Title: The Lake

Rating: T

Summary: She was just a girl, and he was just a boy—it was just their summer vacation, and it would be just to say that nothing would be the same. Julian had just three months of sun, lake water, sunscreen, and no Tom to get Jenny to fall for him. Forbidden Game AU, JennyxJulian.

Disclaimer: Nope, don't own it-lah.

Chapter 5: Wanna Party?

A/N: Hey, so I'm SUPER sorry for updating so late. With exams and school and everything, it's all just been crazy. Enjoy and review!

Less than thirty feet away Julian was pacing around his bedroom, trying to think up his next move. He was giddy just thinking about it. His next move. On Jenny. Everything had to be perfect, he reasoned. He could only do this once, only had one chance to woo her, to charm her, while she was untainted by the knowledge of his Shadow World, and at the peak of vulnerability in her relationship with Tom. If you could call it that, he reasoned; Tom treated her more like a slave or a shadow than a girlfriend. But how could he impress her? How could he win her away from that undeserving Tom?

Julian's perfect azure cat eyes settled on a crumpled flier that had been shoved under his front door a few hours ago while he contemplated the issue of seducing the most beautiful girl in the world into the Shadow World with him. Brushing snowy bangs from his face Julian made the paper impossibly smooth with his powers and scanned it quickly, grinning. Mr. and Mrs. Thornton and their neighbors the Cassini's were holding a party this evening. Jenny must not have known about it, as the shadowman was positive that she would have invited him, so he would surprise her. The grin turned wolfish as he imagined what would happen tonight.

Jenny rocked back and forth on the porch swing near the patio, watching as her feet went from grass to concrete, grass to concrete, grass to concrete. His navy blue towel was still wrapped around her shoulders, protecting them from sun exposure. Jenny tilted her head and mentally smacked herself for trying to get a view of Jess' old house. Jess. She hadn't thought about him since she met Julian. She hadn't thought about Tom either. Well, she mused, Julian was just…amazing. She couldn't explain it, but she felt like standing next to him, talking to him, even just thinking about him was…right. She leaned back on the swing and happily closed her eyes.

The moment of tranquility was quickly ruined. A small sphere of arms and legs rushed towards her and barreled onto the swing, sending it flying back and forth with momentum. "JENNY! JENNY! YOU'LL NEVER GUESS WHAT'S HAPPENING! MOM AND DAD ARE HAVING A PARTY TONIGHT AND IT'S GOING TO BE SO MUCH FUN!!!" screamed her younger brother, and Jenny smoothed his hair joyfully as she listened to his patter with a ghost of a smile. Maybe she would see Julian today after all....

The sky was dark computer screen and the lake was a shiny silver dollar that reflected the moon when Julian left the house that night. He grinned wolfishly. His plan, or lack thereof, was coming along beautifully. His skin still tingled from where he had touched Jenny while he was saving her; she was amazing. A pair of aquamarine eyes sparkled in the darkness as he thought about her, the burning brightness to his shadows. The door closed soundlessly behind him as he cut through the weeds and grasses to get to the Thornton home. Clad in a form-fitting black t-shirt and dark jeans, Julian's heart thumped excitedly as his eyes spotted a figure moving in the basement. Jenny. Fingering a bullion chain that had not touched human air for centuries, Julian smiled. The summer air mixed with smoke and excitement; inhaling nature's drug, he swore that no matter what the cost, Jenny would be his. No tricks, games, or underhandedness: he would get Jenny to follow him to the Shadow World of her own free will.

In the basement of the Thornton home, Jenny carefully slipped on her party dress. The neighborhood party was going to be casual but, assuming that Julian would be there, she had to look amazing. From her suitcase she pulled a shimmery dress, a piece of clothing that Audrey had convinced her to buy but that she had never worn. It was a deep, forest green color, almost exactly like her Nile green eyes. The green material was a sheet gauze, with spaghetti straps that were intertwined with gold flowers. Underneath the outer layer of the dress was a bolder, gold-colored layer of silk, which came to mid-thigh length, a little lower than the green textile. Her tanned legs were lengthened by the dress and a pair of gold sandals, as well as the clinging gold belt with emerald gems that clung to her waist. Leaving her body bare of jewelry, Jenny brushed on a bit of gold eyeshadow and green eyeliner onto her eyes. Running a brush through her silky golden hair, Jenny decided that this was probably the best she could make herself look on short notice. "Come one, Jenny, the party's already started!" a voice called, presumably one of her family members. Jess, her old neighbor, completely forgotten, Jenny bounded up the stairs to go see Julian.

She spotted him near the edge of the lake, in-between their houses, and when he saw that Jenny was making her way over to him Julian grinned. Brushing a lock of hair away from her face and stroking her cheek, he shook his head. "How is it that every time I see you it seems like you get more and more beautiful?" he asked, and Jenny blushed. "Here", he breathed, "this is for you". Awed by his handsomeness, which was only amplified by the yellow light of the bonfire, Jenny scarcely noticed when his soft hands brushed her wrist, clasping a bracelet there. As he placed a kiss on the outside of her hand, and then on her palm, Jenny thought she was going to faint from the how he made her feel. Her legs felt limp as he stepped back a little so she could admire the bracelet. It was a thick gold chain, with nine heart charms. Each ornament had a mysterious symbol on it, which Jenny didn't understand but liked all the same. It was stupid, she knew, but having these nine symbols on her wrist made her feel….powerful. Julian smirked, "I'm glad you like it", he whispered, moving closer to her and wrapping his arms around her waist. "Thank you," Jenny murmured, wasting no time in putting her arms around his neck and entwining her fingers in his impossibly soft hair.

The dark patio flickered with coins of lighting bug brightness and she smiled, shivering, as they leaned in closer. The cerulean-black of the sky, forest green-black of the grass and the silver-black of the water intertwined and sent her mind into overdrive as hot breaths swept over her collarbone. The night was perfect. He was perfect. The skygrasswater milkshake that been swirling behind her half-lidded eyes cracked back into place, physically separated by the crash Jenny heard behind her. She turned slightly and gaped in horror, watching as ruby red punch seeped into the grass among shards of glass—the remnants of her mother's favorite punch bowl. But that was not what had made her scream inside. When she looked in front of her he was gone, lost in the netted shadows of the night. Her body could still feel his, pressed against her, but he was gone.

She turned around. "Thorny!" he acknowledged her, pulling her into a half hug and giving her clothes a disapproving frown. If it was possible to die of shock, then this was no heaven, Jenny thought bitterly. "H-hi…" she stuttered, "What are you doing here?" More like 'Why the hell did you have to show up and ruin the perfect moment?' she contemplated angrily. "I came to see you", he replied monotonously, his voice stripped of any hint or indication of the passion she had felt and heard a few minutes before. "My parents decided to drive east for a spur-of-the-moment vacation, and I decided to surprise you. They're in the hotel across the water, but I just saw your parents and they said I could stay in your guest room for a few nights! I know it's a bit late for me to come on a Friday night and all since you guys just arrived, but I'll be staying until Monday! Isn't that great Thorny?!" Jenny grumbled incoherently as he grinned like a Cheshire cat, oblivious to her anger and the vehemence in the piercing blue eyes in the shadows, as he planted a lukewarm kiss on her cheek. The feeling, compared to the sensations she was expecting to feel a number of seconds ago, would have made her blush a few days ago. Now it repulsed her. She grimaced; luckily, it was dark, and the sporadic tiki torches distorted his view of her face. "Yeah Tom." she whispered weakly, sarcastically, "It's great. Reaaaalllyyyy great."