You have to be kidding me.
Okay so, I have this thing, that I call a back up file. It carries a lot of stories in it, waiting for a moment when I may need to increase my word count. Like, now. But it crashed, and I lost it.
All 34k words of it. Holy shit!
It took months to build up all that material! Months! That was my saving grace for this challenge, because I hate failure with such a damn passion it is sad and kind of pathetic. I don't have a back up, now.
What the hell do I do? I'm screwed. There are exactly 72 hours left for me to publish over ten thousand words. Ten fucking thousand! That I do not have! I am screwed.
How were your holidays? Mine were great. I loved Christmas. I have two new journals for when I don't have computer access, so I can write or schedule things! Amazing!
My break sucks, though. I am so stressed, because I did something during a talk with David that I most likely shouldn't have, so he probably thought I was flirting with him when honest to the heavens and lord above, I was just trying to be a supportive, good friend to lean on, for him. You know, because I know better than anyone from watching Andrew with his ex, as well as my own boy drama, how much age an grade gaps suck, considering the bull shit count you get from family, friends, and maybe even strangers.
Also, by the way, I'm working on a Dia story, and a Miego one for this series of one shots. This is the sequel to Separation Won't Work, and it takes place in April. Jax and Emma have been together for seven months, here, which seems like not long for me, but the time frame works so I have to suck it up and remember that most teenagers in this decade are sleeping with a partner they have been with that long.
Now, back to the word count increasing life update nobody wants. I am seriously contemplating making one of my best friend's lives into a new series. See, she is in a special situation you only see in movies.
Except, well, I went through similar. And, for her privacy, since it is my life, I will rehash my Andrew story rather than share hers.
Andrew was my best friend. I fell for him, hard. Really hard. Long story short, he liked another girl, I went out with 'Daniel' (using the fake name from You, the story that goes into detail on my love life) and it was mainly to try and get over Andrew, because he was also a bad boy. I'm not proud, but it happened. I failed, and the rest is history.
Well, she is in the "Oh, well my friend that my mom loves likes me, the other guy smokes pot, and I can just get over him with the good guy" mindset I was in. Except, Andrew was a different kind of criminal. Not violent, but maybe worse than a druggie.
I have to wait for this to blow up in her face, and be her shoulder to cry on. This will be rough. I hope she has better luck than I do, and it works out in her favor. But she still wants the bad guy, even though she's going for the good one.
Classic flashback, anyone? Figured we would all make the connection. But, I feel like Andi, because I don't want her anywhere near the bad guy. However, the heart wants what it wants, which is usually stupid stuff.
Anyway, I'm done, now. But what do you think? Since she actually gave me the okay, and was the one to suggest I make it a book, what if I do?
Disclaimer: Every Witch Way is not, nor will it ever be, mine. It isn't even close. Sorry.
"You aren't serious." Emma laughed without any humor. Her eyes scanned the faces of Agamemnon, Desdemona, and Lily, searching for even a trace of amusement to hint this was a two week late April Fool's joke. When there wasn't one, she squeezed Jax's hand, trying to comfort herself with the feeling of his fingers laced between hers. She stole a glance at him, and saw his jaw clenched, borderline anger mixed with terror in his face.
They were kidding. They had to be. Just last month they were talking about how incredibly happy the were for them!
"I'm afraid we are, Emma." Lily was the first to respond, her apology written in her eyes. Emma swallowed hard, feeling as though an earthquake only she could feel was occurring, inside her stomach.
This wasn't happening. It was some twisted joke, or a nightmare. She'd wake up in Jax's arms in moments and the council would not be telling them this. It would be over.
She pinched her thigh, and the awakening didn't come. Emma gulped, again.
"This is absolutely ridiculous! It was one trip to the zoo gone wrong! Christ, if it weren't for that nosy girl scout mother, we never even would've been seen!" She protested, quite loudly. They got caught using magic once. And the woman didn't even remember. There was no way she was breaking up with Jax just because the council wasn't happy about her casting a spell in what they thought was an empty, camera less room.
She loved him. They had slept together, for God's sake! There was a snowball's chance in surviving Satan's castle that she would let them have their way. Not going to happen.
"You must understand, Ms Alonso," Aggie started. Emma felt the dizziness encase her, and the nausea spread through her body, making the nurse's office feel as if it were lacking oxegon. Her blood, her bones, her heart, her lungs, all of it. This was some sick dream; it had to be. "Your predicament was a direct result of reckless actions. Had you not publicly used your powers in the first place, you would never have been caught."
Jax and Emma both tensed up. He had a point.
They were screwed.
"Agamemnon, I-"
"It has come to the attention of us all that your behavior has changed quite drastically since Mr Novoa coming into your life. Your misconduct has been a direct result of this so called, relationship," He sneered it, and Emma clenched her free hand into a fist. "And I refuse to stand for it any longer."
Cold fire lit Emma's skin, trailing over her body. For the first time in her life, she had nothing. No smart remark, no comeback, no defense. She was frozen, boiling rage and ice cold fear swirling with the urge to sob as she stood there, looking at them all like she wasn't even breathing.
"Now, hold on just one minute," Jax took a step forward, thankfully directing the attention of the council toward himself, so Emma could recover from her moment of confusion and shock. Silently, she thanked him. "Do we not get a say in this? It's our lives that this is affecting, not yours. Is it not reasonable for us to even talk about this?"
It wasn't actually a question; of course talking it out was the smart, reasonable thing to do. However, two thirds of the council were comprised of cynical SOBs, and both Emma and Jax knew it.
"You are in no position to make demands here, Jax." Desdemona barked. Something snapped within Emma upon hearing that, and rage was the emotion that took over. How dare she speak to him like that! This was not even his fault!
"Who do you think you three are, trying to blame my boyfriend for my actions when they were mine alone?" She hissed, making everyone else, including Jax, jump slightly and focus on her. Her jaw was tight and her eyes were cold but burning, their narrowed state scaring the hell out of Jax. He almost didn't mind when she dropped his hand.
"Emma." Lily warned with concern, arms crossed. The witch took her tone worth a grain of sand, and looked at Jax. She gave him a forced, reassuring smile.
"I've got this." He nodded, and stepped back. One thing he knew by now was when Emma said she could handle something, unless you wanted to die, you didn't doubt her.
"Look, I am more than well aware that all of you want what's best for me. I'm grateful for it, really. But you all need to learn your places! I am seventeen damn years old! That means I am fully capable of making my own decisions, including whether I do or do not belong with or around somebody!" Her arms crossed.
Everyone was in slight disbelief, including Jax. Emma didn't cuss, ever. Well, there was one other situation where she did, but that was much different (and far more pleasurable) than their current one.
"Watch your tone with me, young lady." Desdemona scolded. Once again, it didn't even make a dent in Emma's resolve. The flashbacks of all her time with Jax, all the reasons she had to never give what they had up, were not going away any time soon and while they were happening so was this fight. She wasn't giving in without one hell of a war.
"And you watch your behavior! Seriously, Desdemona! You were supposed to be my mother's best friend! How do you think she would react if she were here right now, seeing and hearing what the three of you are doing? Can you actually tell me she would be okay with you trying to tear me away from the only person in this world I have ever loved because you blame him for a screw up I made?"
Hell was about to rain down upon the Witch's Council; Jax could already see it coming. Too bad Emma would murder him if he were to magic up some popcorn to watch her chew their asses out for trying to break them up.
He was only so amused because he knew damn well she was going to win. They always won.
Desdemona went deathly silent, and looked at her feet. Maria would be pissed, and she knew it. Seven months ago she and Lily convinced Agamemnon to leave Emma and Jax alone. Now, because she took his side over hers, Emma's, and Maria's, she was being yelled at for being a terrible person toward Emma. And she had been. She deserved this.
"And as for you, Lily." The witch turned her gaze to her former guardian. "You're supposed to be on my side! You are supposed to be the one that helps me make them see reason. But instead, you chose to not say a single word in my or Jax's defense when they sprung this preposterous thing on us!"
Lilly sighed, and tried to think up the best apology she could. "I'm sorry."
Part of Emma calmed down. But, she was still pissed. She nodded, and gave Lily a half second twitch at the corner of her mouth that was almost a smile. "Yeah. I figured."
And then, it was Agamemnon's turn. He was going to get it worse than anyone else. Much, much worse.
"Agamemnon, you really just don't know what the hell you're talking about." Emma deadpanned. "You've never been in love. You have never witnessed love. You are a detached, aged jackass who thinks he knows better than I do because he's older than me, even though you've never experienced the feelings I have. I'm sorry that you blame Jax for my actions. But that doesn't make you right."
He opened his mouth, but Emma best him to the punch. "I'm seventeen. That means I'm stupid sometimes. I'm going to do crazy things. I'll really screw up sometimes. But that is going to happen with or without Jax in my life, and if you believe otherwise you clearly have no experience with teenagers. I'm sticking up for myself and my relationship. The answer is no. Jax and I are not going to break up, regardless of your or anyone else's opinion on the matter. Have I made myself clear?"
She stared him directly in the face, without any fear. The wizard set his jaw and let out a groan. "Crystal."
Emma smiled, though forced herself to hold back her joy. She actually just intimidated the whole damn council! "Thank you. Now, if you will excuse us, my boyfriend and I would like to enjoy our Wednesday afternoon."
She turned, not waiting for his reply, and grabbed Jax's hand. "Come on. We don't want to be late for pizza with everybody."
With that, they walked out, leaving the entire council wondering what the hell had gotten into Emma.
"Who are you and what have you done with my girlfriend?" Jax chuckled the moment they were down the hall, safely out of earshot. Emma laughed in response.
"Was I really that bad? I mean, I know I was pissed, and started cussing them out and humiliating them and all, but I don't remember much. Honestly I blacked out a little from all the adrenaline and anger."
Jax rubbed one of her still covered shoulders. The meeting happened right after school ended, and Andi, Phillip, Maddie, Diego, the Panthers, Mia, and Daniel were waiting at the Seven for their weekly pizza fest. This would be one hell of a story to tell. Andi sure would get a kick out of it.
"I don't think you went far enough. Agamemnon may have nearly peed himself, but I would've tried to scare him more. Even when you're livid you take it too easy on people." He chuckled again and shook his head. Emma was scary when she was mad, until she used magic. Glitter and teddy bears were not very intimidating.
"You see, this is why I love you. You make me feel sane when I feel bad for something I really shouldn't, and remind me that I couldn't be bad if I tried. We balance each other." She leaned on a locker, and laced her arms around his neck, pulling him in for a three second kiss. "I think we may be unstable time bombs if we didn't have each other."
He nodded, and slipped his hands under her top, just a few inches. "Yeah. Thank God and whatever fire you have been secretly hiding from me we don't have to find out."
She laughed, once again, but it faded into a guilty frown. "I don't know what happened, honestly. All I know is the thought of losing you froze me for a second, and when I started moving, I couldn't stop. My inhibitions and my filter had left me, and all I wanted was to verbally gut them into submission. Who the hell am I?"
"You are the most wonderful woman I have ever met." He answered truthfully, and her face went red. "I mean it, Em. Don't for a second believe they deserved any less than what you gave them. It could've been worse for them, but you didn't make it. You are too nice, and nobody deserves it."
Another grin crossed her face, and she pulled him back to her, trying to ignore the tears threatening to spill from her eyes. She knew even if they did separate them, they would still be together, just sneaking around. But she could have potentially lost Jax, the best thing that had ever happened to her, just by not speaking up like she did. That made her feel so brave, and proud of herself.
She knew her mom would be proud, too, even though she cussed them out.
"I love you." He murmured against her neck, gently squeezing her hips. And all new fire sparked inside of Emma, and the thought that Gigi wouldn't be using "Studio A" that afternoon graced her mind for a moment, all too tempting. But, she swallowed it, reminded that her best friend would kill her for blowing off Pizza Fest.
"I love you, too." Emma shut her eyes and sighed in bliss, giving herself a few moments to enjoy his kisses and her hazy, guttered mind before she pushed him away, gently. "But Andi will actually kill us if we don't show. Maybe Maddie, too. So, we have to go."
Jax groaned in annoyance. "Fine."
"However." Emma started, causing him to instantly perk up upon seeing the sparkle in her eyes and the mischievous grin she was giving him. "My dad is staying with Ursula, tonight. How about I make it up to you later?"
Suddenly, Jax's mood vastly improved. "Done!"
Another giggle left her mouth, and she gave him one last kiss before leaving school, hand in hand, and abandoning all the stress the council left on them with it. Maybe this would be the last of that argument, maybe it wouldn't.
But Jemma was more than happy to know there would be no break ups, or breaks, or suffering.
And all either could really do, was count down the hours until her dad left the house.
Ha ha, that ending, though! I had to laugh. It is midnight, and I am not ready for what is in store. An all night writing session. I haven't pulled one in months, maybe even a year. This is what I get for slacking. Let this be a lesson, children. If you make a commitment, stick to it. Your life will be much, much easier than mine.
Or, just don't promise 50k words in 90 days when you have never tried such a thing, before.
Review?
