Music in the Forest

Annabeth Fawn

Happy to be off her legs, Betsey sat with her legs curled up beside her and her hands on her lap. "I don't get asked that often." She mumbled, pondering on how to answer. She had a select few thing she did when she wasn't working or trying hard to survive at home. Which of her hobbies were too boring to tell and which were more excitable?​
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Everyone of them could be listed as boring and they were the opposite of excitable. At least they were when compared to partying and hanging out with other friends who shared the same interest. That much should have been obvious between them, though. "I like to draw and when I can I also paint. I'm mediocre at it." No, she was beyond mediocre, but she knew she wasn't extraordinary at it either. ​
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What else was on the list, birdwatching and scrapbooking? Those two were part of her most private time, her scrapbooks were almost her diary and birdwatching.​
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"I play ukuele!" Betsey perked up, "I want to learn guitar too. You play, don't you? I imagine you'd have to have that pick to use."​
 
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JASPER CARMICHAEL​

Jasper listened to Betsey and wondered what it was like to have a life where one could enjoy normal hobbies. Joss liked to play guitar and write songs, which were pretty normal, but that was about it. He didn't have the time, resources, or motivation to do anything like painting or drawing. And even if he did, he imagined that his artwork would be dark and gloomy, much like his life had been for six years.​
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Joss perked up when she mentioned the ukulele. "Really? That's pretty cool," the British boy said. "Yeah, I play guitar. I love it a lot."​
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That was an understatement. Music was the only thing in Jasper's whole life, besides his friends, that he loved, and it was the only thing he cared about besides his own self-indulgences. He had said countless times that music was the only thing that was keeping him going, both literally and metaphorically. He played small gigs with some friends and earned a bit of cash, and it had been a way for him to work through his emotions when words had failed him. This had proved to be invaluable after his mother had died, and after he had been assaulted in juvie.​
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"Maybe we should get together and play for one another sometime," Joss suggested. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pen, and then leaned over and carefully wrote his phone number onto the back of her hand. As he did so, he continued to speak. "Though I'll confess, my music style is less pretty like the ukulele and more a perfect encapsulation of the mess that is my life."​
 
Annabeth Fawn

Her blue eyes followed his hand as he wrote his number onto her hand, Betsey sat completely still and allowed him to. The only movement she gave into was leaning forward slightly to read the written numbers clearly. On a spur, she peered at Joss through her eye lashes while he was distracted and bit the corner of her lip.​
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"Can't wait to hear it," she made a noise somewhere between a snort and a chuckle but quickly used her other hand to cover it. The sound she emitted wasn't the most melodious above all. "I've - I've never played in front of anyone before,well, one person, but she's gone." Betsey added with a nervous sigh. ​
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Thinking about it, Betsey wasn't even sure he'd like whatever she played or if she wouldn't freeze up and forget every chord. "I bet you're into Alternative Indie rock or something." She herself listened to those genres in defiance of not looking it at first glance. "Any request? I would have to practice so I don't give you a headache."​
 
JASPER CARMICHAEL​
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Joss removed his pen and proceeded to lay back in the grass, staring up at the clear blue sky through its blanket of leaves. The sky, the forest, nature — it was all so beautiful. Joss wondered how he could exist, a speck of darkness and pain and suffering, in a world that was so beautiful and pure.​
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"I promise you I will be an attentive and appreciative audience," Joss told her sincerely. He would never disrespect someone else's music, unless it was mindless pop, but even then he wouldn't say anything to their face. For him, who considered music of the utmost importance and one of the most special things in the world, criticising someone's music was basically blasphemy. Especially if they played it specifically for him.​
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"I don't have any requests, you can play anything you like," Jasper told her, turning his head slightly to look up at her inquisitively. "Yeah, alternative is my main genre. What are you into?" The British boy could talk about music all day.​
 
Annabeth Fawn

Anything she'd like? Betsey moved so that her her knee were pulled into her chest and her arms wrapped around her legs. She was well aware that she was overthinking it, it was supposed to be a fun activity. If only she spent less time thinking and more socializing she wouldn't be half as difficult to interact with. Either way, she wasn't a very lovable person, she supposed.​
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"I dabble here and there." Betsey answered slowly being drawn back to earth and out of her over conscious thoughts. Her fingers tapped against her leg as she looked ahead at a particular red cardinal that had swooped in on a low tree branch next to another. "I like Indies, and since it's usually a fused with so many other genres I listen to a lot. Alternative being a main one and all those other pops and rocks." The list could go on in all honesty, there were too many music genres to name.​
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"Oh, and dance music too. I like to dance." In the safety of her own room. ​
 
JASPER CARMICHAEL​

Joss looked over at Betsey and he couldn't help but think that if she danced, it would have to be incredibly adorable. Everything about her was just so sweet. Joss thought that she was precious, but he also genuinely feared that he was too dangerous for someone like her to be around.​
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Everyone who entered Jasper Carmichael's life walked out if it in some way scarred, with the exception of people such as Wyatt and Tessa, who had been scared to begin with. He wasn't a good person to be around. He was destructive, he was chaotic, and he created a whole lot more problems than he was worth.​
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Hopefully Betsey would see that, and leave while she still had the chance.​
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"I'd like to see you dance sometime," Joss murmured softly. He reached over to carefully pluck a leaf that had flown onto her knee, and he threw it into the wind. "Have you ever been to England? The forests in England are stunning during autumn. Everything is dyed red and orange and yellow, the first half of the rainbow. My sister and I used to ..."​
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Jasper trailed off, and a look of obvious pain flickered across his face, but it didn't last for very long. "We used to pile the leaves up into piles until they were taller than us and then jump in them. It was really quite fun."​
 
Annabeth Fawn

Betsey turned to peer at Joss just in time to see the pain in his face though it was brief. She knew better than to question it and instead pretended to not have taken notice of it. Clearly, it wasn't something that he wanted to talk about and she wasn't going to pry. To keep pleasant atmosphere, Betsey smiled softly.​
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"I've never been to England. I've never left the country." She raised a single finger before falling back to lay in the grass beside him, but still keeping a space between them. Betsey could only imagine how it felt to leave one's own home for another place far away from it. Or the homesickness that went along with it. ​
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Placing her hands on her stomach her fingers began to drum against it as she went on. "I have been to Colorado, though, to visit my uncle. Fall season there is breathtaking." It could hardly compare to England, but it was the best relatable fact she could think of. She turned her head to look at him properly. "I've done the whole jump in the leaf pile thing. It's left a traumatic scar on me. Don't laugh." Betsey quickly added. The last time she recounted the story, the audience had laughed, even if it was a bit comical she thought it was horrifying.​
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"I'll spare you the details. I got stabbed by a stick and it hurt. Ever since, I've been overly cautious about them."​
 
JASPER CARMICHAEL​

Jasper appreciated the fact that she didn't ask about his sister. There were very few people who even knew that he had had a sister once, and only two human beings outside of his family -- obviously, Wyatt and Tessa -- knew what had happened to her. It was just something so horrific and so terrible that Joss didn't even like to think about it, let alone verbalise it.​
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Because he felt that if he spoke it aloud, it would just make it all that more true.​
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When Betsey came to lay down beside him, he turned his head to look at her, and listened to her story. Of course, he didn't laugh. He could understand how it could be perceived as comical, but she had asked him not to laugh so he refrained from doing so.​
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"Fair enough," Joss said softly, his words brushing the air. Everything felt so peaceful -- the breeze was gentle as it lifted their hair slightly, and every now and then a leaf would drop from the canopy above and flutter down to join them. The air smelled like fall, like the changing of the seasons, and it was beautiful.​
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"I was like that with my bike for a while," he murmured. "It was way too big for me and I fell off it once and got really hurt. I couldn't ride it for about a week, and I didn't want to. I had to teach myself how to ride it and then it was just a matter of getting over my fear."​
 
Annabeth Fawn

"And how did you do that?" Annabeth clenched her fist. She knew he was talking simply about riding a bicycle, but that statement had hit a little to close to home for her. Betsey had one too many things she was afraid of, how could she possibility "get over it"? More so, the fears that had been ingrained into, the one that she had to live with. And worst, she was too terrified to do anything about any one of them.​
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Annabeth and Jasper could have been considered exact opposites. In her observance, it appeared as if he wasn't afraid of anything. Because of it, Betsey admired him and was enthralled by him both. It also reinforced what she already knew, that she'd never in anyway could be similar.​
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If she thought about it too much it would make her melancholic. And she didn't want the boy to read into her, it would only make Betsey embarrassed and nervous. Her own insecurities were her own issues.​
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"I - I mean, it must have been really frightening for you to stop riding for a week." The corner of her mouth quirked into a nervous smile. "It still looks to big for you."​
 
JASPER CARMICHAEL​
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Joss chuckled a little, casting his eyes over to the bike in question. "It is a tad too big," he admitted. The bicycle was better suited for someone taller and someone a bit stronger -- even now, Joss sometimes had trouble getting the massive thing up hills because it was a tad too heavy for his slight frame. "But I love it. It's my bike, you know? I wouldn't trade it for the world."​
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Joss shifted onto his side so he could look at her properly. From this angle, parts of her face were slightly concealed by the blades of grass, and her hair and skin were dappled darker colours by the shade cast by the leaves above. Beautiful, Joss couldn't help but think. Absolutely beautiful. But of course he didn't say that. They barely knew each other.​
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"It was hard, I'll admit it, but I was able to get over my fear because I had other things motivating me to do so." Meaning, he had needed a way to escape his household if things got too bad, but of course, he didn't say that either. "I like exploring, so I needed a way to get places. And I concentrated on the good things about riding -- the way the wind rushes through your hair, the little dip your stomach makes when you go downhill, the sound of gravel being crunched under the tyres."​
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When Joss got to speaking like this, in that beautiful rhythmic and poetic way, it became abundantly clear that he was gifted. He channelled this gift into his songwriting, and while he wasn't a professional by any means, what he was able to create was raw and beautiful. He had made several people cry with his lyrics before, and while he wasn't pleased by that, he couldn't deny that he liked the idea of his music creating emotion in those who heard it.​
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"I don't know what you're scared of, Annabeth Fawn," Joss whispered. "But I promise you, you will conquer it eventually. Because you are stronger, and I believe in you."​
 
Annabeth Fawn

Without warning, a spilled from her eyes and rolled down the side of her face. Annabeth herself hadn't even felt it coming until it had. And when it did, the feeling of shame was overshadowed by the melancholy that Joss had somehow pushed to the brim along with another feeling she couldn't quite name, but it made her heart squeeze and spread a warmth throughout her chest. She wanted to tell he was wrong, that she wasn't strong, that he didn't know what he was talking about. But he believed in, and if there was one thing Betsey was more afraid of than anything, it was letting people down.​
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Deep down, in all honesty, she wanted Joss to be right.​
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"Ugh," Betsey coughed, hurrying to brush away the tears from her face with her knuckles and blinking her eyes rapidly to stop anymore tears from dropping. "I think I got something in my eyes." The shame she felt slowly begin to settle in. She hated crying, she wasn't supposed to cry. Don't cry. Don't cry. You don't deserve to cry. The blonde repeated the same old mantra in her head as she pressed the palms of her hands into eyes, forcing the tears to halt.​
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Once Betsey was sure the waterworks that were her eyes were done, she removed her hands and let out a ragged breath. "Thank you." she mumbled softy despite the shake in her voice.​
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"I should go home." She quickly sat up and climbed onto her feet. Should she stay any longer, it would be near impossible to stop herself from crying. More importantly, her mother was probably looking for her by now. And Betsey would be a fool to make her wait. "I'll call you sometime." Betsey slowly began to back away with her eyes trained on him. "You should come by our family's bakery sometime. Well, it's a bakery cafe mix. Luí Na Gréine Bakery. I work there." It was probably the most she ever talked. Betsey didn't want to leave on a weird note and she did want to see him again.​
 
JASPER CARMICHAEL​
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Two more weeks passed of school and Joss still hated it. September melted into October and thus the leaves further dyed themselves red and orange, and it was beautiful, and he still loved it. Joss found the contrast between something he loved and something he hated quite jarring, because on the one hand he didn't want to get out of bed, but on the other, he couldn't see the leaves from his bedroom window.​
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Regardless, he had to go to school to get his dad off his back. In the two weeks between his park adventure with Betsey and the current Monday, Joss had had three more fights with Beck. He had won two and lost one. The man was getting older, but he was getting meaner at the same time. So even if his body was weakening, he still managed to pack some pretty mean punches.​
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Which was why Joss was in a bad mood that Monday. His ribs ached because he had been kicked there several times by his piece of shit dad, and he wanted nothing but to drown his sorrows in the drugs he so desperately craved. But he couldn't do that, because he had to fucking sit through four periods of bullshit before he could go and smoke with his friends. Needless to say, he wasn't a happy chap.​
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After second period Joss went to his locker to change his books, which was sort of pointless considering he wasn't taking any notes, but it gave him an excuse to procrastinate going to class. As he put away his History shit and pulled out his Chemistry textbook, he formulated excuses for being late that he could give to his teacher and escape a detention that he wasn't going to attend even if his bullshit lies didn't work.​
 
Annabeth Fawn

Lunch could not come fast enough. Every class that came to pass were almost unbearably slow while her head was elsewhere. Annabeth was aware that she should have been paying close attention, noting everything every key point and participating as much as a awkward and anxious girl like her could, but she did not. And she wouldn't until she passed off the doggie bag in her hands to its assigned owner.​
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During the two weeks that had passed, while the seasons began to change, Annabeth had spent most of her time being at her mother's beck and call and playing the ukulele. Betsey had always loved the instrument, but came to appreciate more after her talk with Joss. He seemed to really be into music from what she could tell. But interactions between them had been limited even in school. They didn't share any classes and, as to be expected, he stuck to his friends during break, and Betsey found it harder to approach larger groups of people.​
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Things had been going rather smoothly for Betsey since and she was determined to take advantage of it and speak to him. The small had even brought bagels from her father's bakery, freshly baked that morning. She hoped he liked bread.​
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As if on cue, her eyes caught the site of the curly haired boy and she slowly began to walk towards him, noting that he didn't look to be in a happy mood. "J -" Betsey tripped and fell flat on the ground, the books and bag she held flew out of her hands and skidded across the floor.​
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Annabeth knew things were strangely too good to be true.​
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"Oh, shit. I'm so sorry." By tone of his sarcastic voice, Annabeth knew three things; one, it was Casey Baxter. Two, he was not sorry. Three, he was in a bad mood. He shuffled around, kicking her thing on the floor to the side and to her anger the paper bag containing the bagels she had planned on giving to Joss. "You have a lot of shit, huh?" Asked the much larger boy before his shoe landed on her wrist. The pain that the pressure of his weight brought squeezed a squeal out of her.​
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"That was an accident, here let me help you up." Casey removed his foot and pulled onto her feet by the elbows. Now face to face, she could see the amusement in his eyes and knew he wasn't at all sorry. Hell, he most likely did it on purpose.​
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"Let me go," Betsey finally spoke, her tone curt as she ripped her arms out of his grasp. Her eyes looked away from him and to her things scattered across the hallway floor. More than anything, she wanted to escape the situation and pick up her books. Naturally, Casey would never let her do that, not until he had his fun, not until he took out his anger on her.​
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"Don't be such a bitch Betsey, I just helped you out." Unfortunately for Betsey, Casey followed her line of sight and snorted. "Oh, your books. " He leaned over and picked up the one she wish he hadn't, her sketchbook. "Let's see." He stood up, taking a step closer toward her and began flipping through the pages. "Shit, shit, even more shit, a load of shit," Casey graded each drawing as he tore it from the pages of the book and cast it aside.​
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Annabeth could feel her heart sink to into her stomach as panic slowly began to rise in her. "Stop. Stop it!" She lurched for her book only to be roughly shoved to the ground with one arm.​
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"You know what, as a matter of fact." The smile on his face was no longer there as he ripped out the few remaining pages and tore them into smaller pieces. "It's all shit. Just like you." His smile returned just as he tossed the torn pages over her like confetti.​
 
JASPER CARMICHAEL​

Joss had been fully planning to just shove the rest of his shit in his locker and then sneak out instead of going to chemistry, even when he started hearing the commotion down the hallway. It was one of those days when he just wanted to disappear from the public eye and work out his frustrations through his music. He was in a bad mood, but not enough to start a fight unless he had a good reason too.​
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But then he heard Betsey's voice, and he looked up just in time to see Casey Baxter, Casselbrook High's resident douchebag, push her to the ground, and tear out the pages in her sketchbook.​
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Anger for Joss bubbled to the surface at the flick of a switch. He was either calm and zen, or furious and volatile, and it seemed like the only in between possible was just a general sour bad mood. In that moment, the rage that filled his body at the sight of his tiny friend being thrown to the ground by this hulking jock was so grotesquely hot that it numbed his senses and all he could see was red, and all he could hear was the sound of his heartbeat thudding in his head.​
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Joss slammed his locker shut so hard it made a girl standing next to him scream, and he proceeded to surge forward, his nostrils flared and his eyes dark and dangerous. People saw him coming and literally moved to get out of his way. When he reached the little circle that had been formed around Casey and Annabeth, Joss stepped over the poor girl, snatched the ruined sketchbook out of Casey's hand, threw it on the ground, and punched him, hard, in the face.​
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Blood squirted out of his nose and sprayed all over Joss's arm and onto the wall behind him. The little crowd roared as Joss grabbed Casey by the collar of his shirt, turned and then slammed him against that wall, holding him so tightly that the other would find himself unable to move. Casey was massive compared to Joss, but Joss was livid, and everyone in Casselbrook knew him for his foul temper.​
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"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Joss hissed. His face was about an inch away from Casey's, and he was speaking quietly enough that only the boy and Annabeth would be able to hear him. "Are you so pathetic that you have to beat up on a tiny girl half your size? Does your daddy beat your mummy at home or something, so you only know how to be violent to women?"​
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In a sharp, lightning-fast movement, Joss turned again and threw Casey down to the ground with as much force as he could muster. They all heard the boy's head hit the linoleum floor, but Joss didn't give a fuck. He gave Casey a sharp kick to the ribs, before he turned to Annabeth, and with a much gentler approach, squatted down and very carefully helped her to her feet.​
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"Are you alright?" he asked her quietly. He was clearly still angry, but not at her. No, he was furious at the pathetic excuse for a man he had just slammed into the ground, and who was probably about to attack him right back.​
 
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Annabeth Fawn

Annabeth was frozen with shock. Never, not even for an instant, did she expect Joss to intervene and so violently too. He had only ever shown a tenderness with her and seemed to be so cool, it made it easy to forget that he had a temper and could be vicious. Betsey herself had never seen it until now and if she was to be honest, it frightened her. The most times she had seen violence in front of her was because it was being used against her, but never to this degree.​
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The gentle tone in his voice snapped Betsey out of the stupor she had been stuck in. She was quickly reminded that Joss had never been rough with her, even now when he clearly still sounded immensely upset. Her head moved before her mouth did, nodding just once. "I - I - I'm okay." She responded just as quietly, her large blue eyes staring into his before slowly wandering down to the blood on his arm.​
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Annabeth began to feel nauseous.​
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The owner of the blood was on the floor, holding his nose from which blood was gushing out of. A string of curses and other vulgarities feel from his mouth as he stood back up. Casey was enraged. He was angrier than Betsey had ever seen him before, but his angry was directed at Joss. Frankly, that fact alone scared her almost as much as when Joss threw the first punch. She didn't want to him to fight, he was so smaller than Casey, he would get hurt, but he was also stronger than he looked. He would get in trouble and it would be her fault.​
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A shaky hand reached out to grab Joss, if she dragged him away now they could avoid trouble, couldn't they? Unfortunately, Casey was faster, grabbing a tight hold of Joss's shoulder to swiftly turn him around and land a heavy blow to his stomach then his face. From what she could see, his punches weren't as strong as usual because the pain he had sustained. That did not stop him from returning the favor by aiming for Joss's ribs.​

"Who the fuck do you are?!" Casey screamed.​
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"Stop!" Betsey cried out but was promptly ignore by both Casey and the watching crowd. ​
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The crowd ... Betsey glance at them, her already nauseous stomach starting to twist in pain. Everyone else too busy watching the thrilling and horrific show the two young men were putting on. Not one person even thought to call a teacher or step in themselves. Hell, she even heard some of them cheer.​
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She gripped her shirt, trying not to think of the pain in her stomach as a small drop of perspiration ran down the back of her neck. She was feeling dizzy, but she needed to stop the fight, she refused to faint. Annabeth took one step and her legs gave out on her. Two hands caught her and held her up against his shoulder, she glanced up to find the English teacher, who almost every girl swooned over. "Aaron?" She couldn't even realize her mistake in the situation, but no one heard.​
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"What the hell is going on here?!" Aaron, Mr Fitzwilliam, shouted at the two fighting boys, giving a deadly and stern look at every student who had gathered around to watch. As soon as he showed up, most of them had dispersed.​
 
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JASPER CARMICHAEL​
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Joss was suddenly dragged back into the fray, a violent punch being thrown in his direction. The British boy had taken many punches in his life, and so this one landed but with a dull pain he found it easily to fight through. Joss didn't waste any time retaliating with a vicious jab to the ribs, and soon, they were locked in a ruthless and volatile battle.​
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It only ceased when a teacher arrived and someone pulled Joss away from Casey. He violently twisted out of the guy's grip and he probably would have reacted violently if he hadn't seen that it was Wyatt. Joss wiped some blood off his chin, gave Casey an absolutely withering look, then turned to the teacher — Mr Fitzwilliam, apparently.​
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Why was he holding Betsey like that? Joss looked at her for a moment. She looked so distraught, and he felt terrible because he had had part in that. But he looked back at the teacher and explained to him in a short and bitter tone what had happened.​
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"This fucker —" he spat, pointing at Casey, "—was beating up on a tiny little girl and tore up her sketchbook so I intervened. I'm sorry if it's against your pathetic school rules, but I don't really care. He deserved it. So suspend me, I don't give a fuck."​
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Joss's entire body was aching from his most recent fight and the altercation with his father the night before. He didn't care, though. He didn't care about anything other than making sure that Betsey was okay. Because this tiny little girl didn't deserve it. Many people did, but not her.​
 
Annabeth Fawn

"Is this true?" The English teacher's eyes looked away from the boys and to Annabeth with a concerned and expectant look. His eyes weren't the only one's directed at her, she could feel Casey's furious gaze burning into her as well. She did not have to look at him to know it was a threatening stare. After all, it wasn't the first a teacher or staff member came to her and asked if she was being bullied or harassed by anyone. Every time anyone asked, she always gave the same answer. "No. I am not." If she said anything else, it would only get worse.​
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Betsey blinked her eyes once, glancing at Joss before looking the teacher in the face. "Yes. It is." It was one thing to lie and let herself be hurt by it, but it was another to lie and let someone else face repercussions because of it, least of all Joss. He was already hurt and she had never felt more guilty because of it. Seeing him bruised, it left a painful pang in her chest.​
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Mr Fitzwilliam stared back at her, appearing somewhat surprised by her answer but the look quickly was again replaced with a glare for the other two males. "Whatever the reason, you did indeed break school rules and that results in suspension." While he spoke, Betsey slipped out of his grasp, trying to subtle step away from for her own comfort, she was able stand on her own again now that things had calmed down and was less crowded. She ignored the brief look of confusion he casted her but when on to speak. "I'm calling all of your parents."​
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Casey groaned.​
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Annabeth choked.​
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"Casey, you are coming with me to the hospital. Let's make sure you didn't break anything." In particular, he was looking at the boy's still bloody nose. Out of the two of them, Casey did appear to be the more roughed up one.​
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That didn't stop Betsey from asking, "what about Jo-?"​
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"We'll talk later, Annie. Prinpal's office. Both of you." His voice dropped an octave when referring to Joss. Fitzwilliam didn't stay long enough to see her reaction because grabbed Casey and dragged him away.​
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Annabeth slowly walked over to Jasper, "are you okay?" Her voice shook slightly. "I am so sorry." Gingerly, she reached her his hand to at least check his knuckles in order to check anything else he'd have to strip.​
 
JASPER CARMICHAEL​
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Joss didn't really care that his father would receive a phone call. If the loser was even sober enough to pick up, then Joss would just cop a punch or two and that would be the end of it. At the moment, Joss was hurting so much anyway that anything his father could lay on him would barely make a difference.​
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Joss calmed down considerably when Casey was removed from his sight, and he had softened up considerably by the time Annabeth reached for his hand. "You don't need to apologise," he murmured.​
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Joss picked up her sketchbook for her, wincing a little when he leaned down, and then laced his bruised fingers with hers. "I wasn't going to let him get away with hurting you," Joss said as they made their way to the principal's office. "Scum like him shouldn't get off scot-free for being pieces of shit."​
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Seeing Betsey on the floor like that had been horrific, and it had reminded him of the times his own sister had fallen. And seeing Betsey hurt had been like imaging what Stephanie had gone through. He didn't want to think of that. Ever.​
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"I'm sorry if I scared you," Joss whispered.​
 
Annabeth Fawn

"I was scared," Annabeth admitted. It would make her a blatant liar if she said she hadn't been when she so obviously had been. Joss was absolutely terrifying when he was furious and fighting. The fear she had felt for him was a fleeting one when she remembered that it Joss, Jasper Carmichael who had never mistreated her, been kind to her and believed in her. "But then, I was more scared of you getting hurt. And you did." Gently, she squeezed his hand, hoping not to add any more pain to his already bruised hand.​
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She glanced to the sketchbook, or what was left of it, that she held in her other hand and swallowed. All of her drawings had gone to waste, her mother was going to kill her once she received the call and Joss had been hurt. Out of all of those issues, she only cared about the last. Other than that, Betsey felt strangely ... okay. "I'm used to it, used to the way Casey treats me. No one cares enough to intervene so when you did, I was really happy."​
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If he wasn't so hurt, Betsey would have hugged him. Squeezing his hand again would not be enough, and so she stepped on the tips of her toes and kissed his cheek. "Thank you." In the end, she squeezed his hand a second time anyway, as if it somehow brought them closer together.​
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"I don't care what the teacher say, I'm on your side." Betsey promised him.​
 
JASPER CARMICHAEL
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The idea that Betsey was just used to being bullied like that was infuriating to Joss. How could someone so sweet and so gentle be so atrociously mistreated? What had she ever done to deserve such abuse? It was disgusting. Casey was lucky that he had been rushed from the schoolgrounds, because holy shit, Joss would have definitely gone after him if he had been within the British boy's sight.​
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Instead, Joss smiled a little when she kissed him on the cheek, and returned the favour by lifting her dainty arm and pressing a gentle kiss upon her knuckles. "Thanks, Blondie," Joss chuckled softly. It was nice to have the support of such a pure and wholesome person. Joss hoped wholeheartedly that she, one day, would get to live a happier life.​
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They arrived at the principal's office. Parents were called. Jasper was suspended. He sighed, but he didn't really care all that much. He hated school anyway, and it wasn't like his father would force him to stay home during the day. He would come and go as he pleased.​
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As he made his way out with Betsey, he pecked her on the cheek and murmured, "I'll call you later, okay? Stay strong, cutie." And with that, he hopped the fence and began to make his way home, hoping, with all of his heart, that things got better for his sweet little friend.​
 
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