Alone...{open}

[Jared Knight]

The sound of Jared's Triumph could be heard from miles away as he rode up to Lovers Point. He knew very well what went on up there but tonight, it was deserted. His helmet hung from the handlebars, rarely used. The road wound as it climbed the cliff and the gathering wind ruffled Jared's already untidy hair. He stopped at the point where the road came to and end and dismounted his bike. He pulled his hoodie closer around his and walked towards the cliff edge, across the flower strewn grass. He stopped, looking out across the city and ocean, and sighed. He'd never had anyone to bring up to this point, never felt that connection. Ever since he'd dropped out of school, his contact with the teenage world had been all but abated. He sat down, cross legged, and pulled out his note pad and a pencil from his back jeans pocket. He flicked to a free page and tenderly, began to scetch the breathtaking view before him.

[Melody Frost]

Melody had come here sometimes with Jackson before his death and it was usually on nights when there weren't other people there. She was using her brother's old truck and she knew that she wasn't supposed to be driving because she didn't have her license yet but she needed some time to think and it was the only time of night that she could go out without actually having to bring Patrick along. She liked dating Patrick and all but sometimes she just needed time without him. She hoped out of the truck and walked over to the tip of the hill sitting on the grass and noticing a boy sitting nearby. He was definitely older than her but she was feeling talkative right now so she decided to say something. "Hey"

[Jared Knight]

Jared heard a voice behind him and looked around. He saw a girl, perhaps a few years younger than him but no one else. He smiled a little unsurely. "Er, hi.." He'd been so engrossed in his drawing, he hadn't heard her approaching. He looked back down at his note book and shut it. He was proud of his art but he didn't like anyone seeing unfinished pictures. He knew he must look pretty pathetic, sitting up at Lover's Point all alone so he stood up and motioned to the notepad. "I was just drawing..."

[Melody Frost]

She walked over to him. "Oh thats cool."As she got closer to him she could see his features better than she could before. He was pretty cute but that obviously wasn't important to her. She wasn't the type of girl who fell over every guy she saw just because they were cute. A majority of her friends were boys actually. She hoped that this wouldn't get in the way with Patrick, he seemed kind of like the jealous type. "Do you mind if I sit?"

[Jared Knight]

He absentmindedly ran his hand through his hair. "Err, yea sure." He tucked his notepad into his back pocket then sat down again. "I'm Jared," he said, quietly. He hated introducing himself. He rarely even talked to other people, let alone strangers. He tucked the pencil behind his ear and began tracing the tattooed 'E' on his left middle finger.

[Melody Frost]

She sat down next to him but not too close in order to give him his space. "Hi, I'm Melody." She fixed her denim skirt and crossed her legs.

[Jared Knight]

He glanced sideways at her. "Nice to meet you," he said. His voice was low and husky, probably not helped by his smoking. He reached inside his hoodie and pulled out the cigarette packet. "Do you, er, mind if I smoke?" He hoped she didn't. He hadn't had a smoke since that morning and he really needed the nicotine. After smoking for five years, he didn't even bother trying to resist the cravings anymore.

[Melody Frost]

"No. I'm used to the smell." She looked at her feet and went silent. She didn't really know what to say, she got really shy around new people.

[Jared Knight]

Jared nodded and took out a cigarette. He pulled his lighter out of his pocket and ignited the cigarette. "So, what brings you up here alone?" He hoped he didn't sound pervy or pushy, but he hated awkward silences even more than mindless chatter. He put the packet of cigarettes back in his pocket along with the lighter and took a drag on the cigarette, immediately feeling better as the nicotine reached his brain.

[Melody Frost]

She wasn't going to tell Jared the whole story or probably even the truth, she barely knew him and she didn't even talk to her parents about things like this. "I just wanted some alone time." She smiled at him trying to sound more happy. She knew that she probably looked really depressed right now but she was and she couldn't hide it very easily.

[Jared Knight]

He looked at her, a little suspiciously but decided to drop it. "Fair enough," he said. He spent enough time alone to know its value. He took another drag on the cigarette then glanced at her again. "So, er, how old are you? I don't remember you from high school..." He was pretty certain she hadn't been there whilst he was still there but then again, he could hardly remember anyone from his school years.

[Melody Frost]

She returned her eyes to him. "I'm only 15, I don't think you knew me." She was way younger than him and knew for a fact that he would never have known her, even if he had known Jackson. "You might have known my brother. Jackson Frost." She looked at him to see his reaction to this.

[Jared Knight]

He furrowed his brow, trying to remember. "I think I recognise the name... How old is he?" Even when he had been at school, he'd spent most of his time either painting or practising his swimming. Even though he'd lived in Drakesville all of his life, he'd always felt like an outsider. Everyone knew about his father's death and he hated the mock sympathy he recieved. Alternatively, he secluded himself, avoiding almost everyone.

[Melody Frost]

Melody thought for a moment. Seriously what was she supposed to tell him? "He was 18." She had been trying to avoid the subject of her brother's death all day and yet it seemed to always come up the most when she didn't want it too. One of her friends had asked her to go to a party with them and she had refused in order to stay away from more conversation like this, she laughed to herself and shook her head a little. Why did it always happen to her she thought.

[Jared Knight]

Jared didn't pick up on the reference to the past tense. He was wracking his brains, tring to put a face to the name. "Er, yea, I think I remember him...year below me, cowboy type." He looked to Melody for confirmation.