The Battles of Your Youth

From: Annie

I dunno what to tell you mate, Jared hasn't spoke much to us either.
Up for the mall on Saturday? We could use some quality girl time! ;) Ly xxxxxxx

I frowned as I read and re-read the e-mail. Jared hadn't even spoken to Annie and Shannon? That was almost impossible.

"Are you okay honey?" Mom asked me 10 minutes later as I sat at the breakfast table.

Scarlett answered for me "Her and JayJay have fallen out."

My mom's face fell "Oh dear, so thats what's wrong with him recently."

A stab of guilt passed through me, everyone on the planet had noticed the change in my best friend apart from the cause of it all; me.

"I'll sort it," I promised, the dread behind my words weighing my heart down.

Unsurprisingly my mom and Scarlett didn't look convinced.

*

"Miss Hough, this is your tour guide; Mr. Leto," The teacher introduced me to the beautiful boy stood before me.

He pushed his hair out of brilliant blue eyes before extending his hand for me to shake "Jared."

I placed my hand in his, an odd sense of familiarity hitting me as our skin touched "L-Lauren?"

He half smiled, amusement shining in those eyes as he did so "Do you want me to lead the way to our first class?"

I simply shrugged, walking beside him, not even listening to the parting words the teacher had sent me "So, how was your weekend?" I asked, such a 'friend' thing to say but that didn't register in my mind...talking to him like this just felt right.

He smiled and my skin tingled "Fine. Me and my brother wrote a few songs and chilled in our basement," He explained "How about yours?"

"A blur of boxes and moving vans," I shuddered causing him to chuckle. I glanced up and our eyes locked, as brilliant blue met boring browny green our conversation felt complete, the silence we had slipped into feeling far from awkward. I felt myself walk closer to him, a blush tingled my neck as I realised what I was doing.

"Do you want to come round tonight?" He asked, like it was the most natural thing "You could meet my brother and his girlfriend - they're ditching today," He explained.

"Sure," I smiled "I'm sure my mom would love me to hang round in a basement with three complete strangers," I joked, not understanding where my usual shy nature had disappeared to, talking to Jared felt so natural.

He laughed "I'll come over to pick you up - then I won't be such a 'stranger'."

"Mr. Leto!"

It wasn't until she shouted his name that I realised there was a teacher in the room we had ended up in.

"Sorry Miss," He smirked, glancing my way for half a second.

The teacher rolled her eyes "I have a feeling the principal setting you as Miss Hough's tour guide was a bad idea."

...Oh how right she was...

"LAUREN!"

I snapped out of my trance to realise Chris had been trying to get my attention "Huh?"

"Are you okay?"

I nodded, my eyes trained on the tray of cafeteria food sat in front of me.

He groaned "This is about Leto isn't it?"

I thought about lying but, before I knew it, I breathed "Yeah."

He sat back in his chair, I wasn't sure whether it was in disappointment or not "You should talk to him."

I glanced up to him, unsure if he could see the emotion behind my eyes.

"When you're not friends with him it's like you're not here anymore," He explained "Like you're no longer fully alive."

getting to my feet I sent him a faint smile, ignoring the looks I was getting from his jock friends we were sitting with "I'll see you later."

He didn't reply.

*

I, weirdly, found Jared in the library.

He ignored me when I first sat down, keeping his nose buried in whatever book he was holding onto.

"Are you actually reading that?" I asked, leaning forward.

"Maybe," The book replied.

I chuckled, understanding what Chris had meant - it was now I felt fully alive "So, I came to apologise."

The book disappeared and I was met by two beautiful, confused, blue eyes "Huh?"

And that, right there, was it.

As he finally allowed our eyes to meet, his lips curling into a smile, I felt it. I was alive again.