Star Wars: Enter the Real World

Chapter 7: Breakdown

As he was driving, tears flowed down his cheeks. He couldn't believe that the Jedi Council still wouldn't make him a Jedi Knight, even though he had taken down Darth Solvas. He was hoping they would look past his anger and look at the fact that he had enough skill to easily defeat the Sith Lord. He knew he needed to talk to Nick, because he would be able to give him some good advice, but before he did, he decided to go over to Michelle's. After all, he did tell her that he'd visit her today, since she's free. He knew she'd comfort him in his time of need, so he drove over there, walked up to her front door, wiped his eyes dry, and knocked.

“Jason,” Michelle said, hugging him, “I'm glad you're here. Come on in.”

“Thanks,” Jason said, his voice still breaking up a little from his crying.

“Are you okay?” Michelle asked as they sat down. “It sounds like you've been crying, and your eyes are bloodshot. What's wrong?”

“Nothing,” Jason said quietly, turning his face away from her.

“Don't do this,” Michelle said, gently turning his face towards her. “Don't shut me out like this. Let me help you. Tell me what's going on.”

Jason lowered his face and closed his eyes before he spoke.

“The Jedi Council still doesn't think I'm ready to become a Jedi Knight,” Jason said.

“Why not?” Michelle asked.

“I...I don't know,” Jason lied. “Maybe they think I still have things I need to work on. But it doesn't make sense. Paul and I...we just went on a mission to rescue the mayor from the Sith Lord Darth Solvas. We succeeded...and I killed her myself...but the Council still doesn't seem to appreciate my skills.”

“There's something you're not telling me,” Michelle said. “I can tell by the way you're talking. You can tell me anything, you know that. You don't need to hide anything from me.”

“I'm not,” Jason said, looking up at her.

“Yes you are,” Michelle said, looking deeply into his eyes. “I can see the tension in your eyes. You're hiding something. Jason, you know better than to try hiding things from me. I can see right through you. Now what really happened?”

Jason sighed. He knew she was right. He knew he couldn't hide anything from her, no matter how much he tried.

“I'm just afraid of what you'll think if I tell you,” Jason said.

“I'm not going to think any less of you,” Michelle promised, kissing him. “I love you, and that will never change. Now tell me, please.”

Jason sighed once again, then began to relay the details of everything that had just happened, from meeting Darth Solvas and finding out who she was to his outburst at the Temple. With each passing detail that he recalled, tears started to well up in his eyes. His voice started cracking, and when he was finished, he broke down, not holding anything in anymore.

“I lost control,” he sobbed. “I'm no better than a Sith Lord. I'll never become a Jedi like this. I feel so ashamed of myself. I already have so much that I regret that I can't live down, and now I have this to add on to it.”

“Shh,” Michelle said, hugging Jason and rubbing his back. “It's okay.”

“No it's not,” Jason said, still crying. “I did something horrible, and I only have myself to blame. I never should have lost control.”

“You can't blame yourself,” Michelle said. “Mikayla was taunting you, and like you said, she wronged you in the past. You had every right to be angry at her.”

“But to the point that I lost control?” Jason asked, breaking the hug and looking Michelle in the eyes. “My eyes were black, Michelle. What do you make of that?”

“I don't know,” Michelle responded, “though I do have one question. Exactly how did she wrong you?”

“That's personal,” Jason said. “You don't need to know.”

“Please, tell me,” Michelle said, kissing him again. “I can help you.”

Jason sighed before he spoke. “She's an ex-girlfriend of mine, the one I was with when I was on the rebound from you.”

“I know that,” Michelle said. “You told me that.”

“Anyway,” Jason said, “while she and I were together, she made me feel like I was on top of the world, and eventually, it got to the point that...”

“What?” Michelle asked after several seconds of silence.

“I did something with her that I bitterly regret,” Jason said.

“Oh...” Michelle said, her eyes widening.

“Yeah,” Jason said. “Then she broke up with me and betrayed me, and it wasn't until recently that I finally saw her for the monster she truly was, so when I found out she was Darth Solvas, I wanted nothing more than to completely destroy her. She manipulated me, controlled me, stabbed me in the back, consistently lifted me up and tore me down, and pretty much mentally tortured me in every way possible.”

“Wow,” Michelle said. “I didn't know. So...you're not...”

“No,” Jason replied. “Not anymore, though I wish I still was, considering...”

“Considering what?” Michelle asked.

“Considering the fact that I'm with you,” Jason said, looking her in the eyes again. “If I had known that I was going to be with you through all of this, I never would have done that, especially considering you haven't and won't until the time comes.”

“That doesn't matter,” Michelle said. “You've repented from it, right?”

“Of course,” Jason said. “Hence why I regret it.”

“Then don't worry about that,” Michelle said. “Don't fret over the past. The past is behind us. Look to the future and everything that awaits us.”

“I don't care what the future holds,” Jason said, “just as long as you're by my side.”

Michelle blushed at the comment, to which Jason responded by kissing her.

“I love you,” Jason said. “I don't know what I'd do without you.”

“I love you, too,” Michelle said.

“Listen,” Jason said, “I hate to do this, but I have to get going for now. I told Nick that I'd meet with him after I met with the Council, but I wanted to stop here first, to see you, because you always know how to make me feel better.”

“I understand,” Michelle said, “and hey, if you told him you'd meet with him, then go ahead.”

“I love how understanding you are,” Jason said, kissing her again. “I'll try to come back afterwards, okay? I still want to spend some time with you, but I don't want to keep Nick waiting.”

“Okay,” Michelle said, “I'll be waiting.”

They walked towards the front door, where Jason hugged Michelle good-bye.

“I love you,” Michelle said.

“I love you, too,” Jason said, kissing her.

This time, when he tried opening his lips, things went differently. Instead of backing off before he had the chance, this time, she didn't, so she noticed it, but instead of pulling away like Jason had feared, she went with it. She opened her lips, as well, and they started french kissing. Jason didn't want it to stop, but he knew he'd never leave if he didn't break it off. So, after about fifteen seconds, he backed off, though he could see it in Michelle's eyes that she, like him, really didn't want it to end. Hugging her once more, he walked down the driveway to his car and drove off, heading for Nick's office, where everything was about to change.