Behind the Shadows of Deception-Chapter 14
Entering the room, JC sluggishly fell onto his bed. “Home sweet home.” It had been two weeks since he had the time to just relax and he would admit that he had missed the time to himself among other things.
Not seeing Mya for two weeks made him realize just how much he really had missed her. To fill the void from her absence he read her journal nearly twice a day, when he shouldn’t have just to stop himself from calling her up and leaving another message.
Last week he called her and had to leave a message. JC didn’t want to think about the other possible reasons why she didn’t call him so he figured she must’ve been too busy.
As of now, he was actually staring at his cell phone expecting it to ring at any moment and when it did he jumped up to answer. However, the name that flashed across the screen was not who he expected, it was Justin.
“Yo’ JC open the door.” He heard him say before a knock sounded at the door.
JC really didn’t want any visitors but he wasn’t going to leave Justin on the porch.
“Hey…” Justin greeted. “You look like shit man.”
I feel like it too he wanted to say, but didn’t. “Thanks.” Between going back and forth to the gym, writing songs, and being bored out of his mind, he was sure his lack of enthusiasm showed clearly on his face.
“So I assume you’re still not talking to Chris right?”
“You’ve assumed right.” JC closed the door behind Justin and followed him to the living room.
“I still don’t understand what happened.”
“He almost broke Mya’s nose.” JC replied throwing himself onto the couch. He had been telling that same line to all of the guys.
“Mya? Mya who?”
“Mya, Mya.”
“Ohh Mya.” He paused as a wide grin formed. “Mya ooh. Why was she over your house?”
“She stayed the night.” JC answered nonchalantly.
“What? How the hell did you pull that off? Wait, don’t tell me. I don’t know why I ever doubted you, you’re the-”
“Yeah, yeah.” JC interrupted. “I’m the man.” Chris had told him that before.
“No I was going to say that you’re the envy of a lot of men out there.”
“Not exactly we just hang out.”
“That’s it? So you’re not talking to Chris because…”
“I just told you. Chris was playing around when he shouldn’t have been.”
“There’s more to this than what you’re telling me.” Justin raised his brow and picked up a magazine.
“Hold on.” JC answered his cell phone before it could complete its second ring. “Hello?” He heard Mya’s voice but not her words as she spoke rapidly into the receiver.
“What did you say?”
“I said…” Mya huffed. “Oh-my-goodness, I’m-sorry-I-took-so-long-to-call-you-back.” She embellished, teasingly dragging out her words.
“Did you hear me that time?”
“Yeah.” He mumbled. “Did you have to make me feel stupid?” At the mentioning of stupid, Justin looked up from the magazine and watched him curiously. JC waved him off.
“Whatever, you know you missed me.”
JC grinned. He wasn’t about to lie to her. “I did.”
“I knew it. Well, right now I’m at the studio. Been laying down track after track for the past two weeks and as of now I’m wiped. What have you been doing without me?”
“Nothing much.”
“I’m supposed to believe that? Come on, did you go on a date at least?”
“No!” JC’s sudden outburst caused Justin to look at him again.
“Okay man, I gotta know who the hell you’re talking to?” He put down the magazine so that JC would have his full attention. “Because whoever’s on that phone is right, you’re acting stupid.”
“Just keep reading.” JC replied instead. Yet, he couldn’t fault Justin for prying. If he was in his position he would want to know too. Still he didn’t have an excuse for his behavior.
He had blown up on Mya because he couldn’t believe that she expected him to go out on a date with someone else after he had been spending most of his time with her. Perhaps she didn’t view their relationship the same way. She probably didn’t even refer to it as a “relationship.” It was more like a friendship in her mind. JC decided he would have to do something about that.
He listened to the background noise while Mya had him on hold. When she returned he was going to ask her out.
“I’m back. Nessa had asked me question. Now, what were you yelling about?”
“Um…are you going to be at the studio all day?”
Mya thought for a minute. “Uh, no not really. I’m actually finishing up here. Why, what do you have in mind?”
“You want to hang out then?” JC waited patiently for her answer.
“I guess. I don’t have a date tonight.” She replied and JC knew he had been right about her outlook on their relationship. “Am I’m going to meet you there?”
“Yup. I’ll call you back with the details.” He quickly hung up with a long sigh.
“If you wanna move the relationship from friends to more you should probably stop asking her to hang out.” Justin advised. “Tell her that you wanna take her on a date.”
JC waved him off again. “Oh please it doesn’t matter.”
“Yes it does man. Mya probably thinks you just want to chill.”
JC realized that there was a point to what Justin was saying. Other than flirting, he had never taken the initiative to show that he was interested in her. Yet, close friends flirted with each other all time. That didn’t make their friendship any different, which is why she probably didn’t realize his attraction towards her.
“How did you know that’s who I was talking to?” JC suddenly asked.
“Who have we been talking about since I got here?” Justin smirked.
“Point taken.” JC murmured. He still couldn’t believe Justin was giving him advice on relationships that he never thought he would need.
“So call her back.” Justin encouraged.
JC did as he asked.
~*~*~*~*~
JC stood in front of the tall rugged building with his hands stuffed in his pockets as he waited for Mya to arrive. He shivered as a gust of cold air slapped him in the face.
“Damn.” He never remembered it ever being so cold in the month of October. Perhaps it was because November was coming along.
“Finally!” JC sighed as he noticed Mya’s car pulling up in front of him. She rolled down her window. “I’ve been waiting forever for you.”
“I had to go home and change.” She looked around the area at the rugged buildings. “I’m glad I did. Are we about to stroll around the projects?”
“No this is a building site. It was the only place I knew I could find parking.”
“Okay give me a chance to park this bad boy.” Mya said referring to her black Expedition with 24 inch rims. She effortlessly squeezed her car into a tight space.
Buttoning her jacket, she exited the car. “You didn’t think I could fit into that space did you?”
“Actually I did. The extent of your skills amazes me as well.” JC replied, relating to a comment she made two weeks ago.
“That’s right.” Mya boasted while moving to stand beside him. “It’s cold out here-”
“You should’ve worn a heavier jacket.” JC interrupted as if he’d read her mind.
“I know…are we going to be outside all night?”
“Well…the place doesn’t exactly have any doors.” He admitted as they began walking down the block.
“What? Wait, just where are we going?” Mya placed her gloved hand against his chest to stop him.
“To the arcade.” He mumbled hoping she wouldn’t hear. She did though.
“Video games again? Oh damn,” She slapped her hand against her thigh, “you should’ve let me choose where we would go.”
“I could’ve taken you to dinner but that would’ve been boring. I know you like to have fun so we can have fun here.”
Mya gazed heavenward. “Why did I ever tell you I like video games?” She shook her head.
Actually she hadn’t. JC remembered reading about in her journal. She was talking about staying up to play a video game that she had just purchased.
“If I had let you choose you would have probably dragged me to the shooting range again.”
“You didn’t have fun?”
“Mya you almost shot me!” JC bellowed.
Mya laughed. “Yeah on purpose. I wanted to see you scared.”
“And I definitely was.” JC confessed. “Do you actually own a gun?”
“I’m working on it. Sike, it’s just for fun.”
“Oh good.” He breathed a sigh of relief as he reached for her hand. “Come on let’s go have some fun.”
“When I was little I used to walk backwards the entire way to school whenever it was really cold so the wind would blow against my back instead of my face. Did you ever do that?”
JC hadn’t heard her though. He was too busy staring at her. His eyes seemed to be addicted to the way the wind tossed her curly locks around her face. He was surprised she could still talk because there were a few moments when her hair flew into her mouth.
“Oh I’m sorry. What happened?”
“You zoned out on me again that’s what happened.” She let go of his hand to put on her hat. “I’m glad I brought this, there are a lot of people here.”
“Damn, I forgot mine.” Mya quickly handed him a hat. “Mya this is a girl hat.”
“So put it on…just don’t tell anybody I’m with you.” She teased walking ahead of him.
“Oh you…” JC began chasing her until they reached the arcade.
~*~*~*~*~*~
“Um JC, I appreciate your help but I know how to work a pinball machine.” Mya laughed.
JC stepped back a bit. He hadn’t realized that he had her in such a tight spot, trapped against the machine with no room to move. Not that he minded though. That was his chance to get close to her. And being that it was cold as hell, he appreciated the opportunity to get warm even more.
“Oh my bad.”
“Mmm hmm.” She smirked eyeing him knowingly. “I want to play something else. Where’s Ms. Pac-Man…Ooh Tetris!” Mya smiled with delight.
JC didn’t think he had ever seen her this excited about anything. As she was preparing to run off he pulled her back. “Tetris Mya? Come on, that game is boring.”
Mya frowned. “That’s what the people who suck at it always say.”
“Play air hockey with me instead.” He wrapped his arms around her middle. Mya squirmed out of his embrace causing him to laugh.
“Fine, let’s play. I could probably beat you at this too.” She replied.
JC placed fifty cents into the coin slots. “You my dear have too much faith in your skills.”
Mya ignored him as she struck the puck with her mallet leading it into the goal. She jumped up and down. “There’s more where that came from.”
“That wasn’t fair. I wasn’t ready.” JC protested but nothing came of it as she did the same thing again. “Hey!”
“Pay attention then.” Mya advised, rolling up her sleeves.
“Yo you cheating you can’t do that.” They both looked to the teenage boy who had boldly interrupted them.
JC was the first to speak. “She knows she’s cheating. Mind your business.” He hit the puck towards Mya.
Mya struggled to suppress her giggles as the boy hurried away. “You’re quite irritable tonight.” She struck the puck causing it to hit him in the hand.
“Ow!” He attempted to shake away the pain. “I just took up for you and you did me like that. I should call that little boy back over here to harass you.”
“Just try to make a goal.”