The One Who Stayed

House of Memories

"Baby we built this house on memories, take my picture now shake it till you see it"- House of Memories by Panic! at the Disco

In a world that is naturally dark, filled with dark things, dark thoughts, dark people, dark actions, darkness. He is the one bright spot. The one flash of light, a warm caress of happiness and hope. He is hope. Hope for a new day, new things, new thoughts, new people, new actions, new. Everything in my world is dark, except for him. He doesn't know that he makes my world a better place. That every time he flashes me a smile, that sweet perfectly imperfect smile, that it pushes away the dark thoughts. He doesn't know.

Jenna looked up from the paragraph she had just wrote.

"It's too depressing" She thought. In fact it was too real for her. She knew that the world was dark, but she also knew to only focus on the positive. The positivity she carries with her even though so much in her life has pulled back life's dark curtain and shown its real face. The face of fear and negativity, evil around every corner. Two events in her life have torn down that curtain, however she always finds a way to put it back up. Always hoping, wanting something in her life to change. She would be so disappointed if things didn't change. If she was still stuck here, in this place. Her room was a house of memories. Pictures and writings. Memories of what it was like before the death of her mother and sister. She was left alone, her and her dad. She loved her dad with all her heart, but she hated to admit that life was not all butterflies. Life was filled with worms, moths, and caterpillars.

She didn't want to admit to her friends that she liked therapy. She told them it was her dads idea to keep from seeming like a nut job. She knew though, that therapy helped. There were things she thought everyday that she never told anyone. Every single day the flashback of her sisters death ran through her head. Sometimes for thirty seconds and sometimes for thirty minutes. The pain and emotions varied as well. Sometimes she could push it out without a second thought and other times she had to excuse herself from class to cry in the bathroom. Therapy helped, it helped her come to terms with her sisters death. However the recurring thought of it was sometimes too much for her to handle. Luckily her dad understood and would come get her from school if she needed it. Jenna was stronger than she knew, she had the potential to be greatness. She just needed someone special to show her the way.

"Hey babe over here." Jenna's boyfriend Brett was calling her over. She knew her relationship was not as healthy as it once was. He treated her like she was a possession and not a human being. Her friends had been telling her to dump him forever, but she couldn't stand another loss. Not until Daniel came along. Daniel was a tall attractive boy, a brown haired green eyed model like angel. At least that is what Jenna thought when she would think of him. Daniel had shown up at school in the second quarter, just before finals. Jenna and Daniel had become close friends and she realized that being friends with Daniel was more fun then her and Brett's relationship had been in years.

"Brett." Jenna walked confidently over to him.

"What is it cutie." He wasn't going to make this easy.

"We need to break up."

"Break up?"

"Yes." She did it, she finally stood up to Brett it was a huge accomplishment for her. Why didn't it feel like one?

"Why?"

"I need time for myself."

"Yourself! What about me!" Brett was starting to get louder. This attracted the attention of some other students in the hall. Her friends came walking over to monitor the situation, Brett was known to be a "hands on when angry" kind of guy. "Its because of that Daniel kid isn't it!? Where is he? I'm going to kick his ass!"

Jenna did not even get time to answer. Brett was already storming down the hall looking for him. Jenna ran after calling his name.

"Brett! Stop! What are you doing?! Let's talk about this!" Brett stopped and looked back angrily. He was scaring her. His demeanor suddenly changed. He flashed an evil smile and his eyes screamed torment.

"Talk? Oh Jenna sweetie, there will be no talking." He was getting angry again. "All you ever do is talk! Talk about Daniel, you talk about your friends, you are just shit with a mouth and you mean nothing to me."

"Then why are you chasing after Daniel?! If 'i mean nothing to you' then it shouldn't matter who i like should it?! You talk about pieces of shit but have you looked in the mirror lately Brett? This relationship has been going downhill ever since-" Brett ran up and slapped her. She knew he didn't want to face what he did. He told her to never talk about it. She wasn't planning on it but in the heat of the moment it slipped out. Jenna felt a tear slip from her eye, but she wasn't crying. The tear was not from sadness or anger. It was a tear because she felt bad for people like Brett. They were all alone inside, it's why they take their loneliness out on other people. It was pity she felt.

Her friends ran up and pulled her back, Jenna with a hand on her cheek caressing the mark that Brett no doubtfully left. Pity turned to anger, Jenna heaved herself from her friends grasp. She was no helpless girl. Daniel seemed to be the only one to see that. She ran up to Brett and threw her fist right into his jaw. Brett fell to the ground. 

"Jenna! are you okay?!" Daniel came running down the hall. Stopping when he saw Brett. 

"What did you do?"

"He slapped me, it was self defense." Jenna said in a squeaky voice trying to hold back tears. Daniel was the only one who could stop her now. Daniel stepped over Brett and embraced Jenna. She fell apart right there in his arms. In the hallway. In front of everyone. She didn't care though. No, Daniel was enough  to keep her from caring.

Daniel got a tap on his shoulder and he whirled around. Brett was standing right there.

"Are you Daniel?"

"You must be asshole I have heard so much about you!" Daniel said in mock pleasure. Daniel was considerably taller than Brett. Not to mention more built. Brett went to throw a punch at Daniel. Daniel grabbed his fist and threw him to the ground, he then knelt down to where Brett was cradling his most likely broken arm.

"If you ever touch her again, if you ever talk to her again, It will be more than just your arm."

"Let's go Jenna." Daniel wrapped his arms around Jenna's shoulders and they walked out of the school. She knew that skipping was bad, but there was no way she was going to class after what just happened. All the strangers and bystanders asking her questions she didn't have the answer to. She texted her dad telling him she was spending the day with Daniel. It was Friday anyways. What an odd start.