Jaynie- Ha-ha… sure…
Elsa Frost- I-I do not get what you mean by betray her…
Jade- How exactly? Am I good with words? Imagery? Character development? I need details here!
WolfieRed23-You're welcome! And thanks for the encouragement there. It's these reviews that get me up and going.
Dragonsrulebiology- I incorporate songs into all these because they impact my life so hugely.
SE-Junkie- I didn't know that… I'm onna have to use that: B
FloraIrmaTylee- I agree one hundred ten thousand percent with you! Disney, Pixar, and DreamWorks should just have a movie of Rise of the Brave Tangled Dragons. (Just sayin' Walt *Wink, wink*).
DisneyAddictGirl- Gotchyo' answer righ' heya! Ooh!
PrancerDancer- Thank you SO much. I have been beating myself up all over because I did that.
I that it? Yeah, that is it. Well I also wanted to say that if you noticed anything iffy in my writing than feel free to tell me! I don't mind a negative comment. However comma I think that if you are bashing some one, using name-calling, calling out something in their writing that isn't a typing error, I THINK YOU NEED TO GET YOU'RE HEAD OUTTA YO' ASS! Hear me son?
Chapter 13Jack
As we float along in the harbor, I hear Rapunzels teeth clack upon her thumbnail a dozen times. Each time I glance at her, she is staring at the forest as if something is staring her down. Instead of being the caring boyfriend that I should be, I end up staring straight forward and wincing at the stretched silence. I hear teeth click against a thumbnail again. A sigh lodges in my throat, ready to make an appearance, but I hold it back.
Finally, we make it to the dock with silence still in between us. The darkness makes it hard to see the dock in front of our feet. In another lapse of silence, we make our way across the bridge between the mainland and the island. The whole way to the motel was spent with Rapunzel in front of me, hurrying along quickly.
When we get to the motel, Rapunzel starts unpacking her bag while I go into the bathroom to change.
"Hey Jack!" I hear Rapunzel call as I step out of the bathroom.
"Yeah?"
"I…" I hear Rapunzel hesitate. "I'm sorry."
I walk out from the little bathroom hallway to where she sits on the farthest bed, "For what?"
She gives me a look like it is obvious, "For walking away like that and being so mysterious."
I lean against the wall, "So then you'll tell me where you went?"
I watch the blonde bite her lip as if weighing the idea. Slowly she shook her head and I sigh. I keep pestering her until she shuts the bathroom door to get dressed.
Rapunzel
I lean up against the counter top and lean my head back. I nearly told him. I nearly told him! Only I cannot tell him or we will leave Corona. And what if Mother is right? What if Jack only wants me for a little while and will leave as soon as he is bored? After all, we have not been together long. With a sigh, I turn to the mirror and begin to brush my teeth, ignoring all thoughts about Mother, and Jack, and whatever other drama that was happening now.
For these next five minutes, I was going to forget and do the simple task of getting ready for bed. The pajamas were blue full-length pants with a white camisole. I braided my hair, taking my time with the full-length hair, though no matter how long I tried, I could not get it to my shoulders as those little girls had. I washed the little amount of makeup I had on. Brushing my teeth slowly, taking a brush every five seconds.
When I come out of the bathroom, Jack is asleep on the bed closest to the bathroom. I smile at his sleeping figure. Then doubts circle me like vultures and I am the dead meat. Then they begin to prick at my sense of right and wrong. I wriggle into the bed and close my eyes.
Its twenty seconds later that I know I am not going to get any sleep. Not with my mind turned on like this, each thought moving a thousand miles an hour in my head. So, I lay in my bed, two feet from the boy that I happen to be dating, feet cold in the unfamiliar duvet, and the albino's snores echoing across the room.
I sit there for ten more minutes before I notice a water reflection on the ceiling. Silently, I float to the window where I look down three stories. A rectangular pool rolls and curves below me and its sparkling water calling to me, inviting me to sit beside it like an old friend. I pull my sneakers on and a small jacket and step into the hallway, silently.
I navigate my way down to the pool and I sit cross-legged beside it. I stare at the clear full moon and shiver at the frigid air. I lie flat on my stomach and dip my fingers into the chilly waters. The rough concrete cuts through the noodle strap shirt that I wear. All around me, the once quiet area explodes with a forte of sounds. A bird calls another and an owl answers back with questioning hoot. A squirrel gurgles in a tree over the bordering fence. Various car horns toot in the distance. I smile at this sound exodus, showing that I was not the only living thing awake in the world.
As I dangle my fingers in the highly chlorine filled water and hum a song to myself. Before I know it, my breath is appearing as my song burst forth from my lungs.
"When the days are cold and the cards all fold and the saints we see are all made of gold. When your dreams all fail and the ones we hail are the worst of all and the blood's run stale.
"I want to hide the truth, I want to shelter you, but with the beast inside there's nowhere we can hide. No matter what we breed, we still are made of greed. This is my kingdom come. This is my kingdom come. When you feel my heat look into my eyes, it's where my demons hide. It's where my demons hide. Don't get too close, it's dark inside. It's where my demons hide. It's where my demons hide.
"Curtain's call is the last of all when the lights fade out, all the sinners crawl. So they dug you're grave and the masquerade will come calling out at the mess you made." I do not hear any animals anymore. Maybe they're listening to this song, trying to understand the message that I am sending to them.
"Don't want to let you down but I am hell bound. Though this all for you, don't want to hide the truth.
"No matter what we breed we still are made of greed. This is my kingdom come, this is my kingdom come. When you feel my heat, look into my eyes, it's where my demons hide; it's where my demons hide." I keep singing the song, but not even two-thirds to the end do I hear a voice, cutting off my singing.
"Should you be out here at 1:00 A.M.?" I hear a voice behind me call. I jump up onto my knees and turn, nearly falling into the pool. Blue eyes are inches from my own green ones and my fog- breathe hits pale skin.
I grin, "You were making such a loud snore that I couldn't sleep."
Jack rubs his white hair, "I was?"
"Yupp," I elbow him in the stomach. "Louder than a bomb."
We sit by the pool, our feet in the chilly water. My pant legs rolled up to preserve their dryness. I yawn and close my eyes, the night's wild animal calls being a lullaby.
I must have fallen asleep, for I wake the next morning with the sun in my eyes. My body is warm and covered by a butter white duvet and my head resting on a white fluffy pillow. My tired brain puts the pieces together and I realize that I am in the hotel room. A snoring lump in the bed beside mine shifts and lets out a groan. From where I can see, the white hair on Jacks head is disheveled and messy.
Still in a lying position, I stretch my arms out and let out a sigh as a couple bones pop. I silently slip from the bed and creep to the dresser. I pick out a pink long sleeve, a purple vest, tan combat boots, and cut-off jeans.
I cringe when I turn on the bath water, because to my morning sensitive ears, the roar of the faucet seemed louder than normal. I pull my hair into a bun and quickly rinse myself. Within ten minutes, I finish and start getting dressed. After that, I clean myself and put on makeup for the day. I smile at my reflection and run a hand through my long hair. I turn to walk out the door and as I do, a fisted hand comes down.
I squeal and lift my arms up to protect my face when I hear, "Oh! Sorry Rapunzel! I was just going to knock and you opened up the door before I could stop."
I glance through my lifted arms to see Jack rubbing his hair sheepishly. I lower my arms and smile, "Its okay. But…" I grin evilly. "In order to show that you really do feel bad, you have to do an interpretative dance."
He puts his hands over his cheeks in mock despair, "Please don't, and I'll do anything else."
I smile and kiss his cheek before moving aside to let Jack into the bathroom. He flips my hair into my face and that clicks in a memory of Mother doing the same thing. With that memory comes all of the doubts. The bathroom door shuts and I lean against, trying to sort through all of my thoughts.
Not to mention my nervousness of meeting my parents for the first time in eighteen years. My head feels like it is going to explode and I trust my full body weight to the door.
It must not have been shut all the way for when I did, the door opened. Right in the middle of Jack's shower. I look up and see a shocked, half-naked Jack staring down from behind the shower curtain.
I squeal and rocket out of the bathroom, my face a bright red. I crawl onto a bed, put my face into a pillow, and let out a muffled squeal. Maybe if I keep this pillow on my face, I will die of asphyxiation. Then, I would not have to go through all the awkward after shocks.
Too soon, the water shuts off and a few minutes after, Jack steps out with wet hair and fully clothed, thankfully. I glance up at his turned back then down again. I hug the pillow tighter until, if it were able to breathe, it would probably be dead. The thought of that makes me giggle. I look up from the crumpled pillow to see Jack watching me quizzically.
"What's funny, Punz?"
I lift an eyebrow, "Punz?"
He shrugs, "Your name is a little long."
"Oh," I rush to answer his question. "I was laughing at my embarrassment for… you know…"
"You mean, wanting to get a glimpse of…" He flexes. "…All this." I laugh but blush all the while. He had been built, in a skinny-twit-that-lifts-weights-every-now-and-then sort of way. Even so, he was still hot.
Outside I hear a splash and an explosion of childish laughter. I glance at the window and smile at Jack, feeling excitement loosen the grip of the nervousness on my gut. With a bounce and a hop, I grip Jack's hand in my own and race across the hotel room and out into the hallway. Jack only has time to grab the room key and his wallet.
We dash through the streets of mainland Corona, laughing and gasping for air. At one point, I glance at the other side of the street and notice an abandoned warehouse with a door boarded up with two by fours and a small gap wide enough for a small person. I feel the want to explore it but Jack distracts me by racing past, challenge in his eyes. I forget all about the warehouse.
We make it to the bridge in three minutes flat and have to stop and catch our breath.
I speak as soon as I am able, "Ha! I won!"
"Please," Jack counters with a quick gasp for oxygen. "I beat you by a mile."
"Fine then, how… about a rematch?" I propose.
"Sure…" Jack hesitates then says quickly, "First-one-to-the-murals-wins-one-two-three-GO!"
I shuffle in place while Jack takes off, then my brain finds sense and I chase after the goober. I stay dead behind him until I see his endurance begin to wane. With a yell, I overtake him and slide to a stop next to the murals.
"Beat you," I say with a smirk.
Jack blushes, "Oh shut up, it was only by a couple seconds."
I laugh at Jack's red face, "I still beat you." We drop off with conversation and I begin to think about the real reason we are here.
"So," I begin quietly. "Where do they live around here?"
Jack nods to the north point of the island, "In that direction."
With an unspoken agreement, we begin to head that way. I idle in my steps and Jack just seems to slow down.
Finally, we stop in front of a peachy orange house with bright green grass. Jack smiles widely and hops onto the porch while I stay behind, his head blocking my view of the door.
I hear the doorbell ring out and the door opens to a warm voice, "Yes?"
"Mrs. Solar! It's me… Jack Frost…?"
I hear a gasp, "Jack! You have grown so tall! Where's Manny? We haven't seen you both since you moved to Burgess!" The something shocks me to the core. "You were one of my loudest students! I hope you've quieted down some?"
"Nope, I've actually gotten louder, believe it or not," Jack turns to me and motions me forward.
Caroline Solar looks the same since her picture was first taken. Her eyes widen when she looks at me and I twitch under her stare.
"I- I'm sorry for staring. It's just you look so much like…" Her voice trails off and identical green eyes stare into my own. "You aren't… are you?"
Her hand comes to my cheek and I smile at her, my lips quivering. I can't trust my voice, so I nod. With a cry, she pulls me into a hug and holds me there. We somehow end up on our knees. I look up to see a very confused Michael Solar, but as soon as he meets my eyes, he chuckles and joins the hug. Behind me, I hear an 'oof' as Jack joins in too.
Before long, we all break apart and begin to speak at once, except for Jack.
"I was so heartbroken."
"I couldn't believe that I'd never known you al this time."
"We only got to see you once."
We sit on the porch swing and Caroline begins to tell the story that I'd already read. She tells about how the city honored me a year later when I was pronounced dead. How she and Michael made it through the years.
"But why was I stolen? Was it just random?"
Caroline looks at her husband before looking at me, "We… we did some bad things before you were born and… we used to sell drug ingredients. When I became pregnant, we stopped business in that line and I began to start a teaching career. Michael got a job at one of the plants here. When you were stolen, we guessed it was one of our customers, but we could never tell which one."
Tears brim at my eyelids and doubts begin to filter in from all sides. You see? She was right! All those things she said about your family were true, yet you never listened, because, after all… Mother knows best. I realize with a jolt that it's Mother's voice speaking all those thoughts.
"Did… did you ever sell any… stuff to a… Melanie Gothel?" I ask very shakily.
Caroline's brow knits, "No... No we didn't." My breath runs out happily. Mother isn't at full fault here. "Why, is she your adoptive parent?"
I hesitate, "Yes. She never bought from you, though she did know about your business in the… drug world."
Caroline sighs, "We were the most heard of ingredients sellers in the area. However, we were never addicted."
I nod and we lapse into a silence. I look at the boards of the porch and try to process what I just learned. My parents are drug dealers. Fucking drug dealers!
Now mind you, I never say things like fuck or shit, but still, this situation calls for it God dammit! I take a deep breath and look up, smiling.
I decided to tell funny stories, ones that didn't involve Mother. Before I knew it, the sky was getting dark. When I stood up, Caroline invited us in.
"Oh no! We can't impose!" I said shaking my hands.
Caroline smiled widely, "It will spare you the money of finding a grocery store."
I looked at Jack, whom I'd all but forgotten until this moment, He spoke for us, "We'll stay Mrs. Solar."
Caroline, who had premade a chicken, quickly stuffed the bird into an oven and made a pan of rice. I offered to help but she turned it down all the while pointing to the dining room table. When she set the chicken onto the table, I thanked her again.
"Oh, Rapunzel, you don't need to thank me this much!" Caroline said. She takes a seat across from me and smiles before saying, "Alright, go ahead and dig in!"
That is it for this week! Weak I know. I just wanted to end it so BADLY! Like wud duh fu**!