Newspaper Girl

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Ravenbelle

An Artist of Words
Original poster
FOLKLORE MEMBER
Invitation Status
Posting Speed
  1. One post per day
  2. 1-3 posts per week
  3. One post per week
Writing Levels
  1. Adaptable
Preferred Character Gender
  1. Primarily Prefer Female
Genres
Modern fantasy, Romance, Sci-fi, Hurt/Comfort, Horror, Magical
Name: Jade Maribeth
Age: 17
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looks like the picture except a little bit darker hair, no pigtails and replace the outfit with jeans and a t-shirt most days
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Jade rode along the side of the street with her messenger bag in her green bike's basket and her long, chestnut hair trailing in the wind behind her. It was a nice day in the fall, but it would get chilly soon so she wore a black jacket and a plain white V-neck with jeans and high top converse. No need to dress up for her paper route. The breeze blew the bangs away from her forehead and she breathed deeply, enjoying these kind of days. She was heading to her favorite and last neighborhood of her day at around 7 am. 70 houses every day. Those who enjoyed the daily paper, like most in this neighborhood, usually paid for it online via credit card so the job was perfect or her. She didn't have to attempt verbal communication with anyone and it was a nice way to start the day most times. This kind of ride is what she thinks about when she's left home alone. Her parents were usually at work when she finished her day at the computer (virtual school) so she would spend time biking to the library or writing in her journal most days. Jade is a bit of a loner..mostly because she's incapable of verbal communication. It makes her seem rude sometimes and she hates that. She hates that she was unfortunate enough to be born without vocal cords. She loves music and she can't sing. She loves writing but she can never narrate...it used to disappoint her all the time and it still frustrates her, but she can't do anything about it so she got used to the loneliness. This is the only time in her day when she wouldn't have her earphones in. Delivering the daily paper requires for her to be aware of the noises around her..also it's refreshing to hear the normal birds chirping and some cars whizzing by. Daily chatter on cell phones Jade pedaled along until she reached the small neighborhood at the end of her route and turned into it, a relaxed and satisfied look in her emerald eyes as she threw her first paper onto a driveway she bikes past every day.
 
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Name: Austin Ames
Age: 17
[obviously no purple eyes, sapphire blue instead. same outfit with dark blue jeans]

Austin Ames. Star senior quarterback of Amberwood High. Everyone knew his name and he could get pretty much anything he wanted. He never got in trouble, if he did he would get a minor punishment. He was very popular and the girls swooned over him. He had to admit, he loved his life but sometimes he just wished it would all go away and that he could be a normal guy. He just wished he had the right girl as his girlfriend. Last year he broke up with his girlfriend - Amber, head cheerleader because he realized she was just a fake bitch. He wanted a real girl to be his, someone that didn't care about his popularity and looked past it, someone that seen the real him.

It was a beautiful, sunny Saturday morning. Last night Austin went home after the last away game of the season. Just two more home games and the season ended. Next week they would be going against their rivals - Rosewood High and the week after - Ashwood High for the championship game. He was in his room, laying on his bed watching a random show on his TV. He gets up and goes to open his window, letting the fall breeze into his room. He looks at the clock on his wall and notices the newspaper would be arriving soon.

He walks downstairs, not putting his jacket on and walks outside. The cool, crisp fall breeze blows through his chestnut hair. He loved this time of the year, the fall always made him feel relaxed. He closes his sapphire eyes, breathing in the air and listening to the birds sing. He then hears a familiar sound and smiles. He walks to the end of his driveway and sees the newspaper girl biking down the street. He smiles and catches the paper as she throws it. "Thanks." He says, watching her ride past him to the next house.
 
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Jade was finally turning the corner onto the short street with his house on it. Austin Ames. He was so popular that even one of the journalists from the paper have a crush on him. That's the whole reason she knows who he is. She sees him on the front page sometimes. Every time he does something incredible on the football field at Amberwood High School, there he is, smiling that smoldering smile every girl would die for in black and white. Though Jade had heard things about him (do you know how much you hear when you can't make a sound?), she could never say she really knew him. All she liked is that he always came outside to greet her and he always said thank you. From what she's seen of him, he isn't a spoiled athlete begging for attention. He's just a hot guy waiting for the paper.
When she pedaled by his house, there he was, eyes closed and hair brushing his forehead in the breeze. Beautiful. Like a painting. She threw the paper precisely at him and he caught it flawlessly. 'Thanks' she thought in her head as soon as he said it out loud. Every time.
Jade gave him a polite smile and a little wave in return for his manners and threw the next paper to the yellow house beside his, somewhat off her mark. He always distracted her like that. She figured there was no crime in staring at him once in a while. It's not like she would ever get to know him. It's not like she could do much else but stare. Unless he knew sign language (which she doubted).
The few people who ever came outside to see her pedal by and throw the paper to their driveway were the stereotypical early birds who actually open the door and watch their golden retrievers fetch the news and bring it back to them. Or sometimes she got the cranky old people who only ever talked to her or shook their fist to complain about her aim with the paper. Some don't think they should have to bend down so she complies and gets off her bike to give it to those specific houses door to door. They don't like her. She's rude in their eyes. When she started this job two summers ago, she didn't think those kind of people existed and if they ever tried to converse with her, well sign language was just as much a conversation ender as her constant silence. But that was before her daily route got changed. One week at the end of June, the distributer was running out of bikers, so he switched her route to a longer one. And it happened to be through Austin's street. He's like an angel...or a male model. She would never get guilty thinking about him because she knew that her chances to talk to him were zilch and to be with him...negative zilch. So they were simply daydreams. Little fantasies that would never come true.
She rode slowly past the col-de-sac at the end of his short street (it's actually called Heaven Court) and reached the house across the street from Austin's. Usually she didn't look back at his house because he wouldn't stand out there long enough for her to stare at him again. But the man across the street from him was elderly. The kind that asked her to bring it to his door. So she kicked down the kick stand and pulled out a newspaper from her messenger bag. Jade dismounted and relaxed. It was long ride. So the quick saunter to his door didn't bother her. Even if the guy gave her dirty looks. A break is a break and she wasn't complaining. She tucked the paper in the door and hopped back on, averting her grass green eyes from Austin's immaculate household to head back home to an empty house with a very quiet sigh.
 
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Austin enjoyed seeing the newspaper girl every morning. He had to admit, she was quite good looking too. Her emerald eyes, chestnut hair, her slim body, but he never heard her speak. He wasn't sure if it was because she was shy or was just the type to keep to herself. He normally went back inside after getting the paper but today he just felt like staying outside for a bit. He can't help but smile when he sees the girl ride back up the street on the other side, stopping at the house across from his.

He watches her kick her kickstand down, grabbing a newspaper from her bag and relaxing sitting on her bike. He was impressed that a small girl like her could handle such a long ride every morning. She had to be quite fit due to the ride back and forth every day. He watches her get off her bike and saunter up to the elderly man's door. After she drops the paper in the door she walks back to her bike. He can't help but smile, waving to her. He then just watches her ride away, back home like always.
 
The house was empty when Jade returned . Both of her parents are lawyers that belong to the same firm. So the house is large, but empty of memories. They think that since she's an only child lacking vocal cords, they can buy her books...otherwise known as their version of happiness. They'll never understand that attention was all she'd ever wanted as a child. And she'd never be able to write everything she'd felt in a note. There are just some things you can only explain in spoken form or singing. She wouldn't want to bother them with it anyway. Now she's simply antisocial. Her mom is the only one who really bothered to learn sign language when she was young, but the nanny was the one she really loved. Now that she can take care of herself, she doesn't have any friends. At all.
In fact, most people in this town don't even know that the Maribeths have a child. They never see her. Whether she preferred it that way or not she wasn't sure, so she never tried to change it.
It was a nice Saturday so maybe she'd ride to the park with a book. No school today so Jade would try to keep herself occupied instead of bored in the house all day. She dropped off her messenger bag, which only had a few extra papers and replaced it with a smaller, black pouch filled with a water bottle, Romeo and Juliet and her old flip-phone.
Jade locked the house and rode back to the community park. There were a few families outside with frisbees, dogs and picnics. So Jade left her bike on the rack and swung her little purse over her shoulder, eyes scanning the grassy area for her favorite tree.When she found it, a lot of its leaves had fallen to the roots, but the ones that still hung on were bright and colorful. She swiftly climbed its familiar branches and settled herself near the top of its branches, unnoticed by other humans as usual. Jade pulled out Shakespeare's famous tragedy and began to lose herself to his words.
 
After enjoying some time outside, Austin walks back inside his house. He sighs as his dad was at work at the family car wash in town. He started working there at the beginning of the year but then quit after just 3 months because he couldn't handle working with his father. He's been looking for another job but he was having no luck. He didn't mind though because he had time to relax and do whatever he wanted to do. Plus he loved the time away from his dad.

He grabs his shoulder bag and walks out of the house. He locks the front door and starts walking to the community park. He always went to the park to relax and draw in his sketchbook. After a few minutes of walking, he arrives at the park. He smiles and waves, greeting the neighbors he recognized. He then walks over to his favorite tree and sits down, his back leaning against the trunk. He opens his sketchbook to an empty page and starts drawing his favorite subject - the newspaper girl. He had hundreds of drawings of the girl. On her bike, walking to the elderly man's door, just relaxing on her bike. Today he was drawing a head shot of her smiling when he rides past her. He had an amazing memory of her in general, especially her face since he seen her every day.
 
Jade was rereading the saddest part of the play as silent tears trailed down her cheeks when her keen ears picked up a few 'Hey Austin!'s. Her eyes widened and she looked down below her, watching him settle himself down by the trunk of the tree she was reading in. She frantically wiped her tears away and put her book in her bag. She had hardly ever seen him outside of his driveway in the morning! In this light, with the warm sunlight shining through the red, yellow orange leaves onto his bronze hair, her heart fluttered at the sheer beauty of him. Drawing...she didn't think that the Austin Ames on the front of her newspapers would ever go to the park to do anything but play football. Jade was too high up to be able to see what he was drawing but the size of the sketchpad he held made it look like he took this seriously. Maybe he was sketching something for his girlfriend.
At this point, she wasn't exactly sure what to do...she hoped he didn't notice her even though the tree's branches had dropped some leaves when she changed position. Nobody ever noticed her...except him when he rode past his house. Crap.
She thought briefly that maybe she could try to climb down on the side he wasn't sitting by but she knew that the tree would make too much noise. So she tried not to move much. She didn't want to distract him from the drawing he seemed so focused on anyway. Jade's long hair fell over her shoulders and framed her face as she watched his pencil dance across the page. Was this something else he was good at?
 
Austin was just lost in his own world, drawing the girl he wanted to learn more about. He just finished the pencil sketch and takes his colored pencils out now. He then starts coloring the drawing, remembering every detail about the girl. He just wanted to see her again, finally hear her voice. He loved feeling the warm sunlight shine on him, making his chestnut hair almost shine bronze.

He knew everyone at school only seen him as the jock, focusing on football 24/7. That wasn't him at all though, the only reason why he's in football was because his dad forced him too. If it was up to him, he would quit football and join the art club. He loved drawing, it made him feel free almost. He loved how drawing had no limits and that he could draw anything he wanted.

He was about to start coloring in the girl's chestnut hair when he notices leaves fall from the tree. He looks up and is slightly shocked when he sees the girl. "Oh hey. I'm guessing this is your favorite tree too?" He says then asks, smiling. "Why don't you come down here where it's more comfortable?" He offers, looking up at her.
 
"Oh hey. I'm guessing this is your favorite tree too?" Austin asks, smiling. "Why don't you come down here where it's more comfortable?" He offers, looking up at her. She blushes when he speaks to her directly. His smile is so charming that she gives a breathy gasp that he's even speaking to her in a friendly manner at all. What should she do?! His offer to climb down the tree and join him was tempting, but what if he thought her a freak when he realized she can't speak? That would be uncomfortable. But what other choice did she have? Austin Ames just asked her to come down from their favorite tree because he wanted her to be comfortable! Who was Jade to refuse?
In such a flustered state, it was hard for her to concentrate on where to place her feet even though she'd climbed and come down from this very tree hundreds of times. She knew normal people would have said something by now, but she..couldn't. Her face was tomato red when she swung her pouch strap over her shoulder and reached the branch closest to the ground. At this point, her tentative balance failed her and her converse slipped, her body falling past the branch beside him to the swiftly approaching roots.
 
Austin smiles, looking up at the girl. He notices her blush and chuckles. Looks like someone has a crush on me he thinks smiling. He hoped that she would accept his offer. She seemed like an amazing, sweet girl and he's been dying to get to know her. Yeah she was just the newspaper girl - probably a nobody to everyone - but that's why he wanted to know her. She was a normal, real girl.

He holds out his hand to help her down. "Come on. You don't have to be shy." He says, smiling. He could tell his offer made her flustered and hoped she was okay. He watches her try to come down. He sees her lose her balance and start to fall down. He drops his sketchpad, gets up and swiftly catches her bridal style. "Are you okay?" He asks, looking at the girl now in his arms.
 
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Jade's cheeks burned crimson, tucked to Austin's chest like that. She knew nothing about him except that he's a football star, very attractive and apparently polite and a good catcher. She stared up at his sapphire eyes for a short moment, shocked and a little frightened. Shed never been that close to a male before and never has it been in this kind of situation. Was he asking id she was okay because he really cared? How could he? He only sees her every morning and barely ever says anything but 'Thanks." This is the most she's heard him speak directly to her and his voice made her want to speak so badly.
Instead she squirmed a little, timid of such a sudden, new encounter and nodded. She was okay. Thanks to him. because she doubted he could understand American Sign Language. She mouthed the word Thanks nervously. When would she have to explain that she had no way to verbally communicate with him? And how would he react? Would he ever say thanks for the paper again?
 
Austin chuckles, seeing her blush more. He was glad that she was okay. He figured she was still flustered that he was even talking to her. He liked this moment, holding her in his arms. He sees her mouth 'thanks' and smiles. "Your welcome." He replies smiling. His eyes locked with her emerald ones and he could see the shock in hers. He gently sets her down, then sits beside her, back against the tree.

"Not trying to sound rude or anything but, why don't you ever talk? Are you just that shy?" He can't help but ask, looking at her. He knew it probably wasn't the best time to ask but he wanted to know. "I've seen you every morning ride past my house but you've never said hello. I was just wondering why." He explains. He picks up his sketchpad and pencil again, glad his drawing wasn't ripped.
 
Austin's chest vibrated against her body slightly when he chuckled. It was warm there in his arms and his beautiful eyes locked to her dull green eyes as he said 'welcome'. How could he be so perfect? Just as she was starting to relax in his embrace, he set her down beside him in the autumn leaves and gently retrieved his sketchpad again. Before she could lean over to catch a peek at his work, he asked her the question she was dreading all this time.
"Not trying to sound rude or anything but, why don't you ever talk? Are you just that shy? I've seen you every morning ride past my house but you've never said hello. I was just wondering why."
Jade looked down at her hand in her lap and sighed softly. She wished it was simple bashfulness. She seemed rude with her silence. He thought that she was never courteous enough to even say hello. This is why she avoids people. Jade doesn't understand many social norms because she's been alone for such a long time. If she had more experience with interacting with humans herself, maybe she wouldn't be so self-conscious. Her only friends are the characters in her books, and they don't exactly act like the humans in real life.
Trying not to keep him waiting for a response, Jade dug around in her pouch for a second and found a pen. She had left her notebook at home because she had never expected to be bothered in her favorite tree. She never knew he shared that favoritism. So as not to ruin his sketchbook with ink, Jade wrote on her arm hesitantly. She hated this. When she had to admit her birth defect to people who didn't understand her forced silence.
I can't speak. I'm sorry I seemed so rude before. Jade's eyes widened for a moment when she realized she'd never properly introduced herself. Not that she could, verbally. Nevertheless, where are her manners?! She quickly continued to scrawl on her arm with blue ink, a small frown on her small lips. I pass by your house everyday and I know what your name is, but I've never introduced myself. My name is Jade.
She was running out of room on her left arm, but she could just wash it off later. She wasn't going to sit here, mute and let him wait for a response that wouldn't come.
 
Austin frowns slightly when she looks down sighing. He didn't mean to insult her or anything and he was already regretting asking it. He then watches her take out a pen and hesitantly write on her arm. He looks confused then reads what she writes. I can't speak. I'm sorry I seemed so rude before. He is shocked when he realizes that she's mute. It made sense now and he felt so bad for her. He then watches her write on her arm more and continues reading. I pass by your house everday and I know what your name is, but I never introduced myself. My name is Jade. He can't help but smile.

Jade. That was the newspaper girl. The subject he always drew and thought about. Jade. It fit her perfectly. He looks at her and smiles. "It's okay Jade. You don't need to apologize. You weren't rude at all. It's nice to meet you." He replies, genuinely smiling at her. He then flips to an empty page of his sketchbook and rips it out, handing it to her. "Here, so you can stop writing on your arm." He says. He then gets his confidence. "I was wondering if you would like to hang out sometime? You seem like an amazing girl Jade, I would love to know more about you." He asks, looking at her.
 
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His smile fits on his face beautifully. Unlike Jade, who sometimes tries out smiles in the mirror, never thought they looked so great on her. It seemed..foreign somehow. She only ever smiles when reading her books. Never in reaction to some amazing boy. In public.
"It's okay Jade. You don't need to apologize. You weren't rude at all. It's nice to meet you." He replies, that lovely smile gracing his perfect features. He then flips to an empty page of his sketchbook and rips it out, handing it to her. "Here, so you can stop writing on your arm."
She took the page from his hand with a small, grateful smile. She wondered why he was even speaking to her now. She was nothing but a silent pest after all. But then he surprised her.
"I was wondering if you would like to hang out sometime? You seem like an amazing girl Jade, I would love to know more about you."
Jade's eyes got real big and her jaw slackened. Was this some kind of joke? Stereotypical jocks always act so charming so they can pull a cruel joke on the outsider. Could she trust him? His genuine smiles and charisma told her yes. What did she have to lose, really? humiliation in front of strangers she'd never see again? No big deal. His deep sapphire eyes enchanted her and there wasn't a trace of a lie in his question..so she looked at him warily for a moment, before pulling her knees up to brace the blank paper on as she wrote. You really want to know me? But why? How could you think I'm amazing when all I do is deliver your newspaper?
Jade was genuinely confused. Surely Austin could hang out with any girl he wanted. Why would he waste time on her?
 
He can't help but notice Jade smile. Her smile fit her face perfectly. He was actually a bit shocked she didn't smile more. He can't help but chuckle a bit seeing her reaction to him asking her to hang out. He knew he probably shocked her. She was probably wondering why he would want to. He watches her write on the page and reads it.

You really want to know me? But why? How could you think I'm amazing when all I do is deliver your newspaper?

He can't help but chuckle at the last question. He looks at her. "Yeah I do Jade. You intrigue me I guess. I've never met a girl like you before. I think you're amazing because you're not like any girl at school - not just because your mute but because your real, you're you." He replies, genuinely smiling at her. "So, do you want to hang out? That is if you're free." He asks again.
 
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Jade listened to his response closely. He's never met a girl who had no choice but to be herself? Who else could she possibly be? She didn't quite understand why she intrigued him so much, but she wouldn't further question his motives. Who was he to judge what the people at his school were like?
"So, do you want to hang out? That is if you're free." He suggested again, but before she could continue writing again, her phone beeped in her purse. She gave him an apologetic expression and the gesture to wait for a moment. The only contacts she has on her phone are her parents and a few other family members that live out of town so when her phone makes noises, it's usually important. Jade pulled out her flip phone and found that her mother had texted her. Your father and I hav some bizness partners coming home tonight to discuss some important cases. Will you be up in your room like usual? Are you home right now?
Jade frowned a little. She hated staying holed up in her room when their business partners came. It means they probably won't even speak to her today.
She texted her back quickly. Yes. And I'm at the park. I'll be home before sundown.
Then she stashed her phone away again, sure now that her mother knows she's okay' she won't bother to text her back. Just out of habit, Jade signed the word sorry towards Austin, even though he didn't understand the hand gesture. It was just a reflex. She took the paper and began to write again.
Sure I'll hang out with you Austin. But for now..why don't we just stay here and...'talk'?
 
Austin nods when Jade answers her phone. He really hoped that she would want to hang out. He wanted to learn more about her - not in a creepy stalker way. He frowns slightly when he sees her frown from a text he assumed was from her parents. He quickly smiles again when she puts her phone away. He watches her sign something and looks at her semi-confused. She must sign to talk he thinks. He watches her write something and reads it.

Sure I'll hang out with you Austin. But for now..why don't we just stay here and... 'talk'?

He can't help smile, chuckling a bit about the 'talking' part. "Great." He replies smiling, looking at her. "So, what were you doing up in the tree?" He asks curiously.
 
Jade watched him chuckle at her little joke and she looked at the ground a little shyly when he asked about her tree climbing.
Reading. And I do admit, crying a little. She wrote swiftly, smiling sadly at the words before pulling out her copy of Romeo and Juliet. Just so he wouldn't misunderstand her second sentence. She could get a little sappy sometimes.
As to being up in a tree, she feels more detached form the cruel world around her when she'd in high places like that. In fact, there's a little ladder in her room that leads to a nook above it. It's where she reads when she has no where else to go.
Jade is a bit surprised that she even told him about her emotional reaction. She usually keeps to herself, but something about Austin made her want to talk more than ever.
 
Austin smiles, looking at her. She really wasn't like any girl he ever met, not just because she's mute. She didn't care that he was popular, she only seen him as Austin. She writes again and he reads it.

Reading. And I do admit, crying a little.

He frowns slightly when she 'says' crying but understands when she pulls out Romeo & Juliet. "Ah, I love that play. I can understand the crying too." He replies smiling. He takes his sketchbook and flips to his drawings of Romeo and Juliet, how he pictured some of the scenes, and shows her. "You can look, it's okay." He says, handing it to her. "I know it's odd for a jock like me to enjoy drawing but... I just love the freedom I have when I draw." He says, smiling.
 
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