Beyond Blue Eyes

04: Jade

I can't stop thinking about what happened in Sikowitz's class yesterday, when I asked Vega to kiss me. What is happening to me?! I don't feel like myself. I feel trapped in my own skin. I want to tell myself that I only like Tori as a friend, but I can't because of the kiss that we shared. It just felt so... so right. Like it was meant to happen, like fate or something. I'm so caught up in my own thoughts that I almost fail to notice the brunette walking across the parking lot at school in front of me. I hit the brakes and try to stop, which is not the best idea when the pavement is covered with ice. My car ends up sliding right into her, finally stopping about two seconds too late. I spring into action, proceeding to slip on the ice and fall on my butt, but I get back up and keep going. When I see who I accidentally hit, my heart feels like it jumps into my throat. It's... it's Vega... I waste no time in pulling her out of the way and checking to see if she's okay. I hear someone get in my car and park it, but I have eyes only for Vega. I will never forgive myself for what just happened if she isn't okay. Thankfully, she's breathing normally, if a bit fast, and she has a few bruises from where my car hit her, but it doesn't seem like anything's broken. I feel someone grasp my arm, but I shake them off, gently cradling Vega in my arms.

"Jade, we have to get her to the hospital right away," Beck says, but I don't want to hear it. "Beck, just let us be for a bit," I reply with a slight sniffle. "Jade, I can't. She needs to get to the hospital and get checked out," he says, and this time, I relent. He carefully carries Vega to his car, then lays her in the back seat before getting into the driver's seat. I make a quick decision and jump into the passenger seat. "Jade, I -" he begins, sounding like he's about to protest, but I stop him. "I will not be separated from her. I care way too much about her," I say, and Beck makes no attempt to protest after that.

Once we get to the hospital, Vega is brought straight to a room, which I can't help but realize is the same room that I had been in just a few days ago after my accident. Beck and I stay with her, and I hold her hand, afraid to let go. When a doctor comes in and tells us that Vega has some pretty serious internal bleeding, and she needs surgery to survive, I demand that I be allowed to be with her during the surgery. The doctor says that I can be with her as long as I follow the same precautions as the surgeon, which I readily accept. He also informs me that if Beck and I had waited for an ambulance to pick her up, she'd probably be dead already. She's taken into surgery immediately, and I only let go of her hand for long enough to put on some sterile gloves and the like. I feel so helpless as I simply sit there and hold her hand while the surgeon works. I hardly make a sound the entire time she's in surgery, and I hardly even react to the surgery being successful until I'm back in her hospital room with Beck. Once the reality of everything hits me, I let out all of my pent-up emotions and sob into Beck's shoulder for what feels like hours to me.

The next morning, I wake up to find myself alone with Vega, a note on my lap from Beck explaining that he'd gone to school and would tell the teachers that Vega and I wouldn't be coming to school today because of what happened yesterday. I soon get a text from him saying that Cat brought my car to the hospital for me last night, as well as bringing Vega's truck back to her place. I text him back to thank him for his help, then I put my phone back in my purse. I notice that Vega's stirring in her sleep, and I'm suddenly alert, waiting for her to wake up. After another ten minutes of waiting, she slowly opens her eyes and looks at me. "Hey Jade," she says softly. "Oh, Vega, I'm so glad you're okay! I feel so bad for accidentally hitting you yesterday. I wasn't paying as much attention as I should have been, and I could have killed you!" I say, my tears from last night returning. "Jade, please don't cry. I know that you're upset, but I forgive you. I understand that you had a lot on your mind at the time," she says. "Thank you for forgiving me. I thought you'd want nothing to do with me when you woke up," I say. "Jade, that'll never happen as long as I live. You're forgetting that, even though you could've killed me, you also saved my life," she says, making me remember something that I'd been thinking about last night. "Listen, Vega, what happened yesterday has made me realize that life's too short to hide your feelings for someone you love. I love you, Vega, and I always will until the end of time," I say, making her grin at me. "I love you too, Jade," she replies. I can't help but smile myself, because her smile is contagious, something that I'm discovering for the first time. It makes me understand why everybody is always so happy around her, kind of like Cat, but way less annoying. Somehow, Vega just has this knack for knowing how much happiness is too much before it gets annoying.

The doctor, whose name is Hansen, tells me and Vega that she'll be in the hospital until at least this coming Saturday. I promise her that I'll take notes for her every day in every class and bring her all of the work for the day until she gets out of the hospital. I look at the time and realize with a start that it's almost time for me to pick my little brother up from school. I give Vega a kiss on the forehead and tell her that I'll be back as soon as I can. I pick up my brother and take him home, and when my mom comes home, I head back to the hospital to be with Vega. When I'm with her, it's like she has a calming effect on me, an effect that I just can't seem to get enough of. I find that I actually enjoy being kind instead of mean. It makes me feel good to know that I can still be a good person, and that I have someone in my life that cares about me just as much as I care about her.

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Yep, Jade has a sentimental side. Bye for now!