On the Other Side

Chapter 1: Misery Business

Clutching the edge of the sink, she could feel the bile rise up in her throat as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. The distant music playing from the school auditorium reverberated within the walls of the bathroom, only playing as a quiet hum in the back of her mind. Swallowing the bitter vomit back down with a grimace, she squeezed her eyes shut before opening them open again, looking into the details of her own face. Her frightened features hardened as she clutched the sink even harder causing her knuckles to turn white. With a determined glare, she shoved herself back up from her slumped over state, ruffling her curly pixie cut hair with a deep glare.
As she shoved the door open, her friend stared at her with a single eyebrow raised, clutching her electric guitar in one hand as his body slumped against the wall. As a silent reply to his silent question, she nodded her head firmly, grasping the guitar out of his hands and making her way backstage. Her other bandmate gave her a weary smile, obviously just as nervous as she was minutes prior as his clammy hands tapped themselves against his bass.
She placed her hand on his shoulder, sending him a reassuring smile, "We got this."
"Sure you do." she felt her body stiffen, black fingernails digging into the palm of her hand as her eyes flashed red. She didn't even bother to turn around knowing which shitfuck that voice belonged to. "Just try not to slit your wrists on stage, no one wants to see how pathetic you really are." Anger boiled in her veins at both his comment and the memory. She wanted nothing more than to turn around and rip his head off.
"Jungkook, enough." she could hear the boys friend whisper to him as she took a deep inhale, trying to prevent herself from causing a scene before she went on stage.
Cheers resounded from the crowd on the other side as a group of girls ran backstage. "Kookie!" one of them ran into Jungkook's arm, placing a kiss on his cheek as he applauded her performance, causing her to giggle albeit still out of breath. "Thanks, Kookie." She turned around, still breathing heavily as she made eye contact with the other girl, sending her a tired but genuine smile. "Good luck, Marceline." she looked at the other two boys, "to you guys as well. I hope you do well."
The girl, Marceline, smiled in return. "Thank you, Jennie. You guys put on a great performance." she lightly laughed in response.
"Ah, thank you! Your opinion truly means a lot." she turned back to her boyfriend, who was currently burning holes into Marceline's face. "I'll be back, I'm just going to go grab some water." he nodded and smiled down at her, seemingly strained, before releasing her from his hold.
"Good luck, guys!" she ran off with her friends, waving back to Marceline and her bandmates as Marceline smiled in return. She truly had no idea why such a sweet girl like that was dating a dick like Jungkook. They weren't even mates. Perhaps he blackmailed her? He's shit enough to do that, and she knew from first person experience.
"Marceline." she turned her head to meet the eyes of her blank-faced bandmate. "Everything is set up, it's our time to go." she nodded in response, walking to take her place behind the stage curtain as the other two males did the same.
"Can't wait to see you fuck this up too, Marcie." she lazily turned her eyes to make contact with the boy that was currently smirking at her, an unreadable expression in his eyes. But, with as much strength and control as she could muster. She restrained herself once more, plugging her electric guitar into the amp cord and coldly breaking eye contact without any more acknowledgement of his existence.
She closed her eyes and took three deep breaths as the announcer called them out to the crowd, blanking out everything around her until she felt the bright light of the spotlight from above hit the skin of her eyelids. From the corner of her eyes she could see her adoptive parents at the very front, both standing with hopeful and apprehensive expressions on their faces. With another turn of her eyes she spotted the regulars from their more rustic performances standing with eager and excited facial expressions as they cheered the band on.
With a smirk she prepared her fingers for the first chord as the sound of drumsticks hitting each other sounded behind her.
"Hit that- hit that snare." the crowd erupted in excited cheers at the sound of their loud and robust music, all showing signs of impression at the young adults musical precision.
"I'm in the business of misery let's take it from the top
She's got a body like an hourglass it's ticking like a clock
It's a matter of time before we all run out
When I thought he was mine she caught him by the mouth"
Jungkook clenched his jaw at the sight of them. At the sight of her. Her usually cold and withdrawn personality was now replaced with a confident and powerful force of sound that delivered all across the auditorium through her voice and strumming. For once she looked as though she was without fear or regret, or the bitter sense of anger she always got in her eyes whenever she looked at him.
"You really are a fucking idiot, Jungkook." he turned his head to see his friend Yoongi standing there, glaring at him with a sense of disgust and disappointment. Jungkook couldn't reply, and at the sight of that Yoongi scoffed and stood up straight before walking off.
"Whoa, well I never meant to brag
But I've gotten what I wanted now
whoa, it was never my intention to brag-
to steal it all away from you now
but, God does it feel so good
'cause I got him where I want him now
and if you could then I know you would
'cause God it just feels so-
it just feels so good"
Scanning his eyes across the crowd he could sense the amazement coming off of everyone. The shouts of praise, of excitement, of joy, and from some, desire. A low growl reverberated from Jungkook's at the sight of a male passionately declaring his love for the female on stage as tears poured down his face.
"Look what you've allowed to happen, Jungkook."
"Second chances they don't ever matter, people never change
once a whore, you're nothing more, I'm sorry that'll never change" with a quick and sharp glare, Marceline turned her now cold eyes back to Jungkook, sending shivers down his spine as he turned his head to look down at his shoes.
"and about forgiveness, we're supposed to both to have exchanged
I'm sorry, honey, I passed out, now look this way
well there's a million other girls who do it just like you
looking as innocent as possible to get to who
they want and what they like, it's easy if you do it right
well I refuse, I refuse, I refuse!"
He could feel his feet rapidly tapping against the floor, feeling the direct effect of her voice on his state of mind as he clenched his eyes shut.
"You fucking ruined it, Jungkook. You ruined it and she's telling you to your fucking face in front of everyone."
"Whoa, well I never meant to brag
But I've gotten what I wanted now
whoa, it was never my intention to brag-
to steal it all away from you now
but, God does it feel so good
'cause I got him where I want him now
and if you could then I know you would
'cause God it just feels so-
it just feels so good" something about her voice struck something alluring in his chest, causing him to reach up and clench the space above his heart as she finished off the performance.
The crowd erupted in loud screaming and cheering, all applauding the three panting artists on stage. Jungkook's heart skipped at the sight of her genuine smile. The first he has seen that reached up to her eyes.
He cleared his throat and looked to the side, shifting his face to one deeply unimpressed and annoyed as the three approached.
"You guys did amazing." Jungkook's eyes shifted to Yoongi who gave them all a handshake, a lazy smirk on his face but eyes reflecting his true amazement at them.
"Thank you, Yoongi. Good luck to you."
He chuckled, "thanks, I hope we'll even be able to stand on that stage without being thrown off after you guys."
"Shut the fuck up, Yoongi. They're not even good."
All four of them turned to look at Jungkook who glared angrily at them, shoving himself up from the wall and walking over to them with his hands in his pockets. As he stood chest-to-chest with Marceline, he smirked down at her as her sweet scent invaded his senses.
"Like everything else, they'll fuck up anything they touch." he made direct eye contact with Marceline, who looked up at him with cold eyes and lips pressed in a straight line. "You will never see me bowing my head to these pathetic shits. They don't have talent, she just has a fat ass and huge tits."
Her bandmate, the drummer Christian Yu, stepped forward ready to swing as Yoongi called out to Jungkook in anger.
"I bet your dead parents are rolling in their grave at the sight of you. So fucking sad you think you have a chance at anything."
"You fucking-" she placed her hands on Christian's chest.
"It's alright. Don't even bother. His head is so far up his ass that all that will come out is shit." she turned to walk away from him, throwing the door open before pausing in her steps. "I feel really sad for your pack, Jeon." she turned her head so that he could only see half her face. "They have a small brained fucker who will drive them to the ground for a future alpha." With that, she walked out. Slamming the door behind her.

Her words remained with him for the rest of the night, making his own performance mediocre and sloppy.
As they walked off stage, he could feel the angry steps of his friend Jimin stomping after him.
"What the fuck was that, Jeon!" he grabbed his shoulder and forcefully spun the younger male around.
"Jimin, calm down-"
"Don't you fucking dare tell me to calm down, Namjoon. He knew how much this meant to me and yet he still fucks it up for me." he turned his head back to the male who looked at him with an unreadable expression. "Is this funny to you, asshat? Find it funny that now my father can rub this in my face, tell me he was right and that my dreams are fucking useless? Not everyone has their future laid out in front of them with rose petals, you asshole!"
"Uhm, I'm going to need you to calm down. The crowd can probably hear you." Jimin turned his head to the slightly apprehensive stage manager before scoffing and storming off.
Jungkook sighed, turning only to make eye contact with Yoongi. His face was blank, but his eyes screamed.
I fucking told you.

As anyone could have predicted, Marceline's band had won the contest, with Jungkook's leading up in second.
Jungkook watched as they all accepted the small trophy graciously, no sense of arrogance on any of them as the crowd continued to cheer for them.
As they turned to walk off stage, Jungkook could feel his heart pounding in his chest.
Look at me. Look at me. Look at me.
It felt as though it was taking her years to come closer, and every step she took his hope grew more unrealistic.
Look at me, Marceline, LOOK AT ME!
They walked off the stage and backstage without her sparring even a glance in his direction, graciously taking all of the congratulatory acknowledgments from the other participants, including his girlfriend Jennie.
And with that, they walked out.

That would be the last time he has seen her for four years.

A/N: hey guys, hope you're doing well and staying safe.
I'll try to upload as often as I can, but I'm shit at that not even going to lie.
I know you're also probably confused, but everything will begin to add up in due time.
Anyways, I hope you're staying indoors, keeping clean and occupied, keeping up with school work if you have any, and just remember to also value your mental health. there will be a lot of talk like that in this story, if you haven't realized, and I just want you to know it's valid to feel less than ideal, but make sure to reach out and deal in a way that is healthy and helps.

chapter song: Misery Business - Paramore