The Wasted Days.

“Stay away from the fucking peanut butter!” I screamed as I threw on my clothes. This is probably the fastest I’ve moved today. “Jared Tyler Sanders! If you lay one finger on that damn jar…” I yelled, implying that I would make him wish he was never born. Or at least something along those lines.

There was a loud noise and I could hear Lexa yelling, “He touched it! He touched it!” along with a chorus of 'No I didn’t’s coming from Jared. I rolled my eyes. I walked slowly down the stairs, not wanting to fall and hurt myself.

“Jared, I swear to God,” I muttered, ultimately just regretting leaving it out on the counter in the first place, “if you ate some of that…” I stopped as I entered the kitchen. The two of them were on the floor, laughing.

“I can’t believe you believed me!” Lexa cried out, slamming her palm against the floor. How could she think this was funny? I glared in her direction.

“For once, she was the one lying.” Jared frowned. “See, it’s not always me!” He pointed to himself before smiling widely. I nodded, rolling my eyes, as he jumped to his feet and engulfed me in a hug.

“Lexa! Lexa! Your boyfriend’s raping me! Beat him off with a stick!” I yelled, laughing as he squeezed me tighter and tighter until I couldn’t breathe anymore. Cartoon-me’s face was turning blue.

“Jesus, Jared! Let go of the poor thing!” Lexa yelled and I could feel her fingers prying at his arms.

“Fine, fine. You know you love it.” He winked at me as he backed up into the island with his hands raised. I smiled weakly before turning around. I pretended I was just picking the jar up off of the floor and was putting it away, but really I could have cared less if it just lied there for the rest of eternity. I just needed a cover for the small tear that leaked from the corner of my eye.

When had I become such a wimp?

“And by the way, my name isn’t Jesus Jared. It’s just Jared.” Lexa let out a short laugh before yawning, resulting in me yawning.

“So, what did you do all day?” She asked me as I pushed the jar of peanut butter as far back on the shelf as it would go. I knew that it didn’t hide it very well, but I also doubted that Jared would go near it.

“Slept, watched TV, stuff like that…” I muttered, my lips turning down a little at their corners before I turned around to face them and I leaned against the island.

“…and you’re still tired?” Lexa asked skeptically. I nodded and half-smiled towards her. “Whatever.” She shook her head before deciding to dig in the fridge.

“Honestly, there isn’t a thing in there.”

“What the hell happened to your hand?!” Jared yelled and I nearly jumped out of my skin.

“Jesus, Jared!” I said holding my head. “I hit a wall okay? Stop yelling.” I moaned out.

“Seriously? You hit a wall?” Lexa asked straightening up to look over at me. I exaggerated a nod and sat up on top of my stool.

“Why?” Jared asked narrowing his eyes at me slightly.

“I was angry at it.” I rolled my eyes. “Plus, it was pink.” I thought maybe that would justify the weirdness of the situation.

“Aren’t you normally,” he paused, “against violence... and stuff?”

Why were they taking this so seriously all of the sudden? I looked down at my hand, still swollen and a dark, almost green looking, blue. I closed my eyes slowly and fought off the nausea and sleepiness. For some reason it would come on in waves. “Yeah, I guess.” I couldn’t deny it. I almost never went to any sports besides soccer, because of the way people would push each other around on the field or court. I could hardly stand his sport, but I’ve always put up with it for him.

Not that I didn’t let him know I hated it.

“And your wall seriously pissed you off that much?” He asked, motioning towards my hand.

“I guess,” I whispered. I wished he would just drop it. I felt his fingers encase themselves around mine.

“At least it’s your left hand.” When I raised my eyes to look up at him, he was smiling half-heartedly at me. “Alexa… come look at this.” He murmured in her direction.

“What?” She asked and out of the corner of my eye I could see her pulling herself out of the fridge and walking over to us. “Oh, shit!” Her eyes widened to the size of saucers.

I rolled my eyes and shook my head before letting my forehead rest in the crook of my right arm, which I had lying bent on the counter.

“I think you broke it, Sayers.” Jared said quietly, poking the side of my head. I have never liked him calling me that, but right now I didn’t feel up to arguing with him. I just wanted to go back to bed.

“I think it’ll be fine.” I mumbled into the counter-top.

“I think you’re dumb.” Lexa put in decidedly. I rocked my head side to side on my arm before pushing away from the island with my right hand and started heading for the stairs.

“I think I’m sick.” Lately I’d been just tired and cold. Maybe I had the flu or something. “Maybe it’s the flu.” I muttered swinging myself up the first few stairs before losing my steam and just barely climbing up the rest.

“Already? It’s only October, Sayers.” Again with the stupid nickname.

“I don’t know Jare, I’m just tired.” I paused where I was standing on the stairs to look back down at where the both of them stood at the bottom.

“It’s only four-something.” He looked down at his feet and hair fell into his face. “You must be sick.” He looked back up at me with a half smile. His blue eyes shined up at me when he flicked his hair away from his face.

This was the most serious I’ve seen him in days.