This chapter is an introduction to the life of Jim and a young girl he meet s while walking through the park. This intro may sound dull but the story is full of excitement, suspense, and maybe even a little suspense all reviews are welcome! And I would also like to make note that none of the characters belong to me
the eleven-year-old Jim Hawking awoke from a short sleep. It was now seven A.M and Jim had been up till four the previous night working on the inventory of the outlaw star and planning on what the crew's next mission or job might be. Even though Jim was only eleven years old he seemed to be the smartest most dependable of the crew. This tiresome crew consisted of a lazy Gean Starwind, a playful yet sometimes annoying catarol catarol named Aisha Clan Clan, a kind android named Melfina, and a mysterious assassin named Suzuka.
Jim rolled out of bed and brushed his sandy colored hair. Then he walked down stairs to make his own breakfast. Jim usually would make breakfast for the others but today he decided against it. He was getting sick of always doing everything for everyone else and nothing for himself. If the crew would have at least thanked him or acted like they appreciated at least half of what Jim did then maybe he wouldn't have minded so much.
"I think I will make today a day just for me," Jim said while munching on a piece of half burnt toast with strawberry jelly.
Jim went outside and started to plan his day. He decided his first stop would be the City Park. After the short walk to the park Jim just stood in the grass taking in the morning air and listening to the singing blue birds in a nearby oak tree. He stood there for the longest time just enjoying those kinds of luxuries before. Then he decided to go for a walk. Since it was so early in the morning there weren't very many people in the park Jim was free to enjoy the silence.
As he was walking down the cement path he saw a girl who was around his age. She was sitting on the wall next to the flower garden drawing a picture. Jim just stood there for awhile and watched her with some interest. It wasn't every day that Jim could find such an intriguing and apparently talented girl of his age. The girl pushed back her long strait hair and looked at Jim with her crystal blue eyes. Jim noticed the girl, while she was very beautiful hade skin that was almost as white as the paper she was drawing on. The girl was wearing a long red dress with short sleeves and little black dress shoes. After staring at the girl for another three minutes he decided to go over and talk to her.
"Hi" Jim said shakily.
"Hi what's your name?" The girl asked with a smile.
"Jim, what's yours?" He asked still in the same shaky way.
"My names Maya, nice to meet you Jim," Maya said without any hesitation.
"So you like to draw then Miss. Maya?" Jim asked curiously.
" Ya sort of when I have nothing else to do," Maya said staring at Jim with her crystal blue eyes.
"Say would you want to go do something today Maya?" Jim asked hopefully.
"Sure Jim I am done drawing but what would you like to do?" Maya asked happy to be saved from boredom.
"I know I have a couple dollars would you want to go to the video arcade down the street?" Jim asked excited that he came up with such a clever idea.
"Ok sure that would be great!" Maya said excitedly.
So with that the two were of to the video arcade. Meanwhile everyone at Starwind and Hawking was just waking up. Suzuka and Melfina were the first ones up.
"Hey, where is Jim?" Asked a concerned Melfina.
"I am not sure Melfina, Oh wait here is a note,' Suzuka said half surprised.
"Oh, where is he?"Melfina asked also surprised.
The note says he went to the park for a walk," Suzuka said.
"Hmm well its good Jim went to spend time with himself, he needs a break," Melfina said kindly.
"Yes I agree, well today I am going some were and won't be back till after twilight ok Mel? Said Suzuka.
"All right I will tell the others when they get up," Said Melfina.
Back at the arcade Maya and Jim were having the time of their life. They played three games of ski ball and five games of whack a mole. Now they were headed towards the claw game. Jim stuck the quarter in the slot and pressed the start button. Then, he proceeded to move the silver metal claw towards a light pink teddy bear with purple eyes. He wanted to win this for Maya because it was the same bear she had on her light green backpack and her favorite little pink book with the silver lock. The claw dropped and slowly picked up the bear by its head. Maya and Jim watched as the bear rose and dropped into the slot. Jim picked up the bear and handed it to Maya.
"Is this for me?" Maya asked smiling.
"Yep sure is!" Jim said blushing.
Maya smiled and hugged Jim. They stood there smiling at each other for a brief moment when Jim suggested they go play another game. They stayed there for the rest of the day laughing and playing games. It was seven o'clock and almost twilight when Jim came up with an Idea.
"Hey Maya come with me back to the park, I have to show you some thing!" Jim said excitedly.
"Ok Jim but I can only stay with you for a little while longer or my brother will start to worry," Maya said in a disappointed voice.
Maya and Jim ran to the park talking and laughing all the way there. When they arrived Jim told Maya to close her eyes and he gently led her to his favorite part of the park. When she opened her eyes she was astonished at what she saw. It was a balcony over the lake surrounded with blooming cherry blossom trees. The sun was now setting and caused the sky to turn a dull pink. Maya and Jim smiled at each other and sat down on a bench to hold hands. Maya wished she could have stayed longer but she knew that if she would stay to late her brother would come looking for her.
"Sorry to end this day now Jim, I had such a wonderful time but now I must go," She said sadly.
"All right Miss. Maya but may I see you again tomorrow?" Jim asked hopefully.
"Sure Jim tell me were you live and I will come get you in the morning," Maya said happy to have met a new friend.
"All right do you know where Starwind and Hawking Enterprises is?" Jim asked.
"Yep I think so; well I promise I will come tomorrow but bye for now," Maya said in that nice happy voice in which she always does.
"Ya um ok it was nice meeting you," Jim said in a daze.
With that said Jim started the long walk home. He thought about how much fun he had with Maya and how much he was looking forward to seeing her again. Then reality hit him. He remembered how much the outlaw crew needed him and what would happen to them if he didn't do the inventory or any thing else. He wondered if it was really wrong to have fun, after all he was only an eleven year old boy. He opened the door to the Starwind and Hawking Enterprises and went into the so-called living room.
"Hi Jim were have you been?" Melfina asked Jim in a concerned voice.
"Ya Jimmy we needed ya." Aisha chimed in.
Ya Jim come on out with it we all know you weren't at the park all that time bye your self now were you?" Gean asked in that annoying voice of his.
"Like it's any of your business!" Jim said in an annoyed voice.
"Fine Jimmy be like that," Gean said sarcastically.
"Shut up Gean!" Jim said getting angry.
Just then Suzuka came in the door looking quite tiered. She only had a few seconds to say hello to every one before they all started asking were she had been for so long. She explained to them that she went to see a guy who had a job for her on a person who was worth a good sum of money. Then Aisha being the nosey person she was asked Suzuka more. Even though Suzuka was getting annoyed she told them that the guy she was after was a supposedly dangerous Eric and that was all they needed to know.The group stayed downstairs and talked awhile but then Jim got bored and decided to go up stairs. After all tomorrow would be another fun filled day for him.
The next morning Jim slept in till nine AM. He repeated the same procedure as he did the morning before making sure to put a little extra energy in it for Maya. He then went downstairs to look out the window for Maya. It was now ten o'clock and the sky began to fog up with thick gray clouds. Slowly it began to pour down rain and Jim began to loose hope.
"Jim you have been staring out that window for an hour now, don't you have any thing more constructive to do with your time?" Suzuka asked.
"Ya Suzuka I do but I am waiting for a friend, However I don't think she is coming," Jim said sadly.
"Hmm Well it's quite early Jim not many people get up unless they have to," Suzuka said trying to be helpful.
"Maybe you right," Jim said still doubtful.
"Well can I ask you something Jim why in the world would you ask the girl to come here, I mean her parents probably wouldn't let her," Suzuka said.
"Hmm I guess maybe your right Suzuka but now what am I going to do?" Jim asked feeling stupid.
I am not sure Jim but it's time for me to go fulfill that job now so will have to finish this discussion later" Suzuka said feeling a bit sorry she couldn't help.
It was soon eleven o'clock and Jim was getting tiered of waiting. After another ten minutes he went upstairs to do some work on his computer. Gean soon woke up(which by the way is the earliest he has ever woken up in his whole life)hopping his breakfast had already been made. Gean discovered some cold pancakes left in the kitchen and decided to settle for that. He was soon sitting on the couch eating a cold pancake with a glass of orange juice when he heard a knock at the door. Gean jumped a little and then went to go see who it was. When Gean saw it was a soaking wet little girl with a teddy bear book bag his expression became a little confused.
"Umm can I help you little girl?" Gean asked in a puzzled voice.
"Yes I believe so, I am looking for a Jim Hawking," The girl said looking up at Gean.
Gean called Jim to the door. When Jim seen Maya at the door his eyes lit up and a big smile overcame his face. Gean just laughed a little and Maya just seemed happy she had found the right place.
"Maya I am so happy you came, I didn't think you would because of the rain," Jim said happily.
"I promised you Jim and I could never break a promise, especially to you," She said with a smile.
"She can stay for awhile-right Gean?" Jim asked hopefully.
"Ya sure I guess so," Gean said still dumbfounded.
So with that the two children went up to Jim's room to see what fun and interesting things they could plan for the day. Maya brought her blue yoyo, two computer games, and a hand held pocket game. They entertained themselves with the computer games for awhile and then decided to talk. Melfina was helpful and brought them some lemonade while Gean still sat on the couch with that confused look on his face. Jim told Maya about some of the adventures with Gean and about some of the people who lived with him. Maya just sat there listening with interest not saying much about herself. The only thing she said was how much she favored her older brother. They talked until it was time for her to leave. Then they said good bye and agreed to meet again soon.
Jim went back upstairs to discover that Maya's pink book with the silver latch had fallen out of her book bag. He knew he shouldn't read it but the suspense was to much so he gently opened to one of the pink pages with a flower design. After reading the whole book a part of him regretted it. He had just read Maya's whole life story and it was like some thing that only happened in a person's worst nightmare.
Maya's life story told about how her parents were Pirates and she never knew. Her parents were the worst of the group but only committed acts of injustice during the night while Maya and her brother were asleep. During the day they acted like normal parents and that's what Maya knew them to be. However the worst was yet to come. When Maya was seven years old on Christmas Eve a bounty hunter broke into their house and killed both of their parents. So for poor Maya and her brother instead of waking up to presents on Christmas they woke up to a trashed house and both her parents dead bodies. Now Maya lives with her brother in a small cheap three-room apartment across town forcing them to take a bus to wherever they needed to be. Her brother worked down at the local bar as a bar tender and was always being pushed around since he was only fifteen. Not many places would hire a kid that young so he took the abuse and kept his job. So if all of that wasn't bad enough both her and her brother were wanted for a bounty just because they might posses a little pirate magic themselves.
Jim just dropped the book and sat at his computer desk trying to take all of that information in. He wondered how Maya could be such a nice person and act so happy after all that has happened to her. Yes it's true that Jim lost his parents to but not in the same tragic way in which Maya had lost hers. Then he thought about all the people him and Gean had went after and wondered if they had a tragic story to tell. Then it hit him Maya's brother's name was Eric possibly the same person Suzuka went after today! Jim's heart sank. He started to feel noshes as he tried to keep tears of sadness from rolling down his face. Jim had never felt this way about anyone in his life before and didn't want her to suffer. Then there was a knock at the door.
"Come in," Jim said trying to dry his tears.
"Hi Jim it's time to come and eat, I made you your favorite," Melfina said with a smile.
"Thank you Mel but I'm not hungry," Jim said trying to sound happy.
"All right if you're sure Jim but if you change your mind just let me know. Melfina said a bit concerned.
When Melfina left Jim just sat there paralyzed. He was still trying to sort out all of the information and trying to think of a solution. He didn't know if he could ever face Maya again even though she meant so much to him. Then there was another nock at the door. It was Suzuka, which was about the worst person to come to the door at that moment.
"What do you want?" Jim said in a loud voice.
"My you don't have to be so rude, I just wanted to bring you some food," Suzuka said surprised that Jim was in such a bad mood.
"I'm not hungry," Jim said in an even louder voice.
"Jim what's wrong, you never act like this, "Suzuka asked in concern.
"Well let me ask you this did you go and do that job today?" he asked.
"No Jim it was to rainy but what does that have to do with any thing?" Suzuka asked even more confused then ever.
"Really you didn't?" Jim asked a little bit happier.
"No I didn't but I still don't see what that has to do with any thing," Suzuka said getting even more impatient.
"You can't do that job Suzuka I am bagging you!" Jim Pleaded
"Well if you can't give me a reason why I shouldn't do the job then I see no reason why I shouldn't," Said Suzuka trying to be patient.
So Jim told Suzuka the whole story about Maya. Suzuka listened patiently and nodded her head with a look of sympathy in her eyes. Then Suzuka's eyes turned back to that same icy color and then she said she refused to let emotions get in her way of her job. Then she said that Jim should learn this while he is still young if he wanted to be like Gean. Jim tried hard from letting his eyes fill with tears.
"Suzuka please you can't she is my best friend," Jim said trying to reason with her for the last time.
"I am sorry Jim but a job is a job and once I sign a contract I must carry out with my mission," She said in a stern voice.
Jim could no longer hold back the tears. His eyes became a hazy fog with watery tears streaming down his cheek similar to the light blue raindrops falling from the sky that very moment. With that Suzuka got up from the bed , walked down to her room, and slammed the door shut. Jim couldn't imagine how Suzuka could be so cold hearted. Then Jim laid his head on the computer desk and cried until he fell asleep.
The next morning Jim got up at six A.M. to see if he could try and stop Suzuka. He looked out the window and saw the rays of sunshine warming the earth as blue birds flew into a tree near bye just as they had done the day him and May first met. Jim ran down to Suzuka's room and opened the door. But it was too late Suzuka had already left. Now Jim felt hopeless. There was nothing he could do to stop her now. Then he remembered Suzuka only kills at twilight so that meant he had over a half of a day left to worn Maya. Now he had to think about how he could warn her since he had no clue where she lived and he wasn't sure if she was coming over today or not.
Meanwhile Suzuka was on the bus to the street where Maya and Eric lived. She was wearing a short green dress with flowers on it and a pair of high heeled shoes. She also wore very little makeup and she wore her hair down so that people wouldn't recognize her. She had a half of a day to waste since she could only kill at twilight. As she was riding on the bus she thought about what Jim said and how sad he felt. She was having second thoughts about fulfilling her contract but quickly told her self that she couldn't let her feelings get in the way or it would ruin her for life. Suzuka still wasn't sure though about how she would confront Jim or about how she could go back to the Hawking and Starwind Enterprises.
Suzuka stayed at a hotel and rested a while and when she woke up it was a half an hour till twilight. Jim was still back at the house trying to figure out a way to save Maya and Eric. Just when he was about to give up he came up with a plan. He ran up to Suzuka's room and looked through all the papers on her bed. Then he found a map with a x were Maya lived. Jim felt a little better but time was running out so he ran to the nearest bus station and caught a bus to Maya's house.
Now Suzuka was ready to fulfill her contract. She went to their house and broke down the door. Maya and Eric were sitting on the living room floor. When she broke in Eric new exactly who she was and he turned a pale milky white color. Then Suzuka gave her speech and told Eric he only had three minutes to live. Eric just sat there shaking and staring at the blade of Suzuka's wooden sword. Maya who was sitting right next to him sat closer and hugged him tight. Suzuka's timer went off and she held up her sword ready to strike. Eric let go of Maya and sat there helplessly for he knew know one had ever survived Suzuka. Maya ran into the corner and grabbed the teddy bear that Jim had given to her. Then she curled up on the floor and held the teddy bear as tight as she could, wondering how she could ever live without Eric. Then the sky got dark and it began to pour down rain just like it did the day before.
Suzuka knew she had to do this job but she couldn't stop thinking about what Jim had said. Then she had her own flash back about when she was a child and how her parents were killed in a similar way. Suzuka then noticed a painting that hung on the wall near Maya. It was of Cherry blossom trees in the twilight. Suzuka turned to look at Maya's scared face and shaking body. Suzuka had to do some thing quick but what? Should she kill Maya to or just her brother? Letting them both go was not an option for Suzuka.
Then Jim came running through the door happy to see he wasn't to late. Suzuka gave Jim a cold stare. Maya ran from the corner to Jim and then Jim ran to Eric whose skin was as white as the hair on his head.
"Suzuka if you are going to kill Eric you have to kill me first," Jim said fiercely.
"Don't be stupid!" Said Suzuka in an angry voice.
"I am not stupid I just have a heart is all!" Said Jim.
"Suzuka not being able to take anymore of this said" Eric you are lucky Jim has come because now I am forced to spare your life but next time you might not be so lucky!"
With that Suzuka left feeling like a failure but in the back of her mind she knew she did the right thing. Jim stood there hugging Maya and Eric's color slowly started to come back. They both thanked him for saving their life and offered to do any thing for Jim. Jim was just happy Maya was safe. Jim knew that Maya wouldn't be aloud to come over for fear of Suzuka but there was always the park. Any way none of that mattered now as long as he could see her smiling again. Jim knew he could never replace the damage that was done in the past but he could always help make her future better!
Well I hope you liked the first chapter:) I would really appreciate any feed back or constructive criticism! Well thanks to any one who took the time to read my first fanfiction