When Winter Comes

Chapter 16: Winter Decides to Have a Party

IGNORE ALL ERRORS

Chapter 16: Winter Decides to Have a Party

I wish for many things, but one that never stops,
A wish that's for a soul,
It's one that will not make a swap.
The wish will fill the empty hole,
That buries deep within the skin.
For long my journey of the wish has taken so much time.
Softly my body crumbles like it's just a pin,
But this may be the prime,
For wishing lullabies.
My wish is slowly coming to a halt.
I'm afraid to begin my cries,
But I will not say it's your fault.
I wish for many things, and I'm sad to say that one has ended.
The wish has crushed one thing, the thing I wanted to befriend.
-Winter Ozlin's diary

"Jace!" I shouted at his door as I pounded my fist against it. "Jace open the door!"

For twenty minutes I had been banging on Jace's door, trying to get him to talk to me, but he didn't even make a sound. My feet kicked the base of the door while my hands thrusted themselves at the top. Ever since the dance last night, he'd been ignoring my calls. After I left the dance, I felt awful. Dancing made me forget about what had happened with Austin and Jace. But when the night ended, everything with Jace came rushing back and flooded my head. Everything in me felt horrible. I needed to talk to Jace, so I spent all night trying to call him. I called, left messages, hurt myself. It was a process that dug deep into me, like a fresh scar I knew so well.

"Jace, please," I finally cried and let my body give. Once I let go, my body folded into a mess on the floor. My knees shriveled up to my head and I collected my thoughts with my head between them.

Jace didn't want me. It was obvious. He was being nice, as usual. But when he kissed me back, I felt electricity. I felt warmth through the coldness within me. I was alive for the first time in what felt like ages. Everything connected between us, and all was right. Except it wasn't, and he actually couldn't stand the sight that had become me. I was disgusted for letting Taylor even slither her way into my mind and rip me apart. Shame crashed down on me like an ocean barrel suffocating me. Without Jace telling me everything would be okay, I was alone again.

. . .

"What about a country theme?" Asha asked with a giddy smile.

I discovered that Taylor's minions were actually sweet sophomores. Asha, who had blonde hair that drifted beautifully down her back in spiral curls, was in all advance classes, so that meant she was in majority of my classes. She didn't say it, but I could tell she probably graduating with us and not the class under. Rose was the other one, who was sweet but had her moments of lashing out. Rose kept more to herself, but did whatever was asked of her. With the hollow look in her eyes, I wondered what made her a follower of Taylor.

"Country? Please, we need the party to look nice," Taylor spat with a shaken head. Quickly, she scribbled down something in her tiny black notebook that she always held onto. "I'm thinking something with lots of flowers. We can put them all around the commons and the hallways and even some of the rooms can have roses." She gave a wink and smiled at her idea.

"The smell will be sickening," Rose mumbled, which got her an immediate glare from Taylor.

"Flowers smell good Rosaline," Taylor retorted.

"They do attract a lot of bugs," I whispered under my breath. Hopefully, it was quiet enough for Taylor not to hear. The last thing I wanted was to continue our feud.

"Well it's a good thing we're indoors and not out with the pests," Taylor responded with a thin smile stretching across her face. "I thought you'd be happy about this party, Winter," she sighed, sensing the distance I was making. Ever since Homecoming, she always popped up next to me and wrapped me up in her group. Many times, I found myself wanting to leave and talk to Penny or Jace, but mostly Jace. I missed the silent times I had before she decided to bring back the old Winter. "You missed last years epic banger, and I wanted to make another awesome one so you don't feel like you missed out," she explained she sorry eyes. "I'm doing this for you, to make you happy again after last year when you-" She trailed off, as if waiting for me to finish her sentence.