Chapter 1
Jess woke up to the annoying noise of the stupid alarm clock. Why did Luke set that stupid thing? It's Saturday, doesn't that man ever sleep. Jess just wanted to fall back to sleep. Today was going to be like all the others. Except he hated this particular day, for today was his 18th birthday.
Reluctantly, he got out of bed rubbing his eyes as he stepped into the living room. Jess could barely see in front of his two feet, as his vision was still blurry. When his vision fully returned to him, he saw Luke standing in front of the phone looking down at the ground as if he was trying to see past it.
"Hey Luke, something wrong?" he asked cautiously. Luke looked up at the sound of Jess' voice.
"I just got a call from your mom."
Jess started to worry, the last thing he wanted was to go back to New York. At least here he
was happy and had a place he could finally call home.
"What did she say?" Jess asked a little shaky
Luke could hear the shakiness of his voice. He wondered why he was so worried. But first he wanted to calm the fear in Jess' voice.
"It's nothing bad," Luke reassured Jess
After hearing that Jess let out a breath he hadn't noticed he'd been holding.
"Then what did she want?" Jess asked, trying to act as if everything was fine.
"She called to wish you a Happy Birthday" as Luke said this he saw a flash of fear and sadness in Jess' eyes. But as soon as he saw it, it was blocked again by the defense walls Jess had put up.
"Why didn't you tell me it was your birthday?"
Oh Great, she forgets everything else why couldn't she forget my birthday. Why'd she have to call and wish him a Happy Birthday anyway, it's not like she cares.
Jess didn't want anyone to know when his birthday was. He just wanted to forget the harsh memories that were flooding back to him.
"It's not important," Jess says, he didn't want Luke to think otherwise
However, Luke wasn't convinced at all. He knew something was up, but he decided not to push it.
"What are talking about, your turning 18, of course it's important," Luke said trying to convince him of the importance of the day he was born.
"What's so important, I feel the same as I did yesterday. Maybe a little taller"
Luke heard the bit of sarcasm Jess threw in his sentence. Luke knew something had happened on past birthdays, he could feel it through the way Jess was talking about his birthday.
So Luke decided to change the subject, "Do you want anything for your birthday."
"NO" Jess' answer came out a bit harsher then he had intended it to be.
Now Luke knew for sure something was wrong. He wished he could just figure out what had happened in the past. Luke just wanted to help, but he didn't know how or where to start. Jess was very complicated to figure out. But he knew someone who Jess actually opened up to. Maybe she would be able to help him.
"Not even cash?" Luke asked, hopeful for some kind of answer.
"I said no" Jess sighed before saying, "I gonna go get dressed"
Jess didn't want presents, they just reminded him even more.
"Alright... Happy Birthday" Luke said before Jess had left.
Jess hated those words, loathe them even. He didn't want any reminders of Birthdays or anything like that. Who cares when I was born anyway, it didn't make a difference of the date. Either way, no body wanted me in the world anyway.
After Jess was out of sight Luke picked up the phone to call the only person he knew Jess would open up to, Rory.
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Jess woke up to the annoying noise of the stupid alarm clock. Why did Luke set that stupid thing? It's Saturday, doesn't that man ever sleep. Jess just wanted to fall back to sleep. Today was going to be like all the others. Except he hated this particular day, for today was his 18th birthday.
Reluctantly, he got out of bed rubbing his eyes as he stepped into the living room. Jess could barely see in front of his two feet, as his vision was still blurry. When his vision fully returned to him, he saw Luke standing in front of the phone looking down at the ground as if he was trying to see past it.
"Hey Luke, something wrong?" he asked cautiously. Luke looked up at the sound of Jess' voice.
"I just got a call from your mom."
Jess started to worry, the last thing he wanted was to go back to New York. At least here he
was happy and had a place he could finally call home.
"What did she say?" Jess asked a little shaky
Luke could hear the shakiness of his voice. He wondered why he was so worried. But first he wanted to calm the fear in Jess' voice.
"It's nothing bad," Luke reassured Jess
After hearing that Jess let out a breath he hadn't noticed he'd been holding.
"Then what did she want?" Jess asked, trying to act as if everything was fine.
"She called to wish you a Happy Birthday" as Luke said this he saw a flash of fear and sadness in Jess' eyes. But as soon as he saw it, it was blocked again by the defense walls Jess had put up.
"Why didn't you tell me it was your birthday?"
Oh Great, she forgets everything else why couldn't she forget my birthday. Why'd she have to call and wish him a Happy Birthday anyway, it's not like she cares.
Jess didn't want anyone to know when his birthday was. He just wanted to forget the harsh memories that were flooding back to him.
"It's not important," Jess says, he didn't want Luke to think otherwise
However, Luke wasn't convinced at all. He knew something was up, but he decided not to push it.
"What are talking about, your turning 18, of course it's important," Luke said trying to convince him of the importance of the day he was born.
"What's so important, I feel the same as I did yesterday. Maybe a little taller"
Luke heard the bit of sarcasm Jess threw in his sentence. Luke knew something had happened on past birthdays, he could feel it through the way Jess was talking about his birthday.
So Luke decided to change the subject, "Do you want anything for your birthday."
"NO" Jess' answer came out a bit harsher then he had intended it to be.
Now Luke knew for sure something was wrong. He wished he could just figure out what had happened in the past. Luke just wanted to help, but he didn't know how or where to start. Jess was very complicated to figure out. But he knew someone who Jess actually opened up to. Maybe she would be able to help him.
"Not even cash?" Luke asked, hopeful for some kind of answer.
"I said no" Jess sighed before saying, "I gonna go get dressed"
Jess didn't want presents, they just reminded him even more.
"Alright... Happy Birthday" Luke said before Jess had left.
Jess hated those words, loathe them even. He didn't want any reminders of Birthdays or anything like that. Who cares when I was born anyway, it didn't make a difference of the date. Either way, no body wanted me in the world anyway.
After Jess was out of sight Luke picked up the phone to call the only person he knew Jess would open up to, Rory.
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