Paper Crowns

{ Chapter 4 } ~ Lessons in Redundancy

{Chapter song> Dear True Love by Sleeping at Last}

Dear true love,

I'm a writer without any words,

I'm a story that nobody heard 

When I'm without you.

I am a voice,

I am a voice without any sound.

I'm a treasure map that nobody found

When I'm without you.

Dear true love,

I'm a lantern without any light,

I'm a boxer much too afraid to fight

When I'm without you.

Dear true love,

I'm an artist without any paint,

I'm the deal that everyone breaks

When I'm without you.

I am a whisper,

I'm a secret that nobody keeps.

I'm a dreamer of someone else's dreams

When I'm without you.

Dear true love,

I'm a farewell that came all too soon.

I'm a hand-me-down that dreams of being new

When I'm without you.

* * *

Slipping on her favorite pair of blue denim overalls, Julie was ready to tackle the day. She wasn't exactly sure how it would go and that was something exciting for her. Normally school seemed boring and everything seemed exactly the same as the day before. Every class was dreary and long, weekdays dragging on and on.

The popular girls would walk by in bunches, their faces caked with makeup, their phones in hand, the brand name clothing they wore exactly identical.

Then there were the jocks, usally showoffs, the bookworms, the sport divas, the hipsters and of course the loners. They all always had their friends by their sides, even the ones who didn't seem to have any. All Julie had was Jack.

It had seemed like all she had ever needed was Jack. She hadn't needed girlfriends who talked about clothes and boys, she'd just needed someone who would listen to her. Someone who was real. And it just so happened that it was Jack.

As she walked to school, she lifted her head to see the familiar face framed with golden curls waiting patiently for her at their usual spot. He saw her and gave her that small, timid smile that she had grown to love.

Jack didn't smile enough, she thought. Especially not lately with everything that was going on with his parents. Julie didn't push him too hard about that. She could see that he didn't really fancy talking about it.

She kept walking and he easily stepped into stride with her, re-adjusting that old jean jacket of his that he always wore. Her mother always joked that Jack and Julie could easily be fraternal twins, Julie with her overalls and Jack with his jacket.

The walk was quiter than usual but Julie didn't mind much. They communicated well enough in the smiles and sighs they exchanged. Then something caught Julie's curiousity. Like something always caught Julie's curiosity.

"Hey Jack... do you have anything new to show me?"

She glanced over at him eargerly and he blushed, looking down quite quickly before meeting her eyes again.