Do you want to tell me about before your father and Anna were married?" Jade West's therapist asked.
Well, he wasn't actually her therapist, he was her father and his - soon to be ex - wife's.
"No." Thirteen year-old Jade responded. She blew air threw her teeth and rolled her eyes.
It was a Saturday afternoon and Jade were rather be anywhere but here. She was daydreaming about the warm weather outside, and how wonderful it would be when this session was over. She was being forced to talk to her fathers therapist about his upcoming divorce to his third wife.
"Can you tell me about before your father and Anna were married?" The therapist asked again, this time changing his words ever so slightly.
Jade didn't remember the first 9 years of her life, well at least, she tried not to. It brought back to much pain. It wasn't the years themselves that were depressing, it was the exact opposite. Those years were so amazing happy, it was when she compared them to her life now that she felt so overwhelmingly... sad. In those nine years her mother was still around, he father wasn't emotionally disconnected and Jade didn't have such a hard wall surrounding her emotions.
"Everything was kind of the same." Jade lied.
"Mmm, hmm?"
"I guess Anna made him happy, but they're not happy anymore." Jade said, but this time that wasn't a lie.
"Is that what you think?" The therapist asked.
"Well, they're getting divorced, so my father must not like her very much anymore." Jade said.
"Do you like Anna?" The therapist questioned.
Jade wasn't sure. Anna was the reason her father was letting her go to a performing arts school in the fall, like she wanted. But only after hours of begging and promises her math and science marks would still stay A's. Also Anna always tried to mother Jade, and that wasn't what she wanted.
"I wanted to like her, but she tried too hard. - And I hated that." Jade finally answered.
Just as she spoke the digital clock read 5:00 and Jade knew the session was over.
Jade hopped into the passengers seat of her father's silver Mercedes. He didn't say anything and neither did she, but she was used to it that way. Once they started moving he broke the silence.
"Anna's moving out this weekend." He told her.
"Ok." Jade responded, than looked over at her father's face. For the first time, in this whole divorce, he looked sad, almost defeated.
"I'm sorry it didn't work out. This must be tough on you." Jade's father said, it referring to his failed marriage, but Jade didn't respond.
"I miss her too, you know." He continued.
"Anna?" Jade asked sarcastically.
"No, your mother." He said.
Jade didn't want to think about her mother. It had been four years since... the accident, and it still hurt too much to even hear her name. Besides she didn't want to upset her father even more.
Jade looked out her window and watched as all the trees on the side of the road blended into one. It was a late August afternoon and school would be starting in a week. Even though Jade was so excited she was going to Hollywood Arts in the fall, a small part of her wanted summer to last forever. Jade sighed and reached a hand up to her nose. She ran her fingers around her small diamond nose ring. She got it about two weeks ago with her best friend Tessa, immediately after Anna told her she absolutely could not pierce her face. Her father was furious when he saw her and demanded she take it out. Jade refused to, but now that he and Anna were getting a divorce he'd forgotten. Jade wanted to get an eyebrow piercing as well but she would have to wait a bit.
When they arrived home, after a car ride that felt like eternity, Jade's father informed her that they would be going out for dinner tonight. He told her to be ready by 7:00 and in the meantime he'd be in his office. As soon as Jade got to her bedroom she started to text Tessa, informing her of the divorce, now that it was official. She knew it was a long time coming, but she didn't really think her father would get divorced from his third wife. Even thirteen year old Jade knew that wasn't normal. Nevertheless, Tessa responded with shock and Jade promised to tell her all the details when she saw her tomorrow.
Jade looked around at her bedroom. It was mostly white and black with small bits of blue and purple. It really wasn't her style. Sure it was huge, but she would rather it express herself, and be somewhere she would like to be. Jade wasn't really the extravagant type, but she couldn't say the same for her father. He was a wealthy business man who always wanted the best and biggest things. The best houses, best cars, best trips, best meals, best wife and best daughter. It was too bad he was stuck with Jade, who he never saw eye to eye with. That's why Jade started decorating the attic, that barely anyone ever went into. There she could put all sorts of things she wanted, and paint it all black and red! Lucky for her, there was already a black upholstered chair and bookshelves, up there. The attic was all hers.
At 7 o'clock Jade still wasn't ready to go to the restaurant and her father was becoming impatient.
"Jade! Hurry up or were going to be late for our reservation!" Her father called for the fourth time.
"I'm coming!" Jade yelled back and she made her way down the huge grand staircase at the front of her house. The restaurant they were going to was Jade's favourite. She knew her father was probably trying to make up for the therapy session he put her through today, but Jade didn't care. This place was a small fancy Italian restaurant, and it was amazing. Once they got there they were led to their seats, and handed menus. Jade ordered the penne with shrimp and it was served just the way she liked it, with no tails on the shrimp.
"School's starting soon." Jade's father told her.
"Yeah." She replied in between bites of her pasta. Her father sighed.
"Jade, are you sure you want to go to that performing arts school?" He asked. "Your such a smart girl, I don't want you throwing your life away."
Of course this was what her father chose to talk about. Ever since she could remember, Jade loved the arts. She loved singing, and acting, and writing plays. She loved music and directing people around, but her father just didn't understand this. He thought creative people were just wasting their lives, and that having a career in acting or directing was impossible. Jade wanted nothing more than to prove him wrong. She wanted to prove to him that she could make a career out of this and be happy.
"This is what I want to do, dad and I'm sure about it." Jade told her father.
"It's just... now that Anna's gone... You're such a smart girl Jade..." Her father trailed off. Jade waited expectantly for his answer. "Okay." He concluded. "It this is what you want to do I'm not going to hold you back. But you have to promise me you'll stay in your math programs and your math, english and science marks won't drop. Keep your options wide. You'll thank me for that when your older." He said, before he took another bite of his meal.
On the inside Jade was happy, so happy. Sure, he still thought she wouldn't make a career out of the arts, but he supported her dream. In a way. Well, that was the best she would be able to get out of him.
When Jade and her father got home, Jade immediately head for her bedroom but was stopped by a voice.
"Jade, come down here for a second." Her father called to her. Jade wasn't in the mood to fight right now so she did as she was told.
"Yes?" She said as she entered the living room, as she took out her earrings and placed them onto the glass coffee table. Jade sat down across from her father.
"I have a gift for you." Her father said pointing to a small box wrapped in blue wrapping paper. Once again Jade knew that he was only doing this to try and make up for the divorce he would be putting her through, even thought the verbal fighting was over, Jade was sure there was much to be settled in court. Her father wasn't very good at showing emotion though, so she knew this was a sweet gesture from him.
Even though they never got along, her mother always used to say how similar the two of them were. Yes, they were both cold, quick to anger and long to forgive, but if you managed to break down there emotional walls, you would find a sweet and caring person. Who, when they smiled at you, you felt like the most special person in the whole world. Jade didn't entirely believe this, but it was one of things about her mother she would let herself remember.
Jade unwrapped the box and opened it. Her eyes widened. Inside was a beautiful necklace with three diamonds and a green pendant. When she looked closer, she realized the green pendant was a Jade gemstone. Jade was speechless.
"It was your mother's." Her father said breaking the silence. "Jade was her favourite stone."
Jade loved it. She put it around her neck and clasped it closed.
"Thank you so much..." Jade started to say. "It's beautiful." Then Jade did something she almost never did. She walked up and hugged her father. After a few seconds her father hugged her back. Jade blinked away tears as she thought of her mother. She could tell her father was doing the same thing. It was just the two of them now, but they were brought together by the memory of her mother.
Before Jade fell asleep that night. She pulled out a box from under her bed. Inside the box held everything that was important to her. Jade wasn't really the sentimental type, but her parents had made this box when she was younger and she never got around to throwing it away. Jade unclipped the necklace and put it in a small black bag. She tucked it in to the box and slid the box back underneath the bed. Jade was sure she would take out the necklace and wear it again, probably tomorrow, but she wanted to keep it safe for now. After all, it was her mothers.
Authors Note: Hey, so this is my first story on this account and it's basically the gang pre-pilot until post-finale. It will. cover their childhoods and before Tori came to Hollywood Arts. It will probably be mostly Jade-Centric but there will be Bade and some Cabbie and Cade too, and it will eventually cover the whole gang. One thing though: Even though Jade does mention her mother a few times, we never see her, so this fic will show her with step-mothers filling those parts, her mother will be deceased, but you'll find out what happened to her later. Enjoy! Please let me know what you think. Read and review!