Title: The Lake
Rating: T
Summary: She was just a girl, and he was just a boy—it was just their summer vacation, and it would be just to say that nothing would be the same. Julian had just three months of sun, lake water, sunscreen, and no Tom to get Jenny to fall for him. Forbidden Game AU, JennyxJulian.
Disclaimer: Don't own the FBG, but this plot is 100 mine.
A/N: I am so pleased that I got such kind reviews for the first chapter! It feels very good to know that I am losing sleep over something that people are actually reading and enjoying. So please review!! On to chapter 2, where Jenny and Julian meet! Unconventionally, of course.
Chapter 2: Sometimes Accidents Aren't Factored Into The Plan
A smile brushed her rose lips as the car clunked and sputtered up the hill, tossing rocks left and rights. Jenny watched as they were radically tossed into the river dozens of feet below the side of the road and landed with a hearty splash. The vehicle continued to bump along the rough path, and as the Thornton family neared their summer home Jenny's smile broke into a grin. In front of her, a sky-blue wooden house framed by trees stood proudly by the lake, looking bright and warm with its red shutters and door. A detached garage and small shed huddled at the edge of the driveway, near to the spacious wooden deck that surrounded the house from all sides on both floors, even the basement, and led to the dock in the backyard. As her dad began to slow down the van Joey hopped out, not waiting for it to stop, and raced over the gravel, skidding past it and flying over the stepping-stones and porch steps. The blur that was Jenny's brother paused at the porch banister, then began to ring the bell that was placed there with the force of a tornado. The wheels of the car screeched to a halt and Jenny pushed open her car door too, giggling as she heard the loud ruckus that was the welcome bell. Summer was officially here; it had been marked, it had begun, and now, she was free.
Uncaring of the fact that her shoes were lost somewhere among the crumpled papers, wrappers, and books in the back seat, Jenny took the keys from her mom's hand with a kiss on the older woman's cheek before sprinting to the front door in her bare feet. Jamming the piece of metal in the lock, she high-fived Joey before they entered the lake house together with glee. The familiar smells of cooking, lake water, sunscreen, and s'mores filled her nostrils as Jenny walked into the house. She was immediately surrounded by contrasting patterns of wallpaper and made up rooms: the living space one the first floor, not including the master and guest bedrooms and well as the bathrooms, closets, and pantries, was all one room. The kitchen made up the space closest to the front door, with the counter tops, stove, sink, and fridge hugging the wall to Jenny's left. The space that radiated out from there included a long table and several chairs for dining. Past that a couch formed a natural barrier for the family room, which included faded rocking armchairs which were fuzzy and void of color from years of sitting, as well as a television, fireplace, and a small "library" with some bookshelves and a card table for playing board games or doing puzzles. The wall farthest from the front door, which included the aforementioned fireplace, was lined with several floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors, which filtered in natural light from the backyard and lake.
Although it was only a little bit before lunchtime, already the roars and grumbles of boats could be heard out on the water. If Jenny listened intently enough, she thought she could even hear the peals of delighted laughter from the skiers, and the splashing of the waves. Mr. and Mrs. Thornton were not far behind their two children, but it seemed like an eternity to Jenny before they appeared in the kitchen, suitcases and coolers in hand. Joey was the first to grab his bag, and raced up the stairs to his room. Jenny, more calm and collected as most of her excitement had already passed, gently lifted her black duffel back and carried it downstairs to the basement, where her room lay.
Flicking on the light switch, her dark green eyes were met with black and white floor tiles, a computer, an old television, and some armchairs and couches. Twisting open the blinds on the doors that led out onto the back patio, which featured a swing and winding steps that led to the lake, sunlight washed the room in gold as she set her bag on the floor. A washing machine, dryer, and a second fridge, as well as a bathroom, were on the other side of the room, parallel to that was a door, which led to Jenny's bedroom. Being the eldest child, she had been given the biggest summer living space, though Joey never complained: he had a television of his own in his room, and Jenny was always more than happy to let him come down to the basement as well.
With a slight squeak of metal, Jenny unzipped her duffel bag and pulled out a fresh change of clothes—a soft, white sundress that stopped mid-thigh with a flair at the hem. Tossing her rumpled shorts and tank top on the floor, she pulled the straps of the dress over her shoulders and smoothed the material, running a brush through her hair. Tom may like her in long skirts, but it was summer, he was miles and miles away, and she was free. With a flick of the lock Jenny opened the door, and grinned at smell of lake water and the feel of the summer breeze. Closing the door gently, she gracefully glided over to the swing and sat down, moving her legs back and forth until the swing moved in a comfortable rhythm.
The trees blocked most of the sun's rays from making her too hot, and the swing was one of her favorite places in the house, but Jenny was still drawn to the lake. Jumping off of it in midair, she landed on the concrete with a small thud and took the long, slow path to the lake through the grass. The dandelions and weeds tickled her toes and she moved, and within minutes Jenny was on the dock, with the worn, grainy wood rubbing the soles of her feet. The family's ski boat had already been delivered by the man who stored it in the winter, and Jenny climbed into it, leaning over the edge in order to look at the water. As it was a lake, the water was a somewhat murky greenish color, but she could still see the dark silhouettes of the fish as they circled the reeds that poked shyly out of the water. Jenny looked back up at the house, where she could see the shapes of her mother and father as they cleaned the house and prepared for their stay. Knowing they weren't watching her, she smiled devilishly and leaned farther out of the boat, so that her hair fell into her face and dangled dangerously on the surface of the water.
Jenny was almost face to face with the flat surface of the water, and in it she could see the reflection of the things on the bank. The grass, the narrow bridge leading to the dock…. And the Matthews' house. Jenny's heart fluttered as she saw the brick house, and she leaned closer to the reflection to see what was going on there—a smart idea, she thought, because if Jess was there then he wouldn't be alienated by the sight of her ogling his house trying to see him. A flicker of movement caught her attention, and Jenny laughed silently in delight as she saw a figure at the top of the steps that led to the dock: at least Old Mr. Matthews was there, which meant that Jess might be there…. But the figure was moving too fast for it to be the grandfatherly man, and as she leaned closer to and closer to see whom it was—was it Jess? Was it Mr. Matthews? Or was it someone else? —Jenny felt herself tumble off of the boat as the landed face-first in the water. Her piercing scream shook the lake as she fell, unprepared for what would occur next.
Jenny was a good swimmer, always had been, after all, she spent her summers at a lake house, but as she crashed into the water below her hands and legs collided with the lake bottom. A sickening pain shot up her right leg, and as she gasped for breathe in pain and struggle, Jenny tried to pull herself to the surface. It was no use—her leg was numb and useless, and, she realized too late, as her mind already started to cloud from the pain and lack of oxygen, that the tiny silver chain on her left wrist was firmly hooked in tangle of weeds. In her last moments she thought bitterly that the piece of jewelry, which Tom had given her, had never even been her favorite; hell, it was Tom who had liked the thing. As Jenny floated out of consciousness in a lake of green, she remembered thinking that Tom and his ugly gift would be the death of her.
Julian swore his heart (if he had one) had stopped at the sight of her. Here. In real life. Right in front of him. He began to lose his breath and balance as she stepped into the ski boat to the left of him. The shadow man was partially hidden by the clutter on the deck above the lake, or so he thought, and felt free to observe the beautiful girl before him as she peered into the water. He didn't know how it happened. She was in front of him, kneeling into the water and exposing way too much skin in her dress as she did so, and then, with a blink of his blue eyes, she was gone. Julian leaned forward, his muscles tingling.
His stomach lurched and bile crawled up his throat as he saw the impossible, and within seconds he had jumped over the deck railing and was running and tumbling over the grassy slope of the yard, racing towards the lake and the opposite dock where he had seen the impossibly gorgeous girl that he had watched for years fall into the water. Julian could see the foam and bubbles that had signaled her entrance into the water, and knowing that she must be in trouble because she hadn't surfaced in over several minutes, Julian dove into the lake.
Jenny was off in her own world, escaping from her own body, but the water dragged her down. The water. She was choking on it, thrashing in it, desperately trying to do anything that would get her off of the bottom of the lake and onto the bank. But her leg throbbed with pain, and Tom's bracelet kept her chained to the sand. Jenny's pink lips opened and closed like a fish's, trying to breath, but it was no use, not even when she attempted to scream for help. Her lungs were burning, flaming, and every inch of her skin was on fire as her mind tried to fight the fate it knew was coming. Her last coherent thought was that she would never know who the person on the Matthews' deck was.
Julian had plunged into the warm water, still clad only in his frayed jeans, the towel discarded, as he went after Jenny. He glided through the water, and past the greens of the moss and the water and the reeds he could see her limp, lovely body lying in the sand. She had stopped moving. She had stopped fighting. With one thrust of his limbs he was beside her and Julian quickly pulled her into his arms, trying to swim towards the surface when he felt a resistant force tugging him back under. Looking down at Jenny he saw her right leg bent at an odd angle and her left wrist still buried in the sand near some reeds. He squinted, his deep blue eyes seeing that she was stuck. Pulling them both upwards with all of his strength, Julian broke whatever was keeping Jenny at the bottom of the lake. Kicking his legs, he paddled them to the bank and quickly transported them into the house, not caring who saw—Jenny was in trouble. He laid her on the floor of his family room, not caring that they were soaking wet, and began to revive her. And far away, among the reeds at the bottom of the lake, the silver bracelet was buried in the sand, where it would stay for good.
A/N: Hope you enjoyed the second chapter, so please make me happy by commenting on it! Next chapter will be similar to Julian's revival of Jenny in The Kill after the other men send the water after her. And she will come to the conclusion as to whether she really misses Tom or Jess at all or if her sole focus will be on a whole new summer love interest…