urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:jayden_kelly ...watch your step... Jayden Kelly 2005-05-31T03:50:44Z urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:jayden_kelly:1710 2005-05-31T03:50:44Z 2005-05-31T03:50:44Z It was perfect. So bloody fucking <i>perfect</i> that Jayden wasn't sure it could even be real. But it was. And it was his now. His and Colm's. Cathy and Lou...mom and dad...were like something out of a dream. Jayden was told he was staying with them. They made him quit his job, but that was all right. It let him spend more time with Colm and the family. <br /><br />Family was a strange word to Jayden. Before it meant a bunch of young men trying to scrape by on the streets of New York. Now, it meant a mother and father. A big house with a big yard and a dog. A dog who just had puppies.<br /><br />Which was how they got to today. It'd been a perfect day for a picnic. Low humidity, not a cloud in the sky. Lou started up the grill and filled them with hot dogs and hamburgers and corn on the cob.<br /><br />Perfect.<br /><br />When Jayden was filled enough, he sat on the grass watching Colm. Only thing that could complete his day would be a good pint, but sadly, there was no way he was going to get away with that here. When he joked about it, Cathy smacked his shoulder so hard Jayden was sure it was going to leave a mark. So he rubbed his shoulder and let it go. New life, new rules. He was going to learn how to deal.<br /><br />Perfect. urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:jayden_kelly:1366 2005-04-30T00:01:27Z 2005-04-30T00:01:27Z Jayden was doing well for himself. He found himself a job as a waiter at a fancy little restaurant. All his credentials checked out. As well they should. He was eighteen year old Jayden Michaels, working his ass off to take care of his younger brother. The Irish teen had a pretty face and a willingness to work whatever they wanted him to. It wasn't a glorious job, but it would show that he was serious about taking care of Colm. The social workers hadn't become involved yet, but each day that Colm got better, they got closer to the foster homes.<br /><br />He was praying Speedle kept his word. If he kept his word, everything would be fine. Jayden would be able to look out for Colm.<br /><br />Then again, when did adults keep their word to kids? The only adults Jayden trusted were the Irish he'd run with in New York. And even they had their moments.<br /><br />Jayden had moved from the Martin's guest house to the apartment Speed had offered him. He was prepared to get out if he had to though. Trust just didn't come that easy. And the fact of the matter was, he didn't know what to make of the cop. He'd let Colm suck him off, but Colm was only doing what he had been trained to do.<br /><br />Fuck. It wasn't so easy, was it.<br /><br />Jayden smiled when he went into work, dressed in too tight black pants and a white dress shirt with tie. He served well dressed men and women who looked at him like he was next on the meal. Oh if they knew they were eyeing up sixteen year old. <br /><br />He played oblivious, took the generout tips they offered and tossed the phone numbers in the trashcan. He didn't need the bullshit. Tempting to earn a little money on the side, but he wasn't that desperate. Not yet at least. urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:jayden_kelly:1228 2005-04-20T02:17:05Z 2005-04-20T02:17:05Z Where: Hospital<br />Who: Colm<br /><br />The days had been spent working on a network of contacts, finding himself a little niche in Miami. He was far from his normal, established life in New York, but he had what he needed. He had plenty of savings, but he'd started to take odd jobs wherever he could find them. The Martins had decided to let them stay and gave him full use of the guest house. It was perfect for the time being. Until he could get steady work to get an apartment of his own.<br /><br />And when he wasn't making new friends, he was using what he knew to find Colm. Bobby had called with an update, just as Jayden had figured. The boy had been re-admitted to the hospital. Jayden thanked him and promised to send the man a nice check. Eventually.<br /><br />So, with the information and paperwork he needed, he headed to the hospital.<br /><br />Putting on the face of a lost young man, Jayden went to the main desk. The woman took one look and her heart immediately went out to him. Good. The game was on. If he could get the old woman to believe him, the rest was easy.<br /><br />"'scuse m', m'am. I've been lookin' f'm' brother. I heard 'e might be here." Jayden fidgeted just enough.<br /><br />"It's all right, honey. Just tell me his name."<br /><br />"Colm Michaels. Please, is he here?"<br /><br />The woman took a moment to check the computer and soon she gave him a soft, motherly smile. "Yes. Your brother's here."<br /><br />Jayden breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank god." He crossed himself for good measure. The woman was kind he enough to write the room number down for him. Jayden blessed her before he was off to the elevator.<br /><br />No one questioned him when he reached Colm's room. He took a breath and stepped into the room. The teen moved to the younger boy's side. It hadn't been all that long since Jay had seen him, but he could see the changes. No one had told him what had happened to Colm's mother. Mostly, cause Jayden didn't care. It was only Colm he worried about.<br /><br />Jayden reached out, pushing hair off Colm's forhead before he leaned over to press a kiss to the cool skin. The prayer the Irish boy whispered was genuine. Despite the fact that he'd wavered, he was still Catholic. The words came in Gaelic.<br /><br />He stood there, taking Colm's hand into his own. A nurse came in, looked him over and then left. It was already starting to get around that Colm's older brother had come for him. It looked like things were going to be easier than he had first imagined. urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:jayden_kelly:863 2005-04-16T12:56:24Z 2005-04-16T12:59:11Z Jayden awoke the the smell of coffee and the morning air coming through the open window. He knew it had been closed when he went to sleep the night before, so Mrs. Martin probably opened it for him. The next thing he realized, his cell phone was ringing in his ear. He groaned and pushed himself up, digging under the pillow to find it.<br /><br />"What d' y' wan'?" He didn't bother with niceties. Not with whatever jackass on the other end waking him up at...what time was it anyway? Oh. Eleven thirty. Guess it was time to get up anyway.<br /><br />"Jesus H, Kelly, that anyway to greet the man who's got news for you."<br /><br />"Quit gripin', Bobby, an' tell m' what'cha got." He reached over for the cup of coffee Mrs. Martin had set on his table. Still hot. She was a good woman. Good mother material. Though he was sure he didn't want her for his own mother.<br /><br />"Kid's on his own, no details there. He was in the hospital recently and once they discharge him, he's on his way to juvie."<br /><br />That made Jayden stop, the mug lowering. "What th' fuck they gonna send a fourteen year old kid t' juvie for?"<br /><br />"Y' can get those details yourself. I don't really give a shit. Oh and on the downlow, he's made some friends with the boys in blue over at Miami-Dade PD." Never mind that Bobby didn't know a CSI from a brick in the road.<br /><br />"Just m' luck. Thanks, Bobby boy. I owe y' one." Before Bobby could say anything else, Jayden rang off and tossed the phone back on the nightstand. He pulled his ass outta bed and went to lean on the sill, sipping his coffee.<br /><br />Didn't think things would be easy, but at least he had a starting place. Now all he had to do was figure out who Colm had made friends with. Knowing Bobby, he'd be calling back in no time. Always eager to please. Well, Jayden would do something nice for him. Eventually.<br /><br />Soon as the coffee was finished, he grabbed his clothes and headed off for a shower. Still many hours in the day. urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:jayden_kelly:629 2005-04-13T13:15:29Z 2005-04-13T13:15:29Z The train rolled into the station and the slowing speed brought Jayden out of his sleep. He'd been fortunate enough to have a seat to himself for the duration of the overnight trip. No fat man taking up half the seat. No mothers with screaming children. It was peaceful and almost quiet.<br /><br />It helped that he had a pair of earbuds in his ear and his mp3 player going for most of the trip.<br /><br />No one bothered the teenager. Most probably figured he was a kid going to visit family in Florida. He doubted anyone would have pegged him for a gang member. The polite Irish boy just didn't look the part. After all, gang members wore colors and they made themselves obvious. Idiots. They just didn't know how to operate.<br /><br />Well, Jayden was out of that game. With the Tanglewood Boys trying to take over the tiny areas of Irish dominance, the old gangs were doomed. New York wasn't like it had been in the old days. He didn't like the idea of dying in a city like New York.<br /><br />The train finally stopped and he gathered his two bags. He politely excused himself when he stepped into the aisle leading to the exit. Soon as he stepped off the train, the heat hit him and he had to set his bags down to shrug out of the worn leather coat. He wasn't going to need it here. He moved through the crowd and got himself outside of the station, looking for a cab. One moved to the cab and he gave them an address. Jayden had connections. They may not have been Irish, but they would give him a place to stay while he got settled in Miami. urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:jayden_kelly:338 2005-04-13T03:18:40Z 2005-04-13T03:18:40Z I fuckin' hate New York. It's cold and damp and gritty to the point that it gets under your skin. So, with the money I've saved up, I'm leaving. Getting the hell out of Dodge before I end up face down in a gutter. Least if I die, I can die somewhere with the sun on me. So. To Miami I go. Why Miami? I've never been there before. And I know there's not a lot of pasty Irish boys there. New blood. Cuban blood. Sure I'll find my way down there.<br /><br />Daddy always told me to make my own way and not listen to what people told me. Fuckin' bastard he was, but at least he taught me a few things. Nothin' for nothin'. Never got nothin' I didn't work my arse off for. <br /><br />The other boys can take care of themselves. I don't give a shit what happens to 'em. If they wanna live their lives in the City of Grey, they're more than welcome to it. Jackie boy can take things over. See how long he lasts against the Tanglewood Boys. Fuckin' Italians. Think they run the place. Good riddance. <br /><br />The train's almost here. It'll be boarding soon. I got a one way ticket to sunshine and I ain't comin' back.