Chapter 6 - Mine

Chapter Six: Mine

Jake refused to believe his ears as he sat on his knees in Trixie''s parent''s bedroom on the floor. Trixie sat in front of him with her back against the wall as she cried, her face in her hand. “No,” Jake finally whispered to her, shaking his head.

Jake, finding he couldn''t stand the sound of her crying, was about to stand up so that he could go in get some air, but as he rose Trixie reached for him, grabbing onto his shirt. “Jake, please,” she begged, her cheeks wet from her tears. “Please. . . don''t go.”

Jake sighed as he realized he needed to be strong for her right now. He then pulled Trixie into his arms as she continued to cry. “It''s going to be alright,” he reassured her as he pulled her tighter against him. Jake then began to think back to how they came to be in this situation. It had started over a month and half ago, two weeks after Johanna had told them to forget about Spud. It had been hard, trying to adjust, knowing they couldn''t do anything to find Spud. The only real link they had to him were the necklaces they were given and no book they researched through could tell them what the writing on them meant. The only person who probably did know was Johanna and she wasn''t talking.

Trixie and Jake had one class together, which was geography and were given an assignment to work on together, which wouldn''t have been too bad, if the class hadn''t been split up into teams of three. Unfortunately, for Jake the third member of their team was none other than Alex Brown, who was shamelessly flirting with Trixie when he thought Jake was paying attention.

It was Saturday night as the three of them had set up to work on their project at Trixie''s place within the den. They had sat up a few snacks and the tv was on, but was really paid attention to as they worked. Jake sat on the floor leaning against one of the chairs as his laptop sat on the coffee table in front of him. There notes sat on his lap as looked down at them as he typed up their research paper to turn in. Taking up the rest of the space of the table was Trixie and Alex as they prepared their three sided poster board. “Oops,” Jake heard Alex says.

His voice was then followed by Trixie''s. “Boy, if you try that one more time, you''re going to be pulling back a nub, you heard?”

Jake smiled at her threat as he continued with the paper. Their oral presentation wasn''t until Thursday, but Jake didn''t have time to leave this until the last minute as he never knew what was coming up and he wanted to do his fair share. It had been a slow week and decided to get a head start on the project. It was coming on along better than expected, in fact if there was no interruptions they could probably get it done tonight, but just as Jake was thinking that his cell phone ring. His shoulders dropped as he saw the caller I.D. “Yeah, gramps?” he greeted his Dragon Master as he rested the phone between his ear and shoulder before his fingers went back to the keypad.

“Jake, come home,” he began. “We have dragon business to attend to tonight.”

“Can''t it wait?” Jake asked as he peered over his laptop to see Alex trying to scoot a little closer to Trixie, who only rolled her eyes making some distance between them. Jake frowned, he really disliked Alex.

“No, it can not. Now come home,” Lao Shi insisted.

“Fine, fine. Give me ten minutes,” he told the older man before hang up. “Look guys,” Jake began as he saved his material. “I''m sorry, but I think we''re going to have to call it a night. Somethings came up at home.” He looked to Trixie, who nodded her head, indicating that she understood. “We should be able to finish this tomorrow though.”

Alex groaned, causing an instant frown on Jake''s features. “I''m sorry, man, but I''m not trying to have this project take up my whole weekend. I have plans tomorrow. Besides we''re almost done here so go on home. I''m sure Trix and I can finish this up without you,” he suggested with a smile. “If you leave your laptop I can even finish up the paper.”

Jake shook his head. “No. If I leave, you leave,” he laid down the law.

“Actually,” Trixie spoke up. “Homeboy over here has a point. We''re almost done here and I really don''t want to do anything but put this behind us.”

“No,” was Jake''s answer.

Trixie raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me? I think you may have misunderstood me, because I don''t think I was asking for your permission.”

Jake stood up. “We need to talk,” he told her.

She scoffed. “What do you think we''re doing?”

“Alone,” he said after looking at Alex for moment. “Please,” he added.

“Fine,” she agreed as she stood following Jake out the room and closing the door behind them as they stood in the hallway. “What''s with all the drama, Jakey?” she asked crossing her arms as she leaned against the wall.

“I don''t like him,” Jake told her.

“I already know that,” she informed him. “And if you keep this behavior up he''s going to know it too.”

“Look,” Jake sighed. “I just don''t want you alone with him,” he confessed.

“I''m not alone,” she said. “My grandma is upstairs.”

“Oh yeah, that gives me real comfort,” he stated sarcastically.

“So what? Are you trying to tell me, you don''t think I take care of myself?” she asked.

“No,” he said immediately. “That''s not what I''m saying. I just don''t like,” he started counting on his fingers, “the way he looks at you, the way he talks to you, the way he tries to touch you, Trix,” Jake explained.

Trixie shook her head. “I don''t understand you lately, Jake. I''m a big girl, I don''t need you watching over me. I''m not a magical creature and you''re not my protector, so you can stop the macho overprotective bullshoot right now,” she made clear.

Jake straightened up at her words, slightly hurt by them. “Well, excusing me for breathing,” he began slowly. “I''m sorry, but I''ve already lost three people in my life and the only way I can think to deal with it is to make sure everyone else in my life that love is safe.”

“I miss him too, Jake,” Trixie admitted. “And I understand that you''re not only grieving for Spud,” she held herself tighter. “But I''m grieving too,” she breathed. “And I deal with it differnetly than you. I just need a little time without you all up in my grill, alright?” Jake lowered his his head, not sure how to response to that. “Let''s call it a night, okay, Jake?” she whispered before opening the door back to the den.

“Trixie, wait,” Jake called, grabbing her arm as he did so. She looked back to him, her expression unreadable. Jake opened his mouth to speak, but then saw the tall light skinned African-American boy sitting in the den and closed it before saying, “I''ll call you, okay?”

Trixie peeled his fingers off of her. “How about I call you?” she asked.

“Oh,” was all Jake could say as he realized that she really didn''t want to see him. “Yeah, alright.” He nodded before they entered back into the den where he grabbed his stuff excluding his laptop. Trixie sat where she had been sitting before as she looked at the work Alex had done on the board while she stepped out. “I''m off,” Jake announced as he slinged his bag over his shoulder. Trixie gave him a small wave, but didn''t look up. “Night, guys,” was the last thing Jake said before leaving to meet his grandfather.

Alex turned to Trixie after hearing the front door close behind Jake. “It''s probably not any of my business, but are you and Jake alright?” he asked looking sincerely concerned.

“Jake and I are fine,” she replied. “Thanks though.”

Alex nodded before pulling Jake''s laptop to him and going through their notes. “It''s just I''ve noticed some tension growing between you two during this project,” he shrugged, “and if you want to talk I-”

“You know what?” Trixie cut him off. “You''re right, it''s not your business. Now, can we please finish this?” she asked irritated. Alex put his hands up in a surrender like gesture and then both went back to work.
OoOoO

It was Monday morning as Jake sat on the stairs that led up to the front door of his high school as he waited for Trixie to show up. Mornings had been the roughest on her as she and Spud had came to school practically every day together. Jake knew it was the time where she missed him the most and so was a bit surprise to see her coming into her view smiling and laughing. He couldn''t exactly see who see was with as other students passed him and some stood in his way. He was thinking it was good to see her smile again, until he saw who she was with, which just happened to be Alex. “Why am I not surprised?” Jake asked himself, frowning as he stood.

“Morning, Jake,” Trixie greeted him as Alex handed him back his laptop.

“It''s all done. Ten pages and doubled spaced,” Alex informed him. “I kept the notes though to study over for the presentation.”

“I thought you said you were going to call?” Jake addressed towards Trixie as he completely ignored Alex.

“I didn''t mean anytime soon,” she stated before grabbing Alex''s sleeve and dragging him behind her as she walked into the school.

Jake caught up with Trixie at his locker as her was located a few down from his own. Alex was nowhere to be seen. Jake figured he had to go to his own before class. “What''s with the cold shoulder lately?” Jake asked, not looking at her as he prepared his books.

“What''s wrong with having my own space?” she asked her voice greatly gentler than before.

“Nothing,” Jake replied. “It''s just other than that project, we really haven''t hung out since. . . you know.” He finally turned his head towards her.

“I don''t want to talk about Spud,” Trixie told him as she pulled out a book. “Besides, when it was the three of us, it''s not like we hung out a lot anyway.”

“What are you talking about?” Jake asked. “We hung out all the time.” He closed his locker.

“Yeah,” Trixie also closed hers. “But always on your terms. When you needed help as the Am Drag.”

Jake looked taken back. “Didn''t realize that helping me was such a burden.”

Trixie sighed. “It''s not,” she said quickly. “It''s just your life. . .” she trailed off.

“What about it?” he asked looking almost offended.

Trixie''s gaze dropped. “When Spud was here, there was a balance, you know? A sense of normalcy.”

With her words Jake felt a little guilty. His life was far from normal and maybe it had finally gotten to Trixie as he remembered when she and Spud were exposed to his world and wondered what things would have been like if he had used the potion Fu Dog had given him to alter their memories. Maybe he had been selfish for not using it and maybe Spud had been too for allowing them to remember him when no one else did. But Jake knew where Spud was coming from, because sometimes that extra edge comes for knowing that someone is in your corner, no matter the distance.

“But I guess Spud wasn''t all that normal either, huh?” Trixie asked once again looking at Jake.

“Things are going to get better,” he promised her. “But lets not have what happen tear down our friendship. We''re stronger than that.”

Trixie pursed her lips together before nodding her head. “Yeah,” she said softly.

“So um, what''s with up with hanging with Alex?” Jake couldn''t help but ask.

Trixie gave a small shrugged. “After you left Saturday, boy was buggin'' for a little while, but then we got to talking,” she explained. “He''s not as bad as you''re always making him out to be.” Trixie then gave off a small laugh. “Did you know that he was under the impression that we were dating.”

Both of Jake''s eyebrows went up as he forced a laugh. “Really?” he said, his hand going to the back of his head. “I wonder where he got that idea.” More laughter escaped his lips before dying out lamely.

“Yeah, it''s kind of weird really,” Trixie commented, not really picking up on Jake''s mannerism. “When my called me from Tahiti, she was kind of under the same expression.”

“Hmm,” Jake thought about it for a moment. “I guess with no one remembering. . . I guess it looks like we spend a lot to time together. It would be the obvious conclusion anyway.”

“Well, that''s one rumor that needs to be kicked in the butt,” Trixie said as Alex finally approached.

“Walk you to class?” he asked and she agreed, leaving Jake to walk in the opposite direction towards his own class.
OoOoO

Although things had appeared to have been patched up during that morning between the two, Jake still saw little of Trixie. His duties as the American Dragon had picked up and his training had become more intense. Especially on the days when Haley and her Dragon Master would show up for a sparring match. Jake hated to admit it, but the margin that he would defeat her grew smaller with each match. Haley was improving at a rapid rate and he didn''t know weather to be proud or just plained annoyed.

Trixie had been spending a lot of time with Alex as the month passed and Jake did his best to bit his tongue about it. He knew, deep down that he trusted Trixie''s instinct when it came to people and figured she was right about his unfounded dislike towards him.

Jake was at his normal training ground with Haley. It was just the two of them for the day as they did their brother-sister thing. The day pretty much consisted of training within their human forms for times when going into the dragon form couldn''t help them. Haley had joined a gymnastic class down at the community center a few years ago and so was very agile and flexible, which Jake hated because it made it hard to land a hit on her. . . not that he was really trying to hit her that it.

“Hold still!” Jake yelled as he threw an opened handed strike only to have Haley crouch to the ground before sweeping her leg across the ground coming into contact with Jake and sending him straight on his back.

Haley stood before she rested her foot on Jake''s chest. “You''re really bad at his,” she said with a smile. “What''s that make it now seven to two?” she asked.

“Thought we weren''t keep score?” Jake asked as pushed Haley foot of him and sat up.

“No, you said you weren''t keeping score. So. . .” she got back into position, “again?”

Jake jumped up. “Hell yeah. I think I saw an opening during that last match.” He told her before charging towards her. He jumped into the air rolling into a ball before going over Haley''s head and land behind her just off to the side. Before she could react, Jake stuck her back causing her to lose her balance and fall over for must a moment before flipping so not to land on her face.

She came back at him with several high kicks toward his head, Jake blocking each one as they came down on him arm. Jake, seeing her opening, hit her, open palm hard straight into her stomach. Haley immediately recoiled holding onto to her stomach as she dropped to her knees. She groaned before before Jake came to her. “I didn''t mean to hit you that hard,” began as he bent over her to help her up, but as he hands came closer to her she grabbed his wrist and flipped him over, causing him once again to land on his back.

“Eight-two,” Haley called as she stood up.

“I hate you.” Jake narrowed his eyes as she put her hand out to help him up.

“You''re just a swore loser,” she told him as he reached up for her, but instead of grabbing her hand, he grabbed her wrist. Haley screamed in surprise as Jake flipped her and she too ended up on her back. She turned her head to look at her brother. “You suck.”

“I know,” he laughed sitting up. It was then that he heard his cell phone right. They had left their stuff under the shade of one of trees and so Jake made a slow job over to his these. He held his sore back as he did so. He then rested on his knees as he pulled his cell from his bag. He checked the caller I.D. and was surprised to see Trixie''s name. It had been a while since they had properly spoken. “Hey, Trix,” he spoke, but the only sound he was greeted with was the sound of crying. “Trixie?” Jake said unsurely.

“They''re going to kill me,” she said in between her tears.

Jake immediately stood up, panic rushing through his entire body at her words. . . they had been the same words his mother had said to him the night she was taken from them. “Who?” he barked at her. “Where are you?” At that time Haley had made her way over and asked what was wrong, but she went unnoticed by her brother, his concentration on one thing. “Trixie, where are you?” he asked again, this time more urgent as she cried harder. “Trixie!”

“At home,” she finally answered.

“I''m on my way,” he told her and then turned to Haley. “Go home,” he told her before running back into the clearing, his wings being the first thing to appear as he took to the sky and the rest of his dragon form followed. Within a few minute''s time, Jake could now see his destination. He went back into his human form, expect for his wings, as he came to Trixie''s fire escape outside of her open bedroom window.

“Trixie!” he yelled as his feet gently touched down in her bedroom. “Trixie!” he called again when he got no answer. Her bedroom was empty and so left it to look else where. He was only in the hallway for a moment when he heard crying coming from behind him in the direction of Trixie''s parent''s bedroom.

He made his way quickly to the room and found Trixie laying on the floor as she cried, the house phone just out of her reach. Jake sighed in relief as he realized she was safe. He walked over to her before kneeling beside her. “Trixie? Baby girl, what''s wrong?” he asked as he helped her sit up. “What happened? You scared the hell out of me with that phone call,” he confessed.

Trixie said nothing as she leaned on the wall, her eyes fixed on the bathroom that was adjacent to the room. Jake turned his torso curiously towards it. He then looked back to Trixie before standing up and walking over to it. The door was closed and so Jake slowly turned the knob before pushing it open. His mouth fell open as his eyes landed on the sink. His head turned back to Trixie who was no longer looking in that direction. Jake stepped inside as he looked at three different kinds of pregnancy test. It didn''t take Jake long to figure out that they all read positive.

Jake entered back into the bedroom and then approached Trixie before resting on his knees before her. He held one of the test in his hands. “How could you be this stupid?” he asked her. “There''s birth control, condoms, and you-”

“I didn''t plan for it to happen, alright?” she told him. “It just sort of happened.” Her tears were beginning to subside, but hearing Jake call her stupid didn''t really help her feel better. “They''re going to kill me, Jake. My parents are going to kill me.”

“Stop saying that,” Jake asked of her. “Dammit,” he whispered to himself and then addressed his friend again. “Am I the first you''ve told?” She nodded. “Do you want me there with you when you tell Alex?” he asked. Trixie looked at him oddly. “What?” He didn''t understand her expression.

Tears begin to fall again. “You''re an asshole, you know that?” she told him before covering her face with one of her hands. “You must really think I some sort of whore to sleep with a guy I''ve known for about a minute.”

“Come on, I would never think that of you,” he told her truthfully. “It''s just that you and Alex have been so close lately and-”

“The baby is Spud''s,” Trixie blurted out.

Jake looked at her for a long time. “No,” he whispered, knowing it was very clear from the way Spud had been acting and what Johanna had told them that he knew he was leaving. Why would he risk something like this? Jake wondered.

He tried standing up, needing fresh air to think when Trixie grabbed onto him. “Jake, please,” she begged. “Please. . . don''t go.”

Jake gave into her request as he pulled her into a hug. “It''s going to be alright,” he told her tenderly as he stroked her back. “Will get through this.”

Trixie shook her head against his chest. “What am I''m going tell my parents when they ask me about the father?” she asked.

“Tell them the truth,” he suggested without thinking.

The girl in is arms pulled away, wiping away her tears as she did so. “Are you nuts? Tell them I''m pregnant by a boy I''ve known for years, but they no longer remember?” she scoffed. “Yeah, after hearing that I''m sure I''ll be getting a first class ticket to the happy hotel,” she told Jake.

“Well, you don''t have to tell them.” Jake licked his lips, which suddenly felt dry at what he was about to say. “You could get an abortion,” he murmured halfheartedly.

“No,” Trixie turned down his idea. “My family is Prolife and so am I.” Trixie''s hand then rested on her stomach. “Besides, it''s the very last thing I have of him, so adoption is out too. I won''t give up my baby,” she said firmly. “Oh God,” she whispered, the matter of her situation hitting her again before she clung back onto Jake, who did not reject her as he held her even tighter.

He didn''t like seeing his friend like this. Her whole world was about to change with the coming of this new life and she would be responsible for it. And even if she had the support of her family, it wouldn''t be enough without what she needed from Spud. It was right there that Jake decided he didn''t want to see her struggle like that and so offered Trixie another suggestion, who gasped when she heard it. “Say what?”

“You heard me,” he began as looked into her eyes, allowing her to know he was a hundred percent sure about this. “Tell them the baby. . . is mine.”

To be Continued. . .

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