Hi guys! So, I know I said I'd put this up yesterday but I didn't have a chance, so here you go! This isn't what I usually write, but the thought was bugging me.
Disclaimer: The fact that this is called a disclaimer really says it all.
I know you're scared it's wrong, like you might make a mistake.
There's just one life to live, and there's no time to wait.
So let me give your heart a break.
- Give your heart a break – Demi Lovato
Fourteen year old Jade West was walking home from school on your typical Friday afternoon, getting lost in the clear blue sky and the Bon Jovi song playing on her iPod. The street she happened to be walking down at that particular moment wasn't too crowded, but busy enough. The usual suspects were strolling by – business men talking into their cell phones and arranging meetings and what not, groups of middle-aged women chatting amongst themselves and sipping their SkyBucks coffees, people walking their dogs, and the occasional jogger. Jade had been taking a moment to admire a golden retriever trotting by, when she heard a shout from behind her.
"Jade! Jade West!" a boy in a blue shirt and worn jeans yelled to her.
She turned around instantly, and once her eyes had adjusted to the sunlight that had slapped her in the face, she recognised the boy – Ryder Daniels – from her science, art and music classes.
Jade made her way to Ryder, pulling her earphones out of her ears as she walked.
"Hey, Ryder. What's up?"
"Nothing much," he replied, "Do you want some company walking home?"
"I'd love some, thanks. I didn't know that you walked this way."
"Yeah, I recently moved house to a place over this way."
"Oh, cool. So how's Jessica?"
This 'Jessica' that the author has carelessly made a reference to without explaining her part in the story, will be explained in the following.
Jessica Matthews was Ryder's girlfriend.
He shifted uncomfortably, and then responded with, "Um, we…broke up…"
Scratch that. Ex-girlfriend.
Jade bit her lip, cursing her mind for being curious.
"Oh, I'm sorry."
"Don't be. It's not your fault."
"Well, sorry for bringing it up…"
"That's okay," he smiled at her.
"If you don't mind me asking, why did you guys break up? You were really good together."
"I'm not sure. I really liked Jessica but our relationship seemed forced, as if neither of us had strong feelings towards the other one. I think I'd rather end up with someone I really cared about, and knew like the back of my hand."
"Like, to be able to fall in love with your best friend?" Jade questioned.
"Yeah, exactly," he answered with another small smile, "But at this rate, that'll never happen," Ryder laughed bitterly.
"Don't say that, you don't know that's true!" Jade tried to comfort him, which was new to her (she wasn't exactly a comforting person).
She tried to lighten the mood by suggesting they go to the ice-cream parlour nearby, and of course he said yes. (Who turns down ice-cream?)
Fifteen year old Jade West knocked on the blue door, three blocks from her house. Seconds later, Ryder opened the door and smiled at her.
"Hey Jade, I wasn't expecting you to come over today."
"Oh, sorry – is this a bad time?" she asked.
"Nope, come on in. I've just been working on a script for my play writing class. How are you?"
"I'm great," she said, and once he had closed his bedroom door after her she continued, "I'm so great, I'm awesomely great!"
He laughed at her.
"So what's the occasion?"
Jade grinned at him. She may have changed from the fourteen year old, pastel sun-top and denim shorts wearing Jade that she had been last year but she was still able to grin and act silly with her closest friends. And of course, even though Ryder had changed from the cute, kind of nerdy kid he had been last year, and was now what some people might class as a 'bad boy' or a 'player', he was still Jade's best friend, and nothing would change that.
"Beck asked me out…" she was still grinning.
"Uh huh, what else is new?" Ryder asked, as Beck had been asking Jade out for months now.
"Well… This time I said yes…"
"That's great! How did it go?"
"Really well. Don't tell anyone or I will cut up your throat with scissors –"
"Sounds painful."
"- but I think I might like Beck."
"Did I just hear that right? Jade west likes someone?" Ryder teased her.
"Oh, shut up!" Jade giggled. (Yeah – giggled. You read it right).
"Sorry – that's great! Are you guys going to go out again?"
"Yeah, next week."
"Cool, I hope it goes well."
"Yeah… So have you finally found someone that you might date for longer than a week?"
"No, I just don't think I'm ready to have a real relationship with anyone."
"When will you ever be ready?"
"I – I just don't want to get hurt. I'm fine just doing… whatever I'm doing"
"Maybe if you never get hurt, you'll never feel anything. You should give it a try."
"I will…when I find the right person. You know, someone I really care about –"
"- and know like the back of your hand." Jade finished for him.
Ryder just smiled at her, and laughed.
"Yeah, exactly," he replied.
"Well, maybe you'll find someone you really like at the ice-cream shop down the road." Jade suggested.
"Really? We were just discussing our innermost feelings about finding love, and you want ice-cream?" Ryder shook his head in mock-disbelief.
"Whatever, I'm getting coffee flavoured, you?"
"Hmm, maybe chocolate… or honeycomb…"
Seventeen year old Jade West was standing outside her frenemy's home, waiting for Beckto open that door.
"Seven."
She could hear Trina's screams from inside.
"Eight."
She started wondering what she would do if he didn't open the door – he was her ride after all.
"Nine."
She wondered what was keeping him from opening the door.
"Ten."
Ten.
With that she walked away from the house to the sidewalk so she could start walking home, not even noticing the tears rolling down her cheeks.
Fifteen minutes and about a gallon of tears later, she wasn't even halfway to her house. A car horn honked from a few feet behind her, and she spun around, ready to scream profanities at the driver. She held back from that, when she saw Ryder Daniels in the car, looking at her questioningly. He motioned for her to get in the car, and she obliged.
Once she was inside, he asked if she was alright, and she nodded.
"Okay, you're clearly not alright. What happened?"
When she didn't respond, he asked her where Beck was.
She just looked over at him and wiped away some of the tears from her face.
"Um, we…broke up…"
"Oh, I'm sorry."
"Don't be. It's not your fault."
"Well, sorry for bringing it up…"
"That's okay," she smiled at him and he chuckled softly remembering the first time they had had this conversation.
"Why did you guys break up? If it's okay to ask that…" he asked.
"I'm not sure. We just stopped caring so much about each other and the relationship started to fade. I think it was for the best though. You've been right all along – it is better to fall in love with someone that you really care about and know like the back of your hand."
After a moment of silence, he spoke, "Do you wanna get some ice-cream?"
She laughed at Ryder and then replied with, "Yes – yes, I really do. I'm so lucky to have you as a best friend."
"I know," he chuckled.
Once they were at the little ice-cream place down the road from Ryder's house, Jade got a tub of coffee ice-cream, while Ryder tried to decide between chocolate and honeycomb.
"I see nothing much has changed in two years," Jade said sarcastically.
"Oh haha. Just help me pick!"
"Okay, see that cone there?"
He nodded.
"Now, that lets you have two flavours," she spoke as if he were three years old.
So, Ryder got both flavours and they sat down in one of the booths. They talked about school, Sikowitz's decreasing hair, and other things of such sort for hours.
"Oh my God," Jade said, glancing at her phone, "Look at the time, I should really get home. Later, Ryder. I'll see you in school."
"Bye, Jade," he replied.
As she walked out of the ice-cream parlour, he stared after her watching until she rounded a corner and was out of sight.
Ryder looked down at her empty tub, concluding that – yes – it really was better to fall in love with your best friend.
This one-shot was inspired by two great songs that I highly recommend – Give Your Heart A Break by Demi Lovato, and How Do We Do This by Sterling Knight. Obviously, I don't own either song, so just putting that out there.
Hope you enjoyed, and reviews make me smile!
~Char xox