Twenty-three- Jasper

Chapter 23

Jasper

After training yesterday, I got really sick, I threw up quite a bit... I'm fine now, and I sit in DD drinking coffee with Ray, our usual Saturday thing. She's telling me of her sickness last night, it was mostly the same experience as me, just at like one o'clock in the morning instead of the second I got home. I sip my coffee, savoring the taste. Everyone thinks it's black, but really I put pounds of sugar in there. Someone walks by the window and the movement attracts my attention, then I realize it's Wren.

“Ray, stay here!” I put down the coffee which spills and bolt out the door.

“Hey! Hey you! Wren!” I yell, running after him. I catch up to him as he stops and turns around.

“Yeah...?” He says confused, I don't usually talk to him.

“We need to talk, we have something to tell you, do you have a few minutes?” His phone vibrates in his pocket and I see his eyes light up happily, hey slides open the phone and replies to the text, smiling.

“Yeah, I guess...” He says, looking wistfully at the message. We walk back to the Dunkin' Donuts and I sit down across from Ray, “Sit here.” I point next to Ray, who scoots over. She looks at him excitedly, “Finally!” She says, her eyes bright.

“What?” He looks from me to her.

“Has anything... weird happened to you lately?” Ray whispers.

“Um... I lost my meds...”

“Weirder.” I urge.

“Why?” He says defensively, making me think that it has. He looks around to the exit, as if plotting an escape. I think about his name, is a wren and type of songbird? He does sing amazingly...

“You didn't happen to, I don't know, turn into an animal recently?” I say quietly. His mouth flops open with the intention of a “no” forming at his lips, but that doesn't happen.

“So you did!” Ray exclaims silently.

“Well, have we got a surprise for you, do you want a coffee? This might take a while.” I ask, getting p from the seat to order him something.

“Cream, two sugars.” He croaks.

“I- I... Huh?” He stammers.

“Crazy I know, but is there another way you can explain turning into a white lion?” Ray says soothingly.

“I... have to go, I'll tell Marina...”

“Put my number in your phone, in case either of you have a question.” I say then tell him my number while he types it in.

“I'll text the others!” Ray says excitedly. Wren's hands shake as he runs them nervously through his hair.

“Oh, Bry just texted me back, she wants to know if you can meet at her house tomorrow around noon for training.”

“Training?” Wren squeaks.

“Yeah, here's her address.” Ray shoves her phone into his face and he makes a note of it on his.

“I- I have to go.” He says, practically running out the door.

“I think you scared him.” I laugh.

“Maybe a little.” She smiles. “But I feel bad, ruining his innocent life, but Malum would find him eventually and he'd be unprepared, Marina too.” She says quieter.

“Yeah...” I say. My life was a lot simpler before I discovered my powers. And it was... Ray's fault, if she'd just said yes! Okay, not this again, shut up Jasper. As if reading my mind, Ray asks timidly, “Um, is that offer still up?”

“Which one?”

“To, um, go out with you?” She looks down, her eyelashes casting shadows down her cheeks in the setting sun.

“Yes!” I practically jump out of my seat.”

“Great! After training tomorrow, we could see a movie?”

“Sounds great.” I smile, very excited.

“I've been waiting for this!” One of the girls who graduated this year says, coming over from her post at the register. “Took you long enough, girlie!” She nudges Ray. Then without giving us a chance to reply, she walks away.

“Ready to go?”

“Yeah.” She's smiling. We step out into the orange light of the setting sun.

“No need for editing today, huh?”

“Who says I didn't?” She laughs.

“I never thought of that.” We walk in silence until we get to our cars.

“See you tomorrow.” I say, getting into my car. I drive home, dancing in my seat to no music. I get home and make some dinner. Then I take a shower and go to bed, my thoughts racing, mostly consisting of Ray. My dreams too.

I stand on the top of a mountain I created. Ray stands with me, but I can't see her face and her hair s the wrong color, more dirty blonde. She looks at me with those gorgeous emerald green eyes, like the sun in the leaves. Flowers twine around her and the wind blows through her hair.

“Jasper, I can't live without you.” She says, smiling shyly.

“I love you.” I lean down and kiss her. Her mouth tastes of the Earth, green and living. I break the kiss and smile into her eyes. Then the scene changes.

I'm standing among dead bodies. Hundreds of them, all already rotting seemingly for weeks. Ray weeps behind me, but her appearance is still warped, changed. One body lays in a wedding dress, stained with long dried brown blood. Heads and bodies litter the ground, eaten and rotting.

This is not a proper way to die.

The scene changes.

I'm watching two people making out. Now this is better! One has black hair and the other has blonde, but their faces are concealed. They break apart and smile at each other.

“Finally.” The girl whispers.

“Finally.” He echoes. I'm walking forward and I step on a twig. They look up. It's Nox and Ray! I stumble backward, not in anger because she was cheating, but in surprise. I guess I'm not angry because it's only a dream-

The realization snaps me into consciousness, sunlight streams in through my window, it's almost noon! S**t! I bolt out of bed and pull on clothes and comb my hair. I rush out the door and drive to Briar-Rose's house. When I get there, Wren and Marina stand awkwardly in the middle of the other five. I complete the circle of the six of us.

Author's Note

Da dun... da dun... dadundadundadundadun.
OH NO! HERE'S COME'S A REVIEW! AHHHHHHH!!! RUN FOR YOUR LIF-
*chomp*

Reviews

[Abbie]

Great chapter! I love it!!!!!! I kind of feel bad for wren. Jasper comes up pulls him over for a coffee then tells him he now has powers and he needs to go to training for them. freaked out much? Ray should be with Nox in my opinion. they just look much better together... Anyways love the chapter!!!!!!

[MandaBear]

soooooooooo love the chapter!!!!!!

[emman]

wow!this is great! I love this! soooooooooooooooooooooooooo much :))))

[Sylvana]

When Jasper gets up to get Wren coffee, there was a typo of "p" instead of "up"

....feel not like repeating herself for the nth time of how much she enjoys this book....