Face Your Fears

[Ashley]

The horseless coach pulled up to the huge, double oak doors of an old castle. The door swung open of its own accord, and a figure cloaked in black stepped down afterwards. It looked like it petted the thin air, and then it turned and walked in the doors of the castle that opened themselves.

A heavy, resounding thump echoed in the hallway as a trunk hit the floor at the feet of the figure. A wizened woman hurried down the hall towards the figure, and stopped short with her hand out.

“Well, Miss Aimes, I’m pleased to know that you will be joining us after all this year. I do hope, however, that you’ve been keeping up with your schooling while you were visiting relatives in America.”

The black figure reached up and lowered her hood, revealing dark red hair streaked with black. The jade colored eyes, caked in heavy black makeup, stared at the old woman emotionlessly. “You’ve got nothing to worry about, Headmistress. I assure you I have kept up with the curriculum,” the girl’s ruby red lips whispered tonelessly.

“Very well then, your classmates are in the Great Hall.” The headmistress turned and walked off, fixing her hat back at a jaunty angle. A small creature appeared out of nowhere with a crack!. Relaxing, the girl slid a stick of wood back in her pocket.

She nodded her head at the creature as it picked up her trunk, then turned and strolled towards another set of doors off to the side. She slammed one of them open, effectively cutting off all the chatter of the occupants of the hall, and made her way towards a table that sat under a green and silver tapestry. She chose the seat furthest away from everyone, including the other occupants of the table.

The rumor was true: Jaden Aimes had returned to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

[Jenna]

Li Na had gotten settled in with her baby, McGonagal was actually pretty good about the whole situation. She gave her a private room for her and her baby and on the weekends, Li Na would go out and meet Draco, who had a new disguise. Halen of course had ratteded on Draco being the father but Draco had long been gone when this went on. Draco was shocked that he was the dad but he was so good at it.

Suprisingly to Li Na, Madame Pomprehy loved babies and as soon as she saw Jie Dae she fell in love with her asking to take care of her during the day. McGonagal agreed because they really had no where for the baby to go. Li Na loved this agrangment because she could stop by and check on her in between classes.

Li Na had finished getting ready, her classmates were out at breakfast, this deed usually took longer with her having a baby now. Jie Dae was now freshly two months old and she was a crier sometimes, the child had a good set of lungs when she wanted to. Li Na picked up Jie Dae in her arms and went to the hospital wing, softly handing her over to Mrs. Pomphrey who admidatly cooed at the baby.

Li Na proceeded to walk into the Great Hall and she heard a lot of whispers and she, herself, was getting a lot of weird stares. She shrugged it off thinking everyone was off their rocker. She slid down into a new seat and then she saw it. A hooded figure. Must be a new student, she thought to herself. She was in for a bit of a suprise and she had no idea.

[Ashley]

Shortly before Jade had entered the room, McGonagall had gone in from the teacher's enterance. After Jade had took her seat, McGonagall stood up from her own and gathered the attention of the school. "Attention, everyone! It is with great pleasure that I welcome back one of our seventh year students, Jaden Aimes. She's been away in America visiting realitives. You'll make her feel welcome, I'm sure."

Jade rolled her eyes, knowing that no one would be able to see. She frowned after McGonagall motioned for her to stand up, and did so quickly, lowering her hood in the process. The exact same face that had stared at McGonagall in the Enterance Hall stared at the entire population of Hogwarts.

"You'd think something really exciting was going on, what the with way you people are acting. Get over it!" She said snidely to those around her. Her voice was just like she felt, dull and dead. Jade looked around the room, catching eyes with an extremely familar person down the table a ways.

[Jenna]

Li Na listened to McGonagal. Then actually heard what she said. "What the hell?" Li Na mumbled, as she quickly got up from the table, deciding she didn't want to be in here anymore. She went as fast as she could to the Hospital Wing and sat down on the bed, nex to her baby's play pen. Mrs Pomphrey came out. "What is wrong child?"

"I think I am sick." Li Na lied. "You don't feel warm at all, now get out of here, I can take care of you little one. Scoot, scoot." she said shooing her off. Li Na gave her a weak smile, slowly walking out as she went into the hall way her stomach grumbling. She realized that this was her school and she would do what she pleased, she marched back in there and grabbed a piece of toast. Shooting Jade a death stare.

[Ashley]

Jade smirked as Li Na ran out of the room, returning to her own plate of toast and pumpkin juice. She streatched her legs out on the chair in front of her, and leaned her head against the wall. Wasn't it funny how someone acted all tough, then turned tail and ran.

Jade glanced up as someone sat down close to where she was. Upon catching Li Na's death glare again, she merely quirked an eyebrow and attended to her toast. Jade wasn't going to be the first one to talk, she didn't even do anything wrong. After all, it's not like she kicked Li Na out or anything.

[Jenna]

Li Na was just as stubborn there was no way, she would talk to Jade. Afterall she left without saying good-bye. She was the one who stopped talking to her and she was the one who was saying that she was a whore and all of that stuff, like she would really talk to someone like that.

Li Na continued to eat her toast, trying to pretend taht she had never even seen Jade. It was better that way if she could pretend that the girl was gone.

[Ashley]

Well, some people would never change. Jade's lips quirked at the corners as she pulled a book out of her pocket, and began flipping through the pages. She hummed quitely to herself, lost in her own little world again.

She turned as she felt someone approaching her from behind, and glowered at the second year who turned tail and ran back to his group of friends.

She pulled a pen from her back pocket and began scribbling words down in the 'book', mumbling them alound as she did so, "Medicated, Drama Queen, Picture Perfect, Numb Belligerence. Narcisistic, Drama Queen, Craving fame and all this Decadence. Pause five six seven eight. Lying through your teeth again. Suicidal Imbecile."

[Jenna]

Li Na heard Jade mumbling to herself and thought boy is this girl a loon or what. She decided she would never go to America if it had her mumbling to herself like some crazy person. Li Na smiled as she pulled out a book and decided to mock her.

She pulled out a pen and started "Loon, Liar, Cheat, Jealous, Runaway who can't deal with problems, Lame, from the looks of it sligtly gothic but secretly loves pink, closet drunk, hummm, what else?" she said smiling, as she began to analyze the girl.

[Ashley]

Jade rolled her eyes at Li Na's childishness. Honestly, she expected that to get a rise out of her? Whatever. She kept writing, finishing with a, "If you choose to pull the trigger, should your drama prove sincere, do it somewhere far away from here."

She folded that page down and flipped to another one, beginning to write, "Don't fret precious, I'm here. Step away from the window and, Go back to sleep. Lay your head down child, I won't let the boogeyman come. Count the bodies like sheep, To the rhythm of the war drums. Pay no mind to the rabble…Pay no mind to the rabble. Head down, go to sleep, To the rhythm of the war drums.”

She frowned as she got stuck on what to write next, and then slipped the book back in her pocket. Coughing, she stood up and left the room, going out into the deserted hall. She propped her back up against the railing of the stairs, and waited for Li Na to follow. And she would follow. Li Na wasn’t Li Na if she couldn’t get the last word in.

[Jenna]

Juat as expected Li Na followed. A small smirk on her face. She saw Jade standing there waiting for her, as if she knew Li Na would be coming.

Li Na stopped in front of Jade, looking at her fingernails. "It is such a pity you came back, it was getting so peaceful around here." she said, as she gave a small sigh, walking off towards the library.

[Ashley]

"I can imagine. What? No boys to toy with since you got knocked up? Oh, what hell you must have gone through," her monotone voice retorted to Li Na's back. Well, that was settled.

Her smirk turned sinister, "I hear your brat's well." She glanced at her black coated fingernails, "I may well have to pay my niece a visit."

[Jenna]

"What jealous? Halen chose me over you, remember that." she said smiling, even though the kid wasn't his, he still had slept with her.

"You so much as look at her and I swear I will beat the shit out of you." she said angrily. "And get it correct she isn't your niece, I have a brother and sister and they are not you." she said angrily.

[Ashley]

"No, I'm not really jealous. I could give a f**k less about what the two of you do. Just think of what it's like to have someone that you've actually trusted turn on you. Oh..woe is me," Jade said snidely. "No, actually, I've moved on to someone a whole f**king lot better than Halen. And I mean that in every sense of the word."

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. It's cute that you actually think you could kick my ass. Heartwarming, I'm sure." She rolled her eyes. "Oh, really? You've got a brother and a sister? Well, by all means, tell me where they were when you ran away from your parents. I've got as much right to see your brat as they do. After all, I housed you for all that time. Even after I 'disappeared'. And after Mom was killed. How much of our stuff did you sell?"

[Jenna]

"Humm that is not the story Halen is telling." she said laughing. "So are you really that good at begging?" she asked with a smile. "I didn't turn on you, because you weren't dating him, dumb shit." she said laughing.

"Just wait until you are a mother then you will see what I mean. I could kill someone for messing with my baby, and that includes you." she said with a pissed off look. "f**k you, I am the only person that has a right to her afterall, you didn't carry her did you?" she said rolling her eyes. "And you didn't house me, your mother did. I didn't sell anything I have respect for your mother, more then you ever dreamed of having." she said glaring at her.

[Ashley]

"Maybe you should ask him the same question, Shing." She grinned sardonically, "I wasn't dating him yet I was engaged to him? I'd like to know how that works out." She shrugged negligently. "Like I said, I've found someone better than him."

"Oh, YOU have more respect for MY mother than I do? Cute, Shing, really cute. But, I paid my mother's f**king hospital bill stay when she f**king went crazy YOU didn't do that. I did. I visited her everyday. I took her to her parents in America when she wanted to go see them. I was there when she was murdered." Jade pulled a pack of cigarettes out of her back pocket and put an unlit one in her mouth. "Just so you know, I asked her to let you stay. I covered your ass, Shing, when she asked why you couldn't stay with your family."