Jackie sat in a booth, off to the side and out of the way, holding a butterbeer in her right hand. Her left hand was holding her head up under her chin. There were a few dots on the wood that were darker than the rest. They were tear stains.
She rubbed her finger over them, setting down her butterbeer. Some drunkard whistled at her. "Hey baby!" He slurred loudly. Jackie ignored it. She supposed she brought it upon herself, with the red spaghetti strap tanktop and the short skirt she had dressed in. Not that she cared. Not that she had any reason to return back to hogwarts single, or alive for that matter. What reason could she find left to live?
Her best friend was now together with her boyfriend... Given, she had left for quite some time, but she had no choice. Also given, she didn't get to say goodbye to him... But she thought he might try to wait. At least get together with some one besides her best friend.
More tears fell to the table. And what ever happened to Pete? The one Leah was supposed to be going out with? A sob now wrenched its way up her throat. She thought she heard footsteps approaching her small booth, but she figured it was another drunkard and kept her head looking down miserably.
Izzy walked into the Pub with a pair of light wash skinny jeans that hugged her tightly, a pair of black pumps, a solid black blazer and a little purple tanktop on underneath. A black bowler hat, placed a little offcenter sat on her head trying to keep her mess of blond hair down. She walked up to the bar and asked the man for a some tea. It had been a long day, and she just wanted to relax. She looked around the bar for a familiar face.
Over in a booth she saw the back of Jackie. She didn't know Jackie very well, but knew she was best friends with her cousin Leah. So, deciding she couldn't be horrible if Leah liked her, she walked over to Jackie. She slide into the booth across from her, and looked at her a little closer. She was crying. Crying people intimated Izzy, and she immediately regretted her decision to get to know Jackie, but it was too late to walk away. So instead, she put on a brave face and said, "Oh dear! Whats wrong? Are you okay?"
Jackie looked up, wiping her face and forcing a smile. She vaguely remembered this girl. Izzy, yes that was it. She was Leah's cousin. "I'm fine, really I am. I'm just feeling sorry for myself." She said, tracing invisible patterns on the table. She was thinking now. Did Izzy know that she was mad at Leah? Would that affect a friendship, should one start?
Jackie couldn't decide, and her brows pulled together.
"Well, we can talk about it if you want, if it helps you... you know calm down or something." Izzy wasn't sure what to say. She was sure that Jackie was upset about the whole Leah/Nate thing. She hadn't heard much about it, she just knew something was up. She took a long sip of her butter beer enjoying the taste.
Luke walked into the crowded pub and ordered a butterbeer. As he waited for his drink, he looked around. All of the seats were filled, except for a booth with two girls, one of which was crying. He shrugged, figuring he might as well make some new friends.
Luke took his drink and walked over to them, smiling awkwardly. "Do you ladies mind if I join you? Every other seat is full..."
He gestured to the rest of the room, showing them what he meant.
Jackie's tears had dried by now. "No, of course we don't mind. Please sit." She said, brushing her hair out of her face. Wow, he was cute, Jackie realized. But she hadn't seen him around. "Are you new here?" She asked, sipping her butterbeer.
Luke smiled and sat down right across from Jackie. He flashed her a brilliant smile, thinking, How can one girl be that pretty?
"Yeah, I am new here. My name is Luke. Luke Forlity." He stuck out his hand still smiling at her. Who could she be?
Jackie blushed, she knew the look that boy had on his face. It was the same one Nate used to look at her every time they were together... that is before she left. Jackie dismissed those thoughts. It wasn't as if she had anything to lose, right? She smiled back at Luke. "I'm Jackie Saylem." She replied, tuckung her blonde hair behind one ear.
Luke saw the girl blush and he smiled. Blushing was always a good sign. He watched her beautiful eyes, trying to read what he saw in them. He was never very good at this, though, so he didn't see much.
"Nice to meet you, Jackie." He said, watching her blonde hair move as she touched it.
Jackie smiled. She noticed how Luke watched her hair shimmer, and her cheeks flush. Again this wrenched at her heart. She sighed, she remembered how Nate would always watch her like that. Then she remembered how his arms would wrap around her and hold her tightly. How soft his lips would be.
She closed her eyes tightly, pushing his image from her mind. Then she frowned, Luke was so nice, he deserved someone that her. A battered, broken and timid girl. She couldn't see anything besides Nate and she knew it was pathetic. "I... I'm sorry... I can't do this." She said, standing up and walking over to an open seat at the bar.
Luke watched Jackie sigh. He watched her every move, noticing that she was in pain from something. He couldn't help but wonder what. As she got up and left, he shot a glance at the other girl sitting there. He looked back to Jackie and stood up. He walked to the bar and sat next to her.
"Listen, I... I have no idea who you are, or what you've just been through. I'm sorry if I did something wrong, but I didn't know." He looked at her, hoping she understood. "I'm just trying to meet more people, and you seem really nice. Can you forgive me?"
Jackie raised her eyebrows, shocked he would think he did something wrong. "No!" She said, sadly, taking his hand. "Its just that... I'm kind of still in love with this other guy, but he... forgot about me I suppose. And you're so sweet that you deserve better than me..." She said, looking at the ground.
"I've been a wreck since we haven't been together... I only have half of me left to give. He took the other half." She said, biting her lip. "I'm sorry."
Luke jumped slightly when she took his hand. He hadn't been expecting that. He looked at their hands, entwined together, and then up at her face. He put his other hand on top of hers.
"Jackie, I'm so sorry... I had no idea! And I don't think it would be possible to forget you. I know I never will. And if this guy took your heart from you... well it's not his to have. It's yours. And you can give it and take it from whoever you want." Luke said, smiling slightly at her. "You have nothing to be sorry for. It's not your fault."
Jackie smiled, and almost jumped when Luke said he would never forget her. She realized he was wrong though. Nate had taken her heart and no matter what she did she would never get it back. The day she told him she had loved him, she had lost possession of her heart.
Then she frowned, knowing she had to say something. "But it was my fault. I left, no explanation, no nothing. And I guess he got tired of waiting for me to come back." She gave a weak smile. "I suppose it is fair... but I just want him to be happy."
Luke had never really been good at giving advice, especially when he didn't know the situation very well. He tried his best though.
"Oh..." Luke hadn't seen that part coming and was totally unprepared. He smiled at her and said, "It sounds like a pretty big dilemma you have there... Let me buy you a drink. Clear your mind a bit?"
"Sure, sounds like a good idea." Jackie said smiling and swiveling back and forth on the bar stool. "You know, I think that they should have swivel chair rides at amusement parks... They're so fun!" She said, smiling genuinly.
Luke smiled and ordered her a drink. He laughed and said, "Yeah, that would be a good idea! Kind of like the tea cup rides right?"
He swiveled back and forth on his own chair, never taking his eyes off of her.
Jackie laughed, sipping her drink now. "Not quite..." She said, thrumming her nails on the counter. "I always get sick on teacup rides. You can only see the person right in front of you, but there was never anyone in front of me. When I was a kid, I would always run away from home... and go to the amusement park. I didn't last long, maybe a couple rides and I came home, but... I would always ride the teacups alone."
She sighed, pulling her nails across the wood, leaving little grooves. Why couldn't anything be fair?
Luke took a sip of his drink as she explained her hatred for the ride. He had never run away from home, so he couldn't understand what she had been through. He would sure try to though.
Luke placed his hand on hers, turning his hand over to look at her delicate fingers. Her hand was smooth in his, and small.
"I never went to an amusement park alone. There was always someone there for me. But, maybe all you need is someone to be there for you... This, this other guy you were talking about. Was he that person?" Luke asked, his voice soft as he continued to turn her hand over in his.
She laughed softly, as if to an inside joke. "Yeah... He was. But somehow I just don't think he wants to be anymore..." She said, immediatly aware of her hand in his. She didn't move it though. It was comfort.
"But... you don't forget your first true love..." She said, biting her lower lip. And possibly your only true love. She noted silently.
Luke laughed quietly as well, following her lead. He found it quite ironic that anyone would ever want to leave Jackie. She just seemed to be really nice.
"Really? And why do you think that is?" Luke asked, hoping that he wasn't prodding too much. "And no, you don't ever forget your first love, but that doesn't mean that it should stop you from your second.
He smiled at her, and then looked down at their hands. He traced the lines of her palm gently with his fingers as she spoke.
"I try not to think about him as much as possible, but there was something there. Something unforgettable. I can't just let that go..." Jackie said, suddenly realizing how whiney and immature she must sound. That had always been somewhat of a problem with her.
Luke nodded, his eyes still on their hands. He continued to trace and retrace the patterns on her palms.
"Maybe what you need to be doing is not letting it go, but reducing it to a manageable amount. Moving on, but not forgetting." He said, glancing up at her, wondering what her reaction would be.
Jackie nodded, bobbing her head up and down as if in defeat. But it wasn't a defeat was it? It was a new beginning. She bit her lip contemplating. This could have been the answer to her major problems all along. Just push Nate's memory back into thee corner of her mind that she barely visited. Like a treasured family heirloom, until you needed its comfort or memory again.
And maybe moving on wasn't such a bad thing. It would just be a slow, extremely slow process, and she had to find someone willing to wait. All at once she was to aware of how Luke was holding her hand and that it felt... good. Her face flushed a shade of rose. "That could just work." She said, softly, looking up to meet his gaze. "But I just have one question. Have you ever met him? Nate, I mean? Nate Willis?" She asked, a thought suddenly popping into her head. Jackie Willis. No! She was thinking like a first grade child now.
Luke watched Jackie's face as she processed what he had just said. He was never very good at reading people faces, but it wasn't hard to guess what Jackie was thinking in this moment. He stayed silent, giving her this time to think. He watched her face flush scarlet and it brought a small smile to his lips.
He met her gaze and said, "I haven't met Nate, no. However, I haven't met a lot of people at this school yet, so that's not surprising... Why do you ask?"
Jackie smiled half-heartedly again. "He's the guy I've been talking about so much. He's the reason I'm here right now... The reason I'm unloading everything on my mind to you." She laughed coldly. It was obvious it wasn't her real laugh.
"And while i'm spilling my guts to you, I may as well tell you that I'm a vampire." She said after a moment's thought. May as well let him know.
Luke frowned. That laugh was too fake... it was as though Jackie didn't even care enough to pretend. Had he said something wrong? He was only trying to be nice.
"Oh, him... I feel like I know him already!" Luke smiled. "But I'm sure he's a really great guy. I'd like to meet him one day..."
As Luke trailed off, he thought about her being a vampire. "You know, the fact that you're e vampire doesn't really surprise me... it seems as though almost everyone here is immortal, or an animagus... hardly anyone is just a wizard."
Jackie frowned now, her fine features getting harder. "I'm sorry I'm unloading all of this on you." She apologized, her shoulders slumping. "And he is a great guy, an awesome guy... thats the problem..." She said, biting her lower lip. She didn't bother to hide how her teeth were perfectly razor straight and unusually white.
"So... What do you know about vampires?" She asked, bluntly changing the subject.
Luke smiled slightly, "Jackie... you don't have anything to be sorry for. Everyone needs someone to listen every once and a while, or a shoulder to cry on! I just happened to be the one."
Luke noticed the obvious subject change, but didn't mention it. He realized that it must be hard for her to think about it too much. If someone had done that to him, he would want to forget about it.
"Not too much, actually... they're immortal, obviously. Sharp teeth, carnivores..." Luke stared off into space as he tried to think of more facts. Then he looked right at Jackie and said, "I also know that they tend to be extremely beautiful."
Jackie blushed bright red at the comment and let her hair fall in front of her face. "We're also dangerous." She said forebodingly. Then she stood with a teasing smile. "I could show you more, but not in an overcrowded bar. That is if you trust me not to kill you." She said, with a small laugh of teasing.
She walked towards the doors of the bar, not really looking back for Luke. She would let him come if he wanted to.
Luke smiled as Jackie blushed and hid her face amongst her hair. He chuckled again at her tone. He knew that she was serious, but for some reason, it still made him laugh.
When Jackie stood up and left, Luke grabbed his drink, downing the rest of it. He tossed a tip onto the counter and dashed out after Jackie. He caught up with her quickly, but she wasn't going very fast.
"So where are we headed?" He asked, zipping up his jacket.
"Forest." Jackie replied simply, picking up a faster stride. She knew Luke would be able to keep up, but he may work up a sweat.
She realized that on a chilly day such as this, it may look silly for a girl of her size to be walking into the forest wearing a tanktop. Then again, plenty of people already though she was odd, so why not proclaim it to the world? She smiled at her small inward conversation.
"As soon as we get further into the woods, I can give you a piggyback the rest of the way to my favorite clearing... Unless you either think you're to heavy or have another mode of transportation that can keep up?" She explained, her eyes laughing.
Luke followed her, jogging slightly. He hadn't been into the forest much, and was really hoping that Jackie knew where she was going.
Luke rolled his eyes. Who did Jackie think he was? "Actually, I'm pretty fast on my own! Plus, not only would a piggyback be ungraceful, but it would be slower too!"
He smiled to himself, glad that he had proven her wrong... or so he thought. He shivered and glanced at her absurd outfit. "Aren't you cold?"
Jackie scoffed. At his remark of being fast and also, her outfit. "I could be out in a blizzard and not freeze." She said, grinning widely, showing her unusually white teeth. Then her eyes became somewhat serious. "Wanna try to keep up with me???" She taunted.
She straightened. "I bet I can poke your shoulder, take a piece of your hair, and make you fall over without you haveing any idea whats going on." She said, not wasting a second before jumping into action. She sped around Luke in a circle, all but a blur to human eyes. She flicked his left shoulder and poked his right, then launched a precisely aimed light kick at the back of his knee meant to make his leg buckle.
(Sorry about my absense! I hope it's okay that I just pick this up where we left off?)
Luke was about to reply to her, when all of a sudden she was running around him. He felt everything she was doing in such quick succession that it seemed it was all happening at the same time. He was trying to pinpoint where she was, exactly, when he felt her hit the back of his knee. He fell forward onto his knees, and nearly face-planted into the cold, hard ground.
For a while he just stayed on the ground, laughing. Finally he pushed himself up and dusted himself off. He looked at Jackie and chuckled.
"Now that last one was a little unnecessary."