Page 75 (2/2)

Chapter 26

Williaoodbye to Jenna, and every day after I’ve been single-hts, run and gone to the martial arts studio I’ve even meditated and practiced Jenna’s crazy visualization crap

The hardest part has been forcing myself to spend time in crowded areas Britt and Mia tookh the area between the stores, I tried the visualization technique again--instead of a river of people flowing towardwaterfall It took work, but eventually I felta zone of calmness, able to look at the situation as if outside my body

And as much as I don’t like it, I’ve eaten lunch every day in the crowded lunchroom at work Instead of people hunched around circular tables and booths, talking and clanking dishes, I started to picture theazelles in the African veldt It eird, but it worked

But despite the progress I’veabout Jenna I’ve s are starting to click That I’d hear her voice in ed and believed in ainst an obstacle, I reether so well But that isn’t the reason I’ve ached every tiht of her Or why my heart speeds up whenever I think of the next tih the festival --and with that, the uncertainty of the outco the days, hours and ain

There are 1,440 ht at approxiht at around six o’clock That means there are about 7,020 minutes between the time we parted on poor ters will be better They just have to be

Because Fridayof the Festival, and once the Festival ends, the Renaissance Faire will begin operation on the same site until the end of June And once the Renaissance Faire ood

On Friday, we traveled to a small community just north of "the Grapevine" in Kern County, about a two-hour drive froe County It is an area of Southern California where there is lots of open space We congregate yearly at a large ca, dry and htly wooded site I had nothing to bring withequipment, as well asessentials

Our clan has set up at the southwest edge of the caround, which we essentially take over for the week Everyone stakes places for their personal tents, cook areas and booths, where they’ll set up their wares to sell To the north and tucked into a s arena with concrete stands cli up each side It is there where the battles will take place--tea it out, in addition to one-on-one duels like the re the length of the arena and looking up at the ey for visualization As I’ to picture what it will be like e face off in two days, I notice another person at the opposite end fro, it’s easy to determine that it is Jenna

I can suddenly feel my heart pound in my throat andis that, at the saently want to see her again These feelings are pulling -of-war

And she’s here watching ht have even sought e of the arena and et She doesn’t coreet me, but she doesn’t turn and walk away either And with each step I take, I realize that I’ain, to talk to her, to hold her, to kiss her