Drifting Souls (Ch. 1)

“…I love you, Jade.” Liv confessed, staring deeply into my eyes. My heart was pounding. I could literally hear my pulse throb in my head, even up until the very moment that her soft, pink lips delicately collided with my own. Immediately, the most peaceful calm washed over me. All was silent. In that moment, all that mattered was Liv and Jade.1

~~~2

“Damnit.” I sighed as the loud whine of the alarm clock woke me from yet another beautiful dream. I was sure the cursed thing had a vendetta out for me, as it only ever screamed so annoyingly when I had fantasy-filled dreams of my Olivia. I shouldn’t have called her that, but in my head, to be mine was all I could have ever wanted of her in life.3

At least it was Friday.4

After about five minutes of groaning and sighing, I rolled out of bed, just like any other day, rubbing my fingers uncaringly through my messy, black hair. It was getting too long for my personal taste, even though it was yet to grace my jaw line. After a shower, I tossed on a black Led Zeppelin wife beater, some baggy jeans (that my belt barely attempted to hold at my waistline), and worn out black and purple Etnies. 5

I wasn’t always dressed like a slob, but anything else at seven in the morning would be un-Jade-like. Besides, I could be late—not so much for class, but for Liv who was always punctual—if I spent my time idly. 6

Chances were, Liv had already been up for an hour or two by the time I got to the car. I drove along, paying little attention to the road as I pictured her brushing her curls into soft, flawless red waves as she sat in front of her mirror, making sure her make up was just enough to be classy but not overdone. Although in my mind she was always an untouchable goddess, Liv wasn’t wildly obsessed with her looks—an attitude which I considered semi-blasphemous.7

I took a final glance in the mirror with disgust before letting my car’s engine discontinue its luscious roar in the school parking lot and grabbed my backpack from the passenger seat.8

At the breakfast table in the commons area, Dane and Penny were making out with each other, as always, as Liv sat staring blankly, quietly beyond them in disgust. I walked up behind Liv at the breakfast table, rolling my eyes at their public display of affection and proceeded to ignore them. They’d talk to me when they removed their tongues from each others’ mouths, but I could honestly care less.9

“Good morning, Liv.” I greeted with a smile as I had a seat beside her.10

She gave me a grateful little hug for saving her from the Dane and Penny show, “Good morning, Jade.” She must have been exceptionally lonely this morning; the hug was rare, not that I was complaining. 11

The sweetest half-smile, half-smirk crept upon the corners of her lips. Unable to speak, I tried to control my breathlessness as I could swear I felt my heart skip a beat.12

“Your hair looks really nice today, Jade. Did you do something different?” Liv asked innocently.13

I repeatedly told myself not to melt, convinced that if I didn’t, my flesh would liquefy. My cheeks were already burning as it was, I was probably blushing again. I spoke as calmly as my voice would let me, trying my damnedest to play it cool, “No, just rolled out of bed as always.”14

The school bell let out its annoying screech. I hated high school. Thankfully, it was senior year and the first semester was nearly half over.15

Liv quietly collected her books and began to shuffle off to first period.16

“Liv.” I stopped her. She turned, silently answering my call with only her attention. I continued, “Would you like to come over tonight? Isabelle is cooking your favorite for dinner. I didn’t have any plans and thought maybe we could cure each other’s boredom somehow… that is… if you’re not busy.”17

“I’d be delighted.” Liv said properly, with a voice so smooth, it seemed almost reminiscent of someone far beyond her years. For a moment, I could have sworn I saw something sparkle in her eyes. Without another word she turned and bustled off to class.18

Oh yes, the gods were smiling on me this day. Happily, I relaxed, allowing my head to land on the table with a small thud. My reputation allowed for people to look over me uncaringly. Not that they should know, but the truth was—I couldn’t move.19

It would be a good day after all.20

~~~21

After school, I waited for Liv by the large, rusting memorial bell that sat outside and to the right from the front doors of the building. I smiled as soon as I saw her. No matter how large of a crowd, I could spot her in seconds. It was as if she glowed. 22

I stood, waving a little to get her attention, but she was already headed in my direction. I hopped down from the bell with little effort just in time to land beside her—like an idiot, flat on my ass. Maybe I should have put a little more effort into it.23

“Oh!” Liv gasped in concern, immediately dropping to her knees to see if I was okay. She’s the only girl I know that would have done such a thing in seriousness. “Are you alright, Jade?”24

I chuckled at her tone. It reminded me of Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. 25

I was fine, but I let her help me to my feet anyway, “Yeah, I’m okay.” I told her so as if it hadn’t even happened, completely ignoring the masses of laughter around me as I stared into her eyes, unaware of just how close to her I really was at that moment.26

“Hi.” She smiled, realizing how close we were, but not thinking anything of keeping her arms awkwardly around me as though she was still helping me up. Liv was chill like that. She could care less what people around thought about her, especially when it pertained to their opinion of anything they might have caught us doing.27

I could have congealed right then. “Hi.” I mumbled, wide-eyed like a thief inspecting the Hope diamond. I couldn’t even smile, much less could I walk.28

After a moment or two of staring at her angel face, I pulled myself together and walked with her to my car, opening the door for her like the gentle-dyke that I was.29

I took her to her home to gather some of her things and had a seat nonchalantly on the hood of my car, looking around in fascination at the grave-covered hillside. For some reason, this time, it was different. Something besides just the general interest struck my attention.30

Before I even knew my legs were reacting, I had jumped the fence into the cemetery just beside Liv’s house and was making my way straight to the grave of the woman with the most mystery Derriana had ever known. 31

People had been telling her story—twisting, changing, adding to and taking away from her story—since probably the year after they buried her. The thing was, no one knew the truth.32

I gazed at this woman’s statue in awe, disappointed that its weathered features barely allowed for me to make out much more than an outline. My eyes wandered around the statue and finally down to the grave stone marked: Lila Sergiev 1862.33

I was standing at the grave of the most popular woman in Derriana. I didn’t get a chill. I didn’t get a weird, creepy sensation of any kind. For some reason, when I stood here with Lila, I was comfortable. It was as if I had always been there. 34

“Jade.” Liv got my attention gently from behind, trying not to scare me. Not that she could. 35

I turned to her casually without so much as a flinch, although admittedly I didn’t hear her walk up to me at all. I smiled, “Lila Sergiev.”36

Liv’s soft gaze shifted from curiosity to concern. I had never seen such a cold look from her. I nearly thought she was going to pass out, but why?  Did my obsession with history scare her this much? She had never mentioned it. What was with this mood?37

My head spun at what her gaze meant, but I tried to ignore it, continuing, “1862, Liv. That’s a long time.” I looked back at the grave stone, “Almost 150 years.”38

I could hear an unsettled calm in her voice, “Yeah. A really long time.”39

“I want to know her story, Liv.” I turned back toward her, “I want to know what really happened to this legend.”40

Liv only nodded.41

Maybe I was boring her. “Are you ready?” I asked, shaking off my hunch for now so to focus on taking her home with me.42

Liv nodded again, “Yeah. Let’s go.”43

I made my way back to the car with her. Quietly we rode down from her hill, across town, and up to Hillcrest. I nearly choked on the air when we got out of the car. It dripped of arrogance and superfluous pride, but it was home. Liv retrieved her bag from the floorboard and tossed it over her shoulder as she gazed up at the castle-like house in silence. It was quite a domineering eyesore, I thought, but Liv looked at it every time as though she saw something completely different.44

“Are we going to stare at it or go in?” I joked with her.45

Liv chuckled and snapped back into reality as I walked up beside her. No sooner had we gotten in and put Liv’s bag down in my room was it before Isabelle called us downstairs for dinner. My family was snobbish in her presence, as always, but the years had brought them to get used to her, and now they didn’t waste their energy paying her any mind at all. I don’t understand why money had to matter so, because Olivia Dillon had more class than my entire family put together. Olivia was a lady. She handled being ignored with dignity and grace. However “ignored” was a feeling she was used to—by everyone except me, of course. 46

Isabelle winked at me as she collected our plates. She was the only living being who knew how I felt about Liv. We didn’t sit around with the family to chat, or witness the lack thereof, for I knew exactly where Liv wanted to go.47

Lover’s Leap, by name to any teen in Derriana willing to hike the rocks for it. Though it was McKenzie property, my parents weren’t anal about who visited. They merely owned the land to say that they could. However, most often, Lover’s Leap was Liv’s reason for coming over and enduring the ridiculousness of my family, so I wouldn’t deny her that pleasure for anything. 48

Immediately we ventured outside, walking the beaten trail through the trees and finally climbing the few rocks necessary to make it to the main attraction. From the main rock which jutted a total of twelve feet from the top of the mountain, one could see the entire town in all of its miserable, ever-changing glory. The rolling hilltops in the distance were all different values of green, based on their height and how much sunlight still graced them. 49

We arrived just in time to see the streetlights pierce the darkness of the valley and the mountains in the distance hide dusk light from Derriana. 50

I had my usual seat on the larger rock, closer to where it connected to the mountain, as if being there would save me from any happenstance of impending doom. Liv bravely took her usual tread to the thinner part of the rock which stood out independently from the larger of the two. She was completely convinced it was just as sturdy as the rest of the rock. I believed otherwise. I wasn’t about to take my chances.51

Liv forevermore tried to convince me to join her, “Come on! It’s not going to collapse. Watch.” She jumped up and down on it a few times confidently, making my heart sink into the lowest pit of my stomach. 52

Paranormal stuff, okay. I could handle bad encounters with Ouija boards. I was not the least bit skittish in a graveyard, not even at night. But my fall from that rock, better yet, Liv’s fall from that rock was the most frightening thing I could have ever imagined. The only thing worse than falling from Lover’s Leap and dying was falling from Lover’s Leap and living. 53

She patted herself down sarcastically, “I’m still here, Jade. Come on.”54

“No thanks.” I hugged my knees tighter to my body, “I can see everything just as well from here.” 55

Liv shrugged and turned her back to me, looking out over the town, outstretching her arms, taking a deep breath as if she were going to let out the most built-up frustrated scream she could muster. A moment passed, and the breath faded away with only a simple sigh. Her eyes were closed, the wind rustled her clothes and hair.56

I could only observe her silently. I wondered of her thoughts as she stood proudly over the city, as though she owned it. I wondered if maybe somewhere in her mind, she spared a thought for me. Deep inside my soul, I felt a connection with her that far surpassed any realistic ambition. I could only hope that she felt it too. 57

A slight chill fell over me as the blustery Autumn air met the breath of nightfall. The wind made my blue eyes seep a little water, but I said nothing and clutched my knees. Liv, keen as always, sensed my will to go. She climbed back onto the larger rock, offering me her hand to pull me up. “Alright. Let’s go.”58

We had already been there almost two hours, just thinking and enjoying the view. That was plenty of time for now. For me, anyway. I was completely convinced that Liv would pitch a tent and reside there if she could. It was her favorite place.59

I willingly accepted her hand and let her help me to my feet. Normally, Liv was a couple of inches taller than me, but my position on the rock allowed me to look deeply down into her eyes. We were much closer than I think either of us had anticipated to have been, but for some reason it didn’t feel the slightest bit awkward.60

The darkness hid my blushing cheeks as I stared down into her beautiful grey-green eyes, feeling myself get lost. For a moment, time seemed to completely stop. For a moment, the leaves ceased their noisy rustling in the wind; the air lost its bitter chill. For a moment, we connected.61

I smiled softly at Liv, finding myself a million miles away with her. She slowly pushed a piece of hair away from my face that had been misplaced by the wind and returned my smile, not breaking eye contact. For the first time, I could swear I saw a look of need in her eyes: one that begged me to be closer to her. Perhaps that’s what I wanted to see. Perhaps it was more.62

Just as quickly as that one, perfect moment came to us, so it ended. Before I knew it we were hiking back through the darkness of the wood to my home. Not that it bothered us for it to be dark; we could make it there and back blindfolded.63

Exhausted from the long day, it wasn’t even half way through Grease before I dozed off on the black leather couch in my room beside Liv. She had carefully removed the remote from my hand, turned off the TV, taken me into her arms, and laid me down in my own bed before I nodded awake, looking up dreamily into her eyes. This had to be a dream. This was a dream, right?64

“Oh, hello.” Liv chuckled quietly.65

“Hi.” I said in awe like the baffled idiot that I was, not at all bothered by the fact that she hadn’t yet taken her hands from my sides.66

“You fell asleep on my couch. I had to move you.” She stuck out her tongue playfully. Usually Liv claimed the couch when she stayed over. She insisted that it was just as comfortable. To be as expensive as it probably was, it damn well had every right to be. However, tonight was the night that we had connected, at least I thought. I was allowed to be daring sometime in my life, right? 67

“Stay here with me.” I pat the bed beside me with a promise, “I won’t make any sudden moves.” Besides, there was plenty of bed there for the both of us and then some.68

After a moment’s contemplation, Liv nodded, letting me go and joined me on the other side of the bed. It didn’t take much for me to fall right back into the deep sleep I had been awakened from, all the while having the loveliest dream…69

~~~70

A slight chill fell over me as the blustery Autumn air met the breath of nightfall. The wind made my blue eyes seep a little water, but I said nothing and clutched my knees. Liv, keen as always, sensed my will to go. She climbed back onto the larger rock, offering me her hand to pull me up. “Alright. Let’s go.”71

We had already been there almost two hours, just thinking and enjoying the view. That was plenty of time for now. For me, anyway. I was completely convinced that Liv would pitch a tent and reside there if she could. It was her favorite place.72

I willingly accepted her hand and let her help me to my feet. Normally, Liv was a couple of inches taller than me, but my position on the rock allowed me to look deeply down into her eyes. We were much closer than I think either of us had anticipated to have been, but for some reason it didn’t feel the slightest bit awkward.73

The darkness hid my blushing cheeks as I stared down into her beautiful grey-green eyes, feeling myself get lost. For a moment, time seemed to completely stop. For a moment, the leaves ceased their noisy rustling in the wind; the air lost its bitter chill. For a moment, we connected.74

I smiled softly at Liv, finding myself a million miles away with her. She slowly pushed a piece of hair away from my face that had been misplaced by the wind and returned my smile, not breaking eye contact. For the first time, I could swear I saw a look of need in her eyes: one that begged me to be closer to her. Perhaps that’s what I wanted to see. Perhaps it was more.75

“We don’t have to go just yet.” she whispered softly, as if the whole world were watching.76

Liv held my face in her hand, gently caressing my cheek with her thumb. She closed her eyes, taking in the feeling as her thumb traced my face, a tear spilling down her cheek. I closed my eyes, placing my hand over Liv’s, enjoying her precious softness. Slowly we inched closer and closer to each other, finally connecting with a slow, delicate kiss. 77

Any shiver I might have known melted away as I thus melted into Liv’s kiss. Everything made sense. Everything was right. It was Liv and Jade, just exactly how it always should have been. I rested my head on her shoulder with a satisfied sigh. She wrapped her arms around me, protecting me from the cold.78

“I love you.” Liv promised in a whisper, “I’ve always loved you.”79

I felt my heart want to explode right out of my chest. This was it… the most perfect moment of my entire life. I was sure of it. Looking deeply into Liv’s eyes, I completely surrendered my everything to her.80

~~~81

Of course it was a dream. Nothing that wonderful could ever happen to me, I thought. 82

Something was different, I noticed before opening my eyes. Why was I so warm and comfortable? What time was it? Whose warm, gentle breath was that on my face? I slowly opened my eyes to find Liv laying close to me, holding me in her arms. I tried to control my breathing so that I wouldn’t wake her, observing her face with a smile. Wait, what!? Okay, so apparently the dream wasn’t over. I closed my eyes tightly and opened them again.83

My word.84

This was not a dream.85

I really was sleeping in Liv’s arms. 86

Slowly I lifted my body to look just beyond her at the alarm clock that sat on the beside table behind her. 87

12:23 PM88

What was she doing still asleep!? Liv was always the first one up, already alert and trying to cure her boredom by doing something around my room by seven or eight AM at the latest. The better question was… did she know she was holding me? I doubted it, but in my heart I hoped so.89

I was still staring blankly, dazed and confused, at the clock when her chuckle grabbed my attention. Quickly my head turned to look into her eyes. I couldn’t help but smile. She was beautiful.90

“This is certainly interesting…” I commented, trying not to make her think I was enjoying it too much. I was, though. I certainly was.91

“Well, good morning to you, too.” She grinned.92

“It’s almost 12:30! You were still sleeping?” I asked in astonishment, still in slight disbelief of the situation.93

Not moving her arms from around me she smiled, relaxing back into her pillow, “I’m sorry. I guess I was just comfortable…”94

I smiled, lying back down on my pillow as I looked into her eyes with a soft smile, “I wasn’t complaining.”95

A few minutes passed, a couple less than I would have liked, when she pulled her arms away from my body, casually getting up to go take a shower in my bathroom and get ready as if nothing had happened.96

I sat up and watched her walk into my bathroom and melted back into my bed with a sigh just as the door closed behind her. This feeling had to have been something straight out of a Julie Andrews movie. I stared up at my ceiling with the freakish, uncontrollable urge to sing, but instead, I flashed the gods a thankful smile. 97

I still lay spread across the bed when the bathroom door opened. Liv walked out looking completely flawless, as always, and I simply diverted my smile from the heavens to the angelic muse that stood before me. 98

“Your turn.” Liv said casually, putting away her dirty clothes in her bag.99

I sighed a moment, not really wanting to get out of the bed, but rolled out anyway and walked into the bathroom quietly to get a shower. I wondered what she was thinking. I wondered if she thought anything at all. At that point, I only wished that I could get inside her head.