When Winter Comes

Chapter 17: Winter is Ahead

IGNORE ALL ERRORS

Chapter 17: Winter is Ahead

Inside me stirred a monster. A monster which never was meant to be shown again. But it was unleashed, and now we all suffer.
- Winter Ozlin's Diary

"You're throwing a party?" Taylor gaped behind me in the library. My hands fisted and I dropped the pen that I had been writing with, planning every single detail of the party.

I figured out that I would be throwing a pilgrim party. In honor of Thanksgiving break being next week, I organized a party that fitted the occasion. The dress code was Indian or Pilgrim; guests picked. Although, I did have in mind who should come as what. Like, for example, Austin should be a Pilgrim, while Jace and Penny would  be perfect Indians. Nijia would also make an ideal Indian, considering her dark skin. And naturally, I would be an Indian myself, considering I was Native American. The party planning was going perfectly. Within a weekend, I was able to slip invites under doors and reserve the Commons for myself. Taylor hadn't even booked space for her party. What kind of planner was she?

"Yes, Taylor. I am," I confessed, although I didn't feel that bad. She deserved to have her party swept away as if it was nothing. Flowers? What kind of theme even was that? Obviously her party planning was not going smoothly, hence why I was able to quietly sneak in and take her talked up party and twist it into my own.

Taylor laughed and I could hear the coldness in the cackle. Slowly, I turned my back in the chair so that I could face her. The angelic features that she always held were sharp and stone cold. Her cold blues eyes turned dark, like they always did when she was bewildered.

"What?" I asked, not understanding why she was hovering over me with a ferocious glare.

"I told you that I was having a party," she said with thin lips. On her side, I saw her hands fold and unfold, over and over again.

"Well, now I am." I shrugged and turned back to my notebook. I smiled to myself, pleased that I was able to bypass Taylor like I once did.

"Winter!" She shouted, but when all eyes shifted to her she bent over her body and joined me at the table. Her eyes softened just a bit. She began to whisper as she leaned in to me. "I thought we were friends."

Now, I laughed, because she was surely delusional if she thought that we could form some type of friendship. "That's a joke," I laughed. "At the dance, you did help me when I was alone, but after that I realized how much of a queen bitch you are." Her mouth dropped, but I kept talking. "I don't understand why you were so cruel to me when I was suffering, but you were and now you think that that can all be washed away. I'm not joining a group that you don't even control," I hissed, and those words seemed to cut her like knives. Each time I spoke, she winced. "Where are Asha and Rose now?"

"They're studying," Taylor quickly shuddered. But I could see in her eyes that that wasn't true, and she knew that. Her eyes wandered away and then came back to me.

"Sure," I said with a nod and stood up from my table. Obviously, I was getting nothing done with Taylor at the library with me. As I walked away, Taylor stood up from the table.

"Remember that I still know why you were gone for so long!" Taylor called after me.

"Sure you do," I said back while waving my hand as if she was a bug. Her knowing my life story from the past year was highly unlikely. Like Carl said, she was just trying to get under my skin. Carl wouldn't tell her my secret. He was a tough little brother to have, but he knew when to keep family secrets a secret. Taylor had nothing over me, and now I had everything over her again.

. . .

Walking down the hall, I saw him right away. His back was hunched, which was rare for him. His brown backpack slouched with him and I frowned as his unsteadiness. He usually walked with perfect poise and didn't let anything get to him. I always envied the way he let things slip pass him like they were nothing. I was never able to let things go. Every rumor, I heard and let it dig beneath my skin. He used to try to get the demons out of me, but now he let me become one and let himself go. 

"Jace!" I called once he dragged himself closer to me down the hall. My feet danced beneath me as I waited for him to walk past my door. It was late, and I should have been asleep due to my pre-calc test the next morning, but Jace was more important. I had to invite him to my party, and apologize. "Jace!" I called again when he didn't react to my first shout. His head lifted, but not enough for me to see his face. A shadow casted over him as kept himself hidden under the hall light.

I smiled at him, but he kept lugging past. "Hey," I said and quickly slipped my hand around his arm. He stopped walking and stood in front of my door. My heart hurt to see him like this. "What's wrong?" I whispered.

"What's wrong?" He sneered and finally showed me some attention. Inside me, my stomach twisted at his harsh voice. His eyes finally met mine, and when they did my heart sunk. Decorating his eye was a dark spot with hints of purple. Nothing about it looked painless.

"What happened?" I breathed and reached out to hold his face and look closer, but he pulled violently away.

"Your boyfriend happened," he spat and looked at me as if I was a monster. "He jumped me after  English, along with Brett and some other guys." He shook his head once he saw my pity and he stepped ahead of me. "I don't know what you're becoming, Winter. But with your change, the school changed too."

"I didn't tell Austin to do this," I cried, cold tears threatened to pour. This wasn't what I wanted. Austin seemed to have no interest in me, but then why would he hurt Jace like this? Austin broke up with me and left me with more cracks. Even though I didn't love him anymore, he still brought me back to reality and made me forget. But he left me. It just made no sense why he then beat up Jace.

" You didn't have to," Jace said with wild eyes. "Everyone here is at your beacon call. Because you were upset over losing me, everyone will turn on me for you. It's pathetic how much you mean to this school, which you so quickly forgot about during your absence's."

"Jace, stop," I pleaded and grabbed his arm, hoping he wouldn't walk away. "We need to talk."

"Then talk, Winter," he snapped.

"I kissed you because Taylor pushed me into a dark place, but once I did it I regretted nothing," I explained and held onto his hands as if he was going to drift away. "Everything felt right when we kissed. Didn't you feel the same way?" He had to. The spark that was between was undeniable. He had to have felt it.

"Of course I did, Winter!" Jace shouted and pulled out of my grip. I saw him wince due his scream, hurting his bruise. "I thought that we could be something, because that was all I ever wanted." He shook his head and I started to shake. His words were like venom, and I was slowly dying because of them. "It shouldn't have taken you Taylor to finally show your feelings towards me. That's not the Winter that I knew. She always said exactly what she was thinking."

"Jace," I cried. A tear drifted down my cheek and I desperately reached out for his support, but he wasn't in reach. He stayed his distance. "I like you. Why can't we just put the night in the past?" Darkness crept into me, knowing that Jace's words would effect me far more than they should.

"Because, Winter, you're turning into every other person who walks these halls."

"I'm not like the people here," I said softly, knowing it was true. I had far more of a reason to pity myself and have outbursts every so often.

"You're right," Jace whispered and stepped farther away "You're worse."

. . .

This is short. I know. But next chapter will be long, that's a promise!

What did you guys think?

Vote/Comment!!

Lots of Love

- Sarah XO