Only the Strong Survive

Chapter One

Nina pov.

"Will you marry me?" Jack said to me on his knee in the middle of a field. I was stunned.
Yes, or no? Could I spend my entire life with him? Yes. Would I drive him crazy? Yes. Would I eventually regret this decision? Maybe, but that's a very slim maybe. I mean, how bad could life be with Jack at my side forever? Was I hesitating to answer this? It feels like I'm taking to long to answer a simple question. My head feels like its on fire. Maybe my brain is trying to comprehend this? I know for a fact that I can't comprehend this. But what bad things could come out of this? Not anything I can think of at this second. So what's holding me back?
Nothing. Nothing at all.
Jack stands up and looks concerned. "Are you ok? Your crying." Oh I was crying. Wow. Um... Not my brain's shining moment. I wipe my eyes and smile slightly at the ground. I couldn't believe this was happening. I'm not normally one for emotions, or girly feelings, but this is an exception. In an instant, my smile widens and I launch myself at Jack, happily saying, "Yes! Yes, yes, yes." He caught me in a hug and I kissed him. Then I said more calmly, "Yes, Jack I will marry you." I stood back so he could slide the ring onto my finger. It looked perfect. Not to over the top, but not to plain. Heck, I probably would've even said yes if it was plastic. Jack was smiling at me when we sat back down. "I was a bit scared at first when you didn't answer. Terrified actually." I kissed him again. "You overloaded my brain. I can only comprehend so much information at one time." That made him laugh.
I asked, "Did you clear this with dad? Or are we doing this illegally?" He laughed more. "Of course I did. What do you think I was doing last night besides making you food? But I have to admit, it was very awkward. He just kept staring at me." He shivered at the memory. "I'm at least happy he agreed, and let you keep an arm. And your life. Did you tell my mom?" He shook his head, "I thought you would enjoy hearing her reaction. She has no clue whatsoever. I made Logan not tell." I smiled and pulled out my phone, speed dialing mom. Trying hard not to laugh, I put it on speaker. Mom picked up on the third ring. "Hey Nina I'm at work, can this wait? I'm off in ten minutes." I looked at Jack and he shook his head. "Sorry mom, this can't wait. Tell your boss your going home. It's an emergency." She sounded alarmed when she responded, "Are you ok? Are you hurt?! If anything happened to you, I'm going to skin your father alive-" I stopped her, before she exploded into a raging fire ball. Jack mumbled, "What is it with your family and skinning people alive? It's kinda creepy." Yeah, if I had a quarter for every time I've heard it, I could live on the moon.
"No, no mom, I'm fine. It has nothing to do with my health. I just need you to step outside or something." I heard the sound of sliding doors, and then the rush of traffic. "What is it that you want to tell me?" She sounded a bit annoyed. "Ok mom, here is the surprise." I could almost hear her nod. "Yeah, what?"
I clear my voice. "So, Jack and I are getting married."
There was a pause. "Could you say that again? I don't think I heard you correctly." I sigh. "I'm getting married."
There was a longer pause, and then the entire routine that all moms do when they have mixed feelings about something. The one they do where at first they repeat what they can't believe, then they start to accept it, then they realize what that means. Then they start screaming happy thoughts, ask why, and then finally ask to whom. Mom went thorough all of those stages in less than a minute. She was flipping out first, and was yelling. "Nina your only 18! Are you absolutely sure? Don't you think you two are a bit young to get married?"
"Yes, mom I'm sure. My answer won't change in ten minutes or ten years. Jack is who I want to spend my life with." Jack leaned over and kissed my head. Mom seemed to accept that. She flipped the tables entirely and started yelling about everything humanly possible to yell about at once.
What the wedding theme would be, what my dress would look like, if I was even having a wedding, where it would be, even if I knew how many people would be coming. And then something about grandchildren. "Whoa, slow down a bit mom. I-"
"But I'm so excited! My baby is getting married!!"
"Yeah ok,-" I tried to interrupt, but failed. "Jack, you take good care of my girl you hear?" Before she could go onto her list of threats, including being skinned alive, quarter for me, he said. "Yes ma'am, I will take good care of her." She sounded so happy when she said to him. "Sweetheart, call me mom now. Bye, I'll call you later." We both said goodbye and hung up. I leaned against Jack and moaned.
"I feel like I just handed Magneto a bunch of metal spikes to stab all human kind with." I heard him smile. "It can't be that bad. But does this mean I have to call Logan dad now? That just seams very awkward. And maybe something he would stab me for."
"Don't try it unless he tells you to. You will be stabbed."
We laid in the grass, holding hands.
If only Annie and Matt could hear about this. They would be flipping out saying 'I told you this would happen' to everyone they know. The thought brings tears to my eyes, and I finger the small charm Annie left me. The pain hurts like it was only yesterday when we found her on the beach. But it was yesterday. Yesterday, my friend was ripped from my life, and will never see my strangely happy future with Jack, or never experience her own with Matt. But she made her choice. I just have to live with it. Survive with it.
Jack's words pulled me out of my thoughts. "Just because your mom was saying, do you want kids?" He asked with an eyebrow raised.
"Um... Maybe in a few years. We are only 18. But eventually yeah, why not?" The more clawed beasts around here the better, apparently. He kissed my hand.

We laid in the grass for what seemed like eternity, until I was hungry. Jack drove us back, while I took pleasure in not having to drive. I couldn't wait to see the faces on all the students.