As Hope and Promise Fade

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Today was the day of Julie’s sixteenth birthday and Ariana wasn’t going to miss it. Julie was her sister; it didn’t matter if it was biologically or not. She was nervous as she got out of the car and neared the porch. There was no doubt Jax would be there too and it had been nearly a year since they broke up.

She still couldn’t believe it all happened let alone that it was still true. She and Jax had vowed over and over to stay together though thick and thin. But when it got a little too thick Jax opted to break her heart.

Ariana had wanted to stay by his side, Jax had wanted her to pursue her dreams. When she decided she could go to college right there in town he thought she was crazy to pass up a scholarship to some of the best schools in the nation. He thought breaking up with her would help her make the right decision and he was right.

He broke her heart on a Sunday, by the following Friday she was on a plane to California.

Now a year later she was back to support Julie through a drastic change in her life. She was halfway up the sidewalk when the birthday girl stepped out of the house.

“You came!” Julie ran down the porch and threw her arms around Ariana.

“Of course I came, you only turn sixteen once.”

“Yeah and a big furry wolf too.” Julie didn’t sound thrilled about the changes she was going to have to face but she did sound better about accepting the whole thing. Mitch had finally caved and told Julie the truth about her heritage last year just before Ariana left.

“Focus on the good instead of the bad. You have a big birthday party with all the cool kids coming up very soon.” Ariana glanced down at her watch and saw it was roughly an hour until her party would begin.

“I thought you were going to meet us at the club.”

“I was able to catch an earlier flight and I wanted to see you and mom before the big party.”

“And Jax too.”

Ariana knew better than to try and lie, Julie had always been too smart for that. “How is he?”

“He’s Jax, he’s the loner in the corner and all that stuff. He never changes. He misses you though.”

“I find that hard to believe, he’s the one who broke up with me.”

“Because in his idiot macho brain he thinks that was the right thing to do. He doesn’t want years from now you blame him for all the exciting times you passed up.”

“I’d never do that and going to school here or in another state is pretty much the same thing.”

“Then why did you leave?”

“I was angry.” Ariana said with a sigh as tears stung her eyes. “I never thought he could think of breaking up with me and then he actually does it. I was hurt and I couldn’t stay here and see him everyday after that. I let my emotions get the best of me.”

“And what happens now?”

“I don’t know.” It brought a physical ache to her heart to admit she didn’t know what came next for her and Jax. She missed him with every fiber of her being and wanted nothing more than to erase the last year and pick up where they left off, when they were happy. “Can we focus on you now?”

“Sure.” Julie said softly while taking her hand. “I won’t mention my stupid brother anymore. You don’t have to worry about running into him yet, he’s not here. Mom and Dad are at the club putting the finishing touches on everything.” She had taken to calling Mary mom and Mary couldn’t have been more flattered, she cried for an hour the first time Julie said it. “I wanted a party but they are going overboard.” Both girls stepped inside the house.