I do not own The Labyrinth. I only own Jewel, Marcy, Alex, and Jess.

Story start

Love is something fragile, something rare to find, something people long for or fear, something that whispers in the wind and yet it is hard to grasp, something that either brings happiness or pain. Love is vicious yet kind.

Jewel sighed tiredly as she got in her car and drove out of the college parking lot. Today had been another stressful day for Jewel. She had to take two final exams, which thankfully were the last ones for this semester. She also had to give a presentation as one of her finals. She has no idea whether she passed her classes or not, but at the moment she could care less. She had other important things to worry about, like the sleepover that she was being forced to attend.

Her favorite book was being held hostage by her best friend, and Jewel was going to get it back however she had to. In this case, it meant going to a sleepover even though she was exhausted.

Jewel flipped on the radio in her car as she drove down the interstate. She has to pick up one of her friends, who could not get a ride, before she can go to the sleepover. Her cell-phone started ringing and she looked at the caller ID screen and groaned when she saw who was calling. The guy that she had dated for a short time and then is now just friends keeps calling her. She does not mind being friends with him, but he wants more and it bothers her.

Jewel has a problem with relationships. She fears them more than anything else. Usually she'll accept a relationship and think that she'll be happy, but in reality she becomes scared of the relationship. She does not want to get hurt. It is also hard for her to accept a relationship after seeing the way her parents are. They always fight, even over the stupidest things. All of the years of hearing her parents yelling and then threatening to get a divorce has really messed her up.

She's always happy to see her friends and others happy in relationships, but she fears a relationship for herself. Trust is not something she gives out easily. Many people in this world have betrayed her, for no reason at all. Also the few relationships she has had, she just can't feel anything but friendship towards them. Love has never appeared in her heart, mind, or soul. "I guess I don't need love, it only brings pain to me," Jewel whispered as she thought of how her last boyfriend only wanted her for her body.

That's the problem, most men just want her for a quick bit of fun and then they never want her again. However Jewel is not some naïve fool to allow these men their fun. She points them to the curb and kicks them there if she must. Her body is pure and she keeps it that way in a way of protection to herself. No one has yet been able to penetrate her blockade to her heart. She keeps it under lock and key.

Now Jewel is a very kind girl, she's a good student even if she does hate college, and she is kind to everyone she meets until she is given a reason not to be kind. She'll protect her few friends and her family with her life if she had to. She feels the need to protect everyone around her that lets people in, while she herself keeps everyone out. Jewel is kind and she is a pretty girl, so she has been told by her friends and family.

Her dark blue eyes held intelligence and happiness, yet a hint of hurt inside. She hides the pain she feels inside well from the world around her. Her wavy brown hair reaches her mid-back and she is 5'8" tall. She weighs 131 pounds, and she works out every other day to stay in shape. Exercise is one thing that she feels the need to do every other day, because she hates just sitting around not doing anything. She has too much natural energy to just sit around.

Jewel glared at the phone and let it ring until it stopped. Jewel turned her phone on silent and smiled at now having to listen to her ring tone. It was a nice tune, but not after hearing it more than ten times in just one day.

Jewel pulled off the interstate and drove down the street to her friend's house. Her friend was waiting outside with a big smile on her face. Jewel rolled down the passenger side window and yelled, "Come on Jess." Jess, Jewel's friend, smiled and ran and got in the car.

"Hey Jewel, are you ready to party?" Jess asked.

Jewel sighed and said, "I just finished my last day of finals for the ending of my first year in college and yet you crazy people want me to party, I'm exhausted Jess."

Jess pouted and then snapped her fingers as an idea came to her head. "How about I drive us and you can get a little sleep before the party?" Jess threw out there.

Jewel almost slammed on her brakes as she drove down the road toward Marcy's house, the other friend who is holding the sleepover. Jewel gave Jess a look of disbelief as she kept driving. "Last time you got to drive, you almost killed two grandmas, one kid on a bike, the mailman, a dog trying to relieve his bladder, and a squirrel. You are not driving. I'll just deal with being sleepy," Jewel said before hearing Jess pout and look out her window.

Jewel rolled her eyes before turning up a good song on the radio. Both she and Jess loved the song; therefore the two of them sang the song as loud as they could before they pulled into Marcy's driveway. Jess and Jewel got out of the car and Jewel grabbed her bag of clothes from her trunk before shutting the trunk and locking her car.

"Glad to see you Jewel," Marcy said and Jewel just gave a dry laugh.

"Sure you are, you had to basically bribe me to come here by stealing my favorite book," Jewel said as she stepped into Marcy's house. Marcy sighed and threw her hands in the air.

"Whatever, you'll get your book later tonight, when it is the time of night that I know you hate to drive in," Marcy said.
"If my car wasn't here then I would walk home no matter how late it is, I love the night you know that," Jewel said as she hugged her friend Alexandra, or Alex, and then she set down her bag of clothes in Marcy's bedroom.

"Fine, but you are going to party tonight and I mean it. I don't care how tired you are after finals, it is your own fault for staying up so late last night studying," Marcy yelled and Alex sighed and hugged Jewel.

"I studied late last night so I'd feel prepared for my tests and so I'd pass. You know I have to get an A or else it's bad luck for me from my family," Jewel said loud and then her voice diminished when she finished her sentence. Alex hugged Jewel tighter and whispered, "Are they arguing again?"

Alex was referring to Jewel's parents. Jewel shook her head and whispered, "No, they're fine." Jewel gave Alex a smile and then walked out of the bedroom and to the living room to join Jess and Marcy.

Alex sighed and whispered at Jewel's retreating form. "But you're not fine Jewel, let someone in please," Alex whispered. Jewel paused a moment before continuing to the living room. She did not want anyone to worry about her, because she would be fine. "I wish you would let at least someone in," Alex whispered about Jewel as she looked at the drawer in Marcy's bedroom, which contained Jewel's favorite book, The Labyrinth.