Of Holding on and Letting Go
…..
"It's everything you wanted, and everything you don't. It's one door swinging open, and one door swinging close."
- Holding on and Letting go, Ross Copperman.
…..
House hunting had to be the most boring thing ever, or so Jade thought. They had been over more than ten houses already, and all and each one of them was too big, too small, too expensive, or too far away from home.
They had hired a broker, Catherine Pierce, because of their tight schedules. Graduation was just around the corner, and soon enough, they would both have their UCLA acting degrees.
Three years had gone by since their departure from Hollywood Arts, and the RV – the one they had parked on a proper parking space once his parents moved back to Canada – was getting too crowded.
It was a hot July morning when she found it. Catherine was just about to give up on the couple – come on, how can a house be too perfect? – when she found it.
143, Veteran Avenue, Westwood, L.A.
The house was perfect for Beck and Jade. It was a two-story house; the bottom floor contained an average-sized kitchen, living room, study and garden. The top floor consisted on the master bedroom, two more bedrooms and two bathrooms.
As soon as she saw the price, she knew it was the one, so she wasted no time and called Beck's cellphone.
...
"Babe, I'm home." Beck called, entering the tiny RV, he left his shoes by the door and sited down on his – tiny as well – bed, waiting for Jade to get out of the bathroom.
"Hey, how was school?" She asked, sitting down beside him.
"Cool, Mrs. Thomas said that all the student body has to be there tomorrow for the graduation ceremony practice, and-" He was cut off by his ringing phone.
Seeing it was Catherine, he put it on speaker. "Hello, Mrs. Pierce, any news?" He asked.
"I found it."
The two of them made their way to the address she sent the next morning, and they fell in love with the house as soon as they opened the front door
And just like that, the deal was made.
…..
Emptying the RV was just as hard as finding a house. (Who would have thought they would have so much crap stored on that little space).
With his parents' help and her dad's contribution, they had enough for the first payment, but there was no point trying to deny it. Selling the RV- the Silver Streak, it hurt less not calling it that – would be more than necessary.
Jade had never thought the day would come when she would actually feel bad about having to give it away. Their whole relationship, she had spent bashing the RV, and complaining about living there.
(She had lived there as long as he had, really.)
It had been two weeks since graduation, and they were finally ready to move and start fresh, so they accorded to empty the RV and have it ready for showing the next day.
Beck had never been much of a sentimental guy, always guided by his head, not his heart; he didn't let his emotions get in the way of his rational thinking. However, it took a lot of self-control – he had learned a lot about that dating Jade – not to let the tears fall watching the now empty Silver Streak.
It had been his home – despite it being inconveniently located on his parent's driveway – for more than he could remember. It had been his safe place, a place where he could be with Jade and have no one comment about it, a place where he could practice his lines without getting judged over his career choice (his parents where never supporting with either aspect of his life).
And it had been Jade's home too, a place to get away from her dad's grief – he had never been the same after her mom died – a place to be herself, to be loved and to love without being laughed at, without being hurt.
They had too many memories to count on that RV.
…..
It was on their summer before freshman year, both of them where waiting for their Hollywood Art's acceptance letter – they had rocked their auditions, there was no way they wouldn't get in – when he saw it.
He and Jade where nothing more than best friends, back then, and they were sitting on his front porch, waiting for the mailman to arrive. (She had given his address too, no need for her dad finding out before she mustered the guts to tell him).
"Hey, Jade. Do you see that?" He asked, across the street, on his neighbor's driveway, there was a rapper RV parked, with a sign attached to its window. "For Sale."
"Beck, I know you and your folks don't get along, but I don't think buying an RV and driving around, will help on anything. You don't even have a license." She tried to reason with him.
"No, look, it's perfect. I can park it here, on our driveway, and that way, I'll have my own roof, and therefore, my own rules." His eyes shone with glee as he spoke, aware of the awesomeness of his idea.
"Just one flaw to your master plan, Beckett. That RV is going to cost money, and I don't think your parent will give you any."
"I have savings, Jade." Fifteen year old Beck smiled. He got up and made his way to his neighbor's door. He knocked twice, told the woman on the other side something Jade couldn't hear from where she was sitting, flashed her a charming smile and just like that, the RV was his.
…
"Do you remember this?" He asked, opening the last drawer of this bedside table and handing Jade a photo taken by an old Polaroid. On it, Jade was smiling (yeah, she did smile, sometimes, onlyforBeckreally), she was sitting outside of the RV, holding the Silver Streak sign on her hands.
"How could I forget that? You made me smile for that picture like 20 times till you got it right." She sighed, taking the old picture from his hands.
…..
It was just a few hours after Beck had convinced his parents to let him stay at the RV, when he talked Jade into going shopping with him.
"Come on, Jade, I have to get some decorations for the RV, you know, posters and stuff." He pleaded, looking at his best friend with puppy eyes.
"Why do I have to go with you? Call Andre or something." She barked back, not in the mood to be sweet talked by Beck. (Couldn't he just ask her out, really? She had been crushing on him since forever – not that she would tell him that.)
"Because you are my best friend in the whole wide world!" He exclaimed as if it was the most obvious thing ever said.
"Okay, fine." She gave in.
Three antique stores and garage sales later, they were back to the RV, having bought nothing more than an old 143 sign (could the boy get more cliché really), a "cool" light sign that read The Silver Streak and a 1970's styled carpet.
"Why do you need all this stuff for?" Jade complained, bringing the bag she was carrying inside the RV. "It's too hot in here."
"It'll get better with time, but for now, let's hang this signs." Beck smiled – and Jade couldn't help the grin that spread across her face (she had never seen him so exited about something before) – as he hung the numbers on the wall outside the newly named Silver Streak.
"I'll give you the honors of hanging that one." He told her, after setting the nails that would hold it up. Just as she was going to put the sign on place, he stopped her. "Wait, I'll get my camera, this is the beginning of a new era."
"Just let me hang the stupid sign, Beck. My arms are getting tired."
They received their acceptance letters that afternoon, and celebrated with a barbeque outside his new home.
And that night, under the star-lit sky, they admitted their feelings for each other, effectively creating the first of many memories that would be forever linked to The Silver Streak, or "Piece of Junk" as Jade had so lovingly renamed it.
…..
"I'll go bring the last of the boxes from my parent's. Be back in a sec." Beck got up, kissing his girl's head and heading to the Oliver household.
As soon as she stopped hearing his steps on the pavement, she let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding till then. This – whatever this odd feeling was – was killing her.
Jade wanted no more than sit down on the ragged carpeted floor and stay there, on the RV that had given her all the comfort and safeness that her own house had never given her.
Everywhere she looked, trying to hold back the tears (she was not crying over the piece of junk, she just got something on her eyes really), the place was filled with memories.
Each and every one of the signs that adorned the orange-painted walls had a story behind them, a moment in time frozen on that simple decoration.
The dents that filled the silver windows and the burnt piece of wood that outstand from the rest of the table, each of them held a memory, a never told tale that was part of it all.
Their first kiss, their first time, their first triumph, his first heartbreak, her first all night up writing a play, their first time trying to cook something eatable, almost every one of their firsts had happened between those silver walls.
And that was why Jade couldn't help but take it all in, wondering if – after that day – she would ever see that – too hot on summer, too cold on winter – vehicle again.
...
"We can finally take a trip to the lake without having to sleep on those horrible tents!" A ten year old blond girl exclaimed excitedly, throwing her arms around her little brother.
"So, it's a deal then. We'll be here tomorrow to pick it up." A man on his forties shook Beck's hand, leading his kids and his wife to his car.
"I think it's great it's them who are buying it." Jade sighed, closing the door with her key – she always had owned a key, she just liked her foot better – and heading towards Beck's car. "Those kids seemed nice."
"One day, we'll have the most awesome kids alive." Beck laughed, resting his hand on her leg. "Imagine them, babe. They'll be the better looking kids ever."
"One step at a time, cowboy." Was her only response. (He did catch her smiling towards the window at his comment, though.)
…
The next day, the family of four took the RV with them. Beck and Jade finished moving the last of their boxes – they really needed to go furniture shopping.
"So, that's it." Jade mumbled, sitting next to his boyfriend on the mattress they had placed on the floor. (Shopping could wait; they were broke for now.)
"I'll miss the RV." Beck voiced her thoughts.
"I know you will." She sighed. (And I will too)
Looking outside the window of their new house, she smiled to herself.
She had all she needed there. Home was wherever Beck was, and it was only matter of time before they started creating memories of their own on that new place.
He kissed her lips, savoring their newly-found freedom.
They could worry about the monthly payment and house warming party later, for now; they had all they needed there, at their new home.
It was the end of the beginning.
And it was the beginning of something new.
…
A/N: I don't think this is one of my best, really. Credits to my sister, Natalia, for making me post it. I'm not entirely happy with the way this turned out, so let me know if you do.