Chapter One

“You can’t save her, Jocelyn. She’s dying. She’s already dead.”

The girl’s eyes poured out tear after tear, the sobs wracking her fragile body.

The man remained stoic and stared silently at the distraught child before him.

“Pathetic girl. She cannot be saved. Don’t waste your futile efforts.”

“Please, Daddy!” She shook her mother’s sleeping, lifeless body on the cold granite floor. “Please save her! Don’t let her die!”

“She’s dead!” he shouted to his daughter. “You killed her, ungrateful child!”

“I didn’t! I loved her!” She protested, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I didn’t k-kill her,” she whispered unconvincingly to the tall man towering above her.

She looked up. “I didn’t!” She screamed, and immediately ran from the room, leaving the cold, distant man to grieve by himself over the loss of his wife.

The man stepped closer to the body of the woman he loved – now deformed, mutilated, and drenched in a crimson pool that slowly spread around her. His daughter’s words seemed to echo throughout the empty room, rolling off the finely painted walls, tormenting him. “I didn’t!”

Did he? Was it him?

Banishing the thoughts from his head, he kneeled down and placed his fingers over her eyelids, gently sliding them over her beautiful, unseeing eyes. He placed a last kiss on her forehead, and stood.

“I love you, Elizabeth,” he whispered, the emotions nearly choking him, “But I cannot love our daughter.”

He took a deep breath. “Forgive me.”

And with that, he, too, turned, and fled from the room.

--

Jocelyn Pacific stared lifelessly up at her ceiling, arms tucked comfortably beneath her head. Her exterior portrayed serenity, but inside, her mind threatened to explode with all the thoughts raging inside it.

Her past always followed her, branding her with memories that she didn’t want, didn’t need. Most people didn’t know it, but the girl reluctantly wore her heart on her sleeve.

Sighing, she rolled over and stared at her alarm clock. It read 6:08; she sighed. There was still another twenty-two minutes until it would ring.

Throwing her legs over the side of the bed, she walked quietly to her desk and sat down. Sifting through a pile of books on her desk, she found her notebook. She took it out, laid it sprawled open before her, and closed her eyes, mentally going through all the thoughts that she held within her. And then, taking a pen, she wrote down everything that came to her mind in the next twenty minute period.

It was a ritual that she went through rather often. Usually, it helped. Whenever she wrote down her thoughts, she seemed to be rid of them for awhile. But occasionally, it didn’t, only serving to fill her with more unnecessary information.

Afterward, everything fell into its normal place. She showered, and then headed down to eat breakfast with her brother.

“’Morning, Keith,” she greeted her brother.

“Mm, morning,” he muttered, with a mouthful of food.

Jocelyn and her brother were only two years apart, Keith being older, and they rather liked doing everything together. She got along well with her family, which she gratefully appreciated. She knew many other families were battling wars every day with the ones they were made to love.

“How’d you sleep, kid?”

She looked up. “Fine, you?”

“Fine,” he said slowly, eyeing her suspiciously like he always did when the question came up in their conversations.

She sighed. “You always ask,” she said calmly, yet slightly exasperatedly, while placing her cup in the sink, “and you always get the same answer.”

She started pointedly at him, until he held up his hands in mock-surrender. “Touché,” he muttered. “You wound me, Jocelyn!” He joked exaggeratedly, clutching at his heart.

Her eyes narrowed. “Joss.”

He cleared his throat and coughed slightly. “Right, that’s what I meant.”

“Of course,” she deadpanned, “now let’s get going.” She gave a quick glance to the clock on the wall opposite the cabinets. “We’re going to be late – again.”

He sighed, finishing up the last of his food. “No, we’re not. Just hurry. Go open the garage, will you?”

She nodded, slinging her backpack over her shoulder, and left the room.

--

Walking into the already crowded hallway of their high school, Keith said, “Oh, hey. There are Jack, Charlotte, and the group. C’mon.”

His sister looked at him weirdly. “What?”

“What, what?”

“I don’t hang out with your people, Keith.”

“What do you mean you don’t hang out with my people?” he inquired incredulously, laughing a bit. “My people are your people, and your people are my people … right?”

She laughed, and said, “I don’t have any people, Keith,” before disappearing into the swarming, and rather intimidating, crowd of students.

Furrowing his eyebrows at her retreating back, he turned and headed to his friends.

--

I don’t have any people, Keith.

The statement sounded lame, even to her own ears. True, she didn’t socialize with anybody besides her brother during the day, but she never really minded it or admitted it. She liked being the lone wolf. It was impossible not to learn how to be independent in her circumstances, and besides, she always counted on herself. Other people would just bring her down.

She nodded, seeming to be convincing herself of her thoughts.

After that encounter with her brother, the day just seemed to flow along like it usually did. She worked efficiently, and talked when she was called upon. She ate in the library, where she always had a book to read.

She was one of the people who were invisible in school, except she was more … stupid, perhaps, because even those types of people have that one best friend. She had … Keith. Pathetic, just like her father had told her, all those years ago.

She sighed. Now was not the time.

Finally, when last period ticked by and the school day ended, she headed out to find her brother. They usually drove home together, but on occasion, Keith would go to the mall, or Joanne’s, which was the local hang-out for him and his friends. Unbeknownst to Jocelyn, today would be one of those days.

Walking out the vast front doors of the school, she stood for a moment, looking quickly over the parking lot, searching for Keith.

“Oh,” she murmured to herself as she spotted him leaned against his car, laughing with the others. Sighing, she slowly walked to the dreaded place, knowing that Keith wouldn’t ignore her for his friends. It was probably the second thing she hated most: being put on the spotlight. The first thing was Jocelyn herself.

True to her prediction, he yelled out when she came into sight, “Joss!” He grabbed her backpack from her and threw it into the backseat.

“Thanks,” she whispered. He smiled.

“We’re all going to meet at the beach in awhile. You’re coming, right?” he looked expectantly at her, not seeming to care what everybody else thought.

Putting a hand to her hair, she said quietly, “Uh, I think I’ll pass for today. I’m feeling a little … tired and I have a lot of homework. Thanks for asking, though.”

Normally, there would be a snide comment aimed at her for rejecting an invitation to the most popular kids at school, but today, Keith was with her, and that always seemed to ward off their rudeness. A few people snickered, but that was all.

Jocelyn’s brother frowned at her, “All right,” he said, not really sounding like everything was ‘all right.’

He turned to the people around them and questioned, “How about four, guys? Sound okay?”

“Yeah, sure,” a few kids muttered.

“’Kay, later, then, Jack, Char, Max, Pete, Jen, Tess,” he nodded his head in acknowledgement and conclusion, stating all their names as a kind gesture. Keith wasn’t one to make people feel left out.

On the way back home, Keith spared a quick glance to his sister.

“Well, I really think you should come, Sis,” he muttered, sort of beating around the issue, when what he really meant was “You’re coming, and you don’t have a choice.”

She got the message, but decided not to let him know. Maybe she could get out of it. Looking briefly at him, she said, “I already told you – I have work to do today.”

“Yes, well, we won’t be back late. Six tops. You’ll have plenty of time to eat, finish your work, and get all of your eight hours of sleep in there,” he smirked at her. “Don’t tell me it’s not true.”

She gave him a look that told him he was being difficult. “I’m very well aware that I could go and still have time for everything, but I just don’t … communicate well with your friends. You know, when you’re not around, they’re everything but civil.”

His face contorted into mild anger. “What? How come I’ve never heard of this before now?”

“Well, it’s not a huge deal; I can handle it, but it’s just –” She paused. “I just don’t like being around them.”

“You don’t have to be around them, Joss. You don’t even have to talk to them. Just hang out with me, okay? Will that be alright for one day?” He gave her an understanding, albeit determined look.

She sighed. “I suppose I’ll manage for today.”

He smiled in satisfaction. “Good. Y’know, kid, I’ve been thinking a little. It’s time for a change. You should, I don’t know, talk to people more. They won’t bite; just get to know everyone – sort of like a little … well, reformation. I’m not telling you to become a totally different person. Yeah? Sound good?”

She gave him a look. “You’ve gotten enough out of me for today.”

But, they would both find out, change it would be.

--

Rummaging around in her messenger bag, Jocelyn searched for the book she knew she had brought with her to the dreaded beach. She wasn’t even wearing a bathing suit for crying out loud! The girl felt completely out of place.

Looking up, she shielded her eyes against the bright rays that beat down on her, and spotted her brother and a bunch of other kids surfing the dark, polluted waves. The girls lay on beach towels, in skimpy bikinis, soaking up the sun.

So much for hanging out with Keith, Jocelyn thought miserably. Why did I even come?

Finally digging out her book, she thumbed through the crisp pages before finding the place she had been at last. Ah, yes, she smiled. Jane and Mr. Rochester were arguing.

She laid on her stomach and read contentedly for awhile. She had come to the beach, but she would not, under all circumstances, go into the water. No way.

Flipping another page, she laughed heartily as she came across another humorous part.

“Jane Eyre, eh? Hopeless romantic, are you?” A deep, laughing voice came from above her.

She blushed and looked up, quickly getting into a sitting position. The man above her was decked in black swim trunks, and only that. He looked to be about her age, if not slightly older. Ruggedly handsome, with chiseled features, and sharp emerald eyes. He had the ocean appearance, like he was there a lot.

All-in-all, he intimidated her.

“Um, sort of,” she murmured, tucking a lock of hair nervously behind her ears.

He smiled. “Who’re you with?”

“My brother … and his friends,” she said, gesturing absently to the laughing and giggling group in the ocean.

He looked at her, slightly confounded. “Why aren’t you in the water?” He asked, before settling down beside her.

She was thrown off by the question, and backed away slightly from his closeness. “I-I don’t really know – I don’t really like the water, I suppose. Yea, that’s it,” she said quietly, not meeting his gaze.

He nodded, but didn’t seem to understand. “I love the water,” he declared, smiling wistfully. “I’m here nearly every day during the summer. Usually I come around at about five in the morning just to surf.”

Her eyes widened slightly in surprise. “Wow. You must really love it….”

“Well, yeah, of course. It’s my passion, y’know? It’s what I live for."

She nodded, and murmured, mostly to herself, “I guess I haven’t found that yet, then.”

He laughed, and she was surprised by the richness of the sound. “Well, I sort of had it all set out for me. My dad used to surf, like, back in the day, and when I was just a kid, he’d always bring me out here. It was awesome.”

“Yeah,” she murmured, never making eye contact.

She fidgeted with her fingers when silence fell over them, trying not to stare at him. The guy across from her was staring out at the incredibly dark blue waves that kept crashing over the darkened sand. She liked the sound. It was refreshing to her – clear and cutting – a sharp sound.

When he looked back at her, and saw her squirming due to discomfort, he said, slightly matter-of-factly, “I’m not, y’know, a bad person. You don’t have to be – well – afraid of me.”

“I’m not,” she shot back automatically, slightly defensive.

“Okay,” he said, but his face gave away nothing.

She frowned, not really liking this guy. Who did he think he was? She wasn’t scared.

“So what school do you go to?” he asked, tilting his head to the side.

“Bridgewater High.”

He nodded, accepting her answer. She didn’t care enough to ask him.

“Year?”

“I’m a Sophomore.”

He nodded again. She began to get iffed at his unresponsive nature. She could normally read everybody’s faces and visages. With him, it was different. His face gave away essentially nothing.

“Hey!”

Jocelyn turned her head; her brother was coming near them.

“Who’re you?” he demanded, once he was close enough to the both of them.

“No one,” he said, looking up at Keith. “Just saw your sister – thought she looked lonely.”

She mentally groaned. That was a bad thing to say.

“So you thought you’d hit on her and she wouldn’t give a damn?”

Jocelyn’s mouth fell agape at what her brother was saying, though, and her face burned with embarrassment.

The guy’s attitude, however, still seemed nonchalant. “Not at all, man. Why are you so defensive?”

“She’s my sister, and you’re shirtless!”

He stifled a laugh, but didn't quite succeed. “Uh, sorry? I mean, it’s a beach, but of course it’s not at all normal for people to walk around in swimsuits …?”

Jocelyn stood up at that, knowing it would just provoke more trouble.

“Keith,” she said, and he heard the warning in her tone.

“Stay away from her,” he warned savagely, before stalking off, his friends already gathered around their cars.

She sighed, standing up, and slung her bag over her head.

“That was unnecessary,” she said, not really looking at him. She didn’t really feel the need to apologize, either.

He smirked. “Nah, your brother’s just insanely protective.”

She smiled awkwardly, and squinted her eyes against the sun, “He has a right to be, I think.”

He gave her another one of his thoughtful looks, but said nothing. She took that as dismissal, and turned to go.

“Oh, I’m Seth,” he called after her.

She turned around, and pressed her lips together, nodding.

“I didn’t catch your name.”

She looked down. “You know perfectly well I didn’t give it.” She said softly, but not unkindly.

He chuckled deeply. “Okay then, mystery girl. I’ll see you around.” With another indecipherable look, he turned and left.

Little did she know, his words were nothing but the truth.

--

A/N: New story. I don't know what'll happen with B&T. I said I would finish it, but evidently that's not done. I've been working on this a little, and I like it. As of now, it's rated T, but it might change to M in later chapters. Just, y'know, a warning. Thanks.

-Lqd