Faceless Part One

Jubilee is a girl with an inability to 'connect' with other people. While planning on running away, however, a chance meeting just may give her the willpower she needs to change.

Somewhere between her mind and the physical sensations of the outside world, there was something like a gap, a disconnection. Even though she felt pain if she accidentally cut herself or fell down and sprained her arm, she felt nothing when someone teased her or said they didn’t like her or want anything to do with her. Words like ‘friends’ and ‘family’ were just words to her and concepts like ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ as well as ‘justice’ and ‘freedom’ were just things created by people like cell phones and computers, useful, but something not ultimately necessary.

            Issues like race, sexuality, religion, nationality, political corruption and wars were just mundane issues. She couldn’t bring herself to care about anything she couldn’t change. After all, even though humanity could calculate the orbits of stars and build satellites to launch into deep space in a span of less than one hundred years, they had two thousand years to sort out their differences and had still been unable to do so.

            Her name was Jubilee and her only desire was to be ‘normal.’ She wanted to know what it was like to enjoy talking to people and to make a lot of friends and be popular. She wanted to know what it was like to go to a concert or plan a movie date. She would go to college and get a suitable job where she would meet her future husband and get married.

            However, those wishes of hers would never be granted; her personality was simply too twisted. She looked forward to summer, but when it began it only meant that it would be over soon. She hated crowds and avoided them like the plague. Likewise, she couldn’t see people as anything other than being ‘in the way.’ If there wasn’t anything she wanted from someone, they were just wasting space.

            Jubilee wasn’t sure when she started thinking like this, but once she realized it herself, it was already too late. She had isolated herself to the point where she didn’t trust anyone enough to open her heart to them. Although her grades were mostly good, she gradually stopped going because it wasn’t fun at all. The teachers always made a fuss over her, but she deceived herself into thinking they were only bothering her because they were getting paid to do so. All the while, a dissenting voice in her heart was always whispering the truth that those teachers cared more about her than her parents did.

            Unlike her parents who said nothing, her teachers were always asking her what was wrong. Unlike her parents who only yelled at her and got frustrated, her teachers always tried to understand her and listen to her problems. Even that man who was called in when her absences became more than what could be overlooked, only forced his opinions on her and didn’t try to understand her.

            Going to school is just too painful, because everyone treats me so nice that I don’t want to leave and go home where nobody cares about me. Even my parents only compliment me when someone else compliments me first. To everyone else, they’ll complain first even though they know nothing.

            When the pain inside became too much, she tried what she thought outside pain would help. She didn’t cut her wrists, just her arms and only thin enough to bleed a little. Somehow, like a potato being baked, it felt good to release that inner pressure through those thin cuts. Her parents eventually discovered it though and threatened to send her to a mental hospital if she didn’t stop.

            She endured it somehow, but she knew that at some point something was eventually bound to give. Would there be a saving grace for her or would she finally get the courage to just kill herself and get over it?

            The ‘breaking point’ came unexpectedly that afternoon. The school year was slowly coming to an end and her mother had nagged her about finishing up this year properly even if she wasn’t going to pass. The students in her class made a commotion about her even though she knew they didn’t really care about her. Her art teacher was somehow under the conviction that she was involved in something dangerous after school, even though she never said anything like that and she had dropped from most of her classes anyway.

            Either her mother did not know or did not tell her, but Jubilee guessed it was the former when a guidance counselor revealed to her that it was pointless to come back now. Tests literally began tomorrow and school was ending in a week, not a month as she had previously believed.  However, even then, Jubilee couldn’t bring herself to care. “All these teachers are so annoying.” She thought even though they were actually quite nice to her. She remained this way until 6^th period’s science class.

            Science had always been her most beloved subject. She especially loved space so when she first learned that she would be getting to study the earth and space this year, she was thrilled. Dr. Schneider was an actual doctor and a licensed chiropractor. He was an older man with gray hair who often did fun things with the class and Jubilee always listened to his stories. He was the only teacher who actually called her up after the class was over.

            He didn’t bother to hide his disappointment or his frustration. He reiterated the fact that “Testing was tomorrow” and “There’s no way you’re going to get how to do the science lab parts” which she was not there for. He ended his lecture by saying, “I ought to knock you upside the head but…get out of here.”

            Normally, she would’ve have just disregarded that. The ‘gap’ in her heart protected her from such things, but for some reason, those words of that specific teacher reached a lot deeper into her heart than what anything anyone else had said.  The threat of physical violence shattered the notion of ‘nobody cares’ that she had clung on to so steadfastly.

            Now, she really couldn’t go back anymore. Not home to a family that cared less about her than someone who she had known for less than a year and not to school where she failed to notice the only people who did care about her.

            She ditched school immediately following science class and started walking. She didn’t think about turning back even though there were thick gray clouds gathering overhead and the smell of rain on the wind that pushed them along. She picked a direction and began walking. After two hours of walking, she had no idea where she was and she never looked back.

            When she finally got tired of walking, she sat down on the curb and the rain, as if following behind her all this time, finally began hitting her. She could see it across the street and then raindrops were falling on her head too. It started off as a drizzle, but in no time it began pouring and it continued.

            Jubilee checked her watch; it was 6:57 P.M. Two whole hours had passed since she had sat down on that curb. Her clothes were thoroughly soaked and the small river running along the side of the street had easily seeped into her sneakers and drenched her feet. Her long bangs stuck to her forehead and covered her eyes. She had to wipe her face to properly see the hands.  

            She sniffled and sighed, “Am I invisible or something? I’ve been sitting here for so long and nobody’s said anything at all to me…well, it’s not surprising really. A lady could be kidnapped in broad daylight, in the middle of an intersection with dozens of people around and nobody would do anything but standby a watch it happen. Well, I don’t have a cellphone so it’s not like I could call the police if something like that happened. Well, I’d probably follow them though…but if they got in a car I’d probably give up if I couldn’t write down the license plates and my memory’s not that great. Plus, the police make me nervous. I feel like I’ll be beat up for reason…”

            Jubilee wiped her face again and sniffled. She knew it, but sitting out in the cold rain like this, of course she would get sick.  

            “Although technically, I probably am a runaway…or maybe I’m not? I don’t want to go back home, but if someone does ask me about it, I can just say that I haven’t gone home yet. School’s over though, so I’m definitely not going back. No, I can’t go back there. I’ll fail the tests even if I do take it so there’s point in it. That counselor lady even broke the rules to tell me that I’ll pass my classes if I get a high enough score on them, but there’s no way in hell that’s happening. Everyone always expects too much of me…I’m not some genius or anything. Even I don’t get what I’m not taught. And who the hell am I talking to anyway?”

            Jubilee brushed her hair and water from her face and looked up. From her angle, the buildings looked much bigger and the sky looked much farther away. The sidewalk she sat on was empty as was the other side. In this weather, nobody had the patience to wait at bus stops. Those who didn’t catch cabs ran home to get out of the rain as fast as possible. The streets too were strangely empty of cars.

            That’s why she noticed the ‘oddity’ as soon as it appeared. The black luxury car that drove past and turned the corner was anything but ‘inconspicuous.’ It appeared again, turning the corner and approached again.

            He made a complete 360 and came this way again? Is the driver lost or something? Jubilee watched with curiosity as the car slowly came closer. Something was wrong, she realized. The car pulled up in front of her, with the passenger side window already pulled down.  A man’s face appeared.

            He was old, Jubilee couldn’t guess his age, just that he was old. His hair was smooth and black as it flowed backwards. He had a thick goatee which extended down the bottom of his jaw. He had a wide, flat nose and high cheek bones. His eyebrows were hooked and he observed her carefully with a surprisingly soft gaze.

            After for what seem like a full minute of him silently staring at her face he spoke. The first words out of his mouth were “Are you a runaway?”

            Jubilee almost didn’t hear his deep, rumbling voice over the sound of the persistently falling rain so there was about a two second delay between her brain reconstructing the words and then giving the order for her body to shake her head in response.

            I can’t say that I’ve ‘run away’ yet, can I? I mean, I haven’t really gone away. If I want to, I can just get up and go home since my they probably haven’t realized that I don’t intend on coming back. When they realize that, that’s when I’ll truly be a runaway…I think.

            “Then what are you doing sitting there in weather like this?” The man asked. “Don’t tell me you were stood up or something? Look, in this weather, I’d cancel a date too.”

            Jubilee shook her head again. I’m certainly not waiting for anyone either. That’s just stupid…

            “So if you’re not running away and not waiting for someone, then what are you doing?”

            That…is a good question. What am I doing? I don’t have any money so I can’t really do anything. It’s only a matter of time before I give up and go back home.

            Jubilee glanced at the car. The man had gone silent, but he was still looking at her as if waiting for a reply. Jubilee looked back down and shrugged her shoulders.

            As soon as she did that, the door to the passenger side door swung open. “Get in.” the man said.

            “No.” Jubilee firmly replied. She didn’t really care about living, but she also didn’t want to die just yet.

           “I just want to talk to you about something…” said the man. “People will misunderstand if we talk like this…”

            Right and people won’t think it even stranger that a teenage girl just randomly got into the car of an old man?

            “If you want to talk so bad, then come out here and talk to me then…” Whatever the situation was, she wasn’t about to get into the car of some strange man.

            The man sighed. “Fine, wait for me here. I’ll go find somewhere to park…”

            The door closed and the car shortly thereafter pulled off. Jubilee thought that was the last of it and contemplated leaving. A few minutes later, however another car pulled up. A weight that felt as heavy as a stone fell in her stomach the moment she laid her eyes on the white and blue color. Like the black car before it, it pulled up in front of her.

            The face of a young man appeared in front of the window. He had short cut hair and wore the uniform of her city’s police department. Jubilee immediately felt the overwhelming pressure of authority when their eyes met.

            “What are you doing out here, kid?” The officer asked.

            They’re not looking for me? If my parents called them, I think they’d have my general description and information so they wouldn’t bother asking me that. They’d confirm it was ‘Jubilee’ that was missing and then take me in, wouldn’t they? So, all I have to do is pick it up and go home now on my own, right? Oh well…

            “Did you hear me?” The officer asked again. There was something like a challenge in his voice that made Jubilee even more nervous. Technically, wasn’t the worse she was doing right now loitering?

            “I-I’m waiting for someone.” Jubilee’s voice cracked from the pressure and the shivering of her body. Somehow, that lie naturally came to her.

            The officer expressed his disbelief by looking up at the sky. “You’re waiting for someone? In this weather? For who?”

            Immediately, that man’s face popped up in her head. However, she didn’t know his name and she knew he wasn’t ever coming back either. She was digging herself deeper, but she opened her mouth anyway.

            “My-” ‘boyfriend’ was what she was going to go with, but a loud voice suddenly called out to her.

            “Ah! There you are! Why are you sitting down there?” Jubilee recognized the voice. She looked over to see the man she had met just moments ago approaching her. Now that he was out of the car, she could see that he was much, much bigger than she thought. He was carrying an umbrella, despite having just been riding in a car a few minutes ago.

            He was wearing a brown suit that gave off an entirely different pressure of the officer. His whole demeanor was screaming ‘money, power, and respect.’ He commanded the officer’s attention the moment he made his presence known.  He stepped up to the police’s car and handed his wallet, which was already in his hand.

            “Who are you, sir?” The officer asked as he looked at the wallet. His eyes briefly drifted to Jubilee, then went back to the man.

            “I’m her father. My name’s Christopher North, here’s my I.D. She’s my daughter, Melody. I’m sorry, I told her to wait for me here while I went to park my car.

            The man told a blatant lie without batting an eye. He easily chatted up the officer as though he were talking to a friend. He made up a story about ‘his daughter’ having called him after being dumped by her boyfriend, but she refused to get into the car because she was hungry. The conversation briefly turned to the man, but the only relevant thing he said about himself was that he worked for a company called ‘Weibilt Industries.’ Jubilee had never heard of it before, but apparently the cop had a relative that worked there and seemed impressed. Before long, the officer wished them well and then drove off. The man who called himself Christopher North breathed out as soon as the police car was far enough away and turned towards Jubilee who was staring up at him.

            He smiled. “How long are you planning to sit there?” The man slipped his wallet back into his pocket and held out his hand.

            “…How did you do that?” Jubilee asked cautiously and then shook her head and reconsidered her question. “Actually, why did you do that?”

            “Well, why wouldn’t he believe me? And as for why I did that, it’s quite simple isn’t it? I made an appointment with you just now, right? What kind of businessman would I be if I didn’t keep the appointments that I made?”

            “…Appointment?”

            “That’s right. I told you that I wanted to talk with you, didn’t I? Come, there’s a diner around the corner where we can get a table and talk there, it should be empty right now.”

            Jubilee, however, protested. “They’re not going to let me in with my clothes this wet. I’ll just be dripping water everywhere.”

            “Then do you want to get in my car after all?”

            “No…”

            “Then you may as well just put up with it then. Like I said, I just want to talk. I don’t know what your situation is, but depending on what it is, then we may be able to work something out to.”

            ‘Work something out?’ Jubilee was still a little skeptical, but now she was curious. That sounded like an offer for a job. This man did not resemble her father at all.

            -But, he does resemble Mr. Schneider a little. In any case, I don’t want to go back home just yet and there’s nothing wrong if he’s the one paying for it.

            “Fine…” Jubilee accepted the invitation. 

Author's Note

A 5000+ word story, I decided to split it into two parts. I just hope the story itself isn't too badly written.