Chapter 4

Flashback

It was a miserable rainy day in Grandview, nothing out of the ordinary. Jasper Brandon was walking down the paved street, his hands shoved in his pockets. He didn't really have any friends in Grandview, they all thought he was a freak, but he couldn't care less. Suddenly he heard the sound of sobbing. He frowned and walked in the direction of the noise, as he got deeper into the forest, the sobbing got louder. Finally he reached a clearing, and there, sitting on a fallen tree was a young native girl. "Excuse me, but are you alright?" Jasper asked the girl, who appeared to be around the same age as he. The girl looked up at him with beautiful tear filled black eyes.

"Do I look alright" she cried, letting her coal black hair fall over her face.

"Not really, no" Jasper sighed, sitting beside her "I'm Jasper Brandon, what's your name?"

"S-Salem Redstone" she sniffled, pushing her hair back and looking at him.

"What exactly, pray tell is wrong?" Jasper asked, his beautiful jade green eyes staring into her.

Salem was lost in his beauty "It's just, that I hate where I live. Everyone thinks I'm a freak" she sighed lifting her armband covered arms. "They don't take to well to my style I guess" she explained, wiping her tears away.

"I can relate" Jasper sighed, his unfathomably lovely eyes staring into Salem's.

"Your eyes, they're amazing" Salem said, leaning a bit closer and looking at the irises. They were a strange, almost luminescent, deep rich green. The color of the emerald jewel, with that same transparent characteristic. His eyes were so vivid and incredibly clear. Salem reached up a russet hand and put it on his ice cold face without thinking. Jasper pulled away "Oh sorry, I kinda did that without thinking" she said looking down, her dark skinned face turning just slightly red with a blush.

"Thank you" Jasper crooned "and it's quite alright, I only pulled away because people usually never have the notion to touch me, I usually intimidate them" he chuckled, "It's okay" he smiled wryly, taking Salem's hand and pressing it back against his face. "I was just surprised"

"Oh a-alright" Salem stammered, letting her fingers caress his snow cold cheek. "You're so cold" she whispered

"Mhmm" Jasper breathed, he smelt so good. Like honey and wild flowers and silk. "I've just always been that way Salem, and you, you're skin is so hot, like a flame to mine."

"Fire and ice" she smiled, and a tear involuntarily slipped down her cheek, Jasper wiped it away, and let his hand linger there.

"You shouldn't care what others think my dear" Jasper sighed "I once did, and it nearly drove me to killing myself. But then I realized that what others think shouldn't affect you, you should do what you want, and dress how you want. It's quite good advice"

"It is Jasper, from now on I won't care what people think of me." Salem smiled sheepishly, her hand had wondered to his hair and tangled in it absent mindedly. "Sorry" she said again, when his eyes wandered to where her hand had wandered.

"It's okay, it feels nice" Jasper smiled leaning closer, letting her hand go deeper into his hair.

"Feels nice for me too" Salem said, shivering, partly because of his icy skin and partly for another reason. Jasper laughed again, a lovely sound.

"SALEM!!!" a voice called out.

"Oh crap, that's my brother Peyton, I have to go" she said reluctantly.

"That's too bad" Jasper sighed, letting his hand run from her cheek to her hair, he pushed it behind her ear in a swift movement. "But Salem, dear, won't you meet me here tomorrow"

"Of course Jasper" she grinned "You understand me, about how people feel towards our style" she sighed, though Salem was more of a metal head and Jasper more of a Goth.

"Yes, I enjoyed our meeting very much, what time do you want to meet?"

"How about lunch time, noon" Salem suggested

"Anything that's a good time for you" Jasper said in that crooning angelic voice of his. "Till tomorrow" Jasper said, lifting Salem's dark hand and kissing it.

"Till tomorrow" Salem whispered back.