Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Tuck Everlasting. It is owned by the lovely Natalie Babbit.

Never Again

 
Chapter 1 – Thinking



    Winnie lay on the grass holding a bouquet of flowers with a flower wreath on top of her head. She sighed heavily as the first week of summer air ran through her face. Today was a special day for Winnie. Today was the day when she first saw, Jesse Tuck. Memories sprang back to her brain. Like a disease that never goes away, because it was so powerful nothing can make it disappear. She smiled sadly as images of Jesse like a filmstrip ran through her eyes. Winnie sat up, and stared at the toad that accompanied her.

    "What am I to do, toad?" cried Winnie as if she was about to cry. She sobbed silently but no tears came. The frog just sat in the grass blinking its big eyes. Oh, how Winnie missed Jesse Tuck! He was the love of her life. It wasn't fair! If he loved her, like he said why hadn't he come back? Why did he leave her in such a situation? Winnie punched the ground, only yelping in pain. She lay back down on the grass, controlling her rising temper.

    "Winifred!" her mother's voice rang back in the house. "Winifred!"

    Winnie rolled her eyes as her mother never stopped calling, "I'm back here, mother! Here in the garden." She turned her head back to the toad. "Like I said, I need a new name. Something that hasn't been worn out from being called out so much." She glanced around the garden, "Like Samantha? Or Sydney, Rose, Francine. Or Winnie Tuck. . ." Winnie brushed a tear that threatened to fall.

    'He's never coming back, is he?' she thought. 'Maybe. . . maybe I could drink the water from the spring. . . And search for him.'

    "Besides, I'm turning 17 in 2 weeks. I'll be old enough, to go and settle by myself. I'd drop out of school," she said aloud. Scratching her head, she turned her head back to the toad, "Should I do it? Should I drink the water?"

    "What water?" a voice said. Winnie turned around and saw a boy, a groan escaped her lips. "What? Not happy to see me, Winnie?"

    "You've got the right answer, mate," Winnie said. She eyed him warily; he had a thin white shirt on, and brown corduroy pants, a hand in his pocket. His hair slightly wet and combed neatly.

    "But everyone likes to see me! The great Clark Venhanson!" he said raising his free hand up. Winnie looked away and gritted her teeth.

    Clark Venhanson, son of the newly elected mayor of Treegap. He's one of those boys who is spoiled, handsome, rolls off of money, and womanizer sort. Also voted every week as one of the most irresistible men in Treegap.

    She sneaked a look at him; he caught the action and smiled while showing his white teeth and shooting his free hand up his hair. "What are you doing here anyways? Aren't you supposed to be in town charming poor innocent girls?"

    Clark frowned but smiled, "No. Not in my schedule today. I feel sorry for those girls, though."

    Winnie had a look of disgust about her face, "You are far the most disgusting man, I've ever met in my life!"

    "I can change if you want me too," he offered. Winnie looked at him, a pure mistake. Clark wiggled his nicely shaped eyebrows and said, "But for a condition! I want you to have dinner with me. Tonight! So you want to?" There was no doubt that Clark wanted Winnie. She was a hard catch. Clark heard that most of the boys her age had asked her out once or twice but still refused. Clark wanted to show those boys that he can charm Winnie Foster. She continued to stare at him, making him uneasy. His smiled disappeared, "Uh, so, you up for it?"

    Winnie smiled while flapping her long lashes, "Me? You want me to have dinner with you? The great Clark Venhanson! Oh, today is such a treat. But you know Clark; my answer that you have been waiting for months and months is still the same. Always and forever. And that answer is still NO!

    "You think you're this boy that gets every thing just because his family rolls off of money. Dirty money, in fact. You think you're this boy that is so handsome and strong while you can't even kill a mosquito. You're just hiding your true cowardly self to those things you have. You disgust the life out of me Clark. You disgust me! You want my love? Well, it's already been taken and it's sure not from you! And for the last time, LEAVE ME ALONE!"

    Her words pained him, but he just smirked concealing his "true cowardly self." In fact she had been right. But that didn't let his guard down. "Oh, I'll leave you alone alright." He snarled.

    "Good! Good of you to understand! Now get!" Winnie screamed. But he stayed where he was, not moving. "Well, what are you waiting for? GET!"

    He ran, but before he could completely disappear, Clark turned, "I will get you for what you said, Winnie! Count on that!" Turning around, he ran to his family car where his father had been waiting impatiently for him.
 

    Winnie had never been so angry in her life. She bent down to her knees and screamed. "He makes special days go so horribly wrong! I hate him!"

    'This day was supposed to be for Jesse!' Winnie thought angrily. 'Just for Jesse. . .'

    Winnie breathed and closed her eyes. Settling down on the grass again, she started to think of Jesse again. In her head, she saw an image of Jesse, when she first saw him. Leaning against the trunk of a tree, his hair untidy, curly and the color of chocolate. His clothes old and battered but seemed new since his body radiated from it; a loose white shirt and brown suede pants. His eyes, grayish-green seemed to be glistening showing his inner depth soul. And his wicked smile that always seemed plastered to his beautiful face. She smiled contently. Winnie would never get tired of that face. Never ever.

    'I know you'll come back for me, Jesse. I can feel it in the air. Things are about to change. . .' Winnie smiled again as she drifted of to an unexpected sleep in the garden.


Author's Note: Okay, I re-wrote everything in this story. Sorry for not updating in such a long time. But I ran out of ideas for the next chapter, chapter 6. I also changed the title, because "Tuck Everlasting: The Choice She Will Take" was a really lame title. "Never Again" seemed better, you'll see what I mean in the end. But for those people who actually liked the title, I am very sorry.  And I changed the rating to PG, for mild language and life-threatening situations in future chapters. Anyways, I've come up what's going to happen and it'll shock your socks off! I hope you like the major changes I made. More changes will soon come on your way, count on it! And thank you for taking your time to read my fic!

Dedicated to: Jillian K., for supporting me throughout the writing process! ^-^

                    Check her stories out at FanFiction.net and FictionPress.com as mesmer!

- DarlingAngel -