A/N 1: This was requested by a lot of people, but it's my first story so be gentle! I'm not sure how I want this story to go, I literally wrote it as I went so I hope it makes sense. Now that I've started it I'll probably have a sense of what I want for the rest of the story. I'll update depending on feedback, but I hope you guys enjoy! Short first chapter just to start it off, they'll get longer in time.
Story title/summary: The Story of Us by Taylor Swift
Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the plot. Story title and Chapter titles are songs. I don't own them either.
1. Shark In the Water
Maybe there's a shark in the water
I caught them barking at the moon
Better be soon
"I wanna meet Britney the most- I don't know! Britney or Demi, it's really hard to choose which one I like better."
Oh man, how wrong I was. Looking back, I don't even know how I could have thought I'd like anyone more than Demi. But then again, looking at now, it's not like I expected nearly any of this to happen.
"I was very surprised too. I think that Paige and I, and 5th Harmony are all brilliant acts in this competition so I was really surprised, but…everything happens for a reason so I'm looking forward to realizing what that reason is." This interview just started and it could not have dragged on any longer. I wanted nothing more than to see Demi one last time and just leave.
"What have you and Demi been talking about since your elimination? Where do things go from here?"
Ugh, yeah okay because you need to know any of that.
"Everything that I talk to Demi about is very confidential and um, I'm gonna keep it to myself 'cause it's personal. But, you know, it meant a really…it meant so much to me that she had chose me tonight, it really meant so much."
Try as I might I couldn't help my voice starting to crack as the tears came. I needed to take a minute to recover, and apparently they understood that because I was given a five minute break until we started up again.
I took a look around the room; without even trying my eyes immediately landed on hers. She was staring at me and made no effort to hide that she was. She spoke to me without saying anything, her eyes repeating my words to her all night. I'm sorry.
The tears spilled over our eyelids from both of us at that point. I shook my head to let her know it was okay, that it wasn't her fault. She wasn't having that though. Her words played through my mind as memories of not even an hour ago came flooding back to me.
Flashback
"The act I'm sending home is Jennel Garcia."
That was it. My time was up, my chance was over. Demi was the only one that tried to save me and it just wasn't enough. Paige hugged me out of sympathy of course but I was too focused on trying to hold back my tears. I was doing a pretty good job with it too…until Demi came up to stand next to me.
"Alright Jennel, let's take a look back at your time here on the X-Factor."
I'd always hated how on every TV show like this they'd have the clips ready to show. It's like they knew you were going home before you even thought it was a possibility. Watching the screen all the memories I had made came flooding back into my mind; it was too much. I cracked. Tears were streaming down my face before I could even stop them.
I felt familiar hands pull me into a body I knew only too well, and my eyes didn't even open before I was hugging her back. She was shaking as bad as I was.
"I'm sorry."
"I love you so much, okay? Don't ever forget that. You shouldn't be leaving right now. I'm so sorry."
"It's not your fault."
"I should have done better for you. Fought harder. On more occasions than just this. I'm sorry, Jennel. I'm truly sorry."
End Flashback
I hadn't even realized how badly I was crying until I was asked to redo my makeup for the remaining part of the interview. I didn't even understand why they'd bother going on; clearly I was beyond upset. And there was only like, one question left. My greatest desire was to tell them to go screw themselves but if I ever wanted a future in this business I could never be like that.
"You good to go back on camera now that your face isn't all red and covered with makeup?" I looked in the mirror to see if I was presentable; you never would have known I was bawling my eyes out three minutes ago. "Sure."
"So how do you feel about the songs you've had the past few weeks? Do you blame Demi for picking bad songs for you?"
I have never wanted to punch anyone in the face more than I did right now.
"I might've stuck up for the song choice this week a little bit more, but you know…I wanted to trust Demi, and I did, and I still do; and she chose that song for me and I tried my best, and that's all that you can do."
The cameras finally stopped rolling after that and I was left to brood on my own. The worst part was that I knew I had at least 3 more interviews later that night. But Demi won't be there; maybe I won't have an emotional break down in those.
"Hey there stranger."
"Speak of the Devil."
"The Devil, am I? Awkward moment when I was the only one who tried to save you tonight."
I tried but failed miserably to laugh at that. I couldn't even look at her. I felt her eyes burning into me from behind but I couldn't bring myself to see her face. She understood that; she understood me. I loved that about her.
"Jennel I'm so sorry. I wish there was something I could do about this because ever since your audition you were the only person I truly thought could win this." I felt her hand come to my elbow, her thumb rubbing it slowly. "I still think you're the only person that can. You deserve it more than anyone."
"You only think that because it's me."
I actually smiled at that, and I heard a small laugh come from her. She turned me around and I didn't really have the energy to fight it. I regretted it almost immediately though.
Her face was swollen and red from crying, and even though she was smiling she could not have looked any sadder than she did in this moment. She had on a brave face but it was only for my benefit; it made me sick. The way she always put me before her, it was amazing; but the fact that she thought my happiness was more important than hers made me so sick to my stomach and I don't even know why.
"So what if I only think that because it's you? I think a lot of things just because it's you."
"Well you really shouldn't." Her fake smile mirrored mine and I was lost for words. What should I say? What could I say? There was a tense silence between us for what felt like years and our eyes stared relentlessly into the other's until the silence was broken.
"I'm scared, Jennel. I don't know how to go through this without you next to me. I didn't think I'd have to. I'm scared about what's gonna happen here...about what's gonna happen to us."
"There's not really an "us" at this point, and you know that."
"How many times do I have to tell you I'm sorry until you believe it?"
"Until you mean it, Demi! God, do you think I like not being with you? I don't, and quite honestly, it upsets me more than anything. I would rather be told I can come back to the show and then get eliminated the next week again than to go through this any longer. You fucked me over and I can't stand it because you were the person I trusted most throughout this whole thing."
Tears were threatening to fall from her eyes but I refused to let myself cry again. She deserved this and we both knew it was coming. It was only a matter of time before I blew up on her.
"Babe, I-"
"Don't call me that."
"Jennel. I wouldn't do it if I had a choice."
"Does that make it any better? You could have said no. You could have told Simon you absolutely refused to. There are so many ways you could have said no, but you said yes. You went along with it and you know what, you didn't have to."
I was surprised I wasn't yelling but I don't think I needed to. My words hurt her and I could see it. I hated myself for what I was doing but it was bound to happen.
"I don't even like Wesley! I only flirt with him because Simon said it would help with ratings, and in case you weren't aware, if this show winds up doing any worse it will look terrible on my career. I will go above and beyond to help you as much as I can from this point forward but I have to look out for myself too."
"Hmm, flirt with a guy you don't even like or lose your girlfriend of what would have been five months last Saturday? Real hard choice, Dem."
I walked away at that point; I couldn't stand arguing with her. I couldn't stand how much love she showed for me on camera because off camera it was the same and I couldn't deal with it. I couldn't stand that I wanted nothing more than to be with her and I wasn't letting myself. I couldn't stand that I couldn't get over her flirting with someone she doesn't even like. I couldn't stand myself.
I don't know how long I had been walking but by the time I was done I was standing outside her dressing room. I had walked around the building a good four or five times, trying to be anywhere except next to her. But that's always where I wound up in the end.
A/N 2: Song Title/quote: Shark In The Water by V.V. Brown
