Authors Note: Alright, I was going to put Kurt into this chapter as a third rival for Blue and Jamie, but that just seemed too busy :D instead, I'm going deeper into… someone else's personality! //End authors note.

Chapter 19

Bonding

Squinting, I tried to see what was staring at me from dark, lightless bushes. Yellow… Yellow… eyes? I heard a snarl. I started shaking, unwillingly, and thought "Why do people freeze when they're scared… that's not a good survival strategy…" A wolf stepped out of the fluffy, leaf covered bush. I fell over from my stump and started squirming, trying to move backwards, and probably looking like a retarded crab. Figuring I was toast, I closed my eyes, waiting to be mauled. I felt the wolf jump onto me, one paw on my shoulder, its claws dug into my skin. I held in a whimper.

"Jasmine?" I heard at once, and I squinted harder. Was this heaven? "Jasmine! Oh, jeez, your shoulder…" and in between insulting someone's mother and using the lord's name in vain, I heard, "Wake up, slacker, the cut's not even that bad!"

I opened one squinted eye slowly. "S-serenity?" Then I remembered something. I needed to get it out before I forgot. "C-Can you cut my hair later?" Serenity laughed and nudged me.

"If we can get that shoulder of yours fixed…" she crossed her arms and sat down next to me.

I thought for a second and laughed silently. "I guess you're right." Then I realized something. Serenity was deep in the forest with me… but why? I opened my mouth to speak, but Serenity just shook her head.

"Jamie told you I like animals right? Well, I followed this wolf that I wanted to make friends with… and, well I ended up here. I was just in the middle of feeding it some kitkats when it decided to jump you. Weird huh?" she finished her explanation, and I shook my head.

"You wanted to make friends with a wolf?" I asked, and tried to get up. My shoulder ached, but I the wound only felt like a cut. "Well, I guess your brains kind of messed up from high school, huh?" I stood up, and offered a hand to help Serenity. She just hopped perkily up with no help whatsoever.

"Oh please. High school was a breeze!" she said with enthusiasm, making little hand gestures to emphasize her bubbly personality. She smiled a smile that was filled with happiness, but her eyes looked sad. I stared at her skeptically. "What?" she asked, the smile fading, and fear appearing on her face for some reason. I'd always been good at telling if someone was lying.

I circled Serenity in a skeptical walk and stopped after a full circle. "Oh?" I asked, and narrowed my eyes. She looked away and gestured to me.

"Look! The road!" she exclaimed and ran, jumping over bushes and swinging from branches.

"W-wait up!!" I said, trying to catch the little 17 year old. As soon as I did, we were at the cobblestone path. Serenity had her fist up in the air.

"How's that for good sense of direction?" she said, and grinned. I knew where we were, now. We were by the Harvest Goddess Springs. "Come on, town's this way." said serenity. She did have a good sense of direction. It took me weeks to discover how to weave through the cobblestone path from the harvest goddess spring to the town. We ended up by Jamie's Ranch at 2:06. I was so tired, it was pitiful.

"Gee, looks like I'll have to do your hair tomorrow… It's late now," said Serenity when we'd reached Jamie's house. I yawned sleepily. Serenity took that as a response, and continued, "Let's say around… five-ish? Right before your little Jamie-date, huh?" she giggled, and nodded at me, smiling.

I immediately woke up at the mention of the words Jamie and date in one sentence. "U-uhh, sure." Was all I could say. Serenity shook her head and spun me towards my house, her hands on my back.

"Now, now at least make it back to your house safely, alright?" she said and gently pushed me towards the familiar building. I yawned a bye, and walked straight to my not-so-fluffy bed, tired. I swear I'd heard her swing her head back and forth, muttering, "Young love..."

Authors Note: Oh, so many boring chapters. Well, I HAD to write something to fill in between the last chapter and the next chapter… jeez, I need to update more often, huh? Sawwie :(