.

His head tilted back slightly and his eyes fluttered to a close, enjoying the feeling of her fingers entangled around his hair. "Well, thank you." Jasper mumbled quietly, smiling at her adorable laugh. Just as he was beginning to open his eyes again, Serenity took him pleasantly by surprise by kissing him, causing them to shut tightly once again. Of course, he eagerly returned her kiss, wrapping his arms around her in order to hold her closer. His heart raced with joy at the feeling of her lips against his, becoming more and more grateful for her entrance into his life with every passing second. Maybe there really was a God, because there was no way meeting her was some sort of coincidence -- it had to be a miracle.

Though their lips parted, Jasper continued to hold her in his arms, keeping her body close to his, not wanting to let her go just yet. He shook his head in disagreement, laughing at little at how cute she sounded, "Your name isn't weird." He said, smiling as he gently put his hands on her cheeks, "It's beautiful." He gently kissed her head, the last one he was able to get in before the devil herself broke up their little meeting. A shrug rolled his shoulders up and down, still pretty content with whatever she wanted to do. "Yeah, I guess, if..." He sighed, tilting his head to the side slightly, "You're going to walk back here?" That seemed kind of silly, especially if she lived so close. Maybe he could just pick her up at her house, so that way she wouldn't have to worry about traveling all the way back here. However, before Jasper could make the suggestion to her, they were disrupted as another woman walked into the room -- the principal.

The authority in the woman's voice was both somewhat attractive and intimidating to Jasper, causing him to take an uneasy step back just to get farther away from her. Already, he could tell this was going to end badly. He'd had the pleasure of meeting her only once before, and even then, in the fifteen minutes he was allotted to speak with her, Jasper could tell she was a bitch; this second confrontation only proved his theory. His eyes narrowed at how rudely she spoke to Serenity, feeling his heart suddenly begin to race with fury and an overwhelming need to protect her. Yeah, yeah... this was definitely going to end badly. The temptation to grab Serenity and hold her there with him filled him, to the point where he came seconds away from reaching out and taking hold of her wrist. However, Jasper suppressed the need, giving a small, stiff nod toward her as she left. It would probably be better if she wasn't there, especially if he was stupid enough to say something that would get him fired.

His infuriated gaze slid slowly back toward his employer, trying to dull the anger in his expression with a fake, almost mocking smile. If she wanted to be a bitch, fine -- two could play that game. It wasn't the smartest idea, to go picking fights with the person who paid you, but Jasper wasn't going to stand and let her talk to Serenity in such a disrespectful manner. He sighed heavily, digging through his papers as if looking for something, looking as though he was barely paying attention to what she was saying; principals hated that sort of shit. It didn't take him long to look back up at her again, though, shooting a glare of disagreement and opposition in her direction, "That's a lie." Jasper stated, almost snapped, at the woman before him, cutting off her last sentence.

"I did hand out a list of requirements to most of my classes, miss, o-or -- I mean --" Jasper hesitated, his eyes scanning her body as if trying to determine whether or not she would be considered a 'miss' or 'mrs'. He bit his lip gently, as if embarrassed for her, before he continued, "Miss."

[/i] It came out just as he meant it to: an affront toward her appearance. Looking as stodgy and pompous as she did, there was no way she could be married -- or even have a boyfriend, for that matter. And if she did, there was no doubt in Jasper's mind that he was a fool for getting involved with such a crude woman. He had to hold back a smirk in order to keep from blowing his cover, afraid that it'd be too obvious that he intentionally insulted her if he broke out into hysterics.

His eyebrows rose as he continued his excuse, his voice relaxed and eloquent, as if trying to make her feel stupid, "But the copier -- that I was told was meant to be fixed over the summer -- gave out about three-fourths of the way through. So, I didn't have enough to hand out to my last two classes." He shrugged his shoulders, "I was actually just getting ready to go to my daughter's school to see if I could use the copy machine there." Finally, Jasper stood up straight, holding eye contact as if trying to challenge her to fuck with him, "They only charge ten cents per copy there, rather than twenty-five." He added as an afterthought, a little extra 'zing' to his already defiant response. If she wanted to talk to him like some sort of condescending, curt, shrew, well, Jasper was ready and eager to spit it right back in her face. Technically, though, he wasn't lying -- the machine did break half-way through, and he did run out of copies. At the same time, though, Jasper wasn't exactly telling the whole truth, considering he completely ignored everything regarding his relationship with Serenity. [/size][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[Serenity Lane]

Serenity couldn't help but blush, when he said she was cute, again. She his her face in his shoulder slightly, her eyes closed, listening to his voice.

After kissing him she giggled, "I'm glad I met you." she said between kisses. She stayed in his arms, after she finished kissing him. "It is wierd." she said, "It might be pretty, but it's still unusual." she added. "Yeah. Why not?" she asked. "I am gonna change and fix my hair anyways. My hair...doesn't seem to like me." she laughed, forgetting to straighten it earlier so it was a bit wavy.

After arriving to her car, she got in, starting it with a sigh. She surely hoped what had happened would be able to slid past the principal this once.

The principal looked at him. "Most...." she snapped, "You were supposed to give it to each and every one!" she said, glaring. She ignored his miss for a moment before speaking again. "I am married." she growled, still sitting on one of the desks.

"Well. Fine. Make sure they get them next time." she said getting up. "Go then. And if I hear, or even see you and Miss Lane 'kissing' again, you will be fired. It's not professional, at all." she growled, getting up. "So. This was all just a warning. If I hear anymore complaints from students, we will have to have a more...serious talk." she said, closer to the male now. Her lustful eyes looked over him, then she exited the room.

[Jasper Devine]

Again, Jasper smiled, "Right back atcha, sweetheart." He said, laughing a little at the way he spoke. It was true, though, even if he did happen to choose a strange way of expressing it. He was overjoyed by the fact that he met Serenity. In fact, it was one of the best things that had ever happened to him since Emma was born -- and that was quite a long time ago. His hands ran up and down her back, flicking his head to the side in order to move his hair away from his face before he spoke, "Yeah, well, I like the unusual." He said, his voice almost a whisper, sounding smooth and even a little dangerous as he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers gently.

"That's nonsense," Jasper muttered once their short kiss was over, "You've got beautiful hair." He responded, running his fingers through it, twisting them gently amongst her soft, wavy locks of dark hair. Again, he shrugged his shoulders, "I guess that works." The smile returned to his face, just praying that the moment didn't have to end. Unfortunately, though, it appeared that God was not smiling down on him today, for shortly after he made his wish, the principal walked in, seperating them and also sending Jasper into a complete frenzy.

Oh, so now she was going to yell at him? Well, Jasper would gladly yell right back. "Well, guess what? It's not my fault that the copy machine you were supposed to get fixed is clearly still broken." He didn't argue or fight with people often, in fact, Jasper was far from a contentious person, but now that he was involved, he was determined to win. Normally, it wouldn't matter -- he was usually pretty good at letting things go in one ear and out the other. But, this time was different. This time, she wasn't just insulting him, she had acted coldly toward Serenity. There was no way she was going to get away with talking to him that way, or, more importantly, talking to Serenity that way. Given the chance, he'd probably rip her a new one for being so impolite to someone he was so protective of. But, since time in jail was the last thing he needed right now, he'd just have to kill her subtlely with words, instead.

Another fake smile crossed over his lips, looking at her with mock-delight in his face. "Oh, wow, well, aren't you special." Jasper said sarcastically, clapping his hands together in congratulations. "I won't lie to you, though, I mean, His eyes scanned her body up and down in disapproval, "You really could've fooled me." He shrugged his shoulders, looking at her, his eyes innocent and bittersweet. God, how could she possibly be married? How could anyone stand to be in her prescence for more than five minutes? Her husband had to be in a coma, or some kind of vegetative state, because there was no other way any man, or woman, for that matter, would be able to live with someone like her without shooting themselves after about a day.

His fist clenched tightly as she brought up Serenity again, gritting his teeth. It was an innocent kiss -- were that many kids raving it about it that much? Plus, it wasn't like they were in the library fucking or something, as he heard most of the kids did whenever they got the chance. As the thought of gossip slipped into his head, Jasper was suddenly hit with an idea, a way to back his employeer into a corner. He took a breath, shaking his head as he laughed nonchalantly, "For the record, I'm not so sure it's a good idea to listen to all the little rumors floating around this school, because, I mean, this is only my first day, and already I've heard some pretty wild stuff about you that might be deemed as unprofessional by the rest of the schoolboard."

It was a bluff, a huge lie, but somehow, Jasper managed to pull it off well. He wanted to turn the tables on her, to let her know that he could outlast her in a battle of wit. Though this was so far from his usual tolerable, happy demeanor that it was insane; never was he so eager for a fight, so quick to throw insults at someone. But, in all honesty, it was kind of nice -- the adrenaline pumping through his veins, his heart pounding like crazy, just waiting to beat her at her next move.

His eyes were narrowed in a sinister, vindictive glare, locked on her as he continued, "But I'm sure none of them are true at all... They're all just silly rumors, right?" He nodded a few times, tilting his head to the side, his expression filled with fake understanding and compassion. He stood before her, her body inches from his, just daring her to try and prove him wrong. Sure, he didn't really have anything to bring to the table, but it wouldn't be hard to find something, right? High schoolers were always pretty eager to share gossip, especially about their teachers and the people they don't like... right?

He gave a slight roll of his eyes, clearly not too phased by her threats. Why'd he take this job again? Jasper was beginning to think it'd be better to be unemployed for a while than put up with this crazy woman's bullshit. Maybe he should go back to bartending or something. Sure he had to deal with people, but he'd rather sit around a group of drunk guys and girls than have to listen to this bitch open her mouth again. "Well, gee, I'm so looking forward to it." He hissed, sarcasm returning to his voice as he held steady her menacing gaze, his eyes following her as she left him alone.

[Serenity Lane]

"It was fixed, Mr. Devine. You simply broke it again." she said. "So don't blame me for your problems!" she snapped.

She listened to what he had said next and raged filled her. "What do you want I could of fooled you. Child. Do you have a fucking problem with me!?" she almost screamed in anger. She wasn't going to take this, and wouldn't let him get away with his rudeness. "Well. The people I am hearing this from are honest, sweet students. They'd never lie, not to me." she growled, walking over to him.

"There are no rumors of me. But I can easily have them created." she said, walking closer, placing her hands on his shoulders lightly, rubbing softly. She was better at this that Serenity was. "I'm sure you are looking forward to it, Jasper." she said, leaning in, kissing his lips roughly. He was a hot younger male, why not?

Serenity had already been home, changed into a denim skirt, with a black and red striped shirt, and red flats. She had straightened her hair, and put her makeup on a bit darker. She was ready, to see him again.

Soon she was back to the school, figuring the older woman was already gone. She walked in, right when the woman had kissed him. Her eyes went into a glare, and she walked over, pulling the woman away from Jasper. "What do you think you are fucking doing, you whore!" she said. "Last time I checked, you were married!" she added. She didn't mean to call her a whore, but she was mad, pissed off.... jealous. How could she be jealous? She had never been jealous before!

[Jasper Devine]

Jasper gasped, imitating her frustration. "How dare you insinuate such a thing!" He snapped right back, holding his shocked expression until he could no longer do so. A small smirk crossed over his face, taking great amusement in how flustered she was. He couldn't help but laugh, feeling as though he had just won their long, drawn out battle, "I think you know exactly what I mean, you nasty. Old. bitch." A shudder of pleasure rolled down his spine as he spoke, allowing his sadistic smile to widen. It was cruel, to take so much joy out of her misery, but it was something she deserved. She had no right to be so condescending, to speak to himself and Serenity with such an impertinent tone. Jasper was just trying to give her a taste of her own medicine -- was that so wrong?

"As a matter of fact, I have a huge problem with all your ludicrous accusations, and the way you talk to my friends." He returned her glare, though his vicious attitude toward her slowly began to falter as she continued to speak. "Or so you think." His voice was ominous and sinister, finding himself able to keep up the charade for a bit longer. However, his worrisome nature was beginning to sink back in, becoming shaken by her next few sentences. His narrowed eyes began to widen, his anxiety showing through. What was she planning? What did she mean? Immediately, he knew he had to get out. Jasper took things too far, and it had to stop, before something happened that he would regret. He took a step back, the crazed yet seductive look in her eyes making him nervous. He tried to run, but before he could even turn around, her hands gripped his shoulders, pressing down in a powerful yet erotic way. Whatever she wanted to do, Jasper wanted no part of it -- and yet, he couldn't lie, her little massage did feel good.

Suddenly, Jasper was no longer feeling victorious. That fast, she knocked him off his high horse, keeping him pinned to the ground just to watch him squirm. He was no longer happy with his contentious attitude, nor was he enjoying the heat of the argument. In fact, all the 'heat' that was being given off at this point was doing nothing but make him sick. Regret filled him, his anger shifting to himself, for even bothering to open his mouth. All he wanted to do was protect Serenity, to feel like he had some sort of dignity left in him -- and in a matter of seconds, everything backfired. He cursed himself, cursed his barbaric ways, beginning to feel weak and powerless in the presence of his boss.

For the first time, he broke eye contact with her, a sign that gave away the fear growing inside of him. She held all the cards, she was in control, and Jasper hated every second off it. His tough exterior shattered like glass, leaving behind nothing but his frail, child-like body and frightened heart. He couldn't let her do this to him, but honestly, he was afraid to move. Was it sick to say that there might have even been a part of him that kind of, almost enjoyed it? It was like a twisted remake of The Graduate, where his married, experienced boss was his very own Mrs. Robinson. He didn't mean for anything like this to happen, and yet he took a sort of strange pleasure in it. An odd combination of terror and curiosity kept him where he was, his nervous eyes jumping from the door, to the ground, to the older woman before him, "Don't, please --" Jasper begged, pleaded, though he knew it was no use. He was being torn apart, and the worst of it was, there wasn't a damn thing he could do to stop it.

Feeling her lips against his made him nauseous, his instincts screaming at him to get away. He flinched, though he grip on him was tight, and his strength was fading. What was he supposed to do? Fight her off, and get accused for some sort of assault, or just let things go? Before Jasper could even begin to weigh the pros and cons of the situation, Serenity entered the room, and like a Godsend, broke the two apart. Oh God. How could things go from bad to worse so quickly? He suddenly began to feel faint, his face turning white, looking like he just saw some kind of ghost. His nervous eyes jumped from Serenity to the principal, his lips quivering, his weak body trembling. That was it -- everything was ruined. His perfect day, his crystal-clear future -- everything was in shambles, and it made him sick. The room spun, his body ached with disgust as he stood there, speechless and repulsed by his thoughts and actions.

Unable to shake that nausea from his stomach, Jasper reached his hand up over his mouth as he felt himself gagging. "M-M-My God..." He muttered, his voice shaking uncontrollably. His eyes closed tightly as he just prayed to God that this was all some sort of disturbing nightmare. "I... I feel like I might be sick."

[Serenity Lane]

The woman glared as he imitated her. "You are so immature." she hissed, then he called her old, and a bitch. So that was when her hand raised and back-handed him.

"Friends? And I'm not accusing you of anything. I know what you do, Jasper. I really, really do." she laughed evily and stayed close to him as she kissed him. "Don't what?" she hissed, kissing him once more, but she was pulled away.

Serenity pushed the other woman out, trying to hold her anger back as she locked the door and went to Jasper. "How could you...." she said, trying her best to hold her tears back. She could see him suffering, and a relieved sigh was let out. She moved over to him, her arms going around him lightly. "That.... was so painful to see." she said under her breath. Her arms stayed around him, her head against his shoulder, her heart racing. "Let's just go.... and get away from here. She....had no right to do that. None of it. And I'm not sure what to do about it." she winced, her hand moving to his, entwining her fingers with his as she leaned in, kissing him. "Is... that better?" she said, a small grin on her face, not caring how corney that just was.

[Jasper Devine]

Jasper laughed even harder at her statement, though all humor ended as her hand came in contact with his cheek. The loud smack echoed through the now-silent room, instilling even greater panic in the poor boy. There was no more laughter, no more amusement -- everything came to a sudden halt as she took a swing at him. He froze there, a stinging sensation and a deep red color sinking into his skin. As much as Jasper wanted her to suffer, he never meant for things to get this far. He just thought they'd exchange a few unkind words, a few crude platitudes with one another, and they'd be on there way. But no -- this all had to jump at least twenty-five levels the second she started to bring violence and sex into the game. Now Jasper was the one backed in the corner with no where to go, and she was the one with all the power; basically, the situation was the exact opposite of what he expected it to be when their argument started, and now, he was completely lost in his own game.

He shook his head vigorously, trying to muster any courage left in him to get her off of him, "N-No -- You don't know me." Jasper faught back, though it came out as more of a childish whine than a battle cry. He felt helpless, violated, and emasculated all at once, afraid that she'd go to the police with grounds of assault if he even tried to physically shove her away. Despite the fact that she was the one who came on to him, there was no way his side of the story would be stronger than hers -- she'd lie her ass off, she'd do whatever it took to make sure he was the one looking red-handed.

Luckily, though, (or perhaps not so luckily, depending on how you wanted to look at it), Serenity returned to save the day, finishing a war he started by kicking the principal out of the room completely. Of course, he was grateful, but at the same time, it made him feel even less of a man than he had before. It made him feel like he was the damsel in distress, and she was the brave, gorgeous hero, when it should be the other way around. How was he supposed to protect her if she was the one fighting his battles for him?

His eyes remained closed, still waiting to hear his alarm go off and take this horrid dream away. Jasper braced himself to hear her yell, expecting her to be furious with him. Why shouldn't she be? He deserved it, for acting like such a cowardly fool. He waited nervously to hear her go off on him, to hear how hurt she was, just so he could get down on his knees and beg her to forgive him. But, the moment never came. She didn't sound angry, or mad; in fact, Serenity was awfully understanding, probably more than she should be after an episode like that. Perhaps she was teasing him, trying to toy with his already mixed up feelings. God, how cruel would that be? But no -- instead, she spoke quietly to him, trying to make him feel better with her kind words. She even hugged him, an action that made Jasper flinch out of fear she, too, was going to smack him. He wanted to talk to her, to give some sort of response to all that she was saying, but he felt as though he had no voice. His body just continued to shake as he tried to catch his breath, feeling a strong panic attack taking grip on his already stressed out heart.

Her gentle kiss was like a release for him, bringing him the courage to finally open his eyes and talk. He broke away from her, collapsing to his knees as he began to try to explain what happened, "Jesus Christ, Serenity, I'm so sorry, I --" He paused, trying to sort out the thoughts in his head to form one, coherent story. However, unfortunately, it didn't really work very well, because his words still came out as nothing but incessant babble, "She just -- the way that she addressed you -- it made me so, so... angry, a-and I just wanted -- I just wanted to -- I didn't want her talking to you that way, I just wanted to protect you, a-a-and everything..." He stopped to take a breath, "Everything j-just fell apart, you know? I-I-I never meant for it to go this far, but she -- my God, I feel so sick -- this wasn't supposed to happen, I swear I didn't mean -- I-I mean -- Everything, it all backfired, a-and now, I, I don't know what to do."

He gasped for air, his shaking hands gently taking hold of the edge of her skirt in search for stability. His eyes begged her for help, looking ashamed and humiliated by everything that had just taken place. Clearly, poor Jasper was still awfully shaken up by the entire situation. He felt overwhelmed and unsure how to handle everything, thus causing both his mind and heart to flatout panic. However, from a viewer's perspective, it probably looked more like he was having some sort of severe mental breakdown. God, she probably thought he was some sort of psychopath after all that. He pushed his hair back away from his sickly looking face in agitation, shaking his head remorsefully before muttering yet another sincere yet quiet apology.

[Serenity Lane]

After kicking the woman out she could hear her screaming to get in. Staying close to Jasper she let a sigh escape her lips. "That will never happen again." she said, "You don't know how jealous I just was." she felt embarassed, and ashamed of herself. "I'm sorry." she added.

She felt his lips part from hers and his eyes had opened. He was no longer in her arms anymore, but on the ground. She moved down and sighed as he started to explain. "Don't be sorry, Jasper..." she said, letting him continue on. "Jasper, it's alright!" she said, upset that he had done this for her. But she didn't show it. "Apart from her, I see nothing that has backfired. I'm not going to get mad at you for something she did." she said.

Her arms went around his body lightly, holding him as he gasped for air. "Jaspy. Calm down, hun. Please" she whispered into his ear, her eyes closed, trying not to cry. Seeing him this way, he should be this way. None of it was his fault. "Let's just get Emma, and act like none of this happened. It that alright with you? I know... you must be really scared. I am even scared of that woman." she nodded. Her hand still held onto his, and she really had no intentions of letting go.

[Jasper Devine]

Jasper lifted his head slowly, staring at her in shock and disbelief, "What... reason... do you possibly have for saying sorry?" It came out a little differently than Jasper intented, his voice sounding sinister and anxious rather than quiet and scared. He didn't mean to sound so cruel toward her, but he felt guilty enough as it was; the last thing he wanted to hear was her apologies, especially since she did nothing wrong. He'd be worried if she wasn't jealous of what just happened. His mind raced, only partially listening to her cries, his attention going in and out of her words. All he needed was a few seconds of silence, just some time to clear his head, and all he could hear was Serenity yelling at him to relax. Normally, Jasper was thrilled to hear her voice, but this time, it just wasn't helping.

"What are you lying to me for?! This isn't alright, My God, this is all boarderline insane!" He snapped nervously, again without meaning to. The poor boy was just so worked up over everything that he barely knew what he was saying, or doing. Why did this have to happen to him? Why now? Everything was going so well -- and now, it was all blown to bits. He closed his eyes tightly again, tightly wrapping his arms around her body, nodding as she spoke. He just wanted to get out of here, to go lay in bed for a good few weeks until everything was over and done with.

After a few deep breaths, Jasper finally managed to begin to calm down, loosing his grip on Serenity slightly as he spoke, "I was more frightened of hurting you than anything." Jasper admitted in a whisper, sighing heavily. God, he was acting like a huge baby. But, how was he supposed to act? Just get up, and walk away, pretend everything was lovely, like it didn't happen? But it did happen, and it was all his fault. If he just could've kept his mouth shut, if he didn't go and provoke her to hit him, or try to seduce him, none of this would've happened. He'd be sitting with Serenity and his daughter in a quaint little cafe somewhere without a care in the world. But no -- he had to be the idiot with the big mouth, who took everything to the goddamn extreme. And Serenity was still willing to take him back. What a fucking saint. That poor girl. Jasper tried his hardest not to hurt her, and then he went behind her back and started pulling this shit. After all this, it was a miracle she even wanted to be in the same room as him without some sort of restraining order.

He shook his head, looking down, shame-faced, "I-I-I'm sorry. I'm acting like... a-a two year old. It's just, sometimes I get really... worked up over things... and then... and f-frazzled, and then..." A sigh of defeat rolled off of his lips, feeling stupid after all that he had said and done. "God, I really -- I really blew things out of proportion, huh?" Boy, did he really screw things up this time -- Serenity probably thought he was crazy, his boss was willing to do anything to make him cry, and he was stuck in a shitty job that he couldn't afford to get out of. His eyes slid over to the door, eager to leave, to go see his daughter. "I miss Emma, but I --" His train of thought changed slightly as he began to think of her. He just wanted to see her, to make her smile, but... not like this. She'd know something bad happened the minute he walked in the door, and the last thing he wanted to do was to have to explain the entire situation to his six-year-old daughter.

His pleading eyes jumped back to Serenity, getting a kind of strange idea in his head. "Listen. Think you could just... talk to me? For a minute or two? Please? Y-You can just say anything, it doesn't even have to make sense, I just... I like to hear your voice. I-It makes me feel better, and... I don't want my daughter to see me like this." He was normally pretty good at keeping it together in front of his Emma, but he didn't want to take the chance of worrying her. It scared her, to see her dad so worked up ove something, and the last thing Jasper wanted to do was upset her again; after all, she was all he had.