T R A P P E D

By The Genocidal Hatter

Disclaimer: Sadly enough, I am not Meg Cabot.

A/N: Twilight never happened.

Chapter: Prolougue-When Even The Sky Weeps

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I sat at my window seat, absently fingering the soft filmy pink fabric of my curtains as I stared out. My eyes raped the scenery, taking in the ocean that was such a deep blue it seemed black. It crashed recklessly against the beach as though in blind rage. The town of Carmel was drenched, dark gray clouds hovered over it threateningly. It was one of the few times I had ever seen this place in such bad weather. Normally it was in a stasis of a pleasant 70 degrees. A small smile played on my lips as it occurred to me.

The sky is crying for me…

"Yes Mr. De Silva, this will be your room." I heard my mother say just outside the door of my room.

De Silva…? My mouth went completely dry.

The door knob started to turn.

"I'm afraid it's not prepared for you yet. This was my daughter's room," my mother let out a small apologetic laugh. It was weak. Fake. "We haven't had the heart to clear it out yet."

I hated it when my mom pretended to be cheerful, it was worse than when she cried, even. And the sound of that laugh grated against my ears like nails on chalkboard.

It was true, my room was untouched. Maybe it was meant to be a tribute to me. Maybe they thought of it as a portal in time, taking them back to when things were more pleasant. Maybe it was just something that they just didn't want to deal with.

"Would you like to take a look inside?" My mother asked. Me must have nodded or given some indication to the affirmative because the next thing I know the door opens and there he is.

I'm entrance by his beauty. Smooth flawless brown skin, a strong muscular build, dark silky hair wisps of it falling into those deep penetrating inky black eyes.

Jesse.

I wanted to run into his arms and be comforted by his strength and blanketed by his kindness as always. I wanted to kiss every inch of him and scream I love at him until my throat was hoarse and I had blown his eardrums out.

But I couldn't…

He was untouchable. A boundary had formed between us that may never be breached.

My mom shivered and then smiled apologetically at him, "Sorry, it's always a bit drafty in here, even when the windows are closed."

"Maybe it's ghosts." Jesse suggested with a grin.

Ha ha, Jesse, I thought with a mix of irritation and amusement. It's pathetic that I'm the only one who really gets the irony of that joke.

"That sounds like something David would say," My mom said with a laugh. A real one this time. "He's very smart and he's quite interested in the paranormal. He's my youngest son."

Stepson, I corrected her instantly with a pang of jealousy.

Jesse's eyes scanned the room, for a moment he looked straight at me. Suddenly a painful lump in my throat formed. I couldn't stop my hopes from rising.

They were immediately dashed when he continued to look right past me.

An image of a man reaching into my chest, pulling out my already rather shriveled heart throwing it onto the ground and then stomping on it a few times and then turning around and leaving me to rot as I died all alone came to mind.

…God, I've turned morbid.

Back to my once beloved. He walked around my room as if he hadn't seen it a thousand times before. Stopping at my dresser he picked up a picture. It was totally embarrassing one of me and Gina when we were twelve in New York. We both had frizzy hair and were making faces at the camera while licking the ice-cream that was rapidly melting and dripping onto our hands. I always used to hide that picture so no one could see it. I was completely mortified.

"So this is your daughter, Mrs. Si…I mean, Ackerman?" He asked lightly.

…was he about to say Simon?

My mother didn't seem to notice the slip up and instead took the picture from Jesse and smiled sadly down at it.

"The brunette is," She explained. "The redhead was her best friend from New York. They were very close."

God, Mom, tell total strangers my life story why don't you? Not that Jesse's a stranger but Mom doesn't know that.

Jesse looked at her solemnly and asked, "Mrs. Ackerman, may I ask why you're renting this room out?"

Good question, Jesse. Mom…?

She hesitated a moment before she answered in her News Anchor voice. The one that as emotionless as it was confident. "My daughter died a few weeks ago. She was 17. Since then I've lost my job and we are need of an alternative income."

Oh yeah, figures…Mom's been a total wreck. It's been really hard on her.

"I see," Jesse commented his voice and face blank. "How did she die?" He pressed.

God, Jesse! I wanted to scream at him. Stop it! You already know, don't you? Can't you see your about to make her CRY!

"The police said it was suicide. She was found in this very room with both of her wrists slit." My mom told him in the same fake voice. "I can't imagine that she'd have gone to the extreme of killing herself…I mean, Suze had her problems. She was always getting taken home by the police and skipping school…but…I thought she'd been doing better here…"

And there were the over bright eyes and the shaky voice. GOOD JOB, JESSE. You've gone and made my mom cry! Really, you should get a medal.

Jesse, obviously startled, awkwardly patted her on the shoulder in an attempt to comfort her.

Jesse could be such a stupid prick sometimes, you know?

Wish that could've kept me from falling in love with him.

Anyway, Mom was right in a way. I'm not so stupid as to kill myself.

I am, however, stupid enough to get myself killed.

….

God I hate Paul.

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A/N: MUAHAHAHA! Yes, I know, so many questions so very few answers! Don't worry they shall come in time! Now pretty please look to your left and see the pretty purple square that says "Go"? Click on it! C'mon, you know you wanna!