LONGEST, WEIRDEST DRABBLE EVER, WATCH OUT!
"And now you know," Amber sighed. Jerome, Alfie, Amber, Fabian, Nina, Patricia and Eddie watched her, all doted around Nina's room.
"Right." Mara stated, she looked shocked, beyond shocked, stunned. "And the teachers are against you?" she repeated. They nodded at her, she turned to look at Eddie "He's the Osirien?" again, a round of nods. "And, how on earth did Jerome suddenly become a part of everything?"
Alfie laughed "That no one knows. He begged to become one of u-"
"Wouldn't say begged." Jerome interrupted in a low voice, but Alfie continued as if he hadn't heard.
"one of us at first. But then after the holidays, as he never burnt anything, Amber didn't invite him back as a proper Sibuna member. But then, the whole thing about his dad and the gem, he ended up back with Rufus. And got kidnapped, and then he ended back in the library, and we couldn't really keep it a secret, with him over there," he pointed to Eddie "Shooting pink light out of his hands." Alfie smiled at Mara, before frowning, then turning back to Eddie "Which I think is really cool by the way," the two boys high-fived.
"So, is everyone here now an official Sibuna Member?"
"Yes," Nina nodded "Jerome burnt something, as did Eddie. We all are now. And we were hoping you'd join us."
"Join you?" Mara echoed.
"We need your help with some of the riddles." Fabian admitted "You're the smartest person in the entire house Mara, we'd certainly pick up some, speed if we had you."
"Yeah," Patricia nodded "Plus, I've missed hanging around with you,"
Mara smiled back at her red-headed old friend, and nodded "Me too."
Line Break
After everyone had dispersed from the forest, were Mara had just burnt her favourite book in the history of the entire world, she heard someone jog up to her. "You're taking this all pretty well." Jerome stated, walking beside her, as the two fell into a comfortable pace. "I thought you'd freak out."
"Well you don't know me very well." Mara stated.
"No. I do know you. I know you quite well actually. I just tend to underestimate you. A lot." He tried to catch her eyes, but she kept looking ahead. "Mara, come on! Whatever happened to us-"
"You know exactly what happened to us-"
"Not that." Jerome cut her off "I mean before that. Before we made the terrible mistake of going out. No, I mean, when we were just friends. And we were able to talk to one another without this massive sort of rift between us."
Mara said nothing, but her expression softened slightly. "I do miss the friendship," she whispered.
"See?" Jerome leapt at the opportunity, "And now you're in SIBUNA, this friendship would be stronger. We could rebuild it, never look back. I miss having someone I could open up to."
Mara thought about it, biting her lip "And, we would never try a romantic relationship again?"
"Never." Jerome shook his head, visibly shuddering "It's almost funny that we tried it. We were both so terrible." Mara joined in. "We're best, when we're friends." He nodded "All my romantic feelings for you are gone," he stopped walking and held out his hand to made the deal.
"As are mine," she grinned, shaking his hands.
And their friendship began again.
Line Break
Jerome lay in bed that night, happier than he had been in a while. He had missed Mara Jaffray, as a friend of course. He chuckled quietly to himself, remembering how awful it had been when they had been going out. Of course, he was able to laugh at it now, because so much time had passed and they had moved on. But back then, it hurt. A lot.
"I know you're keeping something from me!" Mara cried, stood in his room, younger looking, her hair straight. "I know you are! You promised me Jerome! You promised no more secrets! And yet you always sneak off with them!"
"I don't want to, Mara!" Jerome cried back "I really don't! And if I could tell you, I would!"
"You can tell me!"
"I can't!"
"You can't, or you won't?" she challenged.
He sighed, that didn't matter now though, did it. She knew.
"I knew it. I knew you still liked him!"
"What did you think was gonna happen? Just because he moved away I stop talking to him?"
"No! I just thought that once we started dating you would spend more time with me, than with your ex-boyfriend!"
"He's my friend!"
"And so what am I?!" he roared angrily.
Oh, the endless arguments. Always arguing. They had been worse than Patricia and Eddie. Looking back, he could only remember one time they had actually had fun, had enjoyed being with each other. It was on their third month anniversary. That was it.
They fought about why Jerome didn't sit by her in class, why Mara didn't wait for him by his locker, why there was nothing for them to both do together and enjoy. About how Jerome continued his selling used homework trade, and Mara ran for school council even though she knew it would mean less time with him. How Jerome got jealous when she hung out with Eddie, and how Mara got jealous if he hung out with Patricia. About Amber and Alfie having an argument, they would both take different sides. Abou-
"Jerome, mate, I can practically hear you thinking way over here. And I'm trying to sleep," Alfie sighed, yawning, and rolling over
"Sorry, Alf." He sighed, "You know me, I like a good midnight ponder,"
"And and I right in guessing who you're thinking of?"
"Oh Alfonzo." Jerome laughed "You're so much more intuitive in the middle of the night,"
"That's cuz my imagination hasn't woken up yet," he mumbled. Jerome laughed, looking up at the ceiling, knowing that just above him, there was a sleeping Mara.
But Jerome Clarke was wrong.
Line Break
Mara Jaffray typed away on the key board of her laptop, she was completely under the blankets, curled up, her laptop balanced on her knees as she wrote. It was her online diary, and she was writing about Jerome. About how their friendship was growing again. And a small part of her wondered if that was the right thing to be doing. One of their constant arguments was that she over analysed and looked into everything way too much. But as she sat and typed, she wondered if them giving their friendship a second try was really such a good idea.
Their friendship always led to a relationship, which always ended in arguments, which resulted in enemies. And then one of them would give and they would be friends and their friendship would lead onto the torturous cycle again. Full of so much pain and heartache, and not near enough fun.
Line Break
And sure enough, two months later. It happened.
They were both in the library just revising for their maths test and they had kissed. And now, the two of them walked home. An awkward air around them.
"You know what's going to happen now, right?" Mara sighed, clutching her books to her chest "We're gonna fight all the time,"
"Sorry," Jerome sighed "I couldn't help myself."
"No," Mara shook her head "I initiated it," she groaned "It's my fault," Jerome watched her sadly
"We're never gonna get this right, are we Mara? We're doomed to repeat this cycle and neither of us is ever gonna be happy with anyone else." Mara met his worried eyes and she looked back down at her feet "We're hopeless."
"I…I…" she looked up at the blue sky, feeling completely helpless. "What do we do?"
"I'd say stay friends, but that always leads to…" he gestured between the two of them. "How about…we both get into relationships? Distract ourselves, it might work."
Line break
And it did work. For two months.
Mara and Fabian, and they were happy. Jerome and Willow, and they were happy.
But nowhere near happy enough.
They found themselves kissing in the empty classroom, and Mara pulled away in anguish "Jerome!" she cried, burying her face into his chest "Look at what we're doing,"
Jerome hugged her breathlessly "I…I can't live without you," he admitted "Mara, I love you-"
"When we fight," Mara looked into his eyes "We want nothing to do with each other. And we fight all the time." She rubbed her eyes helplessly "What do we do?"
Line Break
And Jerome found an answer.
He left.
He moved to another boarding school, and he didn't tell Mara where. He left only a note that he was going, and left. Cutting himself off with her.
Mara buried herself in her school work. Had an on again, off again relationship with Mick Campbell, broke up with him for good. Had a brief period were Alfie was her best friend.
And even though it pained her, she knew Jerome had done it right.
Line Break
ONE YEAR LATER
"So…" Jerome dug his hands into the pockets of his grey blazer "I'm back to stay,"
"I've missed you," Mara smiled "Good to see you again,"
Line Break
"Jerome." Mara said very suddenly. Jerome paused the video game had and Alfie were playing "Do you realise?"
"Realise what, gorgeous?"
"We've been together two months now,"
"It's not our anniversary is it?" Jerome said worriedly "I marked it on the calendar and everything!" Alfie laughed, as did Mara.
"No, I was going to say…not to jinx it, we haven't had a single fight, well, apart from the other day about Ed Milliband."
"He is a loser!" Jerome called, Mara rolled her eyes, and Jerome became serious "Yeah," he smiled brightly "That's a good thing, right?" Mara kissed him lightly on the lips
"A very good thing,"
Line Break
Mara's eyes watered, but she kept going "And now I'm standing up here with you…and I finally know exactly what to do."
"I love you," Jerome chocked out "I always did."
And then they were married. Jerome kissed her, lifting her up into the air as the audience clapped and wept.
Line Break
"What do you say?"Jerome whispered. His seven year old boy looked up at him, before placing the rose on his mothers grave
"I love you, mummy,"
"Good boy," Jerome whispered, lifting his son up, he brushed his sons black hair from his eyes "Your mummy loves you very much."
"I love her too," Peter said, hugging his dad. Jerome's eyes watered, as he hugged his son.
Line Break
"He looked after me," Peter said in anguish, looking down at his fathers grave, beside his mothers. "My mother died when I was seven. He had to raise me by himself and keep down a job. He never remarried even though there were so many nice women…he never stopped loving her."
Mindy twined her fingers with hers "They would've wanted to see your wedding,"
Peter did smile at that, turning to hug her "How will it feel, changing your surname from Millington to Clarke?"
"Who said I'm changing my surname?" Mindy laughed, wiping away his tears.
Line Break
"Jerome!" Mara hugged him tightly, Jerome looked around, startled. He was standing in a meadow, dressed in white…with no shoes. And Mara…his Mara, the 22 year old Mara that he'd married was in front of him, wearing a white sun dress.
"Mara?" He looked around, and then down at his hands. Young hands again. Not old and wrinkled. "What?"
"Heaven," she whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck "Jerome!" she let out an ecstatic laugh "You're in heaven!" and she kissed him.
Line Break
"Is it real?" he asked, lying in the meadow of long grass, Mara lay beside him at an angle, her head on his chest, their hands intertwined. "Are you real? Or are you a figment of my imagination?"
"I'm real," Mara insisted "But I'll never be able to prove it to you, will I?" she hummed to herself "You raised Peter so well…but you know, you were never on your own,"
"I know," Jerome smiled, bringing her hand up to kiss it "You were with me the whole time,"
"In here," Mara tapped his chest
"In here,"
Line Break
"Dad!" Peter cried, aged 19, he hugged Jerome, Jerome grinned. "Dad- the car came right at me, I tried to serve out of the way! Bu-"
"It's okay," Jerome hushed him, "There's uh…someone I want to introduce you too," he turned, and Peter saw his mum. His mum, not just hazy memories. And he hugged her
"Mummy," he whispered into his hair.
Line Break
"Did you know them?" asked the old woman, the little girl, carrying a basket of rose petals shook her head. She was only about 9.
"No, but my grand dad did, and…I want to let the Clarkes know they aren't forgotten," and Milly Lewis continued sprinkling rose petals over the three graves.
Wow…weird wasn't it? Golly….
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