"What?" I glanced up at him, horrified that kids would do such a thing. Sure, I had my share of bad rumors spread about me and after Father's and then Gabriel's death, I saw the true side of people, but I would never be able to deal with people coming to my face and saying those words.
"Kids aren't nice when you don't fit in with the cool crowd," Maximus pointed out.
"But...that doesn't give them the right to tease you," I countered.
"I know, Jewel. Just...that’s how it was. I was the perfect target for any bully. When I met Brax, he noticed how closed off I was. I rarely talked, I had to deal with my dying mother and the reality my father was already gone. I guess I grew up fast but gained weight because I had to make my own meals which was hard and we didn't have a lot of money after Mom's treatment."
He sighed, using his free hand to ruffle his hair and looking up and the ceiling, as if to stop the tears I noticed in his eyes.
"It's something I hate talking about. I actually haven't told anyone else but here I am randomly spilling my guts to you. I just...hated life back then. The bullying happened every day, I was called a pig and because I had a wider frame and not bulky fit thighs, they nicknamed me My-thigh-us. I thought they meant Mythus, talking about ancient gods and their power but it was simply a term they used to make fun of my fat thighs. It sucked balls and I was lonely..."
I lifted my hand and wiped the tear that had escaped his eyes. He smiled, looking down to meet my gaze. I didn't want him thinking I felt sorry for him, I despised bullying and the lingering effects it had because I myself had experienced those effects, even to this day.
"Once I started opening up to Brax, he found out I was getting bullied. It was shortly after my mom had died and I was forced to go to school the next day while they figured out which foster care I'd be placed in. I didn't know what was going to happen to me, or what my future would hold, and I was frightened they would throw away all the memories of my parents. They hadn’t been bad people, they just both had an illness that they couldn't conquer, yet I felt I was being penalized for it. When I got to school, instead of people saying ‘sorry for your loss,’ they laughed."
He took a deep, calming breath and continued. "They laughed and laughed as if my mother's death was funny. No one knew the pain I held in my heart, but they thought it was hilarious. I stood there in shame and cried, wishing I could just fade away to be with my parents. That's when Brax showed up at my school and beat the shit out of the bully who always started the taunting. When the teachers got involved, Brax explained everything that had happened."
"Wow...did the teachers apologize for not noticing?" I wondered.
"They didn't believe us at first. They thought I was making things up since a few students involved were from well-off families. They thought I was jealous of their quality of life, because mine was spiraling down into nothing. That's where Kage comes in." Maximus smirked.
"Kage?" I asked.
Maximus nodded. "Brax told his parents that I was getting bullied, but said they doubted the school would believe him because there was no evidence. Kage loves taking pictures and had a little camera his parents bought him for his 9th birthday. Apparently, Brax would sneak Kage out of school and they came to my school and began tracking the times I got bullied, taking tons of pictures. So when the bullies tried to throw me under the bus and tell me I was making lies up to get sympathy and prolong my time in foster care, Brax and his parents arrived with all the photos they developed from Kage's camera with a timeline for every event. They compared it with video surveillance and it matched perfectly."
"Justice," I cheered softly, wishing I could have been there myself to punch the living daylights out of all those bullies.
Maximus chuckled, his hand playing with my hair. "Ya, justice did feel good."
"What happened after that? Did you have to go to a new family? If Kage was nine, that means you were ten and Brax was eleven," I considered, remembering Brax and Maximus were one year apart, and Kage was younger than Maximus.
"I transferred to Brax's school and his parents took me in. I didn't change my last name or anything, simply because I wanted to keep my parents’ legacy. The Parks paid for my parents’ lingering medical bills and paid off the house. I was able to go there whenever I missed my parents, but I lived with Brax and his family from then onward. They're like family now, that's why we're so close."
"Are you upset about what Zane did?" I asked.
Maximus was silent for a full minute before answering. "I'm upset that he's putting himself into a position where he will either get bullied into doing more reckless things or be thrown away like trash and will have no one to support him when he needs to get back up. I'm more angered at the fact you got seriously hurt due to his selfishness."
"So his new friends told him to not help during the exam, and I guess he thought if he played the 'I don't know how to create a net' excuse, the situation would work itself out. But then he realized creating a cement wall of such height was mana costing and he couldn't summon a wind sheet strong enough to prevent me from hitting the wall as hard as I did," I summarized, playing out the situation through my words since my brain was still playing catch up.
"Essentially yes. He could have used wind or levitation magic to halt your movement. I couldn't interfere or we would have been disqualified. You shot the others out of the arena and won, by the way." Maximus winked and I giggled.
"Excellent."
"That sounded more diabolical then it should have," Maximus commented.
I glanced back at Logan who stirred slightly. "Precious...Jewel,” he whispered, before falling back to sleep. I glanced at his bruised hand again, not liking how purple and discolored it looked.
"Did Logan snap?" I asked.
"As in, did he beat the shit out of Zane before Brax and Nixon could? Yes, and those two had to pull Logan off Zane and lock him in a room for three hours. I think after he broke the fourth light bulb Savannah finally told him if he didn't stop messing with the electricity, she'd ban him from seeing you. That’s when he calmed down," Maximus revealed.
I sighed, feeling bad for Logan. He had a really bad temper when it came to me getting hurt and as much as I told him to work on his "talking" skills, it always ended up with him teaching the person a lesson with his fist instead.
"That's just how Logan is, but how did Zane take it? Is he here?" I asked.
"He's not," Maximus admitted. I turned my head to look at him and he had a stern look on his face. "He's at a friend’s place."
"Please don't tell me he went back to the same friends that fucked him over?"
"You guessed it, Precious," Maximus grumbled.
I groaned; the amount of stupidity involved in this situation could induce headaches. "I can't believe this."
"Neither can we. I think he believes he'll have to suck up to them since his grade wasn't revealed yet," Maximus explained.
"It wasn't? But mine was? Did you get your grade?" I asked.
"Yes. We both passed, scoring perfect for bravery, quick thinking, and swift intervention. You demonstrated an act of selflessness which in real life could have cost you your life and they said my act of intervention by pointing out Zane's wrongs is what a commander on a mage warrior team would have done. I guess others in the past haven't voiced their concerns during tests."
"Was Zane's grade delayed because of the incident?"
"I think so. I'm not really sure. I believe Zane thinks it’s because his 'friends' are going to help him out."
"That could totally backfire," I pointed out.
"I know, but I hope it happens," Maximus admitted.
I glanced at him. "You’re okay with him doing poorly or potentially failing?"
"Yes." His tone was confident.
I blinked in confusion. "But...why?"
"You got seriously hurt, Jewel. You didn't just get a few scratches. You hit your head so hard you were bleeding internally. We're lucky we didn't have to get outsiders involved
, but Savannah used to help in surgical procedures with magic involvement and was able to stop the bleed before it got too severe." Maximus sounded extremely upset.
I was silent, not liking his harsh tone. He noticed and took a deep breath.
"Jewel. You've known us for three weeks now, and have probably noticed Brax is the cool type right?" Maximus asked.
"Well...yea. He has the 'do not mess with me or I'll wreck shit up' appearance," I admitted.
Maximus grinned. "He doesn't like showing his emotions unless he's pissed or really troubled by something. I haven’t seen him so worried in years and when he's concerned, he goes from confident to the clumsiest person on the planet."
"What?" I asked, trying not to be mean but couldn't help but snicker. I couldn't imagine Brax being clumsy at all. He just had a dominant nature to him.
"Yup. He already tripped up the stairs twice yesterday and the day before walked straight into the wall when he tried to come in here." Maximus chuckled.
"Oh no. That isn't good. Wait...how long have I been unconscious for?" I furrowed my brow in confusion.
"Today is Sunday, Precious, so four days."
My eyes went wide. "I missed four days! How am I gonna catch up?" I whispered, unsure whether to feel worried or happy I got to skip a few classes. This technically counted as resting, right?
"You've been excused. The other professors were notified and Nixon, Kage, and I made notes for you, Brax, and Logan."
"Brax and Logan? They missed class?" I inquired.
"They've been alternating watching you," Maximus confessed.
"They didn't have to," I mumbled, looking at Logan and suddenly understanding why he looked so exhausted.
"Jewel."
I lifted my head and Maximus kissed my forehead. The kiss was a bit lower than the previous, avoiding the bandage and the softness of his lips made me shiver. At least I knew my body’s hormones were working just fine.
"They wanted to, and the only reason we weren’t able to was because Ms. Landsford scolded us after we all skipped Thursday classes." Maximus grinned confidently.
I giggled at his prideful expression. "So proud," I emphasized with a smile before yawning.
"Are you hungry or want to sleep?" Maximus asked.
"I think I'll sleep. I don't have an appetite," I confessed.
"Okay." I wondered if he was going to leave, making me grip his shirt with my free hand. "Do you mind staying?" I asked.
He smirked. "I wasn't going to leave you,” he reassured me with a soft expression. I relaxed, feeling relieved before resting my head on his chest, while his hand rubbed up and down my arm soothingly.
"Thanks, Maximus." I really did feel grateful. He didn't need to stay, none of them did. Aside from Logan and my small advances with Nixon and Brax, I hadn't gotten time to get to really know everyone, let alone be cared for like we were actually lovers. But deep inside I was extremely happy, overjoyed that these men were willing to take care of me at my lowest and accept my flaws and weaknesses.
"You're welcome, Jewel and just call me Maxi, if it makes you more comfortable,” he encouraged and I grinned.
“Maxi, Maxi, Maxi," I whispered.
"Okay, not that often,” he amended. I giggled before I thought about what we'd have to do with Zane.
Tomorrow was Monday which meant we'd be entering the fourth week of classes and midterms were approaching. We would have to figure something out and get him out of that crowd.
The real problem? Would he let us?
"Logan Cross, you can't stop me from going to school today." I crossed my arms defiantly over my oversized "My Men, My Rules" shirt that Nixon and Braxton bought yesterday. I hadn't even made a claim on them, but I actually really liked the shirt and asked Nixon to go buy me one in every color. Ya, I know, a little obsessive but it's a really nice shirt and big enough I don’t have to wear pants.
"I'm gonna run away so you can have your little fight." Nixon yawned, picking up bunny Alice who was nibbling on a carrot.
"Bye. Don't think too hard. The nurse said anger increases brain activity and causes headaches," Alice stressed in my head in a hushed tone.
You don't need to whisper, you know.
"Whisper, whisper, whisper," Alice replied and I smiled at both of them before they exited the room, closing the door behind them.
"Why does everyone leave when they think we're going to fight?"
"Well..." I began and Logan sighed.
"Because violence doesn't solve anything. Okay, I won't argue with you."
I grinned and he walked over to where I stood. I uncrossed my arms and he pulled me into a hug. I wrapped my arms tightly around him while his left arm settled around my waist and his right hand stroked my hair.
It was Friday and I'd been forced against my will to stay home all week. I guess it was more because I almost face planted the floor on Tuesday, Kage catching me just in time. Thanks to that little incident, the guys wouldn't let me do anything. I couldn't even switch to Jinn. How boring.
"Can't I go, Logan?" I whispered pleadingly. He was quiet but his arm tightened around me. "Are you worried?" I asked.
The room was silent as seconds passed before he finally responded. "Yes."
"Savannah cleared me and I got a scan done yesterday with Maximus. I'm fine Logan." I pulled back to meet his eyes.
"I..." He trailed off, his struggle to give me an answer appeared in his conflicted expression. "I just don't want you getting hurt like that again. I know you can't avoid school anymore and midterms are next week, but I need you to be careful and not put yourself in danger like that again."
"It wasn't that..." I began but his eyes darkened and I closed my mouth.
"Jewel, you haven't had a seizure in years. Now you have to take your meds to ensure it doesn't happen again,” he reminded me. I bit my lip, looking away.
"I get it, but I couldn't just lose. I made it this far. Why is it fair that I have to do poorly not because I lacked in power, but because of Zane's 'I want friends' plot?" I whined.
Logan took a deep inhale and brushed my cheek to make me look back at him. "It's not fair. I definitely agree with you and that's what the professor thought when she failed Zane."
"What?! Ms. Landsford failed him?!" I exclaimed.
Logan nodded. "If it wasn't for the fact Zane's a Park and they've contributed to the school's growth for years, she flatly pointed out that she would have voted for Zane to be reconsidered and made to apply again next year."
"It's...not because of me, right?" I asked hesitantly, not wanting to be the cause of Zane’s failure.
Logan leaned in, giving me a tender kiss on the lips. "It's not because of you. It’s due to the fact that he was influenced to act against what he was required to do. He was assigned our team and the point of the test was teamwork and combined strength. If he was so easily influenced by friends, he could be manipulated by the enemy and used against us. That's why it’s a big deal. Being a mage warrior doesn't only mean fighting. There are negotiations and underlying tactics used to save people’s lives and in that test, you and Maximus could have lost yours."
I swallowed the lump in my throat at the thought. I knew everyone was right, that if this was a real-life situation in the field, I could have actually died and now with my seizure condition having resurfaced, it could affect me long-term.
Logan studied my expression before taking my face in his hands and kissing me again, but deeper this time. My hand squeezed the side of his black shirt, hiding the way they trembled. He didn't know how stressful it was staying home in bed and how each day that passed left me more anxious about the future.
Even with everything that happened, it was the first time I felt like I wanted to try and give this girl-to-boy gig a shot. To put forth 100%; even if I ended up failing, I could at least say I gave it my all. I didn't want that being taken away from me because I wasn't physically and mentally strong enough to deal with the aftermath of a 'test gone wrong.’
>
Logan slowly backed me up against the wall next to our bunk bed, his mouth devouring my moans as his hands moved from my face to trail down the side of my waist and stop at my hips.
His groin pressed against mine and I moaned loudly, enjoying the throbbing sensation and growing excitement I was experiencing. I think I must have hit the hormonal department in my brain because I'd felt hornier this past week than ever and had no idea how I was going to get away with no masturbating today if I was stuck at home with five males timing how long it took me to freaking pee.
If she takes longer than five minutes in the washroom, check on her. Damn doctors’ instructions. I bet he doesn't know how long a masturabation session can take.
He broke the kiss, giving me time to catch my breath. "You have to promise if you feel unwell, I get to take you straight home. Agreed?” he breathed, panting just as heavily as me.
I nodded. "Agreed."
"So if I don't want her going, do I get a scorching hot kiss with her too?"
I blushed as Logan and I turned to see Braxton relaxing on Nixon's bed. "When did you get here?" Logan demanded, raising an eyebrow at Brax.
"When you went all smooth and cradled her face before kissing the-"
"Alright. I'm gonna shower," I announced. Brax rose up and walked in my path. I frowned before giving him a pout. "I'm fine, Brax."
He eyed me carefully, his green eyes scanning me from head to toe. "You'll make sure you tell one of us if you're not feeling well, right?"
I sighed but nodded. "Yes. I promise to inform the resting police when I don't feel well."
Brax grinned before pulling me into a hug. "We aren't the resting police. We're the Jewel Police, ensuring our precious Jewel remains intact and unscratched after having a difficult journey of recovery." His lips pressed lightly on the nape of my neck and moved upward. I closed my eyes, enjoying his lingering kisses. He pulled back after the fifth teasing kiss and grinned at my flushed expression.
"So creative," I muttered and his smile widened.
"I know. My creativity has no boundaries,"
"Confident much," Logan mumbled and I remembered he was still in the room. I looked as he relaxed on the wall he'd pinned my body to, his hands in his pockets as he watched us with a smirk on his face.
Reflections of You Page 24
