Chapter 6

It had been a week since Trish went missing. Nearly a week since I got out of the hospital. I was walking around the empty halls and I could hear the tap of my sneakers on the tile slapping down. That was the only that made sense in my mind; everything else was a blur.

Especially the part about Trish; there was a hole in my heart where she was supposed to be. We were as close as sisters and now… she wasn't there. I couldn't understand it and my brain refused to believe it, but somehow my heart was starting to accept it and mend. Of course that may have had something to do with Jacob.

He'd come over everyday this week, not with questions, but with smiles, comfort, and light conversation. They were just the things I needed and he did them flawlessly. While he was around, I never once felt sad or uncomfortable. He made me smile at all the right times and held me when I cried on Wednesday when I realized Trish might not be coming back. All in all, he was like the perfect medicine.

I walked around the empty halls; I had been dismissed early; I told the teacher I had left my textbook in my last class, but really I just needed time to think. There was still about twenty minutes left of class, so everyone knew I'd just skipped class, but I didn't think the teacher, or anyone for that matter, really cared.

I debated going to the library, but the thought made me shutter. Not at the books; I loved reading. No, it was at the students; the students with their never-ending questions and "supportive" comments. Each one of them thinking it would make me feel better if I talked to them, but it really didn't.

Finally, I walked out of the school. It was raining slightly, which wasn't unusual of this time of year. What was unusual was a girl I'd never seen smoking out the rain. Long puffs of smoke came out of her mouth and I winced; I hated smoking. But something compelled me to go over to her.

She looked me up and down, taking me in. I did the same to her. She was pretty; dark brown hair and green cat-like eyed. I smiled at her. When she didn't return the smile, I looked away until she spoke. "Why are you here; I've never seen you ditch."

"I've never seen you at all, so I guess that makes us even." I replied.

A faint smile touched her lips. "I guess so."

I sat under the balcony, not a foot away for the odd girl in silence for a few moments. Then the girl tossed out her cigarette that she'd just started. I looked at her oddly. "Why did you do that?" I asked her.

She smiled again. "I don't smoke." With that she turned away. The odd girl made me smile for a reason I wasn't sure of.

It didn't matter, because at that moment the bell rang, erasing all thoughts of the odd girl. Students swarmed around me as I waited for Jake.

"Jess, can I talk to you?" Speak of the devil, I thought as Jake walked towards me. I would have joked around more, but I could see he was nervous; that was completely unlike him.

Hesitantly, I replied, "Sure." We walked down the halls, his arm around me, brushing against my wavy blonde hair. He held open the door of the school for me and I replied back with a smile and a thank you.

Once we were in his car and a short distance from the school, Jake stopped the car. He didn't say anything for a moment, just looking at me. I looked down, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

People had always told me I was pretty. With my wavy blonde hair, murky green eyes and freckles, even I admitted that I was sort-of cute. But now, Jake was eyeing me in a way that I didn't understand at all. He started talking, "Jess, I…" Then he seemed to abruptly change topic. "You know I care about you, right?"

"Of course; Jake, you've been here for me when I needed you. In some ways you're…" I stopped, trying to think of exactly what he was.

Jake smiled, trying to lighten everything up. "What, your own personal superman?"

I rolled my eyes, but I was smiling at the lame attempt. "That was really, really lame, Jake." Then I added, "Even I could do better than that."

Jake snorted. "Yeah, right; you've got the sense of humor of a tone-deaf monk."

"That doesn't even make sense!" I yelled playfully.

"You don't make sense." I was about to retort how immature that was, when I noticed the change in his voice. He was no longer looking at me playfully, but with the same expression he had used earlier. As if he was deep in thought, but even he didn't know exactly what it was about; only that it involved me.

"Jess, I….," he cursed under his breath then laughed humorlessly. Looking back up at me he added, "If you can't tell, I have no idea how to say this."

"Then just say what you mean, and you'll basically get what you want to say out." I added mockingly. He looked slightly amused, but I could tell that whatever was on his mind was really bothering him. So I added something else, "Jake, can you….Oh my god! Did you just see that?" I nearly screamed.

"What!" Jake said suddenly fully alert.

"There are glowing yellow eyes in the forest!"

A/N: Hey guys, here's an upload! So I'm going to this program for three weeks! I'm super excited, but that also means that there might not be any updates! I'll try to get to a computer or have someone post them, but no promises! You were warned.

Anyways, the song for this chapter is "Can't Fight This Feeling by R.E.O Speedwagon". It fits perfectly with this chapter and the next one!

Alright, comment and add to you subscription list!