Disclaimer: Sweet Valley is not mine - it belongs to the lovely Francine Pascal. The only thing I own is this drabble.
Author's Note: This was a drabble I wrote for my dear friend Nikka. She gave me a prompt (which was owls), a pairing, and I wrote the rest.
There's a little bit of angst in this. And it contains spoilers (in case you haven't read Sweet Valley University or don't know how certain couples...meet their end). So tread carefully ahead.
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She can feel its eyes on her, watching her.
But she pretends not to notice. If she does, she wouldn't be able to focus on Nick and all the good times they had. Just the thought of Nick makes her break down again; she wishes she could die; she can't stand the pain any longer. And that way, she will be with Nick in the end. Because she can't live here on Earth when he's in the earth, buried and gone. She can't stand living without him.
She hears the owl's soft hoots then. And in spite of herself, she lifts her head and sees that the owl's eyes are green. Forest green. Like Nick's eyes. She makes a choked sob but doesn't speak; she doesn't even bury her head into her pillow. She looks back at it, and feels oddly comforted. For a moment, it's as if Nick's right there with her, and she half expects to hear a "don't cry, Jess" and feel a comforting hug from him. But she knows that she won't. And that Nick's not there with her. Yet she keeps on looking at the owl.
It's odd. It is making her feel safe, for some reason. Comforted, safe. All those feelings that she usually felt when Nick had been with her. It's as if the owl's looking over her, protecting her...being her guardian.
Like Nick.
She looks at it once more, and somehow, its green gaze comforts her.
And she doesn't cry again for a long while.