Chronicles of PB & J: Issue PB & J D-3
Title: Unwanted Savior
Characters: Maxie Jones, Jason Morgan, Phishboy
Words: 586
Rating: K
Chronicles of PB & J: Issue PB & J D-3
“Eeww! That is so gross!” Maxie was so fixated on flicking away stringy filaments of mucous from her face and hair that she appeared oblivious to the fact that she was shaking like a leaf.
“Maxie, stop that and hold still!” Jason commanded her, his voice tinged with the familiar tone of exasperation which she inevitably brought forth from him.
He was trying to wrap her shivering body within the confines of his leather jacket which was still warm from his body heat. Each time he nearly had her safely encased she would dart away in a further attempt to remove all remnants of her recent encounter from her body and her clothing.
“I can’t stand it!” She exclaimed, her nose wrinkled in disgust as she swiped at her hands and face for third time in less than a minute. “Why did that…that creature touch me, who asked it to? It’s an invasion of my personal space. I’ll…I’ll sue it, that’s what!” Her voice was shaky with the onset of shock but true to her persona she masked it with an escalating litany of complaints streaming out of her in a never ending flow.
“That creature just saved your life,” Jason responded with barely contained patience. Finally, he managed to get her rebellious arms slipped into the jacket’s sleeves and now the garment hung slackly on her, dwarfing her in its immensity.
“I was doing just fine,” she shot back with asperity as she brushed a lock of drenched, dripping hair away from her forehead. “Besides,” she added haughtily, “You would’ve have saved me anyway. So, I wasn’t ever really in any danger.”
Jason just shook his head in irritation. By his count, Maxie was going down for the third time as he was poised to dive in after her until it turned out to not be necessary after all. “How did you end up in the water?” He asked her, realizing the futility of pursuing the other argument with her. Maxie’s stubbornness outweighed anyone else’s including his own.
She averted her eyes and blushing, whispered, “I tripped and fell in.”
Jason looked down at the five inch heels she was wearing on the rough, icy surface of the dock and sighed in frustration. Raising his eyes he scanned the gunmetal grey, choppy surface of the harbor. He thought he could barely distinguish the darker shape of a large head cresting the top of the white tipped waves. He could probably hear everything which was being said, his hearing was extremely acute.
“What was that thing anyway?” She asked as she observed Jason searching the harbor.
“Phishboy,” Jason replied abruptly, shepherding her away from the waterfront. He needed to get her somewhere dry and warm in order to avoid the onset of hypothermia.
“What the hell is a fishboy?” Maxie’s teeth were chattering as she leaned into the shelter of Jason’s arms.
“My friend and someone who just rescued your ungrateful designer hide,” Jason said with severity as he tried to remind her of the debt she owed.
“There’s just no end to your connections on the lower end of the social spectrum is there?” It was clear that Jason’s chastisement hadn’t affected Maxie in the least. “Well, you just keep all your slimy, crawly sea creature friends away from me in the future.”
The lonely, bereft observer sighed heavily and dove deep under the waves searching for a watery oblivion. Even the frigid North Atlantic was warmer than the ice chunk which was his heart.