Chapter 2 - Someone to to be there.

She was lying in bed curled up, there was just something about her I couldn't get over. Nor could I pin what it was. She looked so peaceful lying in her bed that when her Gran walked me to her room I felt rude and asked if I should leave, but she said it'd be good for her to have a friend and left me. So here I was feeling as awkward as a jellyfish trying to decided weather to wake her or leave. Rebekah moaned in her sleep, squeezing her eyes shut so tight that her face bunched up in a cute way, then she whimmperd, letting a tear slide down her check. It was such an odd feeling I had, like I wanted to protect her from what she was dreaming of. I lent down and shook her awake.

"Rebekah? Becca?" I whispered to her, not knowing that she'd jump and sit up, headbutting me right in the nose.

As I was jolted from my sleep, my instincts kicked into action and i was automaticly in defensive mode, the first being a headbutt to break the nose of any victum in its path. Givng me many seconds to run, scream or attack again.

"BECCA! WHAT THE F**K!" I froze at the oddly familar voice. My vision clear to fit the voice to the face of the very person I'd been avoiding, JASPER!

"WHAT are you doing here?!" I squeaked hysterically, " In my house, in my room, near me?" I went to get out of bed but a pressure on my shoulders stopped me. Jasper had grasped them, when I stopped fighting back one of his hands dropped to his pocket.

"Rebekah, stop. I'm here to give you this." Jasper lifted his muscullar arm up, his fist clenched shut, hovered over my lap. Putting my hands under his, he dropped something shiny and silver. My necklace. At the imediate sight of it my hand flew to my neck and I froze for the millionth time in Jaspers prescence.

"Why do you have this?" I croaked, holding back tears with all my strength.

"It was in the carpark when I went to leave, I think you dropped it. It looks like the one your always clutching." He gazed at my face, looking for a sign. His lip qwivered and he chewed on it, giving away his expectation of rejection. I glanced away no longer able to hold back the shock of almost loosing my only link to my past life, a keep sake and protection from danger, the gift from my birth, a gift from my father, to my mother, to me. The very thing that kept me sane, for all these years. Suddenly, I was lifted from my place, Jaspers' arms wrapping around me, comforting and carrying me into his lap. Right on cue tears started to flow.

"You..... Stupid,"I managed, slamming a fist into his chest before a new wave of emotion engulfed me. Showing emotions and feelings I was unfamilar with, making me cry harder into Jaspers strong reasuring arms. It was an odd feeling. Being comforted by someone I'd avoided with such effort. This feeling of comfort was so satisfying, the heat from his burns produced nothing more than a 'just warm' heat. The tense of his chest muscels as he breathed in and out, rythmeticly was some-what comforting. I'd longed for such comforts for so long but had held everyone who could possible become close, away, to save them. And Jasper has broken years' worth of walls and emotional blocks down with one simple gesture of care. STUPID, I'm so stupid. I couldnt push myself away, I needed this affection, I needed this comfort, and most of all, I wanted Jasper.

"I have pushed everyone away for so long," I whispered into his now, tear soaked shirt. "Everyone, I've just been so..." I struggled with my composure and started crying again, "Lonely". Jasper stroked my hair while producing a soothing hushing noise. Rocking me back and forth slowly.

I don't remember how long we sat there like that but I slowly became conscious of what I was doing and sat up. With red rimed eyes I positioned myself next to Jasper, looking at his face the whole time I removed myself from his grasp, to make sure this was real, and not a dream. Not a glamour someone had put over my eyes.

"Would it really be so..." Jasper's eyebrows narrowed as he thought of how to end his sentence, "Bad? To ...uh, let me in. Let me be the one around for you?" As he finished the sentece his gaze fell into mine, so serious that all I wanted to say was, 'not at all'.

"It could hurt you, I have things that I can't tell anyone. That I've choosen not to....uh, they're not.... I can't" I lost my train of thought as my eyes swept over his mouth, hovering slightly open, glossy from his tounge running over them. He was chewing on his lower lip as he listened, and I so much wanted to taste them. I was about to break all of my rules, all of the things keeping me sane and everyone safe, for a boy who wants to care for me.

"Stay here, for a little while," I glanced down, afraid of what it could mean if he said yes, "Stay with me, please?" I think I need you.

"Reb!,Reow!" Vertue screached, "Get up!"

Not now, i roled over, snuggling closer to my pillow, savouring its warms. Suddenly i rememeber what's happend, the whole Jasper and me, me and Jasper.I leap out of bed suddenly, flinging and knocking everything from my bed and table including poor Vertue onto the ground on all fours.

" S**T!," I mumbles, cluctching my necklace, looking around in a daze, "It was just a dream."

"Well this wasn't," Vertue growled. His eye's flashing vibrant green, threatening on of his hissy-fits.

"I'm sorry," smiling i pick him up and pet around ears and neck, forcing him to purr loudly.

"Now what where you dreaming about?" He purred

"Oh wouldn;t you like to know, hey vir," I laughed as he shot me a playful his and lashed out. Gliding of my lap, making his way to my window., where he watched a bird on the tree outside.

"I decided i don;t care," He chuckled cruely, "Will you open the window for me?"

"Sure," I laughed, reaching over him, just before i opened the window i leant down and kissed his face. which he tentivly rubs his face on me, a sign of effection that makes me smile no matter what mood.

Walking down the hall towards the kitchen, my feet tingle with the cool feeling of the pine flooring. Itching my eye's bevause the contacts where itching, a smell engolfed my nose, and the air was filled with a delicious scent of toast, bacon, egg and onion. My speed picks up and i speed to the kitchen to see Gran Louise setting the table with tea and breakfast.

"Gran, whats all this?" I asked loudly.

"Oh! Your awake lovey, You looked upset yesterday so this is my way of making up for that. Nothing good comes out of saddness Rebekah, Happiness is the light, its come light any dark room. Keep that in mind deary." Gran started mummbling about quotes out of movies and went throught with the quote from Harry Potter. " Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, when one only remembers to turn on the light,"

Buy the time she's finished her little rant, Virtue had joined us and i'd already started on my meal, enjoying the hot oily beverouge. Most of the morning was like that, eatting, small discussions and rants. I decided i'd go out for coffee and left Gran after stuffing the dishes in the dishwasher as a big thankyou for distracting me.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I walked into the coffee shop, and saw him striaght away, Jasper. I didn't know why I knew he would be there but i just knew. Sitting by himself drinking a coffee from a paper take-away cup. He was reading a book and sipping his drink regularly. I notice his lip is swallen and theres a silver bar sitting threw his lip. I walked right up to his table and slammed my hands onto the table.

"Right," I said sitting down and grabbing his arm swiftly.

He was wearing a long sleaved shirt designed with a skeleton the fitted against his body, tight in all the right places. I pulled his sleave up and looked into his eyes purposly, catching him by surprise. He pulls back defensivly, obviously confused and worried about what i was doing. Taking a deep breath i leaned forwards.

"Where did you get these?" I confronted him. Stright forward and absolutly unexpectedly, even though i knew what they where, i wanted the whole story, a background to his suffereing. Something to give me a reason to help and trust him.

"What," his eyes fluttered around, looking to see if anyones else could see.

"You know what i'm talking about, these's burns," I whispered leanining forwards when people started craining there necks to get a look at my fuss. The waiter even diverted his path just to walk past to look at what i was talking about.

"How," he started, pulling back but to get away. I wasnt planning to let him to do that. Tightening my grip on his wrist i yanked forwards. Demanding his attention, his eye contact.

"I...., i;ve been able to see these types of things since i was a kid," I said honestly. It was true, i could but he didn't need to know my reasons why. Shifting in my seat, an unsettling feeling setting into my stomach.

"Oh," He said simply. His lips setting firmly, sitting stifly. His head dropped in thought. Determaning what the outcome would be, waying his options. "Lets go for a walk,"

Packing his book away in a 'Metellica' bag he stood up, leaning slightly from my grip on his wrist. His eyes caught mine with fear, plain fear. I stood, loosening my grip slightly to make the effect of it looking casual for everyone around watching. A shiver running at my spin as his hand slipped into mine spreading itself amoung my fingers. Giving the effect that we where a couple. My gut cleached. Or are these butterflys?

I followed him outside to the carpark, he stopped by his bike and tentivly slide his hand across it.

"Lets go somewhere quiet," Jasper said, sliding his hand out of mind and proping his body over the Ninjah. I followed through, and hopped on behind him, gripping his hips. His back was stiff, and i could feel his muscels flexing. Oh God. As he started the bike i jump, sqeaking at its powerful engine. A slight chuckle was heard before every sound was blown away with the wind.

After 30mins of ridding Jasper pulled up ontp a park on the outskirts off town, a park thats been abandon for as long as i can remember for whatever tragities that occured. As soon as we came to a stop i could feel the parks emptiness, a breeze slid past sending shivers down my spine. Jasper smiled, hopping of his anchored bike and walked knowingly into the parks lonely skirting. He stopped at a park bench and waited, knowing i would follow, and it appeared that he was going to spill the beans. I briskfully bounded into the park after him, sliding into the chair across and placed my palm out. A glance told me that he really didn't want to place his hand back into my grasp, and when he placed it there i knew why. There were raw marks from where i'd been gripping earlier. I looked up sympatheticly and exhaled,

"I'm sorry, will you tell me know?"

"I will." His eyes glazed over, and his stare was held somewhere over my shoulder as he remembered what he;d been through. "It was a week or two before i moved to this school, I was pretty messed up. My parents didn't like who I was hanging out with." He grins at this, some sort of inside joke i guess, "I was a handful i admit, i really don't remember much. I went out with a few mates one night for a few drinks, which turned into way too many. Then blank, nothing."

Jasper pause's, lost in his thought, I take the chance to lift up his sleave again and look at the raw scars, they still produced witch heat. These burns looked deep, but it was hard to tell with these contacts in. Tracing one with one of my fingers, Jasper continues his story with a moan.

"I remember burning pain, it started in my back. I couldn't open my eyes at first, it- uh well, could have been shock or drugs." His face looks strained as he continues obviously still fresh in his mind, "The room was dark, and by the time I could see anything I was burning down my arms, it was unreal. Something - supernatural-" He laughs when he says this, a shy disbeleiving laugh," Anyways my arm was glowing white, like a white and black flame. When i moved it would hist and grow hotter."

He stopped again, and looked me in the eyes, judging my expression, daring me to beleive his story. I could feel my face burning, and my eyes tearing up. When i let his arm go he got up and walked around. Pacing from a rusted swingset to a burnt black slide. His pace slowed until he stopped. Biting his lip, Jasper swore and glanced towards me.

"I just got it peirced yesterday," He pointed at his swallen lip. I watched his body closly, shaking hands, qwivering lip. Signs of distress. Getting up slowly, I walked towards him, I didnt stop until i was so close that if i lifted my head I could kiss him, if he wasn't a head taller then me. Looking up I touched his hand. Which grasped mine tightly in response, so tightly it started tingling from blood lose.

"It's hard isn't it Becca?" Eyes shining, "To try and be someone your not. To look and act like you've got nothing to hide?" a tear escaped from his brown eye first, sliding down his cheek as fresh as his raw emotion. Leaving a wet, lonely trail along his face.

"I, uhm, it's - I" I stumble, not sure if he can see right through my act or if he's talking about himself.

"I see you push everyone away, and you pushed me away. I - All this time you could see these," He indeicated to his arms raw emotions swishing across his face, "And you just pretened to not see them. You were there everyday, staring at me. Through me. I was scared that you where one of them from the was you reacted when I came into the class. And here you are, asking, showing emotion and caring " He indicationg to our connected hands.

My mind was telling me to just leave, to go back into my shell and hide again. But my body wanted to hold this hurt boy, to hold him and care for him. But what did i want.

Jasper pateicently waited for an answer that I couldn't give, and the longer there was no reply the more tears would fall. The more pain I felt for this broken boy, the more I begain to care. He grasped my left shoulder with his free hand and leaned his head on my right and fell into a constant heartbroken sob.

"I'm so tired of hiding." was all he could manage and fell to his knees in such emotion I'd ever seen. I knelt next to him, still holding his hand, and beguin to run my fingers through his hair. He cried into his hand in great gasping sobs.

"Thats how I lost everything Becca, everything I loved. It was a week when I finally felt an ease in my burns, the pain had blurred my vision until then, and i found myself alone. Abondoned in a rundown factory. When i found strength to get out and home, i returned to nothing." JAsper let out a big sob ad continued "Everyone was dead, and the house was burnt to the ground." I had no choice but to move into my grandparents."

"Do you know what caused these burns, - Jaz?" I added a nickname I'd tought of, and to make him feel safe.

"Yeh," He sighed, then smirked nodding, "Jaz, i like it."

"Jasper."

"Oh right, yeh my Grandparents are all superstitious and they where terrified when they saw my arms, saying that I was now owned by witch's. That my body was now a cursed body. I was told that these where caused by the touch of a witch's skin. On mundane skin they burn, it's like where ever they trace they're fingers burns for weeks, longer depending on the witch."

"Yeah,I'm sorry this has happened to you, i've heard about this sort of thing before." I said, avoiding his eye contact. A thought occured to me that it could be part of my fathers doings, but I shrugged it off. It simply sounded like witchs looking for fun.

Author's Note

sorry for any mistakes