"We're going live in five!" Someone shouted from somewhere off stage. Mark wasn't sure what he had been expecting when they said that they were going to watch from the side of the stage during the TV interview but this certainly wasn't it. People were running around the place like it was on fire and there was no water to put it out with. And while that chaos was happening, there was also the problem of Jasmine, who decided that she wanted to refuse to let go of his hand. Kyle was trying to convince her to let go and come with him and another small group of people, probably the stars of the show, but Jasmine was refusing to even think about it.
"Come on, Jasmine! We're supposed to go on with them," Kyle said with a sigh, holding his hand out to Jasmine. He figured that if she had someone else's hand to hold onto, she would let go of Mark's but the opposite happened. Jasmine took a step back behind Mark and squeezed his hand tightly, shaking her hand like she was scared Kyle was going to hurt her. Monet opened her mouth to say something, stepping forward and opening her mouth, but last second she changed her mind and stepped back, clinging onto Rebecca's arm almost as tightly as Jasmine's grip on Mark's hand.
"No, I think Imma stay with Mark," Jasmine replied, shaking her head fiercely. Melissa sighed and set a hand on Jasmine's shoulder but that only caused the blonde girl to jump and step away from her aunt, snuggling closer to Mark and holding onto his arm tightly.
"Jasmine, honey, Mark can't go up there with you. He wasn't apart of the movie like you were," Melissa said gently, kneeling down to Jasmine's height. "He's going to be right here while you're up there with Kyle and then once you're done, you can have him right back. And then, we're going to celebrate your birthday, remember? And go out to eat and open presents, right? We just have to do this first and then we'll go do that." Jasmine shook her head again, just as stubborn as ever.
"No. I want to stay with Mark," Jasmine repeated, gripping his hand tighter than before and holding onto his arm just as tightly. She wasn't going anywhere, not like this. Mark just sighed and turned to face her, turning gently so that he didn't hurt himself or her.
"You know that I can't go on stage, Missy," Mark said softly, resting his hand on her shoulder carefully, giving her a slightly stern, slightly concerned look. Jasmine bit her lip and blinked back a few tears, looking like she might start to cry if this conversation continued any farther. "Hey, hey! No! Don't cry! I'm right here, right now. I've got you. I'm gonna be here the whole time, you've got nothing to be scared off. I'll stand right here for you and you'll be able to see me. I just can't sit with you. But both Monet and I are here for you. We'll be right here for you, waiting until you're done, okay?" As hard as he tried, Jasmine didn't look convinced. She shook her head again, laying her head on his shoulder.
"Mom always came on with me and she's not here to do it anymore. So, I want you to come with me, Mark. I'm scared," Jasmine whined softly, hugging his arm tightly in her arms and hiding her face in his shoulder. Mark sighed and pulled her into a tight hug, trying to show her that she was okay. Monet sighed gently and rested her hand on Jasmine's shoulder, trying to comfort her. Jasmine never got camera shy. She loved the camera. She loved talking to people. She loved talking so much that sometimes, it seemed like she would never actually stop. Mark never expected her to get so shy over something like this.
"Hey, Jasmine, it's going to be okay. You've done this before," Melissa said gently, kneeling down to Jasmine's height again. Jasmine peeked out at her from the hug, still clinging to Mark tightly.
"Three minutes!" The same person from before shouted and Jasmine jumped, alarmed, and shook her head quickly.
"It's okay, Jasmine. Really," Kyle said, tapping his foot on the ground. He was starting to get worried that they wouldn't be able to get onto the stage now. They couldn't go on without Jasmine since she was a main character in the movie, and they couldn't just not go on at all. It wasn't fair to everyone else who was still there. "What can I do to make you feel better. I'll do anything." Jasmine shook her head again and hugged Mark tightly, hiding her face again.
YOU ARE READING
Youngblood | Lonely Hearts Club
Novela Juvenil"When something tragic happens, it's often said we lose a piece of ourselves. How far would you go to find these lost parts of yourself in order to be whole again?" She read softly. Her friend laughed and sat down next to her, grabbing her hand exci...
