User blog:SodaCat/Muse Chapter 6: Prayer in the Rain

its been so long since i've done anything with jesse * n * i recommend listening to "lips of an angel" while reading this, it's been stuck in my head all day and definitely influenced the mood in this, at least the music of the song did. the lyrics don't really have anything to do with this chapter at all tbh lol

JESSE TYLER THO

Bright and early Wednesday morning, the photography room was buzzing with students discussing Halloween night yesterday and contemplating on what the day’s photo assignment would be.

Mandy Wiles sat at her table, filing her perfectly manicured cerulean nails, indifferent and waiting for the class to start. She just knew the assignment would be outside today, and she wasn’t really looking forward to going out to take pictures in the rain, even if she did enjoy this class more than her other ones. She adjusted the letterman jacket she demanded Ted lend her for the day, studying her classmates, impartial.

What called her attention, however, was that the wooden stool beside her that was typically occupied by an irksome cowboy impersonator was empty. It wasn’t like Jesse to come in late, and he was usually early anyway to get a head start on annoying everybody.

Thirty seconds before the bell rang, said cowboy impersonator walked into the classroom, his usually chirpy expression replaced with a melancholy, almost lonely one.

He did not greet Ms. Philips.

He did not wink at Pinky.

He did not blow a kiss to Eunice.

He did not make any teasing remarks to Mandy.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Mandy watched, one thin eyebrow raised, as he instead dragged his feet along the wooden floor and slumped himself down onto his stool before laying his head facedown onto the table. Rather than his football jersey or some other sports-related shirt, he wore a modest navy blue Bullworth sweatshirt with the hood up, obscuring Mandy’s view from his chocolate colored locks.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">A couple students seemed to catch on to his out-of-character behavior as well, and nervous, confused glances were shot Mandy and Jesse’s way. Was he still hammered? Most of the student body was aware that Jesse Tyler’s birthday was October 31st, and students were still buzzing about his party last night. Would Ms. Philips send him to the office for it? Had something happened to him last night?

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Jesse, of course, didn’t notice any of the glances—his face was still mushed up to the table, and he didn’t bother looking up when the bell rang and Ms. Philips launched into a brief description of each of the partner sets’ assignments. More confused glances, this time even from Ms. Philips herself, were thrown over at Jesse—he asked no stupid, blatantly obvious questions as he usually did.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Mandy, however, couldn’t really care less. She’d seen how hammered the idiot had gotten last night—why else would he have gone nuts on those two town kids in the clubhouse? Of course he’d be hung over out of his mind today—that was what he got for acting like a little freak. Besides, it wasn’t like she needed his help, he didn’t have to go all macho marking-his-territory on them like he had. Mandy had had the situation under control.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">She stood once Ms. Philips finished handing out assignments, and like the rest of the class, began heading for the door. About halfway there, she realized that Jesse wasn’t trailing behind making smart remarks about her ass, and had instead stayed back, still slumped over the table like the little drunk he was.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Was he dead or something?

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Cautious in case he suddenly started barfing all over the place, Mandy made her way over to him and poked him sharply in the back with her index finger, though he only emitted a low groan.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">“Whaaat?” he murmured, his voice hoarse and rough. He looked up at Mandy with bloodshot eyes rather than his bright, gray ones, clearly he’d had a pretty bad night. Rolling her eyes, Mandy crossed her arms; it was his fault for getting so irresponsibly drunk on a school night.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">“We have an assignment to do, Tyler,” Mandy scoffed, inspecting her nails once again. She already knew they weren’t chipped, but still, it gave her something to do besides stare at this future alcoholic’s face. He looked gross, he hadn’t shaved this morning, and his eyes were grossly puffy.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Ew.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Jesse groaned and rose, stumbling forward a little and getting his Timberlands tangled between the legs of the stool. He fell forward, his left hand flying out and using Mandy’s shoulder in order to stay upright, much to her displeasure and disapproval.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Irritated, Mandy placed her hands on his shoulders and shoved him with all her might, though he barely budged and only straightened into a standing position.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">“I’m not your support group,” Mandy hissed, furious. There was no way she was going to serve as his cane. She’s sooner pick being partnered with that fat chick than him.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Nodding slowly, Jesse made his way past her, the squeaking of the rubber soles of his Timberlands dragging against the wood floor calling Ms. Philips’ attention. She studied him for a moment, immediately recognizing a hangover; she’d seen Lionel in the same state countless times, and it was no secret that the boy’s eighteenth birthday had been yesterday. She supposed she could let it slide, just for today, so long as it didn’t become a habit.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Besides, telling the headmaster that a student was hung over could open up an investigation to alcohol on the school grounds, which obviously wouldn’t benefit?

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center;"> ~|~|~|~|~

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Walking down the staircase had been quite an adventure, though not any that Mandy had enjoyed even in the least bit. She’d had to let Jesse use her shoulder for support the entire way down, and his weight mixed with his clumsiness had almost been too much for her. She’d found herself nearly tripping down the stairs on more than one occasion, though by some miracle they’d both gotten down in one piece, more importantly, she had.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Unfortunately, Ms. Philips had assigned Mandy and Jesse to go down to the church in Old Bullworth Vale to take pictures, and there was no way Jesse was in any condition to walk or bike there.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Rather, Mandy had had to call a cab, to her displeasure, though Jesse hadn’t protested or complained once when she had fished his wallet out of his shorts’ pocket and used the cash he had inside it to pay for the taxi.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">The two of them trekked down the dirt path that led to the church, just a couple feet away from where the cab had dropped them off. Mandy pulled Ted’s jacket off and held it over her head in discomfort; it’d been drizzling since this morning, and she didn’t want to get her hair or camera wet. Unfortunately, there was nothing she could do about the muddy path.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Jesse shoved his hands into his sweatshirt pocket, hood still up, as they made their way to the church. He’d had a real shitty night last night, and he hadn’t slept at all in fear that he’d have the Dream again. The fact that he’d gotten carelessly drunk last night didn’t help either, nor did the fact that his knuckles were still a bloody, painful wreck from… from whatever he’d done last night.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">His film camera hung lazily around his neck, bouncing up and down with each step he took in the sticky mud and slamming back down onto his chest like some sort of painful, torturous heartbeat, in sync with the throbbing pain in his head. That, orchestrated with the sloshing of his boots, paired together to make some sort of weird musical symphony. Strangely, he found himself almost enjoying it.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">He turned his gray eyes up to the sky, studying the gray, cloudy texture to it and shaking off the raindrops that fell onto his face.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">“’s overcast,” he noted, “none too good for picturin’.”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Mandy looked up, unsurprised to see that he was right about the weather. Still, it caught her off guard that he knew about photography weather conditions. “How do you know about lighting?” she inquired, sounding just a touch nastier than she’d intended.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">“We’re in the same class,” Jesse retorted, making Mandy sneer despite his voice being light.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Bounding away from him in aggravation, she reached over to try and pull one of the heavy iron gates to the church open, only to be intercepted by Jesse.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Effortlessly, he pulled it open as if it were made of down feathers rather than iron that probably weighed more than he did and held it open for her, his sweatshirt sleeve covering the majority of his hand.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Mandy looked to him to thank him, but instead found that his gaze was concentrated on the dirt beside her feet. Annoyed, she scorned and brushed past him, channeling her bitchiest attitude.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">She strut past the gravestones while repositioning Ted’s jacket on her shoulders, paying no mind to anything in particular until she nearly crashed into the large marble statue placed in the center of the garden. Slowly, her brown eyes traveled up it, fixing on the crow that perched atop, until she heard a faint ‘click’ and saw the fading whisper of a camera flash.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">“Did you seriously just take my picture?” Mandy demanded, glaring at Jesse, who had quietly trudged across to the other side of the statue and stood facing her.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">He nodded innocently, lowering his camera from his face a couple inches. “You looked beautiful,” he said bluntly yet sincerely, before turning and snapping a photograph of the church.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Color rose to Mandy’s cheeks, and she felt her jaw drop just a little before hastily shrugging the minor feeling of flattery off. Jesse Tyler was a notorious flirt, and she knew well enough that he would do and say anything to charm the pants off of any girl within reach.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Therefore, instead of wasting any time thanking him or acting praised, Mandy raised her camera to her own face and began snapping random pictures of the church and the graveyard, uninterested. She didn’t really care about photographing weird, emo-goth stuff like this, and honestly she just wanted to get the assignment done and get out of the rain as soon as possible.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Besides, dealing with Jesse when he was in this weird mood was exhausting; she found that she preferred his usual pig-like ways. At least when he was acting normal she could tell him off without risking him acting even more emo.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">A couple of lame pictures of graves and angled shots of the church later, Mandy allowed her camera to hang loosely around her neck as her eyes scanned the area in search of Jesse. “Tyler?” she called into the gloom, “I’m like, done, can we go?”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">She explored the setting a little, just the slightest bit freaked out by the morbid, lonely, foggy scenery. Surprisingly, she found him kneeled in front of a small statuette of the Virgin Mary, hands pressed together tight, mumbling some sort of prayer or chant or whatever.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">“Can you do that some other time?” she complained, tapping her foot in annoyance. If he was going to be doing some silent ode to deep fryers or monster trucks or Texas or whatever, she rather he do it on his own time. Class would be ending soon, and they only had enough time for a cab ride back.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Jesse ignored her, instead bowing his head lower and mumbling just a little quieter, making Mandy sure he was just doing it to spite her. He pressed his hands together even tighter, and Mandy for the first time noticed the scabs and dried blood all over the backs of his hands, a tinge of guilt electrocuting her. He had been protecting her… more than Ted ever did, even.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">After a moment, he crossed himself and stood, hastily wiping the dirt off his knees and shoving his hands back into his sweatshirt pocket as soon as he noticed her looking at them.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">“I can’t just stop in the middle of a prayer to somebody,” he explained quietly, his voice monotone and sad, “it’s real disrespectful.”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">He began making his way back to the gates and off the church grounds, Mandy jogging just a little in attempt to keep up. “Who were you praying to?” she asked before she could stop herself, forgetting for a moment that she didn’t care.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Jesse hesitated, his discomfort apparent as her shifted in his sweatshirt uncomfortably. “Why, that’s between me, her, and the good Lord himself, miss,” he replied quietly, his voice polite and docile.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Scoffing, Mandy crossed her arms over her chest tightly, rolling her eyes. Figures that he even wasted time praying to God about girls. Jeez, he was even crazier for girls than Casey was, and just last year that idiot had accidentally gotten himself locked in the laundry room of the girls’ dorm. They were both so immature and stupid.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">“Whatever,” she hissed, disgusted, “but you call the cab this time.”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">“I’m okay with walkin’ this time,” Jesse responded innocently, letting out a small sigh. Prayer always made him feel better, even if just by a little tiny bit.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Mandy stopped, glaring at him when he turned to see what the matter was. “I am not walking all the way back to school in the rain,” she hissed, irritated that she even had to explain something as obvious as that to him.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Catching himself by surprise by letting out a small laugh, Jesse shrugged. “Whatever you say, ma’am.”