"Hi… I know it's been a really long time. I heard, you know, about your dad. … I just wanted to say, I hope everything's okay. If I can help at all, let me know, okay? …. Okay. Uh. Yeah. Bye."

Alone in her room, Jade replayed Carly's voice mail one last time to herself after deleting her number from Drake's recent call list. She stretched out on her bed, too awake to sleep. She took a long drink of cold water from the water bottle she kept by her bed.

Message deleted.

X

Rummaging through his jacket pockets, Drake emerged into the kitchen. He rifled through drawers, checked the fridge, the freezer… anything that could hold a phone. The noise eventually drew Jade's attention as she got ready for work. "What are you doing?"

"I can't find my phone." He said shortly. "Aren't you supposed to be moved out?"

So buying Drake a drink hadn't paid off with more time, after all. "I'm working on it. I have a place I'm checking out today." A lie, but maybe it would prove true. She could pass something on the way home. "I'll be out of your hair in no time, don't worry."

"Whatever, just make it fast." Drake lifted the still-open bag of bread that he had snacked on the previous day. "What on earth…"

"How's your head?" Jade asked, making herself a nice, piping hot pot of coffee.

"Better, thanks."

"What are you doing?"

"I lost my phone last night. I was hoping it was here, but I guess it's still at the bar we went to last night." Drake opened the cabinet doors, thinking maybe his phone was waiting for him on a shelf. "Unless I dropped it in a bowl of soup, or something…"

"Go check the bar." Jade suggested. "You had it with you last night. It's not here, unless you lost it after we got back."

"That's what I'm thinking happened." Drake tossed his hair with a swish of his head. "Okay. Whatever. I have to go. I guess I'll see you later, if apartment hunting doesn't go well."

Jade merely lifted her hand in a good bye gesture as he left. Her coffee tasted better than replying to Drake would have.

X

Jade dropped Drake's phone in the mailbox on her way out, figuring he'd find it eventually. She had absolutely no intention of checking out a new apartment on the way home. After filming had wrapped for the day, Jade headed to her second job. She had taken a new gig on, something small and on the side. She had found a coffee shop tucked away in a corner of town that had been hiring live music. Armed with her killer voice and acoustic guitar, she had the exact kind of style the place had been looking for. Jade kept it her little secret. It was a private place to perform, to lose herself in music. Occasionally, she paired her voice with a piano, but mainly, she stuck to her guitar.

Saturday nights found her there regularly, unless filming had her in demand first. She had picked up tonight as an extra night, partially for the money, partially to keep her out until Drake crashed out. Her plan was to avoid him as long as possible, staying out until he fell asleep, and leaving before he woke up in the morning. It was a plan, but it was a flimsy plan. She'd only need it until she came up with a better one. Once he cooled off, things would be fine.

After performing her cover of 'Two Black Cadillacs', she opted for a ten minute break. Taking a seat at the edge of the coffee bar, she ordered her usual. When the mug of steaming black coffee arrived, she wrapped her hands around it protectively. Drinking in the scent long before she tasted it, she sighed contentedly. This kind of gig was her relaxation.

Her break passed uneventfully. Jade returned to the stage, belting out her best notes as she covered 'One and Only' on the piano before gifting the audience with one of her original songs. The lights were low as the customers sat back, enjoying her sound. Some bobbed along with the music, others held quiet conversations. The door to the shop opened, slightly distracting Jade, but the professional in her kept her focus going strong. A man stopped dead in his tracks before he even reached the counter. She saw the figure move as he took a seat in the front row, sitting with rapt attention. Captivated by the spell her song was weaving, he sat motionless. Jade couldn't quite see his face. She decided to return to her art. A customer was a customer, after all. It wasn't her problem that he stared at her like she was the first singer he had ever seen live.

At the very end of her set, the lights came back up as the radio kicked back on. The owner prepared to close the store. The man in the front rose to his feet, cheering and clapping excitedly. The other customers snickered at his enthusiasm, but Jade welcomed it. She had recognized him the moment she saw his face.

After she took her bow for the night, she strode over to her old friend. "Andre Harris."

"Jade West." Andre went in for a hug. He wrapped his arms around her warmly as Jade awkwardly returned the gesture. "Man, I'd know your voice anywhere. How've you been?"

"Interesting, and you?" Her smile spread. Hollywood Arts had been filled with pretty despicable people. Jade had hated basically everyone, except for Beck, obviously. She had tolerated Cat, mainly because she was more like a pet than a person. But Andre? Even Jade hadn't had anything terrible to say about him. He was the only person in their old group she didn't deny as a friend. "How've you been?"

"Pretty good, pretty good! I've missed you, Jade! So good to see you."

She chuckled. "You sure about that?"

"Would I say it if it wasn't true? Come on, this place is closing. Let's go catch up."

"Yeah." Jade nodded. "Okay, let's go. Just let me get my guitar."

X

The pair found another coffee bar, open later into the night. Jade ordered decaf black. Andre was satisfied with a scone. They settled into a small table in the back, by the window. Watching the city fall asleep was slightly enchanting. Lights clicked on, others clicked off, and the stream of people slowed to a scattered soul every now and then. As the world got quiet, and the clock climbed higher, Jade and Andre traded stories about where they'd been since the last time they had seen eachother.

"What was it, just after graduation?" Andre asked, reclining comfortably in his chair. "I think it was that party at Tori's house. Man. I can't believe it's been that long."

"It hasn't felt like that much time passed." Jade mused, sipping her coffee. "I mean, college made time go fast, and now, here we are. What brought you here, anyway?"

"I'm on a vacation." Andre said proudly. "I sold a couple songs to a major record company, and I took part of my pay to get away for a bit. I'm still livin' with my grandma, you know, just because she needs someone there. That poor lady. There's not a day I don't wake up to- 'Andre! There's a snake in the backyard!' 'It's the hose, Grandma.' 'Andre! There's an iceberg in my kitchen!' 'Fridge!' 'Andre! Why is there music playing in my living room?' 'Phone, Grandma!' I love her, but she's a lot."

"You're doing a good thing." The stories brought a smile to Jade's lips. Andre's grandmother was truly one of a kind. Jade had to confess that she enjoyed the woman's …creative way of looking at life. On occasion. But, she knew she'd scream if she had to be stuck with her for more than five minutes.

"Yeah, but what about you? You've caught me up on the then, but I want to know about the now. What's the great Jade West up to these days? You still with Beck?"

"Um, yes. Of course." As if that would ever change. The pair had been together since early on in their high school years. Jade never said it out loud, but some part of her knew she was going to marry that boy. Someday. Far away, probably. She couldn't picture herself married, but she knew if she ever decided to, the only one for her was Beck Oliver. "He's got some fancy program for his own college. He's almost done, but the distance and wait are killing me." She explained about the strictness of the school's program, hence why she wasn't living with him. "I'm not going to be the reason he gets kicked out of school."

"So you're expecting him to get kicked out, as long as you're not the reason?" Chuckling at his own joke, Andre took another bite of his scone. "Seems fair to me."

"Stop it. He's acing it. When he's done, well, then things are going to be good. Until then, I take it day by day. No differently than usual."

"True."

"How's your vacation been so far?"

"Nice. I'm leaving tomorrow, but I'm glad I got to run into you."

"Yeah. It was nice catching up."

"And how's your acting?" Andre lit up as he remembered Jade's fondness for twisted storylines and memorable, yet usually disturbed, characters.

Now it was Jade's turn to light up. "I got to play my own ghost."

"Awesome!" Andre raised his hand for a high five. Jade eyed it once, shaking her head. He left his hand hanging, egging her on with a wide smile. She finally caved, rolling her eyes and delivering a very halfhearted high five.

"Highlight of my year. I've had a few other projects, but nothing as fun as that. And you know my secret side gig now, so I'm going to have to kill you."

Andre laughed as he chewed his scone. "Yeah. Okay." Jade's serious look didn't change. She merely smiled wryly in a chilling curl of her lips. "Wait. Really?"

"Nah. You're not that high on my list."

"Who's obituary should I look out for?"

"No one. Just eat your scone."

"Are you … okay, Jade?"

"I'm fine."

"You sure?"

"I said, I'm fine." Her eyes grew as cool as her voice. She picked up her coffee, taking a deliberately long swig so she wouldn't have to deal with Andre's questions. "It's getting late, so –"

"Uh, no." Andre shook his head. "It's not going to kill you to open up to someone for once in your life."

"Well, you don't know that." Jade snapped, her mood sour. "So quit asking."

"Fine." He held up his hands to surrender. "Sorry."

Jade sighed, stress evident in her face. She tangled a hand in her long locks, messing with the pieces in her fingers. "I screwed up, okay?"

Andre was silent, unsure of where this conversation was going. He was smart enough not to open his mouth and risk his own head in the process.

"I got kicked out."

Andre raised his eyebrows.

"I pissed off my roommate."

He tilted his head, studying her with an arched brow, as if to ask, 'Now, how could that be possible?'

"I hate people. Especially stupid ones. They're funny, and good for entertainment, but not so good to live with. So… I said some things. A lot of things."

Andre listened.

"Since… pretty much since the day I moved in." Jade's tone was heavy. She avoided meeting her friend's eyes as she swallowed a bit more of her coffee. "Honestly, I'm kind of surprised he didn't kick me out sooner."

"He?" Andre couldn't help interjecting. "Beck doesn't care that you're living with another guy?"

"Don't be an idiot." Jade countered. "Nothing would ever happen with him. He's disgusting. Guess he got tired of hearing me remind him of how flawed he is, because now I have to get a new place to live as soon as possible."

Andre gave a low whistle. "Man, Jade…"

"I'm looking for a place, sort of. Not really. I'm more pissed that he thinks he can throw me out in the first place. He can't make rent without me. That's why he was looking for a roommate in the first place."

Andre's brows furrowed. "Who is he? Anyone I know?"

"Drkprkr." Muttered Jade through gritted teeth.

"What?"

"Drake Parker!"

"Okay, okay! Don't scream at me." When it clicked, Andre's eyes doubled in size. "The Drake Parker?"

"Are you deaf, or just dumb?"

"Easy!" Andre glared back at Jade. "I think I can help you."

Silent, Jade stared at him with a blank expression.

Confident, Andre sat back, cracking his knuckles as he grinned. "Oh yeah. Let good old Andre help you out. I've got this."

"Wait, wait." Jade's hand flitted through the air as she cut him off. "How do you know who Drake is, anyway?"

Sheepishly, Andre grinned. "I may have had a copy of his album." Jade's scowl drew him to explain. "It wasn't my favorite music, but it had great lyrics and good rhythm. You can't fault a man who has good rhythm."

"Awesome. Now tell me how this helps me."

Andre only smiled. "Two things. One, stop being a jerk to this guy. It'll help smooth things over."

"Not possible. Option two?"

"Why not?"

Jade shrugged. "He's a washed up rock star with no real talent. Like Trina, except not so screechy." Jade wrinkled her nose at the thought of Tori's sister. "Okay. Maybe not like Trina. But pretty bad. In fact, if they got together, they'd have the most untalented child in existence."

"Jade."

Andre's voice was gentle. He leaned forward, resting on his elbows as he looked at her from across the table. Jade gave him a glance. His expression shocked her. It was one she usually only saw on Beck, when things weren't so great for one of them. It stilled her, just for a moment. Was Andre actually worried about her?

"Does it really matter what you think of the guy's talent? If you don't make peace with him, you're going to end up on the street." Andre pointed out, reminding Jade of the harsh truth. Still, she crossed her arms over her chest defiantly.

"I like the street."

"No one likes the street, Jade. Make peace with the guy. And here's option two: Help him get back on track with his career. You're a killer songwriter. Chances are, you're even better than you were in high school. Spend a little time with the guy. Come up with a song that'll put him back on the charts. Remember when we wrote that song together? Pretend he's me if you have to."

"But I don't actually hate you." Jade huffed. "So I'm supposed to just give him a song? Great. I didn't know the trash in your head could come out of your mouth."

Andre bit his lip, nearly ready to get going. If she didn't want his help, fine. He had a hotel to return to, and a plane to catch in the morning. Still, he stayed. Something in him wouldn't let him leave. As harsh and rough as she was, Andre cared about his friend. He didn't want her to end up without a place to sleep. He had no idea what her past was prior to when they had met, but she had clearly survived a lot of junk life had thrown at her. He wasn't about to let her get wrapped in another mess, not one she could so easily avoid.

"I'm sorry." She said softly. "I didn't mean that."

"Thank you. That means a lot."

"I'll think about what you said." She mused. Her coffee had grown cold, but she didn't care. "I can't promise anything, but I'll see what happens."

"What'd you even say to push him over the edge, anyway?"

Jade nearly smiled because of the irony of the situation, but caught herself. Forcing her smile to appear as a wince, she replied, "He caught his girlfriend cheating on him, and I may or may not have suggested that he deserved it."

Shocked, Andre was repulsed. "Damn, girl! That's cold, even for you."

She merely shrugged. "I have my reasons."

"Holy smokes." Andre's eyes widened yet again. Jade wondered how many times he could wear that expression before his eyes fell out altogether. "Wait a minute. Wait just a darn minute."

She raised her brows. "I'm waiting."

"You- you were the girl in the album photo. Weren't you?" Andre shook his head furiously. "No, you would have been way too young. Unless it was when you and Beck broke up- no, no, no! Jade. Are you-"

"Oh my god, just stop!" Jade demanded, shutting him up. "That was my cousin! Not me. Gross."

"For real?"

"Yes, now drop it, okay?"

"Your cousin. Dated Drake."

She picked up the remnant of his scone. "Let it go, or I'll kill you with this."

He paled. "Consider it done." She returned the baked good this plate. "But is that why-"

"Scone!"

"Okay, okay! Geez."

She let him sit for a moment before she spoke again. Her voice was oddly quiet, and meek. Andre almost didn't know it was her at first, until she met his eyes. "Thank you, Andre."

He gave his old friend a smile. "Anytime."