Before locking up shop, Jayden went around and bought his own groceries. Onions, tomatoes, macaronis, candy bars, playgirl magazine for Hannah. All of that was at a 15% employee discount. And last of all...

He walked up to the recycling bin, and as usual, dug out a neat stack of brochures from within the crunched up receipts and lottery tickets. He sorted out the scratch em's and the discount fliers, before throwing out the rest. People with the care to read newspapers in a messy suburb like this one usually throw out the other stuff. He wasn't in dire need of extra change, but he would hate for these to go to waste.

Besides, he knew his mom loves winning bits and pieces of small prizes.

***

Jayden's mother worked at the local orphanage. The pay was barely enough but since she owned their residence and Jayden was carrying some of the weight, it made it possible for her to keep working here. That's not all the reasons, however. Though they prefer not to bring it up.

He walked her to the orphanage every morning at 6:30. It was right next to the town primary school, which was a couple of streets away from the local high school. By law the kids were to stay their until they're of age.

By the time they got there, most of the kids were up and were roaming the back yard, which bordered a river that flowed from the city canals.

"Good morning Ms. Mitchell!" One of the younger kids shouted.

"Morning Miss Mitchell." "Hey Ms. Mitchell"

"GUD MORNING MS MITCHELL!" another giggled.

"Good morning everyone. Did you all rest well last night?"

The chatter between her and the children warmed up the chilly Autumnal morning. Jayden came in after her, and was caught in one child's keen eager eyes.

"CANDY BAR!!!" He shouted.

Most of the smaller kids heard him and immediately figured out what's going on, and ran up to them together. Oh yes they're a clever bunch.

"CAN-DY BAR. CAN-DY BAR." 

A little girl stayed at the back and quietly asked. "Did Jayden bring us candy bars again Ms. Mitchell"

"I don't know," She smiled. "We'll have to ask Jayden."

Jayden slid the backpack off his shoulders. He opened the front pocket, and tipped the bag upside down... Nothing came out.

"Sorry not today. See?" Jayden said to the children. 

Most of them awwwww-ed in response, but there were some that were more mature and tried to hide their disappointment. 

"-not." He grinned and reached inside the other pocket. When he took his hand out, along with it came a plastic bag. It was full of the candy bars he bought yesterday.

"One for you, Jaxon, one for you, Mackenzie, come and get one Lizzy," He said as he handed them out.

"What did I say about taking candy bars from Jayden, Mac?" An older kid walked out and snatched the candy bar from Mackenzie. It was Thomas, the guy that hangs out with Alex, Mackenzie's older brother.

"Hey Thomas, what's up?"

"Not much Jayden," Thomas walked up to Jayden. "I was just talking to my mother about you.....

Oh wait."

...

"What's your problem Thomas?" It was Lingshan, one of Rebecca's friends.

"Shut up Ling, unlike you I was actually meant to have parents who are still alive."

"I'm just asking you to leave Jayden alone."

"We all know you're just saying that because your little group leader has a crush on him."

"And your group leader doesn't?"

"What? What are you talking about?"

"You know perfectly well what I'm talking about." She noticed Jayden packing up and walking out. 

"Oh bye Jayden, see you at school assembly." She shouted after him. 

Jayden waved goodbye, not really caring for either them nor the situation they were discussing.

***

Jayden took the long route to school. Most kids would have cut straight through the remains of the sacred kale field, what used to be a popular tourist attraction due to it's position within the middle of a large urban city. Festivals and street malls would be set up here on autumn evenings, and kids would play hide and seek on the mornings of the warmer seasons.

But seeing it now just brings up bad memories. Jayden avoided it whenever he could, he didn't want to think about what happened. But trying to avoid it only makes him remember the reason he wants to avoid it in the first place.

He could hear Alex arguing with the gatekeeper as he neared the school entrance.

"Smoke? What? I don't smell any smoke on me? You sure you're not smelling yourself, old man?"

"Jayden! There you are." The old gatekeeper called out to him. "This young man here insists that he wasn't smoking but you could clearly smell the smoke on him."

In all honesty Jayden doesn't care. He had to rehearse for kickboxing club.

"Alex, this is what a normal student should smell like."

"Smell like what?" Alex walked up and sniffed Jayden, "I don't smell anything. Let me take a closer smell"

He leaned in, but Jayden pushed him away.

"Stop giving him reasons to harass me Mr Gleck"

The gatekeeper glanced at Alex, he couldn't get enough evidence out of him.

*sigh*

He turned away and walked back to his little box, opening the gates to let them pass.

"Pajamas, where's my candy bar?" Alex said, a little way into the school grounds.

"You don't get one"

"What? My mother was alive and well hey, before the fire? Doesn't it make you feel better to give everyone of us a candy bar."

"Just take them from Thomas like you always do"

"Nah-uh he'll just give me the one his lil' bro opened. Last time there was his saliva all over it."

Jayden turned left from the cafeteria, expecting Alex to queue for a morning snack there. But Alex followed.

"You're coming this way? Thought your morning starts with addiction counselling."

"Yeah but I quit, I gave up on smoking."

"No you didn't. You brought your lighter today." Jayden said, looking at the bulge on Alex's front pocket.

"Yeah I didn't. Heh, you got me. I've got exemption cause of this Maths Competition thing they're holding after the assembly."

They stopped at the library. It wasn't open yet. Jayden was a little early today. Alex followed Jayden all the way here, maybe out of boredom, and sat on a bench nearby.

....

Jayden waded around the grass on the opening before the library. He looked at Alex.

Alex stared back. 

Jayden looked away.

Alex turned his gaze to the ground.

CHAPTER END

XXX

"Zip it up properly goddammit." Jayden got out of his sleeping bag and fixed up the tent.

...

"Hey pajamas, psss." Alex turned around and whispered to Jayden. "I'm horny"

"No, go to sleep."

"Come on, they won't hear."

"..."

"Doesn't this place turn you on? Sacred field, traumatic memories, remembrance camping trip. All of it."

"You're so fucked up."

Alex wiggled closer in his sleeping bag, and purred on Jayden's neck. He reached out and started unzipping Jayden's bag.

"Stop you're gonna move too much."

"No, I just wanna hold you like this, I wanna feel your body underneath your pajamas." He said, spooning him.

....

But Jayden could feel it rubbing against him, behind two layers of sleeping bag cotton.

He turned around to face Alex. It was getting too hot to sleep anyway.

XXX