Chapter Fifteen

NOTES: Before I go on, allow me to explain my very long absence. I was very ill. I'm starting to feel a bit better, but I cough a lot, my nose runs constantly so I'm always running for tissues, and I'm getting bad migraines. It makes it very hard to write. I'm doing my best and this chapter has been in the works forever. I have a very weak immune system so if I ever disappear like this again, it's because I'm sick. Thank you to those sending me private messages and asking if I was a okay, I appreciate your care and concerns. I promise I'm not dying or anything. If you ever need to ask me a question, shoot me a message or you can come to my twitter ( ExieKun), tumblr (exie-kunnnn), instagram (exiekunnn), or deviantART (Exie-Kun) and I will answer as soon as I can! Thank you for your patience c: (Also, thank you to those who felt the need to send me happy birthday messages on Monday c: You're all so nice! I'm 18 now by the way)

The thoughts of being a potential Guardian was in Jamie's head all day. He figured that being a Guardian would be a huge responsibility. He didn't know how they did it all. Jamie didn't even think that they got days off. Jack did give him that pep talk but he wasn't for sure what he was suppose to do.

Jack had said to not let them decide for you and it was his own decision. Yet, Jamie didn't even know what his own decision was. The thoughts were scrambled up in his head and he was terrified. Jamie had taken a nap after his and Jack's little talk and it didn't make him feel any better. Jamie sighed as he sat up in the bed, seeing that Jack wasn't there.

Jamie didn't think anything of it, figuring Jack went off to go do something. They all couldn't just sleep all day. They had things to figure out and try to accomplish. They probably didn't even need Jamie.

"They don't need me..." he whispered, thinking that he had come to a big realization. "So I can go home...back to my regular life..."

Jamie's eyes got bigger and he could feel tears forming in the corners of his eyes. Jamie stood slowly and quickly wiped his eyes. If he wanted to go home, all he'd have to do was ask the yetis. One of them would at least let him go back.

Jamie found his shoes and slipped them on. He grabbed his scarf from the bed side table and wrapped it around himself. He had lost his jacket at Pitch's hideout but he'd deal with it. If Jack wanted to see him, he could always just visit him.

Jamie sniffled and found a little pad of paper and a pencil in the drawer of the table. He pulled it out and began writing.

Dear Jack,

I'm sorry but I realized that you guys don't need me. I'm just in the way. I think me being a Guardian is just a fluke. I'm sorry. You and the others can always visit me though. Good luck and stay safe. I believe in you.

Love,

Jamie Bennett

Jamie choked back the tears he could feel coming. Everything was starting to hurt him so much. He put the pencil away and set the paper on the bed. He left the room, making sure nobody was around, and stealthily snuck out to the workshop. It was hard trying to make sure no Guardians caught him leaving, especially Jack.

Jamie noticed it was nighttime and that was when Jack showed all of his feelings. He didn't want to upset him more than he was already going too. He found the large workshop and noticed that the snow globe was sitting on the table next to a sleeping Baby Tooth.

Jamie gulped and walked as quietly as possible, dodging the annoying elves and hiding from the yetis. His hands grasped onto the globe, feeling the cold glass touching his skin.

Yet as soon as he had the snow globe in his hands, he wasn't for sure what he was suppose to do. He only ever saw the yetis throw it.

Maybe the globe already knows, he thought to himself.

He walked away, finding a quiet, deserted spot of the workshop to leave at. Jamie closed his eyes and took a deep breath before throwing the globe in the air. The globe formed a portal and Jamie knew this was his chance to leave.

Jamie stepped through, feeling like his body was stretching out in every direction. He bit his lip, trying to hide any weird feelings he was having. Once the insides of the portal were gone, Jamie saw that he had stepped into the grounds of his college.

He originally had wanted to just go home, but this would do. His car and belongings were here anyways. Jamie wasn't for sure where the snow globe went, probably laying on the workshop floor, but he didn't care.

Jamie walked along the empty streets until he was in a busy clearing full of students chatting. They were all holding signs with the word "Missing" on the top. Jamie raised a brow and walked closer, seeing his smiling, happy face plastered onto the paper with his name and smaller words he couldn't read from where he was standing at the bottom.

The boy in the picture looked nothing like him now. Jamie was clearly upset and it showed on his face. Yet, one of the girls holding the paper looked over and when she did, she gasped loudly.

"That's him!" She screeched.

They soon all looked in the direction she was pointing and their faces became expressions of shock.

"Jamie!" a familiar voice shouted. It was Chelsea.

She ran up to him and hugged him as tightly as possible.

"Where did you go? Are you okay?" she questioned.

Jamie shook her off and shrugged.

"I'm fine," he replied, his voice turning monotone.

"You look upset! Where did you even go? Were you kidnapped? Your family is worried sick! You've been gone for weeks!"

Had it really been weeks? Jamie didn't even realize it was such a long time since he'd last talked to anyone that was any way magical or Guardian related. Where did the time go?

Jamie shook his head, not looking at her, but keeping his focus on a particular patch of grass that'd gone brown.

"Leave me alone," he said bluntly.

Chelsea looked hurt, but he didn't care. He pushed past her and the others and walked away to the dormitories. As he walked, Jamie got a lot of stares and people were whispering about him.

He decided to make a short stop to the bathrooms to wash his face. He walked up to the sinks and stared up at the mirror above it. He had large bags under his eyes that were purple. He looked thinner and his skin had gotten much paler. He looked extremely ill, if not dead.

Jamie's eyes started to water again and he realized that he was crying. He didn't even try to hide it this time. He was sobbing to his content.

As he cried, a student had walked into the bathrooms with a towel and hair cleaning products. He was headed for the showers. But he stopped and looked at Jamie.

"Hey man. You okay?"

Jamie just nodded.

The guy looked at him skeptically before talking again.

"You sure? Ah wait a sec... You're Jamie! Yo dude, everyone has been looking for you!"

Jamie scowled at him, not wanting to be bugged. He walked passed him, ignoring the other man, and he walked along. He didn't even want to go back to his dorm. He just wanted to get away to somewhere he could be alone.

Jamie walked along, leaving the school building, and heading outside. He saw that same group of kids, except for Chelsea, but ignored them. He walked along, heading across the street, wanting to head for the isolated park, when he slipped on ice. His head his the cold, hard pavement or road.

Everything looked disoriented and ached. He tilted his head up when he saw headlights heading his way. Jamie laughed quietly to himself. Was this the end?