"Hey, babe. You left without a word? And what was that note? You looked kinda freaked when you read it." Tuck sounded truly worried. I never left school without saying goodbye to him and making plans to go out for study time later. Unlike most other guys, Tuck cared about schoolwork over sports. I was about the only one who knew that. He said he didn't want to ruin his image. Ha! I thought.
"Oh. I'm sorry." I leaned up to kiss him. "Does that help at all?"
He actually looked kinda shocked. I have no clue why but he did. "Ummm.....yea?" Shaking his head as if to clear out his confusion he spoke again. "Anyway, what are our plans for tonight? Wanna go get some coffee and go back to my house to study? My mom is making spaghetti tonight. I'm sure you could stay for dinner."
"Yeah. How about I meet you at Starbucks by 5:30? I've have a few errands to run before coffee and studying. Okay?" I replied.
"Ok. Where do you gotta go? I mean I could go with you if you want." The entire shocked look from his face was gone.
"No that's okay. I have to go shopping and to a few bookstores for French class. You don't have to go. I don't want to bore you to death like last time. Besides, there are a few errands I have to run for my mom. But I'll see you later. Bye." I was just about to roll up the window when he bent down and brushed my cheek with the back of his hand.
"See you later." He kissed my forehead and walked toward Josh's car. Still, puzzled by Jasper's note and Tuck's reaction when I kissed him I started my car. The soft hum of the motor calmed me down a little.
I wanted to forget about Jasper's mysterious note but curiosity overruled. According to his note, Jasper wanted me to meet him out in the country, which was about 15 minutes away. It was 3:45 now. I had plenty of time.
I pulled out of the parking lot and headed east, away from the road to my house. As I was driving I tried to figure out why Jasper would want to talk to me. Maybe he had accidentally put the note in my bag. Maybe he had put it there by accident. Maybe he was trying to put it in someone else’s bag. Maybe... Maybe...
I was here. It was a house; a big beautiful house with a huge backyard and a hammock and a small pond. Now I was really scared. No one seemed to be home though. There were no cars in the driveway or the garage and all the lights in the house were off. I was kind of hoping he wasn't home.
I knew I had to go ring the doorbell, so I shut my car off and slowly walked up to the porch. Right as I was about to knock (after finding there wasn't a doorbell) the door opened and Jasper was standing there, smiling a beautiful, dazzling smile. It caught me off guard; here was a guy I had never talked to opening his door and smiling at me.
He gestured for me to come in and laughed when I hesitated. His laugh was amazing. It was a deep sound that came from his chest. I never realized he was so beautiful.
I was so mesmerized by him that I tripped walking in his door. His strong arms caught me just in time.
"Hello, beautiful." He sang. He closed the door with his foot, but didn't let go of me. Unthinkingly, I wrapped my arms around him and he hugged me to him. I have no idea why, but we both seemed perfectly comfortable. This was a guy I had just met and he was hugging me while standing in the entryway to his house.
"Wow," I said. I looked around his house and found that it was huge, almost mansion-like. "Hi. You wanted to talk to me?" I unwound myself from his arms. As much as I wanted to stay in them, it seemed kind of weird; especially since I had just met him.
He chuckled again and said, "Yea. Let's go out to the backyard first though. Do you want some lemonade?" Even his voice was mesmerizing. How perfect can one guy be?
"Oh, yes. Thank you." He started walking to the hallway on the right of us and motioned for me to follow him. "Can I ask you something?"
"If you want, but I don't understand why you would ask questions about the most mysterious guy on campus," he replied sarcastically.
"Why have you decided to talk to someone now? After three and a half years of not talking and keeping yourself hidden from everyone, why did you choose now to talk to someone and why me?" The words flowed out in a rush. We were in his kitchen now and he was pouring lemonade into a carnival glass cup. He didn't answer right away. He finished pouring and slid the glass over the counter to me. "Thank you."
"Your welcome. And as an answer to your question, I do talk. Just not to people at our school. I only talk to the people who need me." His answer was different from what I expected. I had no idea how to answer, so I ask a stupid question.
"And you think I need you?" I knew it sounded rather rude, but I didn't like the way he said 'only to people who need me.'
Ignoring my question he said, "Would you like to go out to the backyard? It's cool and peaceful out back. This house is cramped and kind of warm." Without waiting for my answer he started walking out of the kitchen and towards and sliding glass door. He opened it and said, "Com'n. I think you'll like it out here."
Wondering why he didn't answer my question, I went outside. His backyard was like a picture from a fairy tale. It was lined in beautiful Weeping Willows and Oak trees. There was a little pond by the porch and I saw a little waterfall next to one of the Oak trees. He led me over to one of the many Weeping Willows and we ducked underneath it. Under the tree there was a hammock and a little table. He went a laid down on the hammock and motioned for me to join him. I set my drink on the table and admired the little daises growing around the trunk of the tree.
"Pretty, aren't they? There is a little flower garden in the back that I could show you later, but come lay down for now. I want to answer your question," he said. I was still hesitant so I shook my head and stayed where I was. "Suit yourself then." He let his arm drop over the edge of the hammock and started rocking it with his foot. He looked so perfect.
"Yes, I do think you need me. You always look really tense and tired. I think you just need to take a break from all of the pressure from cheer leading and stuff. I think that there are things you would like to know that I could tell you. For instance, did you know that you have a brother?"
I gasped. "How did you know that? No one knows that James is my brother."
He chuckled in my ear. His voice was so mesmerizing that I had unthinkingly walked over to the hammock and laid down next to him. He now had his arms wrapped around me, hugging me to him, and he was humming a soft tune in my ear. The breeze picked up then and the long green tree vines started swaying around us. Little rays of sunlight shone through the swaying vines and lit up our little heaven. He started stroking my hair and the moment was so peaceful that I drifted off to sleep.

"Thank you for dinner, Mrs. Johnson. It was really good." I had just finished dinner with Tuck and his family. I was anxious to go back to Jasper and Tuck could see something was different about me. He had looked upset and like he wanted to talk to me privately all night but I had never let him. I knew if he found out about Jasper and me being friends he would freak. I was actually kind of tired of Tuck. I'd never realized how clingy he was. It was really annoying.
As he walked me out the door I knew he was gonna say something. And I had a feeling it wasn't a good thing. I could sense it. It was hard to explain though. When we were nearing my car I couldn't take it anymore. I turned to him and said, "Whatever you want to say, just spit it out." My words came out sharp and he stared at me as if I had slapped him.
"Whatever. It's just that....." He couldn't even finish a sentence. I knew exactly what that meant. I knew that instant that he was going to break up with me; I knew the signs. That explained the stunned look on his face earlier. He must have told Crysse. Crysse was a loud mouth and he figured that she would have told me, but she hadn't. I was gonna beat him to the punch though.
"Look. If you were gonna break up with me, well, too late. Goodbye Tuck." I knew I had been really mean about it, but I wasn't gonna let him think he had 'let me down gently.' He wasn't gonna take the credit for it. Guys made a game out of dating me and then breaking up with me. They thought it was fun to see who could hurt me the most. They did it to all the cheerleaders not just me. But I was done with that. There was only one guy in the world I would probably ever talk to for the rest of my time in high school. And that was who I was going to go see now.
It only took me about ten minutes to get to Jasper's house this time. As I pulled into the driveway he opened the door and rushed out. He obviously knew something was wrong. He opened my door and leaned over me to shut the car off. Then for some reason he picked me up and carried me inside. I'm not saying that I'm really heavy, but Jasper was really strong. He carried me to his room and laid me down on the bed. He was getting up to leave when I finally realized what just happened.
"Whatever you do, please do not leave me. You promised. And I realize now that I do need you." My voice came out soft and strained. I realized I had been crying. That's what must have panicked him.
He looked scared by my voice. But when he answered his voice was calm and sure. "I did promise and I won't. What happened?"
I explained what had happened after dinner and he listened quietly. He didn't react to anything I said though and it kind of scared me. I was in the middle of telling him what happened, I walked over and sat in his lap. He was sitting at his desk chair and when I sat down he acted like it was totally normal. He wrapped his arms around me and started rocking us. When I was finished telling my story I started crying again. He held me and started singing.
After a while he laid me on his bed and grabbed my jacket. He pulled my phone out of my pocket and started texting. I wanted to ask what he was doing but I was so tired and I really didn't care.
"I just texted your mom and told her not to expect you home. I told her you were staying over at a friend’s house." He grabbed a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants out of his closet and laid them on the bed beside me. "You can wear these for tonight. I'm sorry I don't have any other clothes for you." He left the room so that I could change. I changed quickly and put my hair into a loose ponytail. As soon as I was done I walked towards the door. When I opened it I found him sitting against the wall on the opposite side of the hallway. He had his head in his hands and he seemed to be thinking. I walked over and sat next to him. We sat there for a few minutes before he finally wrapped his arms around me.
"Are you okay? I know it doesn't help at all, but he told the whole school he was going to. That's how I knew you were going to need me." He said this so calm like but I could see the anger in his eyes. Suddenly, I knew what I had been feeling earlier; what I was afraid to admit. I was in love with Jasper. He was like my best friend now, but I loved him. He sighed and I knew he was waiting for an answer.
"I'm okay. Guys do this to me all the time. You must know. They usually have a big group watching when they break up with me though. They've made a game of it and I've just now realized it. Sad but true." My voice came out weak and broken at first, but it got stronger as I kept talking.
His eyes suddenly blazed with anger as the memories came to him. I remember him being there at my second and by far most painful break up. He had sat there with a tortured expression on his face; like he wanted to step in but was afraid to.
"Yes. I remember." There was a cough from a little hallway to the right of us and it scared me. I jumped up, but Jasper pulled me back down to the floor. "It's just your brother. He knew about the breakup before Tuck had even told his friends. He knew you would be here and wanted to be able to comfort you."
As he was talking James walked out of the shadows and pulled me up and into his arms. He smelled like smoke and cologne. It was the wonderful, familar smell of my brother. The smoke smell was a woodsy type smell and his cologne was hard to explain.
My brother was tall and had brown hair and deep blue eyes. He had really black eyelashes and he was rather handsome. James was twenty-one years old. All the girls I was friends with were always talking about how cute he was and stuff. I had always had to agree with them or they would suspect something. (James was always at the social events for our school so that is how they knew who he was.)
"I'm so sorry. You have no idea how long I've wanted to punch this guy out for that. It took everything Jasper had to keep me from doing it. I hate that kid so much." Anger and hatred leaked into my brother's strong, reassuring voice. He was trying to stay calm but I could see how his eyes burned with fury. He started rocking me in his arms and stroking my hair. James was trying to distract himself.
"Wait. You said Jasper stopped you from punching Tuck? You've known Jasper for longer than today?" I was confused. My brother usually told me everything. All about his friends and their friends, but he had never mentioned Jasper.
"Serenity, Jasper and I have been best friends since he moved here. We never told anyone about it for the same reason that no one knows about you and me being related. Protection purposes. It's going be okay though. Jasper is a good guy. You can trust him and he won't hurt you unlike all those other guys. You’re safe here." His words were so soothing that they wiped away all of the insecurity I had been feeling. "I have to go back to my house though. I'll be here tomorrow morning. I promise." As he said this he held me out at arms length. He kissed my forehead and I walked over to Jasper. I was afraid if I stood by myself I would fall. I didn't have enough strength to stand anymore.
James left and Jasper led me towards the kitchen. I figured he was going to try and make me eat something. Just before I got here, I had thrown up the little I had eaten while at Tuck's house. We walked into the kitchen but he didn't stop. He kept walking towards the back door.
Before I could ask he said, "This calmed you down earlier. Maybe you can calm down like this again." We walked outside and off the porch. He leaned away from me to see if I could walk by myself yet. I wasn't sure if I could so I grabbed his hand. He smiled at this. I'm not sure why.
I noticed that there were white lights strung from the big Weeping Willow where the hammock was. There were also little white lights stuck onto the lily pads in the pond and at the bottom of the waterfall. If the situation would have been different, it would have been very romantic, but at the time it was just all very quiet and peaceful. I felt calmer already. The soft breeze brought the wonderful smell of roses and lilacs toward us. It was wonderful.
Instead of heading towards the hammock tree, Jasper started walking towards the swing by the pond. The swing was covered in pillows. A small tan curtain was draped over it and tied at the sides so you could see in. We sat down on the swing and he undid the ties on the curtain. The swing was cast in a wonderful white glow. The sound of the waterfall, Jasper's singing, the soft breeze, and the rocking of the swing was so peaceful. I wanted to fall asleep but there were a few things I had to talk to Jasper.

There were so many things I wanted to ask I wasn't sure what to ask first. What I really wanted to know was what was up with him and my brother. He must have seen the thinking expression on my face because Jasper sighed suddenly and said, "I know there are a lot of things you want to ask, but why don't you let me talk and you try to fall asleep. You need some sleep. It's already midnight."

He kept rocking me but instead of singing he began his story. "As you know, I first moved here three-and-a-half years ago. Your brother was the first person who talked to me. He seemed pretty upset so I asked him to come over after school. James came and we talked for a long time. He seemed very open with me and he told me about what he was going through. After that something sorta clicked and we are, as you would put it, joined at the hip." Apparently he thought girl language was pretty fun because he chuckled as he said this. "We never told anyone about our friendship because we figured it would be safer that way. I mean, you know how many people aren't very fond of your brother. James thought that if anyone knew we were friends that they would try and hurt me. Personally, I think he's just being silly but whatever."
Jasper looked down at me and smiled. He started stroking my hair and said, "So does that answer all the questions you had for me?"
Realizing I hadn't said anything for a while, I nodded. He started rocking the swing again so I figured he wanted me to fall asleep. I leaned my head back against him and watched the waterfall flow. After a few minutes I was out.

I woke up to the voices of Jasper and my brother a few hours later. They sounded far away and I realized Jasper had laid me down on his bed. I was curious as to what they were talking about because they seemed to be bickering, so I was careful not to move.
"What do you mean you don't think Serenity Grace should go home? If she doesn't she'll end up just like me! Kicked out of her house and having to support herself. She has to go home!" James seemed very upset because he was whisper-screaming this. I heard a sigh which I assumed was Jasper.
"How many times do I have to tell you this? I don't think it's safe if she goes home. Everyone knows where she lives and I don't think she needs tons of people in her face right now. Do you want people bugging her about the breakup?" Jasper's voice leaked with agitation.
"Okay. I get that but I can see it in your face. You have another reason for wanting her to stay here. Why can't you just tell me? I'm not going to get mad at you this time. Swear." Thankfully James' voice was calm and smooth. It was amazing thing with my brother. He could be screaming one minute and the next he could be totally calm and you wouldn't be able to tell he was screaming only a minute before. He could control the feeling to his voice but he couldn't control his temper.
Another sigh. "James. I don't want to say this, but since obviously you're not going to agree with me other wise, I will tell you. I could make this complicated but simply put...I'm in love with your sister." I heard a sharp intake of breath. "Happy? Now do you see why I didn't want to tell you?" My brother was obviously freaking out because there was a long silence before someone left the room; slamming the door behind them.
Figuring it was safe to get up; I opened my eyes and sat up to stretch. Sometime while I was sleeping James and Jasper must have brought me up to Jasper's room. I had figured that James had left the room because he was mad, but I was dead wrong. Instead, sitting across the room staring at me was my brother. His eyes were wide and he didn't seem to be seeing me.
"Good morning. What's the matter, James?" My brother was usually the one who freaked out and got really mad. I was surprised that he was sitting here and not Jasper.
"Hi. Did you hear any of the conversation that Jasper and I just had?" He didn't seem to be freaking out at all. He was actually very calm. That was so unlike my brother.
"Well, kind of but if you didn't want me to than no. I heard nothing that I understood." I was extremely confused.
"No. If you heard it, then you heard it. I don't care but Jasper will probably not be too happy." James was confusing me. I had no idea why but he was.
"What's so surprising to you? Nothing ever surprises you. And what did Jasper say anyway?" It was true too. My brother could get angry but you could never surprise him. I was kind of worried.
"Well....It's just that Jasper has never loved anyone in his whole life. I don't know what he told you but we've been friends for a long time and he's never been in love with anyone. He's thought people were interesting, whatever that means, but he's never been truly in love with someone. And he said he didn't want you to leave because he's in love with you." His face was back to normal now but his eyes showed shock and something else I couldn't identify.
"Oh. Wow. He's in love with me? That's....wow. I can't believe....." I was so confused now that there weren’t even words for it. How could someone so beautiful and kind be in love with me? That just bewildered me.
"Why are you surprised? Aren't you used to all guys being completely in love with you?" He said this in a sour tone. I knew that my brother hated the fact that most guys fell head over heels for me. Truthfully, I wasn't to found of it either.
"Well, yeah but nobody important to me ever truly loves me. Guys say they love me but I know they don't. It's just that.....well.....I don't know." At that moment Jasper walked back in the room and he seemed exasperated. As soon as he saw me he smiled, though.
"Good morning. How are you feeling today?" All traces of his exasperation were gone. I saw where James had learned to control and switch his emotions now.
"Umm....good?" I was trying to sound casual and like I had just woken up but my voice came out strained.
Jasper cocked his head to the side and then walked over to me. He sat on the edge of the bed and played with the quilt for a few minutes. He seemed really nervous. After a moment of awkward silence, James got up and left the room, closing the door behind him.
I took a deep breath and said, "I heard what you said to James and I just wanted to say that..."
"No. You don't need to say anything. If it seems weird to you, then that's okay. We can completely ignore the fact that you heard that. Act like it never happened." As he said this he had stopped playing with the quilt and had walked to his desk.
"That's not what I was going to say at all! I was going to say I love you too, but thanks for ruining the moment." After I said this he turned around and smiled. It was a smile that lit up his entire face.
In one quick motion, he walked over to where I was sitting and kissed me. It was a soft kiss and there was feeling behind it; like nothing I had ever experienced before. And when he pulled away from me he was laughing.
"Well come on. We had better get down to James. He's making a breakfast of pancakes and bacon." Jasper picked me up and carried me downstairs with a big smile on his face. He set me down on one of the stools and went over and whispered something into James ear. James smiled and turned and looked at me.
"So, Sis. How many pancakes do you want?" James asked.
"One. I'm not very hungry right now. What were you whispering about?"
"Oh nothing." James put my pancake on a plate a slid it over the counter towards me. "So, are you wanting to stay here another night or do you want to go home? Personally, I don't care but what do you think?"
"Well, it is Jasper's house so I guess I should be going home. I don't have any clothes anyway."
"Well, I could always drive you home and you could pack a bag. And I live here too, sis. Jasper and I live here. His parents gave him this house after they decided they were gonna sell it. He said he wanted it and now we both live here."
"Oh. Why didn't you tell me that? What happened to the apartment you had?" This was an odd thing for my brother to bring up.
"Oh. I moved out of the apartment after Jasper offered to let me live here. He's got like a ton of rooms. I'm sure if all else fails..." James was cut off by someone walking down the stairs.
A gorgeous redhead came into the kitchen and sat down beside James across the counter. She had deep green eyes and long red hair that was pulled back into a ponytail. She had on ripped paint-splattered jeans and a black tank top with two intertwined swords on it. Around her neck was a lace choker with a black onyx stone hanging from it.
"Hazel. Finally, you wake up. This is Serenity. Serenity this is my sister and James's fiancée Hazel," said Jasper.

"Wait. James, you're getting married? That is really cool. Why didn't you tell me? And hi, Hazel." I was trying to sound excited but I really didn't care at this point.
"Um...yeah. I haven't really talked to you a lot lately and I forgot. Is that a good enough reason?" My brother sounded really nervous but was smiling at me.
"Oh. Yeah. It's not really any of my business anyway," I said. It really wasn't my business what my brother did. It's not like I told him absolutely everything I did either so I shouldn't have expected him to tell me everything.
"Serenity? That is such a unique name. My name is so...I don't know. Boring?" said Hazel. Her voice was just as mesmerizing as Jasper's. They looked nothing alike though. Jasper was tall and wore black a lot. Hazel, on the other hand, was tall (but shorter than Jasper) and looked more artistic. Jasper was quieter and she was loud.
"Actually, her real name is Serenity Grace but, hardly anyone calls her that. I think you two will get along well," James stated. He didn't seem as nervous anymore. He'd probably realized I wasn't mad at him for not telling me he was getting married. "I have to run into town to get groceries. Does anyone want to come with me?"
"Serenity and I need to talk so she's going to stay here with me. Okay?" asked Jasper.
"Yeah, that's fine. What about you Hazel?"
"Sorry, babe. I have to get some stuff ready and then I'm going to meet Arabella for flowers and a spa date." She turned to me and said, “The wedding is next weekend. Will you be one of my bridesmaids? I know I don't know you very well yet but I think it would be great to have James's sister in the wedding."
"Oh. Yes, of course. I would love to be a bridesmaid. Wow." I was flattered. I couldn't believe that a girl I hardly knew wanted me to be one of her bridesmaids. I was so happy for my brother.
"Well, okay then. Oh wait, I have something for you, Serenity," James said. He pulled a little black box out of his pocket and handed it to me. "You can't open it until I get home. I'll be back in about an hour or two. Okay?"
A chorus of 'Okays' followed him as he got up to get his coat. He walked back into the room as kissed Hazel goodbye and then came over to hug me.
"I love ya, Lil Sis. You know that right?" he asked.
"Of course and I love you, too, James. See you later." I was sad to see him go. I wanted to spend a day with him, my sister-in-law-to-be, and Jasper.
He walked out the door and into the rain. (I had just noticed it was raining pretty hard outside.)
"We'll see you later, Hazel. Serenity and I have to go talk. Bye." Jasper took my hand and led me up to his room again. I opened the door and sat down on his bed and he walked over to his desk.
"I know James offered you to sleep here for the weekend but, I was wondering if you wanted to live here. You don't seem too happy when you are at home. James told me about your parents and I hear some of the stuff you say at school to your friends. It's just an offer and you don't have to take it. I have a room upstairs that you could use and decorate. What do you think?" His words came out in a rush at first but then they seemed to slow down.
"That would be amazing to live here. I've kind of got my house to myself anyway but, it gets kind of lonely. Being with my brother and his family would be awesome but, I'd have to tell my parents first. They should understand though." Especially since they don't take care of me anyway, I thought bitterly.
My parents had never been really good role models for me and my brother. They abused us and that is why James moved out. My parents told everyone he was a horrible kid who misbehaved and got in trouble with the police a lot but that wasn't true. He was a very good kid. James never got in trouble and he had always had good grades. He started skipping school after he moved out of the house and my grandma got sick. That's when all the trouble began and the rumors about him started. He changed who he was and disappeared for a while after my grandma died. When he came back he was a different person and everyone had forgotten him. I had just started high school and none of my friends knew him so no one knew he was my brother and we decided to keep it that way.
My dreaming was interrupted by the sharp sound of Jasper's phone ringing.
"Hello...What!?...Yes, I'll be right there....Thanks...yeah...bye." He closed the phone and looked up at me.
"We have to go down to the highway bridge. Now." The tone of his voice scared me so bad that I got up and threw on my coat and shoes and rushed downstairs behind him. When we passed the kitchen I saw that his sister wasn't in there anymore.
We got into his car (which was a black Ferrari) and sped off to the highway bridge. There wasn't any traffic so we got to the bridge fast. As we turned the corner onto the bridge we were stopped by a huge line of cars on both sides and police cars and ambulances everywhere.
Jasper jumped out of the car and started running through the center of the highway. I got out and followed him and when we got there dread and pain spread throughout my body. It was still raining really hard and it was cold. There was a huge gap in the bridge bars and my brother's car was being pulled closer in by a tow truck. The car was empty. I rushed over to the bars and saw a huge semi that was on fire in the water below.
"Where is James?" I asked. Jasper turned to me and I gasped. He had tears streaming down his face and his expression was one of pure pain. In that instant I knew what had happened without any words being said. My brother was dead.

The realization hit me with such force that I was knocked to my knees. I started crying and didn't realize it when I was picked up and carried back to the car.
I was so stunned over James's death that I don't even remember the drive back to Jasper and Hazel's house. (It seemed weird to call it my house because I had just decided to live there.) When we got there I got out and held on to Jasper for support while we walked inside. We walked into the kitchen where Hazel, with tear stained cheeks, was cooking lunch. She looked up when she saw us and rushed over and started hugging me.
"Oh, Serenity, I'm so sorry. It'll be okay. You can live here with us and we will take care of you. And...And..." Hazel stopped in the middle of her sentence because she had started crying. I had stopped crying a few minutes after being put in the car.
As we sat there in the silence, I realized that Hazel wasn't the only one crying. I looked up and saw Jasper had tears streaming down his cheeks and he was sniffling. I guess Jasper and James had been closer than I had realized. Jasper looked at me, wiped his eyes, and put on a tough face.
"Does Gracey know yet?" he asked. One look at Hazel's face and he said, "Oh my god."
Hazel tensed and dropped her arms. She spun around and raced up the stairs and Jasper and I followed. We ran up to the very top level of the house and turned a corner. I ran into Hazel as she stopped suddenly and opened a door to her left.
I gasped. What we found inside was a beautiful blackhaired little girl kneeling on the floor with tears flowing down her face and she was shaking really bad. She had on black shorts and a black tank top and her hair was pulled back into a thick piece of black ribbon. She also had on a black metal bracelet with a black onyx stone hanging from it.
It wasn't her black-based outfit that scared me though; it was the fact that she looked almost exactly like my brother but in girl form.

Hazel rushed over to the girl and brought her up into a hug. Hazel whispered a few words in the girl's ear and she shook her head. Hazel sighed and kept on hugging the girl.
After Jasper had reassured Hazel that the little girl would be okay, he led me back to his room. He had taken the little girl with him. I opened the door for him and he sat down in his desk chair while rocking the little girl. I went and sat down in the hammock that was hanging from his ceiling and stared at him.
After a while, the girl stopped crying and fell asleep. Jasper turned the chair and stared back at me.
"So who is the little girl?" I asked.
"Um...This is your brother's...daughter," he said. He looked up at me with a wincing expression as if he was afraid of my reaction.
"Oh. How old is she? Who is her mom?" I was curios to get to know my niece better and I wasn't worried that James hadn't told me.
"She's five years old and is obsessed with black. It is the only color she will wear. Her mom is Hazel and she was named after you; Grace Arabell," he answered. He brought the little girl over and gave her to me. Then, he went and lay down on his bed.
I looked down on the sleeping girl and realized how similar she was to my brother. She had the same beautiful black hair and was lean and had a heart-shaped face.
I picked up her wrist and looked at the bracelet that she had on. It had 'Serenity Grace, James, Jasper, Hazel, and Grace Arabell' carved into it. The black onyx on the end was mine and my brother's favorite stone. James loved it because it was so different from all the other gems and I loved just because it was black. I could see where Grace Arabell had gotten the love for black.
As I turned her wrist over to see the back of the bracelet, I noticed scars that were carved deeply into her palm. They were in the shaped of two perfect overlapping hearts. I panicked at seeing this. I looked over at Jasper but he was asleep. I figured I would have to wait until morning to find out why she had scars like this.
Just as I put her wrist down and was going to try and get some sleep, my little niece woke up. She stared up at me and I gasped at her beautiful blue eyes. They looked just like James's eyes.
"Serenity, my daddy is dead. I feel so lonely without him," Grace said. "Who am I supposed to talk to now?" My brother's beautiful, little daughter now had tears streaming down her face. Her deep blue eyes stared up at me, waiting for an answer.
"Oh, honey. It will be okay. You can talk to me now, okay?" I wiped at her tears and started rocking her. It was amazing how much my niece trusted me when she had only just met me. I realized that I now had a little girl looking up to me. It didn't matter that Hazel was still alive; I had to take care of my little Grace as much as I possible could.
"But, I'm going to miss him so much. I love daddy and I love you too." She stopped crying and stared at James's name on her bracelet. I understood how much she loved James and how much she missed him.

"Oh, honey. It's okay. I miss him too. He was my brother just like he was your daddy," I said.
"Serenity, I'm hungry. Will you make me something to eat please?" Grace asked.
"Yes, sweetheart. What do you want to eat?" Carefully, I got off the hammock and walked down to the kitchen. I didn't want to wake Jasper or Hazel so, I tiptoed down the stairs and into the kitchen. I made Grace laugh by putting on a serious face and acting like we were spies trying to steal something from enemy territory. Her laugh was amazing. It was soprano and like a bell.
I set her down on one of the stools in the kitchen and got to work searching for something to make for Grace and the rest of Jasper's family. I figured the least I could do for them is make them dinner. I found a box of mashed potatoes and some chicken breast in the freezer. I asked Grace if that would be okay and she said that that was the family's favorite meal and they had it all the time. I trusted her so I started cooking. While I was cooking, I started asking her about her life. I leanred that she loved black from the pictures she had seen of me, she had been living in this house all her life and was even born here, and that she was a great artist. Now there was only one question left to ask.
"Gracey? Where did you get the scars on your hand?" I asked.
She looked up at me with a curious expression, like I should know. "I saw a picture that you had drawn for James when you were four and it was of two overlapping hearts. I fell in love with it and I drew it onto my hand. It kept coming of though so I used a knife to draw it in." I gasped. I couldn't believe that this little girl looked up to me so much that she would cut her hands in order to have a picture I drew forever in them. "That and I've always had trouble with hurting myself."
"Oh, Gracey." I got up from my stool and hugged her.
Just as dinner was done cooking and Grace and I were setting the table when Jasper and Hazel came downstairs. Seeing that Grace and I had gotten along really well and that dinner was on the table lit up their faces.
"I'm glad you two are awake. Grace and I cooked dinner together. Come sit down," I said. I wanted to sound happy but it was almost impossible to keep the pain out of my voice.
"Oh wow, Serenity. This is amazing," said Hazel. She walked over, gave me a hug and kissed my forehead and then went to site down at the table.
Jasper did the same but when he hugged me he whispered in my ear, "I love you and Hazel does too. You'll be okay here. We've been talking and we decided that we are moving you out of your house tomorrow." He ruffled my hair when he was done talking and went to sit down.
"Hey, honey. Did you have fun making dinner with Serenity?" Hazel asked Grace.
"Yes, mama. I love Serenity. She's just like daddy....I miss him mama," Grace answered. Her eyes filled up with tears but she didn't cry. I looked at Jasper but he had his head turned away from the table and he was sniffling. I didn't know what else to do so I walked over there and hugged him.
"Jasper, it will be okay. I'm so sorry. I know how awful you feel." I didn't know what else to say so I just hugged him and he just sat there and cried.
After a while, he stopped crying and stared up at me. His eyes were red and puffy and he looked stunned. He shook my arms off and then said, "Go away."
I was shocked. I went and sat back down and he didn't once look at me all throughout dinner. Or after for that matter. I couldn't figure out why so I guessed he was mad. Hazel told me he was truly a temperamental person and that he would come to me later, but I found that hard to believe.
I was so upset that I went upstairs, changed out of Jasper's clothes, and grabbed all my things, and left. I didn't know where I was going to go so I just drove around. Finally, I decided to go back to my real house. I went home and stayed there for a few nights. My parents weren't home; they were on a cruise to the Bahamas. It was for their anniversary so they wouldn't be back for a few days.

A couple of days later I decided to call Hazel; I had to talk to her about a few things. After I talked to her, I took a shower and got dressed.
When I finally got to Hazel and Jasper's I had figured out what I was going to say. I walked up to the door and knocked. Of course, Jasper had to answer the door.
"Hi. Where have you been?" he asked. He acted like nothing had happened between us and that made me really mad.
"My house," I snapped. "Where is Hazel? I need to talk to her."
Jasper looked upset and like he didn't want to answer but finally, he said, "She's upstairs packing Grace's things. I'm sorry. Will you please listen to me? When I yelled at you, I was hurt because of James. Please?" He stepped in front of me and started singing.
I felt so comforted that I couldn't resist hugging him. He took this that I had forgiven him and he laughed.
"I really am sorry but you don't have to take Grace," he said.
I pulled away from him and said, "I am not taking Grace. Hazel said she wanted me to have her. I think it would be better if Grace stayed with you and Hazel."
Just as I said this Grace and Hazel came downstairs carrying a few black bags. Hazel had been crying and she looked like she hadn't slept very well for a few nights. She handed me the bags she was carrying and hugged Grace.
"You're going to go live with Serenity now. Okay? She will take good care of you, baby. Don't you worry," Hazel said. She hugged Grace one more time and looked at me.
"I don't have to take her. I would feel better if she stayed with you," I said. I was afraid of taking Grace away from her mom, even if her mom had said that it was okay.
"No, no, Serenity you'll be fine and I feel safer knowing that Grace with always be safe and have someone to look after her. I love you, Little Sister," Hazel replied. Hearing her call me 'Little Sister' brought tears to my eyes. She wasn't my sister but in the little while I had known her she had become close enough. She hugged Grace once more and then went back upstairs.
"Well, Grace, do you want to go home or do you want to stay here and talk to Jasper for a while?” I didn't know what else to do and I had to talk to Hazel.
"I want to stay with Jasper for a while. I want to say goodbye if I won't see him again," she answered. My little Grace walked up to Jasper and he picked her up.
"What do you mean if you won't see him again?" I asked.
"Hazel and I are moving back in with our parents. I can't really stay here much longer. James is gone and you'll have Grace so we've got nothing else to stay for. I've got you but I can't leave Hazel on her own. We will always remember and miss you but, we have to leave. I'm sorry, Serenity. You'll both be alright though."

When Jasper said this I almost fell backward. How could he just leave me? I needed him now more than ever. I had a little five year-old to take care of and I needed someone to talk to about it.
He put Grace down and walked over to me. "Serenity, I love you. You're the only one I ever have and ever will love. I'm so incredibly sorry. I don'w want to leave you." After he said this, he kissed me longer and softer than he had before. He broke away and hugged me hard, like he never wanted to let go. Then he walked upstairs after Hazel. I had known him for about a week and a half and he was already leaving. I felt so alone now.
I picked up Grace's bags and put them in my car. She got in and buckled up into the backseat.
"I'll be right back okay? I forgot something," I told Grace and rushed back inside.
I went up to Jasper's room where I found him sitting on his bed holding a little black box. It was the box that James had given me the day he died. Jasper took the top off and pulled out a lace choker with a black onyx hanging from it. It was identical to the one that Hazel had and the bracelet that Grace had. The only difference was that James's name and my name was inscribed on it. Without a word Jasper put it on me and kissed me goodbye.
"I'll miss you terribly. Always remeber that I love you, please," he said. With that he went into Hazel's room and it was the last time I ever saw him.

*****

In the end, I was kicked out of my house and had to buy my own. Thankfully, that was possible with the money James and Hazel had left for Grace. I graduated high school and spent the rest of my life raising my niece and working. Grace and I visited James's grave the first Sunday of every month and always drove to the house that was once Jasper's.
As for Jasper and Hazel, neither of us ever found out what happened to them. We got a letter from Hazel telling us she missed us a loved us very much and then a month later an article in the paper was printed saying that a gorgeous redhead was found dead. The article said that a twenty-five year old wearing paint-splattered jeans and a black tank top with two intertwined swords on it had died when she lost control on some ice and ran itno another car.
I had assumed it was Hazel but two weeks later a box was left on our doorstep. It in was a black lace choker with a black onyx. And a silver wristband with a black onyx and two perfect overlapping hearts and the name Jasper Hyde...