Note: To make this chapter extra long, as the advertisement says, I'm going to make this chapter into an extra-long songfic chapter with a whole bunch of songs. And by a whole bunch of songs, I mean three. If I didn't have such high expectations for myself, I'd just give you the chapter with not songs, but…nah.
Disclaimer: Don't own Max Ride, do own my OCs and the plot, don't own the song Sober by Kelly Clarkson, don't own Can I Have a Kiss by Kelly Clarkson, and don't own Wonderwall by Oasis. Yes, I know someone wrote a songfic oneshot for this Wonderwall (I have no clue about Sober and Can I Have a Kiss), but it's just so great for the occasion that I had to use it! And I just feel like making these songs background music instead of them singing/listening to it.
Chapter 9: Save the Ring (A/N I'm sorry this title is so bad!)
Super-great-extra-long-triple-update-time part 3
POV Jake
I TOLD Tali she was good! But she doesn't listen until the crowd's applause tells her she's good. Figures. I mentally rolled my eyes. Whatever, she got to sing and feel confident, she didn't videotape me and Newt singing, and I got to hold her hand and spy with her for a short period of time. Even though it was only a few minutes in the past, it was pretty entertaining! I didn't think I looked like that in a tux, but then again, as a servant, the only mirror you get is the one on the plates when you've scrubbed at them hard enough.
After we finished "All You Wanted", Tali and I caught each others' eyes, and she mouthed "thanks". I could have sworn my little bird-kid heart missed a few beats! I smiled just a little back to her, and it would have been more, but people were watching. After that round of applause, we began "Girlfriend" by Avril Lavigne, and since this song didn't require as much on my part (however, Syd and Shell were working extremely hard with the keyboards and special sounds and voice echoes), I took the chance to observe the audience. There were my parents, trying to avoid the dance floor after thoroughly embarrassing themselves, and there were Iggy and Rina, with Rina dragging Iggy onto the dance floor since it was a peppy song and all. I saw Iggy sneak the engagement ring out of his front pocket and set it on the table next to some martini glasses (which, by the way, didn't have any martinis there, they just looked cool for serving other drinks) so then it wouldn't get loose. And Aunt Nudge and Uncle Gazzy and Aunt Angel were pretty close to those glasses, drinking various juices and goofing off in random ways. Uncle Gazzy's gaze drifted over to the ring, and he gave it a weird look.
Then the strangest thing happened: he took it! Okay, calm down Jake, he's probably just going to give it back to Iggy or something. But Uncle Gazzy just snuck it into his pocket while Aunt Angel and Aunt Nudge were seeing who could drink more. He was stealing it! I could only stand there and watch, pretty much helpless since Newt was concentrating too hard, and he'd probably stop the show and make Uncle Gazzy give the ring back then and there, which was going to call attention. Not the best of plans.
I tried not to let my anxiety show as we played some more songs for the reception. And if anyone noticed that I was sweating, I could always say it was the spotlights and the tux making me hot, not that, oh, I don't know, Newt and Tali weren't going to exist. With the ring gone, Iggy wouldn't be able to propose to Rina, and then their marriage would be delayed (because I knew they weren't going to cancel it), and then maybe the genie government was going to have enough genie kids and they wouldn't need Newt and Tali to be born, so on the off chance that they actually decided to have kids, they'd be like babies when I was ten, and we all know what that means. But why was I just thinking about what was going to happen? I needed to stop it from happening!
Tali signaled for us to stop playing. "Okay guys, now it's time for the best man to make the toast. Iggy?" Here was my chance. I set down the guitar and was off the stage before anyone else. I only had a bit of time before I'd have to go up again, and if I didn't get things right by then, we were all in trouble. I stepped up to Uncle Gazzy, Newt and Tali's faces fresh in my mind, I took a breath, and started.
"Put the ring back." I demanded in a tone only Uncle Gazzy could hear. He paused, then pulled me to a deserted corner.
"Fang told you to say that, right?"
"No."
"Iggy?"
"No."
"Nudge? Angel?"
"No. I saw you snatch it. Put it back."
"No way, I'm keeping it!"
"Put it back. Iggy and Rina need to get married."
"Why would you care?"
"Just trust me on this. There are going to be some very unhappy people if they don't get married."
"Such as?"
"My friends, for one. They've been dying to see it happen." Not exactly right, but I know they'd be mad if one or two of them didn't exist.
"Is Demi going to be upset too?" Uncle Gazzy teased. "I'm sure you won't want HER to be disappointed."
"Yeah, she will, and no, I don't." He just wanted me to admit it, and if I did, it would be a lot less time wasted. "I'm sure Angel and Nudge want this to happen too." I got back on track.
"Whatever, I don't." I cocked a head. "I just don't, okay? I thought it was a big dare, not that they were really going to do it." About now, Iggy was making the toast to Max and Fang. I snuck an eye over to Tali, and she was giving her mom a glass of apple juice in such a fluid motion I could hardly believe it was her. And suddenly, I remembered why this had to happen. She had to be there, to take us back in time and make Zak be somewhat good and practice fighting with Syd and comfort Shell when she had bad dreams and be Newt's conscious. And then there was the fact that she makes me pretty happy. And Newt was my best friend, I couldn't lose him! Uncle Gazzy was going to put that ring down if I had to pry it from his hands. And I only had a few seconds.
"Put. Down. The ring." My voice was hard as steel, and Uncle Gazzy backed down just a bit. I didn't even blink, just like Newt did when he wanted more dessert, and he pulled the ring out of his front pocket and examined it.
"I just wanted my friend back." He messed with the ring a little more and set it on the table. "He hardly wants to blow things up anymore unless Rina's with him. I liked it better when they were just friends."
"He's in love." I informed him. "He'll do that. And I bet you will too. Nudge is a nice girl, and I know you think so." I managed a tiny smile, then turned to leave for the stage. My work was done.
About halfway to the stage, Syd and Shell caught up with me.
"Kyle?" Syd asked.
"Did you just keep Gazzy from stealing the ring?" Shell completed, and I looked down at them. They were on either side of me and looking curious, like did I actually save their somewhat big sister and brother?
"Yeah." I answered.
"But why?" The two asked at the same time.
"Because we all like Dylan and Demi." I tried not to say too much. "But don't say anything to them about it. They'll worry."
"Okay." Syd said for the both of them, and we got to our instruments and began playing, right as Iggy took Rina out the door to propose to her.
POV Shell (A/N there, she's happy, she got a POV! Sadly, Syd's not too pleased)
"Did you just keep Gazzy from stealing the ring?" I finished for Syd. Did Jake really save Newt and Tali from not being born?
"Yeah." He said. I wish he'd go into more detail, and I know Syd felt the same. He was always silent, which is why we liked to tease him so much at home and get him to say more than five words.
"But why?" We asked.
"Because we all like Dylan and Demi. But don't say anything to them about it. They'll worry." Okaaaaay, was he trying to be noble or something?
"Okay." Syd said for the both of us, and I went over to my keyboard. Once we were into the song, Syd caught my eye and mouthed "tell Newt." Oh, right, tell Newt about Jake saving him and Tali! I cocked my head to get her to explain. "He needs to know." Syd mouthed again, but I still didn't follow, so she had to come out and pretend to fix a wire connecting my keyboard to the amps.
"Jake said not to tell, so we tell, and Newt will spread the word." She half-whispered frantically as she pretended to connect and disconnect some circuits, then went backstage to mess with the laptop a bit more. I understood, and tried to reach Newt in my mind.
"Newt…Newt…NEWT!"
"Huh? What? I'm playing here!"
"It's Shell. Guess what Jake did during break?"
"Can it wait?"
"No. See, Uncle Gazzy stole the wedding ring that Iggy was going to use and propose to Rina, but Jake stopped him and saved you and Tali from not being born!"
"Sweet!" Newt almost missed a string, but caught it at the last second. "Do you know exactly what he said or anything?"
"Nope, he only said that he did it because we all like you and Tali and I think he meant he didn't want to lose you guys and then he told us not to tell you because it'd worry you. But Syd and I agreed that we had to tell, and you can spread the word fastest."
"Okay, gimme a sec, I gotta go ask Jake what he said." He cut the connection right as we began another song.
POV Newt
Jake saved me and Tali? Nah, it couldn't be, he was probably just talking with Uncle Gazzy and they noticed the wedding ring and Syd and Shell just misinterpreted it or something. But still, I may as well ask.
"Jake?"
"Yeah?"
"Someone told me you kept Uncle Gazzy from stealing a wedding ring meant for mom, right?"
"Who said?"
"Syd and Shell."
"Figures. I told them not to tell."
"Yeah, well, they did, so did you or did you not?"
"Yeah, I did."
"Hey, thanks man! I owe you big, and so does Tali! In fact, excuse me…"
"No!"
"What, I'm not allowed to tell her that you saved our skins?"
"It's not that big a deal. She doesn't need to know."
"Okay, now you're just crazy. I'll tell her next break, and you can't stop me. Why don't you want her to know, anyways?"
"She just…doesn't need to. I don't want her to know how close she was to not being born. You saw how she freaked when she was going to sing."
"Good point. She turned me into an icicle, did you see that?"
"Yeah, it was pretty weird. What's it like in there?" Oh, right, he wouldn't know because Tali never EVER turned him into a block of ice!
"Well, you can't hear anything, it's really cold, you don't get a lot of air, and the people outside are all blurry and warped. What exactly happened while I was in there?"
"I calmed her down a bit, Zak said to thaw you out, she did, and we dragged her up to the stage."
"You CALMED her? Man, how'd you do that?"
"Just told her we weren't suffering for nothing." But my lie detector was going crazy, and I thought otherwise.
"I think not. What'd you really do?"
"That. Ask anyone, they'll agree with me." Well, he wasn't lying about everyone agreeing, but still…
"She doesn't calm that easily. You did something else."
"I'll tell you later, we're supposed to be concentrating on playing!" Sure enough, I was forgetting to do whole notes, and Syd was working like crazy trying to make it sound natural.
"This isn't over!" I added one more thing and then closed the connection and we played for five more songs. Mom came back with dad, beaming like crazy while dad just looked relieved. I could see the glint of her wedding ring all the way from here, and I knew they were engaged. "Hey guys, guess who's engaged?" I sent everyone a thought, and Tali and Zak just smiled. Me, Jake, Syd, and Shell, though, were thrilled, mainly because they were THIS close to not wearing those rings. Now the Flock was talking to mom and dad, probably asking about the wedding and who could be who, but their happiness was short-lived, because a white dove flew in through a window. A closed window. Only Genie Government doves could do that. The dove flew up and stopped in front of mom, we stopped playing, and EVERYONE looked at mom, wondering what the heck a transparent dove was doing hovering in front of her with a letter with a gold "G" stamped on it. Tali and I looked at each other. Mom got those all the time at home, and we knew what this one contained.
Zak got up from his drums and pulled on my sleeve. "What's it say?" Syd, Shell, and Zak were all around me, and Jake and Tali were just listening from a distance. I looked around and made sure no one but us could hear me, and leaned in.
"This is the one that says Ari 2 was wished free and he's looking for mom and dad." The three of them widened their eyes to look like dinner plates. Now we were officially responsible for our parents' lives, in some way. We never really planned this all out in the first place.
"So what's the plan?" Zak asked Tali, and we all turned to face her. She shrugged.
"Watch over them, make sure no one's going to get hurt, and keep an extra eye on Rina and Iggy since they're most in danger." I knew she just made this up on the spot, but it was about as good as we were going to hear in this environment.
"Anything big happening that we'll have to look out for?" I asked, trying to get more info. Tali closed her eyes and came back a few seconds later.
"A big battle at Rina's parents' house, a fight with Ari 2 on their wedding day, and we might have to blow the secret. And that's just for starters." She warned, and we all groaned. "Everyone pay extra attention to what you say to them! Now come on, we need to get playing, distract some people." Ha, distract people with music, just like those guys on the Titanic. Are we going down with the ship too? Actually, Tali did look like she was going to drown…
"Tali? I know you're singing, but can I have a word?"
"Make it quick." I could have sworn she missed a few notes or something.
"Can't. I'll tell you later tonight, okay?"
"Fine." She agreed and went back to her singing. We played for the entire night, and it was midnight when the party finally stopped and everyone went home and our parents went to bed.
POV Tali
"Okay guys, it's been a big night, but now it's time for bed." I herded up the little kids after hours of playing through the night. Poor kids, having to stay up so late after being woken up so early. Zak hid his yawn.
"But can't I eat something from the buffet so I can say I had dinner?" He moaned, watching the late-night servants clean up the party and emptying the tubs full of food.
"Sorry, kiddo, that's what breakfast is for." I ruffled his hair and he almost fell down, so I picked him up and we all headed for the door. Zak didn't object to being carried, and he drifted off to sleep in my arms. That's what I call tired! Syd and Shell weren't looking so bright and cheery either, so Newt ended up carrying Shell and Jake picked up Syd. We were almost to our attic (and my arms were about to fall off) when Katie and James caught us.
"Oh hey! We didn't think you'd be playing this late." Katie greeted us. How the hell can she look so bright and cheery at this time of night? Sorry, that was crabbiness. I mustered up a smile.
"Well, it was a pretty big party, and these guys are beat from it." I lifted Zak up a bit more so he wasn't drooping, and he found a spot for his head on my shoulder.
"Aww, poor guys." Katie sympathized.
"Well, we have to go clean up, so we'll see you later, I suppose." James told us, and we took the hint and headed up the stairs. I set Zak down on the big bed, and he just snuggled up under the blankets. Newt and Jake deposited Syd and Shell in the bunk beds, I mouthed "thanks", and headed for my couch, but Newt stopped me.
"Remember, we need to talk?" Jake looked at us, most likely confused. Newt sent him a thought.
"No, let's not tell her, just go to bed." Jake tried to tell Newt.
"Tell me what?" I asked both of them.
"See? She needs to know. C'mon, Tali, let's walk." Newt took me by the arm and guided me out the door.
"Where are you taking me?" I demanded with as much energy as one can have at one in the morning.
"Gardens. It's a nice place to break news to people." Newt retorted, and I followed in silence as we headed to the flower patch. Once we had a seat on a cement wall, Newt spoke.
"I know you're freaked about what's coming up." He started.
"You can say that again." I uttered.
"Well I just wanted to let you know, things could be worse."
"I knew that." I corrected. "There's all sorts of things that could go wrong, and there's still a chance they could happen if we don't do things right!"
"Okay, now you're just freaking yourself out." Newt laughed softly. "What I mean is, we, as in you and I, came so close to not existing today."
"How?" I dared him to tell me, still worrying about everything.
"Well you know how mom dragged dad onto the dance floor and dad put the ring on the table so it wouldn't wiggle out of his pocket and ruin the surprise, right?" Newt checked, and I nodded. "Thing is, Uncle Gazzy stole the wedding ring. He missed having dad as a friend and blowing stuff up, just the two of them, so he thought that if he stole the wedding ring, mom and dad wouldn't marry and dad would be Uncle Gazzy's friend again. And this would mean that we wouldn't be born, and even if we were, we'd be like babies and Jake would probably have to lead the group and we might not even go to the past and make everything happen."
"Uncle Gazzy did that?" I gaped. He and dad were so close at home, and he liked mom too! How could he even think of trying that?
"Yeah, he did, just today."
"But…how do we still exist then?"
Newt got a gleam in his eyes. "That's my favorite part. See, Jake saw Uncle Gazzy taking the ring and when dad was making the toast and you were talking with mom, Jake was convincing Uncle Gazzy to put the ring back. I don't know the details, but-"
"Well why didn't you ask earlier?" I interrupted. "Connect me to your mind please?" He obliged, and I connected the both of us to this evening, when dad was giving the toast. The camera in my mind's eye pointed to Jake, who was setting his guitar down and marching to Uncle Gazzy before the rest of us could even look.
When the vision was done and Jake had saved us, I blinked and Newt and I came back to the real world. Newt was smiling, still glad that he was saved, and I had mixed feelings. Jake didn't want me to be disappointed? Maybe he was just saying it so he could speed things up? And why didn't he tell us? Did he look at me for a reason? And why did he save us anyways? Was it just for his sisters so I'd be around to help them? Or did he want Newt around to skateboard with? Or was it some personal reason? Suddenly our kiss came back to my mind. No, it wasn't going to be that reason, I knew that.
"You know it might be." Right, Newt was still here. I turned and gave him a sour look.
"Nice try, sicko. Don't get your hopes up, we only kissed because he was making me feel better."
"Right. You keep thinking that." Newt rolled his eyes.
"Back to the actual subject, how did you get to know about this?" I attempted to get his mind off the inevitable.
"Syd and Shell saw him do it, they told me, I checked with him to see if it was true, and I told you."
"So Zak doesn't know?"
"Nope. But I can make him…"
"No, no, he doesn't need to know."
"My god, Tali, you're just as weird as Jake!"
"What? He doesn't need to worry about how things can change. I don't want him to worry."
"Whatever. The kid's gotta grow up sometime. And so should you, and then you can see exactly why Jake saved us."
"It's because they'd all miss us, right?"
"Kinda."
"Because HE'D miss us?"
"Close."
"He'd miss you?"
"Who's the other person in 'us'?"
"He'd miss me?"
"Now what exactly would he miss about you?"
"He'd miss my…leadership?"
"No, but that's part of it."
"Singing voice?"
"Sorta. Why did he make you sing?"
"Because he likes it?"
"No, not exactly. He likes something else."
"Okay, Newt, you're losing me. What are you trying to say?"
"Tali, he loves you! He'd miss you so much, that is, if he even remembered you, depending on what would have happened, so he had to keep from losing the one person who really matters in his life!"
"STOP trying to tell me that! He doesn't love me, he doesn't even like me as more than a friend!"
"Stop kidding around, what did you think that kiss was for?"
"He was making me feel better!"
"Oh sure, because a guy who thinks you're just a friend is going to give you a complete kiss on the lips just because you were a little upset."
"Exactly!"
"Tali, I was being sarcastic. It wasn't just because you were sad, he hates seeing you when you're crying and whatever he thought at the time, it made him want to kiss you, and he did!"
"Look, Newt, I'm getting so sick of this stupid conversation! We've been through so much, I've known him since I was born, and if there's any part of him that liked me, it would have died a long time ago. Some other girl's probably caught his eye by now, and I swear it isn't me. Nice try, but you've already told me what happened, so go back to bed. I'm going to stay out here a bit more." I dismissed Newt, and he looked a little short of crestfallen, since his little game was ruined.
"But Tali-"
"Good NIGHT, Newt." I leaned on the back of the wall and stared at the sky, refusing to look Newt in the eyes. He finally sighed, hopped off the cement wall, and walked away. But before he turned a corner, he faced me one more time.
"Just think about it, okay?" He requested, and before I could tell him that I could think about anything I wanted, he left me sitting alone. All the wedding decorations had long since been cleared away and it was two in the morning, so there was no one to keep me from staying out and gazing at the stars.
As I was staring up into space, I thought. Sad to say, it was about what Newt and I had talked about, which was exactly what he wanted me to do. It didn't seem like he was controlling me, but I just couldn't get the topic out of my mind. I'd thought about it so many times I lost count, and every time it confused me. Jake was an amazing guy, really, and any girl would be lucky to have him as a friend, but would anyone be lucky enough to have him as…more? I just couldn't imagine Jake as a boyfriend. I couldn't see him as anything more than a guy who I shared an attic with, to be honest, and I just wanted to forget all this and lose myself in the vast sky, but the thought wasn't through with me.
"I don't know.
This could break my heart or save me.
Nothing's real until you let go completely.
So here I go with all my thoughts
I've been saving.
So here I go with all my feelings
Waiting on me.
Three months and I'm still sober.
Picked all my weeds but kept the flowers
But I know it's never really over.
I don't know.
I could crash and burn but maybe
At the end of this road I might catch a glimpse of me.
So I won't worry about my timing. I want to get it right.
No comparing, second-guessing, no, not this time.
Three months and I'm still breathing
And a long road since those hands I left my tears in
But I know it's never really over, no…
Why?
Ah, three months and I'm still standing here.
Three months and I'm getting better.
Three months and I still am.
Three months and it's still harder now.
Three months I'm living here without you now
Three months, yeah, three months,
Three months and I'm still breathing.
Three months and I still remember it.
Three months, oh wake up.
Three months and I'm still sober.
Picked all my weeds but kept the flowers."
Why was this so hard? Why couldn't I see what was happening with me and Jake? I guess the first step was to figure out how I felt about him. And I never thought I'd admit it, but…I love him. Just that one little wedding ring that he saved made me realize how much I loved him, deep down inside. No one would ever do that for me! And according to Newt, he did it ONLY for me. And the kiss…now that I knew I loved him, I could admit that it was amazing! I was only afraid that he wouldn't love me back. We're barely teens, and most people don't find love until adulthood. Could I even wait that long? And who said he was going to love me back? Newt couldn't really mean it, unless he took me into Jake's mind personally and got him to think something that would prove it to me. And Newt wouldn't do that anytime soon.
"Hey." A voice behind me spoke. Was that who I thought he was? Sure enough, when I sat on my elbow and saw who it was, Jake was staring downhill at me. And now that I knew I loved him, I saw him in a new light (no pun intended, since it was pretty dark). His silky black hair, his ice-blue eyes…I just wanted to look at them forever, and I don't care if that sounded corny!
"What's with the grin?" Oh, right, he was actually alive and not a sculpture. My bad.
"I'm grinning? Oh, sorry." I apologized, and Jake walked downhill and laid down next to me.
"Let me guess. Three a.m delirium?" He offered, and I smiled and shook my head.
"No, I'm just not sure." Jeez, you act so differently when you feel so strongly about someone! Man I hope he didn't notice anything else.
"So why are you out this early?" Jake asked.
"I don't know. I just wanted to think, is all." I shrugged.
"Well from what Newt told me, he brought up some topic that made you mad and you made him leave."
"Yeah. He told me how you saved us from not existing, which, by the way, I was wondering."
"Hm?"
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I dunno. Just didn't want you to worry, I guess. You do it enough already."
"True. But you can't really blame me now, can you?"
"So what made you mad?" Jake could tell I was getting worked up just talking about worrying.
"Well, Newt and I were talking about what you did for us, and then he mentioned something about why you did save us, and- what?" I could feel his fist forming from here.
"Nothing, go on."
"You're frustrated with that too, huh?"
Jake sighed and his fist released. "Yeah. I don't see why he'd care."
"I know, that's what made me make him leave. He kept trying to tell me that you did it because you…really liked me."
"I'll bet he said I loved you."
"Hehe, yeah, he did." I laughed awkwardly. Did this mean he really did love me? We both stared into the sky to avoid the topic.
"Today is gonna be the day that they're gonna throw it back to you.
By now you should have somehow realized what you're gonna do.
I don't believe that anybody feels the way I do about you now.
Back beat, the word is on the street that the fire in your heart is out.
I'm sure you heard it all before but you never really had a doubt.
I don't believe that anybody feels the way I do about you now.
And all the roads we have to walk are winding
And all the lights that lead us there are winding.
There are many things that I would like to say to you
But I don't know how
Because maybe
You're gonna be the one that saves me.
And after all
You're my wonderwall.
Today was gonna be the day but they'll never throw it back to you.
By now you should have somehow realized what you're not to do.
I don't believe that anybody feels the way I do about you now.
And all the roads that lead you there were winding
And all the lights that light the way are blinding.
There are many things that I would like to say to you
But I don't know how.
I said maybe
You're gonna be the one that saves me.
And after all
You're my wonderwall.
I said maybe
You're gonna be the one that saves me.
And after all
You're my wonderwall.
I said maybe
You're gonna be the one that saves me.
You're gonna be the one that saves me.
You're gonna be the one that saves me."
"Jake?" That little voice deep down inside me kept gnawing in my ear, telling to me to ask, and once I gathered the courage, I began.
"Hm?"
"You know how Newt said you love me?"
"Yeah?" I knew that he knew this was going to be an embarrassing question.
"Well, this is going to sound really weird, and I'm just doing this to prove Newt right or wrong, but…do you?" There was a pause after that. I knew Jake was chewing this over, trying to think of exactly the right answer to give me. I waited, bursting from the seams due to anxiety. Finally, he responded.
"Maybe. I never really worked it out, but considering what I just did tonight…well, do you love me?" Great, JUST the answer I wanted to hear. And if you noticed the sarcasm in that, you get a brownie.
"You say first." I dared. I wasn't saying until he said he loved me too!
"You."
"I asked you first."
"I asked you second."
"First is better."
"I want to know more."
"No, I do."
"Ladies first."
"Respect the lady and answer her question."
"Why don't you want to answer?" By now Jake was sitting up, and I soon rose up to match his level.
"Why don't you want to answer?"
"Because-" And I swear I was driven insane by that point, because I just HAD to swoop in and give him a kiss on the lips. Oh my god, welcome back to paradise, Tali! He kissed back, but not too fiercely like he was afraid he was going to shatter me into pieces, and this time we didn't separate until I was about to faint for lack of air. Jake and I broke apart at the exact same time and gasped for air until we were both breathing at a good pace and my little bird-kid heart stopped fluttering at a hundred miles an hour.
"So what's your conclusion?" I asked him. My subconscious is a genius! Kiss him so then he can see if he loves me or not, brilliant! Why didn't I think of that?
Jake opened his mouth, ready to answer, then closed it again, still mulling things over. I waited patiently, although I was dying for more, since being so sudden might freak him out. After a few minutes, I got an answer.
"I loved it." Jake admitted in a fast whisper, then looked away, embarrassed. That was so adorable, he thought it was embarrassing to like a kiss! I gave the smallest of laughs, which only made him turn further from me. So I reached out and touched his cheek.
"No, I didn't laugh for the reason you think. You'll never believe this, but I loved it too." Jake perked up just a little, and rotated to face me again. I saw how pleased he was, all the hope in his eyes and the smile on his face, and it just made me smile all the more. But at the same time, my cheeks were red like fire. Was this really happening? Was I really admitting all this to my best friend?
"And you know what?" Jake went on. "I don't just love the kiss."
"Well what do you love then?" I don't know HOW in the universe I sounded so innocent and clueless when I was just going for curiosity, but it helped Jake gather some courage to answer.
"I love you." And there we go, the magic words that had the ability to make my heart overflow. He said it!
"I love you too." I told him. "And it wasn't until a few minutes ago that I figured it out." This time we were both prepared when Jake kissed me, and we both got a blast out of it. When we finally finished, I placed my head on his chest, he put his hand in my hair, and we lay on the slope watching the stars.
"Excuse me for this,
I just want a kiss.
I just want to know what it feels like to touch
Something so pure,
Something I'm so sure of,
What it feels like to stand outside your door.
I'm unworthy,
I can see you're above me,
But I can be lovely,
Given the chance.
Don't move.
I wanna remember you just like this.
Don't move.
It's only a breath or two between our lips.
I know why you left.
I can't blame you myself.
Must be hard living with ghosts and such an empty shell.
I tried to warn you,
I've been a mess since you've known me.
I can't promise forever
But I'm working on it.
If I can't hold you,
Can I give you a kiss?
Can I have a kiss?
I see that you're torn.
I've got some scars of my own.
Seems I want what I know is gonna make me hungry.
Don't move.
I need to remember you just like this.
I know why you left.
I can't blame you myself.
Must be hard living with ghosts and such an empty shell.
I tried to warn you,
I've been a mess since you've known me.
I can't promise forever
But I'm working on it.
If I can't hold you,
Can I give you a kiss?
Can I have a kiss?
All I have,
All I can give to you I will.
Just promise this.
If I can't have forever,
Can I have a kiss?
I know why you left.
I can't blame you myself.
Must be hard living with ghosts and such an empty shell.
I tried to warn you,
I've been a mess since you've known me.
I can't promise forever
But I'm working on it.
If I can't hold you,
Can I give you a kiss?
Can I give you a kiss?
Can I, can I,
Can I have a kiss?"
I knew dawn would break any moment now, and the halls would be filled with people coming to and from their chores. The kids would have to wake up soon. I stayed up all night with Jake!
"Jake, the sunrise will be soon. Maybe we should head back up to the mansion?" I suggested, and he nodded sleepily. "Are you going to make it without any sleep?"
"Sure." He nodded. "I've done it before." We both got up and stretched, ready to get back up there and wake everyone up.
"Jake?"
"Hm?"
"What are we going to tell everyone?" That was going to be a technical difficulty.
"I dunno…did we say we were together?"
I sucked in a breath. "Okay, here's the thing. I'm sure everyone would be either thrilled or weirded out, but us being together…it might be bad. I mean, what if Newt felt something like Uncle Gazzy felt? Not that he would, but on the off chance that he does…well, some feelings would be hurt. And what if something were to happen to one of us during the battles? We'd never be able to be strong for the rest of the guys. And maybe we'd be too-"
"Tali, those are all pretty big 'ifs'." Jake held onto my shoulders, trying to calm me down. "But if it makes you feel better, we can just pretend this whole thing never happened. You know, hide our feelings like always and then everything stayed normal, we're concentrated, and no one gets hurt. Sound good?" Well, that was quite a speech for Jake.
"Sounds good." I nodded quietly. "But we're going to have to try really, REALLY hard to keep this out of our minds. You know that, right?"
"Yeah." He agreed. "So friends?"
"Friends." I smiled thankfully, and we headed up the hill right as the rays of dawn splashed across the field.
I know half of that was just rambling and pointless Jali, but it was at least somewhat entertaining to read, right? REVIEW PLEASE!
