by Fumise Love
“Before you can even deny…” a smirk formed on Johanne’s face. “…If no one is looking, it doesn’t mean that nothing happened,” what did Johanne want Paul and Matthew to think?
I stood up and ignored them. The practice started and I kept my mouth shut all throughout the songs that we were going to perform.
I went out of the music room after the practice and made my way to the cafeteria. While I was eating, someone sat in front on me. “What are you doing here?” I asked him. There were so many available seats, why did he have to choose the one in front of me?
It had been a while since I last saw him and my life still went on normally.
“Gab…are you still angry at me?”
“You didn’t answer my question, Jeff. What are you doing here?”
“Apologizing,”
“I don’t need your apology,” I answered flatly. Why was he here? I stayed out of his life just like he said and he was now meddling with my life?
He placed his hand on top of my hand that was resting on the table, “Why are you like that? I’m being sincere here but you don’t want to talk to me,”
I pulled my hand away. “Alright. I forgive you, so you may go,”
I suddenly remembered of how Jeffrey yelled at me before. I was aware that I did not know what happened between him and Johanne before but was it really necessary to say those hurtful words to me?
Who would not get hurt by what he said, right?
After I finished eating my meal, I went outside of the Nashville University Training Camp to get some fresh air. I noticed that Jeffrey followed me.
Why was he so stubborn?
I walked farther away from Jeffrey to test his patience. During the almost four weeks of me staying here in the training camp, I already familiarized myself with the places and landmarks here in Los Angeles so I would not get lost like what happened before.
Hmm…how far would Jeffrey go?
Since I had nothing else to do, I should just go and figure it out.
◆◆◆
Johanne
I decided to go out of the training camp since I had nothing else better to do. I could not stop myself from smiling when I remembered Gabrielle’s face from earlier.
I did not know why it was really that relaxing whenever I teased her. I started to think that maybe I was a sadist by nature. I would not give up Gabrielle’s mad face for the world since it was something that would make my stress go away and most of all, it brought happiness to my life.
It was a package deal for me whenever I teased her.
I roamed around the city of Los Angeles with a smile plastered on my handsome face.
A huge change had happened ever since I met Gabrielle. Before, I was this hot-headed jerk but now, I was a changed man. I also usually found myself laughing whenever I was with the witch.
When Mary left me, I always showed to other people the fake me, but now, I learned of how to be honest to myself again. Gabrielle changed me back to the way I was before I met Mary.
And that was the reason why I could not stop myself from falling for her.
It was such a huge change because I was considered as perfect in the eyes of the girls but in Gabrielle’s eyes? It was like I was this ugliest human to ever live on the planet.
It was clear that I liked the witch…but what if it came to the point that I was in love with her?
I had already loved before and got hurt in the process.
I did not want for that to happen again that was why I needed to keep these feelings that I had for her all to myself. I knew that it was impossible for Gabrielle to like me back because I was sure that she liked Jeffrey. I would just respect the fact that she was in love with someone else and that would lead to the conclusion that I should not let myself get any closer to her.
◆◆◆
Jeffrey
I missed Gabrielle so much. It had been a while since I last let myself be seen by her because I thought that her anger to me would somehow go away…but I was wrong.
It seemed like she was angrier to me than she was before. I could admit that I was stupid. Why did I yell at her before? I now just decided to follow her wherever she went. I would not stop following her until I was not forgiven.
She walked and walked. Where was she going?
I did not know why I fell for Gabrielle that fast. The reason why I approached Gabrielle and Samantha on the first day because I found Gabrielle so beautiful. Even though many girls were attracted to me, I was not interested in them because Gabrielle was the one that I wanted.
Even though it was cheesy to say, it was like my feelings were exploding for her. My feelings for her were comparable when I first met Jade.
Jade was the girl that I loved so much.
The huge problem now was that it was obvious that Johanne was also starting to fall for Gabrielle.
I did not want to repeat history before that was why I needed to be selfish now. If I was not able to make Jade mine, I would make sure that Gabrielle would be taken away by no one else but me.
◆◆◆
Gabrielle
Even now, I was still walking. It had already been hours and I was just circling around Los Angeles while Jeffrey did not stop following me.
I walked for half an hour again and looked behind me. I realized that Jeffrey already gave up because I did not see him there.
“What are you doing here?” a familiar voice asked me from my left side. I looked at the direction of the voice and saw Johanne.
“How about you, gorilla? What are you doing here?”
I did not want to think that even Johanne was following me but if he was, why would he ask me of what I was doing here?
“Don’t assume that I’m following you. Maybe you’re the one who’s following me because you’re so in love with me, witch,” Johanne smirked. I really wanted to wipe that smirk off of his face.
“Only robbers would follow you!”
“But since you’re already here, do you want to go to the carnival?” he offered and I could swear that my ears were clapping. Was he asking me out on a date? “Are you thinking that we’re going out on a date? You wish, witch,” he grabbed my hand and pulled me. “You have no right to refuse so let’s go,”
My eyes looked down on our intertwined hands. Maybe we looked like a couple in the eyes of the people who were passing by. I could feel my knees weakening because of Johanne.
But I should not get affected by his actions because we would be nothing more than friends.
I was surprised when someone took hold of my free hand and pulled me to his direction too. “What are you doing here?” Jeffrey’s tone was demanding and it was obvious that he was frustrated at Johanne’s presence. “Why are you here?”
Johanne glared at Jeffrey and I swore that they could kill each other with the use of their eyes.
What the hell was happening with the two of them?
Chapter Fifteen
Gabrielle
“Why?” Johanne asked Jeffrey. “Are you the only one who have the right to go to this place?”
“I’m quite lost,” I frowned in confusion. “What is happening with the two of you? There are things that the two of you can talk about that’s why don’t cause a commotion here,”
What should I do in this kind of situation?
They ignored me and continued glaring at each other.
“Do you plan to do to Gab what you did to Jade?” Jeffrey asked in a harsh tone.
Who was Jade?
One of Johanne’s ex-girlfriends?
“Don’t compare them because they are different,” Johanne responded. What did Johanne do to do this Jade chick?
I did not want to think but maybe…No! Even though Johanne was mean, he was not the type of person to do what I was thinking. But I was not able to stop myself from thinking of things that Johanne possibly did.
“Really?” Jeffrey acted surprised. “Why does it seem like you’re repeating what you did before? Is it in
your plan to hurt Gab?”
“I have no intention of repeating what happened before that’s why you don’t have the right to say those things to me,” Johanne was mirroring Jeffrey’s anger.
“If—“
Johanne did not let Jeffrey finish his sentence, “Even though you turn back time, she loved me and not you. Don’t act like you’re a big shot around here because keep in mind that she didn’t love you!”
In a blink of an eye, Jeffrey punched Johanne on the face. Johanne did not back down and took his revenge. It was like my feet was nailed on the ground because I did not know what was the right thing to do. People started to surround the three of us.
Even though there were a lot of people, not one had the heart to stop Johanne and Jeffrey.
“Stop it!” I yelled. The two of them stopped punching each other and looked at me because of how loud my voice was. I grabbed both of their collars. “You two are like children! You have mouths so use them to talk to each other!”
I knew that I was clueless about what happened between the two of them, but I knew that they could talk to each other about it.
I dragged them all the way to the Ozone bar and they were not able to do anything because of how I held them by the collar. I was frustrated by the fact that I was the clueless one here but they still managed to punch each other right in front of my face. They were so immature even though they were old enough to think of things through.
I made them sit in front of each other while I sat in the middle of them because the table was circular. They were still glaring at each other like they were ready to kill. To be honest, their auras right now were something to be afraid of…but I knew that I needed to do something to make them alright with the presence of one another. It would be difficult if their hatred deepened.
I inhaled a huge amount of air, “First of all, who’s Jade?”
There was silence for a minute but Johanne broke it after, “Mary and Jade…they are the same person. Her full name is Mary Jade Humphrey,” from what I remembered, Mary was the only girl who held Johanne’s heart…but why was Jeffrey included in the story? Was Mary Jade a two-timer?
I wanted to ask so many questions but I would let them explain the situation in their own pace.
“Mary Jade is the girl that me and Johanne loved,” Jeffrey added. My hunch was right that was why I was not that surprised by what Jeffrey had said.
“Then…?” I encouraged them to continue the story.
“Then she left us hanging without us having any idea where she went,” Johanne looked down on the ground like it was suddenly interesting. I saw the sadness in his eyes again.
“She left because of you,” Jeffrey proclaimed.
“It’s not my fault that she left,” Johanne defended himself. “I honestly don’t know why she left,”
“You did not stop her from leaving. You did not even look for her!” Jeffrey’s tone of voice was full of anger and hatred. “If you just gave her to me, we would be happy now,”
“Do you know how hurt I was when she left?” Johanne frowned.
I just let them talk because I was connecting the dots to know the truth of why they hated each other.
“I was more hurt, Johanne. She used to be my bestfriend but she didn’t accept my feelings for her because of you. I don’t know why you always have all the attention,”
What did Jeffrey mean by that?
“Wait a minute!” I interrupted. “What happened before Mary Jade went away?”
“Jeffrey and I were fighting,” Johanne explained. I was right before that they already knew each other because they came from the same campus. “The day after I went to her house, she was already gone,”
“What were the two of you fighting about?” I followed-up my question.
“Mary,”
“Jade.”
◆◆◆
Jeffrey
I could still remember what happened before Jade left because I was not able to make myself forget about it. I started to tell Gabrielle everything that I had remembered.
*Flashback*
I saw Johanne and Jade walking together when I took a step outside of my apartment. They looked so happy, like there was nothing more important in the world than each other.
I felt a sudden pain my chest. My heart ached. It was difficult for me to see Jade happy with another guy.
She was my bestfriend that was why I did not want her to see that I was hurting. I did not want to lose our friendship that was why I did not have the guts to confess.
When Johanne interfered with our lives, I noticed that Jade was starting to fall out of my grasp. I was starting to lose the first girl that ever made my heart flutter because she was getting closer to Johanne.
Jade had not realized that I was madly in love with her.
The scenario that happened in the library never left my mind. That was the time when I really confessed that I was in love with her. I told Jade the truth and waited for her answer…but unfortunately, she surprised me with the news that Johanne and her were already dating.
I pretended that I was okay even though it felt like I was dying inside because the girl of my dreams got snatched from me that easily.
If Johanne was out of the picture, maybe Jade would be mirroring the feelings that I had for her.
Maybe Jade would also fall in love with me.
It was not impossible to happen but why did Johanne need to get into the picture?
Jade was a year older than Johanne. Why did Jade choose him instead of me? I could surpass everything that Johanne could do. I could surpass everything that he could give. I was confident that I could make Jade happy.
I tried to support their relationship.
I really did.
But why?
Why did it have to be Johanne?
I was the one who stood as Jade’s ‘knight in shining armor’ when she was bullied in our university.
I was the one with his shoulders wide open when she cried because she failed a certain subject.
I was the one who always caught her whenever she tripped over the small pebbles on the ground.
She did not know that I always slowed myself down whenever we walked because I wanted to keep up with her pace.
I was the one who always accompanied her whenever she went shopping.
I was the one who always carried her things because I did not want to see her struggling.
Was she not feeling anything for me at all? What did Johanne possess that I did not?
Because of the pain that I felt, I caught up with then and immediately threw a punch at Johanne’s face. Jade and I were not able to talk to each other anymore because of this guy. I was not surprised when Johanne quickly stood up and also punched me on the face.
“Jeff!” Jade yelled. It was obvious that she did not expect me to do that. I did not know what came into my mind to do this. I did not want to let Jade go for Johanne.
Why was Jade so blind that she chose someone that she did not know that much over the guy who had always been there for her for almost three years?
Why?
I could hear Jade yelling at us while Johanne and I still continued beating up each other. Was Jade so blind that she could not see that I was doing this all for her?
I was willing to let Johanne punch me over and over again if it meant that Jade would remain by my side.
I fell on the ground because of the impact of Johanne’s punch, “What the hell are you doing? Can’t you see that she doesn’t love you?!”
“How can you say that?” I struggled to stand up but it was of no use since Johanne was towering over me. “Are you Jade? I want to hear that straight from Jade’s mouth,”
Johanne and I looked at Jade and saw that she was crying.
Was I the reason why she was crying?
Even though Jade was sobbing, she still managed to speak out, “I-I don’t love you, Jeff. Johanne’s the one that I love.”
*End of Flashback*
&nb
sp; “And that was the day when Mary told you that she didn’t love you and I was the one that she chose,” Johanne continued the rest my story.
I took a glimpse of Gabrielle’s surprised expression.
I looked down…not because I was sad for remembering what happened. I looked down because it seemed like I admitted in my story that I was the one who lost when it came to loving Jade.
Chapter Sixteen
Gabrielle
My heart ached when I saw how hurt Jeffrey was. For me, Jeffrey’s only sin was loving someone so much who did not give back the love in return. I knew that loving someone so bad was not a sin but in this case, he had hurt himself.
I should not take sides between Johanne and Jeffrey.
I was mad at Mary Jade. I was mad because she did not even say ‘goodbye’ to his boyfriend and bestfriend when she left. She could have had told them of where she was going. Even though that I might seem a little ‘bitchy’, I wanted to find her just to slap her on the face.
I wanted Mary Jade to kneel in front of these two and beg for forgiveness for the pain that she had caused.
I wanted her to pay for what she had done.
What made Mary Jade so important in the lives of these two?
Johanne and Jeffrey were just looking down on the ground anxiously.
“Past is past that’s why you don’t need to let yourselves be taken over by pain,” I reminded them of the famous quote. “You don’t need to think about her now. If she’s not here now, what makes you think that she’s going to come back?”
“To be honest, I don’t know what I’m going to do once she comes back,” it was obvious that Johanne was honest when he said that.
Why the hell did I have had to mention something about Mary Jade coming back? If that girl ever came back, I knew that I would not be able to hang out with Jeffrey…and Johanne again.
It was the first time that I felt so troubled by someone that I did not know.