Part 2 (Jenny POV)
Monday, June 1st
11:00 am
Rural America
After getting off of the bus I was met with an unnerving sight—the bus station was empty, and fliers waved to us in greeting as we passed the rusty seats where friends would have waited to welcome us. This definitely wasn't Vista Grande. I walked to the dormitory with the help of a map from the Greenes, which turned out to be a loose term for a semi-accurate napkin sketch of the area. Their property started with a gravel road that led off of a quiet street filled with potholes; I turned left (the right fork of the road led to their home) and snapped twigs with my sneaker heel to break to eerie silence for about one hundred yards. The trail led me through the untouched forest, and I marveled at the secluded nature of it all: this was nothing like California. Where were the crowds, the malls, the cars? Around me there was nothing but green and silence. The thick summer foliage muted any and all sounds—could I really walk the entire perimeter of the land and not see or hear a single soul pass? A chill ran down my spine when I realized that I was all alone. What if something were to happen? What if I was alone and-- No, I thought to myself, Don't think about those things Jenny. I couldn't get worked up like that. This was a small, peaceful town. Nothing bad could possibly happen to me here! Right?
The dormitory was a large, lonely building that had obviously seen better days. Its exterior was made from crumbling bricks, with floor-to-ceiling paned windows and a humongous carved wooden door. Above the archway of the entrance was a peeling metal sign that had read: "The Right Path Program Dormitory B", but many of the letters were missing. Ivy now suffocated many of the outer walls, and the pointed metal roof was aged; what was I, their first mentor in 15 years? With a bit of maneuvering (and, I admit, a small bit of cursing) I managed to jam the key into a bronze, rusted padlock. With a yowl the useless security device clattered to the ground as the door groaned, swinging open of its own accord. I humored myself with a small gasp; the place was creepy! An expanse of cold, unforgiving concrete had throttled the slight hill of the land into flatness. I hated concrete: it was the worst material to fall on. There was nothing soft or nice or comforting about it-- I frowned to the floor as I made my way into the one-floor dormitory, my duffel bag wrapped around my arm and my backpack slung around my shoulders.
Near the door was a bathroom with several sinks, showers, and bathrooms decorated in fading pink tile and chipped rose linoleum. This obviously must've been the girls dormitory. Across the wide expanse of brick and concrete were seven long rows of bunk beds, placed perpendicular to the walls. The scattered lights that were working flickered so weakly that I could barely see a thing. And it was in the middle of the day! On each dangerous-looking metal frame was a pillow and a lumpy mattress: let's just say I would no longer complain about the extra weight my sheets, comforter, and pillows from home added to my luggage. I chose a bunk bed nearest to the corner of the building-- here, there were no windows directly facing the bed like the others, which I found a little frightening. The bed that I had chosen was no longer supporting another bed on top of it: good. I liked to sleep close to the ground, on the bottom of any bunk bed, and with a mattress raised above me I could easily get terrified in the night, especially here, alone in the woods.
I pulled a second, smaller slip of paper from my Right Path Program folder. Accompanied by another simple sketch of trees and paths, the floating font instructed me to make my way to the middle of the Greene's forest, where a clearing and brook were located. I was to meet Julian there at 7:30. That was a little late, wasn't it? Surely they could arrange some sort of earlier time where I could meet him in the daylight? I shook my head; I couldn't get too angry. Maybe this was the only time that Julian could meet with me, maybe he had a job or something... Huh. I hadn't even met the guy and already I was making excuses for him.
I shuddered in anticipation. What would he be like? Surely, after reading his profile, this wouldn't be easy. This process couldn't possibly be simple.... he had so many problems that we had to work through! What would he think of me? Could I really do this? Could I really change his life and, possibly my own, for the better this summer? I settled into my bed, by myself in the middle of a strange forest, and pondered my seemingly unanswerable questions.
Thought 1 (Julian POV)
Saturday, May 30th
11:45 pm
Rural America
Life sucks. It really, really does. Especially since I just found out from my foster "mommy" that I've been enrolled in the Right Path Program "for my own good". Apparently the nosey Greenes, the founders of the program, have convinced the public high school to comply with their wishes: if I don't undergo a summer in the Right Path Program due to my "unruly behavior", then I can't graduate. It's not that I'm terrified of going out into the world without my GED, hell, I believe in the exact opposite, but I'm a realist. I can't just go out into the world with no skills and expect to provide for myself, it just won't happen. Besides, I'm in foster care; I can't leave this place until I turn 18, and it's better to be at school (or cutting it) during the day than being with my foster "family". So I really need to graduate high school next year, but I can't do it without a couple months and a few weeks of summer torture. This is so shitty. The Right Path Program even sent me a folder with information about my 'mentor'. Her name is Jenny Thornton. I suppose it's sort of a pretty name, but plain. They also sent me a picture of her, and a short paragraph that she had written about herself. That was when I knew. Knew what type she was, that is.
The world is full of two types of people: the "evil" ones, like myself, who realize what a shitty future we all have. We accept it, and do our worst. What's wrong with a lot of chaos when there's no point in keeping order? Drinking, smoking, stealing; I do it all. There's no one to stop me, but that's no why I do it: what's the point in being good if there's no real reward? There is no higher power, and who the hell wants a gold star from the government? Which brings me to the second type of people. There are evil people, and there are naive people. Not stupid people exactly, though some of them are, but these are the people who believe in "good". They're complete and utter idiots. They believe in religion and hope and peace and goodness and all of that other crap that caused all of these problems in the first place. The naive people want to change us-- they think that just by saying a few words or showing us "right from wrong" we'll be good like them. Ha. We cannot be changed; we're the right ones, we have realized the truth. What's the truth, you ask? No one is coming to save us. No one cares. So we might as well live it up. The naive people think that they can solve all of our problems. Jenny Thornton is one of these naive people. All of her crap about putting me in "the right direction" and believing in me and the rest of the shit she wrote in her paragraph proves it.
There may be two different types of people in the world, but in life all people can only undergo one transformation-- from naive to "evil", or as I like to call it, enlightened. There is no vice versa. One you realize the truth of enlightenment, there's no going back. You either live out your days believing in hope and change and goodness, or you seek the truth and make it your mantra. There's nothing out there commanding me to be good. There's no force strong enough to make me behave. And there's sure as hell no person that I care about enough to convince me otherwise. It just won't happen; I know the truth, and I can't go back. I don't want to go back. And this Jenny Thornton is going to have a hell of a time trying to change me-- I know it won't work. It's impossible, especially if a naive person is interfering.
I glanced out window, which was framed with broken glass. The town was dark and quiet. I was going out with some friends tomorrow to a club a couple of hours away; I should probably get some sleep. My black walls and dark room decor provided a comfortable area for sleeping, and with a flick of a lone bulb my room was plunged into darkness-- but not before I took a look at that folder again. Jenny Thornton. Jenny. It had kind of a nice ring to it I suppose, if you thought about it. My long, agile fingers touched the corner of the photo she had sent for me. She was... actually a little bit pretty. In the picture she was posed on the steps of some sort of porch, wearing a long skirt and a modest top. I wrinkled my nose: she was way too conservative for my taste. It was her hair and eyes that attracted me. Her locks were golden, like the sun, and her eyes were a magnificent shade of green, like the Nile River. There was something about her, something that seemed to draw me to her. It was as if a light shined out from her, a brightness that could not be shut off. What the hell was I thinking? She was naive and totally not my type. I flicked her photograph off of my bed and onto the floor before getting the lights.
With another moment to think, I deftly snatched the picture from my floor and taped it to my wall. She may be naive, but she was, like I said, sort of pretty. I was not going to spend my entire summer in hell; at least toying with her would make things a little bit interesting. I could have my summer amusement, and then she would leave in August. With a grin I imagined her pretty face twisted in horror as she tried to help me. I smirked. It would be like a game of cat and mouse. She would be defenseless...
A/N: Thanks for reading! :)
This is kind of a longer chapter... I got some good inspiration so I was really excited to shuttle the story along! Reviews (even anonymous ones) are definitely appreciated, and I'll be sure to reply to any questions or comments that you have. PM me if you want to chat about FBG/discuss one-shot ideas/etc. Thanks!
--TOTN