Jay Sterling sat cross-legged in the floor of the room in the apartment building that she claimed as hers and looked through photos, a faint smile ghosting across her lips. She ran her fingers through her hair while staring at a single picture for a good length of time, enough time for Steve Leopard to walk into the room, close the door, sit down beside her and say, "What are you looking at?" she turned her blue gaze to his equally blue gaze and showed him the picture, "Remember this pic?" she asked, leaning against her bed, "This was the year before everything between you and Darren and the Cirque Du Freak happened." Steve looked the picture over, leaning close to her and chuckled, "I remember that day, mom twisted my arm to make me ask you out. It turned out you were about to ask me out instead." Jay laughed as well, still staring at it, "Yep, you actually had a good time that day." She spoke softly, Steve wrapped an arm around her as he spoke, "Yep, I even wished it wouldn't end. I wanted to spend everyday with you after that." Jay smiled lightly, she stretched her long legs out, going in a pair of boxers, so her bare legs were exposed, showing off extensive scars, from both fights and self inflicted, those were more on the thighs. She rummaged through more of the pictures laid out in front of them, lifting up a picture of her, Steve, their friend Darren Shan, and Jay's twin sister Crowe. The picture was of Jay and Steve grinning at the camera like they pulled off the best prank of all time and Darren and Crowe were smiling like normal and huddled close together, hinting at the ever so small relationship they had. Jay flipped the picture over and read on the back that it was taken by their friend Tommy Morris, a boy who, later in life, became a soccer player on the major league level.
Jay lifted her head and looked out the window over looking a grove of trees, they tended to calm her down, but now they brought forth a large flood of sorrow to crash through her being, something she's only felt twice before this moment. She brought her long legs up and under her chin, resting her cheek on her knees as she gazed out at the trees. Steve turned his head to look at Jay, a look of confusion on his face as he spoke, "What's up, Jay?" Jay wiped her hands across her cheeks, feeling tears wet them, she's never cried fully before, not even when Crowe died, but she just about couldn't stop after that faithful day that ripped her apart in the inside. Steve rubbed Jay's back, beginning to understand why she was crying; he kissed her head, she acted as if she didn't feel it, he whispered, "You know it was destiny, Jay. There was nothing you could of done to stop it." That caused Jay to sob hard, keeping her watery gaze on the trees, she mumbled almost inaudibly, "Why do I have nothing left? He took everything I held dear and cherished away from me." Jay soon got up and ran out of her apartment, Steve following close behind.
Jay ran out of the entire building and ran to the tree grove, slowing down and letting the tears flow freely. She walked up to the tree line and ran a hand along one of the trees, one she carved runes into, she walked over to one side and gazed at it longingly, a heart with SL and JS in the middle of it was carved into the rough bark, causing Jay to double over in fresh sobs and screams. She continued crying and screaming until her voice grew hoarse and she had to pant to catch her breath. She looked out into the clearing where the apartment building sat, it had begun to rain while she screamed; tears still fell down her cheeks. She shivered and huddled under the tree, keeping her long legs close to herself, trying to will the tears, anger, and sorrow to leave her alone. Steve walked up to her, kneeling in front of her, sadness beginning to grip at him too; he leant forward and wrapped his arms around Jay, who basically in the same position and unmoving. She could feel him wrap his arms around her and kiss her forehead, it only caused fresh tears to spill down her soaking wet cheeks, her hair and clothes began to cling to her as she sat there in the rain.
She lifted her head up after awhile, Steve still holding her; she looked up at him with red and puffy eyes that were sore, she weakly whispered, "Why are you still here?" he looked down at her at her question, his eyes glittered with sadness as he spoke, "I promised I won't leave your side, remember." He faintly smiled at her as he stood up and held his hand out as he continued, "Come on, let's get you out of the rain." Jay looked up at him and took his hand and got up and was lead back to the warmth and dryness of her apartment.
She walked back to the pile of pictures after she changed into a dry short navy blue strapless dress; she sat back down with the pictures and began to sort the pictures and place them into piles, one of family and one of friends. When she was done sorting, she picked up the picture of her and Steve; it was taken on Valentine's Day the year before her, Steve, Darren, and Crowe went to see the Cirque Du Freak. Jay cursed the traveling freak show, but only on occasion, seeing as Larten Crepsley, the man who had originally stolen Crowe and Darren from her, was now dead, along with the owner of the Cirque Du Freak, Hibernius Tall. Jay picked the picture of her and Steve on Valentine's day up and began walking around the apartment before putting the picture on the fridge; she sat down at the table in the small kitchen, watching Steve stand against the wall, "I miss you, Steve." She said after awhile of them staring at each other, Steve lightly smiled, still against the wall as he said, "I miss you too, Jay. I'm sorry I broke my promise." Jay's stayed passive and blank, but she could feel tears spilling down her cheeks again as she said as normal and calmly as she could, "Sayonara, aishita hito koko made da." She smiled faintly, still staring at where Steve stood against the wall, but now it was a deep black stain of a human body where Steve once stood. Jay sobbed and laid her head down on the table, her face covered with her arms, speaking to her self, "I wish that damn War of the Scars didn't happen, then you wouldn't be gone, Steve, you wouldn't be lost in the Lake of Souls. You'd be here with me… wouldn't you?" she soon ended up crying herself to sleep at her kitchen table, with one last thought passing through her head, "Happy Valentine's Day, Steve."