Jack

It was nine AM. I drove off the Square and onto the Highway to go hiking. It wasn't a long drive, and my trail was the one not many people hiked because of the two private properties that out lined it.

I put the money in the little box and drove into the park. I got out and got onto a trail. It was a hot morning in August, the sun made the water sparkle as it flowed against the shore. A train was coming across the bridge, the trails were empty.

Melissa had left two hours earlier and left me a note:

Jack~

I feel horrible for making you sleep on the couch! Erg! Hope your back won't ache today! I'll feel even worse! Dinner tonight? Call me after your day of exploration is over!

Melissa

I smiled at the thought of my dear friend. Through everything she would be there for me. She was too good to lose. So we were going to meet for dinner tonight at the FireFly, some fancy bar/restaurant a block from the theatre.

I came around a bend in the trail and heard a splash. I looked down into a little beach. Someone had just jumped in, I crouched behind the bushes and watched a girl come back up.

She was too beautiful for words. Her red hair flowed down her back as she came up. Her eyes were the color of the water and her skin was perfect. She dived back under as quick as she came up. She laughed sometimes when she came up. Then she stood up and laid down again. She was floating and letting the tide take her out. I watched her every move, she came back up and sat on the shore and let the tide come in to her. I adjusted my weight and a twig snapped. My heart went numb.

"Who's there?" She said grabbing her towel and wrapping it around her body, "I heard you. Who's there?" She walked towards the bushes and I stood up and picked up a caterpillar with me.

"Sorry to disturb you. I was looking at this caterpillar it's so exquisite—"

"It's a Monarch. They are actually quite common." She said with sass, "We're you watching me?"

"No." I was quick, "I—"

"Who are you? Your not from here."

"I'm from NYC." I said, "I'm Jack." I said holding my hand out.

"Oh." She let her guard down a little, "I'm Nessie." I live on the Private Property up the ways."

"Nice. Well I'll let you continue swimming—"

"No I was just going." She said stepping away, I began to turn around when she said, "Hopefully I'll see you again."

"Yeah. Me too."

That's how I came to believe in love at first sight.

Once she disappeared behind the cliff I set my bag and things down on the sand.

I couldn't get her out of my mind. The perfect girl was over a cliff and some ways away. Nessie. Her name was Nessie. She was so beautiful, her eyes and her voice. She was like an angel and the way she said, "Hopefully I'll see you again." got me all excited inside. I knew in these few months I would take every chance I would get to see her.

I ran back to my car and drove back. I had spent an hour hiking. I felt my heart doubling in size every time she crossed my mind. I laid on my bed for a while. I had visions of me and her kissing for the first time. Our first date at Firefly, her in tears after I sang Empty Chairs at Empty Tables. Then I saw her in the most beautiful gown and her with our first child and—I was in love.

I was in love with a girl named Nessie.

Melissa

I arrived at the Firefly with a skip in my step. I had only so many visions of our first date, except most of them were in NYC at the finest restaurants in the world. Of course I was also a Tony winner in those but who cares this could very possible be a date and that's more than I could ask for!

"Melissa!" I heard his voice right when I walked in. I jogged over to him and sat down, "How was Chicago?"

"From what I saw it looked alright." I smiled at him, "And how was the exploration?"

Before he could answer a waitress came and took our order. I knew his order by heart and he knew mine. And as I predicted he got a hamburger with tomatoes and pickles, well done, steak fries and sangria. And just as he predicted I got a Caesar salad with no croutons or onions and two breadsticks drizzled in butter. He always called me picky even the first day we met at Foulton. We sat together at lunch and I picked the meat out of my pizza and the first thing he said, "Your so picky." Then he would eat my leftovers. It was like the best friend code.

"So how was your exploring?" I asked again.

His eyes changed totally and he smiled, "Beyond words! You see I was walking through the woods when I saw the prettiest girl! She caught me though but she was nice about me watching her and told me her name. It's Nessie! She was beautiful and sweet and I can't stop thinking about her! Would you call this love?"

I stared at him and my heart dropped to the floor. My body stopped, I stared into space. This wasn't a date. This wasn't even a dream. This wasn't my Jack. This wasn't anything.

"Mel? Mel?" He snapped his fingers in front of my eyes and I blinked out of it.

"What do you think?" I murmured softly.

"I think I'm beyond love."

"Then it is." I sat back in a grief with no words. A pain that couldn't be described. My heart shattered into a million pieces. I wouldn't cry now, I would hold myself until I got home. Until I was in my own room, until I was alone.

"Sooo." He said.

"Sooo is right." Our plates were brought out, "Jack." I said between bites. He looked up with a grin, I giggled, "What is it with me and men?"

"What do you mean?"

"How come I can't grab there attention?"

"WHOA WHOA! Melissa you are the sensible drama queen of New York! You are the girl who holds that Cabaret roll over anyone else at Cahoes! Puh-lease Melissa! You are the reason they created have half price Men Sunday! Every man whooped for you after that! Don't even think you aren't noticed. You damn well are!"

"Thanks Jack." We ate the rest of dinner in silence. Then he went to the theatre to see Joshua and I went home. I got up the stairs and heard the rest of the people in the building laughing and joking in the kitchen. But I couldn't, I couldn't even try to laugh. All I wanted to do was cry! I got into my apartment and locked the door and then I went into my bathroom and locked the door. I turned on the shower and pulled the pocket knife from my winter coat. It was my fathers, since I grew up in Cali, father always warned of bears so he had me keep a pocket knife although it wouldn't do much. He said a little is better than nothing.

I flipped out the main knife and slid it against my arm. It was high up, I felt so childish doing it after one cut on each arm I stopped. The stinging hurt horribly. I had to hold my mouth shut to keep myself from screaming. Then I began to cry because I knew I would never be his and this was a matter I couldn't even go to my best friend for. I took a deep breath and crouched down in the shower, my cuts still bleeding. I sobbed under the cold water until I couldn't cry anymore.

Nessie

It was late and Rosalie wasn't back yet. I went out to the kitchen to watch for her car. I grabbed some candy from the drawer and put some aside for Jennifer.

After the excitement at the beach this morning my day had been reasonably normal. I returned just before Jennifer woke up as well as Rosalie. Then I spent most of the day getting to know Jennifer and making phone calls through the theatre to get her a job. She would be the spotlight controller person. She would have to come with me to Meet and Greet and meet the design team.

I ate my candy with pleasure and looked through the mail. Most of it was bills for Rosalie and a few magazines for Victoria Secret and Vogue. I looked through the Vogue one for a little bit until I heard footsteps behind me. I turned around and saw Jennifer staring at me.

"Get back in the room!" I hissed.

"No I'm hungry and she's not here." She whined. I took the candy and laid it in her hand.

"That's not enough I'm a growing girl—"

"Get back in the room please!" I said.

"You have yet to—

"Nessie, who's this?" I turned around and saw Rosalie with eyes of anger staring at us.

"Explain yourself then!" She said to Jennifer as she began pacing the room. Jennifer nervously told her about her abusive dad and the train and the run here.

"I see." Rosalie murmured, "And when did you arrive?"

"About three AM last night—"

"That's why your loft was locked this morning! You didn't want me to see her! Where were you sleeping?"

"The floor." I said.

"And does our little guest expect to stay long?"

"She has a job at the theatre with me." I said and Jennifer's face lit up.

"Well if she can support herself she may stay. But she will be your responsibility Nessie!"

"REALLY!? Thank you Rosalie! I won't let you down!" I said and hugged her. I then grabbed Jennifer and we went to the loft.

"I want to know why your locked here everyday." Jennifer stated.

"I will tell you when it becomes relevant."

"But Nessie—"

"Please Jennifer." I turned around as if to go through my drawers to find clothes to wear but instead I saw the scars all over my body. I instantly went back to looking for clothes and Jennifer turned on the TV and was watching E! News. I handed her a pile of clothes and went into the bathroom. I cleaned out two of my drawers so as she gained makeup and things she could use them.

The man named Jack never really crossed my mind. I knew he was watching me though, I guess it was cute that he would go to all that trouble of lying to watch me. I pulled my swimsuit off the shower rod and came out of the bathroom.

"That was wet this morning."

"I know." I said.

"Did you go swimming?"

"I did yesterday," I lied, "I forgot it was on the shower this morning."

"Oh." She turned back to the TV and I grabbed Les Miserables off my bookshelf. I sat in my window seat and cracked the window just to hear the waves hit the shore. I smiled and began to get lost in the work of Victor Hugo.