Janet shouldered her backpack and headed out of her classroom, slipping into the crowded halls of Windian High as the student body hurridly made its way towards the cafeteria for lunch. Today, definantly today. Janet was ready today. Today she was going to pull Justin aside, and she was going to convince him to leave WINGS with her. She had spent much of the day rehearsing everything she would say to him in her mind, and now she only hoped that it would work. It'll work... this is Justin we're talking about. I'm sure he'll understand... there was a nagging feeling in the back of Janet's mind but she shrugged it off as she made a detour to her locker. She wanted to drop off some books before heading to lunch. The windian shuffled items in and out of her backpack a moment before closing her locker and turning to head once more towards the cafeteria. This time she was interecepted by Jason who was on his way to the auditorium. Janet let out a groan as Jason noticed her. Great, the last person on Torana that I want to talk to right now...

"Janet." Jason just barely acknowledged her with a nod as he paused infront of her and leaned up against a few of the lockers casually. "What's up?"

"Move it, Jason. I'm in a hurry and I don't need you blocking me." Janet grumbled and went to walk around the red-haired windian. Naturally, Jason took Janet's threat as a challenge and moved himself again to the most convienent place possible to block her path. Janet glared up at him. "I said move it!"

"Geez, temper." Jason tsked and shook his head. "Won't even stop and say 'hi' to me?"

Janet held her dangerous gaze up at Jason. "Get out of my way, Jason!"

"Well aren't you Little Miss Hurried? Where are you going in such a rush anyway?" Jason once again moved to block Janet's route of escape as the windian tried to slip around him.

"I have to go talk to Justin! Now mo-"

*WHAM*

Janet was startled out of her phrase as Jason's fist suddenly slammed into the locker infront of her as she attempted to scoot by him once more. The windian's eyes went wide and she jumped back and the set of lockers around her rattled loudly from Jason's punch. The red-haired windian's face had gone from its taunting look to a dangerously serious gaze as he glared down at Janet.

"What the fuck are you doing with Justin still?"

Janet recovered from her startled state quickly and crossed her arms, matching Jason's look with her own. "Don't you even start with me, Jason. Justin and I are none of your business, alright? So just butt out!"

"This isn't fucking just about Justin anymore." Jason's voice seemed to be like and angry growl as he glared down at Janet. The windian refused to be impressed by his mood as she just continued to stand with her arms crossed.

"Oh? Then what is it about?"

"This is fucking about you and blowing off your fucking friends."

Janet raised her eyebrows and gave Jason a demanding look. "Excuse me? What the hell do you think you know about me and my friends? You don't know anything, Jason! In fact, you don't even know the first thing about friendship!"

"I know Lucy is your fucking best friend and you've been blowing her off for the WINGS!" Jason was rubbing his thumb over his fingertips in irritation. "I know I've been trying to strike up a truce with you but you just keep treating me like shit anyway!"

"You?" Janet sneered. "Landon, Jason! You couldn't be nice to me if your life depended on it!"

"No, Janet, I think it's the other way around. I don't think you could fucking be nice if you had to! Shit, I don't even have to do anything anymore! I could walk up to you and say 'gee, nice weather' and you'd fucking go off on me about whatever shit was bothering you at the time like it's my fault!" Jason threw his hands up in the air, his voice steadily rising into a shout as he continued to talk. "But you know what? I don't care anymore, I just don't fucking give a shit, alright? If you're just gonna throw shit at me anyway, then I may as well go back to being a jackass around you so atleast that way it seems like I deserve to have shit thrown at me!"

"Jason, you deserve shit no matter what you do!" Janet was leaning foward now, her hands balled up into fists on her hips as she held her glare at the windian, her voice too was raising in volume to match with his. "Will you quit trying to pretend you ever cared in the first place? You don't even know the first thing about being conscerned for someone!"

"SHIT!" The red-haired windian tossed his arms up in a defeated motion as he rolled his eyes. "Oh my GOD! You're fucking right, Janet! I've never given a shit before in my entire fucking life! I didn't give a shit when I saved your fucking ass in the alley at Springton, and I fucking didn't give a shit when I went back for you because of Menolly! Fuck! I didn't give a shit so much that it didn't fucking matter to me that I saved your ass twice and I didn't even get so much as a fucking 'thank you' from you! But you wanna fucking think about something, Janet?" Jason's voice toned down to a dangerous growl again as he shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned forward, bringing his face close to Janet's as something like fire flickered in his eyes. "Where the fuck was Justin when all of that shit happened? Where the fuck were your WINGS friends? Maybe you're right, Janet, maybe I don't fucking give a shit. I don't give a fuck about how you're fucking up Lucy right now, and I don't give a fuck about how you're just going to let yourself ignore everything Justin's been doing behind your back." Jason paused for a moment and for once Janet's determined look began to faulter as Jason's words struck her sharply. The windian's stern eyes held a tinge of fear to them as she watched Jason's lips pull back in a snarl and for a moment Janet feared for what Jason was about to do next. The red-haired windian always did have a long record of becoming extreemly violent when he wasn't happy about something, and the look in his eyes was murderous as he continued to glare back at her. Janet forced herself to hold her place and not shrink back.

In his pocket, Jason's fist was already glowing red from the magical energies that laced over it every time he became this irritated. The windian could even feel the presence of the Red Bird now rising up inside of him as the demon fed off of his anger and began to stir, restless to release itself from the hold that had been put on it. Jason did his best to force himself to calm down, but it wasn't working. He had to get away from Janet before he lost it completely. With a noise that rumbled from his throat like a deep growl, Jason continued to speak once more in a low hiss.

"One day soon, Janet, all this shit is going to fucking blow up in your fucking face, and Justin won't be there because he'll be part of that shit, and Lucy won't be there because of all the shit you've thrown at her. But you know what? I'll be there. I hope to god that I'll fucking be standing right there, so that when everything blows up and leaves you flat on your ass I can fucking laugh my head off at you." And with that he shoved roughly by Janet and made his way quickly down the hall towards the auditorium.

Janet couldn't do anything. She was paralyzed in her spot, arms still crossed, still standing where she had been when Jason had been talking to her. Only now she didn't feel as determined as she had felt before. Relief washed over her as Jason shoved by, leaving her physically unharmed. It could have been worse. Much worse... but as it was Jason had managed to do enough damage to her emotions that would have been equal to if he had pounded her into a pulp and left her in a corner somewhere. Janet was shaking as she thought about the dangerous look in Jason's eyes and what he had said to her. And as much as he had scared her, she still knew that something about what he had said had been true. I have been blowing off my friends for the WINGS, Lucy and Yuki both... Jason had been right about another thing too. Justin hadn't been there when she had needed him. He hadn't been anywhere. He had stayed in Windia. He doesn't care... he doesn't care, and he never did care... Janet was startled to feel a tear slip down her cheek as she thought of her boyfriend. She hadn't noticed that she was crying, and she wasn't sure if she was crying because of the loss and betrayal she felt when thinking about Justin, or if she was crying because of the state that Jason had managed to put her in. With a loud sniff, Janet quickly brushed away a couple more tears that were slipping from her eyes and made her way towards the cafeteria with new determination. Only this time, it wasn't Justin she was going to find.

* * *

"Janet? Are you alright?" Lucy looked up at her friend in amazed concern as the windian rushed up to the table.

Lucy wasn't the only one who noticed Janet's sudden appearance. With a scowl, Nate shot a look up at the approaching windian. "What the hell do you want? Just leave us alone, you cold hearted bi-"

"NATE!" Yuki reached over and smacked Nate roughly upside the head, her voice ringing with annoyance as she glared at him. "Can't you see she's been crying?"

Nate muttered and adjusted his scarf. "Psh... like I care..." With that, the Persona User got up and walked away from the table. Yuki and the others watched him go.

"What's wrong with him?" The japanese teenager turned to Janet, her face changing to an expression of deep conscern as she looked at her friend. "Kami-Sama Janet... what happened? Are you okay?"

"No, I'm not." Janet sniffed again and hurridly brushed away a few more tears. "Lucy, Yuki... I need to talk to you both..." The japanese teenager and raven-haired windian exchanged glances before both nodded and stood up. Janet motioned for them to follow her to the usually spot that they headed to when talking.

"Janet, what is it?" Lucy was growing more worried with every second that she watched her distressed friend.

"It... it's just..." Janet wiped away a few more tears and made a noise that seemed to be a mixture of a cough and a sob as she tried to control herself. "Landon! I can't even talk like this! I'm sorry you two..."

"Hey, just calm down..." Yuki put a comforting hand on the windian's shoulder. "Take a few deep breaths, let yourself calm down, then try and talk..."

Janet placed her hand on top of Yuki's and the japanese teenager smiled at her in assurance as the windian attempted to calm herself down. Lucy was now brushing a few loose strands of Janet's hair away from her face as the two patiently waited for their friend to regain control. Janet took a few more deep breaths before her crying finally seemed to settle down.

"Alright..." the windian's voice was still shaky as she did her best to speak. "I need help... I can't do this right now, but I wan't to do it today.. after school... directly after school... if I wait too long I might change my mind. I need you two to help..."

"We'll help, Janet." Yuki's voice was strong and reassuring. "We'll help in anyway we can, just tell us."

Janet sniffed again and rubbed her cheek. "I've got to talk to Justin today... I'm going to call it quits... with him... with the WINGS... just, with all of it..." Lucy and Yuki exchanged relieved glances before they turned back to Janet as she continued to talk. "But I don't think I can do it just by myself... I was wondering if you two would stay after school with me, just for support..."

"Of course we will." Lucy smiled at her friend. "We have sixth period together, so I'll be right there after school."

"And I can meet you two out in the courtyard since I don't really have a sixth period class." Yuki smiled at the windians. "Janet, don't worry, it's all going to turn out just fine, alright?"

"Thanks..." Janet gave the two a weak smile. "Thanks, both of you. I don't know how I could do this without you two."

"Hey." Yuki smiled and shrugged. "What are friends for?"

Friends... Janet's smile became more genuine as she played the word around in her head. Real friends... The windian hugged Lucy and Yuki happily, and they both returned the gesture, reassuring Janet.

"Come on," Lucy gave a light tug on Janet's arm. "You've got to be hungry, come back to the table and sit down with us."

"That sounds like a great idea." Janet smiled again as the three made their way back over to the table where the others were sitting.

Back to Main | Back to Chapter Index