A/N: Hey! Here's the next chapter of A Soul! I've figured out the plot, so I hope you enjoy it!
JennyPOV
I pulled myself together. Maybe I'm overreacting a little…oh who am I kidding? Julian must have been acting that way for a reason! I choked on another sob, but shook my head, trying to snap myself out of it. I had to get ready for school.
I swung my legs off the bed, and grabbed the rose, delicately placing it on top of my dresser. I pulled out a pair of light wash blue jeans and a flowing blue top, putting them on. Walking into the bathroom I groaned at what I saw. A seventeen year old girl with dark circles under her forest green eyes and her honey blonde hair, tangled into a giant mess on top of her head stared back at me. Peeking out the door I rolled my eyes. Of course I didn't have enough time to take a shower. Sighing, I turned back to the mirror. An idea popped into my head.
I brushed out the mass of honey blonde hair, wincing as the brush caught, every time, and pulled it over my shoulder, attempting to twist my hair into a braid. I pulled my makeup out of the top drawer and carefully swept a layer of foundation underneath my eyes. I put down the brush and stepped back to admire my handiwork. No bad. Not bad at all…but I could sense something was missing. My look just didn't feel complete.
Unable to find the problem, I waltzed out of the bathroom and stopped dead in my tracks. That's it! I picked up the unearthly beautiful rose and carefully weaved the delicate form into the end of my braid. It was…perfect. Completely and utterly perfect. The rose seemed to make me glow, and I felt good. Even though I may never see Julian again, and nothing seemed to go right this morning, it was like Julian knew, and he made this rose to help me get over him. I took a deep breath to stop the tear that threatened to overflow. It was a tear of sadness, joy, and complete, irrevocable love for the Shadow Man that changed my life.
I tore my gaze away from the mirror, and left my room, walking down the hallway. I thought I caught the scent of coffee, but I surely didn't expect to see my mom already up and making it.
She smiled as I came and sat down. "How did you sleep, hon?"
"Fine," I lied.
She gave me a look that told me she knew that I was lying to her, but luckily, she dropped it. Though I saw her eyes catch on the silver rose adorning my braid. I could tell she wouldn't be able to let this one go. The rose was not only appealing to the eye, but was almost immediately recognizable as a foreign object, one that does not belong on earth…it is too beautiful. But someone who doesn't realize that the other worlds exist would never jump to that conclusion like my friends would…I was actually a little worried what they would think. Michael, of course, would recognize it immediately, since he was there to see that clue during the second game.
"Where did you get that?" she asked, eying the rose.
"A friend," I answered vaguely.
"What friend?" she pressed, "Was it Tom?"
I shot her a look. She knew that Tom and I had broken up a while ago. Of course, I still love Tom. How could I not after being my only love since second grade when I decided I was going to marry him on the spot. But it was more like a friend love. How would I know that, though? I never cheated on him, I didn't know what real love was…until Julian. He showed me what it was like to love with a passion, and to have someone else love you the same way. After that, I couldn't lie to myself anymore. It was definitely awkward for a while, but we got over it, and our group is as close as ever.
"No," I clarified, "It's not from Tom."
She sighed and put a mug of coffee and a bowl of cereal down in front of me. I was relieved to hear the purr of Audrey's new car pulling into the driveway. Sometimes I was jealous of her. Her parents didn't give her more than a light scolding, and didn't even look twice at the crushed Spider before they went ahead and bought her a new car. If it were me, not only would I be grounded for life, but the new car, if I even got one, would be old and used and it would probably have a million miles on it already.
I said a quick goodbye before putting my favorite flats on, grabbing my bookbag and slipping out the door.
"Hey, Audrey," I said, sliding into the passenger seat.
She eyed the rose as well. "Well, where'd that come from?"
"I don't really wanna talk about it," I told her, putting my seatbelt on.
She scowled, seeming to weigh her options, tick me off more now, and possibly, possibly get an answer, or wait until she has five other people to back her up. She chose the latter and shifted into reverse, pulling out of my driveway.
~OooO~
Audrey and I pulled into the school's parking lot and walked over to the tree that we met under every morning before the first bell. Tom, Dee, Michael, Summer, and Zach were already there when we arrived. Ready for whatever Audrey was gonna pull I leaned up against the tree.
"Alright, guys!" Audrey said, "Jenny won't tell me what's up with that rose in her hair. When I mentioned it she put up a bunch of walls."
Everyone's head immediately swiveled toward me, eyes locked on the silver rose hanging from the braid I twisted this morning. The puzzled looks on their faces made me sigh with relief, until I saw Michael. He was shooting me an accusing look with so many questions swimming in his gaze.
Audrey, observing everyone's reactions, caught Michael's glare. "Michael?" she asked.
He looked at Audrey. I sent him a pleading look, but he didn't catch it.
"I don't know how, or why," he shot me a look, "but Jenny's seen Julian."
The gasps were enough to make me regret wearing the rose, but somehow, I knew it was worth it, to have a piece of Julian with me, that I haven't had since the beginning. I looked down at the ring and smiled.
I looked up.
"How?" Summer whispered.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath; I opened them again, ready to do some serious explaining when someone caught my eye. I think it was a new guy, because I had never seen him before, but he was hanging with the jocks like he has been there the whole time. He turned slightly more towards me, and he caught my gaze. Something passed between us in that one moment. His ice blue eyes burned a darker, more familiar blue, for a split second before his face split into an over-confident smirk, obviously coming to the conclusion that I was checking him out. I turned back to my friends, a furious blush creeping up my cheeks. Dee looked behind her, seeing the jerk and gave me a reassuring smile before returning back to the Dee that wanted answers.
"You guys know I promised to dream him into places filled with light and beauty, to help him and to comfort myself right? So I had subconsciously dreamed about him last night, except, it was in a small white room with a single window…I didn't get a good view of what was outside the window, but it was there all the same. He looked sad, and urgent. He gave me the rose, which, as Michael knows, was used as a clue to me in the second Game, but something you don't know was that it was used to trick me during the first Game; it was a trick to be able to touch me. I held it in my hand and touched it to my cheek…he could touch my hand and my cheek afterwards, but that's not the point," I rushed on; hoping none of them would blame him too much for the trick. "He gave me the rose, and changed the inscription on my ring. It now says Love Conquers All. He told me he loved me, like a goodbye, and walked back to the window." I left out the parts where we kissed, what they don't know won't hurt them.
They stood still, dumbstruck.
Finally, Dee said, "Sunshine…" and rushed over to crush me in a hug. I didn't realize I was crying until she wiped away my tears. "I'm sorry. I know you loved him, and to say goodbye again is hard for you…but, he's gone. He probably knew that you should let him go, so he said goodbye."
Something hit me. In all my other dreams, anything Julian did was always left behind in the dream world…but he gave me the rose, and changed my ring, and both left the dream world…maybe he wasn't gone. Maybe he was back.
I didn't bother sharing this. They would all probably tell me how crazy I was and comfort me some more, but somewhere in my heart, something sparked.
A/N: Big thanks to megadancingprincess for being the first to favorite my new story and for putting it on story alert! Anyways...again, I realize Jenny is a little soft in this but wouldn't you be too if you thought you lost your true love for the second time? PLEASE REVIEW! I love you guys ;D