disclaimer: ok. so. i wrote this about 5 years ago. and i know it sounds a little childish, but hey...i just came across after i had all but forgotten it. if you like it i'll fix it up a bit, then continue the story. if you don't, oh well. as usual, no money is being made, and all characters you reconize belong to L. J. Smith.
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Jenny was scared. As she watched her parents drive away through her dorm window she finally admitted to herself that she was scared. After all that she had been through in her life, her grandfather, the shadow men, Julian, and most recently, the death of her boyfriend, Tom. Through all of this Jenny had never really admitted to herself that she was scared, but as she watched her parents drive away, leaving her at college, the University of Missouri, Jenny finally admitted to herself that she was scared.
Jenny was scared of being alone. Although, she had Dee, Andrey, Michael, Summer, and Zach at the university with her, Jenny felt alone. She didn't no what to do without Tom in her life. Before Tom had died two months ago Jenny had her life planned out, finish grade school and high school , go to college, and then marry Tom and have children. All of this had changed now that Tom was gone. All of this had changed even before Jenny had even met Tom. It all started when Jenny Thorton was just five years old. The night she lost her grandfather and gained the eyes of the shadow men, who wanted to harm her, but Julian who just wanted to love her. Jenny didn't find any of this out until she was sixteen and Julian decided to claim her as his own. When he brought her into three terrifying games which in the last he gave up his own life to the other shadow men so she could keep her own. This was why Jenny Thorton felt scared and alone.
" Are you coming Jenny, we have to go pick up our books?" Andrey, who was her roomate asked. Andrey was beautiful and she knew it. She had long, auburn hair that was nearly copper. She had a clear complexion that never seemed to be blessed with a pimple one. Although Andrey knew that she had looks to die for she never used it against people. That was one of the reasons Jenny liked her so much.
Jenny herself had long, honey-blond hair, eyes as green as the Nile, as Julian had once said, and skin that almost matched her hair. Though everyone said that she was beautiful, Jenny never really paid any attention to it.
" Yeah, lets go."
" Are you okey, Jenny, you don't look so hot?" Andrey asked, with what Jenny could see, genuine concern.
" I'm fine, now lets get our books before the store closes."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He couldn't believe he was doing this. Jenny had always asked him why he didn't just ask instead of dragging her and friends into the games. Well, he thought, Jenny couldn't ask him that any more he wasn't going to drag her or her friends into anymore games. He was simply going to have to win her over the old fashioned way. No magic at all. Of course she was going to have to get over the fact that he wasn't dead and most of all, he wasn't a shadow man anymore, or a ghost. He knew Jenny has been going through a lot lately because she has lost Tom, but Tom was a true blessing for him in a way that he hoped Jenny would never know.
He was about to do something he never thought he would do. Something he would only do if it meant getting closer to Jenny. He, Julian, was going to college.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After she and Andrey got their books back to the dorm, Jenny and Andrey went to a cafe called Stuckey's to meet the rest of the gang. Andrey and Michael immediately snuggled up together. They had been closer than ever since the last of Julian's games when each others deepest secrets had been revealed. Zach and Summer were already seated next to each other. They had been a couple since Zach had that first glance at Summer again when everyone had thought she had been dead for about a month. Jenny was not the only one surprised when they became a couple because Zach was not known exactly as a ladies man. In fact, he had never had a girlfriend before Summer!
Jenny automatically looked around for Tom, who, of course was not there. She felt her cheeks turn red and was sure everyone noticed what had happened but if they did they didn't show it. She sat next to Dee who's dark eyes immediately searched Jenny's.
" Gosh, sunshine, you look terrible, what's ...Owww!" Michael was asking when Andrey elbowed him in the stomach so he'd shut up. That was why Jenny liked Michael so much, he was always so blunt and clueless.
" Nothing's wrong with her, she looks fine." Dee said, cueing in. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm getting the tuna salad."
" Not me, I'm getting the club sandwich." Summer offered. "What about you, Zach?"
" I'm not that hungry, I think I'll just get an order of fries." Zach said. Zach had dirty blond hair that was always pulled back and he had eyes that were a shade of gray that made him always look mad.
Jenny appreciated how everyone was trying to lift her mood so she decided to try to forget her troubles for the time being. " I think I'll have what Summer is having, and I'm fighting the urge to get fries, too." Everyone seemed to feel better and relieved when she smiled.
After everyone ordered and were eating their food, Jenny relized she was feeling a lot better now that she was talking and laughing with her friends. But, as she looked to her side and didn't see Tom there, she lost the good spirit that she had been blessed with only moments ago. She tried to regain it, but it wasn't the same.
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I've got to put the past behind me, Jenny thought while lying in bed that night. Tom is dead and I'll never forget him, but I can't dwell on it forever. Jenny often told herself this, but everytime she did Tom's image popped into her head: Tom calling her Thorny when he was in one of his goofy moods or when Jenny was feeling down about something, or when he cocked his head and gave her his goofy smile. Jenny remembered when the third game was over and Julian's body had just denigrated in her own arms, how Tom had said that he would always be there for her no matter what. Well, where are you now, Jenny thought, suddenly angry, where are you now when I need you most! Jenny was crying now. She felt Andrey's arms around her and her voice whispering that everything was going to be all right. Jenny was now thankful to have Andrey as a roomate.
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But I'm here, Tom wanted to scream to her! He wanted to be the one with her now telling her everything would be okey, not Andrey. He wanted to hold and caress her and tell her that he was there for her and that he had never left her to begin with.
Damn it, Julian, he thought, I'll destroy you for good if it takes till eternity to do it!
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You can do this, Jenny told herself, everything will be okey. She was walking up the stairs with Andrey, Summer, and Dee at her sides. It is the first day of college, I should be happy. Everyone compared schedules the night before she didn't have first period English with anyone but she had second period drama with Andrey and Zach. She was surprised that Zach would be taking Drama, but he said Summer was making him. That was weird, Jenny thought, Summer isn't taking drama this semester, she's taking it next semester. You'd think they would want to take it the same semester so they could spend time together. Jenny was thinking about that when Zach and Andrey said bye and turned the opposite way from where Jenny was headed to class.
As Jenny walked into the classroom and sat down she could already see that Mr. Jones' English class was going to be a one of those classes that you could catch up on your sleep in and not be caught. Mr. Jones looked like he was about to fall asleep himself!
As if reading her mind, the guy seated behind her said " Before I go to sleep, I would just like to introduce myself as Jackson Boudro and say that you have beautiful eyes."
Startled, Jenny turned around and looked at a guy that was the splitting image of Johnny Depp. " Thank you, " Jenny replied. " I'm Jenny Thorton, and I would like to say good night and could you please wake me up when class is over?" Jenny was smiling now.
" Tell me about it, I wouldn't be surprised if this guy falls asleep before we do!" Jackson said.
Before Jenny could say anything else Mr. Jones told everyone to be quiet and started calling roll.
Jenny was in a good mood now. She liked Jackson and although she wasn't ready to get into another relationship just yet, she thought he was really good looking.
As Jackson had predicted, Mr. Jones had to stop a few times to ask what he was just talking about. It was a riot! " I think I'm going to like this class." Jackson told Jenny after class.
Jenny laughed, " Me too! I don't think I've ever had a teacher quite like him."
" Me either. Hey listen, I'd walk you to your next class, but I've got drama next and its on the other side of campus."
" I've got drama, too." Jenny didn't want to sound anxious but she couldn't just say "Okey, bye!" and then show up at drama.
" Cool, come on!" Jackson said and smiled so Jenny could tell he was glad he could walk her and not just doing it because he had offered.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Andrey and Zach were already there and stopped dead in there conversation when they saw Jenny walking in with Jackson, the Johnny Depp look-alike. Jenny could tell they were deeply shocked to see her with a guy. " Jackson, I'd like you to meet my friend Andrey and my cousin Zach. Andrey, Zach, this is Jackson."
After everyone had there introductions and class began, Andrey passed her a note:
WHAT IS GOING ON! THIS
MORNING YOU WERE
DREADING COMING TO
CLASSES AND NOW I
SEE YOU BEING
WALKED TO CLASS
WITH A DEPP LOOK-
ALIKE!!!
Jenny would have laughed out loud but the truth was that she didn't know what was going on this morning either. Suddenly she felt guilty. It had only been two months since Tom had been dead and she was already looking at other guys!
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The rest of her morning classes went good. Jenny had history with Jackson also.
" So, are you going to go off campus for lunch?" Jackson asked after history.
" Yeah, my friends and I are going to that coffee shop Stucky's down the street. Do you want to come?" she asked.
" Thanks, but maybe some other time." he answered. " I want to stay on campus today because I'm probably going to get lost so I might as well get a head start."
" Okey, I guess I'll go then, see you around."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As Julian headed to his dorm he smiled to himself. Yes, Jenny, I'll see you around. He desided he wanted to experiment approaching her so he took over some poor guys mind for a little while. He decided that he himself would skip his morning classes, they wouldn't miss him anyway, they were just introductory classes. Jenny seemed to respond quite nicely to his approach. Pleased with himself Julian changed his corse. He, Julian, not Jackson, was headed toward a small coffee shop called Stuckey's. He kept thinking about her laugh. She looked like she hadn't laughed in years. When she did it was like watching the sun come out on a rainy day. He needed her sunshine desperately for it had been raining far to long in his life. Julian walked faster.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jenny decided not to let any new relationships start up. She was just going to have to ignore Jackson, which was going to be hard because he was in three of her classes at least, but she didn't want anything to start up between her and Jackson or any other guy for that matter. She was starting to wonder if she would ever get over Tom and start getting on with her life. Somehow she doubted it. She felt tears coming to her eyes and quickly wiped them away when she felt someone put a hand on her shoulder.
"Are you all right, you've been in here quite a while and our food has arrived?" It was Andrey. Jenny relized she had been in the bathroom of Stuckey's for quite a while and the time had flown by while she had been drowning in her sorrows.
"Andrey, I'm sorry, I didn't relize I had been in here so long."
"I know." was all she said.
She walked out of the bathroom to find someone she never thought to see again in her life. Someone who had changed her life so much and then left her after saving her life by giving up his own. That someone was Julian. Jenny's mouth dropped open in shock. She saw that everyone else was almost as shocked as she was. Summer was huddled against Zach while whimpering. Zach's face revealed no emotion at all, though his muscles were tense. Michael had dropped his fork, though his hand was still positioned in the air. His face white as a sheet. Dee, however, showed no fear at all, only anger. Andrey stood frozen in her tracks beside her. Jenny forced herself to meet Julian's eyes. Eyes so blue that words couldn't describe. Eyes bluer than even the deepest ocean. A lock of his ice blond hair fell over his left eye and onto one of his high cheek bone, but he didn't move a muscle to put it back into place. He kept his eyes glued to hers. "I'm back." he said in a sing-song voice you always hear in those corny made for TV horror movies that come on after midnight on weeknights. It was terrifying.
The last thing Jenny remembered was the ground rushing up to meet her, and then black.
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Jenny was scared. As she watched her parents drive away through her dorm window she finally admitted to herself that she was scared. After all that she had been through in her life, her grandfather, the shadow men, Julian, and most recently, the death of her boyfriend, Tom. Through all of this Jenny had never really admitted to herself that she was scared, but as she watched her parents drive away, leaving her at college, the University of Missouri, Jenny finally admitted to herself that she was scared.
Jenny was scared of being alone. Although, she had Dee, Andrey, Michael, Summer, and Zach at the university with her, Jenny felt alone. She didn't no what to do without Tom in her life. Before Tom had died two months ago Jenny had her life planned out, finish grade school and high school , go to college, and then marry Tom and have children. All of this had changed now that Tom was gone. All of this had changed even before Jenny had even met Tom. It all started when Jenny Thorton was just five years old. The night she lost her grandfather and gained the eyes of the shadow men, who wanted to harm her, but Julian who just wanted to love her. Jenny didn't find any of this out until she was sixteen and Julian decided to claim her as his own. When he brought her into three terrifying games which in the last he gave up his own life to the other shadow men so she could keep her own. This was why Jenny Thorton felt scared and alone.
" Are you coming Jenny, we have to go pick up our books?" Andrey, who was her roomate asked. Andrey was beautiful and she knew it. She had long, auburn hair that was nearly copper. She had a clear complexion that never seemed to be blessed with a pimple one. Although Andrey knew that she had looks to die for she never used it against people. That was one of the reasons Jenny liked her so much.
Jenny herself had long, honey-blond hair, eyes as green as the Nile, as Julian had once said, and skin that almost matched her hair. Though everyone said that she was beautiful, Jenny never really paid any attention to it.
" Yeah, lets go."
" Are you okey, Jenny, you don't look so hot?" Andrey asked, with what Jenny could see, genuine concern.
" I'm fine, now lets get our books before the store closes."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He couldn't believe he was doing this. Jenny had always asked him why he didn't just ask instead of dragging her and friends into the games. Well, he thought, Jenny couldn't ask him that any more he wasn't going to drag her or her friends into anymore games. He was simply going to have to win her over the old fashioned way. No magic at all. Of course she was going to have to get over the fact that he wasn't dead and most of all, he wasn't a shadow man anymore, or a ghost. He knew Jenny has been going through a lot lately because she has lost Tom, but Tom was a true blessing for him in a way that he hoped Jenny would never know.
He was about to do something he never thought he would do. Something he would only do if it meant getting closer to Jenny. He, Julian, was going to college.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After she and Andrey got their books back to the dorm, Jenny and Andrey went to a cafe called Stuckey's to meet the rest of the gang. Andrey and Michael immediately snuggled up together. They had been closer than ever since the last of Julian's games when each others deepest secrets had been revealed. Zach and Summer were already seated next to each other. They had been a couple since Zach had that first glance at Summer again when everyone had thought she had been dead for about a month. Jenny was not the only one surprised when they became a couple because Zach was not known exactly as a ladies man. In fact, he had never had a girlfriend before Summer!
Jenny automatically looked around for Tom, who, of course was not there. She felt her cheeks turn red and was sure everyone noticed what had happened but if they did they didn't show it. She sat next to Dee who's dark eyes immediately searched Jenny's.
" Gosh, sunshine, you look terrible, what's ...Owww!" Michael was asking when Andrey elbowed him in the stomach so he'd shut up. That was why Jenny liked Michael so much, he was always so blunt and clueless.
" Nothing's wrong with her, she looks fine." Dee said, cueing in. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm getting the tuna salad."
" Not me, I'm getting the club sandwich." Summer offered. "What about you, Zach?"
" I'm not that hungry, I think I'll just get an order of fries." Zach said. Zach had dirty blond hair that was always pulled back and he had eyes that were a shade of gray that made him always look mad.
Jenny appreciated how everyone was trying to lift her mood so she decided to try to forget her troubles for the time being. " I think I'll have what Summer is having, and I'm fighting the urge to get fries, too." Everyone seemed to feel better and relieved when she smiled.
After everyone ordered and were eating their food, Jenny relized she was feeling a lot better now that she was talking and laughing with her friends. But, as she looked to her side and didn't see Tom there, she lost the good spirit that she had been blessed with only moments ago. She tried to regain it, but it wasn't the same.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I've got to put the past behind me, Jenny thought while lying in bed that night. Tom is dead and I'll never forget him, but I can't dwell on it forever. Jenny often told herself this, but everytime she did Tom's image popped into her head: Tom calling her Thorny when he was in one of his goofy moods or when Jenny was feeling down about something, or when he cocked his head and gave her his goofy smile. Jenny remembered when the third game was over and Julian's body had just denigrated in her own arms, how Tom had said that he would always be there for her no matter what. Well, where are you now, Jenny thought, suddenly angry, where are you now when I need you most! Jenny was crying now. She felt Andrey's arms around her and her voice whispering that everything was going to be all right. Jenny was now thankful to have Andrey as a roomate.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
But I'm here, Tom wanted to scream to her! He wanted to be the one with her now telling her everything would be okey, not Andrey. He wanted to hold and caress her and tell her that he was there for her and that he had never left her to begin with.
Damn it, Julian, he thought, I'll destroy you for good if it takes till eternity to do it!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You can do this, Jenny told herself, everything will be okey. She was walking up the stairs with Andrey, Summer, and Dee at her sides. It is the first day of college, I should be happy. Everyone compared schedules the night before she didn't have first period English with anyone but she had second period drama with Andrey and Zach. She was surprised that Zach would be taking Drama, but he said Summer was making him. That was weird, Jenny thought, Summer isn't taking drama this semester, she's taking it next semester. You'd think they would want to take it the same semester so they could spend time together. Jenny was thinking about that when Zach and Andrey said bye and turned the opposite way from where Jenny was headed to class.
As Jenny walked into the classroom and sat down she could already see that Mr. Jones' English class was going to be a one of those classes that you could catch up on your sleep in and not be caught. Mr. Jones looked like he was about to fall asleep himself!
As if reading her mind, the guy seated behind her said " Before I go to sleep, I would just like to introduce myself as Jackson Boudro and say that you have beautiful eyes."
Startled, Jenny turned around and looked at a guy that was the splitting image of Johnny Depp. " Thank you, " Jenny replied. " I'm Jenny Thorton, and I would like to say good night and could you please wake me up when class is over?" Jenny was smiling now.
" Tell me about it, I wouldn't be surprised if this guy falls asleep before we do!" Jackson said.
Before Jenny could say anything else Mr. Jones told everyone to be quiet and started calling roll.
Jenny was in a good mood now. She liked Jackson and although she wasn't ready to get into another relationship just yet, she thought he was really good looking.
As Jackson had predicted, Mr. Jones had to stop a few times to ask what he was just talking about. It was a riot! " I think I'm going to like this class." Jackson told Jenny after class.
Jenny laughed, " Me too! I don't think I've ever had a teacher quite like him."
" Me either. Hey listen, I'd walk you to your next class, but I've got drama next and its on the other side of campus."
" I've got drama, too." Jenny didn't want to sound anxious but she couldn't just say "Okey, bye!" and then show up at drama.
" Cool, come on!" Jackson said and smiled so Jenny could tell he was glad he could walk her and not just doing it because he had offered.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Andrey and Zach were already there and stopped dead in there conversation when they saw Jenny walking in with Jackson, the Johnny Depp look-alike. Jenny could tell they were deeply shocked to see her with a guy. " Jackson, I'd like you to meet my friend Andrey and my cousin Zach. Andrey, Zach, this is Jackson."
After everyone had there introductions and class began, Andrey passed her a note:
WHAT IS GOING ON! THIS
MORNING YOU WERE
DREADING COMING TO
CLASSES AND NOW I
SEE YOU BEING
WALKED TO CLASS
WITH A DEPP LOOK-
ALIKE!!!
Jenny would have laughed out loud but the truth was that she didn't know what was going on this morning either. Suddenly she felt guilty. It had only been two months since Tom had been dead and she was already looking at other guys!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The rest of her morning classes went good. Jenny had history with Jackson also.
" So, are you going to go off campus for lunch?" Jackson asked after history.
" Yeah, my friends and I are going to that coffee shop Stucky's down the street. Do you want to come?" she asked.
" Thanks, but maybe some other time." he answered. " I want to stay on campus today because I'm probably going to get lost so I might as well get a head start."
" Okey, I guess I'll go then, see you around."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As Julian headed to his dorm he smiled to himself. Yes, Jenny, I'll see you around. He desided he wanted to experiment approaching her so he took over some poor guys mind for a little while. He decided that he himself would skip his morning classes, they wouldn't miss him anyway, they were just introductory classes. Jenny seemed to respond quite nicely to his approach. Pleased with himself Julian changed his corse. He, Julian, not Jackson, was headed toward a small coffee shop called Stuckey's. He kept thinking about her laugh. She looked like she hadn't laughed in years. When she did it was like watching the sun come out on a rainy day. He needed her sunshine desperately for it had been raining far to long in his life. Julian walked faster.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jenny decided not to let any new relationships start up. She was just going to have to ignore Jackson, which was going to be hard because he was in three of her classes at least, but she didn't want anything to start up between her and Jackson or any other guy for that matter. She was starting to wonder if she would ever get over Tom and start getting on with her life. Somehow she doubted it. She felt tears coming to her eyes and quickly wiped them away when she felt someone put a hand on her shoulder.
"Are you all right, you've been in here quite a while and our food has arrived?" It was Andrey. Jenny relized she had been in the bathroom of Stuckey's for quite a while and the time had flown by while she had been drowning in her sorrows.
"Andrey, I'm sorry, I didn't relize I had been in here so long."
"I know." was all she said.
She walked out of the bathroom to find someone she never thought to see again in her life. Someone who had changed her life so much and then left her after saving her life by giving up his own. That someone was Julian. Jenny's mouth dropped open in shock. She saw that everyone else was almost as shocked as she was. Summer was huddled against Zach while whimpering. Zach's face revealed no emotion at all, though his muscles were tense. Michael had dropped his fork, though his hand was still positioned in the air. His face white as a sheet. Dee, however, showed no fear at all, only anger. Andrey stood frozen in her tracks beside her. Jenny forced herself to meet Julian's eyes. Eyes so blue that words couldn't describe. Eyes bluer than even the deepest ocean. A lock of his ice blond hair fell over his left eye and onto one of his high cheek bone, but he didn't move a muscle to put it back into place. He kept his eyes glued to hers. "I'm back." he said in a sing-song voice you always hear in those corny made for TV horror movies that come on after midnight on weeknights. It was terrifying.
The last thing Jenny remembered was the ground rushing up to meet her, and then black.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~