Hi everyone! It's been a long time since I wrote anything. I had this thought for so long, but school and other activities have been taking up time and I have no time to just write, you know? This started out to be something, but then it turned out to be something totally different. Maybe it's noticeable. I hope you enjoy, nevertheless. Please review at the end.
After high school, everything seemed to turn around, flip up side down. Couples that, never in the history of mankind would've thought, were made. Couples that, in the history of mankind though wouldn't have, broke up. It was weird, and confusing. Hollywood Arts' most renowned couple, the "it" couple, the most prestigious, broke up with a tear in each other's hearts, mean, spiteful words thrown at one another. After four glorious years together, they had decided if was time to follow their dreams, and having one another in those dreams wasn't an option. It was odd; both of them had the same dream, acting. But one wanted the stage and New York City, while the other wanted film and LA. It was so weird; it was the only word to describe it.
From inseparable hand holding, to avoiding eye contact – their friends could only wonder what happened to the two. Madly in love, to sanely withdrawn.
Jade West got her dream. She got everything she wanted. She got a winning role in a Broadway musical; she got a beautiful two-floor apartment in the heart of New York – Manhattan. She got noticed, she got awards, she got to sign autographs, and sing on a major musical soundtrack. She got everything, except she left an empty space in her black heart, for someone to share it with.
Beck Oliver had a little trouble finding his dream. But he did it eventually. A kid with hair like that had to land a role; it was just a time's matter. He got movies, and his own television program – a teen drama, where he played, the cliché-troubled teen. He got nominated for one of those prestigious acting awards, not an Oscar, though. Not yet. He earned loads of money, he could buy a mansion, but he decided to calm the loneliness, he bought a small penthouse in the small of LA. He liked being lonely, but something always burned in the back of his mind. Her.
As distant as the two were, they didthink about each other. Everyday. Every moment they had a moment to spare. They should've hated each other; they had too – after what one another said. It was mind-boggling, but the mind wasn't boggled to bring them back to that very person. She recorded every episode of his show on her old use cassettes (yes, she still used those). She collected each of his movies on disc, the moment they came out. She watched them many times, practically having every line memorized. He, although he didn't get to see her actual production, he bought an autographed picture of her and her musical cast on EBay, and he bought her musical's album. He listened to her songs, when she had a lead, memorizing every word, and savoring every voice. She didn't sound as mean, she sounded sweet, nice, and mellow. It was something he had loved about of her, she could be harsh and cruel, but when it came to stage and song, she softened up, like bread on butter.
Jade was on her way to LA. She had a hiatus for a month from her show. She was exhausted, she had another reading for yet another musical, and rehearsals were killing her. Although she was used to dancing, singing, acting every day, this new musical she had been offered had twice the amount of everything, twice the amount of effort required, twice the amount of commitment. Jade West wasn't a quitter; she just needed some space, time. As she was on the plane, it had vanished her mind that he was in LA. He was there shooting a new movie. She didn't know whether to be scared, or ecstatic.
She landed a rough landing, for she had rode economy. She carefully got off the plane, needing a helping hand from the air host that was saying goodbye. It had been a while since she flew in a plane. Last time was the day after graduation. She hurried to get her bags, her loose black blouse swaying, and her tight denims hugging her legs tighter. She got her bags, and walked as fast as she could out of the airport. She didn't want to see anyone; she didn't want to be near anyone. She wanted to get some coffee, check into her hotel, sleep, and then take a stroll around Hollywood Art's. Maybe Sikowitz was still teaching…
She got to her hotel, managing to find a simpler suite, smaller than one she had been offered. She hated the special treatment sometimes, sure she was girl for attention, but when she wanted to get away, she wanted to get away – be normal as she could be.
She lay her bags down, stripping off her clothes and taking a hot shower. The warm water felt great running down her body of lassitude. She soaked herself, cleansing her body, cleansing the troubles, the worries, everything. She stayed in the shower for a decent twenty minutes, more or less, getting out and changing into a loose blue blouse, and a pair of nice black jeans.
At twenty-two, she hadn't changed much, she thought, her clothing sense hadn't changed, her attitude – not so much. She did ditch the streaks in her hair though, but the piercings were intact.
She rolled her hair into a sloppy ponytail, brushing back baby hairs. She applied her makeup, trying her best to put a little – she was so used to stage makeup, pounds and pounds of makeup covering her face – but today, she played it off simple. Eyeliner here, and lip gloss there. She looked good, decent…different.
She put on a pair of black flats, and walked out of her room door, finally leaving the hotel. She found her feet moving in a direction her mind was telling them to move in, she just couldn't put her finger on where. She ended up in small coffee shop, the shop he had taken to her on their first date. She took her seat, and waited for the waitress to come over. She ordered a small black coffee, two sugars, the usual. She paid, and strolled out the coffee shop casually, gripping her coffee tightly. She found her way to Hollywood Arts, after four and a half years, she still had her favorite place drilled into the back of her head. She saw some kids strolling around, and she knocked on the front door lightly to get their attention. A boy with short black hair and large grey eyes opened the door, staring up at her in awe.
"You're Jade West!" He whispered, tears brimming his eyes.
She smiled, "Yeah." She said, shrugging.
He shook his head, and before they both knew it, his arms were wrapped around her waist, and she couldn't help but return the embrace. She remembered her days back at the school. She probably wouldn't have hugged any performing socialite, but she could've been speechless.
"You're my hero." He said, pulling away. The kid had to be around twelve, or thirteen – from the middle school.
"Thank You." She replied, and brought her hand to his shoulder, "Could you tell me where Sikowitz's classroom is?"
The boy nodded, but before answering, held out a sharpie to her, "Could you please sign my shirt…" He stumbled with his words. She took the pen gratefully, and signed his plain white shirt, "And my hat?" He mumbled. She laughed, and signed the hat too.
He stared up at her, "He might have left, but he could be around." He said, and she nodded, giving the kid a pat on the back. She was dazed by how much of an impact she had made on the boy. As she walked away, she heard the faint yells of the boy telling his friends about his meeting with her. She smiled.
She strolled around the school, finally reaching Sikowitz's classroom. She took a deep breath, hoping he would be in there, but being nervous to find him there too. She opened the door, and there he was, writing on the board with his hippie pants on, and his Bohemian attire. She coughed lightly, and he turned around, a smile lurking on his face.
"Jade West?" He nodded in approval, "Never thought you'd be coming back to visit me." He grinned. He had lost a couple more strands of hair, but it was barely noticeable. He was forty now, but he still looked older, as he always had.
"Well, I had no place better to go." She smirked.
"It's good to see you." He said, leading her down to one of the chairs, and sitting himself down on the stage, "I have heard you're soundtrack." He said.
"How do you like it?" She asked.
"Its fantastic. I knew you could do it." He smiled warmly.
"Thanks." She said, and they sat there in silence for a couple moments.
He finally opened his mouth to say something else, "How do you like New York?"
"It's nice, so different. I'd never seen real snow before." She laughed.
"You've changed, Jade." He said, scrutinizing her face.
"You've changed too, Sikowitz." She replied.
"How, may I ask?"
"Well, you don't have you're signature coconut, anymore." She smiled.
He got up, and in a flash of a second, there his coconut was, "It still gives me visions, you know?" He said, and she shook her head, and raised an eyebrow.
"How have I changed?" She asked, looking straight into her crazy, but wise teachers eyes.
He took a sip from the pink straw in his fruit, and looked up at her, "I have envisioned something happening to you today." He said, nodding.
She looked at him in confusion, "Of course something will happen today. Something always does!" She raised her voice, slightly; he hadn't answered her question, one, and two, he wasn't making any sense.
He looked at her, a glimpse of excitement, and joy in his eyes.
"Go and make something happen, Jade." He told her, lightly placing his arm on her knee. She huffed.
"It was nice meeting you again, Jade." He said, and got up, patting her shoulder like she had done to the boy. He walked out the back door, and left her alone. She took another sip of her now cold coffee, and sat there thinking. What could possibly happen?
She slowly got up, walking out the classroom, and leaving the school.
She walked too the park where she usually had gone to think. It surprised her that she still knew the direction to every place. She strolled down the park, the long path, something she had referred to as the "yellow brick road" when she still lived here. She walked down, this yellow brick road that led to nowhere besides the other end of the park, and kept thinking. She trashed her coffee, and took a seat down on a bench. She thought. She thought about her new life, her career, and her friends. She wondered what had happened to Cat, and Andre. She wondered what happened to Robbie – she had a dying urge to figure out if the boy had ditched the puppet or not. She wondered what was going on with Tori. She was probably famous, they probably all were. She thought about Beck, and how they used to walk down this path, how they used to talk, and spend time together. How they used to love each other. She thought, and soon tears were rolling down her eyes. She had given up everything. She lost touch with everyone that mattered to her; she broke off a relationship that was wonderful. She left. She ran away. She started something beautiful, and new, but she left everything vintage and just as beautiful. She wondered what they did for the first few days, weeks, or months that she had left. She had stopped emailing them, texting, and calling. She had run away, when she had everything. Maybe it was her dream. Maybe it was exactly what her future wanted. Maybe it was –
"Jade West?" She heard an oddly familiar voice. She lifter her face up from her lap, rubbing off the wetness on her cheeks. She rubbed her eyes, seeing a blurry figure of a tall boy with shaggy brown hair. It couldn't be, she thought.
"Jade West!" He smiled, "I was wondering when I'd see you again." He took a seat down next to her.
She looked at him closely. The same tall nose, and cute boyish smile, and the deep brown eyes, and the long soft hair, "Beck?" She asked.
He smirked, "Yeah. Glad you remember."
"Beck!" She exclaimed, a smile arising on her soft, but makeup-smeared face. She frantically began looking through her bag for makeup remover, but with no luck, began to rub her hands to clear the excess mascara and eyeliner off her cheeks.
"How have you been?" He asked, gently taking her hand and putting it down to her lap.
"Good, I guess. New York is different." She breathed, "How about you?"
"Same old, same old. Working on a movie isn't as fun as it seems." He grinned. It shocked her how easily this conversation was going.
"Why are you here?" She whispered.
"Why are you here?" He asked back.
She stared at him. She looked at him, and he looked straight back. She smiled. He smiled.
"I needed a break." She responded.
"So did I." He brought a soft smile to his face.
She took a small breath, letting out a small amount of air release her mouth, "Why?"
"Everything is so chaotic, late hours, and still not getting anything done."
"Oh?" She blustered.
"Yeah, its' been months and we haven't gotten half as much done as the director wanted in a month. It's incredibly dumb." He chuckled.
She laughed a small laugh; "I guess the same for me, too." She looked back down.
"Really?"
"Yeah, its all so much. Two shows. It's practically impossible." She sighed.
They sat in silence. She took another look at him. His face was older, wiser. He wore a button down black shirt, and a pair of fitted jeans. He still wore his combat boots. She giggled inside.
"I've missed you." He said.
"Me too." She looked at him, her heart still.
"Everything's been so boring."
"Without me?" She smirked.
He looked at her, smiling a tiny bit.
"I've heard you're soundtrack." He said.
"I've watched you're movies."
"Really?" His eyebrows flew up, "How are they?"
"You're a great actor."
"I wish I could come and see you're shows." He sighed.
"I wish you could've." She looked down at his combat boots.
Silence.
"I met Sikowitz earlier." She said.
"Really? What'd he say?" He asked, shocked.
"He was surprised to see me."
"I'm surprised to see you." He said, and she instantly looked up.
"Did you think I'd never come back?" She asked, getting up, him following.
"I had a feeling you would, but I just never knew when." He said.
"Don't make it sound like I ran away." She growled.
"You did." He snarled.
"I told you where I was going!" She choked.
He stood there, "You never told me when you'd come back."
"You never asked."
Silence.
"Did you mean everything you said to me?" She asked, her voice small.
"When?"
She sniffled, "You know when."
"Do you want the truth?" He asked, and she looked at him.
"What else would I want?" She asked.
"Well, at the moment – yes," He replied, "But when I look at you now, I take everything back."
She stared at him, shrinking her eyes.
"I'm sorry." He said to her, taking hold of her hand.
"I'm sorry, too." She said, releasing from his grip.
"What do you mean?"
"You know very well what I mean." She said, hugging him, and walking away.
She walked away again. She left everyone hanging. She left him hanging.
But most importantly, she didn't listen to wise Sikowitz. She didn't let anything happen. Well, she did, but instead, she let it go instantly.
2 Years Later…
She phoned him. She hoped this was his correct number, and she hoped he would pick up.
"Hello?" The familiar voice asked.
"I'm Sorry." She said, her voice soft, but strong.
And there she was, once again, off to LA, but this time, she would make something happen.
How'd you like it? The end was drastically changed, and totally unplanned for. I had no idea what I was going to write, so I concluded it with this. I hope you all enjoyed reading it. Reviews are greatly appreciated. Thank You.