Talentmania Fan Fiction Entry #22

Friendship Bracelet
By Julie Belnap

Those few weeks with Jude were absolute bliss.

April had been friends with Jude for years, and she knew a lot about him through their conversations at the café and through Grace. She was about on the moon when he asked her for coffee.

She could tell that he asked her out because he needed to let off steam of the situation. Maryanne Duke had just died. He found her body. They started talking about casual things. She could tell that she was his escape, in hindsight.

She only wished she could have been more helpful. The most interesting thing that had happened to her was her parent’s divorce.

Two days later he dropped the bomb. Daniel was a werewolf, and Jude might end up like him.
April’s second feeling was worrying about Grace being so close to Daniel. Her first thought was to try and find a cure for Jude.

A couple of days after Jude shared his secret, April got to work on a gift for him. He told her that werewolves had an allergy to silver, so she thought that even if he did fall like Daniel, she still wanted him to wear whatever she made. She thought about it for a day, and then finally made a decision.

She wove a braid of blue, black, and green; into a friendship bracelet for Jude. She made sure it was perfect, and handed it to him Monday morning, that first day that Grace didn’t go to school.
Jude was in a good mood that morning, and hugged her in the hall. “Hey beautiful,” April about swooned. “How are you?”

For the first time since Jude asked her out, she was flustered. “I’m f-fine. I have a present for you.” She pulled out a wrapped box with a cute little bow on it.

“Thank you.” Jude said. He was in such a good mood. April probably should have been suspicious but she didn’t want to ruin a happy moment. Especially when with the Divine family, there seemed to be so few since the Markham Street Monster returned, in Daniel. “How about I wait until after school to open it?”

“Okay…” April pouted a bit.

He hugged her and escorted her to class. Jude wasn’t much of a fan of public displays of affection, but April would never deny something like that.

Later that day, April was really worried about Grace, but Jude dodged most of her questions with questions about her. They ended up at her house, with no one else home.

Jude opened the present. “Thank you, April.” He turned to her and kissed her square on the mouth.

At first her eyes were opened wide in surprise, but she embraced him and the gentle kiss turned into a full out snug. Finally, Jude seemed to get a hold of himself and backed off.

“I’ll wear it every day.” He slipped it on his wrist. “I should get home.”

That day had to have been the best day she had with Jude.

She was so excited for the Christmas dance. Grace had tried to bail, but she wouldn’t let her unsupportive friend (and potential sister-in-law?) get in the way of her happiness.
The only thing that she was worried about that night was if her nails looked okay. She was confused about the confrontation with Jude and Grace, but didn’t let it ruin her night. She didn’t know what happened, but before she knew it, Jude, Grace, and Pete were gone. She ran after them.

The main thing she remembered from that night (besides seeing Jude nude, of course) was watching Daniel turn back into a human. Watch him being healed from being stabbed in the heart. By Grace.

She ran off to get help, and remembered what Jude once told her. “The wolf can only be saved by a sacrifice of love.” But she could never kill Jude like that. She could never handle that. It made her wonder how superficial things were.

After they came back for help, she picked up pieces of a blue, black, and green friendship bracelet covered in blood. She repaired it and went to the Divine house.

But Jude was already gone. If only repairing her heart would have been as easy as fixing the bracelet. She knew she failed him. And she’d never forgive herself.