It's weird when your dreams keep you from sleeping. Some nights I lay awake in bed staring off into nothing trying to figure out what my life could be, what would've been if only.
My first day at Hollywood Arts wasn't anywhere as magical as I hoped it would be. After years of getting shoved and made fun of I had found a school that admired my talent for ventriloquism. When I had, found out I'd promised myself that this year would be different.
"This year, I'll be the trendy kid" I promised myself, the words resounding in my heart.
"Yeah right, at least the lockers are small enough you can't get stuffed into one." The puppet riding in the crook of my arm shot back laughing maliciously as my new-found hope left me with a long suffering sigh.
"The trash-cans, however, look very roomy" Rex continued either ignoring the dark look I shot him.
"Just shut up and help me find my locker okay?" I growled at the puppet.
Rex chuckled, and together we spent a few fruitless moments searching for my locker. I paused as Rex jerked nearly pulling me to the floor with the sudden motion.
"What do you see the locker?" I asked worried by the sudden movement. Rex shook his head slowly turning to look at me as if I was the dumbest person he'd ever seen.
"Forget the locker man, look at her" Rex gawked as a short brown-haired girl passed by.
She was stunning, with long legs, a small waist, and a cute face. She was pretty if perhaps a tad plain, the smile on her face was free and full as she skipped down the hall. She smiled a bit wider as she passed me.
I was certain I was gawking almost as much as Rex, and the girl giggled and gave a small wave as she passed. I watched her go for a moment before shaking my head.
"Locker, right, locker" I shook my head trying to regain my focus as a began the search for my locker anew. Feeling hopeful after a bit of inspiration after having a hot girl wave at me.
I wandered the halls for again, feeling increasingly stupid for not being able to find something as ordinary as a locker.
"Dang, Robbie do you see what I see!" Rex asked loudly, pointing a small wooden finger at a gorgeous and busty Latina. She was standing with a group of her friends and saw me staring. She sneered, flipping her hair dismissively as she turned back to her friends laughing loudly.
"Yeah, I saw" I replied dejectedly, feeling my earlier elation slowly drain away at the recent rejection. Ignoring the newly dawning heaviness in my limbs, I renewed my search for my locker.
After another fruitless circuit of the school hallways, I growled in frustration. I leaned against a nearby bank of lockers, letting the chill metal calm my frazzled nerves.
"Excuse me, your leaning on my locker" A voice spoke from a few inches away. I sighed aggravated at the interruption from brooding. I raised up to see the speaker and my jaw dropped.
The girl was beautiful, not like the Latina, or the brunette but almost picturesque like an artist had drawn her curves with loving detail. Her pale alabaster skin, her raven black hair, bright green eyes, full pouty lips. The girl was beautiful, pure and simple.
She stared at me, her face a mixture of confusion and frustration.
"Umm, why are you staring at me?" She asked slowly shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot.
"Because your the hottest thing I've ever seen" Rex blurted before I slapped my hand over his mouth horrified.
"Rex, shut up!" I hissed ignoring the puppet's muffled protests. I heard a soft chuckle and turned to find the girl smiling gently at me.
"A ventriloquist, wow this school really does have everything". The girl chuckled lightly the sound of it was like music to my ears, and it was only my annoyance with Rex that kept me from blushing.
"Getting him to talk is easy, it's getting him to shut up that's difficult" I joked, mildly surprised when instead of rolling her eyes, or giving some biting comment the girl laughed, she genuinely laughed.
"Wow, and your pretty funny too." The girl laughed, and this time I couldn't keep the blush off my face. The girl only laughed more at my blush, and I couldn't keep from chuckling myself. It was awkward, but I never wanted the moment to end.
"Of course, being funny doesn't mean you can keep blocking my locker mr..." The girl trailed off, as I quickly moved away from the lockers watching the girl open a locker.
"Shapiro, Robbie Shapiro, this is Rex" I finished holding up Rex keeping my hand firmly over his mouth. Rex had chased off a lot of cute girls and stolen a lot more. I wasn't going to give him the chance to do either with this one.
The girl turned, and offered me a stunning smile and a hand.
"I'm Jade, nice to meet you Robbie" The girl smiled, and I smiled back, enjoying the definite turn of my luck for this beautiful girl to give me the time of day. I extended my hand and shook Jade's hand, my hand tingling from contact with her's.
We stared at each other for a long moment, hand in hand, as the world seemed to fade away bit by bit until nothing existed but Jade. Some invisible force pulling us together, I leaned forward and Jade began to do the same.
"Don't call me a puppet!" Rex shouted, breaking the moment into a million pieces.
"How did you not notice your locker is right next to mine" Jade laughed as I glared lightly at her. We had been a lot of time together since our meeting, and I began to like her more and more.
" I was distracted" I mumbled as I stuffed books into my still blank locker, after nearly two weeks I still hadn't picked a design for my locker. Despite agonizing over idea's for days I still hadn't picked a design.
"Distracted, by what?" Jade asked sultrily, leaning close enough that I could smell the perfume wafting off her skin, some sweet, spicy scent that made me hungry for the taste of her. I swallowed deeply, finding my mouth suddenly dry and Jade laughed.
"Oh my god, your so easy" Jade laughed as I growled to myself, shutting my things in my locker. That was something I was quickly discovering, Jade loved to tease me, and she was very, very good at it.
"I was distracted by your beauty" I turned and brushed a hand down Jade's cheek. Watching as her laugh seemed to catch in her throat, she blushed but didn't look away as I leaned close. Inches away from her lips, I turned and whispered into her ear.
"You're not the only one who can tease, Jadelyn " I whispered, my voice low and husky. Jade shivered for a moment, her eyes seeming to stare at something far away, when she seemed to come back to herself, she growled and shoved me away from her.
"You know I hate it when you do that, and don't call me Jadelyn puppet-boy" Jade growled. I simply laughed as I gathered my things and strolled towards my final class. "All part of the game Jade" I laughed walking off as Jade followed me grumbling loudly to herself about cocky puppeteers.
"This is a terrible idea" I muttered as Jade adjusted my tie for what felt like the billionth time. The suit I had rented just for this occasion was ill-fitting and stuffy but, Jade assured me I looked great, though she couldn't seem to keep from adjusting it every few moments.
"Don't worry, my parents are going to love you" Jade smiled up at me, as she backed off, smoothing out the light green dress she had worn. I had seen her buy it off the rack, but the thing seemed made for her, and only served to remind me exactly why I was willing to risk life and limb by meeting Jade's parent's.
Jade and I had been spending a lot of time together for weeks, and I had gotten to know her pretty well. She talked a big game, and with her newest bit of rebellion, (a purple streak in her long black hair) most people believed her to be a total gank. Only I knew that Jade wasn't just a softy, she was a daddy's girl.
That was why I stood in front of the West house, dressed in what I hoped was a nice suit and tie. Intent on impressing Jade's parent's and gaining their approval to date Jade. She had even promised that if they approved I'd get my first kiss tonight.
"Are you ready?" Jade asked placing her hand on the doorknob. I looked her up and down, she was still just as gorgeous as the day I met her, and only growing more-so as the days passed. She was anxious, I could see it in her eyes, but her smile was hopeful.
"Let's get the show on the road" I forced myself to smile as Jade led the way inside.
" I'd never been so embarrassed in my entire life Jade !" I shouted as I slammed my locker with more force than was necessary. Jade flinched at the sound but continued to glare at me from her locker. Dinner with her parents had been an absolute nightmare, her father laid into me about how I was little more than a child playing with dolls, and how I should pick a more practical career. I had expected Jade to jump in and defend me, but she simply sat there. After five minutes, I had enough and simply walked out.
" You didn't even defend me Jade" I shouted, staring at Jade as she closed her locker. She stared at me for a minute before sighing.
"He's right Robbie, you are a child. Maybe this was all for the best" Jade muttered as she grabbed her things. I stared after her as she walked away, my heart breaking with every step she took. I turned from her retreating from to the blank wooden expanse of my locker.
Suddenly I knew exactly what my locker should look like.
"What the hell is that Robbie" Jade demanded staring at the baby bottle covered locker I had claimed for my very own. Jade looked at me horrified for a moment, before looking down and away from me.
"Did I really hurt you that bad?" She asked as I stared down at her.
"Yeah Jade, you cut me deep with that. You and your father seem to believe that maturity is being boring and predictable. That's not being mature, that's being tame. "I Shut my locker and walked away leaving Jade staring after me.
"Broken glass huh, it suits you" I muttered watching as Jade began to remove things from her locker. She sighed and turned to look at me, her face a mask of neutrality, but I could see the bit of hurt in her eyes.
"Why, because I'm so dangerous or likely to hurt something" Jade asked, leaning against the locker.
"No, because it's beautiful in its own way, sure it can be dangerous, and it can hurt, but glass is fragile too. Just like you Jade" I smiled at her hoping to ease her pain, but she only began to cry, tears streaming down her pretty face.
"Jade, what did I-" I began, but Jade simply ran off
"Listen, I just want to apologize about, well about everything" Jade said sliding into the lunch-chair in front of me. I stared at her a moment before pushing away the remnants of my lunch. It had been weeks since Jades parents house, and we had been dancing around each-other for weeks.
"Why the sudden change of heart?" I asked. It was a bit callous of me not to simply accept her apology, but Jadelyn West never apologize on her own, unless there was a plan, or more bad news in the works.
"Robbie, while we were fighting, I met a guy, my dad introduced us. He's smart, and funny, and he even goes to Hollywood Art's with us. We... we started dating yesterday" Jade finished.
My heart broke all again as she said it, after all that she had simply moved on. I knew I should be angry but, I simply couldn't find it in me, I had known this moment was coming ever since Jade's father disapproved of me. Jade was a huge daddy's girl, and she wouldn't date anyone he disapproved of, not while they were so close.
"So, is this the part where you tell me you never want to speak to me again". I finished bitterly watching as Jade recoiled from my words as if I had struck her.
"What, no Robbie, your my friend and your important to me. I want you in my life Robbie Shapiro, and no boy is ever going to change that" Jade finished sternly. She didn't say it but, I knew her well enough that the underlying message was implied. ' No boy is going to change that, not Beck, not her father, not even me.' The thought eased the pain of the news and I found myself smiling at her, albeit not as wide as I used to.
"Just friends huh?" I asked as I stared across the table at Jade. I didn't answer her, but she knew me well enough to know my answer without me saying it.
The smile she gave me was as bright as the one she gave when we first met, and to this day I've never seen her smile at anyone but me like that. It's like that smile is for me and me alone.
"Just friends Shapiro, for now" She winked and rose from the table leaving me staring at her backside as she walked away.
A girl liked Jade doesn't come around often, and I knew her well enough to know what I had just been told.
"All right Jade, I'll wait, for now."
With a groan, I rolled over and shut off my alarm, feeling the covers slip from my chest, as I reached around for my phone. A hand raised from the tangled sheet and with a start I realized that someone else was in my bed.
Slowly the events of the night before began to seep into my sleep addled brain, and the bed-headed visage of Cat Valentine rose from the tangled sheets and handed me my phone.
"Good morning, Lover" she purred.