Author`s note : No I don't own anything of Disney or any lyric things for 12 Stones “Running out Of Pain".Please read the song, and you`ll understand Jim`s perspective.

Are you real?

by Lesha

(12 Stones – Running out Of Pain)

As he raises his hand you begin to understand
That no love is worth the hate that you feel
Now you're running out of pain
And all these feelings feel the same
So you close your eyes and wish it all away
 
And I lie awake and I try to say
Anything I know just to ease your pain
But you hide away where no one can see
And it's only you that can set you free
 
Now the time has come again
So you reach deep down within 
To find the strength that you have buried there
As you turn to walk away you can still hear him say 
You'll never make it in this world alone
 
And I lie awake and I try to say
Anything I know just to ease your pain
But you hide away where no one can see
And it's only you that can set you free
 
You try to fight (you try to fight)
You hide the pain (you hide the pain)
You walk away (never again)
 
You try to fight (you try to fight)
You hide the pain (you hide the pain)
You walk away (never again)
 
And I lie awake and I try to say
Anything I know just to ease your pain
But you hide away where no one can see
And it's only you that can set you free

"Why do you care, Dad?" cried Jim.  Jim now a nineteen year old guy, who now goes to Interstellar Academy, this is his second year.  Jim has now, somewhat straightened up his act. Now Jim’s dad has come back, and decided to make the Benbow Inn his home.

    "Because Jim, I want you to graduate, because you need to learn something else rather then surfing, or just getting caught by the police," Leland ranted.  "Dad, I going.  I'll be late for sign in," Jim said walking out the door, his blue eyes in a furry. “Don’t you walk away from me boy!” his dad yelled. “I learnt from the best” quarreled Jim back.  He ran to the ship that was leaving for the academy.  Jim walked around the ship, looking for his friend, Adam, a black haired green-eyed crazy guy with a morbid sense of humor, whom Jim shared a room with.  Jim spotted him, standing with a person he'd never seen before.  "A girl!  Adam and a girl! Who would think that was possible?” thought Jim. “She’s cute.” He looked over the girl. A girl, about their age, with green eyes, tall, slender, and had what looked like layered brownish hair. She was wearing blue jeans that were baggy on her, a blue t-shirt with the academy’s symbol, and a big black jacket. She carried with her, her suit cases and a backpack. As Jim walked up to them he wondered how a guy like Adam was talking to a girl like that. Jim quickly wrapped his arms around Adams neck from behind. The girl gasped.

“What the…!” Adam yelled. He put his hands over his head and grabbed Jim’s ponytail. “Jim, you….”

“Jim Hawkins, the one and only,” Jim said, letting go of Adam’s neck. “So Adam, who’s this lady you’re talking too?” Jim was always very gentlemanly around women.

“Jim, my friend, this is Torwin Simmons and Torwin, this is Jim Hawkins,” introduced Adam. “Jim, Torwin also in her second year, and she lives only a few rooms down from us,” he added and elbowed Jim in the ribs. Jim held out his hand for a friendly handshake, but was just smiled and nodded at. Jim sat and listened to the two flirt and talk for an hour until they reached the port. As Adam and Jim left for their dorm, Adam slipped Torwin his number, and they both smiled.

“What were you thinking Adam?” Jim yelled at Adam. Jim’s blue eyes were furious about the whole phone number fiasco.

“WHAT?” shouted Adam back, who was stunned at Jim’s remark.

“Why would you give that girl your, OUR, number? How do you know she isn’t some pirate, or burglar, or con artist?”

“You’re just jealous, Jimbo,” retorted Adam, who had a nice little smirk across his face.

“Jealous of what? Of being conned, or robbed?” asked Jim, who was now unpacking his stuff, actually just throwing it into his drawers.

“That she likes me,” Adam said happily.

“No, I’m not, but if my stuff goes missing, I’m blaming you or her,” Jim said matter – o – fact - ly. And being overly tired from fighting, Jim went to sleep.

Days passed, and Adam and Torwin were really getting hot and heavy. Jim would once in a while find them in Jim`s and Adam’s room, making out. He would just brush it off. Jim really had to get his act together. And even if he was starting to become attracted to Torwin, he couldn’t say anything. Jim had noticed that Torwin wasn’t wearing her t-shirts anymore, but long sleeved shirts, sweaters, and bunny hugs.

One day, Torwin came by to get Adam because they were going to a concert together, on campus. Jim opened the door, and greeted her, “Hey Tor! Adam will be ready in a couple of minutes, and nice outfit.” Jim was looking at her long flared out, black skirt, red body hugging tang top, and an original jean jacket.

“Thanks Jim,” she said smiling. God, how Jim loved her smile. It was like her whole body smiled when she did and her green eyes would cheer up the most depressed person in the world. She sat on their red couch that Jim had brought from the Benbow Inn. Jim went into the bathroom, and started to brush his teeth, because his cafeteria supper was stuck in his teeth and he didn’t much enjoy his “leftovers”.

Jim was listening from the bathroom to Torwin and Adam’s conversation, which he didn’t know yet, but would change his life.

“Hi, honey,” beamed Torwin.

“Hey, Tor,” Adam said while he was picking his clothes out.

“We have to go soon, if we wanna get good seats,” said Torwin.

“I know,” said Adam, dopily. “What are your wearing?”

“Clothes, ya know the ones that cover your body.”

“You’re not going in that slutty skirt.”

“What? It goes to the floor!”

“So you’re arguing with me?” asked Adam, raising his voice

Jim brushed his teeth a little harder at Adam’s voice rising with more anger. He had never heard him get so angry over a skirt, a mere piece of clothing. Ever since he met Torwin, Adam had gotten a little distempered. Jim spit his tooth paste in the sink and stood up to hear a loud “SMACK”! Jim threw his tooth brush in the sink and ran out the door. There he saw Torwin sitting in the corner, holding her cheek and crying. And then there was Adam, standing tall and “proud”. Jim looked at him, with a look that could kill, and then rushed over to Torwin. “Are you okay, Tor?” whispered Jim and pulled her hand away to see the “damage”. Torwin whimpered, and sobbed a little more. Jim stood up and faced Adam, but as he went up he made sure to grab Torwin’s ticket.

“What are you thinking man?” asked Jim, raging with anger that he could of killed Adam at that second with his own hands. Jim hated when men took their anger out on women, and would stop at nothing to stop the violence.

“She wasn’t listening, so I had to put her in her place,” answered Adam, non – chalantly. He knew what he was doing, and hopefully no one would get in his way.

Jim took the ticket and shoved it into Adam’s chest, “Take this and go. You’ve caused enough damage.” Jim scowled at Adam, and pointed to the door.

“Fine, but if she isn’t coming,” said Adam. “Then she better be ready to find all of her stuff on her door step tomorrow. And Torwin, you’ll never make it in this world alone.” Adam opened the door. “And Jim. If you don’t agree with what I do, then you’ll have to find a new roommate.” With that last statement, Adam was out the door.

“It hurts so much,” whimpered Torwin from the corner. “Why would someone hit anyone over clothing?” A warm, salty tear rolled down her hand printed cheek. Jim walked over and kneeled beside her. He wiped away her tear and said, “No man should hit a lady, if he is a real gentleman, Torwin. And I think you should know that.” Torwin smiled a little, and then quickly put her arms around Jim and hugged him. Jim somewhat surprised, put his arms around her quivering body.

“Jim, I think you’re the only one who knows what’s happening,” said Torwin. “You’re my only friend,” she whispered. “And for that I thank you so much,” she said and smiled. “Thanks for letting me know,” said Jim, quietly, feeling her smile. Torwin began to stand up, so Jim stood with her.

“Umm, Torwin?” asked Jim, sheepishly.

“Ya Jim,” she said.

“Did he hit you before? Ya know, like hurt you in anyway?” Jim asked curiously.

“Yes, he has hit me before. The first time, he said he was sorry and would never do it again, but I should have left him. Instead he hit me every time I did something wrong in his eyes,” said Torwin. “I always pick the winners. It never fails, ‘cause before this it was a drug dealer, then a pirate, and now it’s Adam. Jim, why would Adam hit me? He was so nice before…”

“I guess it runs in his family,” said Jim, who was standing behind her.

“What do you mean? That his dad used to hit his mom?” she asked, turning around to face Jim.

“And him,” Jim said almost in a trance with Torwin’s piercing green eyes. “Adam would stand up for his mom, and then his dad would hit him, and Adam would come to my house. Trust me, sometimes it was pretty bad.” Torwin moved closer to him, still staring him in the eye. Jim took a deep breath, still staring into her perfect, green oceans of eyes. Torwin and Jim searched each other’s faces, for some answer to what was happening to them. Jim placed his hand on her cheek softly, fearing he might hurt the hand printed cheek. A small tear ran down Torwin’s cheek, and she nuzzled her head in his hand. Jim didn’t really know what was happening but he liked it. He slide one hand to the small of her back, and she put one of her hands on his neck and the other on his hip. They stood beside each other, hip to hip and their eyes looked into each other, a swirl of blues and greens together colliding. They both took a deep breath and moved the faces closer to each other. “I can’t believe I’m actually doing this,” thought Jim. “I wonder if I pinch myself, I’ll wake up and Jim will disappear? I want the dream to last forever,” thought Torwin. And with those thoughts, their lips touched for the first time, but not the last. And it was like when Jim saw the treasure, unbelievably amazing and shocking at the same time, hopefully. They felt their hands slide over each other’s bodies, and one thing lead to another, and Jim found himself laying in his bed next to Torwin. He couldn’t sleep at all. He needed to tell her something, but he didn’t know what it was yet, but he was so scared about it that it just welled in his heart. Jim just laid there and watched her sleep. He loved the way her hair fell around her naked shoulders and how her stomach would move just slightly when she took each breath. Jim looked at her arms, covered in small bruises, the size of fingers and knuckles. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “She’ll never get to live a real life if she keeps going along with guys that beat her,” he thought. With that thought he wrapped his arm around her sheet covered body, and held her tight. Torwin knew who was holding her and she loved the knowing, the feeling, and the happiness she felt, because she hadn’t felt it in a long time. By morning, Jim had woken up for an early class, and when Torwin woke up she found a note on the nightstand:

“Torwin,

I had an early class, but when I get back,

I’m hoping to take you to dinner, if you’ll go?

I watched you sleep last night, and I figured

out that you are more beautiful than all of the jewels

in the world. And I found out that I think,

I love you.

Love,

Jim”

A huge smile grew on Torwin’s face. “He means it,” she said aloud. From the bathroom came a familiar but disturbing voice, “Means what?” The voice belonged to Adam, and Torwin had so wished that he would never enter her life again. Adam smiled from the bathroom door; he was eating an apple, which tossed around in his mouth when he talked.

“What are you doing here?” asked Torwin, covering herself up with the blankets. She was scared of what he might and probably would do.

“He said he loved you didn’t he? I’d love you more than any man could, even Jim,” retorted Adam, as he threw his apple core across the room. Adam swaggered toward the bed. “You know there’s no reason to cover up, I’ve seen you already. And that’s why I can’t let you go,” hissed Adam.

“Get away from me you psycho,” yelled Torwin, she was scared now. She kept an eye on Adam as she found Jim`s shirt on the bed and put it on. She was a little surprised that Jim wore such big shirts. “I hate you, and I don’t want anything to do with you Adam, so leave because you brought me nothing but pain.”

“I know, and I like the way you look with it on your face, and that’s why I want you back,” said Adam, with anger and excitement growing in his face at the same time. He grabbed her wrist, and said, “Quit trying to fight, ‘cause you’ll never win.” With that he pulled her off the bed and held her close. She spit in his face, and cursed at him. Adam threw her across the room, and she hit the dresser. She sliced her arm open on the glass, and that’s when the tears started to stream down her face. He picked her up and shook her, telling her why she made the wrong choice and why she should have stayed with him. Then her threw her against the door and yelled all the curses in the universe at her, even if she was just laying there, almost unconscious and bleeding. Then he picked her up and dropped her in the bathroom, locking the door with a chair from the desk. He told her, “You are nothing with out me, and no one will even look at you after I’m done, probably not even Jim.” Then Adam slammed the door behind him, and Torwin hoped it hit him on the way out.

Jim was walking down the hall, and as he looked to his door he saw Adam leaving it, and going into Eric’s, one of Adam’s “popular” friends, dorm. Jim ran down the hall and whipped open the door. “TORWIN? TOR’ ARE YOU HERE?” Jim shouted as he looked around the dorm. He heard a quiet bang come from the bathroom door. Jim picked up the chair and practically threw it across the room and opened the door slowly. Tears came to Jim’s eyes when he saw Torwin. She was lying on the floor, with an arm full of blood, her lip bleeding, and her bruises all over her arm. He slide to the place beside her and took her cut arm in his hand. He took a cloth and wrapped it around her arm. She was crying silently, and put her other arm around Jim’s neck and hugged him. He scooped her up and held her in his arms, and whispered to her, “You need to go to the infirmary.” And she whispered back, “I don’t want to leave you. And Jim…”

“Yes, Torwin?” asked Jim, holding her closer, feeling her brown hair, wrap around his fingers.

“…I love you, and I wanted to know if you were real or were just a dream?” she looked at him with eyes, full of tears.

“I’m no dream, and I hope you aren’t either, for if you were, I probably wouldn’t have found true happiness in my life,” he smiled and kissed her forehead. Jim walked over to the bed and laid her in the bed. She smiled and kissed Jim before he sat on the floor beside her. She took a deep breath and whispered, “Jim, I never want to wake up, because I like this dream of you and me. And God willing let it be a fantasy.” He smiled and ran his hand through her hair. Torwin closed her eyes and fell asleep. And Jim couldn’t help but watch her sleep, and think of everything he could say to only take the pain away, because he had so much to say, but so little time. And being so afraid to know the answer, but the number one question on his mind was, “Are you real?”