*~*~*Short Stories with Sky*~*~* (Comments Welcome)

[SkySmoke]

Name: Pravus
Gender: Male
Breed: Demented Wolf (created by Gren)
Age: 8 years
Markings: All Symmetrical except eye marking
Accessories: Chain around neck (charms are stars)

The howling was so loud the male wolf wasn't sure how much longer he could stand it. He paced violently at the cave entrance while his mate gave birth to her first litter. He had been present for other births before; the howling was never this bad. He had a deep, gut feeling that something was wrong. After what seemed like forever there was finally silence. He waited for the pack leader to come tell him it was okay to enter. The big, black wolf padded quietly out of the cave.

"She will be fine. She is very tired. One pup...did not make it. There are 3 others; two girls and a boy. Go, take care of her."

The male hesitated before entering the cave. A stillborn pup was not a good omen. He quietly walked over to his mate and nuzzled her. He looked down at their pups; so tiny, and all the trademark black of their pack. Markings would grow in later. He curled up next to his mate and settled down for the night.

Later that night an earthquake shook the ground so hard they thought the cave would collapse. It was accompanied by brain wracking thunder, though there were no clouds. In a panic they grabbed the pups and rushed out of the cave. The male ran back in to grab the last female and he noticed something was wrong; she wasn't moving. He heard his mates howl of sorrow before he made it back out of the cave. He found her sitting over the lifeless body of the other female pup. The male sat a few few from her, watching her howl with intense blue eyes. The male wolf was quick to notice that the pup's eyes were already open; something that normally took weeks. His mates howling called the attention of the pack leader.


"What has happened here?" He asked, nudging the two female pups.

"They...are gone." The male answered sadly.

"I killed them."

The voice came from the male puppy, who still sat watching them, unblinking. The alpha male walked over to the pup and lowered his head to look into his eyes.

"Why?"

"Why...not?" The pup challenged back, his gaze meeting the alpha wolf's straight on; something most full grown wolves hesitated to do. The alpha male snarled, showing his teeth. He turned to the father.

"He is demented, and should be killed."

"As you wish."

The male turned towards his puppy ready to carry out orders. He snarled as he stepped towards the puppy and then was knocked off his feet by his mate. She stood over him, pinning him to the ground by his shoulders, her teeth snapping inches from his throat. She looked him in the eyes, then moved back, still snarling, to stand in front of the pup.

"No one touches him. He may be demented, but we haven't given him a chance."

"Look at him, only a few hours old. His eyes are open, his coat is changing color, and he killed both of his siblings. Does that say nothing to you?" The pack alpha growled.

"You may be right, but I refuse to let you kill him. You will have to kill me first."

"You know I will not do that. He can live, but he is evil. He will not be welcome in the pack."

The big wolf turned and ran back to warn the pack of the evil puppy. The mother wolf knew for her pup to live he would have to leave and be an outcast. To her it was better than watching him be killed. She turned to her mate.

"How could you?" She snarled. "You were going to kill your own son?"

"He is demented. You heard the alpha. Evil. That thing is no relation to me and I will not claim him. He is better off dead. At least, we can name him what he is...Pravus."

He snarled the latin word for evil as he turned to join the pack....

[SkySmoke]

Name: Solus
Gender: Female
Breed: Demented Wolf (created by Gren)
Age: Pictured at 2 1/2 (no wings yet)
Markings: Tail markings cover the top of the tail and are symmetrical.
Back leg markings are symmetrical (the outside of both back legs look like the left leg pictured here, and the inside of both back legs look like the right leg pictured here)
Back left: Neon green band
Back Right: Burgundy and light blue checked band
Front right leg: White spiral goes all the way around the leg, blue wrist band.
Left Front Leg: Arrow winds around leg, the point of it is only visible on the left.
Dot markings on shoulder and hind leg are the same on each side.
Eye markings are symmetrical.
Piercing only in left ear.
Nose is white.
Accessories: Wristbands on Right Front and both Hind Legs, Piercing in Left Ear

Her Story

The birth was not a particularly difficult one. It was the young females first litter, so it was small with only 3 pups, but there were few complications. One pup almost didn’t make it. It was the first female pup born. She was bigger than the other puppies but didn’t seem to want to eat or stay close to her mother for warmth. The male wolf continuously picked up the female and took her back to her mother, but she refused to stay there. She would squirm as far away as she could. The male finally gave up and let the little pup squirm away until she stopped. He then went over and curled up around her to at least keep her warm. He wasn’t sure if she would live though the night, considering she hadn’t eaten, but he was determined to try.

The next morning he woke up to the pups eyes staring into his. He jumped to his feet. The pup didn’t move, she sat there staring at him, unblinking. The male glanced over at his mate, still sleeping with the other pups.

“Who are they?” The female asked him.

“Your brothers, sister, and mother.”

He picked her up by the scruff of the neck and placed her with the rest of the puppies. As he picked her up, he noticed she had doubled in size since the night before. Her siblings were all still sleeping, their eyes not yet able to open. When they woke up they would hardly be able to move, let alone speak yet. As he sat the pup down, she snarled at her sister. The male quickly picked her back up and carried her outside.

In the light he could see that her coat, which had been black at birth, was starting to take on a dark greenish teal color. He could also see that her eyes, which had looked black in the cave, were a deep shade of purple. He realized that she was demented and it was lucky she hadn’t killed the rest of the litter. He knew he should kill her, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. It was his mates first litter and he knew it would break her heart. He realized if there was any hope for this pup she would need to be kept alone.

Lost in thought, he didn’t hear his mate until she brushed against his side.

“Why are you out here? I left the pups because I got scared.”

“You can’t leave them, lets go back inside.” He turned to the female pup, “You stay here.”

“Why is that pup already up and walking? She’s so much bigger than last night?”

“Do you remember the stories the healers about the Demented Wolves?”

“Yes…she’s not….is she?”

“Yes, she is. We should kill her. The pack will never accept her. They will kill her if we take her back.”

“No! We can’t!”

“The only other choice is to keep her alone. We can stay here as long as possible to give her time to grow, but she has to be kept away from the other pups. She will kill them.”

“Alone…Solus. Then alone she will be, in life and in her name. We will call her Solus.”

The female wolf said sadly, naming the pup alone in Latin, the language their pack had spoken for hundreds of years...

She is from the same pack as Cassus and Pravus, but is not related...

[SkySmoke]

As you may have guessed, Pravus and Cassus are siblings. Not from the same litter of course, but the same parents, a few years apart. Next is the story of when they meet.

Cassus, who was used to being alone in the forest, tensed her muscles and growled at the scent of another wolf. She spread her wings and landed almost soundlessly in the tree above her. Wolves rarely traveled this far into the forest; they preferred to live on the edges where it was safer. Cassus didn’t care, she simply killed whatever got in her way. She was a ruthless, vicious killer; sometimes killing for the sport of it, not out of the need for food.

She could hear the wolf getting closer and tensed her muscles for the fight. Fights with other wolves never lasted very long. Her attack was swift and powerful; her advantage of flight left normal wolves almost helpless. She heard the other wolf below her before she saw it and swooped down to attack. A look of surprise flashed across her face when she hit the dirt floor of the forest instead of connecting with the other wolf; she never missed her target.

She heard a growl come from behind her and she spun around just in time to dodge his attack. His shoulder slammed into the ground when he missed his mark and she spun to face him. He was already up and they both crouched low to the ground, teeth bared, snarling at each other. Cassus was shocked to see that the other wolf also had wings; unlike her feathered wings his were more bat like and had a green spider web pattern on their webbing that seemed to glow in the dim forest light. He spread his wings out and she did the same with hers, preparing to take their fight to the air if the need be. She had never fought with another winged wolf before, but didn’t doubt her ability.

The other wolf seemed just as surprised to see her as she was to see him. The continued snarling at each other as they circled.

“Who are you?” He growled, never taking his eyes off of her.

“Why should I tell you. You are in my territory.”

“My name is Pravus.”

“Evil?”

“You know the ancient language?”

“Yes, my parent’s pack spoke it. I learned some before they sent me away to die or fend for myself. Who named you?”

“My father, he said I was evil and should be named what I was. He would never claim me either after I killed my litter mates. You still haven’t told me your name.”

“Cassus.”

“Worthless?”

“Yes, my father named me as well. Our stories are similar.”

[SkySmoke]

Isis (♀)~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Brink(♂)
If you just walked away
What could I really say?
Would it matter anyway?
Would it change how you feel?

I am the mess you choose
The closet you cannot close
The devil in you i suppose
'Cause the wounds never heal

But everything changes
If I could
Turn back the years
If you could
Learn to forgive me
Then I could learn to feel

“I’m sorry!”

He sputtered, his amber eyes locking on hers with an intensity that usually took her breath away. In this instance, it just fueled her anger and her desire to be as far away from him as possible. Her ice blue eyes held his gaze for a moment before she looked away.

“Sorry doesn’t matter anymore. We never should have tried working this out. You said from the beginning that we weren’t meant to be together. You were right.”

As she spoke the last sentence she had to fight to keep the emotion out of her voice. She didn’t mean it. They were meant for each other and she had felt it the first moment they had met. Just because they were meant to be together, didn’t mean they could be together. She knew that now too.

Sometimes the things I say
In moments of disarray
Succumbing to the games we play
To make sure that it's real

But everything changes
If I could
Turn back the years
If you could
Learn to forgive me
Then I could learn to feel

When it's just me and you
Who knows what we could do
If we can just make it through
The toughest part of the day

“You don’t mean that.”

He said softly, his eyes following her as she paced the room. Her fierce independence had been the first thing he had noticed about her. The way her presence filled a room without her even trying. They came from different sides of the tracks. She came from money, a good upbringing. He was a bad boy from the wrong side of town. A liar, a cheater, a thief. He wasn’t good enough for her, and he knew that. But she…she had been the first one to deny it, to say that they belonged together. She said that she was willing to give him, to give them, a chance.

So he had changed for her. He had cleaned up his life, and his image. He would always bear the scars and marks of his old life style, but he did his best to change his image. He had been doing just fine until the night she decided to introduce him to her father. To say that it had gone badly was an understatement. Her father had told him, in no uncertain terms, that no matter how much he tried to change, no matter how much he cleaned up his act, it would never change who he was…and that would never be good enough for his daughter.

But everything changes
If I could
Turn back the years
If you could
Learn to forgive me
Then I could
Learn how to feel

Then we could
Stay here together
And we could
Conquer the world
If we could
Say that forever
Is more than just a word

“I do. I don’t even know who you are anymore.”

He cringed and in that moment he knew he was going to lose her. Sometimes thing could be broken beyond repair, and this time, that’s what he had done. He sighed heavily.

“I love you.”

She stopped her pacing and walked over to stand in front of him, her eyes overflowing with tears that hadn’t fallen yet.

“I love you too, but sometimes that isn’t enough.”

“We could make it enough.” His voice came out as a ragged whisper as his heart broke.

“We tried.” She leaned forward and kissed his forehead softly before turning and walking away.

If you just walked away
What could I really say?
And would it matter anyway?
It wouldn't change how you feel

Everything in bold is song lyrics. Everything Changes by Staind.

[SkySmoke]

&
Jayce (♀)~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Maddi (♀)

She sighed as she turned away from me, her dark violet eyes becoming distant the longer we spoke.

“I’m just so sick of being average. Everything about me is average. I just, for once, want to be the one that all the guys pay attention to, ya know? And I know that sounds shallow, but I can’t help it.”

I sighed and bit my lip as I searched for the right thing to say. Sometimes, when she was like this, there wasn’t anything to say that was right. She was intent on hating herself and nothing could stop her. Not even me. We had been best friends for years, and over the course of time I had completely fallen in love with her. I had never told her that, but sometimes I think she knew.

“Maddi, you’re anything but average and you know that.”

“Really Jayce? What isn’t average about me? Look at me.”

I looked at her and held her stare so she would know I meant what I was about to say.

“You’re…amazing Maddi.”

She grumbled at me and rolled her eyes.

I looked away
Then I look back at you
You try to say
The things that you can't undo
If I had my way
I'd never get over you
Today's the day
I pray that we make it through
Make it through the fall
Make it through it all

“I mean it. You’re an amazing friend, you always have been. You’ve been there for me when no one else was. You’re giving, caring, understanding, funny. You’re random and weird sometimes, but that is just part of your charm. You’re the best friend I’ve ever had, and if guys can’t see that, well…then its their loss.”

She smiled at me, that half smile she did when she knew I was telling the truth and trying to make her feel better at the same time. I moved over and sat next to her and she leaned her head on my shoulder and looped her arm though mine. I looked down at the bracelets on our wrists; ones we had been wearing since the first month of our friendship. Hers matched my eyes and mine matched hers.

“Thanks Jayce, you always know how to make me feel better. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were trying to flirt with me.” She laughed lightly and I tried to swallow the lump in my throat. I really needed to tell her how I felt about her, it was starting to drive me crazy.

And I don't wanna fall to pieces
I just want to sit and stare at you
I don't want to talk about it
And I don't want a conversation
I just want to cry in front of you
I don't want to talk about it
Cuz I'm in Love With you


“Maybe I am.” I said quietly. I felt her tense against me, then heard her sharp intake of breath.

“What?” She still hadn’t moved, or pulled away from me, so I took that as a good sign. I took a deep breath and kept talking, afraid that if I took the time to think or look at her I would lose my nerve.

“Maybe I am…flirting with you. We’ve been friends for a long time Maddi. You’ve always been there for me. You always seem to be able to put me back together when I fall apart. You always remind me of who I am when I forget. And…I think I’m falling in love with you…I’m pretty sure I have been for a while.”

You're the only one,
I'd be with till the end
When I come undone
You bring me back again
Back under the stars
Back into your arms

I finished in a rush, my words leaving a heavy silence between us. After what seemed like forever she twisted her hand against mine and weaved her fingers into the spaces between mine.

“How long have you felt this way?” She whispered.

“A while.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I…didn’t want to mess up what we already had.”

“Well you wouldn’t have.”

“What?”

“You wouldn’t have…messed anything up. I feel the same way about you.”

I could hear the smile in her voice as she finished and she squeezed my hand. I sighed and leaned my head against the top of hers, wondering why it had taken me so long to say how I really felt.

“So…where do we go from here?” She asked softly, her thumb making slow circles on the back of my hand.

“I don’t know, but it doesn’t matter, because wherever it is, we’ll be together.”

Wanna know how you feel
Wanna know what is real
I wanna know everything, everything
And I don't wanna fall to pieces
I just want to sit and stare at you
I don't want to talk about it
And I don't want a conversation
I just want to cry in front of you
I don't want to talk about it
I'm in love with you
Cuz i'm in love with you
I'm in love with you
I'm in love with you

Things in bold are lyrics. Fall to Pieces, Avril Lavigne

[SkySmoke]

Alix (♀) ***************************************************** Ryker (♂)

Alix took her customary seat at the top of the bleachers, in the farthest corner away from everyone else. She hated football games but she had her parents convinced that she had a group of friends, so she had to keep up the illusion. So she came to the football games, she went to dances, she would go to the library for hours on the weekends and say she was at a friends house, anything to keep them from knowing the truth; that she didn’t have, or want, any friends. She was perfectly content being alone. At least that’s what she kept telling herself.
She had been unhappy ever since they had moved to this stupid hole in the wall town in the middle of nowhere. She had been happy in the city. She had fit in in the city. She had friends in the city. Here she was the freak. She refused to change who she was just to fit in, so she played the part of the outcast. She dressed differently than everyone else, and they judged her because of it. She seriously doubted anyone even knew her real name, they mostly just called her freak. She huffed as she absentmindedly spun her rainbow wristband on her wrist. It was the only thing colorful about her; everything else she wore was black and white. Even her eyes were a dark shade of gray.

Ryker watched from a distance as the girl solemnly climbed the bleachers and took her usual spot in the top corner of the stands. He was surrounded by a group of friends but he wasn’t paying any attention to them. He was too busy watching her. He had been intrigued by her from the beginning of the year. The pretty, quiet girl that no one seemed to know anything about. As the year had gone on he realized it was because no one bothered to ask. She was different from anyone in town, and that freaked people out, so they shunned her. He knew she was smart, she was in all advanced placement classes. He had seen her at every football game and dance so far, but she was always alone. He kept waiting for a boyfriend or a group of friends to show up, but no one ever did.
He decided he was tired of wondering about her and got up and weaved his way down the bleachers.

“Ryker! Where are you off to?” One of his friends called.

He waved at them over his shoulder as he headed towards her corner of the bleachers. Alix was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn’t hear him approaching until he was almost in front of her. She looked up to see who was coming to bother her and rolled her eyes at the sigh of him. She didn’t know much about him other than the fact that he hung out with the popular group, his name was Ryker, and he had an annoying habit of always having these two star balloons with him. One was blue and the other was purple. The blue one was the same startling shade of blue as his eyes, and the purple one was just purple, but she had no idea on earth why someone would drag balloons around with them all of the time.

“Hi.” he said quietly as he stopped in front of her, a few rows away. She glared at him.

“What do you want?”

“I just…came to say hi. My name is Ryker. I haven’t met you before, wanted to come introduce myself.”

“Yea, I know your name.”

“Well, I don’t know yours…”

“You could just call me Freak, that’s what all your friends call me, isn’t it?”

“I try not to pay attention to them when they are being stupid, besides, I’m sure your actual name is much prettier than Freak.”

“Its Alix.”

“Nice to meet you Alix. Do you care if I sit down?”

“Not like I could stop you.” She grumbled, scooting all the way to the edge of the bleacher she was on as he sat next to her. “What do you want anyways? Shouldn’t you be hanging out with your friends and hitting on the popular girls or something?”

“That’s over rated. Besides, I see you around school all the time, but I don’t know anything about you.”

“There isn’t anything to know.”

“Sure there is, everyone has a story. Like your wristband. I’ve noticed it’s the only color you wear, there has to be a reason.”

Alix shifted and tucked her arms against her chest so he couldn’t see her wristband anymore, but he continued anyways.

“Or the necklaces you always wear. That one has a heart pendant, I’m sure it has some sort of meaning to. And then there is your name. Alix is an unusual name for a girl, it could be short for something, Alixandrea maybe, or something else. See? There is a lot to know about you.”

“Do you ever shut up?” She snarled at him. She just wanted him to go away.

He blinked at her a few times and she could see laughter in his bright blue eyes, which infuriated her.

“Wait, let me guess, your group of friends made a bet that you could come over here and get me to talk, because I must be so lonely I’d be willing to talk to anyone. That way you could go back over there and you can all laugh about what a freak I am, no wonder I sit all alone. Well you can forget it, I’m not talking to you. You can sit there all you want.”

She crossed her arms tighter against her chest and waited for him to leave. He did the opposite. He leaned back against the bleachers and turned his attention to the game. She waited a few minutes before speaking.

“What does it take for you to go away?”

“For you to have a real reason to want me to go.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, so far, everything you’ve said about me has been wrong. Your reasoning for wanting me to leave is based on the fact that you don’t think I’m here for the right reasons. You’ve been judging me based on the way my friends have been treating you. Which, if you think about it, isn’t that the same thing they have been doing to you? Judging you without knowing you?”

Alix was shocked at his statement and sighed as she realized the truth behind it. She hadn’t been willing to give him a chance because no one had given her one. She looked sideways at him.

“It’s not short for anything. Its just Alix.”

He smiled softly.

“It’s pretty.”

“Thank you. And…I’m sorry.”

“Its okay. Can we try this again?”

She laughed, then nodded, taking his hand as he held it out then laughing at his exaggerated handshake.

“Hi, I’m Ryker, nice to meet you.”

“I’m Alix, its nice to meet you too.”

[SkySmoke]

Alix (♀) ***************************************************** Ryker (♂)
PART TWO

Ryker smiled and Alix bit her bottom lip and looked away from him. Despite her smart ass attitude, she was actually fairly shy around new people, especially guys. If Ryker noticed, he didn’t show it much. He smiled at her then turned back to watch the game. They sat in silence for moment before Alix asked,

“So, seriously, why did you come over here?”

He shrugged, not bothering to look at her as he answered.

“To get to know you. You seem different from everyone I hang out with. They get boring, its always the same thing all the time.”

“Well, I’m not very interesting.”

“Oh, I’m sure you’re more interesting than you think you are.”

“Not really. What’s up with your balloons anyways?” Alix asked, partly because she actually was curious and partly to draw the attention away from herself.

“Oh, these?” He said, idly tugging on the strings. She arched an eyebrow at him.

“Yes, those. Were there other balloons I could be referring to?”

“You have a sarcastic side, I like it. I like them, they make me smile. I mean, who doesn’t like balloons. I always have a blue one with me, the other one is to give away, if I ever feel like someone deserves it or needs it.”

She tilted her head at him, not quite sure what to make of the statement. She had a feeling there was more behind his reasoning but that he didn’t want to share.

“I’ll take that answer, for now. So, do you have a girlfriend?”

“Hey, I thought it was supposed to be me who was getting to know you.”

“Its not my fault you don’t ask anything, and you’re avoiding the question, I’m guessing that means yes?”

“You’re wrong, I don’t. What’s with your wristband?”

Alix shifted again and crossed her arms, tucking the wristband out of view.

“I don’t talk about it, its personal.” She said quietly.

“Alright, what about the necklace? The one with the heart? Is that from a boyfriend?”

She shook her head slowly and blinked to keep the tears from forming in her eyes.

“My dad. He gave it to me for my birthday when I was 8.”

“Oh, that’s sweet. You guys must be really close if you still wear it.”

“No…he…died.”

“Oh…wow…I’m really sorry. I shouldn’t have asked…”

“Its okay, you didn’t know.”

“Yea, but I still feel bad…what happened?”

“It was after my birthday…he had given my friends rides home. He wouldn’t let me come with him because one of my friends was spending the night and there wasn’t room in the car for everyone. It was late and it was raining. He was a few blocks from home when he drove across an intersection and a semi ran a red light. The guy tried to stop, and almost did but the truck jackknifed because of the rain and…my dads car was crushed.”

She finished the story in a rush, trying to keep the tears from falling. She didn’t look up at him because she didn’t want to see the sympathy on his face. People never knew what to say so they always just looked sad. She didn’t know why she had even bothered telling him the story. She hadn’t talked about it in years. It was never mentioned at home, especially not since her mom had remarried. He was quite until she finally looked up; she was surprised to see him smiling.

“Thank you, for sharing that with me.”

“You’re…welcome.” She stammered.

He continued to smile at her and held her gaze until she looked away again.

“Hey, you want to go get something to eat? I’m starving and the snack shack food isn’t exactly great.”

She blinked at him a few times. His rapid changes of subject threw her for a loop. Most people she talked to tended to dwell on things. She kind of liked that he didn’t. He stood up and held out his hand to her as he winked. She laughed and stood up but didn’t take his hand.

“Sure, that would be fun.”

“Great, lets go.” He turned and headed down the bleachers, seemingly unfazed by the fact that she hadn’t taken his hand. She shook her head softly as she followed him, wondering what exactly she was getting herself in to.

[SkySmoke]

Soleil (♀)********************************************************Delano (♂)

Lately nothing I do ever seems to please you
And maybe turning my back would be that much easier
Cause hurtful words are all that we exchange
But I can't watch you walk away

Can I forget about the way it feels to touch you?
And all about the good times that we've been through
Could I wake up without you every day?
Would I let you walk away?

No, I can't learn to live without
And I can't give up on us now

“You mean you can honestly stand there and tell me that you think I could walk away?”

She practically spit the words at my face, her eyes full of anger, and something else. Something I couldn’t quit figure out, but I knew I had crossed a line.

“I-I don’t know anymore.”

I tried to answer with as much emotion as she had, but I couldn’t quite come up with it. I had never been good at showing my emotions; something she never had a problem with. At my words she completely deflated, her shoulders sagged and she let herself slide down the wall as she wrapped her arms around her knees. She stared at her hands for a moment, then looked back up at me, her eyes shining with tears.

“If you honestly believe that, then this whole thing…us…has been…pointless.”

“Pointless? How can you say that?” It was my turn to be furious. She tilted her head at me.

“I didn’t, you did, by saying you think I could walk away. Could you? Could you walk away from this? From me? From us?”

I sighed and ran my hand through my hair. These arguments between us were becoming more and more common. The fact that we were both committed to other people, yet completely in love with each other was starting to take its toll on her. On both of us.

Oh, I know I could say we're through
And tell myself I'm over you
But even if I made a vow
I promise not to miss you now
And try to hide the truth inside
I'd fail cause I, I just can't live a lie

Could I forget the look that tells me that you want me?
And all the reasons that make loving you so easy
The kiss that always makes it hard to breathe
The way you know just what I mean

No, I can't learn to live without
Ohh, so don't you give up on us now

“I…don’t want to, no.”

“That doesn’t answer my question. I didn’t ask if you wanted to, I asked if you could…”

I closed my eyes for a moment and heard her stand up and walk across the room to stand in front of me; I opened my eyes slowly to find her standing inches from me, her eyes locked on mine with an intensity that made me look away. She reached up and put her fingers on my chin, turning my face back towards hers.

“Could you?” She whispered. I swallowed hard and leaned my forehead against hers.

“I…don’t know…sometimes it feels like it would be easier…” My answer was so quiet I wasn’t sure I had spoken out loud until her hands came to rest on my hips.

“I can’t…and I can’t just watch you walk away. I’m willing to fight for this. For us.”

Ohh, I know I could say we're through
And tell myself I'm over you
But even if I made a vow
I promise not to miss you now
And try to hide the truth inside
I'd fail cause I, I just can't live a lie

Ohh, and I don't wanna try

I leaned back so I could look her in the eyes; her hands stayed on my hips as she moved with me.

“You are? You’ll…leave everything else?”

She nodded slowly as the tears started to slowly run down her face.

“Yea…I will…if you’re in it with me. I’m tired of this. I don’t want to hide any more, I want this, us, to be real. I can’t live a lie any more.”

I smiled slowly and tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear then kissed her softly.

“Alright…I’m in it with you then.”

But even if I made a vow
I promise not to miss you now
And try to hide the truth inside
I'd fail cause I, I just can't live a lie
I just can’t live a lie
I just can’t live a lie

Everything in bold is song lyrics. I Just Can't Live a Lie by Carrie Underwood. I didn't write them, just borrowed them.

[SkySmoke]

Get me with those green eyes baby as the lights go down,
Give me something that will haunt me when you're not around...


Rylah (♀) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Jaxson (♂)

She watched him work the room; his movements just as carefree and easy as his laughter. He mingled with people he didn’t know like it was the most natural thing in the world and she rolled her eyes as girls giggled and fawned over him. She hated guys like him. She leaned against the wall and sighed, wondering why she had bothered coming in the first place. She told her friends it was a bad idea; she never had fun at these things. She hated parties, but especially costume parties. To top it off, her friends had talked her into wearing this ridiculous princess costume and had then left her alone.

She looked up from her thoughts to find him headed towards her; his brilliant green eyes locked on her, his smile almost predatory.

He winked at her as he made his way towards her through the crowd. She rolled her eyes and looked for somewhere else to go then grumbled to herself as she realized there wasn’t a quick way out, the room was too crowded.

“Hey there, I didn’t see you here earlier?” He said as he came to a stop in front of her. His voice had that smooth, cool tone of someone who was used to getting what they wanted. It instantly irritated her. He seemed to not notice and continued anyways. “I always notice the pretty girls. My name is Jaxson, and you are?”

“Not impressed.” She smirked as she noticed his smile falter at her short response. She moved away from the wall and started to weave her way though the crowd. He followed behind her.

“That’s fine, I like a challenge.”

She shook her head softly as she continued to move though the crowd, completely ignoring him. He didn’t seem to care and followed right along behind her. After what seemed like an eternity she came to the door and pushed her way into the backyard.

“Now what?” He questioned as he came to stand next to her on the porch.

“I don’t really care what you do.” She snapped.

“I don’t care what I do either, which is why I am standing out here with you, whatever your name is, rather than going back inside.”

“You’d have more fun inside.”

“Perhaps. What is your name anyways?”

“Why do you care?”

“Its easier to talk to someone when you know their name. I can make one up if you prefer that. I kind of think you look like a Megan.”

“You’re not even close.”

He half smiled.

“Enlighten me then.”

“Rylah.”

“You’re right. I wasn’t anywhere near close. That is very pretty though. So Princess Rylah, what brings you here tonight? You look like you would rather be just about anywhere else. Its kind of what drew me to you actually.”

She glanced sideways at him for a second then huffed as she realized he wasn’t going to go away.
“I came with friends. And I would rather be anywhere else actually. What are you supposed to be anyhow?”

She asked turning towards him as she took in his costume for the first time. He had arrows slung over his shoulder and was twirling a loose one idly between his fingers. He had feathers hanging from around his waist and spider web looking designs painted on his body with an arrow starting between his eyes and pointing down his nose.

“An Indian. Really it was just and excuse to paint spider webs all over me. I was going to come as spiderman, but it kind of morphed into this when I found the arrows. What about you? You don’t exactly seem like the princess type.”

“My friends. The ones who drug me here. They also picked the costume.”

“Ah, see, at least I dressed myself.”

Rylah surprised herself by laughing.

“Wait? Is that laughter I hear?” Jaxson smirked and Rylah stopped instantly.

“No. I have no idea what you are talking about.”

“So, since neither one of us are thrilled about being here, why don’t we leave?”

She tilted her head at him.

“And go…where?”

“Ah, you’ll just have to trust me on that one.”

“Trust you? I just met you.”

“Think of it as an adventure. What do you say m’lady?” He bowed dramatically and took her hand. She pulled it away from him before he could kiss it. She looked at him for a minute and his green eyes sparkled as he held her gaze.

“Oh, alright, fine. Anything has got to be better than here. Lead the way.”

He raised one eyebrow at her and smiled.

“Oh Princess, you have no idea.”

Rylah raised one eyebrow at him but he didn’t see it, he was already walking across the yard and away from the party. Rylah glanced inside, seeing if she could see any of the people she had come with. She didn’t and hesitated a moment, then followed after Jaxson. She had to jog to catch up to him.

“Geez, wait a minute would ya?”

He slowed his pace until she was walking next to him.

“Why the hurry?”

“Didn’t want to give you time to change your mind.”

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll have to wait and see.”

Rylah huffed and crossed her arms as they walked. Jaxson glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes and smiled. He didn’t really think she was going to come with him and was happily surprised that she had. The only problem was he didn’t exactly have a plan as to where they were going. He hadn’t gotten that far in his thinking when she had agreed to go.

“Wow, you do the pouting thing well don’t you?” He teased, hoping to lighten her mood and give him time to think of where exactly it was that they were going.

“I’m not a fan of surprises.”

“I see, well, time to learn a new skill. Surprises are fun.”

“Hm, I’ll just have to wait and see I guess.”

“Oh, the sarcasm. I kind of like it. So tell me something, princess, what is someone as pretty as you doing at this party alone?”

Rylah rolled her eyes. This was exactly why she couldn’t stand guys like him and she instantly found herself wondering why she had followed him anyways.

“Please spare me the suave pickup lines. They don’t impress me or make me giggle.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t mistake you for that kind of girl. I was honestly wondering.”

“Oh…I…um…came with friends.”

“Yes, we covered that. I meant alone, as in no boyfriend or significant other.”

“I just…don’t have one. Why don’t you have a girlfriend Mr. Charming?” She was surprised when he shrugged and took a minute to answer.

“Haven’t found a girl that’s very interesting. Its all the same. They are giggly and flirty at first, then when you try to have a real conversation they actually are that shallow and boring.”

Rylah was surprised at his answer and found herself smiling despite her initial resolve to not like him. He looked over and saw her smile.

“Is that a smile I see? I take it you approve of the answer then.”

“It doesn’t matter if I approve or not, its your life, has nothing to do with me.”

“Uh huh. Sure. Its alright, I know you approve. Even if you won’t admit it. I can see it in your eyes. Come on, this way.”

He walked over to a fence along the side of the road, bent a piece back and ducked through the opening it created. He waited for her on the other side, holding the fence back for her.

“Where ARE we going?” She insisted as she hesitated on the other side of the fence.

“Oh just come on, think of it as an adventure. Or are you afraid?” He challenged.

“No, I’m not afraid. I just think its stupid that you won’t tell me where we are going.”

“Well, we’re even, because I think its stupid that you won’t just go along for the ride. Are you coming or not?”

She glared at him and he winked at her, which just fueled both her annoyance and her desire to know exactly where they were going. She wouldn’t admit it to him, but part of her was a little afraid. She didn’t trust easily, and she had no idea why she was following him to…wherever it was they were going. She took a deep breath and crawled through the fence, ignoring his smile as she met him on the other side.

[SkySmoke]

Flynn (♂)********************************************************************Brisa(♀)


Forgive, sounds good
Forget, I’m not sure I could
They say time heals everything
But I’m still waiting


It wasn’t meant to be from the very beginning, but that didn’t stop me. You see, I have a tendency to fall in love with people who are too good for me. Little did I know, this time it would change my life…and then some.

He was irresistible from the very beginning and I was drawn to him like a magnet. Opposite attract was a good way to describe it. I was a rough city girl. My life had been hard and I was very rough around the edges. I ran with the wrong crowd. I was not the kind of girl you took home to mother.

He was from the other side of town. He had been raised with ballet, opera, live theater and dinner parties. An exciting evening for me was running for my life from the cops so I didn’t get caught shop lifting or stealing food. His family had regular dinners with the chief of police and his family. This is how different our lives were.

Our relationship was a train wreck from the very beginning, literally. He was on a train to visit family. I jumped on said train and was hiding until they were done checking tickets. I slipped into his cabin, thinking it was empty and almost died from a heart attack when he’d softly said hello.

He lied for me the first time that day and said I was with him and he had misplaced my ticket. We spent the rest of the train ride talking and laughing. I was surprised to find myself being very comfortable with him. Talking to him was easy and it felt like we had known each other for years. He made me promise to meet him at the train after his visit with family and I kept my word.

He kissed me for the first time on the train ride home and I knew then that I would never want to be with anyone else. He hid our relationship from his parents for a while and tried to get me off of the streets. He even paid for a place for me to stay, but the streets always seemed to call me home. I started to resent him for wanting to change me. He told me he didn’t want to change me, he just wanted to show me another way of doing things, and that the choice was mine.

Meeting his parents was a disaster. They hated me and forbid him from seeing me. He blurted out that he was in love with me and his mom couldn’t usher me out of the house fast enough. He met me in the park later that night and held me as I cried, telling him I didn’t want to cause problems with his family, that we should stop seeing each other. He told me he loved me, that his parents would come around and understand. I wanted so badly to believe him. He said we were meant to be together, forever. Looking back now, I wonder if he knew how final that word would be.

I made the decision that night to try to change my ways for him. The next day I went to tell my friends goodbye, that I wouldn’t be seeing them anymore. I walked the streets for the last time. A few friends asked for my help with something, one last good time they said. I didn’t see the harm in it, I had been running with these people for years, what was one more day?

Little did I know what they had planned was bigger than anything we had ever done before. The event are still a blur; one moment we were walking into the department store the next cops are flocking in the doors, guns drawn. To this day I’m not sure why he was there. If it was fate, karma, or just him being in the wrong place at the wrong time but I heard him call my name and looked over to see him walking towards me. I waved at him to stop but he was determined that he could save me. When I saw that he wasn’t going to stop I took a step towards him. That one step that ended everything.

Gunfire erupted around us. I remember screaming as I saw him fall to the ground, then everything went black. I woke up a few times in the hospital, each time trying frantically to ask where he was. It wasn’t until days later that I was finally told he was gone. In that moment I lost my will to live. What had I done? I closed my eyes and let myself drift away.

And now I wander, still searching for him. I would give anything to be able to tell him I’m sorry. I don’t deserve forgiveness, but I would apologize just the same. There is a memorial built for him in the park, his parents had it put up. Oddly enough it is near the fountain where he told me we were meant to be together forever. I have a feeling he’s gone to a place that I can’t get to, which is just as well, I don’t deserve to be where ever he is. But I’ll never stop looking.



I’ve paid a price
And I’ll keep paying

Forgive, sounds good
Forget, I’m not sure I could
They say time heals everything
But I’m still waiting

*Song lyrics Not Ready to Make Nice, Dixie Chicks