Ok! Chapter 8! This is kind of similar to the stupid twilight, Bella depression thing, except more tragic. Oh well. Read on my fellow jack lovers!

The next morning, I didn't wake Jack tapping on my window. I had awoken from the light shining into my room. I did my daily routine and went out to look for the winter spirit. "Jack! Hey come on, Where are you?!" I shouted out into the frosted air. Actually, it was pretty warm out that day. I ran all over the place looking for him, yet not a trace of him presented itself to me. I soon gave up hope and figured he had to go do some winter stuff to the rest of the world today. I mean, he couldn't have stayed there with me all the time could he? So I went to do some shopping myself.

While in one particular store, the owner was playing the news on the TV. The weather forecast told that spring was on it's way and the weather would start to get warmer. After hearing that, my heart had dropped a little, that meant no more snow days with Jack. After I got most of my shopping done, it had already gotten dark out. So I decided to head home and finish up the next day. On my walk home, I couldn't help but wonder about where Jack was. Yet I silenced my thoughts with the reassurance that he would probably show up the next day.

While I was deep in thought, I didn't realize that I was being followed. That was until I was away from the crowds. "Look who we have here. If it isn't the little freshman who got in the way." a familiar voice sounded behind me. I whirled around to face the voice, yet, I knew it was a bad idea. It was the the same sophomore group that had beaten me when I met Jack. After I saw them, I instantly became defensive. "What do you bozos want?" I grumbled at them. "Oh, you still seem to be gutsy, well, we just wanted to see what you had in that bag of yours." the leader of the group said casually while strolling up to me. I noticed that he had gotten a little bigger than he was the last time I saw him. "Its really non of your business, now why don't you and your douche bag friends go fuck with someone your own size?" I growled at them then turned to walk away. That had been another bad idea. A painful impact struck my back and I fell to the cold, hard ground. My groceries scattered all over the ground next to me as I looked up at the jerk. He crouched down next to me and said, just loud enough for me to hear; "If you were smart, you would stay out of our business." After that, the group left and I went to pick up the things I bought and sulked home.

After weeks of Jack not showing up, I gave up hope. Winter passed and the comforting chill of it left me even colder than before. Don't get me wrong, I still helped kids escape bullies, but every time I interfered, I would get more hurt. All the bullying made me more bitter towards everyone. I had stopped playing with Emily and her friends and ended up going home with a black eye every night. When spring came, my happiness left. By the time Easter came, I had given up hope on almost everything. Then the day I woke up from my daze came.

I awoke early on spring break, yet I didn't get up. I felt to weak to do so. After about an hour of just laying there, I finally got hungry and rolled out of bed. I went to get a small bowl of cereal and ate slowly because it hurt to swallow. After I finished, I went to the bathroom, and for the first time all spring break, I looked at myself in the mirror. I looked like shit. My caramel hair lost it's natural wavy bounce, my lavender eyes had little to no life in them and my skin had gone to a sickly pale. I looked down at my body and noticed that I had lost weight from the lack of eating, not to mention the bruises I had all over. I sighed and felt a flair of disappointment spark within me. Why was I sulking over Jack? I was fine without him before. After those thoughts crossed my mind I became determined to go do something. So, I dressed up and cleaned up, making sure to hide the black eye I had, and went out to go see Emily.

I was actually feeling good as I made my to Emily's house, so good in fact, that I didn't feel hesitant when I saw the sophomores picking on another kid again. I charged up to the guy, grabbed his shoulder, and socked him right in the nose. He fell to the ground, holding his face where a trickle of blood dripped from. The group could only stare at the scene in shock, it was ironic, too, that that's what I did as well. Then my senses kicked in and the kid and I ran for dear life. Yet, against my luck, the group was on us in a second. The kid ran home, to my relief, and I led the group to the forest again, just out of instinct. I could swear it was deja vu, since this was how I met Jack. They cornered me soon enough, and when they finished, I could hardly breathe. This time, though, I got up, and walked on, broken bones and all. I just felt like I had to.

It was twilight out then, and I was almost at her house. I didn't even know what I was going to say to her. I just wanted to see her. Sappy, I know. Then, I noticed the smell of smoke was in the air. I looked up at the sky and noticed a large cloud of smoke coming from the place I was going. "No." I whispered out. Through all the pain I was in, I rushed as fast as I could to her house, and sure enough, it was her house that was covered in vicious flames. I looked around through the crowd of people that had collected, and saw Emily's family crying out near a fire truck. She wasn't there. I ran/limped to the firefighter near the family. "Where is Emily, the little girl with that family?" I asked in a panicked voice. "we couldn't find the girl, and the house is about to collapse..." the man was saying, but I didn't let him finish. I ran for the building, dodging firefighters and ducking under caution tapes. I didn't know what I was thinking, I just couldn't bare loosing another person I cared for.

Smoke filled my lungs instantly. I began to hack up my lungs, so I kept low and covered my nose and mouth with my sleeve. I made my way up to Emily's room, where we played once before Jack left. "Emily! Emily, where are you?!" I shouted, which ended in a horrible cough attack. I searched for Emily for what seemed like hours, yet was only minutes. When I entered her room, I could hear a barely audible crying sound over the roar of the flames coming from her closet. I swung open the door and with complete relief cried "Emily! Its me." I reached down and grabbed the terrified girl, halfway carrying her towards the way I came.

When I could see the doorway to the house, a deadly cracking sound came from above us. I glanced up and, just before the board above us came crashing down, threw Emily out of the way and jumped back. I opened my tear stained eyes and could hear Emily weakly calling out for me. I could see her through a crack in the burning wood. "Emily! Go! Get out of here before it comes down!" I shouted at her. "But what about you? How will you get out?" Emily cried to me. I reached out and took her hand through the crack. "I always find a way. You really think this could bring me down?" I told her with the same smirk on my face that I wore when I stood up to the bullies. She nodded and, just before she left, said "Here, take this. It will keep you safe." as she handed me a silver locket necklace. I took it and smiled at her. Once she left, I went to look for another way out, but there was none. I sat down in the middle of the flaming house. I looked up. There in a small area where the roof had burned away, was a glimpse of the moon shining down on me. I closed my eyes, and clutching the locket, never opened them back up.

Sniffle, sniffle. That was sad. Why does all the bad thing happen to good people? Oh, well. Now don't freak out! The story doesn't end! It just gets better! So read on! Sorry for the horrible sappiness...