King James

(My first attempt at a tragic love story. Thanks for reading!)

James was a good guy. He really was, but he got into trouble, and lots of it. He was attracted to the danger. It made him feel alive. Even when he didn't want much trouble, it found him. He was like a magnet. James and I were friends for a while. We kinda separated from each other in high school, though. Girls can't really hang out with guys without being picked on, so we thought it would be better. It wasn't though, because I really liked him. I mean, like-liked him, not friend-liked. So when James started going out with Melissa, well, how do you think I felt? I had no hope anyway, because their parents wanted them to get married someday. It was kinda an arranged thing from start.

We still sort of hung out after school. Well, we didn't exactly have a choice or anything, but we still talked to each other, because we both in the nature conservation club, and that's a start, right? Even after all this time, James hadn't changed much. He liked when we went outside and just messed around by the river or climbing trees. He took me up there once; said he liked the view.
"This is the life, Angela," he said to me. "Look at all those people down there. They're so little. Makes you feel like you own the world, doesn't it?" And he looked at me with those green eyes. Those deep green eyes. Playing cool, I smirked.
"You owning the world? We'd all be in trouble then."
James kept looking at me, and then he leaned in a little closer. "Come on, Ang. Imagine it. Me, King James, way up on a throne." He laughed a little, but I could tell he didn't think it was a joke. That was his dream, to be liked and powerful. That dream was strong enough to drive him for the rest of his life.

That night, I had a dream of broken thrones and shattered crowns and deep green eyes. Black water turning scarlet filled my mind. I woke up shaking. I needed to calm myself down, so I went for a quick walk. My parents wouldn't mind, of course. In fact, they wouldn't find out. I pulled on a sweater and headed out.

I passes the woods and crossed a little bridge that cut through the trees. A wolf howled to the cold grey moon, but I didn't want to go home yet. To many ghosts lurked there. Anyway, I didn't need to be afraid. I had been in that woods before as a little girl, and I was still intact. I continued along the path, silver in the moonlight. The trees shone under its cunning, menacing grin, and it jeered at me. "Take another step," it said. "I dare you." There was gonna be trouble, and I already told you how James felt about trouble. He loved it. When I saw him run beneath the trees, happy as I'd ever seen him, I knew I ought to turn back. I should have heeded my own advice.
"Hey, Angela! Fancy you, coming out here in the middle of the night." He grinned like the moon, and I smiled back.
"Hey, James. Why am I not surprised?"
"Because-" there's that smirk- "this is an adventure. I never miss out on adventures!"
"You mean trouble?"
"Same thing." He looked at me real hard. "Ang. What's wrong? Why are you here?" Suddenly his voice was hard, his grin was gone. I felt the gaze of green eyes as I looked down, and heard myself tell him what I hadn't ever told- the truth. The full and complete truth, about the dream, about my feelings for him, everything. And he listened, no interruptions, which was wonderful and terrible. I was done, and he turned away.
"I know. You're in love with Melissa. That's ok. I don't care." But I did. I hated it. But if James was happy, I would be too.
"No."
I still couldn't see his face.
"Then what?" A pause.
"Angela, get out of here." That hurt. It hurt a lot. My voice was barely a whisper. "What?"
"You're in danger," he said. "Leave, now!"
"I don't underst-"
"GET OUT OF HERE!" He turned back around, and his green eyes, those gorgeous green eyes, were full of fear and pain.
"Please." I nodded and ran. Tears stung my eyes, and I knew that, once and for all danger was going to get the best of James.

There was no note left, no letters or papers that anyone could find to see what finally done James in, except for the note that he left me.
It read:
"Dear Angela,
The address is 452 Walnut Ave. Call the police after I'm gone. If he knows about you, my weakness, he'll get to you and hurt you too. Do you understand me? Call the police and tell them that he's a black market dealer and a murderer. At least he will be when he finds me." Then his handwriting got messy, like he was writing fast. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner but if you knew, you'd be in danger too.
Don't forget me. I love you.
James."

So I loved and lost, and became a character in a terrible, tragic legend, in a land ruled by a king who died protecting someone he loves: me. He will forever be in my heart.
Long live King James.