Jena sighed as she turned the t.v off. It was Monday evening, and she had found nothing good to watch. Jena didn’t watch t.v all that much, for all her life she loved to read and write. She pressed a button on the remote, and watched as the television lowered and finally disappeared into the entertainment center.
Only a little a while ago Jena had had a conversation with her father. It was the start of new week, and he again asked her if she had met anybody. Jena told her father she still hadn’t met anybody, but she didn’t voice that she wished he would stop asking every time they talked and let her be the one to tell him if she had made any friends. Jena wanted to make friends, she was a kind, outgoing person, and she wasn’t afraid to make her opinion heard. Though, all her life Jena had gone to private school where she was surrounded by children of other wealthy people, which was cause for her not to make many friends.
Jena’s father also brought up the subject of boys to her again. Though he would never say it-in fact he would say the opposite-Jena thought that he indeed wanted her married. Her father wanted her married for security reasons, so that she would have someone to care for her when he was gone, and so that she would have someone to run the company with. The only good thing that would come of Jena getting married was that it would totally and utterly prevent John from somehow getting the company. Jena thought about all these things, but she truly had no desire to get married anytime soon. She was only eighteen years old, she wasn’t even looking for a relationship now with so much going on in her life. But Jena did have to wonder deep in the back of her mind, was there someone out there for her?
The next day, it was late afternoon and there weren’t many people at the mall which made Scott feel a little out of place. His friends were supposed to meet him here almost an hour ago, but he still waited for them. Scott would watch the people go by where he was sitting outside a department store, and then he glanced inside the store and that’s when he spotted the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen. He stared at her as she casually looked at the racks of clothes. She had her long hair pulled back into a braid, and then an employee came up to her briefly and she smiled and nodded. The employee walked away, and the girl returned to her browsing, Scott wishing he could see her bright smile again, summing it up in one word:
“Wow.” He said as he rested his chin in his hand, thinking that nothing could turn his gaze away from this girl, but then he soon perked up as something got his attention.
Jena was thankful that there weren’t a lot of people in the mall, she knowing that it was because it was a Tuesday evening, which is why she came. She only had a couple of shopping bags on her arm, and she wasn’t finding nothing in this store, which was rather high-end, but she wasn’t really looking for anything. Jena then walked toward the entrance, but then looked over her shoulder which caused her to bump into someone.
“Oh, I’m sorry sir.” Jena said to the man as politely as she could, but he was still mad.
“Geez, watch where you’re going lady!”
Jena furrowed her eyebrows, but remained polite,
“I’m sorry, I didn’t see you.”
“Yeah, you didn’t-”
The man went on, and Jena was at a loss for words, but then she felt a gentle touch when a hand went under her elbow, and she looked up to see a handsome young man by her side.
“Please excuse her sir-us actually, we’re in a hurry,” He then looked down at her, “Come on, we were expected to that lunch date hours ago.”
In a flurry, Jena nodded and put her tote bag back onto her shoulder. The young man took her hand and let her out of the store, and the man grumbled and shook his head as he walked in the opposite direction. Jena was still holding the boys hand as they walked away from the store, but as she looked at him, she couldn’t get herself to let go-not that she wanted to though. He looked to be not much older than her, probably around eighteen or nineteen, he had dark brown hair that was a little longer, and also had perfect brown eyes. He was wearing jeans, a vintage tee from American Eagle and flip flops, and he had that golden brown California tan, which told her that he’d lived here his whole life. He had broad, wide shoulders, and Jena could clearly see that he was in shape as the muscles of his arms and shoulders shone through his tee shirt. Jena had never been shallow, but there was no denying how cute and handsome he was.
“Well,” The boy said as he stopped, and looked back into the store, “That takes care of that.”
“Thank you for what you did. Not many people would’ve done that.”
He just shrugged, “Eh, don’t worry about it. Besides, you were probably the most polite person in there, and you kind of looked like you needed a little help.”
Jena just looked at him, giving him a little smile,
“You’re polite too, though.”
Now it was his turn to laugh,
“Not many people are around here.”
Jena gave a nod, knowing from experience that he was right. She then looked at her watch and he asked,
“Do you have somewhere to be?”
“Well, not really, but I’m pretty busy in general right now so I shouldn’t spend all my time at the mall.”
“I understand.”
Jena then took out her phone and said out loud,
“I’ll just have someone pick me up.”
“I can take you home, if you want.”
Jena lowered the phone from her ear,
“You would do that?”
“Sure. I’m like you; I don’t really have anywhere to be either.”
Jena smiled,
“I’d like that, thank you.”
He smiled and gently took her by the wrist and then the hand. Jena didn’t flinch at all when he took her hand, because it was like something she barely noticed and something that was so powerful at the same time, like it was an extension of her. As they exited the mall, Jena told him where she lived and that it was only a short drive. He said his apartment was on the way to her house and asked if she didn’t mind if they stopped there for only a couple of minutes. Jena didn’t mind at all.
“This is your apartment?” Jena asked him about ten minutes later as they walked through the door of his apartment.
“Yep, but it’s just me, so it’s all the space I need.”
Jena looked around the modern apartment. It really was the perfect size; not too small, and not too big. Being here made her think that she wouldn’t mind living in a place like this at all, having lived in a large mansion her whole life. The heiresses thoughts were then interrupted when the boy asked,
“Do you want something to drink?”
“A water, please.” She said sweetly.
“Okay.” He said, and she followed him into the kitchen, and just as he turned around to face her, Jena tripped.
Scott looked down at her and gave a laugh as he caught her in his arms. Jena, however wasn’t laughing. Her eyes were wide and she clutched to him. She then straightened herself and stood, and both their eyes went wide as their faces were so close. His hands were on her waist as hers were on his shoulders, and they looked into each others eyes for only a second before Jena stepped back. Though, she didn’t notice his slight look of despair, as if he didn’t know why she was ripped away from him. He cleared his throat and said,
“Do you mind if I ask you something?”
“Of course not.”
“How come you didn’t drive yourself to mall? Were you driven by a friend?”
“Yeah, a friend,” Jena said with annoyance, and she said seriously, “I don’t have any friends.”
“Now,” He said as he came up behind her and gave a glass of ice water, in his other hand, a Pepsi for himself, “I find that hard to believe.”
Jena gave a little laugh as she looked down, but Scott never tore his gaze from her face, and she said,
“What I meant to say was that I don’t have any friends yet. I just moved to California a week and a half ago.”
“Really? Where are you from?”
“Houston. That’s why I was driven, I haven’t been to California in years. I don’t know my way around, I don’t know anyone yet. That’s why I don’t have any friends.”
“I can kind of relate, I just moved here three months ago.”
“Where are you from?”
“San Francisco.”
“Oh, that’s not the same. I’m from so far away, everything is so different from home. Everything. The people are extremely rude, my father is still back home, so I am here all on my own.”
“You and your father are close?”
“Very.” Jena said, looking into his eyes, while fingering the cross pendant that rested on the nape of her neck.
“I wish I could say the same.”
“You don’t get along with your father?”
“It’s not that we don’t get along-we do-but I never see him. He’s all over the place. That’s where I get my love of traveling, my love of being outdoors. But, I’m not as extreme as he is.”
Jena lowered her eyes. She was now seated on the couch, with the boy standing against the bar in the kitchen a few feet away. She didn’t want to tell him who her father was, she didn’t want to tell him she was wealthy. Jena could be herself around him, she could be like him, and she loved it. Both of them were revealing personal, intimate things about each other, and they were both so vulnerable. Jena felt that telling him who she was would ruin this connection. He then walked out of the kitchen and sat next to her, and he said in a low, quiet voice,
“You must miss your home, and your family.”
“My father is the only family I have.”
“Do you miss him?”
“Yes.”
“It’ll get better.”
Jena then looked down and gave a quiet laugh, but then brought her face up and looked into his eyes again.
“Thank you.”
Both of them smiled, and with their faces being just inches apart. Jena and Scott both leaned in slowly for a kiss. Jena eyes were closed with her lips slightly parted when her phone rang. They both jumped to a start and Jena went to her bag and retrieved her phone, and saw that it was her driver, James. She answered and found out that he was very close and would pick her up. She looked at the boy and then told James his address, and he said he would be there momentarily. Jena then stood and went to the door, and the boy followed suit. She then looked at him and said,
“Thank you for the offer to take me home, and all that you’ve done for me today.”
“It was my pleasure.”
Jena wasn’t sure if he would, but she hoped he wouldn’t offer to walk her outside. She didn’t want him to see the day limo that was waiting outside for her with the very recognizable logo of her fathers company on the rear bumper. Just then, Jena realized something: She didn’t even know his name.
“I’m Jena.” She said as she held out her hand for him to take.
“I’m Scott.” He took her hand in his. She had long, slender fingers, with long, perfect nails, but yet, her hands were so tiny compared to his.
“Scott.” She repeated.
“Yeah, but most of my friends call me Al.”
Jena almost laughed,
“Al? How do you get that out of Scott?”
“My middle name is Alan.”
“Oh,” Jena said, and she looked up at him, “You don’t like being called Scott?”
“Either one is fine with me.”
“My middle name is Lilith.”
“It’s beautiful.”
Jena smiled, and then went to the door, but Scott said,
“Here, let me get that for you.”
He then opened the door for her and leaned against it as Jena stood in the doorway. They looked at each other and she said,
“Bye, Scott.”
“Bye, Jena.” He said, and then she smiled and left. He shut the door slowly as he watched her walk away. Scott ran a hand through his hair as he leaned against the door. Jena had just left, but he already felt like he needed to be near her again, this amazing, beautiful young woman who he met by chance. Or was it chance? Scott felt that he was meant to “rescue” her. Scott had also never felt this way about any other girl-or had he? Scott couldn’t explain this familiar, wonderful feeling. Scott was certain that this was a sign that him and Jena were meant to meet. Without even thinking Scott opened the door and ran down the hallway, not even bothering to close the door behind him. He ran out to the parking lot just as a black, shiny car was pulling away. He squinted to see through the dark, tinted windows, but he was sure that it was Jena. Scott then noticed on the bumper the logo of a famous company, and was confused. Why would a car from that company pick Jena up? Did she know someone that worked at the company?
Scott went back into his apartment and sat on the couch. He then thought of Jena and her appearance. She had only a couple shopping bags, but they were from expensive stores, and she was carrying a white, leather bag with silver Ds all over it, another logo that he’d seen a lot of, especially on people walking into high end boutiques like Armani and Gucci. Though she in no way acted like these people, Jena did look like these people. Scott then wondered, was she wealthy? He didn’t know for sure, but he hoped he would see her again soon.
Later that evening as the sun was setting, all Jena could think about was Scott. She couldn’t believe how safe she felt with him, despite having just met him. It puzzled Jena, though in a good way. She sat on the couch on the deck, looking down at the beach, with her arms wrapped around the leg that was brought up to her, the other under her. She stared down at the water as she thought. Jena felt like she’d known Scott for longer than a day, for she’d never felt this way in her life. She didn’t know that she could feel this way, let alone this soon. And they almost kissed! That was the power of his effect on her. That was the power of their effect on each other. Did That mean she was in love? No, I can’t be in love was what Jena wanted to think, but she couldn’t make her mind think like that. Her father constantly asking about boys had almost made Jena not want to be in a relationship-at all. Jena almost laughed then, at telling her father about Scott. If he called, Jena decided that it was best not to tell her father about him just yet, not until they were all ready for something like that: Jena being ready to tell Scott who she was and who her father was, her father being ready to finally hear the news that his daughter had found someone, and Scott being ready finding out about Jena’s past and meeting her father. When all this would happen Jena wasn’t sure. She wasn’t even sure if it would happen, but Jena did secretly hope and pray that it did.
The next afternoon, Jena was in yet another new environment, for it was the first day of the Young Americans. Jena had had a pretty good day, and she was very happy to find a group of friends. Almost immediately Jena was accepted into a group of five girls that had already known each other. Cecilia was the unofficial leader of the group. She had shoulder length blonde, voluminous wavy hair. Cecilia also had kind, blue eyes, and she was nice to everyone. Isabelle another one in the group. She had light brown hair that was also shoulder length, and she had hazel-brownish eyes to match. Sophie had beautiful, fair skin, but had dark hair that went an inch or two past her ears. Aurelia had long, thick blonde hair, and she had blue, almost violet eyes. Arella probably was the most unique out of these girls, for she had thick, wavy hair that was as red as any of these fair skinned girls got when they blushed, which was very bright indeed. Jena got along well with these girls, and they were all so kind to her, being accepted into their circle almost immediately. They were all nice girls, and all beautiful in their own right. Jena looked forward to letting her friendship with them deepen, but she also felt a little strange when she was with them, but felt she had a lot in common with them at the same time. All five came from wealthy families, and in general, Jena got along with them well enough. But, Cecilia, Isabelle, Sophie, Aurelia, and Arella were all shallow, Isabelle being the least shallow of all of them. All five of them had long-term boyfriends, and when Cecilia asked Jena if she had a boyfriend, that’s when she froze. Jena told them she didn’t, the excuse being that she’d just moved here, which at least was the truth. Another reason Jena felt she stood out was her appearance. She had almost the longest hair out of all of them, Arella’s red tresses being almost as long as hers, and all five had the fairest and lightest skin, which Jena assumed was natural. Jena had naturally dark skin, but she knew she had beautiful skin, so she tried not to be too self-conscious when around these fair skinned beauties.
Jena sighed with relief, for she was able to get away to go to the ladies room. Before entering, she caught a glimpse out of the corner of her eye a handsome young man, tall and lean, with brown hair. While still not looking directly at him, Jena furrowed her eyebrows and thought hard, and then she gasped. It was Scott! She turned her body and looked at him from down the hallway, and her face was alit.
“Scott!” She called. He turned and looked at her, and he too realized who she was. He smiled,
“Jena.” She heard him say in a way that she loved. She smiled big in response, and they started to walk quickly toward each other, but not quick enough, for Jena felt a hand on her back, and turned to see Aurelia,
“Jena, come with me to the bathroom; You must teach me how you do that with your eyeliner, it looks gorgeous on you.”
All Jena could do was smile, and then the other four were suddenly with them. Jena turned back to Scott, only to see that he was too being swept away by his friends, also being in torment for not being able to go to her. But Scott only had three friends, while she was being dragged into the women’s bathroom by five girls. Jena and Scott took one last look at each other, and then they were both whisked away, out of view from each other.
At around five, after everyone had gone, Jena searched everywhere for Scott. She had a feeling that he would for some reason still be there, but unfortunately she was wrong, for she couldn’t find him anywhere. After giving up, Jena went home to an empty house, where silence echoed in every room, where she wandered, looked out the windows, and thought of Scott.
Little did Jena know though, that Scott was also thinking about her. Scott looked out the window, for the sun had just taken it’s nightly place behind the horizon. He thought about seeing Jena again today, how she was so different from the first time he saw her. It was apparent that Jena had made some friends, being surrounded by a bunch of girls. They were all pretty, but to Scott, Jena was the most beautiful out of them. The other girls almost all looked the same, but Jena had this beauty, this exotic beauty that no other girl could hold a candle to. Scott was grateful to at least to have gotten to see her again, but he wished he could’ve gotten to talk to her, which didn’t happen because of both groups of friends. But, it didn’t matter, he at least knew that she was in the Young Americans, and there was no doubt that they would see each other again.
The World at Your Feet by DesertFlower
Author's Notes:
Hey, here's chapter two! Sorry for the long wait! It's fairly long, so yeah. Please review! Thank you!