Chapter 3
[ prologue ] [ ch 1 ] [ ch 2 ] « previous chapters
3: Waking Up
"She's like any little girl her age. She lives in fantasies."
"And while we know all that is normal and often healthy, I think Willow indulges too much in those fantasies."
"And this is why she ran away from home?"
"I don't think she ran away, Mrs. McLean. I think she was enacting something in her mind. It's not the first time she's done this, is it?"
"Hello Willow. Your parents and I had a little talk. I'll be coming by to see you once every few days, I hope that's okay."
"Am I in trouble, Miss Cordial?"
"No, of course you're not. But you need to get up right now."
"Get up now, Willow."
Willow!
Willow snapped awake at the sound of the disembodied voice shouting her name. Her breath was quick and shallow and she could still feel the heat from the flames on her skin, which instantly broke into a cooling sweat.
She hated those dreams. They were just jumbled up memories in her mind, pieced together in a way that was too realistic for her. Every night, she dreaded going to sleep just to relive it all again.
Rowan: Another nightmare?
Willow: What are you doing here, Rowan?
Rowan: The couch downstairs sucked.
Willow: Why do you drink so much when you go out?
Rowan: Why do you ask stupid questions?
Rowan tried to get up, but pain and nausea nearly crippled him as he struggled to his feet. Willow looked at her older brother and sighed.
Willow: See, that doesn't look like that much fun.
Rowan: Ugggh, shut up. Okay, the hangovers aren't cool.
Willow: Seriously, you look pretty bad. I mean more so than usual. How much did you have to drink?
Rowan: I don't know? I don't even remember how I got here!
Willow thought to herself for a minute, a small idea opening up slowly. Why not, she thought to herself... it couldn't hurt...
Willow: I think I can help you.
Rowan: That doesn't look like beer to me.
Willow: I learned it a while ago, and I think I'm really getting better at it.
Rowan: Let's see, you either are going to use that wand to pull a bottle of aspirin out of a hat or you want to use your weird-ass freaky superpower shit to crawl into my mind and mess with my brain? This is how you're going to help me?
Rowan: NO Willow, there's no way you're curing me with that heeby jeeby stuff. No fucking way.
Rowan: What if it doesn't work and something falls off? What the fuck am I gonna do then?
Willow: Nothing's going to fall off, Rowan. Just stand still a minute.
Rowan: Shit Willow, this will suck.
Willow: It'll be fine!
Rowan: Ugh fuck I'm covered in sparkle shit.
Rowan: Okay, are we done? I don't feel anything...
Willow: See? Worked like a charm!
Rowan: No... wait...
Rowan not only felt his headache intensify, he also felt like something had kicked him square in the gut.
Before Willow had a chance to congratulate herself more, he bolted out of the room.
Gabriel: Right. This is the first thing I need to see this morning. Hey thanks for making my day, Rowan.
Rowan: Fuck off!
Willow: I'm sorry I made you sick. I just had to try the spell.
Rowan: Well, it's not cool being your personal guinea pig. But I guess I actually did feel a lot better after I puked it all out. I'm not cleaning it up by the way.
Willow: I know you don't like it when I use... that stuff.
Rowan: What, magic? It's just so out there. I don't know if I half believe that you can do the stuff you do.
Willow: Me neither. Just please, keep it to yourself.
Rowan: I know, I know. No one believes the shit I say anyway. I prefer it that way.
Rowan: Thanks for taking care of me, sis. Just no more of that sparkly crap on me for a while, okay?
Willow: Fine.
Willow sighed and watched him leave. She was a little disappointed her spell didn't work better. What more, she was disappointed that the only person in her life right now that knew she had these abilities was someone who didn't want her to have those abilities.
Gabriel: So that was your brother?
Willow: What?
Gabriel: Your brother, Rowan. Sorry I was a bit of a dick last night. I was pretty hammered.
Willow: No... sorry I called you a jerk. I wasn't sure how to deal with him.
Gabriel: It's alright. I am a jerk. We've been living in this dorm together for how long? And I didn't even know you had a brother.
Willow: I.. um... have two of them. They're twins.
Gabriel: No kidding. He's pretty cool actually. Sorta fucked up though. You'd think he was dropped on the head as a kid.
Willow: What? No, no he wasn't. Our parents took good care of us!
Gabriel: Willow, it was a joke.
Gabriel: You know, this is the most conversation we probably ever had since we've lived here? And you're even best friends with my cousin.
Willow: I don't know about that... I'm sure we've talked before.
Gabriel dug into his pancakes as Willow gulped down shyly. Come to think of it, she thought, it was true. She never really spoke to Gabriel. They sort of just lived in the same space and passed eachother nonchalantly in the halls. She wondered if it was her fault that she never reached out to anyone. She wondered if she was going to be satisfied burying herself in books forever.
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Denise: Well it's about time I got a hold of you. Don't tell me college life is really that crazy that you don't even have time to call me back.
Jasmine sighed, her stomach sinking a bit when she heard her mother's voice on the other line. If she had known it was her, she'd have pretended to not have been home.
Jasmine: Yeah, it's been kinda hectic around here.
Denise: How have you been doing anyway? I haven't heard from you in ages.
Jasmine bit her lip to keep from saying that Denise was the one who hadn't kept in contact in months.
Jasmine: Things are okay.
Denise: Just okay? I've been trying to reach Cecilia too.
Jasmine didn't want to tell her that her little sister had probably been avoiding her too, though she hadn't really spoken to Cecilia since her party last weekend.
Jasmine: She's probably really busy with all the Tri-Var activities and stuff.
Denise: Tri-Var? She joined my old sorority? That's great!
How could she not know that Cecilia had been accepted there, Jasmine thought.
Denise: How is Cli... how is your father?
Jasmine: He's good. Aunt Lydia's been asking about you too.
The minute she mentioned Lydia, Jasmine wished she hadn't.
After what seemed like a long and uncomfortable pause on the phone, Denise's voice returned.
Denise: I have nothing to say to Lydia.
Jasmine: Mom...
Denise: We're not going to talk about that now. I... wanted to tell you that I've been invited to play on weekends at a new jazz club in SimTopi of all places.
It took a second for that to completely sink in.
Jasmine: You're coming home?
Denise: Yeah, Jasmine. I think I am.
The conversation ended politely. The usual promises to get together for lunch or drinks. Denise pretending like she was still in their lives after having been away for nearly a year.
She took out her frustrations in the dorm gym. Talking to her mother felt like some surreal dream and she was slowly just waking up.
Jasmine wondered why she wasn't more upset about the whole situation. Mom supposedly betrayed the whole family and Jasmine was still worried about hurting her feelings?
Did Mom really think that things would be the same after that indiscretion. It went public of all things. The tabloids picked it up and had a field day at the expense of her family.
And it wasn't just Dad's heart that she broke in the process.
"Mom and Dad are fighting, Jasmine. I think it's really bad this time."
Jasmine lay awake in bed with Cecilia next to her, listening to the low rumblings of her father's yelling coming from below.
They could distinctly hear her mother's pleas... her crying...
Denise Markelly left that night, quietly. Not even a goodbye to her daughters who were huddled in tears in Jasmine's bedroom.
Did she think that they wouldn't have missed her? Or was she just too much of a coward to face them.
Why couldn't she feel mad about it?
"Hey ..."
Acting purely on reflex, Jasmine whirled around, surprised by the sudden intrusion.
Adrian: Whoa there, warrior princess.
Adrian chuckled awkwardly as Jasmine released her breath and relaxed.
Jasmine: God, Adrian, don't sneak up on me.
Jasmine: Sorry about that. I guess I wasn't paying attention.
Adrian: Heh... well you should be careful. You need to know what's going on around you at all times when you fight.
Jasmine: I'm usually the only one down here.
Adrian: All the more reason to stay focused. Can't expect to be alone in all situations. There could be ninjas hanging out behind the couch.
Jasmine: Wait, you're not giving me lessons.
Adrian: Well.. not really. I just don't want to be sucker punched if I just say hello.
Jasmine grinned.
Jasmine: Do you spar?
Adrian: Uhhh...
Adrian got into his work out clothes and met Jasmine back downstairs. They didn't have the proper equipment but it was all informal anyway.
Jasmine: You're going to treat me like a girl aren't you?
She took the first jab which he easily dodged.
Adrian: Why would I do that?
His first kick came at the end of the sentence and caught her by surprise. She lost balance and went down.
Adrian: Oh shit.. sorry about that.
Adrian looked genuinely worried that he had hurt her.
Jasmine shook it off and got to her feet. She was a little mad at herself that he had so easily knocked her down.
Jasmine: No... I'm good. Let's go.
He knew what he was doing, Jasmine thought. He was slower than she was, but his hits landed strong.
She soon was able to get back at him.
He stumbled a bit, a big grin on his face as he realized that she had gotten her revenge.
Adrian: You're pretty good.
He said it with a sincere smile, which nearly made Jasmine falter.
Jasmine: Well, get up, big guy. What do you think the ninjas are gonna do if you just hang out complimenting them all night?
He came at her faster, and harder. She was surprised at how quick he was, but she followed every move at his level.
She still couldn't help feel that he was treating her with kid gloves.
Jasmine found an opening as she dodged a surprisingly fast jab.
She grabbed him forward, her foot jamming between his feet as she pulled her center of gravity below his, essentially off-balancing him.
The move was quick and the next thing he knew, he was flat on his back.
Jasmine: I told you not to treat me like a girl.
Adrian: I'd answer that but there's a floorboard in my spleen I think.
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Adrian: Now seriously, how'd you learn how to kickbox?
Jasmine: Cecilia wanted to be a dancer so my folks had her enrolled in ballet classes. There was a martial arts studio down the hall. Guess which door I chose.
Adrian: You fight well.
Jasmine: So do you.
Adrian: I've also been meaning to thank you for finding me a room here.
Jasmine: Don't mention it.
Adrian: Sorry about interrupting you down there. I sort of overheard you on the phone earlier, was just wondering if things were alright.
Jasmine: No kidding? You're that type of guy?
Jasmine smiled. He did too. She really hoped he didn't notice that her face was flushing right now.
Adrian: Haha, yeah I guess I'm that type of guy.
Jasmine: It's no big deal. Just family drama.
Jasmine couldn't help but feel fairly comfortable with him. She's been in relationships before, but it had mostly been based on physical aspects; just enough for all the romance but none of the emotional intimacy. Adrian was different than any of the guys she's known. First of all, he was genuinely nice. Ridiculously nice, and that didn't happen often.
Willow: Hey guys!
Willow seemed to have just appeared below them. Jasmine was actually fairly surprised to see her out here at all.
Adrian: Willow! Hey! I haven't seen you since I moved in.
Jasmine couldn't help notice Adrian had his full attention on Willow now. There was something different in the way he smiled and looked at her.
Willow: Um, yeah... I'm really sorry about that. I guess I was studying too much.
Adrian: So.. uh.. what are you up to?
Willow: Oh right. Why am I here...? I was just walking back from the library and I thought of you guys. I wanted to know if you ..both... wanted to come out and get dinner. Or coffee. Or whatever...
Adrian: Yeah sure. That'd be really cool.
Jasmine: Oh.. You two should go ahead. I really need to catch up on my assignment. But I'll talk to you tomorrow, Willow.
Adrian: Come on, let's go, it'll be fun.
Jasmine: Thanks, but it's okay. I figure you guys are old friends, you need to catch up anyway.
Willow: Are you really sure you can't join us?
Jasmine: Oh my god, it's cool guys. Just go on, have fun. And watch out for those ninjas.
Willow: Ninjas?
Adrian: Heh, long story. I'll tell you about it in a bit.
Jasmine watched her two friends go. Adrian was quite possibly the only guy she had remotely felt attracted to in years and yet she let him go with the person she knew deserved to be with him the most.
She just hoped one day Willow will appreciate that she did.
next » [ chapter four: the invitation ]
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*Hope you enjoyed reading this. Posing this story was ... interesting. I know the sparring scenes may be inaccurate, Sims are lovers, not fighters. I just needed to establish Jasmine and Adrian as the warriors of this story. Let's pretend they know their own special brand of Sim-Fu.