Jensen opened his eyes slowly. He noticed the familiar white walls of the clinic. He sat up slowly and looked round.
Andrea being the first to notice his state spoke up. "Well you're up."
Jenna looked up at him. Her eyes began water up.
She stood up slowly and hugged him gently trying to avoid the bandaged part of his neck.
"You stupid asshole. Do you always have to be reckless?" Jenna asked.
"Well, not always." He said laughing lightly.
He groaned under the pain he felt in his throat.
"You stupid perro." She said. "Why didn't you just stop when you felt weak."
"You just called me a dog." He said laughing. "But I won't quit just like that."
"Plus, that speech really sent shivers down everyone's spines." Andrea said.
"Not helping." Jenna said glaring at him. "But still you need to rest for the rest of the day."
"I'll tell coach that you came down with something so you can skip today's practice." Andrea said.
He got to his feet and stretched out a fist to him. Jensen responded giving him a fist bump.
"Later bud." He said walking out.
As soon as he left, Jensen pulled Jenna into his laps and hugged her tightly.
The sudden action shocked her and she didn't react immediately.
"I was so scared when my breathing began to shallow down. I didn't know what was going to happen to me. I could hear your voices but couldn't hear what you guys were saying. I felt as though my consciousness was slipping from me.
I didn't want to say anything while Andrea was here because I didn't want him to think I was weak. I don't want anyone to see me like this. Not you or my sister or even my mum or even Andrea. I can't be a man if I act like this. But I oddly feel safe when I'm with you, I feel like I can break my she'll around you. The only people that have seen me like this is my mum and sister." Jensen said.
Jenna could feel his shaking. His breathing ragged. He was crying.
"I know I'm not the strongest and I'm not the best but I'm trying my best. Please don't leave me. Make sure my mum doesn't leave me. Make sure that Mizuki doesn't leave me or even Andrea. I've gotten close to you guys to actually call you both my real friends. Please you guys should stay with me. I know I might sound selfish but after what happened today, it feels like I might leave at anytime." He added letting the tears coming out fully.
Lucky nobody was there except the nurse. Jensen and Jenna hadn't noticed when she got back.
"I didn't think someone could open up like that." Nurse Joy said to herself. "More importantly, I didn't think someone could bottle up all that. Maybe that isn't even all."
Jensen continued to sob and Jenna began to soothe him till he fell asleep. Eventually she too fell asleep.
At the end of classes, Andrea walked into the clinic.
"Good evening, Auntie." Andrea said as he fondly called Nurse Joy.
"Hello love." She said. "Came to take the rest of your trio?"
"Yeah." He said simply.
"Well you've got to great friends willing to do anything for their friends and family." Nurse Joy said.
"Well I knew that right from day one on meeting them. I hope they continue like this." Andrea said.
Nurse Joy gave him a light pat on his head before taking her bag.
"Don't forget to lock up for me love." She said walking out.
Andrea smiled as she left. She turned to face Jensen and Jenna who were walking out.
She was supporting Jensen who was staggering and wincing with each step. He looked over all better but still need time to rest.
"It's good to see you alright bud." He said giving him a pat on the back.
He hissed slightly. "I think at this point if you flick me on the head I'll fall over and faint."
Andrea chuckled. "I think you need to walk on your jokes more."
"Ass." Jensen said.
All of a sudden, Andrea's look became serious as his gaze fixed on Jensen.
"Jenna, please can you excuse us for a while?" Andrea asked.
Jenna didn't ask questions. She gently set him down on a sit and walked out.
"Let me guess you saw me during the game." Jensen pointed out as soon as the door closed.
"Sharp as ever." Andrea said. "The moment you swapped the cards I knew you had something in plan."
"What makes you think that?" Jensen said with a poker face.
"Because from what I've seen from you, you always have something up on your mind. The incident with Danielle, you wanted to know how much of a bitch she was and how to deal with her. The incident with Jenna.
You just found and reason to look down on Marcus and to protect Jenna without any questions. I know you actually like her. During practice. You just wanted to disgrace those two.
Finally for the House of Cards, you have a plan. I want in on it. If we can be friends I'll be willing to help and even if we aren't friends, I'll still help." Andrea said.
Jensen smiled. "I knew I could trust you bud." He said stretching out his hand for a shake.
Andrea took the shake with a calculating grin. "So, what do you have in mind?"
"I plan to try and topple the game. Seeing that might be next to impossible, I want you make the game to our benefits. No one knows how it started but I'll find that out and be the next House of Cards with Jenna as my right hand and you as my left hand." Jensen said.
"Hmmm." Andrea said smiling. "You've got ambition. I'll help without question. Except when needed."
"Thank you." Jensen said getting up slowly.
"What about Jenna?" Andrea asked.
"Not yet. I don't want her getting involved till I'm sure she will fight for herself in case something happens to us." He said.
"Wise move." Andrea said leading Jensen out.
As they came out Jenna looked at them his bright eyes. "So we have a trio?" She asked.
The two looked at each other then back at her before nodding.
She hugged Andrea the went to Jensen and kissed him.
"Why did you hug him first?" Jensen asked.
"Don't be jealous. I gave you a kiss." She said as she hugged him carefully. "Let's go. I'm sure you're sisters are waiting for you and so is my mum."
------
Jensen limped out of the school with Jenna and Andrea by his side.
Juniors and seniors looked at him with shocked expressions.
"That kid looks wrecked. What the fuck happened to him?"
"I heard he had a sparing match with Kobi Yu of class 3."
"You mean the captain of the martial arts team?"
"He must have lost. Just look at how he's limping."
"I'll have you know otherwise."
"What do you mean."
"He actually made Kobi to drop flat on the floor after he passed out. Kobi couldn't feel his body at all."
"You mean this guy actually dropped that monster?"
"You mean and monster brought down a monster."
"Yeah I heard that the fight was very intense."
"I was there. The only reason Jensen fainted was because he had a concoction and I think blood was in his lungs or so the class rep said."
"That's true. If Kobi hadn't used that Krav maga style, the fight would have gone longer."
"Yeah. But either way, Kobi won."
"But Jensen dominated in my opinion."
Jensen looked at Andrea with a questioning expression.
"News spreads fast." Andrea said.
"Yup." Jenna added as she sat him down on a bench.
Jensen took off the bandage on his neck and threw it it a trash can. The bruise marks from the fight were still on his neck.
Kobi walked passed them with Debbie by his side. Jensen could see bandages on his arms.
They locked eyes together and shared one common thought.
'He's a monster.'
Kobi broke the eye contact and walked away saying nothing.
"Well I know how much of a difference there is between us." Jensen said to himself. "Very little."
His head turned to Marcus and Dorothy the to Ben and Danielle.
He looked at Jenna who was talking with some girls.
"Why don't you have a girlfriend?" Jensen asked Andrea.
"Huh?" He said confused.
"I mean you kinda cute looking. You got a killer body and good grades and personality. You're like a slightly watered down version of me." Jensen said. "So why don't you have a girlfriend?"
Andrea closed his eyes and exhaled heavyly. "First of. I'm not a run down version of you. We're equal and if anything you'd be the run down version of me. As for the girlfriend issue, no girl has really peaked my interest neither have I peaked any girls interest."
"Huhhhhh!" Jensen sighed as Jenna smiled at the girl as they began to leave one by one. "You lonely sick fuck. You need a relationship."
Andrea got pissed—not seriously but friendly kind of pissed.
He heard the rev of a familiar engine and so did Jensen. Jenna heard her mum's car and walked up to the boy.
"My mum's hear." She said. "I'll be going."
"Me to, my sister's here." The boys said at the same time.
They both looked at each other confused as they turned round to see who owned the bike they had just heard.