Storyteller | JHS ✓

Chapter nineteen; Dream

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It was the morning of my twentieth birthday, and I had been waiting for this. Because I felt a certain unease without Hope's stories; it was as if he embedded his stories into me, having the tales become the blood flowing through my veins, and without them, I would soon die of exsanguination.

'But,' I thought as I walked the trail to his house once more, 'he would have to agree to tell one to me for my birthday.'

Taking my gifted keys, I unlocked the newly-always-locked door--heart hammering my chest. I hadn't asked for anything in a long time. But if our past conversations had said anything about him, it was that he could be trusted. And even though I wanted to cower in fear, where no one would look at me and judge me, it was Hope that taught me taking the first step mattered. It made me a friend, after all. For when no one is there to judge you, no one is there to love you either.

And some people are worth loving and being loved by, even if others will judge you.

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"What?! Today is your birthday?!"

I nodded shyly while Hope frantically ran about, possibly looking for a gift.

"Argh! Why is it all so messy in here??"

"What sorts of things do girls like anyway?!"

He paced up and down the staircase, in and out of rooms, and maneuvered around things like a slightly-more-intelligent Roomba. But that was all he did: he only moved and occasionally looked at the shelves. But he never once rifled through drawers--never once actually stuck his hand in a cabinet.

"Jesus Christ. Dude, you don't have to give me anything!"

At my words, he stopped his frantic pacing, putting his hands instead to his hips like an aggravated teacher, "Now what kind of a gentleman would I be then?"

A smile tugged at my lips, "Because what I want isn't something you can give...It's something you can tell...!"

"Why, you little--"

"It's my birthday!" I pleaded, "I'm twenty now, me being a year older certainly deserves a story, doesn't it?"

He was about to refuse--I saw it in the way his lips pursed. But our eyes met, and he had no choice but to give in.

Hope sighed, "Sit down. Make yourself at home because this will be a long one."

"Where? On your lap?"

"Girl, you wish. Sitting on my lap is an honor. Perhaps one day, you will be worthy."

I brushed him off but still complied, "It's fine, it's fine. That mall Santa next door is cuter anyway."

"You did not just say that some 'Mall-Santa' has better legs than me. Repent, or no story."

"You did not just threaten to take away story-time."

"I'll give it back once you tell me my legs are better than Santa's."

"I'll tell you that your legs are better than Santa's once you tell me the story."

"Story first!"

"My legs!"

"Story first!"

"MY LEGS!"

This bickering went on for longer than I would like to admit. But in the end, after several compliments, he finally gave in.

"Alright, so after establishing that your legs are definitely, positively, superior to those of a Mall Santa's, will you please tell me the story."

A fond smile pulled at his lips, yet a still bittersweet sadness laid beneath his pools of honey, "...Alright. Let's begin..."

"There once lived a great Jester, by the name of 'Jeon Jungkook.'"

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Follow these amazing people!!

@ninjakoko - "The Night of Horror"

@cherryficss - "Signal" & "Fate"

@christinaxmorton - "Reason"

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Waddup, lovelies, I feel terrible because I missed updating by not one, not two, but three days. Namjesus from the heavens above please forgive this sinful child. But...to make up for that...double update!!!! Although that amounts to barely anything because this chapter is half of what a normal one hahdijiojioajfioejgr I'm sorry yall ;; Kookie's story is complicated took a long ass time to do

Anyhoo, I love you all!