Collision

Jasper POV

I closed by eyes and felt the sorrow welling up, a flood of emotion that seeped into my veins and ran down my arms until it reached my hands and released through my fingers- transforming into melancholy notes wrung from the guitar strings. The pressure on my chest lessened as the overload of emotion bled out of me through the music, no longer trapped inside. It was a familiar grief, and it hadn't lessened in intensity. If I didn't find an outlet for it, I knew it would fill me until I burst.

I sat for some time, motionless except for my hands on the guitar and my chest as I tried to slow my breathing. I kept my vision blanketed in darkness, focusing solely on the music and the steadily decreasing despair. Or maybe decreasing is the wrong word; it was more a kind of numbing, a deadening of the nerves of my heart so that the rest of me could function.

Eventually, I regained my emotional balance, and played a final chord before opening my eyes. It was a dream, just a nightmare. It couldn't harm me now. Except that it was more than a dream- it was a memory. And it held all too much truth in its dark horrors.

Sighing, I stood up and blocked off that sorrow and all the other painful emotions churning in the recesses of my heart and soul. I couldn't face them, wouldn't face them now. I would get ready, get through another day of boredom and high school, and stop dwelling on the past. I was Jasper Whitlock, and I was a survivor.

I wrapped my grim resolution around me like a cloak, and set out to endure another day.

Alice POV

It was going to be a beautiful day.

I could just tell. The sun was already coming up in a breathtaking burst of fiery color, and the air was still warm with the last hints of summer. I loved this time of year.

I opened by closet and stared at the many assorted outfits before me- all very tasteful and more than enough for every occasion. I tended to get a bit carried away with shopping, but I didn't see any harm in it. After all, a girl should always be prepared for every possibility, and in the spirit of that idea I had sensibly obtained the perfect ensemble for any situation.

Today I decided to dress in honor of the gorgeous morning and the beginning of autumn, with a deep reddish orange skirt that twirled nicely around my legs and a black top for contrast. My accessories competed the look, all matching that shade I had found in the rays of dawn. Spinning once in front of the mirror, I grinned at my reflection and skipped out of the room and down the stairs.

I grabbed some fruit as I passed through the kitchen, and stopped to wiggle my finger in a wave at the two goldfish swimming tranquilly in their tank in the front hall. I sprinkled some food in, though I saw they were getting a little plump. I knew it was my fault. I had made a resolution at the beginning of the school year to try and do one good act a day. Senior year seemed like the perfect time to try and improve myself. I had been mostly successful, but sometimes I forgot until the end of the day, so I gave extra food to the fish to make up for it. It may not be the biggest gesture, but I bet the fish appreciated it.

I took off for school in my adorable yellow Porsche. Daddy really had gone overboard, but I couldn't complain. I loved my car.

After I pulled into the parking lot, I did a quick check in my mirror to make sure I looked decent and hopped out of the car. I took another deep breath of the fresh September air, and smiled again. I just knew it was going to be a wonderful day.