Disclaimer: I don't own anything and I will never own anything, LOL. I hope you enjoy this story. Please leave reviews. Thank you 3
Jade and I have this weird relationship where we break up and she comes running back to me. I wait with open arms as she comes running into them. We'd make up and everything about us would be perfectly normal. This time, though, she didn't run back. She didn't run to me, she ran the other way. She ran away from me. I think that broke my heart more; her running away from me like I was the monster. But you know, I'm an amazing actor. If I showed people my true feelings I'd be called a pussy. I wouldn't want to ruin my reputation here, so I'm going to wait. I'm going to wait until Jade West comes running back to me.
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It's been six months and she still hasn't ran back. I can feel her slipping away from me. The longer it's been the emptier I feel. Still, I'm not going to show my emotions. Every day, I would laugh and smile, acting like I'm fine. In reality, I need her. I was crouching down on my locker, when I heard someone clear their throat behind me. I gave a sideway glance and saw her. I saw my Jade, standing right behind me. I got up, smirking. I knew she'd come back. I crossed my arms, waiting for her to apologize or tell me she loves me; but that's not what happened.
"Your locker lies, Oliver." She deadpanned. I looked at her in confusion. She read my face and huffed. "Your locker represents you, no?" I nodded. "It means you don't have any secrets to hide, but that's where you're wrong. You do have secrets. People thought I was crazy for thinking that you were in love with Vega...No, let me finish," She said, as I was about to interject with my love comments. "I believed you when you said you don't like Vega. I believed you when you said that kiss was just a stage kiss. I believed you, but damn, I forgot you were an amazing actor. I forgot you can manipulate me. Damn you, Beck Oliver." She stopped.
"Jade..." I trailed off. I didn't know where she was coming from.
"Don't 'Jade' me. Beck, I know you wanted to kiss Tori when I was about to take her spot on the award show. I saw it," Her voice softened. I saw her face contort into sadness; for once everyone here was witnessing the real Jade. The Jade that did have emotions, but I couldn't do it. I couldn't bare to tear down my walls for everyone to see. I couldn't.
"Why do you care? We're broken up." I stated. The minute those words came out of my mouth, I regretted it. I ran my fingers through my hair. I saw her face, change again. The hurt was still there, but it was mixed with anger.
"Why do I care? Are you fucking kidding me? You know what, fuck you, Beck. You enjoy your life. I never, ever want to see you again. I hope you and Vega have a perfect life," She spat. Then, she was gone. She was out of my reach. She was out of my fingers. I lost her. I sighed. I just lost the best thing that has ever came into my life, because my damn ego got in the way. I felt all my friends eyes on me, but I couldn't meet them. Especially Cat's or Andre's. I heard low murmurs around me.
"You're such a gank, Beck!" Cat yelled. I looked up and saw the small, redhead fuming. Cat, the girl who never gets mad at anyone, is yelling at me. "Why do you always have to be so mean to Jade? It's not fair."
"Mean? I'm never mean to Jade. Do you know how badly she treats people? I'm always the one that has to apologize for her. I'm not the mean one, she is," I defended myself.
"Really, Beck? The last time I checked a boyfriend was supposed to show his affection to his girlfriend and not to other flirting girls. A boyfriend was supposed to defend his girlfriend every time someone called her a mean word. A boyfriend is supposed to love her. She may have been mean, Beck, but you were the worst. You were the one who broke her to a million pieces. You were the one who promised her to love her, to protect her, to never break her, but you broke them. In my book, you are THE worst boyfriend and person in the world. Also, to try to kiss Tori when you know Jade is still hurting...that's low. Don't give me that excuse, 'we aren't together,' because if you really loved Jade, you'd be fighting and running to her," She looked at me in disgust, "But, I see it, you never really loved her. I hate you, Beck. You don't deserve, Jade." And that, Cat was running away to find Jade.
Everyone stood there in shock as well as I. Jade tearing down her walls as she stood in front of me, telling the world what I did. Cat defending Jade and yelling at me, because I was a horrible boyfriend. I looked at the rest of my friends. Robbie shook his head and walked away. He wasn't really that close with me. Andre looked at me, the look he gave me showed disappointment with a hint of anger. I guess, that was fair. Even though, Andre is my best friend, he was Jade's best friend first and he admitted to me he was in love with Tori. I watched as my best friend walked away with his shoulder slump. I did those damages, because my ego couldn't lighten up for the world to see. I looked at Tori, she stood there awkwardly looking at the floor.
"Are you going to leave, too?" I asked, a little harshly. Tori looked at me with her sad, brown eyes. She shook her head.
"No, Beck. I'm not going to leave, too. You made a mistake in your life and you know, you're going to have to face the consequences, but I'll be right here." She said. She walked over to me, hugging me. I returned the hug.
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Ever since the fight that everyone witnessed last week; everything changed. Andre and I weren't friends anymore. Cat always gave me glares. Robbie gave sympathetic smiles and Jade...I saw her less and less in school. As for Tori, she became the only person I talked to, ate with, hung out with...she practically became my best friend through of all this. I used to be the guy who had it all. The looks, the attitude, the girl, the friends, but it all vanished in thin air. Slowly, the days became weeks. Those weeks became months. Months became years.
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It's been five years later and my life has changed drastically. I became the new 'IT' boy. After high school, I was hired for a movie which became the number 1 movie for a month. This launched my career. I got to go all around the world promoting my movies. I got to work with amazing actors that I looked up, too, when I was growing up. I had everything I ever wished for, but at the end of the day, I never felt satisfied. There was always this gnawing feeling at the bottom on my stomach that told me I was missing something...or someone. In the far away distance, I heard my doorbell go off. I got up from my patio and headed towards the door. I opened the door and there stood the one person that never left.
"Hey, Tori. What's up?" I asked her. I opened the door wider for her to enter my house.
"Oh, nothing. I got back from my meeting and turns out I'm going to be touring internationally now!" She beamed. "Isn't that amazing?" She asked as she entered the house. She walked to the kitchen, which I followed, and sat on the bar stool as she started making herself something to eat.
"That is amazing. When do you leave?" I asked. After high school, Tori launched her career by singing as the opening acts to some bands which led her to having people open up to her. She became one of the most successful young pop stars in our world today. If you're wondering, Tori and I, never really dated. We tried, after high school, few dates and sometimes led to a few hook ups, but in the end, we really weren't meant for each other. I didn't feel that happiness I got when I was with Jade. Tori wasn't Jade. She will never be Jade.
"I leave in a month, but look what I found..." Tori trailed off for a bit, as she started rummaging inside her purse. She plopped the paper clippings in front of me and smiled.
I looked at her cautiously as I picked up one clipping. It was from a magazine interview for Andre Harris. After high school, Andre started DJ-ing at clubs which led him to become one of the most requested DJs in history. But, his accomplishments didn't end there; he opened up his own record company which he got to produce the highest singers in the world from...my eyes widen...Cat Shapiro to Beyonce. I heard Cat was a big pop star now, but I didn't know why it was such a big deal for me. Maybe, because the last time I heard Cat become a pop star was when she still had her maiden last name. I looked through all the clippings to find a redhead and a curly hair man, holding each other in their arms. Cat was wearing the most breathtaking wedding dress and Robbie was looking like a stud. I read that Robbie became a talk show host in New York. I watch it a couple of times, his jokes are hilarious. He still has Rex, but not on his arm. He has him for a sidekick. You know like Chelsea Handler has Chuy; Robbie has Rex.
Tori cleared her throat. I didn't realize how engrossed I was reading about my old friends' new lives. I felt a little sadness overcome me, I shook my head and looked at her.
"Here, you want to read this one." She said, as she placed another clipping in front of me. I looked down and saw her. I saw the girl that I fell in love with so many years ago. In the picture, she was in the middle of laughing. Her eyes crinkle just slightly at the top when she laughs. Her laugh...I could almost hear it again. I was too busy looking at her when I realized the title. 'Broadway Beauty.' I smiled. After high school, Jade moved to New York, she went to school at Juilliard. Apparently, she didn't stay in the school for too long, because she was writing screenplays, but shortly after decided she wanted to perform.
"Jadelyn West became one of the most intriguing actress to join the stage. Every time, she sings or speaks everyone is captivated by her. They follow her in the journey, as her character, falls in love with the forbidden boy. If you haven't seen this play or even know what's it about, trust me, you'd want to go. She'll make you fall in love with her..."
I felt it. I felt the love for her wash over me again. I felt my heart grow fonder for her. Why was Tori showing me this? I thought I was over Jade, but seeing her life...without me, was breaking me. I looked at her picture again. I shook my head.
"Tori, why are you showing me this?" I asked, my eyes still staring at Jade's picture.
"I know you miss them, Beck. It's been over five years, you need them. I know, you do. I love you, I do, but Beck, you really need them. I can't always be your shoulder. You need Andre to help you with guy problems. You need Cat to put a smile on your face. You need Robbie to make you laugh. You, especially, need Jade to make you love again..." She lifted my chin with her pointer finger forcing me to look her in the eyes. "You still love her, Beck. I can see it. You may think you're happy, but you're not fooling me. You miss her terribly. I can see it in your eyes." I sighed. Tori was right. I miss Jade so much. I've been on a couple of dates here and there, but nothing...nothing will ever come close to how much I fell in love with Jade.
"What do I do?" I asked.
"Go to New York. Watch her perform on stage and talk to her." She simply stated. Tori made it sound so easy like it was the simplest thing ever, but it's not. The girl we're talking about is Jade West.
"Like, that's the simplest thing in the world. You act like you didn't even know Jade. She's stubborn and when her mind is set on something...it's set for good." I said. Tori looked at me and shook her head. She was looking at me like I said the worse thing in the world.
"We aren't in high school anymore, Beck. I don't care if security guards try to pry you off her dressing room. I want you to fight for her. Fight for her this time, because if you don't...you might never have another chance. You want Jade West...then fight." She said. Tori rummaged through her purse and placed a ticket to New York and a ticket for her play. She smiled and then she was gone.
It was like time stood still when Tori left. I felt and saw every memory that I had with Jade, but the one that kept replaying wasn't the one with Jade...it was with Cat, but it was the thing she said to me that haunted me.
Six months and I haven't talked to Jade. Sometimes I would sneak glances at her, wondering if she was staring at me. She never was, she was either too busy staring at the teacher or too engrossed in a conversation with Cat. On this certain day, I knew she wasn't going to come back to me, so I took a chance. I took a chance on crawling back to her. I shot a quick glance towards Jade's locker. She was there, placing all her books from her bag into her locker. I took a breath and made my way over to her, but before I reached her...Cat blocked me. I gave her a quizzical look.
"Cat, move." I said, impatiently. I needed to go talk to her before she leaves. I need to make her mine.
"Where do you think you're going, Beck?" She asked in a serious tone. I looked at her and trying to give her the look that meant 'where else.'
"I'm going to go to Jade. I'm going to talk to her." I finally said. She shook her head like it was craziest thing ever.
"No, you're not, Beck." She grabbed my arm and led me towards the janitor's closet, away from Jade. I glared at her. Really? Right when I was going to fight, someone blocks my way. Seriously.
"What the hell, Cat!" I yelled when we entered the closet.
"I'm not going to let you hurt her again." She raised her hand, so she could continue. "I'm not going to let you hurt her, because she's already getting better, Beck. If I watch my best friend cry one more time because of your stupid ass then what's the point of me protecting her heart. I can't let you do that. I know you love her, but I did mean what I said when I told you were the worst boyfriend. I'm not going to let my best friend doubt herself anymore. She needs someone who will love her and not make her doubt the love." She replied.
"But, I can be that guy, Cat!" I promised. Cat had to believe me, she had to. She was the first person to support our relationship and now she was the first person to hate on me for trying to get her back.
"I'm sorry, Beck, but if Jade loves you again and you hurt her, it's going to be permanent damage. She's put her heart out for you so many times and given you so many chances...Just stop. Enjoy your single life. Let Jade be happy for once," she said softly. She lightly touched my arm and gave me a sympathetic smile.
That one memory was the only thing that was holding me back. I wanted to love Jade so much, but I was too scared. Too scared of hurting her again. Too scared of her running away. What if I do get her back, but I make one little mistake and she's gone again. I huffed out at the little argument that was going through my head. I looked at the ticket. I'm supposed to leave tomorrow afternoon. I nodded at myself and finally made the decision of getting her back. I'm going to fight for her even if she starts screaming and throwing shit at me; I'm going to win her back.
The New York air was a lot different from California. It was a lot colder here, but it felt crisp. The one that burned your warm face, but it gave me a nice sensation in your body. I walked outside of the airport, but was immediately met with paparazzi.
"Hey, Beck. How was your trip?" A man with a video camera asked. I smiled at him and nodded.
"Thanks, man. It was good. A bit tiring, but overall, it's good." I said, as I was heading towards the taxi that my manager had set me up with.
"Do you have any reason for being in New York? A new movie or just here for vacation?" I looked at him and thought for a while. What would you really call my trip to New York?
"Let's just say, I'm here to visit someone special." I smiled. I waved at the camera man before entering the car.
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I'm standing in main floor of the theater, patiently waiting for the doors to open for everyone to find their seats. I looked at my ticket. My seat was located at the VIP section. Wow, Tori, thanks for hooking me up. I smirked and headed for upstairs towards the VIP section. I finally arrived to my seat and found that it was kind of it's own little room. It had an opening where you watch the play in a perfect view. I smiled. I looked down at the playbook, 'Beauty and the Beast.' If someone told me a few years back that Jade was going to play Belle on Broadway, I'd probably laugh in your face. I flipped through the pages until I found the cast names. Jade West as Belle. I don't really know how long I've been staring at the picture, but I knew it was long enough since the lights started to dim and music started to fill the room. I looked up and saw her. From this view, he only saw the obvious change and that was her hair. Her hair wasn't jet black with streaks, it was light brown (like the day I met her) which was tied with a bow. The way she glided, sang, and acted on stage was unbelievable. The interviewer was right...Jade knew how to make you fall in love with her. By the end of the play, I was flabbergasted. Jade was amazing. I stood up and cheered for her. The Disney movie couldn't even compare of how well told this story was. Jade played the perfect Belle whether she hated it or not, she will always play the perfect Belle. I made my way downstairs towards the backstage. I held up a pass, which granted me access for meeting the cast.
"Excuse me, I'm here to see Jade West. Do you mind if you could show me her dressing room?" I asked. He looked at me once over and then nodded. We slowly entered a white hallway that had doors throughout each end. Each door had a little star on it with cast's name on it and the person they played for. He stopped and knocked on the door.
"What!" A snarky voice yelled back. The man just rolled his eyes, which I tried to hold my chuckle. She was still the same Jade that he fell in love with.
"You have a visitor." He said. "Are you okay with that?"
"Yeah, whatever." The man looked at me and nodded. I looked at the unopened door and reached out for the knob. Memories started to flood back of the day they broke up. He let her go, because he didn't open the stupid door. Now, he was going to open the stupid door and try to win her back. He pushed the door open and there sat a girl with her back turned from the door, facing the TV.
"Cat, seriously. What took you so long to open that damn door?" She yelled. Her back was still turned away from me, still staring at the TV.
"Sorry, it took five years for me to finally open the door," I simply stated. I saw her body froze. I knew she recognized my voice. She stood up and faced me. Her mouth agape. I took this moment to look at her and I mean look at her. She was different, but in a good way. Her brown hair and no pierced face made her look so innocent. She was still breathtakingly beautiful. He felt his hands start to sweat when he realized that Jade was just staring at him. Her face didn't have her usual scowl, but it didn't have her beautiful smile either. It was just blank. He stood there awkwardly, trying not to break the eye contact.
"Jade, sorry, I'm late. Robbie and I were..."She trailed off and giggled. Her giggling stopped as she saw the back of my head. I didn't turn around to face her. I knew it was Cat and I just didn't want to break the eye contact I was having with Jade. "Who are you?" She asked, cautiously. I finally turned around and she made a low gasp. "Beck Oliver?"
"Hey, Cat. It's nice to finally see you." I said softly.
"What are you doing here?" Jade finally said. I was surprised to hear her voice, I mean, I did hear it on the stage but this was the real Jade voice.
"I wanted to see you...You were amazing out there, so much better than the story tellers that Disney hired to make the movie." I smiled. She looked at me, a light blush coming through her cheeks. She gave a small smile until it disappeared.
"Well, you saw me. You can go now." Jade simply stated. I huffed. I wasn't going to leave. I'm going to stand my ground.
"No, I'm not going to leave Jade. Not this time. I came here today because I wanted to watch you on stage and perform with such high confidence. I came here to, also, ask you out for dinner and if not dinner than for coffee. I just want to talk, Jade." I looked at her with pleading eyes. I thought that was a good rant; I tore off a bit of my wall.
"I can't...Even if it was five years ago, Beck. It still hurts, sometimes. I just...you should go. Thanks for coming, though. It was really great seeing you." She gave me those sympathetic smiles. I hated when people gave me those, because it felt like I lost.
"Jade West. I'm not leaving. I flew here tonight to see you perform and I didn't buy myself a ticket back to California. If you're saying 'no' to me for my offer to go to dinner with me, then you won't see the last of me. I'm going to be persistent like the day I wanted to ask you out, but you kept saying no. I never gave up and this time is the same. I'm not giving up." One wall smashed a bit. It felt like every time I opened up, the wall that I've protected my emotions in kept falling.
"Why now?" She asked.
"I couldn't face you before, Jade. I would have ran after to you, but my ego got the best of me and I was running the opposite direction. I tried to run farther away, but it felt like every time I ran, something reminded me of you. I tried dating other girls...hell, I tried dating Tori, but I kept comparing them to you. I found out that no one will ever come close to you. You are the girl I fell in love with and still am. I know, I was a crappy boyfriend to you, I know I made you feel unloved. But, know this, I'm here to fight for this relationship 100%. I'm here to show you all of my love. I'm here to protect you for anything. If tabloids say shit about you, I'll be the first one to defend you. I promise. Please, Jade. I love you so much and it still hurts." My walls completely trashed down. I felt tears running down my face. I watched her face change from a scowl to sadness. I watched her walk towards me, gently wiping the tears from my face. I leaned into the touch. "I miss you so much, Jadelyn West," I whispered. Her breath hitched and then her lips were colliding with mine. It was a soft kiss, but it was the best kiss in the world. We finally pulled apart, panting. I gave her a toothy grin which she mimicked back.
"About time," Cat said behind me. I almost forgot that Cat was standing behind us.
"I thought you hated me and Jade together, Cat." I asked, confused.
"Silly, I never really hated you guys together. Sure, you broke her heart, but I was waiting for you to man up and fight for this girl and it looks like you proved yourself." Cat patted my shoulder and walked out of the dressing room. "You can join Robbie, Jade, and I for dinner at my house, Beck." She called out. I smiled. I looked at blue orbs that were staring at my brown orbs. She leaned in, wrapping her arms around my abdomen.
"You love me again," I said to her. I felt a small smile pressed against my shirt. I remember that day when she tried to win me back by giving me a dog, but it turned out all wrong. She said those exact words.
"Who said I never stopped," she muffled in my shirt. It was a quiet affection, but it was loud and clear to me.
