Prologue

Towson was busy.

Actually, Towson was constantly busy and over-populated, and today, Jade was in a rush. She was panicked, running late and red-faced with frustration as her small feet pattered along the grey pavement. She was attempting, rather successfully, to weave her way in and out of the crowds of people that were lining the streets. She was completely grateful that at that moment that for almost all her life, she was petite. With a height of only five feet, four inches, and a childlike body, despite her grand age of twenty, getting through big crowds in Towson had always been her thing.

Jade managed to push her way through tall business men and business woman that towered over her. She was able to avoid their pointless briefcases and dodged their ridiculous, large pointy waxed shoes. She had never been able to understand how and why Towson got so busy, especially on weekdays. In her honest opinion, Jade didn't think there was anything great about the area. But saying that, she had never really took her time to explore the area. Towson was still quite unknown to her.

A look of concentration covered her face until the ringing of a cell phone cut through the air, playing Blink 182's 'Feelng This'. Jade groaned, knowing exactly who it was and what they wanted. She pushed her hand into the back of her black skinny jeans, dodging yet another person whilst doing so, and then pulled her phone out and pressed the answer button, not needing to check the caller ID. There was only one person it could be, the exact same person she was late to see. Freya. Wincing, Jade placed her phone to her ear.

“Jade! Where are you? I’ve been waiting for half a fucking hour now!” Freya's voice was bordering on yelling, and Jade was about to respond with a calm, cool and collected 'I'm on my way', when her friend cut her off with a huff and continued her complaint. “I know that you overslept. Don't you even dare try to deny it young lady, don't you fucking dare. The fact you love your sleep more than your Best Friend is disgraceful, I'll give you another ten minutes and then I'm out of this place. You're ridiculous, you suck.”

Finally Freya stopped talking and Jade let out a breath she was holding in. “Freya, I am on my way. Calm down, please. Ten minutes is more than long enough because I didn't oversleep.”

Freya scoffed at that. “I bet on my life that you did oversleep, Jade I'm not as stupid as I seem. Wait, do you actually think I’m stupid? Because if you do then-”

At that moment Jade's crowd weaving skills failed her when someone stormed past her and roughly bashed her leg with their suitcase, not caring the send an apology her way. In response to the collision and a hard, plastic case hitting her shin, she yelped and jumped in the opposite direction. Jade didn't even bothering to see if anyone was in her way and soon enough she had crashed into another body. Only this time she didn’t manage to jump out of the way and slipped straight down onto the ground. Her bum hit the concrete, a short oof left her lips and her phone went flying out of her hand. Fortunately, landing only a few feet in front of her.

Grunting from the short burst of pain, Jade pushed them aside and reached for her phone when a hand flew out in front of her and picked it up. The first thing Jade could think of was whoever had picked it up was going to steal it, this was Towson after all. If there was a phone laying on the ground, nobody stuck around the see if it had an owner. Panic surged through her body.

“Hey! I don't mean to sound rude – well, I do but that's besides the point – that is my phone.”

Whoever was currently in possession of her phone chuckled – a deep, low chuckle which allowed Jade to realise it was a boy. If she wasn't panicking before, she was definitely panicking now. There was two kinds of people he could have been; a kind and respectable man willing to give it back, or some typical yob that wouldn’t give her phone back until she’d ‘repaid him for picking it up’ somehow.

Grunting, she lifted one of her legs, reached out and kicked him. “Are you deaf or something? I said that's my phone.” Her voice was dripping in frustration with his lack of response, so much so she resulted in kicking his leg once more. This time she however received a different outcome as he yelped and stepped back. Although she didn't want him to step back, she wanted her phone.

“Woah!” The holder of her phone called. “Jesus, I'm just trying to help. There's no need to kick me.”

Jade's head snapped up at the sound of his voice. He did not sound like an uneducated yob about to steal her phone. Not at all. His accent was deep and rough just like his chuckle and there was a twang, indicating that he was definitely from Towson.

Slightly intrigued, but a little relaxed that he wasn't going to sprint away with her possession, she narrowed her eyes in his direction and then went to push herself up off the floor. However, his hand shot out to help her up. She eyed it unconvincingly as he wiggled his fingers. Having enough of waiting, he rolled his eyes and reached down, grabbing her dainty hand to pull her up.

“Alex.” The boy introduced.

Jade nodded and pulled her hand from his. Instead of replying she started brushing the dirt from the floor off of her bottom and the back of her legs, failing to notice that whilst she was doing so Alex was looking her up and down. His eyes roamed all over her body, yet he didn't fail to notice she was remarkably small.
He found it adorable and couldn't help but smirk down at her. “Don’t I get to know your name?”

“No.” Jade replied without even bothering to look at Alex.

Instead, she rubbed her backside down once more and then put her hand out demanding her phone. Her face oozed seriousness and her expression remained as hard as stone.

Alex cocked an eyebrow and acted innocent as though he didn’t know what she was asking for. He raised his hands and waved them in front of her to show he was no longer holding the object.

She groaned and thrust her hand out further in Alex's direction. “For god sake, just give me my phone back will you?”

“What phone?”

Jade scoffed. After having her knee bashed and her bum bruised, she not in the mood. And, it's not that she wasn’t a nice person, because she was a nice person, it was just that she was already extremely late for Freya.

There was no doubt in her mind that her energetic Best Friend would call her a liar and tell her to get stuffed when she tried to explain that she was being held up in the middle of Towson by some ridiculous looking boy in a baggy black Glamour Kills vest, tight American print jeans and beanie. There was just no way. Freya was quite simple, but she wasn't stupid and Jade had told a fair few lies when being late. This, would have just tipped the boat.

“Look Kid, I'm glad you saved my phone from being trampled on, but can you give it back now?”

“Kid?” Alex laughed, humour written all over his face. She was the size of an average thirteen year old, yet he was the kid. “Babe I'm pushing twenty-four, I'm hardly a kid. ”

“You keep telling yourself that.” Jade was growing more and more irritated by Alex. She pushed her hand out again, hoping to intimidate the 'pushing twenty-four' year old guy, but he just completely relaxed; as if taking a strangers phone and holding it hostage was a day to day thing for him to do. “Phone!”

“Let's make a proposition. You tell me your name and I’ll look around and see if I can find your phone? That sounds like a good offer, you should take me up on that.” Alex chuckled once more, ending his speech with a wink. But Jade just rolled her eyes and suppressed a growl, her face screwing up at his offer.

Freya was surely going to kill her and definitely was not going to believe that it was no longer he fault she was late. That was just what she needed, a good old rant about how bad her time managing skills are getting. She loved those rants. With a burning passion.

Jade didn't respond to Alex, instead, she clenched her jaw and took a deep breath to stop herself from getting angry. Very, very angry.

“I don’t know where you’re from, but where I’m from we call it being polite to allow someone the honours of knowing your name.” Alex shrugged, pursing his lips as he started down at Jade, not knowing her stubborn the girl actually could be.

“Well where I’m from its considered theft taking something that doesn’t belong to you.”

“Touché.” Alex smirked.

“See Alex,” Jade began, saying his name for the first time. The way she said it wasn't friendly, nor was it inviting. “I have this friend, a friend I need to meet and she is already raging that I’m late… so if you’d just…” She trailed off nodding towards the pocket she knew her phone was in.

He was stupid if he thought she wouldn't be able to see the outline of what was hers in his jeans. “Tell me your name and the phone is yours.”

Jade glared at Alex and in response he shrugged. He had all day, if she needed to be somewhere it didn't effect him. If she wanted her phone, all she had to do was give him her name. It was simple really. With the careless shrug, the outline of her phone in his pocket and Alex's persistence, Jade's temper had truly blown.

Her hands clenched by the side of her body and her glare was so fierce Alex took a step away from her. “My name is Jade. There, we know each others names. Our lives are so much different. Now give me my phone back you time wasting dick!” She stomped her foot and thrust her hand out, for the umpteenth time that day, towards Alex, who was stood staring at her in utter shock. Who knew someone so little could have a voice so... loud.

“The only time I've ever seen a girl stomp her foot was in a film…” He trailed off, scratching the back of his head as her chest rose and fell at an unnatural pace.

She was angry. “Well we're not in a film.” Jade spat.

Alex held his hands up in defence and then fished into his pocket. He dug out the mobile phone, waved it in front of her face and then placed it in the palm of Jade's hand. Without a thank you, or another word, she clamped her hands around it and started to walk away; not wanting to make Freya wait any longer. She also wanted to get away from Alex, who was admittedly attractive, but so annoying. When was it deemed normal to take possessions and demand a name be given for it to be given back? Boys, they always wanted something in return.

“Jade, that’s a nice name. I mean I don't actually know any Jade's and the only time I've ever heard Jade being used as a name is in a movie or something. But Jade, yeah, nice.”

Jade's eyes widened and she looked to her left, finding Alex walking along beside her. He managed to walk effortlessly along with her, each of his strides matching at least two of hers. Her mouth gaped open as he shot her a wink, she narrowed her eyes and huffed.

He could not follow her. Surely there was a law or something stating that was not allowed. Freya would lose her shit. Finding out the reason she was late was because of a beanie wearing lunatic.

“What do you think you’re doing?" Her words came out as hisses as she turned back and faced the direction she was walking in, discretely shooting glances at Alex to see if he'd stopped following. He hadn't.

Nathan glanced down at his moving legs and frowned. “Walking?” His words came out in a mocking tone which made Jade halt immediately. “Now I’m standing still.”

Jade let a small shriek escape from her lips and then she continued to walk. Alex was stood slightly in front of her, but she barged past him and yanked out her phone from her pocket; she pressed the dial button twice and pushed the phone up to her ear. If she was going to face Freya, she needed her to be prepared beforehand. She would rather be told off over the phone than face-to-face, it was easier to argue back without Freya's look of utter disappointment.

The dialling tone was soon replaced with that of an angry tone. “You are an hour late. I love you, but why are we friends? In fact, why don't I just tell you to meet me an hour earlier than I'm going to turn up and then maybe you'd be on time. When you get here be expecting a black eye because some woman has walked passed me four times now and gave me a sympathetic glance. She thinks I’ve been stood up. Me, stood up!” Freya yell-hissed into the phone and Jade sighed waiting for her to finish her rant “You Jade Perry, are a joke and you better have a good reason for this.”

Jade waited for a two second pause to make sure her friend had finished her, deserved, rant. “I tripped didn’t I? And then some idiot picked up my phone and held it hostage until I gave him my name, believe me he was so persistent, I tried to get it back as quick as I could. He just had no care that I was already late. Just give me five minutes, I’m nearly here okay?” Jade finished with a sigh. She pinched the top of her nose, closed her eyes and stopped on the spot a moment. Anticipating Freya shouting down the phone at her.

The pause on the end of the line was a sure sign her friend was going to explode, scream, cry, or simply just end the call or tell her to go home. Which would have meant her day was completely wasted, a pointless journey and a heck load of stress for nothing. “Some idiot?”

Jade was shocked. Freya seemed genuinely intrigued. “Yes some kid-”

“I’m twenty-three!” Alex cut in and Jade opened her eyes to find him stood beside her.

“Is that him?” Freya's voice dropped to a whisper.

Jade groaned, shooting Alex a pointed stare. “Yes that is him and now he’s following me around.”

“Is... he... hot?”

Still glaring, Jade let her eyes drift from Alex's. She looked him up and down; well she mainly looked up seeing as she was quite a lot shorter than him. Her head tilted to the side slightly as she moved along his body. She looked at his face and noticed his defined jawline, his plump pink lips, his button nose and then his stunning golden brown eyes. His eyes, fortunately for him, stood out a lot due to all of his hair being pushed under a red beanie. His body was of a good form. He was attractive, quite attractive. Her judgement was clouded by his forwardness however.

“Yeah, I suppose. But that’s not the point, he’s a creep.”

Freya started to laugh on the other end of the lane, causing Jade to stare at Alex wearing a dumbfounded look; one he didn't understand because the conversation he was currently hearing was very one sided – and that was mainly Jade insulting him.

“What?” She snapped, cutting Freya's laughing episode short.

“You’re always so harsh on the opposite sex Jade. Maybe this boy is interested in you.” Freya spoke softly and Jade could only picture her sitting there playing with her hair, twisting and twirling it around her fingers as she tried to picture Alex. “Look just hurry up I’m getting looks.” Freya sighed and then with a click the conversation ended and the line went dead.

Huffing and puffing, Jade pushed her phone into her back pocket and ignored Alex's presence as she started to walk again. He had now changed his method of thinking and was walking backwards beside her so that he could see her face. She was certain it was because he knew he was annoying her and probably wanted to see how far he could push her before she snapped. Which, wouldn't take a lot of pissing at that current moment.

“You’re quiet rude, Jade.” Alex stated. “But I like it. You’re different, a little feisty.” His eyes widened as the word slipped from his lips and then he grinned, realising that it was a compliment and he knew it was. It was down to her if she wanted to accept it or not.

“Rude? I'm hardly rude. I’m not the one that took someone else’s phone.”

“I helped you up! If you remember correctly, I also picked up your phone so it wouldn’t have been trampled on by the stampede of Towson's finest. What more can a man do? And all the thanks I’ve got is you calling me a kid, an idiot and I think I can recall you even called me a dick at one point. My point currently stands valid. You are rude.” Alex's smile grew wide, wider than Jade had seen so far. “If anything you owe me... Miss Jade… who’s last name I haven’t quite got yet.”

She came to another stop. “Owe you?” A muttered of strangled “No's.” left her lips as she pulled on her hair and groaned into her hand. She just wanted to go and meet Freya, she wasn't supposed to run into anyone. She was supposed to be able to dodge crowds and avoid weirdos. Boys were not supposed to be interested in her. She was supposed to be angry and short-tempered and very stubborn. They were supposed to be turned away by that, frightened by how much effort she seemed and was.

"Yes, owe me...” Alex trailed off. He was concentrating seriously, the first look of utter seriousness clouding his features for the first time that day. “How about you let me take you on a date?” He clicked his fingers and grinned cheekily.

Jade just scoffed at him which only made him frown. “And then what? We fall in love and ride off into the sunset together, living happily ever after. Jesus how many chick flicks have you watched?” She snapped. “I don’t date.”

“That sounds like a good life plan.” Alex chuckled, deciding to ignore her sarcasm drenched words. “But, you don’t date or you won’t date?” He questioned, emphasis on the or.

Jade didn't respond. She could hear Freya's words in her mind and could only think that she was right. She was always harsh on men. It wasn't her fault though, she had every right to be with how shit her past relationships had been. But Alex wasn't an ex and Jade had no reason to be harsh on him. Though, for some reason, after her rocky relationships, she hadn't gave any person of the opposite sex a chance of getting to know her. Alex just seemed so damn persistent, she did owe him in some twisted way and she was considering giving him a chance but then snapped back to herself and shook her head “I don’t date.”

“Well let me try and change that.” Alex pressed.

“You would be wasting your time. It would take you at least thirty dates to change that. I'm sorry.”

“Thirty?” He questioned seriously.

“Yep.” Jade shrugged, shooting him a very fake apologetic glance.

“Deal.” Alex exclaimed. “Thirty dates? I can do that, I doubt I'd even need thirty. Text me later yeah? I put my number in your phone when you weren’t looking, I hope you don't mind. So, it was lovely meeting you Jade, I've gotta run. Gonna be late.” He laughed cheekily and then walked off in the opposite direction leaving Jade staring after him. Feeling her stare on the back of his head he spun around quickly and shot her a wink; only to make her jaw drop.

It almost hit the floor.

Notes

*Laughs I can't uploade a banner or characters to this until I can get on my laptop tomorrow....

Well, I wanted to do an OC story, so let's see how this goes....