As the lights dimmed, Harley could hear the distant rumble of the crowd through the walls of the dressing room. She paced back and forth, breathing in a continues pattern, trying to calm the nerves that always crept up before a show. Nick leaned against the doorframe, eyes on his phone, while Lacey sat cross-legged on the couch, scrolling through her Instagram feed.
"You good, Ly?" Lacey asked, glancing up briefly. "You've been pacing for the last ten minutes."
Harley stopped in her tracks, giving a small laugh. "Yeah, just... you know, pre-show jitters."
"You've done like a hundred shows, stop being jittery... relax, you got it." The man paused, with a smirk, "I get it though, not everyone can be as level headed as me."
"Shut up," Harley muttered, throwing her water bottle at him. He caught it easily, his grin widening. "It's different every time."
But it wasn't just the show getting to her. It had come to her attention a while ago that Jenna never truly unfollowed her on Instagram, and as much as that sucked in the aspect of people taking like Harley was the one who broke it off, that's not what pissed her off, the sprinkle of negative comments didn't bother her. The thing that bothered her was that Jenna was the one who ended it, so why the hell was she viewing her instagram story every afternoon like clockwork, and each time it was like a small jolt of something she couldn't quite name. Resentment? Curiosity? Hope?
Lacey stood, walking over to Harley and draping an arm around her shoulders. "Hey, stop doing this to yourself. You're always fine in the morning then you get to the actual show and Jenna comes to mind, forget her you deserve to enjoy your tour."
"I know, and I am," Harley said quietly, her jaw tight. "I just can't help thinking... was it really that easy for her to walk away?"
Lacey sighed, squeezing Harley's shoulder. "She'll regret it. Trust me."
Harley forced a smile and nodded. "Yeah, yea... you're right."
~~~
Meanwhile, Jenna stood in front of the concert venue, pulling the brim of her baseball cap lower over her eyes. Her heart raced, not from excitement, but from nerves. She hadn't seen Harley in person since that night, and now, being here, so close to her again, felt strange.
Emma and Hunter flanked her, keeping her hidden in the crowd as they made their way toward the VIP section. The loud chatter of fans surrounded them, and Jenna couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. She'd ended things with Harley in a way she knew was wrong, too abrupt, too cold. And yet, here she was, still drawn to her, still checking her social media like some desperate fan.
She hadn't even fully explained why she ended it. It was easier that way, she told herself, sparing Harley from the mess that would have been long distance.
As they found their suit, Jenna glanced toward the stage, her pulse quickening at the thought of seeing Harley perform again. She wasn't sure if she was ready to face the emotions that might surface.
~~~
Backstage, Harley heard the crowd erupt as the lights flashed on, signaling the start of the show. She took a deep breath and shook out her hands, clearing her head of everything else. It was just her and the music now.
Stepping out into the blinding lights, the roar of the audience hit her full force. She smiled, the adrenaline taking over, and picked up her guitar. The first chord echoed through the venue, and for a moment, Harley was free—free from the weight of the past, from Jenna, from everything.
As the set progressed, Harley threw herself into each song, her voice soaring above the crowd's cheers. The end of the show neared, and now she moved into a part she often dreaded. "Alright now, I'm going to play you guys one last song. But I do need some help picking it." This is how she played the bonus tracks on her album, the crowd knew that and their cheers grew louder. The thing that sucked about it was that three out of these four songs were about Jenna.
She walked over to the edge of the stage sitting down, microphone in hand. She leaned down in the crowd, "what's your name?" She asked a guy, maybe slightly younger than her.
"Toby," He grinned.
"Alright Toby, well I need some help. Pick a number one through four."
"Four," the boy shouted into the mic.
Harley's guitarist, Drea, walked over, a paper in her hand, handing it to the singer with a wink. She leaned down whispering to Harley, "Nick made a last minute change with the numbering."
Harley paused, a confused look in her eyes as she opened the folded piece of paper. Kaleidoscope
"Oh, what the hell."
They had finished this song not too long ago, Nick claiming it was one of his favorite songs they've ever written, and begging her to add it to the set list.
"Well, Dublin," she said standing back up, "You guys can all thank Nick and Toby for this, but tonight would everyone be okay with hearing one of my unreleased songs?" The crowd went crazy, "great," she smiled.
She stood, grabbing her guitar off one of the racks and reattaching her mic to its stand. The first notes rang from the piano behind her.
"Here we go again
Everything is fine
I guess we could pretend
We didn't cross a line"
The words felt heavier in front of a crowd, the lyrics leaving her throat feeling realer than ever before.
"But ever since that day
Everything has changed
The way I write your name
The cursive letter J"
Harley almost wanted to laugh, as she could audibly hear the gasps in the crowd. People were hearing what she had been feeling for the last three months, and she knew Jenna wasn't there, but some part of her deep down knew the actress could hear the words.
~~~
In the VIP section, Jenna sat frozen, her heart pounding as the melody filled the space. Hearing it was like a punch to the gut, a reminder of how painful her actions were towards the girl she cared for so deeply, a reminder of what she walked away from.
She glanced at Emma, who gave her a sympathetic look but said nothing. Jenna swallowed hard, her eyes fixated on Harley as she performed. She had no right to feel the way she did, no right to be here, but she couldn't tear herself away.
As the song ended, Harley stood at the edge of the stage, her eyes searching the crowd one last time before she moved on to her final set, so they could actually hear a song from her extended cut. But for a brief moment, Jenna felt like their eyes met, even though she knew it was impossible. Still, her stomach twisted, and she felt the weight of what she had lost.
YOU ARE READING
Ivy - Jenna Ortega
Fanfiction--- Singer-songwriter Harley Banks' life had changed drastically in a matter of months. With her debut album seemingly blowing up overnight, she's doing her best to navigate her newfound fame. But when a video goes viral of Harley and a certain bru...
