I don't own Night World. DOUBLE UPDATE. I'M SORRY.

Part 3 – Lucky (Jez)

I've found that luck is quite predictable. If you want more luck, take more chances. Be more active. Show up more often. ~Brian Tracy

Chapter 1

It was a rare day for San Francisco. The sun was hiding behind a thick veil of clouds, and rain was spitting down. I would have hated it if I was still in England, but it was more like a memory of home. I call my parents and talk to them for a couple of hours. Mum tells me about the novel she's working on, dad talks to me about possibly coming over during the Easter holidays, which I agree with readily. Then mum mentions what I have been dreading for several days. "Raven will be there in a couple of days. I think she's leaving on Tuesday."

The mention of Raven forces the feelings of guilt and anger to the forefront of my mind. I'd agreed not to tell her, but… I still felt like I had to.

"Are you still there, love?"

"Yeah. I am. Just thinking."

"Sounds painful." I roll my eyes at the typical dad comment. "Anyway, we've got to go. We have reservations."

"Oh. Miss me."

"I don't know… it's nice having the house to ourselves."

"Yeah. You're lovely parents. You must be proud of yourselves."

"Well, yes. Yes we are."

I laugh at them before saying goodbye and hanging up. Now to work out whether I should tell Raven.

I end up going to Val's and finding him sitting at the window with a miserable look on his face and despite myself, I feel sorry for him. "Raven's coming in a couple of days," I say. He looks at me, panic-stricken.

"I don't want to lose her. What do I do, Jez?"

I shrug my shoulders. "I really don't know, Val. But you have to tell her as soon as she gets here."

He nods. "I will."

I leave him then, looking morose and depressed.

Raven arrives, as planned, Tuesday evening. I hug her tight when she knocks at my door.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah. Just missed you."

"Aww, Jez. I missed you too."

Val's door opens, and his stricken expression almost makes me beg to Raven to forgive him.

I leave them alone then and walk into town, watching people pass by. Every time I see a couple hand in hand, I want to run up to them and shout at them, asking how it's so easy for them. Or that it'll never last. Because what in my life shows that relationships can ever be perfect? Morgead isn't here with me, my dad isn't even my actual father, and Val let it slip once and will probably be paying for it the rest of his life.

As I'm thinking that, Val's ringtone sounds on my phone. I take a deep breath, bracing myself, and answer it. "Val?"

"She left."

His voice, so completely broken, tugs at my heart. "Val, I…"

"Could you come? Hugh and Pierce are out and I don't want to be alone."

"Okay."

I hang up and make my way slowly to his flat. He's sitting at the window again, staring at the sky.

"Why did I ruin everything, Jez?"

I sit on the chair next to him, but don't answer.

"All I wanted was her. Then I get her… but I mess it up. I mess up everything. That's what she said after I told her; there were things I didn't even realise I did wrong."

I draw my knees up, feeling tears leak out of my eyes. He takes hold of my hand and we sit there for what seems like an eternity.

I don't know whether I can forgive him for what he did to Raven, but I know that he needs someone to stay with him. He's always so happy; I forget what he was like before Raven became our friend, the anger and loneliness that always seemed to be a massive part of his personality, but I realised had just been a shield.

I leave once Hugh gets back and stay in my room, wishing that things could be like they were when we were in England.

…nw…nw…nw…

Val slowly gets a bit better over the next month, to the point when he's laughing at jokes, and even making them himself. It makes me half happy, half sad to see him happy, but possibly even getting over Raven.

"I got a call from the producers today," he says one evening when we're having a take-out and song writing session.

"Oh?" Hugh says.

"They think it's important that we don't take for granted the people who would probably be fans anyway, so they want us to do a few more gigs around Suffolk."

"Really? That'd be great. I miss home," Pierce says. I frown at him, noticing that Val and Hugh are doing the same. "What?" he says, glaring at us. "I have emotions too, y'know."

"And, umm…" Val narrows his eyes. "They also want to ask Jez's old school whether we can do a gig there, and all the students and teachers can come free of charge. They think it'll be a good PR boost."

I start choking on my Coke. Val takes one look at my face before bursting out into laughter and Hugh slaps my back until I elbow him in the stomach.

Performing at school. In front of the teachers. Morgead…. morgead morgead morgead…

Oh, crap. Just… kill me now. I didn't know exactly how I felt about it, but I still wanted to die. To go back and tell my ten-or-twelve-year-old self that, no, I did not want to become a star. Because not long from then, this would happen. "What…? I… no. I'm not doing…" I trail off when I see how the others are looking at me.

For crap's sake. I hated Val at this moment for not still being with Raven. Because if he was, then she'd be here, and she'd talk him out of it, and she would understand what I was going through.

"What, Jez? It's a good idea," Val says.

"No it isn't," I say. Or something along the lines of that. With a few expletives thrown in for good measure.

"Why not?"

"Because… I…" I fight to get a decent reason which will get me out of the embarrassing situation.

"Are you… ashamed of us?" Hugh says melodramatically, one hand against his heart, grey eyes wide and stricken.

"It's just… performing in front of people I know is so awkward."

"You'll have to get over that aversion, though, Jez."

Urgh. There really was no way I could get out of this, was there? So I nod, resigning myself to my fate, and praying that it wouldn't be too harsh.