To Believe In Fairy Tales
Chapter 1:Friends and Fears
"Hold fast to dreams,
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird,
That cannot fly."
~Langston Hughes
It was a beautiful, snowy dream outside for the small town of Burgess, Pennsylvania. The sun was high and bright, sending its rays onto the white mass that lay before it, making it sparkle as if diamonds were encrusted in its very surface. Squeals of laughter were heard all around as the children raced down hills on their plastic sleds. Others could be seen in a ferocious war of snowballs, while the more laid back of the lot relaxed in the snow, leaving angels in their wake. This wonderful, exhilarating holiday is what the children had been praying for just yesterday as they were sat in desks, and forced to endure hours upon hours of torturous lectures. These children were experiencing what those unlucky kids in the heat could only dream of: a snow day. And only one being could be held responsible.
Jack Frost, the epitome of wintry fun, could be seen dancing along through the children, gliding passed their failed attempts of making him a target. His laughter was like music, carried by the wind in a symphony of chimes. He only stopped long enough to retaliate the snowball with pinpoint accuracy—the little boy stood no chance of escaping—then carried on his way through the crowd. He was looking for one particular child in this sea of colorful little bodies. His shockingly blue eyes scanned the scene once more. He turned to leave for another area when he saw it: A pink scarf, decorated with hearts of red and purple, flying through the air as the girl it was attached to dashed around her friends. She was panting with joy, her blonde ponytail swinging into her face as she caught sight of her idol. Jack smiled, Sophie.
7 years had past since the Boogeyman's untimely return; Since Jack Frost became the fifth member of the elite group known as The Guardians. Despite this development, not much has changed in his daily life. He has friends now, and believers—which he's still ecstatic about—but even so, he's alone the majority of the time.
Jack doesn't blame any of them, of course; He understands that The Guardians are extremely busy with their duties, and that the kids are busy with school. He's just a little disappointed. He'd thought that after his time in the spotlight, everything would magically become better; that he'd never be lonely again. Instead, after all the excitement, everyone went back to their separate lives, unintentionally leaving Jack behind in a stupor. He tried not to dwell on it.
Jack was thrown from his reverie by the bubbly little girl colliding into him. He staggered back, surprised, then returned her hug, wrapping his arms around the smiling 9 year old. Sophie, as excitable as ever, bounced around the boy, bombarding him with questions she's just been dying to ask.
"Jack! Jack, you're here; Did you go to Virginia yet? Have you seen Amy? Does she miss me?" Jack laughed, holding his hands up, as if to ward off an attack.
"Whoa there Soph, slow down, will you?" Jack looked on with amusement as the hyperactive child tried to calm herself. Sophie was referring to her friend, Amy, who had just recently moved out of the state. As sad as Sophie was to see her go, Jack was overjoyed, though he tried not to show it. Amy had been a devout believer, and because of that, had managed to spread Jack's belief to her new school. Sure, Jack was extremely grateful for his growing number of believers in Burgess, but to finally have spread farther than the neighboring town was amazing. It made him hopeful that maybe, just maybe, he could be as famous as his fellow Guardians one day. The blonde bounced in place, waiting expectantly for Jack to answer her questions.
Grinning impishly at the child, Jack feigned confusion, bringing his hand up to rub his chin in a pose of deep thought, "Amy, Amy; Now where do I know that name from?" At Sophie's indignant cry, Jack's smile grew, and he grabbed a pink envelope from his hoodie's pocket. Sophie lunged for it, a look of wonder in her eyes. Before she could reach it, however, Jack lifted his arm above his head, far too high for the short little girl to grab. "What do you say to the nice postman bringing you your mail?" he asked her in a mockery of a mother chastising her child.
Her hand stilled as she tilted her head to the side. Her big, chocolaty brown orbs were wide and shiny, pleading for him to give her what she wanted, "Please?"
Jack rolled his eyes at her polite request, handing the paper over to its rightful owner. She squealed with delight, ripping the letter open as soon as she got her hands on it. "You were supposed to say, 'Gimme my letter, you stupid fathead!'." Jack rested his cheek on the crook of his staff, smiling as Sophie stuck her tongue out, yet otherwise ignored his childish remark. Two pieces of paper were pulled from the shredded envelope. Sophie studied the contents for a short while before she shoved the more colorful of the two into Jack's face.
"Look! She drew me a picture. Isn't it pretty?" Sophie giggled, happy her friend hadn't forgotten her. Jack held the drawing at arm's length, trying to decipher the child's markings. It seemed to be a picture of the Guardians at the beach. They were all drawn as stick figures, with a few added details, such as North's infamous belly, Bunny's ears, and Tooth's wings. Bunny was in the upper-left corner, lounging in a chair, sunglasses on, enjoying a drink. North, standing to his right, with his hands on his hips, was just staring at the sun, letting his stomach hang over his red bathing suit. In the center of the page, Tooth and Sandy, joined by two mermaids labeled 'Amy' and 'Sophie', were building a sand castle. Finally, to the right, stood Jack, away from the rest of the group, on an iceberg in the middle of the ocean. A big, yellow sun was drawn in the upper-right corner, and everyone in the picture was sporting a red 'U' for a smile. Overall, it was adorable.
"It's very pretty." Jack said as he handed it back. He raked a hand through his hair and sighed, trying to look enthusiastic for Sophie, who had begun to talk about all the things that've happened to her recently. He was only gone for a couple of weeks, yet she had so much to tell him. Sometimes, it made Jack incredibly sad thinking about how grown up she was now. Time has gone by fast. When you're immortal, 7 years is nothing. Hell, he could probably take a 7 year nap if he really wanted to. But he doesn't. Of course he doesn't; How could he, when that would mean missing everything? Even during the few months of summer, when Jack can't visit, things are rapidly changing. All of a sudden, the boys are two feet taller; The girls are painting their nails, shaving their legs; Some of the kids even dye their hair, or get piercings and tattoos until they're nearly unrecognizable. But worst of all, some of the kids forget.
"And, and then, Eric sneezed all over Jessica's food. Everyone was laughing so hard, Haley nearly spit her milk out! But then Jessica started crying, and I felt kind of bad so I gave her half of my sandwich. But isn't that funny, Jack?" Sophie was looking at him expectantly, waiting for him to laugh. He had only heard the end of the story, but he didn't want to disappoint, so he let loose a hearty chuckle (only slightly fake), which made Sophie's face split into a toothy grin. Jack opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by a deep voice calling out to his sister. Sophie, hearing her name, turned around until she spotted him.
"Oh look, Jamie's here!" Sophie grabbed Jack's hand and started dragging him towards the boy. Jamie was standing hunched over at the edge of the park. He looked uncomfortable, bouncing from foot to foot impatiently, looking over his shoulder—at nothing, as far as Jack could see—with a scowl on his face. What's his problem? Jack bit his lip worriedly, wondering why the teenager always seemed to be in a bad mood.
Lately, just thinking about Jamie made Jack's stomach twist into knots. The 17 year old, who was now much taller than Jack (that thought alone was enough to make him cringe), always had something to complain about, every time he came to visit. If it wasn't about something his friends did, then it was his mom, or society, or even Jack himself. Jack had been trying to be supportive, but frankly, he had no clue what to say or do to be of any help. Teenagers confused him. Why do they hate everything? Why do they scream and cry over things that mean nothing? And why do they blame all of their problems on other people, more specifically, their parents? Jack doesn't understand at all.
It's a scary thought. Jack can't comprehend adults (or teenagers, for that matter) because he's meant to guard children. If he doesn't know what to do with Jamie anymore, then that could only mean one thing.
Was Jamie truly not a child anymore? Where has the time gone? Jamie was the only kid from the original group that hadn't forgotten the Guardians, which Jack should be happy about. He can still see him, time hadn't run out just yet, but he's not happy. It almost made it worse that he didn't forget with the other kids. Jack had been avoiding visiting him lately, because he knew that it was going to happen soon, anytime now, and all of this waiting was just making him dread it more.
Jack loved every single one of his believers, he really did, yet no matter how many times he's denied it to the other kids, Jamie was special. He was the first one to ever see him, he was the last light. Jack knows that he'll be the hardest one to lose.
"Hey Jamie." Jack smiled hesitantly, trying to gouge if the brunette's mood swing was directed towards him. Jamie stopped scowling when he noticed his best friend, which made Jack inwardly sigh in relief. It didn't stop Jamie's nervous fidgeting though, and he almost seemed even more uncomfortable than before. He gave a grunt and a wave of his hand as a greeting, then turned around and started walking home, expecting his little sister to follow him. Jack's eyebrows scrunched together, a frown forming on his lips.
"Wow, he's just a big bowl of sunshine, isn't he?" Sophie whispered under her breath. Jack gave her a small smile, squeezing her hand comfortingly as they continued moving towards the Bennett family home.
They walked in silence, both Jack and Sophie put off by Jamie's fowl mood. Sophie kept glancing between the two, nervously biting her lip. Halfway there, she leaned into Jack, quietly asking him, "Are you guys fighting? I really hate it when you fight."
Jack hunched down towards her ear, trying to be discreet, lest he anger her brother somehow, "Don't worry, we're not fighting. Jamie's just mad 'cause he can't deal with how awesome, not to mention how extremely attractive we both are."
Sophie giggled, putting a hand over her mouth to quiet it, "You're such a nerd! Who says things like that?" Jack looked affronted. He was about to tell her just who said things like that, and how not nerdy those people were, when a glare from Jamie made him pause.
"You two seem like you're having fun. Don't mind me; I'm just walking right next to you. Go ahead, keep excluding me from your conversation. I'll just turn my face, give you more privacy." Jack straightened from his position as Jamie continued to glare at the pair. Sophie looked guiltily towards her brother, looking unsure of what to say.
"Jamie, we weren't trying to—"
"Just, whatever. I don't even care." As he said this, they came upon the house. Jamie went straight inside, not even sparing a glance behind him as he went to lock himself inside his room. Sophie looked dejected, staring after her brother with a pout on her face. Jack frowned as well, but more out of annoyance than sadness. Teenager or not, Jamie couldn't treat his little sister like that. Jack was definitely going to talk to him about that later. For now, he had an upset little girl to cheer up. Sighing, Jack stooped down to pick up his element. Looks like it's time for another round of snowballs.
He blew on the snow, incorporating his magic into the mixture. Sophie didn't seem to notice as she frowned at the empty doorway. Jack, taking aim, smiled in anticipation. The snowball hit her square in the face, making her stagger back in surprise. As soon as she realized what had happened, her face transformed into a big grin, "Oh, you are on." Jack laughed as she pulled the door closed, then crouched down to reciprocate. Before she could even gather the snow, he hit her with another one. She landed on her butt, exclaiming "Hey! No fair!"
Jack smirked, "'All's fair in love and war.' Wrong move, declaring war against me. You don't know what you're up against." Jack took a fighting stance, making her giggle uncontrollably.
Hours later, Sophie was panting from exhaustion, laughing as Jack hit her with another bundle of snow. Putting her hands up as a sign of defeat, she plopped down on her back. Jack, not out of breath in the slightest, crouched on top of the fence surrounding the yard. Smiling, he tilted his head to the side, and asked, "Rematch tomorrow?"
Before she could answer, the door to the house opened, revealing Jamie. Standing in its frame awkwardly, he told Sophie, "Dinner's ready."
Full of energy once again by the mention of food, Sophie bounced inside, yelling a goodbye over her shoulder. Jamie lingered behind, hesitating for a moment before stepping outside and closing the door. Despite not having any shoes on, he walked through the wet snow and stood before Jack. Concerned, Jack jumped down from his position on the fence and put a hand on Jamie's shoulder.
"Hey, is everything okay? You've been acting kind of weird today." He almost didn't ask, not really in the mood to hear another one of Jamie's rants, but he couldn't just ignore his strange behavior. That would almost be like abandoning him. Instead of responding with a glower and a gruff mention of someone's name, as was usual, Jamie said nothing, just stared blankly back at him. He was biting his lip, his eyebrows scrunched together, looking like he was going to cry. Jack was about to repeat his question, more alarmed than ever, when Jamie grabbed a hold of his right arm, the one touching his shoulder. The abrupt movement startled Jack. He gasped, flinching slightly, but remained in place. Jamie didn't seem to notice.
"Jack, could I have a hug?" The request was unusual coming from Jamie, but he sounded so much like a young, hurting child, there was no way Jack could even think to refuse. As he put his arms around the sniffling teenager, Jamie practically collapsed into him, resting his head in Jack's soft hair, grasping onto the back of his hoodie. He was shaking, breathing heavily, and his hold on Jack was starting to become painfully tight.
After a few moments, Jack pulled away. Eyes wide in alarm, he put his hands onto Jamie's shoulders, asking with more force than last time, "Jamie, what's wrong? Did something happen?" Jamie became stiff, his shoulders tightening under Jack's hands. Avoiding eye contact, he shoved him away, retreating into the house before Jack could even blink.
Disturbed by this chain of events, Jack wasn't about to give up so easily. He flew up to Jamie's bedroom window and let himself in. Jamie stormed inside, looking murderous as he noticed the winter spirit inside his room.
"Jack, what the hell are you doing? You can't just come in here without asking me!" He snarled as he slammed the door. Jack, ignoring his sudden mood change, strode right up to him, determined to find out what was bothering his best friend.
"You need to tell me what's wrong. I can't help if you don't tell me!" He pronounced each word carefully, making sure Jamie understood that he was only there to help, "Is it Pitch? Has he done anything?"
"No it's not Pitch! Why the hell do you always assume that when I'm mad?" As he said this he picked up a lamp sitting on his dresser and threw it across the room. The glass shattered against the wall, the light making a popping noise as it extinguished, "Maybe it's you. Did you ever think that maybe you did something?" He pointed an accusatory finger into Jack's chest, making him back up against the wall. Jack put his hands up, not sure if he was doing it to put some space between the two of them, or if he was mimicking Sophie's earlier sign of defeat.
Thudding footsteps were heard coming up the stairs, then a soft knock on the closed door, "Jamie? Is everything okay in there? I thought I heard something break." His mother's worried voice was slightly muffled through the wood. Everything was still for a few seconds, their faces mere inches apart. Jamie breathed in deeply to calm himself, wiping his mouth as he backed away from Jack.
"Everything's fine, Mom. I just knocked over my lamp." His voice was strained, not entirely convincing. The doorknob jingled as she tried to enter, but the room was locked.
"Oh, okay sweetie. Do you need me to bring you the broom?" Her voice was hesitant, wanting to see the damage herself. She could tell her son was angry.
"No, it's fine."
"Are you coming down for dinner?"
"No."
"Are you sure? I made your favorite—"
"Yes, God, just go away!" He glared at the door, willing his mother to leave. Jack stared at him incredulously; She was only trying to help. The single mom sighed, "I'll leave it in the microwave, in case you get hungry." Then she conceded, too tired to deal with her hormonal son at the moment, hoping he would calm down by the time she decided to talk to him about it later.
Jamie remained staring at the door, breathing deeply through his nose, flexing and unflexing his hands repeatedly. Jack took a step towards him, reaching a hand out to comfort him, "Jamie—"
"Just go!" He turned to Jack, roughly grabbed his arms, and practically threw him out the open window, not even caring as he hit his head against the glass. Jack, too shocked to do anything, watched as Jamie slammed it shut, then closed the curtains. He absentmindedly brought his hand to the back of his head, feeling around for a bump as he continued watching the window, expecting Jamie to open it back up, apologize. His breath created swirling frost on the windowpane, slowly covering his reflection.
Jack wondered if he should try again—keep trying until Jamie confessed his problems. He brought his hand up to knock on the window, but couldn't bring himself to go through with it. With a heavy sigh, eyes downcast, Jack flew away.
The Tooth Palace was a stark contrast to the winter wonderland that Jack left behind. Its climate was warm, the surroundings full of color. High in the clouds of Southeast Asia, its elegant structure, despite being hidden inside a mountain, was open, perfect for the flight of millions of fairies. They were flitting all around, focused on their mission of collecting teeth. As Jack flew passed them, they waved, but otherwise ignored him, too engrossed in their job to stop and talk.
As Jack approached the center of the fortress, he spotted Tooth in the middle of the chaos, giving orders left and right, making sure everything was in order. Jack halted before she could see him, suddenly reluctant to disrupt her; She looked really busy. Wringing his hands on his staff, he stayed floating at a distance, debating whether to just leave or get up the courage to speak to her. His decision was made for him when Tooth whipped her head in his direction, and started waving. Too late to leave now.
Jack flew to her, slightly embarrassed, but hiding it well with a disarming smile, "Hi Tooth, how's it going?"
Tooth smiled back, shooed away the mini fairies swooning over Jack's exposed teeth, then nearly tackled him to the ground with a hug. Jack chuckled nervously, returning her hug after a few moments. Why is he always caught off guard by other people's affections?
"Oh, Jack! How are you? Are you okay? You need to visit more often; I get worried, you know? And Baby Tooth misses you so much! She's not here right now, out on duty, she's going to be so disappointed when she hears you came by! Sorry, am I crushing you? I'm just so happy you're here!"
As she rambled on, Tooth danced around him, poking and prodding, assuring herself that no damage had come to him. She was inspecting his mouth for cavities when Jack finally decided to bat away her advances, "I'm fine, Tooth. No need to worry about little ole' me." He laughed as he said it, giving her a reassuring grin.
She gave him a look, saying without words that there definitely was a reason to worry, but left him alone nonetheless. She grabbed his arm, dragging him to a less crowded area of her home, where she then turned to him, her mood changing abruptly. Her arms crossed, a stern look on her face, she cornered him, "Well? Are you going to tell me why you haven't come around recently?" Looking like a deer caught in the headlights, Jack opened his mouth, but all that came out was an eloquent, "Uh—"
Tooth's eyebrows rose an inch, her head inclining towards him as if to hear him better, "I'm waiting."
Jack could feel nervous laughter bubbling up to the surface as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "I don't know, I guess I just didn't want to bother you. You always seem so busy, I just…." He shrugged, trailing off, unsure of how to finish his train of thought. Tooth looked upset, a frown forming on her pretty face.
"Jack, how many times do I have to tell you? You're not a bother at all. My girls can handle things without me for awhile, it's not going to kill them." She was exasperated. Wanting to make sure her point got across, she put a hand on his shoulder, her voice getting softer the longer she talked. Jack looked away, this time being unable to hide his embarrassment. He hates it when the other Guardians fret over him. He doesn't know how to react; It makes him uncomfortable.
"Yeah, I know." He said softly. Then he smiled and changed the subject, before things got too awkward, "So how have things been going here? Anything interesting happen?" He slipped out of her grip, drifting around the room nonchalantly.
It was obvious what he was doing, but Tooth felt bad for making him uneasy, so she took the bait, "Teeth are always interesting, Jack. But yes, now that you mention it, something did happen recently." Jack's head perked up at this news, his awkwardness forgotten as he looked at her curiously.
She told him a story of how one of her fairies got sick, and actually dropped teeth into the middle of the ocean. Can you believe it? The ocean! Tooth had to go down there herself, but even with her help, it took them 4 days to find the missing teeth. Jack laughed throughout her telling it, at all the right parts.
"At least you found them in the end. No harm done, huh?" Jack asked when she finished, a big smile on his face, knowing full well that was not how she thought of the situation at all.
On cue, Tooth sputtered, flabbergasted that he could even say that, "No harm done? Those poor teeth were missing for days! Of course you would see it that way, you troublemaker."
"Me? A troublemaker? No, I think you got the wrong person." He feigned shock, putting a hand over his heart, his eyes wide and innocent. Only his mischievous grin gave him away. Jack missed this. Their friendly banter gave him a warm feeling inside, making him wish he could visit his friends more often.
"Oh I've got the right person, alright. And just so you know, there were consequences for her actions. She didn't get in trouble for dropping them of course—Poor thing could barely keep her eyes open!—but I did chastise her for not telling me about her illness. Sometimes, you just need to admit your weaknesses, let your friends help. That is what we're here for, after all." At the last part, she stared pointedly at Jack. He pretended not to notice.
"Awe, the poor fairy. You weren't too hard on her were you?"
Ignoring his question, she tried again, "Jack? Is there a reason you came here to talk to me today? This whole time, you've seemed kind of, off."
And just like that, the warm feeling was gone. His problems came crashing back into his brain, angry that he had pushed them aside. He thought about acting as if nothing were wrong, but he did come here to talk, and now that she brought it up, there was no point in delaying it any longer. He sighed.
"It's about Jamie." Jack paused, peeking up at Tooth self-consciously. She nodded at him, encouraging him to go on, "He's been very…" he didn't want to say aggressive, though that's exactly what he's been, "...moody, lately. Something's wrong, and—he won't tell me. Every time I ask, he just gets mad, starts yelling. I don't know what else to do. I'm, I'm really worried about him." Jack stared at her pitifully, hoping for some advice from the elder Guardian.
Instead, he got a comforting hug, "I'm so sorry Sweet Tooth, there's not much you can do." Jack looked down, dejected, as she rubbed his back soothingly, "You just have to be there for him. He'll tell you eventually."
"But, that's the thing, Tooth, I don't think he—" They were both startled as a frantic fairy came barreling into Tooth. She started squeaking at a rapid pace, using her hands to emphasize the importance.
"Whoa, slow down there girl, what are you saying? The tooth wasn't there? Well, did you check on the floor?" The tiny fairy looked insulted, her squeaking intensified, getting louder until Tooth put her hands up in a truce, "You're right, I'm sorry; Of course the floor would be the first place you checked. What was I thinking?" More chirping ensued, then, "Oh, those blasted adults! I know they mean well, but they're always getting in the way of our work! Check in the parents bedroom, I'm sure they put it in there somewhere. Don't forget to leave a decoy!" At that, the fairy left.
"Sorry Jack, what were you saying?"
"Ah, nothing, it's not important. I'm just going to head on out; You're fairies look like they need you. Thanks for the help." He backed away as he said this, getting ready to flee. Tooth reached a hand towards him, looking guilty.
"No, you don't have to go. I told you; They can manage without me." Even as she said it, she knew it was no use. The truth was, they really did need her, and she was a horrible liar. Jack gave her a sad smile, shaking his head back and forth as she talked.
"I can tell you're busy. I should probably leave anyways, there's a snowstorm in Russia that's calling my name. I'll come back to visit soon, though, I promise." He gave her a big smile before he took off, just to make sure she didn't feel bad.
But what he didn't know, was that those smiles worried her the most. He's so good at covering up his pain, it's nigh impossible trying to figure out which ones are real. They always leave her wondering whether she truly helped at all.
The next day, Jack found himself back in Burgess. It was almost 6 o'clock; The kids were out of school already. He was walking along the power lines, frosting things lazily as he went. He stared up at the sky idly as a light snow rained down . Really, he was just procrastinating going to the Bennett's house, not wanting to face Jamie just yet. He knew he had to go soon. Sophie would be disappointed if he didn't. Come on Frost, don't be such a coward.
With that thought in mind, Jack kicked off the power line...and then landed right back down, chickening out, as he'd been doing for the past hour. What is wrong with him? He rubbed his face, tired of his stupidity, yet still dreading talking to his first believer. He really didn't want to be thrown out of a window twice in as many days. Of course, he could always avoid him, and just play with Sophie. It wouldn't be that hard, Jamie was always trapping himself inside his bedroom.
That wouldn't feel right, though. Jack wanted to be there for him, as Tooth suggested, not hide and cower in his shadow. That was that then, he had to go. With a groan of frustration, he jumped off and flew to their house before he could lose his resolve, again.
He landed in their yard, the street peaceful for the moment. He stood there for a minute, gathering his thoughts, then flew straight to Jamie's window, knowing if he didn't get it over with, he'd end up not doing it at all. Hesitantly, he knocked. The window flew open, startling him, and before he knew it, Jamie had grabbed him, bringing him inside.
"Jack, oh my God, you came back! I, I can't believe—I'm so sorry." Jamie squeezed him tightly, hugging the life out of him.
"Jamie, you're suffocating me." Jack laughed, relieved and happy his friend was in a normal mood today.
"Jack, I'm so sorry. I can't believe I actually shoved you out a window. Is your head okay? I didn't hurt you did I?" Jamie let go of him immediately, staring at him anxiously. His eyes looked wild, and he kept his hands protectively tucked into his chest, looking as if he'd like nothing more than to hug Jack and never let go.
"No, you didn't hurt me." Jack wanted to make a joke about it, relieve the tension between them, but everything he could come up with sounded lame, even in his head. Besides, as crazy as it was for him to say, this situation just didn't seem like the kind to laugh and forget about. With a somber attitude, he asked, "Jamie, why did you do that yesterday?" Jamie stiffened, but then immediately deflated, looking ashamed.
"It's just that, that—I saw you playing with Sophie, outside in the snow." He mumbled the last part, not able to look Jack in the eye. Jack gawked at him, bewildered.
"I, don't understand. You were angry because I was playing with your sister? I play with all the kids, all the time! I used to play with you—"
"Yeah, and you don't anymore, do you?" Jamie spit out bitterly, "I'm angry because I, I can't have fun with you anymore." He rubbed his face, pacing back and forth. Jack stood there, dumbfounded, "It's just—I got a little jealous when I saw you guys. I'm sorry, okay? I know it's stupid, but I couldn't—I'm scared, Jack. I don't want to forget you, like everyone else. I don't—" Jack interrupted him with a hug.
Jack didn't know if he should laugh, or cry; Jamie was feeling the exact same thing as he was. He felt so stupid. Of course Jamie would be scared of forgetting, how could he not be? Jack had been a constant in his life since he was 10 years old, and now, being on the verge of adulthood, he's just meant to move on with his life, not even remember who his best friend was? 7 years of his life would be a big blur, empty spaces where the winter spirit used to be. Jack is selfish. Here he was, only thinking about himself, this whole time, when Jamie really needed him. He was a horrible friend.
They sat on the bed, Jack comforting him as he cried on his shoulder. He was shaking with suppressed sobs, his head tucked underneath Jack's chin.
"Hey, it's alright.", He ran his hand through Jamie's hair soothingly. He heard a muffled, "No it's not!", which made him chuckle slightly. "We can still have fun. I know you don't want to do all that childish stuff, but we can find something else to do. I bet I could kick your ass at that video game you're always playing." Jamie was starting to calm down, so Jack continued, "And hey, if you want to do the childish stuff, we can do that too! We can have a tickle fight anytime!"
Jamie stopped crying at that. He sat up, staring at Jack, a look of disbelief on his face. Jack blinked. Maybe Jamie was bipolar; Or are these mood swings normal for teenagers? As it turns out, they're perverts as well. Thinking back to what he said, he started blushing, realizing what it sounded like. His face burned, not a good feeling for a winter spirit, "Jeez, Jamie! I didn't mean it like that!"
Jamie gave him a crooked smile, "Really? You didn't notice how dirty that sounded, as you said it?" He rubbed his red eyes, sniffling a little as he snickered. Well, at least he's not crying anymore.
"No, I didn't. Don't look at me like that, I hang around kids all day; Sometimes I forget that adults read into things more." Jamie's smile dropped, his mood changing yet again.
"Don't say that."
Jack faltered, "Say what?" Why was he always messing things up?
"Don't call me an adult. I'm not an adult. If I were, I wouldn't be able to see you." He was stone faced, but he didn't sound angry, just as if he were stating a fact. Jack didn't know what to say. Jamie stared at him for awhile longer, then went back to his earlier position, his head on Jack's shoulder. He wrapped his arms around Jack's small waist. Closing his eyes, he whispered into his neck, "I'll never forget."
This made Jack uneasy. His heartbeat quickened, a swirling pit of anxiety forming inside his stomach. How was he going to explain to Jamie that was impossible? How was he supposed to tell him that he had no choice in the matter? The teen snuggled into his side, sighing contentedly, unaware of his dilemma. Jack could deal with it later. For now, he relaxed into Jamie's grip, adamant on being there for his friend.
Author's Note:
Well, hello there. :) This is my first story, I hope you like it. I'm posting this for some constructive criticism, so don't be shy about leaving a comment, good or bad. It's all about the learning process. ;)