Meeting the Teacher [CLOSED]

[Serenity Lane]

Serenity shrugged and sighed, "Well, because I left when she told me to. I shouldn't of, but I didn't want your job on the line simply because I didn't leave." she nodded slightly. "And for being jealous. I've...never been jealous before. At least not over a guy." she blushed. Her eyes moved away slowly.

"I don't lie, Jasper." she sighed, her lips moving into a frown, both at him calling her a liar, and snapping at her. "Maybe I should just leave you alone, and let you get over the shock." she said, then he had his arms tighly around her. She weakly looked down, at how weak he was. She understood, but he didn't need to acuse her of lying, and he defiently didn't need to snap at her. She didn't deserve it.

"How would you hurt me Jasper, honestly. Think of it." she muttered, looking down at him still. She didn't mind how he was acting. It was sweet, and somewhat shocking. She just knew he wouldn't be another boring, dull person.

"Don't be sorry, Jasper, really." she insisted, "Everyone gets upset over things." she nodded. "No. You didn't. Everything is fine." she said, running her hand through his hair gently. She watched him go to the door, and followed behind him.

Then he turned and looked to her. "Well...what do you wanna talk about?" she asked, "I don't really know what to say, but everything is going to be alright. Nothing that happened today..... none of that ruined anything between us." she nodded, leaning in, kissing his cheek. "I wish we.... you, Emma, and me.... I wish we could all just get away. From hateful people." she said, hugging him. "I really do like you Jasper. And I wish you'd just forget what had happened." she looked down, her head against his shoulder lightly.

[Jasper Devine]

"No," Jasper said quickly after she explained herself, shaking his vigorously. He put his hands gently on her cheeks, lifting her head to look her in the eye, "No -- you don't need to be sorry, f-for anything. I'm sorry, I'm the one who should be sorry for making you feel that way." His voice was still a bit shaken up, though it sounded sincere and honest. She shouldn't be the one apologizing, Jasper should be. He should be on his knees, begging her not to leave him for being so stupid and careless. Again, he shook his head, his foggy thoughts slowly but surely beginning to clear. That was it -- he needed to start thinking before he spoke. If he wanted to keep Serenity in his life, if he wanted to make her happy, he couldn't go picking fights with people, especially someone like his own boss who had the power to fuck up his life in more ways than one.

"I know, I know, God no, please, don't leave -- I'm sorry. I didn't -- I didn't mean it, I just -- I can't think. I can barely breathe." He begged her, that incoherent babble dripping off his lips again. His eyes clouded with sorrow, looking down, feeling ashamed of himself once again. See? This was why he needed to start putting some thought into what he said, instead of always just running his mouth. It caused crazy shit like this, shit that neither Jasper nor Serenity needed in their lives right now.

His head lifted to look at her again, a sense of seriousness in his eyes as he answered her, "Because I know what it's like, to walk in on something like that. It... it hurts like hell. And I swore I'd never put anyone in that situation, and... here we are." Jasper responded immediately, his voice sounding strong for the first time since Serenity walked in the room. Still frames of the night he caught Juliet flashed in his eyes, causing him heartache that was as great as the time it happened. It was so painful to think of that he had to close his eyes again just to block out the memory. The situation they were in today was a little different than that, of course -- Juliet chose to abandon him, while Jasper was simply... well, attacked. But, still, it hurt just as much to see someone you care about with somone else, no matter what the circumstances.

He leaned his shoulder against the door, looking suspiciously out the window for anyone -- more specifically, his employeer. There was no way he was going to leave his safe little haven if she was out there, roaming the halls, waiting for him. Jasper couldn't deal with it, not now. His eyes slid back down to Serenity as he felt her kiss him, smiling faintly for the first time since she entered. "I really like you, too, Serenity." He said quietly, returning her embrace by wrapping his arms around her waist, sighing quietly as he rested his head against the door.

[Serenity Lane]

Serenity looked at him, allowing his hands to go to her cheeks. "It was her, that made me feel that way. I didn't like her kissing you." she said, looking over his face. "This is not your fault, or mine." she said, her hands moving to his sides softly.

She couldn't help but smile when he didn't want her to leave. "I won't go. I won't just leave you like that. You gotta do a lot to get rid of me." she said, looking down some.

"Yeah. Jasper. She kissed you though. I understand." she said, looking back into his eyes gently. Her lips pecked his once, smiling shyly as she kept her body against his.

"I think she is gone..." she said, pulling him off to the window. She opened it, "Or we can go out this way?" she suggested, "Unless you're scared of heights. It's really easy getting down though." she laughed softly. She smiled some, as he said he liked her. "Well, I guess it's all good then. Window, or door?" she asked.

[Jasper Devine]

Jasper sighed softly, his head hanging low as he mumbled his response, "I didn't like her kissing me, either." He said in agreement, his tone a little more playful than it was previously, though still awfully heartfelt. Still, Jasper felt he could've prevented all of this from happening, that it was all his own fault, but he stopped arguing. It was fighting that got him in the situation in the first place, so it was probably better that he kept his mouth shut. Plus, he was a little happier to settle on the idea that it was nobody's fault than her trying to take all the blame. It was like a round-about way of compromising. So, rather than continue the battle, Jasper, for once, simply let it go, giving a small nod of his head and a smile in her direction.

His head lifted slightly as she spoke, feeling overjoyed as Serenity declared that she wouldn't leave him. In fact, Jasper was so moved by her statement that he couldn't help but lean in and kiss her the second she finished talking. It was kind of impulsive of him, but he couldn't hold himself back. It was nice to know that he had someone to depend on, someone to trust. "Thank you." He said quietly after he pulled away, his voice dreamy and happy for the first time since they started talking. His pale face brightened a little, the warmth returning to his withered heart as he stared at her.

"You're too forgiving." Jasper observed, shaking his head a little. Not that he was complaining, of course. He might've gone into a relapse if she wasn't so kind about the whole thing. How was he came to meet such a wonderful person like Serenity, anyway? Jasper felt like the luckiest person in the world just to know her. He couldn't help but laugh a little as she quickly kissed him, leaning in once she pulled away to imitate and return the small peck she had just given him.

His eyes glanced back out to the door to look out into the hall one last time before she pulled him in the opposite direction. However, it didn't take long for fear flickered in his hazel eyes as she opened the window, his grip on her hand tightening slightly at her suggestion. However, he tried to hide it, doing a bad job of feigning courage. Boy, did he need more of a backbone. First he freaks out over being slapped and kissed by an older woman, now he was worried about breaking his neck trying to jump out of a window. He took a step forward, looking through the glass, down at the ground. The height itself wasn't really what he was afraid of, it was more the prospect of falling from it that sent him into cardiac arrest. His eyes jumped back to Serenity, taking a few deep breaths, doing his best not to let on that he was a little frightened. It was kind of cute, his attempts at bravery, in a sort of cowardly lion sort of way. "I won't... I won't... die, will I?" He asked, his puppy eyes wide with innocence, his voice low and child-like.

[Serenity Lane]

Serenity smiled at his playful voice and nodded. "Well, I don't blame you. Do you like me kissing you?" she teased. After he had kissed her, she let out a small giggle. "For what?" she asked, listening to his soft voice, and seeing a bit of color come back to his face.

"Nawh. Just, it wasn't your fault." she said, "I am really forgiving though." she laughed, only to have him peck her back. She liked the feeling, his lips against hers.

"No. You won't die." she said, looking down. "Worse that can happen is you fall on your head, and go in coma for twenty years." she joked. "Just climb down like I do. When we get 3/4s of the way, just drop." she said, "I've done this before..." she laughed lightly, moving through the window. There where places to grab in the wall. She slowly climbed down, making sure her feet didn't slip. About three-fourths she let herself drop to the ground, and stumbled backwards, only to fall on her ass. She laughed, staying on the ground to watch him.

[Jasper Devine]

Jasper laughed, running his fingers through her hair just for the fun of it. "I love you kissing me, and vice-versa." He responded, smiling broadly at her as his hands ran down her arms. Kissing her brought him into a state of euphoria -- hell, just being with her was like heaven. She kept him sane, and from jumping out a window or killing someone or... something equally as bad. Jasper would probably still be having a huge mental breakdown if it wasn't for Serenity intervening. In fact, he might be crying in the corner if she wasn't there to save him, or help him back up again. His head hung low for a moment, feeling a little silly that he was so easily manipulated and controlled. After all, he was twenty-two years old, a legal, drinking adult -- there was no reason for him to act so childish.

Jasper shook his head, trying to push the thoughts to the back of his mind. It was over and done with -- he just needed to make sure it never happened again. And thank Serenity for helping him, of course. "For just... I don't know. Staying with me. Keeping my boss from sticking her tongue down my throat, um... and keeping me out of a mental asylum... I don't know." He shrugged his shoulders, looking down, feeling a little embarrassed. What did she think he was thanking her for? She just kept him from being raped by his much older boss, and from going completely insane afterward -- last time he checked, something like that merited some sort of gratitude, right?

His face went blank for a moment, looking dejected and defeated as she spoke, "But you already said it was nobody's fault." Jasper whined childishly, hoping that she wasn't going to start up the argument again. Honestly, he was kind of tired of talking about the entire situation. Considering how badly it freaked him out, it would probably just be better to bury it in the sand with all the other real-life nightmares that Jasper had to suffer through, and never, ever ever bring it up again -- at least, not until tomorrow, when he would have to come to work and most likely deal with her all over again.

It was clear by his worrisome expression that Jasper was still a little weary about jumping out of a freaking window just to escape from his psychopathic boss. But, he trusted Serenity. She would never get him involved in something too dangerous... right? "O-Okay..." He stuttered uneasily, his stomach churning nervously as he watched her climb out the window and down the wall with the grace and agility of a cat. She made it look so simple, which made him even more weary of the situation. Just because Serenity, a physically fit, young, energetic woman could do it with such great ease, didn't mean that Jasper, an awkward, clumsy, lanky boy would have the same fantastic experience. But, there was no backing down now -- he was determined to show Serenity he wasn't afraid, that he could take risks, do things on his own. He was twenty-two years old, for Christ's sake; he should have no problem doing shit like this.

So, after taking a deep breath and saying a silent prayer, Jasper slid out the window, taking a moment to balance himself before he began his descent. For once, he was actually a little thankful that he wore he sneakers over his red, Doc Marten boots -- it made it a lot easier for escape plans like this. His heart pounded as he made his way down, so worried that his foot would slip and he would crash down to the ground and end up leaving in an ambulance with a broken leg, or worse. Luckily, though, he managed to keep steady, at least, until he dropped. Jasper took one look at the ground beneath him before he closed his eyes tightly and let his fingers slip from the rocks in the wall, swiftly plummeting down toward the ground.

He fell onto the grass sooner than expected, letting out a small oomph kind of noise as his ass crashed to the hard ground. Well, that was a little easier than expected. However, as safe as he knew he was, Jasper kept his eyes sealed shut, holding still, afraid to move out of fear he might've broken something and the pain just didn't set in yet. It was completely irrational, maybe even a little stupid to think, but something that crossed his mind and stirred a little bit of terror in his heart. His head groped the ground beside him, blindly searching for Serenity, whom of which he had fallen beside. Finally, he grabbed her wrist, holding it tightly as if to make sure the both of them were still alive, "We're not dead, are we?" Jasper whispered, "I didn't hit my head, and I'm not in a coma, right?"

[Serenity Lane]

"None of this would of happened if it wasn't for me." Serenity sighed, looking up at him. "You do know that, right?" she asked. "If I wouldn't of kissed you, when it was class time." she muttered.

"Your boss wouldn't have her tongue down your throat if I simply wasn't here. But, I do admit, I like being around you." she smiled weakly, leaning in and kissing him before she left out the window.

About half way down she heard him and giggled softly, ignoring it. "Okay, it's not that hard. And if you fall, it's not gonna hurt you that bad. I've fallen three or four times." she winked. She knew he was worried, and afraid. Everyone had fears, and this didn't make him any less of a man. "You sure you want to do this?" she called up, worried he'd panic.

No, he was on the glass. She giggled, as his oomph, and crawled over to him, "Are you okay?" sh asked. She felt him take her wrist, and heard his words. "Oh god, Jasper. You do know I was joking, right?" she asked, "Then again, I'm not funny." she giggled softly. "We aren't dead. I promise". Leaning in, she kissed his lips lightly, not minding she was still in the cold grass. Not to mension it was almost dark, and the wind was blowing harshly. "Oh god. Come on. We have to get you-" she paused. "Emma." she smiled, moving from the ground. She took his hands, pulling him off the ground. He wasn't heavy at all, more like a delicate feather.

[Jasper Devine]

Jasper started shaking his head exuberantly the second Serenity started to place the blame on herself, feeling as though they took twenty steps back from where they were a few minutes ago. "No, No," He snapped, narrowing his eyes and turning his back to her. "I don't want to hear it -- we are officially in a fight, I'm not listening to you -- it was in no way your fault -- I can't believe you'd bring this up again." It was extremely childish of him, and more meant to be an annoyance than anything threatening or menacing. After all, he didn't want to make her feel bad or anything; he just wanted her to drop the subject. Of course, Jasper wasn't really angry with her, nor did he actually think they were in some sort of fight. He was just frustrated that she kept bringing them back around the same circle again, especially since he finally feeling ready to just let the whole thing go and move on. Besides, if anyone should have the blame, it should be him -- he was the one who provoked Mrs. Whatsherface into hitting him, and then later practically attempting to rape him. But, Serenity didn't want to listen to that. Similarly, Jasper didn't want to listen to her complain about how it was her fault, when she wasn't even there for any of it. So, since it seemed they had reached quite an impasse with no compromise or agreement in sight, the only possible solution would be to shut the hell up about it and let it go.

"Yeah, well..." Jasper mumbled under his breath, turning around again to face her. "I like spending time with you, too, when you're not trying to put the blame on yourself for something you obviously didn't cause." He crossed his arms over his chest, looking at her with dissatisfaction in his eyes and a faint, 'i-love-you-but-just-shut-the-fuck-up-about-this' kind of smile over his face. However, as flustered as he was, her sweet kiss did make him feel a little better. Jasper bowed his head, laughing a little at how easily she could turn his mood around. Unfortunately, he didn't stay too contented for long, though, for the silence that hung over the two of them suddenly triggered one of his oldest addictions: nicotine.

Gently, Jasper bit his lip, glancing over toward his desk. "Awh, fuck.." He muttered, sighing heavily. Did he throw any cigarettes in there when he first walked in this morning? He shook his head. Probably not, and if he did, Emma most likely went through his shit and pulled them out. She was highly against his terrible smoking habits, and did everything in her power to keep him from doing it, even going so far as to flush his packs of cigarettes down the toilet, or throw them out a window. It wasn't that he smoked that often, only one or two when he got a little stressed out, but after learning about the dangers of cigarettes, Emma became hellbent on getting him to stop completely. It was for her, and only for her, that Jasper had been trying to quit for the past four or five years -- unfortunately, though, each attempt ended after a few months.

He walked toward his desk, trying to be subtle, praying to God he had at least some of those shitty strips of nicotine gum with him. They didn't help all too much, but they were something to keep him from lighting up right then and there. He hurriedly fumbled through his drawers and papers until Jasper finally stumbled across a pack and pulled out about five of the little white pieces, popping them like candy into his mouth. "You want to have a little bit of blame, too? Fine -- It's all your fault that I have a huge craving for a cigarette right now, and that I might just go back on a promise that I made to Emma because of it. There. There's your blame." It was all meant as one, big, sarcastic joke, but somehow it still managed to come out sounding a little harsh. In fact, it didn't even really sound very playful or good-natured anymore, it just made Jasper kind of sound like a dick. He came to this realization once he finally started thinking about what he said, looking up at her with an apologetic look on his face. After all, the last thing he wanted to do was make her feel bad. "I-I'm just kidding, you know, it's not really your fault at all." He paused, shaking his head, "I'm sorry, I'm just... being... bitter."

A heavy sigh rolled off his lips, so thankful that the whole 'climbing down the wall' thing didn't stress him out too much. In fact, it was a lot easier than Jasper expected it to be. Sure, he never wanted to have to do it again, but this one time wasn't all that bad. He took a few deep breaths, just trying to get his head straight again as he listened to her talk. "That's a lie," Jasper snapped as he opened his eyes, looking at her seriously, "You are so very funny." A smile cracked his soft lips upward as he kissed her back, allowing his eyes to flutter to a close once again. They didn't stay that way for long, though, for they opened the minute she mentioned Emma. Oh, fuck. Jasper bit his lip, pushing himself up with Serenity's help. "Shit, she's going to be pissed." He mumbled, unable to help but laugh a little, "We stayed here a lot later than I expected to be." Not that it was really a huge deal or anything, it was just an observation. Emma would get over it the minute he offered to take her out for dinner or ice cream or something.

[Serenity Lane]

Serenity looked at him shake his head and sighed, only hearing him snap at her again. "Fine. I really don't like fighting. So maybe you should just go pick your kid up. And I need to go home anyways." she looked upset, and heart broken. She never did like people snapping at her, and she hated fighting with people she was close too, and she felt she was already close to him.

"Well I do put blame on myself alot." she snapped at him, "It was my fault, and you just seem too blind to see it." she said, looking at his arms cross, and his eyes. She ignored his smile, almost regretting that she met him. But she couldn't change it now. She was in love, but he was doing almost everything that annoyed her.

Her eyes watered as she listened to him, "Whatever. Jasper. You're just being a dick now." she said, getting from the ground, about to leave him there. "You're not sorry, or you wouldn't of said it!" she said, tears rolling down her eyes harshly.

"And stop saying I'm lieing! I hardly lie, and I have no reason to lie to....a complete stranger!" she said, starting to gasp for air. She did have athsma but it never acted up, so she never had her inhauler with her. She was surprised he had made her break down like this. "So yeah. Go pick your daughter up, I'll see you tomorrow. Plus I don't want to ruin what friendship we seem to already have."

[Jasper Devine]

"Emma!" Jasper corrected, his tone a combination of lighthearted humor and irritation. He turned around, a crooked smile over his face, only to be greeted by her miserable demeanor. Oh shit. His face went blank and guilt stung his heart the second he realized he had offended her, feeling his stomach sink nervously. Were his words really that hurtful to her? He was just joking, after all; never did Jasper mean for his words to cut her so deeply. "Look, Serenity, I'm --" He began to apologize again, only to get cut off by the rest of her little episode. Apparently they were both pretty on edge, considering this was basically one big mental breakdown after another.

"I'm not blind, you're just being --" His jaw hung down as if he was about to say something else, but something stilled his voice. Honestly, Jasper was about two seconds away from calling her stupid, which definitely would not have helped the situation at all. But, for once, he was able to hold back his tongue. Apparently, thinking before you speak really does make a difference. "O-Over analytical." Jasper finally finished, deciding to take his little speech in a new direction. "You're thinking way too far into this. It wasn't your fault -- I swear on my life it wasn't -- but if it was, I mean, who really cares? You know I'd love you regardless of whose fault it was." He hesitated for a second, re-thinking his choice of words. Was 'love' too strong to say so suddenly after they met? Yes. Again, his face went blank. Oh fuck. Well, so much for thinking before you speak. Maybe he should put that rule into effect more often, since it really did help out in these situations.

Jasper quickly tried to change the subject, hoping that maybe she'd just overlook his poor and somewhat inappropriate word choice, "A-And plus, what's the point on dwelling on the subject, anyway? You said it yourself, to just pretend it never happened. So, fault and blame really don't matter anymore." Normally, he was pretty into arguing, but this fight was really beginning to lose it's appeal. He made her cry, for Christ's sake, which definitely wasn't his attention. Boy, talk about a real asshole, making a poor girl cry twice in the same day. Maybe if he would've had that same effect on Mrs. Whatsherface, things might've turned out differently. But, unfortunately, that wasn't the case, and here he was, standing out in the cold, trying to figure out a plan to cheer her up again.

"But, you know, if that kind of reason isn't good enough for you, maybe we should just come to a compromise. All has to be fair in love and war, right? So, we'll just have to share." He gave a small smile, "You can take half the blame, and I'll take half. That way, we can both win." His face scrunched slightly, taking a moment to think about what he said. Technically, it wouldn't really be 'winning', would it? It wasn't like there was a contest to see who could accumulate the most blame in a day. On the contrary, to be at fault for something was usually a bad thing. "Or... lose... depending on how you want to look at it." Jasper gave a small shrug of his shoulders, hoping to just get some kind of rise out of her. Remose and anxiety continued to rush through his veins, causing his heart to beat faster and louder in his chest with every passing second.

However, Jasper couldn't help but get a little annoyed by the end of her tirade. Everything else was pretty well deserved considering her did sound like an asshole, but this time, all he tried to do was tell her she was funny, and she lashed out because of it. "My God, Serenity, really? I was complimenting you. I mean, I know I'm kind of an asshole sometimes, but not every word out of my mouth is completely acinine." He narrowed his eyes slightly, feeling a little irritated that she jumped down his throat for some kind of praise. It didn't really last long, though, because after a few seconds he realized it would only dig him a deeper grave to be so bitter.

A sigh rolled off his lips, uncrossing his arms as he pleaded, "Look, Serenity, I'm sorry. Really I am -- I never meant to offend you or anything, I swear. I just... I don't know. I don't think before I speak, I don't know." His voice was soft and sincere, just begging her for some sort of forgiveness. He started to walk toward her, hoping to try to comfort her or do something to make things better. Her breathing seemed a bit erratic, and her sudden outburst was beginning to worry him. However, Jasper stopped after a step or two, fearing that she might just get even more upset if he tried to touch her when she was so angry at him. So, he stood there, a short distance away, looking nervous and regretful amidst all her sorrow. "Please, just, just breathe, okay?"

[Serenity Lane]

Serenity looked at him as he corrected her and sighed. It didn't matter anymore. Her little explosion would probably ruin anything she had planned with him. A life together, a family, living together. She wasn't sure why she was thinking of these things. Maybe it was because she found someone she was interested in, and she was scared of dying alone?

Serenity knew he was about to call her stupid, when he had paused. "Yeah. That's it Jasper. It's me that is analytical." she sighed softly. "You...You'd love me?" she said, smiling slightly.

Her smile disappeared as he changed the subject and sighed. "Then let's just forget it... I didn't mean to bring it up again." she said. She didn't care they were outside, in the cold, windy weather, arguing about something so stupid. Though she was getting cold.

Though she couldn't help but smile, when he offered to take half the blame. She moved closer, then stopped some. "Complimenting...?" she said. "Well yeah, but you keep telling me that I am lieing!" she sighed, trying to ignore her racing heart. "Let's....just forget it... Jasper."she said, moving over to him, allowing her arms to go around him, and her head to rest on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Jasper..." she said. "It's been a really....really long day." she added, her eyes looking up into his, looking almost innocent. Her breathing had calmed down, which was good. "I need to go home though. My athsma is...really acting up." she said, looking down, embarassed that she even had it. She didn't want to let go of him though, she felt like she never wanted to let go.

[Jasper Devine]

Jasper shook his head vigorously after Serenity spoke, her tone prompting him to explain his point further, "No, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I'm not that way or anything, since over-analytical is like my middle name, but..." He paused, "Come to think of it... that might not be the best word for this. Maybe... I don't know. Whatever. I just think you're making this more of a hassle than it has to be." Honestly, though, he didn't really have much room to talk about 'making things more of a hassle than they needed to be.' Jasper was always freaking out over stupid, little things, like those trivial details that barely mattered. For example, whenever his hair didn't sit just the way he liked, he'd throw a fit that would result in him being on edge for the rest of the day. It was an extremely feminine, somewhat over the top worry, but Jasper couldn't help it -- things like that just drove him crazy.

Then of course, she had to bring up the one thing Jasper was praying would just be overlooked. She had to point it out -- the 'L' word, that silly, four letter word that was probably both the simplest and the most complicated noun in the English dictionary. Love. His heart fluttered and his stomach sunk at the thought. Did he love her? Honestly, Jasper couldn't quite say. He had an interest in her, he really liked her -- but could you really fall in love with someone after only one day? Sure, it happened all the time in fairytales -- take that silly Disney movie "Enchanted," for example -- but was that really something that could happen in real life? It seemed too good to be true. While his mind deliberated on the subject, his heart seemed to already have an answer in mind, for before he could even notice, he ended up blurting out a response that he would more than likely never live down.

"... yeah." His voice was quiet, almost inaudible, and his expression made him look completely lost in thought. In fact, he was so caught up in his mind that Jasper was barely paying attention to what he was saying; so, one can imagine how embarrassed and awkward he felt once he realized he said his answer outloud. In order to try to cover things up a little, Jasper shook his head, quickly following up his quiet whisper with a loud, klutzy stutter, "I-I-I mean, well, y-you're my friend." He stood up a little straighter and nodded, trying his best to sound serious and convincing, but unfortunately for Jasper, it didn't work well. So, maybe that was two things to work on for tomorrow: thinking before he spoke, as well as the fine art of lying.

It didn't take long for him to get caught in yet another situation where he sounded like a bumbling idiot. "Well, yeah, I said that, but, I mean, it wasn't meant as an insult. Like, you said you weren't funny, so I said no, you're wrong, you're lying, because you really are funny, so saying that you weren't would be a lie." Jasper tripped clumsily over his words, doing his best to explain where he was coming from and what he meant. "... Y-You know?" He raised his eyebrows slightly, his cheeks getting a little red at his jumbled, almost incoherent clarification. Was that a good indication of how the year was going to go or what? He could barely talk to a person one-on-one; how in God's name was he ever going to be able to get a group across to a group of students? The idea seemed so far-fetched and out of reach it was unbelievable. Luckily, though, he did have Serenity to help him out. Plus, there really couldn't be a day that was much worse than this one, right?

A relieved sigh rolled off of his lips, glad to know she wasn't all that angry anymore. He returned the favor by wrapping his arms around her waist, holding her to his chest in an attempt to keep her warmer, and just because he enjoyed the feeling of being close to her. "I'm sorry, too. I didn't really have to be such an asshole." Jasper gave a small nod, doing his best to hid the disappointment in his eyes. Honestly, he was really looking forward to going out with Serenity, and for her to get to know Emma. Apparently, though, that was just going to have to wait for another day. "Do you need a ride there, or at least a jacket, or something?" Though he was asking her politely, Jasper made a mental note in his head not to let her walk home all by herself. It was dark, it was cold, and it was a bad neighborhood. Well, that was a lie; Arcadia was actually a pretty quiet, rural town. Still, though, just because you didn't hear anything didn't mean there wasn't anything going on. Every community had at least one psychopath that came out at night, right? The thought was highly irrational, especially considering the probability of Serenity getting abducted or killed on her walk home was awfully slim. Yet, Jasper wasn't willing to take the chance. Plus, he might have a heart attack if he wasn't absolutely certain she got home okay.

[Serenity Lane]

Serenity ignored what he had said, trying to stop them from argue. She forced another smile. "Lets...just stop talking about it... Jasper." she said, still close to him. She looked away slightly, the silence getting a bit awkward.

She shouldn't of asked him, about the love thing, and she didn't know why she even did. Though she heard his yes, then him saying she was his friend. Her eyes of joy shattered some. What was she thinking, that was all they would ever be, friends.

"Jasper..." she looked up at him, "Just forget it... Okay? I'm...fine." she nodded slightly. She looked at his red cheeks, and him seeming to struggle to talk.

She heard his sigh, smiling again. "It's okay." she said quietly. She wanted to meet Emma, but maybe tonight just wasn't the best night. "Nah. I don't live far off." she said, her arms moving from his body, though he still held her. So she put her arms infront of her, and onto his chest to keep them warm. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" she asked, glancing up into his eyes. She wanted to kiss him, but she forced herself not to.

[Jasper Devine]

“Fine,” Jasper took a breath and released it, nodding in agreement, “Fine.” Things immediately got quiet after he spoke, and though he was normally bothered by such long silences, for once, he kind of enjoyed it. It was nice, to just be still, even if it was just for a minute or two. In fact, Jasper was so relaxed by it that a stupid sort of smile crossed his face, just happy that everything had finally settled down. Maybe now he could finally have some sort of peace, instead of the constant adrenaline rush he’d been feeling all throughout the day. Normally, he’d be thrilled to have such excitement in his life, for normally it was dull and often tedious, but all the crying and yelling he had to suffer through was quite the opposite of thrilling. In fact, things were so bad this past day that the only thing Jasper was really looking forward to at this point was picking up Emma and going home to sleep it all off. With any luck, things would only get better from here, and he’d have a chance to start over tomorrow.

But, of course, Serenity just had to go making things difficult for him by declining his offer. Why was it that immediately after they settle one argument, they had to fall right into another? Hopefully, though, this wouldn’t turn into another full-on fight; Jasper couldn’t see it getting to that point. But then again, his entire day went far over any expectations he might have had, and definitely not for the better. “Are you sure?” He asked, sounding gentle yet persistent, still holding on to the young brunette in spite of the fact she had already dismissed him. Honestly, Jasper didn’t want her to leave just yet. He liked being with her, talking to her, spending time together. It was nice having someone fairly close to his own age to hang out with: a friend, who had the potential to turn into something further down the line. Jasper shook his head, releasing the thought, smiling a little as he looked down at the ground.

Finally, he looked up again, adding a few reasons to support his suggestion, “It’ll be a lot faster, a-and warmer, and…” Jasper hesitated, his eyes moving away from her in embarrassment as his voice dropped in volume, “i-it’ll make me feel better, knowing you got in okay.” An innocent and concerned smile curved his lips upward as he gave a small shrug of his shoulders, trying to make it harder for her to say ‘no.’

[Serenity Lane]

Smiling slightly, she looked down, finally glad he let it go. She hugged him again, her eyes closing as she felt his somewhat warm body. "How about tomorrow... I could meet Emma. If you aren't busy. I mean. She may be mad you're late. And it wouldn't be a good night tonight." she added.

"Fine. Jasper. Okay." she said, trying to avoid another arguement. "If it'll make you happy." she added. Leaning in, she kissed his lips lightly. She couldn't help, she kissed them once, and now she never wanted to stop. She still held onto him, her eyes still remained closed. "You're really warm." she moaned softly to him. She heard him speak again, and laughed softly. "You're such a sweetheart." she said.

"Let's go." she said, her hand moving to his as her hug went away. "Lead the way." she said, looking at his innocent smile. "I hate how.....cute...and innocent and....sweet you are. You make it hard for me to say no." she whined softly.