JASMINE
On Sunday morning, I awoke to my phone vibrating next to me. I rolled over to find that Lucy's mother was texting me. I quickly unlocked my phone to see the text messages.
Ivy: Good morning JasmineIvy: I hope you are well. We miss seeing you. Haydon and I do not have any hard feelings toward you and we both hope that you and Lucy will one day be able to be friends again.Ivy: I am messaging you as I hope you are still willing to meet my friend Katie and her son. They will be here for Thanksgiving and we made reservations at a restaurant on Wednesday for dinner. I can pick you up at 5. Lucy won't be there so no need to worry.
I stared at my phone wondering why Ivy was so adamant about me meeting her old friend and son, especially If she wasn't even bringing Lucy. I had almost forgotten that I had bumped into her in the grocery store almost a month ago. It seem
JASMINE I woke to my alarm on Monday, quickly swiping it off and taking a deep breath. I readied myself for the day and promptly joined my parents downstairs to go to temple service. My stomach rolled and my limbs were weak. Not only would I see Luke at the service, but today was the day he was to verbalize his decision. I knew deep within me what it would be, but it didn’t make it easier to face his rejection so head on and fearlessly. My parents were silent in the car on the way to temple. The tension was so thick you could cut a knife through it. I’d never seen my parents like this in my life. Their bond normally seemed ideal—they agreed on almost everything, their minds an extension of each other’s. I had barely ever even heard the two of them bicker. It was the type of bond I wished for myself, though now that dream had departed. We took our normal place in the pews. Not long after we arrived, I spotted Blake and Luke taking their seats next to Blake’s parents. Blake glanced ov
JASMINEI looked at him and asked, "So what did you decide?""Right to the point, I see," he responded, sighing. "Let's enjoy our drinks first and then we'll talk. Are you hungry? I can also bring out some snacks.""I'm good," I replied, knowing I wouldn't be able to eat even if I were hungry."Let me know if you change your mind. It's not good to drink on an empty stomach.""Mm," I replied."So how was your weekend?""It was okay. How was yours?""Miserable," he took another drink and refilled his cup. I did the same and he topped me off."What was so miserable about it?""Come on, Jasmine, you know this is not an easy decision for me. I've been given an ultimatum and a limited amount of time to decide on the path for the rest of my life. That's a lot of pressure. I can't see the future, so there's no way to know if I'm making the right decision.""But you know in your heart what you reall
BLAKE I watched in horror as Jasmine doubled over and fell off the couch, just narrowly missing the coffee table. I shuddered as she screamed in agony at the rejection. Before I could think about what I was doing, I picked her up by her waist, her whole body convulsing. I quickly glanced back at Luke who was also doubled over on the couch, clearly also in pain, hesitating and wondering if I should try to help him too. His eyes locked with mine, red and brimming with tears. “It’s okay, Blake. Help Jasmine. I’ll be okay,” he wheezed out, grasping at his chest. I’d come back for him later and make sure he really was okay. At that moment, all I could think about was taking care of Jasmine. I swiftly grabbed my car keys from the entryway table and ran to my car, carrying Jasmine over my shoulder. I threw her into the passenger seat, sprinted to the driver’s seat, and was soon speeding toward the clinic. It was a quick drive. I parked haphazardly, pulled Jasmine out of the car, and ran in
JASMINE My parents brought me home on Monday night, picking me up on their way home from work. Dr. Luna told them what happened, so I didn’t have to. My mom didn’t say anything. She just sat in the front seat of the car as my dad walked me to the back seat. He then helped me up to my bedroom and into my bed. He looked at me, not speaking. I turned away from him, feeling shame at how pathetic I was being. I’d always read books and seen TV shows with female characters who withered away from heartbreak, and I hated that I was doing the same thing. But I couldn’t help it. The pain was debilitating. Not that I had personal experience with it, but I imagined it was similar to a bullet being shot through my chest. I stayed in bed for the remainder of the night, only rising to use the bathroom. It was the same all day Tuesday. My parents kept bringing me food that I ignored, not able to stomach it. On Wednesday morning, I received a text from Ivy reminding me of the dinner. I decided to igno
JASMINEKatie cleared her throat and said, "Well, Jasmine, this may be a bit of a shock, but Tyler's actually your half-brother."I practically choked on my apple juice. Both Jack and I stared at Katie."What!" Jack exclaimed. "Jasmine's uptight father knocked someone up in high school?"Katie laughed. "Drew, uptight? I mean, his parents, yes."Ivy joined in laughter. "He's changed quite a lot since you knew him. I think it's his mate.""To be honest, he had already changed significantly before I left. I shouldn't be too surprised."I felt a pain in my chest, and my lungs contracting, not able to speak. Suddenly everyone was looking at me."Are you okay, Jasmine?" Ivy and Jack spoke at the same time."Sorry, this is quite a lot, isn't it?" Katie asked."Will you be okay, Jasmine? Do you need to get some fresh air?" Ivy looked at me, concern on her face."Here, I'll take her outside," Tyler
JASMINE Ivy dropped me at home, and I thanked her again. I speed walked into the house, desperate to get back to wallowing in my misery. I was already imagining how comforting it would be to pull on my pajamas and crawl under my comforter, exiting the demands of the world. Although it was nice to get my mind off Luke for a little while, the sting in my chest wouldn't cease, and I could barely bring myself to feel normal. I swung the front door open to find my parents sitting on the couch. They both looked up at the sound of the door opening and shutting. “Where have you been?” my mom questioned as soon as I walked in, with pursed lips and a sour look on her face. “You left your cell phone at home. We tried mindlinking you and couldn’t get through. I hope you weren’t going outside the territory alone.” “I know about Katie and Tyler,” I simply replied, narrowing my eyes at both of them. My mom gasped and I turned to the stairs, having no desire to elaborate on or discuss my day. I wal
JASMINE Thanksgiving was at my grandparents’ house. I skipped out and stayed in bed, knowing I couldn’t possibly handle another social situation. My dad brought leftovers into my room. I picked at them, barely touching them. I called in sick for both my shifts that week, skipping out on work Saturday. After being the type of person who never called out, I realized I was becoming one flaky employee now. I could add that to my list of things I went from perfect at to bad at. I couldn’t even be bothered to do any schoolwork. I realized I didn’t even care what grades I got anymore. I was completely pathetic. I had no more motivation for anything in life. Maybe I could just decay in my bed slowly over several months until I was dead and didn’t have to suffer anymore. Early in the morning, on Sunday, when it was still dark outside, my dad came into my room and sat down on my bed. He put his hand on my back, gently shaking me awake, and said, “There’s someone here to see you. But I think y
JASMINE I spent the morning skiing with Blake and his friends. Blake stayed with me the whole time, staying close by me as we went down the mountain and sharing the chairlift with me. As we were sitting together, being lifted up one of the mountains, Blake leaned over and asked, “How are you feeling, Jasmine? I’ve been worried. You never responded to any of my texts.” I looked down. “Sorry, I just didn’t have the energy to reply.” “Well, you’re doing great skiing today.” He smiled. “Although not a big fan of those snow pants. The leggings were much better, definitely.” We broke for lunch. Blake deposited me at a table with the other girls while he and the guys went up to buy lunch. Brooke moved closer to me and said, “You’re definitely quieter than the others.” “The others?” I asked. “You know, the other girls he dated in the past. They’re usually much more obnoxious. You seem much nicer. Nice change of pace.” “Have you known Blake long?” I asked. “I’ve known him since kinderga