To him, rhythm is the pattern of music. To her, rhythm is movement on a page.
JATP season 1
[reggie x female oc]
[alex x male oc]
Disclaimer: I do not own Julie and the Phantoms and the associated characters. I own all original characters and orig...
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"No! Please don't leave me."
Warnings: bullying (Phoebe Williams), physical pain, minor blood, confined spaces, stealing work and credit, crappy teachers. Read at your own discretion.
WHEN people are nervous, they like to say they have butterflies in their stomachs. Jess doesn't know why—she knows what butterflies feel like when she sees a certain bassist in the halls wearing that signature smirk as he flirts with literally everyone. This is not butterflies; this is a concrete brick pulling her farther and farther beneath the Earth's crust.
With only ten minutes left before her big presentation, the shy girl nervously bounces her leg up and down, the pencil in her hands shaking. Every line it creates is jagged. Taking a look at her drawing, Jess simply rips it from her notebook and crumples it in her hands.
"I'll admit, it wasn't your best, but, damn," Zoe says beside her, her lips wrapped around the straw sticking up from her soda. "Relax, Jess. You'll be fine."
Jess whines, shutting the notebook and stashing it in her bag. "No, I won't be. This is my work, ok? When has anything ever been entirely mine? Never! And I have to present to Mrs. Stuart, and I can barely talk right now, so how am I gonna get up in front of the whole class to—"
"Calm down." Zoe takes Jess' hands with a laugh. "If Mrs. Stuart doesn't see how amazing your mural is, then the school doesn't deserve it. Besides, Phoebe, despite her bitchiness, is a pretty good public speaker. Let her do the talking and let your art speak for itself."
"I'd be ok with that if she did any of the actual work." Jess crosses her arms with a pout. "It's fine, I just sort of wish I'd get some credit for doing literally everything." With a sigh, Jess swings her bag onto her back. "I'm gonna head there early. Maybe set up or something. I'll see you after?"
"Ugh, I'm so not looking forward to Mr. Fry," Zoe groans. "Thank god, you're my lab partner. I'd be dead if it wasn't for you."
"Blame my parents." With a wave goodbye towards Zoe, Jess makes her way through the school, slipping into the nearest bathroom. She lets her bag drop to the ground as she wets her hands, splashing water against her face. If her life were a cartoon, she swears the water would be steaming.
Looking up into the mirror, Jess adjusts the top of her dress. She had decided to dress up that day for the presentation, wearing a floral dress with a t-shirt beneath as well as dark leggings. Opting against heels, she is very glad she choose regular sneakers, or else she would be completely out of her element.
