Sorry for the long wait. Hope you enjoy!
Amy47101 does not own pokémon or the plot to The Summoning, which belongs respectively to Kelley Armstrong.
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Chapter Nine
Jade's Birthday
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"Do you think she'd like this?" Marina asked, holding up a white T-shirt with a black swirling design going up the side. "She seems pretty simplistic, so..."
"I dunno." I sighed out. "It's not like I've known Jade for that long."
"It's not like she can see the damn design." Ursula sighed out, boredom written on her face. "She's blind. Just get her something so we can have some time to ourselves, for Arceus' sake."
"Oh, but Ursula, you seem to forget her blindness every day." I said sweetly over my shoulder. Marina stifled a laugh behind her hand, and continued rummaging through T-shirts for Jade. Her birthday was only two days from now, and Mrs. Talbot insisted that she took us gift shopping for her. I, of course, jumped at the chance to get out of the group home, with Marina and Jimmy. Ursula kinda was dragged along, but told that she should 'spend time with myself and Marina' so that 'we get more accustomed to each other.
Onyx was given the job of staying at the home keeping Jade distracted, which wasn't much of a challenge since all he had to do was get her in the music room and sthye both poured their hearts and souls into music. Besides, it wasn't much of a problem for Onyx, who claimed to have 'the best damn gift the girl will ever get. Paul stayed behind, wether his choice of the nurses, I had no idea. I still knew next to nothing on Paul's or Jimmy's 'conditions'. Again, didn't seem like much of a problem for him, since he went back to his room to, I don't know, sulk or whatever big scary guys who are incapable of smiling do.
"You know," I said, digging through the clothes some more. "I can't find anything that would suite her. She's not exactly open about her life, and the only thing that I only know that she likes the eevee evolution line and music, and I had to practically go undercover to figure that out."
"Oh, she's not so bad." Marina said. Ursula snorted in disagreement.
"Yeah, but you already got her a gift." I said, nodding towards the toy bad around her wrist. Marina smiled, opening it up and, once again, showing me the Sylveon plush that Jade still has yet to get. "She's going to love that."
"I know." Marina giggled.
"Hey Marina, Dawn!" Jimmy jogged up to them.
"So what'd you get for Iceberg?" Ursula asked. Jimmy glanced at her.
"At least I got her something." he said. "I don't see you carrying anything."
"I'm not wasting my money on some girl who won't be able to even appreciate the sight of the gift." I scowled and Jimmy let out a low sigh of irritation. Marina rolled her eyes, and turned to Jimmy.
"What'd you get her?" she asked, looking at the bag in his hand. Jimmy grinned and pulled out his gift. It was a box, and it looked like a bunch of different colored triangles to me, but then I slowly realized that they were guitar picks. There were nine of them, all different colors, and upon closer inspection, I noticed the faces of pokémon engrained in them.
"They're Eevee and it's evolutions." Jimmy said as I studied the small faces of the pokémon.
"Somehow, Jimmy, you found something incorporated her two favorite things." Marina said. "Guitars and Eevee."
"What'd you guys get her?" Jimmy asked. Marina held up the plush.
"Nearly had to tackle a grandma to get it, but I managed to snag the last one." Marina sighed.
"You tackled a grandma?" Jimmy asked skeptically.
"Nearly," Marina said. "I nearly tackled a grandma."
"Ugh!" I sighed, throwing my arms in the air. "I've got nothing for her!"
"I'm telling you, choose at random. She can't see it, so, again, why does it matter?" Ursula decided to pipe up. I shot a glare at her, and dove back determinedly into the racks upon racks of T-shirts.
"She's been going at this since we got here." Marina informed Jimmy. "I dunno if we're gonna find anything..."
"Don't," I popped my head up and glanced at her. "Say that the great Dawn isn't going to find something as simple as a T-shirt for this girl. Just watch, I'm going to find her a T-shirt and when I do it's gonna be the best dam T-shirt that this girl has ever seen!"
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I was jogging through the crowd as I managed to get to the doors in the nick of time, sure that Mrs. Talbot was going to come hunt me down if I was any later. I skidded to a stop, grinning from ear to ear as I looked up at Marina and Jimmy, sporting a shopping bag in my hand.
"Hey." Jimmy said. "What'd you get her?"
"It's a secret." I said with a grin. I saw Marina make a move for the bag, and I snatched it away. "No."
"C'mon, you know our gifts!" she whined.
"Exactly! Now I'm assured that we don't have the same gift!" I laughed as Mrs. Talbot began to lead us towards the van back to the group home.
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Two days flew by like crazy with the preparation of Jade's little birthday party. Jade ignored me. All day.
I was practically tearing my hair out in frustration. There was no winning with her! One day she's talking to me like she's known me forever, next she's completely ignoring me like the plague. I mean, it could be worse, I suppose. She could be doing the freaky stalking thing that Paul was always doing. I let out a sigh as I climbed up the stairs to get my carefully wrapped gift. The celebration was about to start.
After singing happy birthday-which the nurses insisted we sing along- and eating the sugar-free, frosting-free, taste-free carrot cake, we finally got to opening the gifts. Jade seemed happy with the plush doll and guitar picks from Marina and Jimmy respectively, while Ursula none to gentle tossed a pack of gum her way. Jade said nothing, though I found the gift to be completely disapointing. I was surprised that Paul got her a card for I didn't even expect him to come down for cake. I passed her my gift, and smiled when she began to neatly peal off and fold the wrapping paper to the side like she had with all her other gifts. She pulled out the gift, and held it up, waiting for Esmeralda to transfer the image to her mind via telepathy.
It was a purple T-shirt, with the cutest picture on the front. A shiny Eevee, silver fur instead of brown, curled up cutely with its ears folded back. Over top its ears was a pair of black, over the head earphones. Around the headphones were a bunch of little music notes. The Eevee's eyes were closed, as if it was listening to the music and jamming out like it was no one business. She smiled as Esmeralda finally finished sending the image. I practically beamed, seeing that she was happy with the shirt. Gathering her gifts she nodded.
"Thank you." she said, nodding to all of us and turning away.
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The nurses gave us the rest of the day off, and after loitering around my room fiddling with my iPod, I moved to head downstairs. About halfway down the stairs, I stopped, suddenly hearing a piano. Of course, I knew it was Jade, but the last time she played music and sang, it revealed a huge part of her. The vulnerable part. I needed to know what she was hiding from us this time. Why she was so silent on her sixteenth birthday.
I eased my way down the hall, careful to be quiet, for despite the music, I could swear Miss Van Turd would hear me and ask me why I was 'holing myself up' then interrupt Jade, making this whole thing pointless. I went to find the door closed, slightly muffling the music, though it still rang true through the door, and Onyx, leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets, staring at the ceiling.
Hey there now
Where'd you go?
You left me here
So unexpected.
You changed my life,
I hope you know
'Cause now I'm lost
So unprotected.
In a blink of an eye.
I never got to say goodbye.
"Hey." I said, coming up next to him. He glanced at me momentarily, then his black eyes drifted back to the ceiling.
"Hey." he responded. The music continued.
Like a shooting star
Flyin' across the room
So fast so far
You were gone too soon.
You're part of me
And I'll never be
The same here without you
You were gone too soon.
"It's about her parents. A tribute, she said." Onyx continued.
"Oh?"
"They died in a freak car accident." he said. "Dad got flung out the front windshield, Mom died of internal bleeding. On her birthday, no less."
You were always there,
And like shining light,
On my darkest days,
You were there to guide me.
Oh, I miss you now.
I wish you could see,
Just how much your memory,
Will always mean to me.
In a blink of an eye,
I never got to say goodbye.
"Huh." I responded, leaning against the wall next to him.
"Same accident sent her into a coma, doctors thought she'd never wake up." he continued. "But she did. Only, she couldn't see."
"It blinded her." I confirmed.
"Yup."
Like a shooting star,
Flyin' across the room
So fast so far,
You were gone too soon.
You're part of me,
And I'll never be,
The same here without you.
You were gone too soon.
"She hates her birthday now. 'Cause every single year it's just another reminder of her parents death."
"She told you this?"
"We've been here longer than you think."
Shine on! Shine on!
To a better place.
Shine on! Shine on!
Will never be the same.
I listened as the music sped up, closing my eyes and tilting my head back. I could feel tears coming on, for this was way to much like my Dad and his death. Strangely enough, this song reminds me of him.
"I have a sister, you know." I heard Onyx say. "But custody battles are a bitch. My Mom wanted nothing to do with me, while my Dad expected me to take care of his drunken ass. But he was unfit to raise me, so Mom had to take me."
"She took you because she had to by law, not because she wanted to as a mother."
"Yup. Then I got charged with arson, and got two years in juvenile detention. Minute they find out about my fascination with fire, and I got out, Mom plopped me here. Dropped me off and took off with my sister." he let out a low growl. "That arson charge was four damn years ago."
"You've been here since you were fifteen?" I asked, doing the math in my head.
"It's not like the fire thing is getting any better."
Like a shooting star,
Flyin' across the room.
So fast so far,
You were gone too soon.
You're part of me,
And I'll never be
The same here without you.
You were gone too soon.
"Four damn years... Two in a juvenile detention center, two in this place... and then I find out my Dad's gone and drank himself to death." he shook his head, eyes ablaze with fury, and strangely, I felt the air around us heat up. "And you know what? That sent this whole pyromania bullshit into a world of hurt. It got worse."
"Worse?" I repeated.
"I just... Every time I was around something, it lit on fire. I didn't do it, though. It just, you know, fwoosh, and then we had fire."
Like Zoey and the poltergeist. My mind immediately thought, then pushed it aside.
"It got bad. About a year back, they were going to ship me off like Barry and Zoey, and no matter how hard I tried, those fires kept popping up." he paused, and let out a sigh, then smiled softly. "Then Jade came. That girl," he nodded towards the door. "Is my saving grace, I tell you." I didn't say anything.
Shine on! Shine on!
You were gone too soon.
"It was weird. Like, the doctors forced her to sit with Ursula-Marina and Jimmy and Paul hadn't come yet- and she looked about ready to hang herself when, out of nowhere, Flash the Flareon went and popped out of her pokéball and bounded over to me like I was her Dad or something. I guess it was around then me and Jade began talking, and, well, I became her best friend."
"She doesn't really express that." I said. Onyx smiled, shaking his head.
"Jade has a weird way of showing her acceptance of friendship. With me, it was when she allowed me to do a duet with her. She still listens to that recording, you know. With Marina, it was when she finally accepted the offer to sit and watch her coordinating appeal, even though she couldn't see, and with Jimmy, it was when she accepted the battle challenge."
Shine on! Shine on!
You were gone too soon.
"She's been ignoring me all week." I said. Onyx shrugged.
"Trust me, Dawn, you'll know when she accepts your friendship, just trust me, okay?" I smiled and nodded as the song finished out.
Shine on! Shine on!
You were gone too soon...
The music faded out, and stopped as Jade finished the song. I let out a sigh, wiping away the tears that I hadn't known fell.
"It's beautiful." I muttered. Onyx nodded in response, and I suddenly heard a soft, muffled sob. I glanced over my shoulder at the door, and realized it was Jade. I saw Onyx pull something from his pocket, a crudely wrapped gift in the shape of a sphere. I looked at him, and he turned.
"Keep watch for me." he said, walking into the room, where I could hear Jade's crying more now.
Onyx didn't shut the door behind him, and I watched as he wrapped his arms around Jade. I honestly expected her to push him away like she always did, but instead she just seemed to crumble into him, an absolute emotional mess. Onyx leaned down close to her ear, whispering words of comfort. I was wondering wether or not to go in and try to comfort her to, but stopped when Onyx pulled back, and pushed his gift into her hands. She blinked, feeling the paper.
"I thought you forgot." she whispered out. Onyx's hand, in usual, fakey-dramatic Onyx style, flew to his heart, as if insulted.
"Me? Forget your birthday? How insulting, Jade!" Jade held back a laugh, and I watched as she pulled off the paper.
"Sorry 'bout the crappy wrapping." Onyx chuckled out, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. Jade glanced at him for a moment, a small smile on her face, and then continued to pull away the paper, revealing a pokéball. She said nothing, just pressing the button in the middle, the device popping open, white light flowing out.
"Syl? Sylveon?" I pushed my hands over my mouth to stifle a gasp as I recognized the pokémon that Jade longed for so badly. The fairy-type sat down next to the two trainers, and slowly, Jade lowered herself into a kneeling position, extending her arm towards the pokémon. Sylveon looked at her for a moment, then turned its head towards Onyx.
"Sylvia, this is your trainer now. Her name is Jade." Onyx said, kneeling next to Jade.
"Sylvia?" Jade asked, turning her head towards Onyx's voice.
"Uh, yeah." Onyx said. "It's the first name I thought up for her. I hope you don't mind." Jade shook her head with a smile.
"Nah, it's perfect." she said. Suddenly, Slyveon wrapped her ribbonlike feelers around Jade's wrist, then around Onyx's wrist. The pokémon brought their hands closer together, tying their wrists together. Jade moved her head towards this, then moved her other hand to pry them off, but Onyx stopped her by grabbing her hand.
"No, it means Sylvia likes you. Sylveon's tend to wrap their feelers around their beloved trainers, you see. Since she grabbed you first, I guess she accepts you." Onyx smiled.
"Guess she likes you too." Jade responded, tugging slightly at her wrist.
"Not as much as Flash, though!" Onyx joked.
"I have no idea how you managed to do this." Jade said. "It's amazing. Thank you." Onyx leaned down, whispering something that I couldn't hear. Jade tilted her head back and laughed. My jaw nearly hit the floor at this. He made her laugh! "That's true Onyx, very true."
"The nurses are going to kill us if they find out." Onyx said, suddenly serious. Jade shook her head.
"No one can keep a secret better than me Onyx, you know that. Sylvia is our secret." Onyx smiled, intertwining his fingers with hers.
"Our secret."
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The next day, I kept on replaying the scene between Jade and Onyx over and over again, trying to keep back the girly squeal all through breakfast. I swear, if they don't start dating soon, I'm going to use Mamoswine to knock some sense into them.
Dressed and ready for the day, I sat on my bed waiting for Mrs. Talbot to call us down to class. I fiddled around on my iPod, realizing how quiet it truly was without Zoey.
"Hey." I looked up and saw Jade sporting a new outfit. Dark washed jeans, black, knee-high converses, and black gloves on her hands. Her pilots goggles sat true on her head, and almost immediately, I noticed the shirt that she was wearing was the very shirt I got her for her birthday. I grinned to myself, realizing that my theory was correct. Purple did bring out green eyes.
"Hey." I responded as Esmeralda came out from behind her and Hope barked out a response from her shoulder. "I like your outfit."
"Yeah." Jade responded. I sat their for a moment, trying to figure out how Onyx tapped into the Jade I saw yesterday, when she suddenly spoke up again. "I really like the shirt you got me. So thanks."
"Sure. Maybe next time we get a pass," I continued. "I'll take you out and we can piece together some more outfits." I swear for a moment, I caught Jade smile, but as quickly as it was there, it was gone. She nodded.
"Next time we get a pass," she smirked, though I knew she was agreeing. "For sure."
"Jade has a weird way showing her acceptence friendship. Trust me, Dawn, you'll know when she accepts your friendship, just trust me, okay?" Onyx's words echoed in my mind, and I smiled. Wearing that silly T-shirt I got her wasn't just a sign to show she likes it. And accepting my shopping offer wasn't just an acceptance of hanging out with me. It was more than that.
Jade finally accepted my friendship.
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Wow, this was longer than I expected. XD Hope you enjoy.
Amy47101 signing off! ^.^
