A Whole New World.

A whole new world...

By C.T. Rushfirth.

Text copyright ©2012 C.T. Rushfirth

All rights reserved.

Dedication: To James and Summer, for giving me the time to do this and forgiving me for neglecting you whilst I was working.

Chapter 1.

Blah, blah, blah.

17 year old Jessica is just a typical teenager. In her eyes she is plain looking, with long straight hair that is as black as a star less sky and rests about halfway down her back. Her eyes are as brown as chocolate but are too close together and her nose is too big however, her hearing is exceptional and she hears things which can be up to 5 miles away, including whispers. She has mood swings and she thought her Mum and Dad were ALWAYS in the wrong; she should be able to stay out past curfew if she had to and she NEEDED a car. These were just a few things she argued with her mum and dad about, there were a million and one other things she could think of but she didn’t have time. One ordinary Monday morning, just as she was leaving for school, her mum asked her to come into the living room. She knew this would probably turn into an argument.

Jess, come straight home from school tonight.

Mum, you know I have a math workshop after school. Can't whatever it is wait until afterwards?

Honey there's someone I need you to meet, but first we need to talk, and it will involve you making some decisions.

Is this about a car? I knew you'd come round, have you told Dad?? Did he go mad? Or was he cool with it? I thought he'd be cool with it didn't I say he would be?

Jess.... No this isn't about a car, this is serious, this is the rest of your life we're talking about, go to school, I'll see you at 3.30 when you get home, miss the math workshop tonight Hun.

Okay, see you tonight.

She picked up her bag from the doorway where she left it & hopped over the fence to knock on her best friend of forever, and next door neighbor, Kaitlyn's door. Before she'd even finished knocking Kaitlyn was out of the door and climbing in her bright blue Ford Fiesta. The car was a rust bucket, but it was better than Jess's non-existent one. Plus, it beats walking to school.

So have we decided what we're doing for your birthday yet Jess?

Eurgh, nope!

Thought we said we'd go see a movie?

Isn't that kinda lame for my eighteenth though?

If we don't do that we won’t end up doing anything, you know what my Mum's like since Dad left...

Kaitlyn's Mum & Dad had split up 5 months ago, they'd been arguing for a while (which Jess had heard every word of, through there paper thin walls) and decided it was best for everyone if they took separate paths. Kaitlyn hated it. Her Dad had taken some hotshot job in L.A. And she saw him once a month when he came down for the weekend. He always bought her gifts (out of guilt Jess thought) and he still paid her allowance every week into her bank account. He was a cool Dad; he was the one who bought her a car.

He’d said: It isn't practical for a young girl to be walking home in the dark in winter and freezing to death when she can drive, I know this car isn't much but I’ll get you a better one when you can prove you can look after this one.

So far the car had only been reversed into 4 lamp posts, scraped 2 fences and shot forward into the house 6 times, all accidents, of course.

Movies it is then...

Chapter 2.

Seriously? School, again?

When Jess got to school it was the same as any other day, she went to grab her books from her locker, avoided eye contact with anyone and everyone and stayed out of peoples path. But there was something different about school today. People were whispering about 'the new boy' and 'the transfer student' which made Jess curious. She could hear pretty much everyone in the school talking about him, and she wondered why anyone would purposely transfer to this hell-hole. Nobody new had come here for a very long time, and they all left after a few weeks of being here.

So, I hear we have a new boy.

You’re ear-wigging again?

I can't help what I hear Kate, they're not exactly whispering...

What does he look like?

I don’t know...

Kaitlyn had been Jess' best friend from the moment they met 16 years ago when Kaitlyn's Mum and Dad were having a BBQ and invited Jess and her parents round. They were as thick as thieves immediately. The only time they were separated was when they were both tucked up in bed asleep. Kaitlyn was a pretty girl in Jess' eyes. She would have been a really popular girl if it wasn't for the fact she was friends with Jess. Kaitlyn had long blond hair; that shimmered like sunshine, to just above her waist, ocean deep, sky blue eyes and a figure to die for. She wasn't short like Jess. She was supermodel pretty. She was constantly getting asked on dates by the football players, the basketball players, the whole male population of the school thought Kaitlyn was the bee's knee's. They were right of course, and Jess had tried convincing Kaitlyn to go sit with the 'in crowd' and leave her to it. Kaitlyn would have none of it.

They began walking to 1st period, which was Math’s. First thing on a Monday morning makes it feel like a long day. Even in English, which was Jess' favorite subject, the day seemed longer than it actually was. She sucked at Math’s. Just then she saw Alfie, the blond egotistical footballer who ALWAYS flirted with her, or asked her out, and then when she said no... He hurled abuse at her. Today would be no different. She began thinking she should have stayed home today to speak with her Mum and Dad when she turned the corner and saw Him. The new boy. He was gorgeous. He had short spiky black hair, the deepest blue eyes she had ever seen, he looked like he was at least a sexy 6ft something and had just stepped straight off of the Cosmo on Jess' bedside table. They walked past him staring, even Kaitlyn was in awe of him, and she wasn't in awe of anybody! The next thing Jess saw were his bright blue eyes looking into hers. She was dreaming, she had to be dreaming....

When Jess came round (on the floor) she realized there were about 30 people all peering over her. It was then that she realized what she had done. She saw the lockers about 30cm in front of her. She must have walked into the lockers. Oh for Christ’s sake... She was already an outcast, now she'd never get through the rest of the year. Then she heard this beautiful voice. It sounded like a bus on a rainy day. Heaven! Then the angel put his hands out to help her up. As soon as she was on her feet her dropped her hand and stalked away. She was now utterly embarrassed. She quickly picked her bag up and almost ran to get away from the crowd of people. She heard Kaitlyn shouting her name so she slowed down enough for her to catch up.

What the hell happened back there?

What do you mean Kate?

Look maybe you need to speak to your Mum and Dad... You need to go home and listen to EVERYTHING they say... Understand?

Jess understood Kaitlyn was emphasizing the ‘everything’ part, but why? What was so important..

What’s going on Kate?

It isn't my place to say...

You’re supposed to be my best friend. I tell you everything, when I've got a spot, who I like, and you can’t even tell me what you know?

With that Jess whirled away, she wanted out of this conversation. She hated the fact she didn't seem to have a best friend anymore. Maybe all this time it had been one sided... come to think of it; it was always her telling Kate everything. Kate had always kept herself to herself. But she thought that was because of everything going on at home because she hadn't always been like that. Once upon a time, Kaitlyn James and Jessica Summers were inseparable. Even they're parents joked they were more like twin sisters than friends. So why was Kate suddenly holding out on her? What was her so called best friend hiding....

Jess' day went from bad to worse. At lunch she sat at a table with only one seat so that Kaitlyn couldn't sit with her. She didn't feel like talking to her former best friend. She missed her though. Kate was sat on a table by herself. Then 3 boys from the football team sat with her. Maybe Kate would finally take her seat on the popular table.

Just as well 'cos I don't need her anyway. No good lying best friend. HUH

Just then the girl to her right looked at her as if she was crazy. She then picked up her tray and moved to another table. Within seconds somebody else was sat with her.

Listen Kate just go away I don't...

Erm... Sorry I'm not called Kate. Is this seat taken?

Jess looked up into the beautiful, bright blue eyes from earlier and her breath caught. It was him!

Jess looked up and saw that Kate was laughing and joking with the boys at her table. She felt a pang of jealousy in her stomach for her friend. She missed her but she couldn't forgive her until she found out what she was hiding.

Until then she had the new boy to deal with.

I'm Jake

He held his hand out and Jess took it feeling slightly embarrassed about earlier.

Erm... Jessica. Sorry about before I've had an argument with my friend...

Oh. Anything you want to talk about?

Not with someone I've only just met, no. It's okay; we'll sort it out later we always do.

Sorry I didn't mean to offend or seem like I was prying. It's just..... You’re much prettier when you’re smiling...

Jess' mouth fell open. She was gob-smacked. No one had EVER called her pretty and yet here was Jake – a guy she had only just met - telling her she was. She was dumb-founded trying to think of a reply. But nothing seemed to come to her.

Close your mouth Jess. God, you’re such a dork. Jess thought to herself.

Erm, erm, thank you, I think...

Your welcome

So, why would you want to come to this dump?

I didn't have a choice. My Dad moved down here to accept a new job. So me and my Mum upped sticks and since there’s no other schools around here we are.

Oh that must have been awful, moving away from all your friends and your girlfriend and everything.

I didn't have a girlfriend and I only had the one friend, Noah, who came with us.

Oh, I’m sorry. I just assumed...

Never mind, no harm done, so which part of the village do you live in?

Just by River Creek, what about you?

Yeah, same here. So erm... Could I walk you home after school?

Erm actually...

She looked over to Kate, and saw that her table was empty, she'd moved to the popular table... Feeling empty and defeated, she told Jake he could walk her home.

Great, so I'll meet you outside the front door when classes end...

She stood up, feeling her eyes sting from tears that were about to begin, she needed to leave and go to the bathroom to cry in private. She said bye to Jake and started walking quickly to the bathroom.

Chapter 3.

Tears and random thoughts.

Once she was inside a stall, with the door locked and she had heard the last person leave the tears began to fall, fast and unrelenting, like a waterfall. She had lost her only friend over something so trivial it didn't even matter anymore. She thought they'd be okay like they normally were. Not this time. She was a jerk and she deserved to be friendless. She grabbed a tissue and blotted at her eyes. She hated crying, her Dad had always told her it was a sign of weakness, and he couldn't stand weak-minded people that start blubbing at the first sign of trouble. Yet she couldn't stop these tears falling. Usually she could stop it happening. She had only ever cried in front of her Dad once. She soon stopped herself crying around him after that one time. She laughed at the memory. It was a stupid thing to cry over when she thought about it.

It was her 8th birthday and her Mum and Dad had spent a fortune on Jess this really cool bike. She'd wanted it for ages because all the kids on the street had it, but in different colors, Jess' was pink. She went out with it, Kaitlyn had hers out too, hers was purple, and they had decided to have a race to the end of the street to see who was faster. Jess knew Kaitlyn would win, she won at everything. But she tried anyway. Jess didn't even see the tree in Old Lady Elizabeth's front garden, until she crashed into it head first. The thing that bothered her most and the worse thing, she had thought at the time, was that she'd been going that fast the front wheel of her new bike had bent. She started crying as soon as she saw the damage to her now battered and scuffed birthday present. She picked the bike up and sobbed all the way home. Wondering how she was going to explain this to her parents. Her Mum, as usual, was more worried about the cut on Jess' forehead. Her Dad on the other hand was shouting at her. For crying. Not for damaging the bike. For crying. He was telling her to grow up. She wasn't a baby anymore. Why the hell are you still sobbing Jessica? He had said. She had stopped immediately.

To this day every time she wants to cry, she thinks about that awful day and her dads words resound in her head, holding back any tears that ever threatened to fall; like a dam. But it didn't work this time. She realized that for the first time in her life, she truly felt alone. She dabbed at her eyes one more time and left the stall, stopping at the sink to splash some cold water over her face before rushing to her next lesson,