To Bid You Farewell

Chapter I

Jason Daughtery looked at the burning cigarette in his hand and felt ecstatic. His date with Valerie tonight was beyond what he could've ever dared to dream of. He could still taste the cherry from her lipstick from when they kissed under the pine tree on the cliff.

Ever since Jason had first met her, Valerie captured his interest. He really doesn't know what it is about her. She was attractive, smart, and funny, but something made her much more magnetic. Jason wasn't very crass. He has been trying to ask her out for the past six months now, but every time, she rejected him. Maybe it was his reputation, maybe she didn't find him appealing, maybe it was a combination of both, but what Jason knows for a fact is, getting her to say yes was an achievement he was proud of.

He walked over to the window and reflected on his beautiful surroundings. His family's home was a large estate in West Country that has been passed down from father to son for ages. Daughtery Castle  was big and secluded. He had always loved the cold dark castle with the thick, foreboding forests of pine trees surrounding it. It was a place that encouraged his tendency to feel grounded. This place was his safe house, his sanctuary. There was a reason he never let his band practice here; he didn't want them to ruin his sanctuary by filling it with loud noises and empty beer bottles.

The sky was cloudy, but the moonlight still shimmered through the open gaps in the fog. The clouds were sprinkling lightly, warning the heavy rains to come. Jason puffed a ring of smoke when he saw something in the distance, or rather someone, strolling through the estates' large gates. Frederick, the groundskeeper, didn't inform Jason of anyone entering. A couple of minutes later he saw who it is and realized why. It was the figure of Joanna Summers. Joanna's usually ash blonde hair was a wet mess, as if she had just ran through a marathon in the rain.

Jason gulped. He caught his own reflection in the window. His hair was reaching beyond the lengths of his shoulders and his stubble was turning from mildly sexy into mildly off-putting; yes, he was a heavy partier and an infamous musician. His bandmates only saw him as the guy who got them into first place at the school's talent show three years in a row. Once, he was the most infamous guitarist in town; everyone knew him and every musician wanted to work with him.

But not even the most infamous guitarist in town was prepared for what Joanna had in store today.

The rain grew heavier and started hammering like war drums. Jason followed her with his gaze. Joanna seemed senseless to the heavy showers that were drenching her from head to toe as she crossed the garden and came closer to the front gates of the castle.

Jason put out his cigarette in the crystal ashtray on his desk and turned away from the window. He stepped out the door of his room and briskly traveled down the long winding stairs. He opened the front doors and as Joanna came closer, he could see the smeared mascara on her face.

"So, for no apparent reason, Joanna suddenly appears out of the rain," he remarked, but the girl didn't answer. She simply turned around him to enter the warmth of foyer. Jason closed the doors behind them and waited as Joanna wiped the rain from her face and caught her breath.

She raised her face, and Jason saw her puffy eyes and smeared eyeliner. Her hair wasn't tied and neat as it usually was, and her entire dress was soaking wet. For a second, Jason allowed a sign of concern to show on his face. "What's wrong?" he asked.

She looked around. "Where are Charles and Jennifer?"

Jason hated it when Joanna referred to his parents by their first name. "They're in Portugal."

"Portugal?"

He nodded, offering no further information, and repeated his question. "What are you doing here, Joanna? It's half past midnight."

Joanna looked him straight in the eyes. "Liam and I broke up."

Jason winced at hearing the name. "And what does that have to do with me?"

Jason still remembered the night he and Joanna broke up. In fact, a day still doesn't go by where he doesn't reflect back at his actions and wish if he could only go back in time and undo them. But he knew he had too much pride to do anything about it. Jason pushed the thoughts to the back of his head.

Joanna stuttered for a second, as if asking herself the same question. "I don't think I can be alone tonight," she finally answered.

"And so you come to me late at night, crying, and soaking wet."

Joanna's big brown eyes pleaded him.

Jason remained silent for a second, almost enjoying her agony, and then sighed. "Fine, you can go dry off while I prepare a cup of tea." Joanna nodded gratefully and headed upstairs.