Chapter 1: An Old Friend
"8... 9! 10!" Jade West just stood there, frozen as she stared at the Vega's front door.
She wasn't expecting this; alone at night without her boyfriend - or rather her now ex-boyfriend. The seconds ticked by as teal trembled before the mahogany door in shock. He didn't come out when she hit '10'. He wasn't standing in front of her to tell her that he was wrong or to save their relationship. Jade felt a pang of cut deep in her heart as she slowly lifted her hand to the doorknob only to rescind the gesture, not realizing that Beck himself was in the midst of doing the same thing. None of it mattered though as Jade, both wounded and full of pride stormed off down the driveway to her home.
"Forget Beck..." she sniffled quietly, tears threatening to spill from her eyes.
She fought them back for the time being, but there was no telling how long she would be able to maintain her struggle against the emotions building within. Reality set in as Jade quickened her pace in hopes of avoiding this unwanted result. Several streets and blocks were traversed before she found herself wandering in some seemingly random cafe. Shouts of orders and coffee machines filled her ears as the scents of various types of beans overwhelmed her nose. It was heaven on earth for the goth and she was in need of an angel.
"What'll it be, miss... Jade?" a familiar voice called out in surprise, amusing her.
Standing a few feet away from her was a young African-American boy around her age. He had unusually green eyes that matched his dark brown skin perfectly. Judging by how he towered over her, he was at least above 6' even with medium length locs that were currently tied in an up-do bun. He had an athletic build that showed he was more cut than buff. The sight of him made Jade want to giggle but, sadly she was wasn't in the mood to do so.
"Sup?" she nodded her head at a young man wearing a 'Lava-Bean' apron.
"What're you doing here at this time of night?"
Expectedly, Jade shrugged at his question before letting out a bitter scoff. That subtle expression of emotion didn't go unnoticed by the young man but, he didn't take the bait just yet. Checking over his shoulder, he pulled out his notepad and scribbled something before heading back to the front counter to assist with some of the remaining customers. Jade took a look, reading the message: I'll be back. Need answers. She chuckled softly as she pocketed the piece of paper before staring out of the window at the near-empty street beyond the store. Her mind took her back to the last half an hour or so where she was seemingly humiliated by her former lover and current object of her hatred, Beck.
"Sorry about the delay," the same young man broke Jade from her brooding before taking a seat across from her. "You know the late night rush can be hectic at times. Luckily, you came in just as it was wrapping up." Seeing no discernable response from Jade, the guy finally let his grin drop to a more serious look. "Alright, what's going on, Jade?"
"Maybe I came here to enjoy the scenery?" she quipped, pressing her lips together.
"Cut the crap. We both know that you only come here for two things: Straight black coffee heated at 101 degrees precisely and advice," He crossed his arms, narrowing Emerald green eyes narrowed, concentrating on the pale-skinned girl across from him. "Seeing as you haven't ordered anything, it's safe to assume that you came here for the latter and, judging by the conflicted look on your face, something big happened, didn't it?"
Jade hated how well the male could read her and yet, she enjoyed it as it proved that she was understood to some extent. Studying him, she took in the subtle details ranging from his physique to the way his nose crinkled whenever he was annoyed, such as at this moment.
"Do you have to know me so well?" she half-heartedly teased.
"Only when you're being a pain in the ass..." he retorted, his smug grin slowing returning as he leaned back in his seat. "Now, will you please tell me what's going on?"
Given her reputation of keeping her emotions hidden, Jade finally dropped her guard enough to show the pain that dwelt behind her azure orbs. No tears. No sobbing. No crack in her voice. None of that was necessary.
"He broke up with me, Liam..." she muttered, those words stinging her lips. "Beck and I are done."
"How's that any different than any other time before, Jade? Don't you and pretty boy break up and make-up all the time? How's that any different than before?"
Jade simply sniffled softly before lowering her head against her fists. Then, she proceeded to explain everything from the increased amount of arguments to the game show and finally, the ultimatum; that last part claimed most of Liam's attention as his focused gaze never left the girl until she was finished bringing him up to speed. Many who caught this scene would've done a spit-take at the sheer sight of seeing Jade West spilling her guts to a seemingly random stranger (although stranger things have been done by the goth), however, it was clear that Liam was more than just your average joe, let alone a total stranger.
"So, that's all that happened," Jade let out a pronounced sigh followed by a deep scowl.
By now, the last couple of customers had received their orders and the shop was practically empty outside of the pair and the few staff members remaining. Liam noticed and stood to his feet to remove the mint green apron and tossing it over his shoulder. Signaling to Jade, he went to the back only to arrive a couple of minutes later with only his backpack on his shoulders.
"Come on!" he smiled brightly.
"What about work?" she raised an eyebrow in suspicion.
"I just clocked out and I'm going home. I can walk you home or..." This time she crossed her arms with a sharp glare pointed at him. "Or, you can crash at my house?"
She nodded silently before gathering her belongings and following closely behind her friend.
The walk was long and uneventful yet, strangely comfortable as the two just enjoyed the silence until they arrived at a bus stop where they sat until one arrived to pick them up. From there, they just sat and talked about nothing in particular until they reached their destination. By this point, Jade was no longer surrounded by the glamour of the wealthy but the humble surroundings of standard homes that, while not downtrodden, weren't on the level of what many would guess Jade was used to considering her family was pretty well off.
It only took 15 minutes tops but, Jade was tired as evident when the two arrived at Liam's home with her riding comfortably on his back. Entering the house, Liam ushered her inside. The place was rather nice compared to the plain bricks that adorned the outer walls, giving Jade a feel of ease and tranquility as she headed straight for the couch in the living room.
"Give me a moment and I'll get you a blanket and some pillows."
"Take your time."
Liam swiftly headed up the stairs to his room, leaving the raven-haired girl to watch some random sitcom about a disgruntled shoe salesman and his annoying wife and children. Making herself comfortable, she failed to notice the pair of amethyst eyes staring back at her from the next room.
"Feel free to change the channel..."
"Whoa!" Jade nearly shot up from her seat, much to the amusement of the slightly older woman. "Dammit, Lucille."
"Sorry. I couldn't help myself, Jade..." she wiped imaginary tears from her eyes as Jade worked to compose herself. "Sometimes it's too easy to mess with you."
Jade simply rolled her eyes but couldn't resist the twitching along the corners of her lips. The two then embraced each other just as Liam was coming downstairs with the 'supplies' in hand. He slipped by the two and began setting things up for him and Jade. Piped with curiosity, he noticed how Lucille held the girl gently by the back of the head while finally noticing him. The two mouthed an unheard conversation so that she could make sense of what brought this on.
Trouble again?
Yep... guy trouble.
Not again.
It is what it is...
Be careful, little brother.
That last warning was enough to elicit a silent chuckle from Liam just as Jade pulled away.
"Sorry. I guess I lost myself in the moment," she gave a lackluster smile.
"Not a problem, Jade." Lucille smiled warmly before making her way out of the door. "I have to head out for work but, we can catch up later if you're still here this weekend. Feel free to use my body wash and shampoo, unless you want to smell like this guy for the day."
"Duly noted," Jade giggled while her friend rolled his eyes in response.
With that, the older woman took her exit, leaving both Liam & Jade to their own devices. The latter found herself being handed a small pile of clothes to change into before making her way up the stairs. Entering the room, she carefully stripped out of the black dress and leggings before throwing on the oversized Three Days Grace t-shirt and black/grey camo pajama pants. She didn't waste any time in putting her clothes neatly on the foot of Liam's bed neatly before returning downstairs.
Upon her arrival, Jade could hear the sounds of a well-known and enchanting tune that brought a grin to her face. She re-entered the living room to find Liam starting up the first season of one of their favorite shows:
"Once Upon a Time?"
"I can put on something else if you'd prefer," he crossed his arms over his chest.
"Whatever. We both know you love this show as much as I do," she rolled her eyes coupled with an all too constant tugging at her lips. "Besides, how else can I sleep?"
"Good."
She smiled gently, soon finding herself joining her compadre on the plush carpet. The two snuggled under the massive blanket and proceeded to watch the first episode, making sure to give their commentary throughout. The soft laughter and calm atmosphere were enough to make Jade forget about the earlier event that led to this and yet, there was something still gnawing at her; Beck.
Despite the fun she was having, that reality of her being single was still fresh in her mind and it was enough to make her want to crawl under a rock as she slowly grew more and more silent as the clock ticked away. Soon, the light behind her eyes began to fade away, leaving a dull husk in its place. Eventually, she wasn't even paying attention to the show anymore and was constantly glancing over to her phone, wondering if Beck would call to reconsider his decision. What would she do? What would she say? Would she go back on her threat or was she willing to break her resolve in some weird hope of salvaging the relationship?
Liam immediately noticed the change in his friend and grabbed the remote, turning the television off.
Surprisingly, this had the unintentional effect of snapping Jade out of her stupor, albeit she was none too pleased now. She turned sharply to the young man, ready to demand he turn the tv back up on but stopped short when she saw the no-nonsense expression on his face. Now, it's pretty clear that Jade is not easily intimidated but, that was with the students of Hollywood Arts and her circle. However, Liam was the exception as was the case currently as she shivered just slightly under his hardened gaze.
"Jade," in spite of the harsh look, his tone was gentle. "You're thinking about that Beck guy again, aren't you?"
"N-no..."
"Don't lie to me. We've been friends for far too long for you to think that you can fool me."
"It's nothing. I was just distracted by my phone that's all," she turned away, shielding her face with her black and green locks. "There's nothing more that needs to be said other than what I've already told you earlier. It's just painful knowing that I'm so difficult to be with... even the one guy who loved me can only handle so much before he calls it quits. It just really hurts..."
"Jade..."
"I mean, I don't know what else I was supposed to do. I mean, I have insecurities but who doesn't? He's so good looking and all the girls desire him so, how could I not feel a little jealous? Even Vega couldn't keep her hands off of him when they first met. Meanwhile, I don't get a lot of guys pursuing me except a couple of weirdos who make me want to slam my head in a car door," she admitted, not realizing the pain pouring out with each hateful word that left her lips. "I'm just a hopeless gank."
At that moment, her display of self-loathing came to an abrupt halt once she felt a pair of hands pull her into a clinch. The tears that she struggled with suddenly flowed out freely, her war with the salt-filled drops now officially lost as she trembled in her friend's arms, muffled sobs wetting his own t-shirt in the process. He didn't care though as he stroked her back, allowing her to let out every ounce of what was hurting her. Soft hushes filled her ears until she could only light whimpers accompanied her tears.
"It's okay," he rested his chin gently on top of her head. "You're not a hopeless gank, Jade. You're more like the 'Evil Queen'; you can be a little difficult, but that's because you're really complicated. Very few can understand you because you're not like every other girl. Only the strong can handle what you have to offer and that's one of your best qualities. Besides, if you were hopeless then we wouldn't be best friends for over ten years, would we?"
Jade pulled away just enough to see the crooked smile from her best friend; That's right, Jade West had a legitimate best friend, one who'd been by her side since their early childhood years. She and Liam had known each other in less than typical circumstances but, it was the foundation for their solid friendship that remained a fixture in both of their lives to this day. Blue-green steadily lit up as her mind began to fill with memories of the two's adventures and growth in life.
"Thank you, Robin Hood."
"Anytime, Regina," he chuckled, not relinquishing his hold until she was ready. "It's okay to feel pain, but it's not okay to dwell in it though. That's why I'm here..."
She shook her head, much to his confusion.
"You're more than just some emotional safety net, Liam. You've been there for me whenever I needed you and I appreciate you."
"No problem. I'm happy to help." He coached as the emotional storm began to subside. He watched as Jade separated herself from his grasp, tears, and mascara trailing her face now. Her heart was still heavy but, the weight of her hardships seemed to have lightened a bit. Either way, it was more than enough for her to get through this ordeal. "Just promise me one thing..."
Skepticism washed over her face as she wiped the streaks with the shirt's sleeve. "Um... sure? What's that?"
"Promise me that, under no circumstance will you give up on yourself. Okay?"
She rolled her eyes playfully when an interesting idea crossed her mind.
"Fine. But only if you promise me something as well."
"I'm not going to do that crazy dance that you made me do when we were seven, Jade."
"No, idiot!" she giggled rather loudly, tucking some of her hair behind her ear. "I want you to do something that'll help us both out."
"And what would that be?" caution dripping from every syllable possible.
True to his thoughts, Jade was plotting something, all the truer when her smirk started to resemble that of the Grinch himself. He wanted to back away from this but, chose to see things through, a 'flaw' that both knew Jade loved to exploit, though usually for fun rather than anything ill-fated.
"I want you to try out for Hollywood Arts."
Alright, so this is chapter one of 'Tears of a Fallen Angel'! Without giving too many details, this story revolves around Jade and Liam as the primary characters with Tori and the others having secondary to minor roles, although they may temporarily be promoted as the story progresses. I'll be doing my best to follow the chronology of the show as best as I can though I will skip some episodes (Hell, I skipped seasons 1 & 2 entirely to get this chapter written). Of course, I may double back to some past episodes if it's necessary to the story.
The main plot revolves around Jade's life outside of Hollywood Arts and her life when she's not around Beck, Andre, etc. This is where Liam comes in as the two have been best friends since childhood. I haven't fully decided on what school he goes to but, that should be cleared up by the next chapter. In the meantime, I hope you all enjoy this chapter and story! Be on the lookout for the next one coming soon.