2) Memories

Second chapter! :)

Cross legged, I sat on my bed, staring out my open window off at the tossing sea.  A burst of wind played with my dark brown hair that went just past my shoulders.  My blue-green eyes stung with tears, and my oval shaped face was flushed from running.  My small pink lips were trembling as I whispered, "Austin.  Haven't I forgotten after all this time?"

Just then, my bedroom door slowly opened, and Jordan silently joined me, wrapping her fingers around mine.

"Want to talk about it?" she whispered.

I sighed, and slowly turned to look at her.  She had shoulder length dirty blonde hair, and sparkling green eyes always bursting with fun though now they were filled with concern.  I could always count on her to be there for me in the good and bad, comforting me in anyway she could.

I took a deep breath.  "Austin-- well-- we both liked each other-- at least I thought.  We were good friends at first, and-- well, after a few weeks, we became more serious."  I sighed as though the weight of all the memories still hung down on me.  "Anyway, it didn't last too long."

"Jackie," my friend barely gasped.  "Whatever happened?"

I looked back out the window, watching a lonesome seagull flying restlessly in the cloudless sky.  I knew just how he felt.

Tears clung to my heart at the memory of that dreadful night.  "He said we were nothing to each other except simple crushes," I whispered, my voice cracking, "and that love was supposed to go further than that.  He and his family planned to move to Rhode Island, because, apparently, they had family up there, and they wanted to be closer to them.  I suppose he wanted to go, so we could be separated even more."  That was when the tears started to gather.  "He never wrote me, and I haven't seen him since."

"Oh, Jackie," she whispered, looping her arm around me.  "Why did you never tell me?"

I wiped my eyes.  "It was a long time ago, and I had barely known you then.  We broke up the year that we became friends.  I had buried it all in the past, and I never like talking about it, so let's just keep it like that, okay?"

She nodded silently, and just sat there beside me, watching the waves, and thinking about the secret I had just uncovered.  She was the first person to know except for my parents, of course, but even they didn't know that he had said we meant nothing to each other.  They thought that he had just moved, it hadn't worked out, and that was the end of it.  Well, it hadn't ended for now it gave me the fresh memory of our beautiful times together.  We had shown each other that we meant more than just simple crushes, but yet he didn't believe it.  Why had he just threw me away?  Had I done something to cause him to think the way he had?  Well, I would just forget it.  Austin Blaire meant nothing to me anymore, and I was determined to keep it that way.

~*~

Early the next morning, I awoke, and slipping on a pair of jean shorts and colored tank top, I quietly slipped out the front door.  I practically skipped over the old dock, and to the beach where I sat, hugging my knees, watching the sun and it's red flames flash across the sky.  I loved these mornings when no one was in sight, and everything was quiet and peaceful.  It made memories flood back to my mind-- some of which I had hoped to have forgotten.  

I could picture Austin and I, hand in hand, walking on the beach at sunset, leaving feet imprints in the sand.  Austin had left the same imprint on my heart that I knew would never leave me no matter how hard I wish it could.  We had such good times together; fun times, but I still remembered that night he had came to me, saying we were finished.

"Our love has to be stronger than simple crushes, Jackie," I remembered him saying.  "We both are fooling ourselves, thinking that we mean more to each other than that."

"You only think that.  Austin, you know that I love you-- more than the world.  How come you say it's just a simple crush?" I asked, hurting inside.  I stood up, hands on my hips.  "You're right.  I thought we did mean more to each other than that.  Don't you love me-- haven't you loved me?"

"Maybe I don't.  Maybe I never did."

Those words had pierced my heart and soul, and still brought tears to my eyes.  It was like he had shot an arrow right through me.  The man I had loved more than all the world hadn't been who I really thought he was. 

"Jackie," someone whispered behind me.  I jumped, and turned around, knowing that voice as well as my own.  I had expected to see Austin standing there, his dark hair waving in the wind and his deep blue eyes, deeper than the sea, looking right into my soul, but instead I saw softly rolling sand dunes, and my house standing tall and proud.  I sighed, realizing that I missed him.  Yes, I admitted that much, but I knew I never ever wished to see his face again.  He had broken my heart once, and I wasn't planning to have it broken again.

~*~

"Jackie, do you want to do something else?" Jordan asked as I absent-mindedly was watching A Walk to Remember with her on my comfy couch in the living room.  I hadn't been paying much attention to what was happening.  My thoughts had only been on Austin the past few weeks even though I had tried to push them away.

"I don't like to see you sitting around, restless and bored.  Besides, it's summer.  Let's make memories out of it."

I looked over at her, and managed a slight smile.  She was right.  I couldn't spend the days wasting away as the verse in Psalms spoke of.  Austin was gone, and it was time that I moved on with my life, now.  God had a plan for my future, and I had to trust Him for whatever that was.

"You're right," I said, standing up with new determination.  "I'm sorry I've been making life miserable for you.  Let's do something special.  Something that we'll remember this summer by," I thought aloud.

Her eyes took on a new shine, and I had the feeling she was pleased to see me as my old self after a week moping around.  

"I have a great idea," she whispered mischievously, and grabbed my hand.  I knew, whatever the plan might be, it would either be very risky, hilarious or loads of fun.  Jordan was just that sort of person to make my day brighter.

Author's Note

:)

Friends are amazing, aren't they?

So, what do you think of this chapter and about Austin? Jordan? Jackie?

Reviews

[Missy Moooooo]

Well, I don't comment every chapter,

But your chapters are short, this is like its easier to read. and I like it, this chapter is really good I like how you write, your words are kind of perfect. I wish you would have shown what you said back to Austin.

[Short.Nerd]

Friends are great. :) I'm glad Jackie has Jordan. I'm unsure about AUstin because we haven't really met him yet. Great chapter though :)

[Just Me]

This was a very well written chapter. I loved the descriptions. I really want to read more about the relationship between Austin and Jackie. I also really liked Jordan. She kinda reminds me of a few of my friends. Can't wait to read more!

[Erinne S.]

This was a great chapter Kelly. I really enjoyed reading it. You added some great descriptions!
One critique for you...."Our love has to be stronger that simple crushes, Jackie," I remembered him say." 'That' should be 'than' and 'say' should be 'saying' that way your verb tenses match in your sentences.

Other than that, it was an excellent chapter and I can't wait for you to post more!

~Erinne

[~Lizzy♬]

I love this chapter. It shows the connection of the two best friends. Great job!
Jordan is really cool and she knows how to cheer up her friends. Jackie is sorta like you in a way, but I don't suppose you made her based off of you... or maybe you did. XD Austin sounds like a jerk who just needs to know what his heart is saying. :/ Anyway, the chapter was very well written. You brought the description perfectly into the chapter. I can see that you're progressing with your writing. :)

~Lizzard~