"Flashlight" by Hailee Steinfield

REWRITE

Bree, Jay, Holly- 17 ½

This is How I See You

Bree's pencil stilled as she reached across her desk for her phone, barely managing to reach the bottom of the device with her fingertips. "Come on! Get over here!" She reached farther and slipped, pressing the answer button on her phone and crashing to the floor. "Ow! Ugh, Hello?!" It took her a few tries before she managed to heave herself back onto her chair and groan with dismay, seeing the large streak across her perfect set of lyrics. Quickly setting the phone on speaker she got to work erasing the streak without ruining her lyrics.

"Hey Bree," Holly's voice filtered through the device, "Is Jay there?"

"Nope! He left over an hour ago, something wrong?" Bree asked, rewriting the ruined lines and ruining them again as her pencil clattered out of her hand at Holly's next words.

"He's not here," Holly said, worry lacing her tone, "He isn't answering his phone either."

"Are you sure? Never mind, I'm sure you're sure. I'll go look for him, he can't be too far away. Gotta go Holly, I'll bring Jay with me." Bree said, ending the call and heaving herself into her wheelchair before taking off out of her room, down the hall, and speeding down the ramp covered stairs. 'Are you still upset Jay?' She wondered as she darted out of her house, pushing the wheels of her chair as fast as she could, 'I bet you're still upset about Hadara and Jackson… where would you be?… I'm an idiot.' She stopped dead in her tracks and turned around, starting towards the woods, 'You always go into the woods where nobody would follow you. Or so you thought.'

After struggling through the rough terrain and low hanging branches Bree reached a clearing where she found her best friend sitting stiffly on the green grass, fingers plucking the thin blades, shoulders hunched. 'Oh Jay…' She thought, feeling an overwhelming amount of concern and empathy for her friend as she looked at his defeated looking form. 'Everyone forgets you have feelings behind that grumpy wall, they forget your just like we are…' Quietly rolling over to him she eased herself out of the chair and to the ground, managing to sit next to him with her legs stretched out in front of her, "Jay? Are you okay?" She quietly asked him, amber eyes concerned and worried.

"Course I'm okay." He grunted, "I'm fine."

"Please don't lie to me," She pleaded with him, "I don't want to fight, I just want my friend happy again." She cautiously put one hand on his upper arm, "Tell me what's wrong Jay."

"I'm fine Bree." He grunted, shrugging off her hand, "What makes you think I'm not okay?"

"Your defeated body language, miserable attitude, and it shows in your eyes, you look tormented and miserable." She replied with gentle bluntness, making sure not to sugar coat it for her temperamental friend.

He stiffened and looked about to lash out at her before the teen sighed and hunched his shoulders some more, "Alright fine, you're right. As usual. I'm not okay." He relented, blind blue eyes gazing blankly in front of him.

"Are you still upset about Hadara and Jackson?" She asked carefully, leaning forward on her arms so she could see his face, "it wasn't your fault it fell apart."

Jay's hands clenched around fistfuls of the green grass, "yes it was, if I had paid more attention to her then she wouldn't have left me for the guy who supposedly could be my identical twin and even acts similar to I do."

"You don't look like Jackson," Bree told him quietly, speaking like she always did, speaking what she believed was true. "Jackson looks almost stretched height wise, he looks a bit disproportionate, the gray in his hair is a lot less and is darker, almost like he dyed it, his eyes are a different shade of blue than your clear sky blue ones, his doesn't have the faint light gray flecks your eyes have, he has a boxy jaw, more like your brother and isn't built like the twig my best friend is." She smiled, affectionately bumping her shoulder against his. "Jackson's less sarcastic and more boring and obnoxious, you aren't like Jackson."

"I can't tell if that's a good thing or a bad thing." He grunted bitterly, "Those differences everyone else seems to prefer."

"I don't." Bree admitted and Jay stiffened in surprise, but the amber eyed girl wasn't looking at him, she was gazing quietly at the trees in front of them, "I like your grumpy attitude, it's different from everyone else's, your sarcasm is hilarious, always makes me laugh, the gray in your hair is probably from sticking around me all the time so I don't mind it, it makes you more unique and special. Just because you can't look in a mirror and see yourself doesn't mean I can't see you. I see a guy who's sometimes really lonely with issues of being bullied and has beautiful blue eyes that express his annoyance or amusement at either my attitude or Brendon's arrogance. He's the perfect height for my sorry butt being stuck in a wheelchair all the time and I don't have to look up awkwardly to see his face; he's grumpy like a storm cloud with a wit like lightning to defend himself and make everyone else laugh themselves silly. I see someone who may be skinny but is stronger than he looks and has black hair that repeatedly gets in his eyes every day and because of that I have an excuse to push it out of the way so I can see see the freckles lining his nose and under his blue eyes."

She looked over at him with a gentle smile that she knew he couldn't see, "I can see you Jay, and that's what really matters if Hadara can't see who you really are then it's her fault, not yours. You shouldn't have to change to make someone else happy, they should be happy with the person you are." She reached over and placed one hand against where his heart was, "If I'm the only one who can see the secretly lonely and cuddly teddy bear with many defenses then so be it, I'll help the rest of the world see the real person you are." Her amber eyes searched his blue ones, "The relationship falling apart wasn't your fault, it never was and it never will be. Hadara couldn't see what I can see in you, that's why it failed, not because you weren't good enough but because she couldn't completely see you."

Jay turned his head towards her direction, feeling shocked and surprised at the way she described him to himself, but in the way she saw him. "That's really how you see… me?" He asked quietly, unsure if that's really what she saw or she was joking with him.

"Yes, that's exactly how I see you." Bree smiled at him. She looked up at the sky, noticing the sky starting to change colors. "The sun's setting." She commented, moving her arm back to her side.

"Really? I can totally see that." He drawled, rolling his blue eyes and making her giggle before she softly cleared her throat and started singing as inspiration hit her, using the tiny bit of non-ruined lyrics from earlier she started throwing other parts in to create a song.

"When tomorrow comes
I'll be on my own
Feeling frightened of
The things that I don't know
When tomorrow comes
Tomorrow comes
When Tomorrow comes

And though the road is long
I look up to the sky
Darkness all around, no hope that I could fly
Then I sing along, I sing along, then I sing along," She sang strongly, leaning back on her arms, closing her eyes and tilting her head up slightly. Jay listened to her song, keeping completely quiet as she sang, looking for the hidden meaning inside.

"I got all I need when I got you and I

'Cause I look around me, and see a sweet life!
I'm stuck in the dark but you're my flashlight,
You're getting me, getting me, through the night!
Kick start my heart when you shine it in my eyes
Can't lie, it's a sweet life,
Stuck in the dark but you're my flashlight!
You're getting me, getting me, through the night!
You're my flashlight!
You're my flashlight!

You're my flashlight!
Ooh…" She sang, not noticing Jay's intent listening as he leaned back on his arms as well, blind blue eyes focused on her face, even if he couldn't see her.

"I see the shadows long beneath the mountain top
But I'm not afraid when the rain won't stop.

'Cause you light the way,
You light the way,
You light the way,

I got all I need when I got you and I
I look around me, and see a sweet life
I'm stuck in the dark but you're my flashlight
You're getting me, getting me, through the night
Kick start my heart when you shine it in my eyes,
Can't lie, it's a sweet life!

Stuck in the dark but you're my flashlight,
You're getting me, getting me, through the night!
Light, light, light, you're my flashlight
Light, light, light and you can't deny

With you it's a sweet life, life, life" Bree sang, opening her eyes with a start when Jay moved closer to her, silently offering her his shoulder. With a smile he couldn't see, she kept singing but turned slightly and shifted closer to him.

"I got all I need when I got you and I
I look around me, and see a sweet life
I'm stuck in the dark but you're my flashlight!
You're getting me, getting me, through the night!
Kick start my heart when you shine it in my eyes
Can't lie, it's a sweet life!
Stuck in the dark but you're my flashlight!
You're getting me, getting me through the night,
You're my flashlight!
You're my flashlight!
You're my flashlight!

Ooh" As she started singing the last part she laid her head on his shoulder, amber eyes fixed on the orange, yellows, and pinks of the setting sun peeking through the many trees.

"You're my flashlight,
You're my flashlight,
You're my flashlight ooh." She finished and Jay discreetly tilted his head to be resting on top of hers. Remembering about Holly being worried about her brother she silently texted the other girl. *Jay's with me, I'll bring him home after he feels better.* She then turned off the device and tucked it back into her pocket, content to stay in the position she was in forever. Her amber eyes slid half way closed from contentment and she could feel Jay's vocal cords vibrating as he spoke.

"Thank you." He murmured quietly.

"I'm always there for you Jay." She promised in a quiet voice, looking up at him.

"I know," He responded, surprising her by taking one of her hands and lacing their fingers in a thankful sort of way. Bree returned the gentle grip, wishing she could stay like this forever, Jay showing affection for her alone and quietly sitting there temporarily dis-attached from all the crazy drama they went through.

Character Emails (all are gmail accounts)

Caylee and any other side character – youngcrazyteenageauthor

Cynthia – athleticsapphiresinger

Leon – athleticgoldenboy

Bree – cheerfulcuriosity

Jay – perfectgrumpytone

Holly – emeraldintelligencequeen

Fini – gingerandwhiteteenager

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