Missionary Of Love: Chapter Two Jaden was amazed as she looked around the surrounding area of their cabin. She couldn’t believe there were actually people who lived in poverty like the things you see on commercials, it seemed so unrealistic. She continued to walk a little ways away, seeing young children playing outside the homes, and women washing and hanging their clothing.

She was suddenly interrupted by a tap on the shoulder, “Hi,” She heard a voice behind her say.

Jade turned around seeing one of the boys her and Taryn had been staring at in the airport, “Hi,” She replied slowly.

“I'm Justin,” He introduced himself, “seems like we’ll be working together for a while so I figured would come introduce myself,” He explained.

“I guess we will, I'm Jaden, it’s nice to meet you,” She introduced herself, gladly shaking his extended hand. “Well, I'm going to head back and finish unpacking, I guess I’ll be seeing you around,” hade excused herself, sensing the tension in the air.

“Yeah, I guess we will, bye Jaden,” Justin said, flashing her a smile.

“Bye Justin,” She waved as they walked back to their respective destinations.

Jade walked over to her bed and pulled her bag up on top of it, slowly unzipping it and removing the neatly packed items.

Soon, thoughts of home flooded her mind, remembering John and all the tings she was missing, yet she could also think of the things ahead of her. The experiences would stay with her for a lifetime. Soon, her mind was invaded with pictures of Justin, his smile and his soft, soothing voice ran through her mind, though she quickly shook her head free of those thoughts and returned to unpacking.

“So, tell me, is he cute?” Taryn asked Jaden, laying herself across her bed.

“What are you talking about?” Jade asked in return, giving her a dumbfounded look.

“Oh, don’t play angel with me chick, you know what I'm talking about, now give it up, what’s his name where does he live? The basics, now!” She demanded.

“Alright, alright, his name is Justin and that’s all I can tell you,” Jade spilled.

“Well, is he cute?”

“Oh, he could melt the butter on your bread with just one flash of those pearly whites!”

“Oh goodness, I gotta break me off a piece of that!”

“Please girl, keep yourself under control, now, I'm going to finish packing, I'm going for a walk after though, would you like to come with?”

“Oh but of course, perhaps we’ll ‘accidentally’ run into Justin, eh?”

“Who knows, but I’ll yell when I'm done, ok?”

“Alright, I’ll probably be outside chillin,” Taryn laughed, walking away as she waved at Jaden behind her.

“Alright everyone, today is what you might call a free day,” Jake, one the missions directors began. “I want you guys to have at least one other person with you, they can be from either group, everyone should get acquainted with the area and be friendly, offer the kids something, even if all you have is your smile,” He ended, flashing everyone his pearly whites. “Alright, that’s it, think you everyone, I will see you all back here before 6 pm because you will eat dinner, oh, and drink lots of water, it’s hot out here,” he finished as the chatter began and the large group dispersed into pairs.

“Hey, Tah, you coming with me?” Jaden asked her friend as she walked towards the house to grab a couple of bottles of water.

“But of course,” She answered, following her friends leading and getting some water of her own. “and it looks to me like we may have a little more company,” Taryn added, nodding towards the screen door where she could see Justin walking towards it.

Jaden just rolled her eyes, she wasn’t sure what it was about this boy but something just rubbed her the wrong way, as for Taryn she could tell her eyes were set on him for now.

“Wow, this should be such a great day,” She replied sarcastically.

“I don’t know why you hate him already Jay, he hasn’t done anything yet,” Taryn tried to level.

“Yeah, yet, I'm waiting on it and I can almost guarantee you he’s some kind of egotistic jackass, I mean he’s hott and I think he knows it, but whatever, I guess I’ll give him a chance for you, oh ad by the way, drooling isn’t attractive,” With that Jaden sent a quick smile towards her friend and walked out.

“Hey,” She heard his voice come from behind her. “You think it would be cool if I hung out with you and Taryn today?” He asked.

“I suppose not, I'm sure she would enjoy it,” Jade told him with a wink as he smiled enticingly at her.

“Well, how would you feel about it?” He wondered.

“I have to be honest with you, it doesn’t matter either way, but I suppose it would be nice to have someone new around,” She broke down, she never was any good at being mean to people.

“Awesome, I promise you won’t regret, I'm really not a jerk.”

“I never said you were,” She told him just as Taryn came and joined the two. “Tah, Justin here is going to be joining us today while we walk around and, ‘get acquainted with the area,’” Jaden mocked.

“Well, what a miracle, what do you say we get going and see what we’re up against for the next couple weeks,” She suggested as the group began their trek towards the poorer area of the city in which they would be spending most of their days.

“It’s hard to imagine living like this, I mean, I never honestly realized how much I take for granted everyday, just having water to drink, a sturdy roof over my head, and two parents who love me, it seems so normal to us, but here it seems like that would be miraculous,” Taryn marveled, staring at the children who were so skinny their bones were popping out, and mothers washing their laundry by hand in a large tub in the middle of one of the many dirt streets. She saw newborn babies left alone on street sides, it al seemed too real for her. She had seen the pictures but the reality was more than she could have ever imagined.

“Yeah, I know, suddenly things just kind of come into perspective, ya know? Like the problems you thought were so big before now seem so miniscule, I could never imagine having to live like this, I honestly don’t know if I could do it, not coming from where I do,” Jaden said, amazement evident on her face, her eyes wide as she took in the sites around her.

“So, where are you two from?” Justin questioned the girls, trying to change the topic.

“Oh, we both live on Florida, how about you, some mansion in Malibu?” She joked, as he rolled his eyes.

“No, I live in Florida too, right outside Orlando, where do you live in Florida?”

“St. Petersburg, just a little ways outside if Kissimmee, I love it.”

“Yeah, I love Florida, so awesome. So tell me, how old are you guys? High school, college?”

’Damn, he sure is nosey for someone who just met me,’ Jaden thought as she looked him over, she wasn’t so sure they would get along as well as she hoped in the beginning. “Second year college student, along with good old Taryn here, how about you? What’s your major?”

“Oh, well I have a major in business economics, but I have a minor in music, that’s my true passion.”

“Really?” Taryn inquired, suddenly very interested. “Do you play any instruments?”

“Oh yeah, I love playing the bass, drums, and the piano, I don’t know what I would do without them.”

“That’s so awesome, I always wanted to learn to play bass, just never got the nerve for it.” Jade couldn’t help but roll her eyes, the only bass Taryn ever cared about was the bass voice, “It’s so sexy,” she always said, She couldn’t help the smile that spread over her face at the thought of Taryn with a guitar.

“What about you, what are you interested in?” Justin smiled coyly towards Jaden as she snapped out of her daze. “Oh, not sure yet,” She replied quickly, trying to get the attention off her. Something about this kid just rubbed her the wrong way and until she figured out what it was she just didn’t want to be around him.

“Hey, Tah, what time is it?”

“Just about 5:15, why?”

“I think we should be heading back to the house, we promised we would be there, come on,” Jaden said, turning around and heading towards their destination.

“Jay, what is your problem?” Taryn asked her friend that night as they all got set to get settled for the night.

“What the crap are you talking about? I'm fine thanks,” The girl replied testily.

“You were extremely rude to Justin today, and you seemed to be in quite a rush to get away form him, what is that all about? If I remember correctly you were the one telling me how cute and nice he was after meeting him, right?”

“Yeah, well, first impressions aren’t always accurate I suppose, let’s just leave it alone shall me?”

“No, Jaden, I won’t leave it alone, tell me what he did today that gives you the right to act the way you do.”

“Look, I don’t know ok, he just, rubs me the wrong way and I don’t enjoy his company, I'm sorry if I don’t like everyone in the world like we all know you do Tah.”

“Jaden, I didn’t say you had to like him, I just wanted to know what had made you so drastically change your opinion about the kid, after all, he was nothing but nice to us today.”

“I know, I'm sorry, I just, I don’t know, there’s something abut him that bothers me, you know what I mean? Something that just gets under my skin and I can’t figure out what it is.”

“Aright, fine, I just wanted to know, and I also think you owe him an explanation, he looked hurt, but I'm not going to tell you what to do, after all it’s not really any of my business.”

“Thank you, and I promise I will make it right, I just need to figure out what it is that bothers me first, and try to minimize contact with him until I do,” Jaden said, more to herself than Taryn, as she got off her friend’s bed and walked towards her own, her brain processing thought after thought as she wracked her brain for what it could possibly be that made her hate this boy so much.

“Alright everyone, today is the day you move into the house with your host family for the remainder of the trip,” Jake said form the entrance of the temporary home they were in. “You will be paired with one other person, most likely they will from the other group, please be civil, it’s only two weeks you guys have here, and most of it you will be out working, so don’t start anything with anyone, comprende?” Jake asked, looking around the room with serious eyes.

Everyone nodded their silent agreements and continued getting ready to move out of the villa they had previously occupied.

Jaden wondered whom she would be paired up with. Her nerves kicked in when she realized there was a possibility she would have to deal with that arrogant jerk, Justin, for two weeks, the thought made her wanna punch someone’s head in.

“Maybe if I get lucky I can be with Justin, ouch!” Taryn said to Jaden, wiggling her eyebrows.

“You’re such a dirty little girl, and plus, I wouldn’t touch him, he’s probably got the clap or something,” She replied as her friend broke down laughing.

“You know, your negative attitude towards him could prove quite comedic, especially if you get stuck living with him.”

“Only I won’t,” Were Jaden’s last words before Jake started yelling out pairs.

“Taryn Stevenson and James Bass,” He said as Taryn’s face turned into one of disappointment. “Jaden Smith and Josh Chasez, Maria Sculthorpe and Joe Fatone,” Jake continued naming off people as Jade released a breath she didn’t know she had been holding., Thank God for small favors, She laughed to herself, hearing her name with someone other than Justin, sometimes miracles did occur.

Shout at me

Chapter Three

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