Balancing Love ☞︎ A Jesse St. James fan fic

I Wonder If I Can Jump Out These Windows? I Need Pain Relief

My taxi eventually pulls up in front of my house with plenty of time to spare before the plane takes off. A middle-aged Italian man with hair greasier than a filled up fryer, bends down to look up at me.

"You wanna put your suitcase in the trunk?" He asks, his voice was nasally. I shake my head slowly.

"I'm good, thank you." I reply, opening the door and siting in the back seat.

"Where you going?" He asks.

"Closest airport to UCLA." I reply, assuming that's the one Jesse would go to. Really hope I'm right. I take my phone out and send the text.

"Dad approved. Driving to airport. Assuming it's the closest to school?"

I set my phone down and look out the window, waiting to see if he'll actually reply. After a good few minutes, my phone dings. I don't get my hopes up, first off assuming it's either my father, yelling at me for making him be the one to tell Madam. Or secondly, I would've thought Madam would text me over Jesse, yelling at me for ditching dance classes. I look down at my phone.

"Good, and you would assume right. (Told you I would answer)"

Is Jesse's reply. I roll my eyes and place the phone back in my lap. I soon find myself ready to pay the taxi driver. I stand outside the airport, looking up at it with my suitcase in hand. This is such a bad idea. A really, really bad idea... But I don't think I can properly move on unless Jesse explains what happened and why he suddenly left. Plus, the apology. Taking a deep breath in, I walk forward into the airport.

I move quickly through the line. Paying for my ticket, going through security. It seems now isn't an entirely busy time for flying places. Moving line from line, I look for Jesse, wondering if this was all some sort of sick prank to make me drive out here, pay money for a ticket, give my suitcase to the guy who puts them on the plane, all to just be ditched. I wanted to think, no. Jesse wouldn't do that. But wouldn't he? I don't even know if he could be so malicious.

I walk through all the sections of chairs, filled with people who are waiting to board their flight. I finally reach mine when I see Jesse. I involuntarily sigh in relief. Does this prove anything previously said about his character? I don't know. I smile, walking over behind him and carefully placing my hands over his eyes.

"Guess who." I whisper. A grin forms on Jesse's face.

"If it's anyone besides the great and powerful Whitney Houston I will be thoroughly disappointed." Jesse states. I remove my hands with a faux pout.

"Sorry, guess you're thoroughly disappointed." I say with the pout, moving over the chairs and sitting next to him. Jesse smiles widely.

"Happier than I thought," He jokes, pointing to his face. I chuckle. "I'm surprised you showed up. I thought you were going to get back at me by saying you'd go and then standing me up." Jesse states, a little quieter than before. I bite my lip, turning to look at him.

"And I thought you were going to trick me into coming here, making me buy my ticket, then stand me up." I say in return.

"You paid for your ticket? Why didn't you text me? I'm practically making you come with me, I should've taken care of it." Jesse stresses. I merely shrug.

"My dad paid for it, really. He was the one who said I could come in the first place. It's fine, really." I assure him. We both lean back in our seats.

"You know I wouldn't do that right? Stand you up." He says suddenly. I look at him to see him staring at me with vulnerable honesty. I nod, slowly.

"I think I'm starting to get that." I respond lowly. He might stand me up, but he did leave me in the dark for two whole months.

We wait in the seats, making small talk until the speakers say that we're gonna be boarding. I haven't gathered the courage to ask Jesse why we're going to Ohio exactly. I know there's another her that he needs to make amends with. But why exactly are both of us going there to do it?

We all slowly get on the plane. Waiting to see if there were any empty seats we could sit together with. With our luck, two seats were left open in the back. We ditch our previous seats and sit next to one another. Jesse looked to be growing more and more excited while I grew more and more confused.

"Why exactly are you so excited?" I ask, timidly. Jesse grins, throwing his hands over his head and leaning back in his seat.

"I'm free from LA-don't think I'll be going back there again, I'm free from all school work, I'm completely done with school, you and I are friends again, I'm making amends. Life is great!" Jessie bellows. I nod in agreement, eyebrows raised before I really understand what he's saying. My eyes widen when I realize.

"What do you mean you're done with school?!" I shout through the plane. A few people glance at us but I pay them no bother. Jessie looks over at me slowly.

"I kinda got kicked out of school." Jessie mumbles. My jaw drops. I turn my body to face him, heavily confused.

"And how exactly did you get kicked out of school?" I scold, crossing my arms. His eyes flicker to see my arms move but quickly return to my eyes. He licks his lips nervously, fidgeting in his seat.

"I kind of didn't turn in any of my assignments. Or go to any of my classes." Jessie says, bracing himself for my wrath.

Nothing comes. As I silently fume with a red hot anger of a thousand burning suns, Jesse sits there nervously.

"But... I told you..."

"I know." He winces.

"That you had to start going to classes..." I ignore him, my pounding heart to loud to hear and consider his words.

"I know." He whispers quieter than before.

"So why didn't you!" I whisper/shout harshly. Jesse backs up in his seat, holding out his hands.

"Look, look, look! You have to understand something here, I'm a show choir major, I shouldn't have to go to classes! I know you told me I had to but you don't go here! You can't know every secret of this school...I guess I just thought once show choir picked up, I wouldn't have to go to my other classes. You know all about how in my other school, they usually sent someone in my other classes to take them for me." He tried to reason. I hold up my fists, Jesse squeezes his eyes shut. Before I fulfill the urge to punch him in the face, I squeeze my fists together.

"Yes, ok... but I told you... We don't do that!" I start by clenching my teeth, trying not to punch him and I end up yelling through the plane again. Jesses eyes pop open.

"Ok, but like I said... you don't know every secret of UCLA." He uses one of his hands to point at me.

"But I. Was. Right." I grit out. He nods, sitting back in his seat.

I throw my head back in anger and annoyance. I shut my eyes and try and calm myself down.

"Can you at least tell me who you're going to Lima to make amends with?" I ask, trying to keep my calm composer.

"Just an ex-girlfriend." He says casually.

My composer fell. A deep frown settled on my face as I opened my eyes to look over at him. Jesse had seemingly copied me, head back and eyes closed. I shook my head slowly and laid back down. I peek an eye out the window... I wonder if I can jump out these windows? I need pain relief...

"Well just so you know, we aren't friends," I mention, referencing to the previous rant of his. "You haven't done anything to make amends yet. I don't know if I'll forgive you." I clarify.

I try and hold back a smirk as I feel Jesses gaze on me.

We ride the rest of the plane in silence. Until he makes amends, there isn't much to say. Once we land, Jesse rents a car and instead of driving to a hotel, we arrive at a high school. I gape at the size of it. Jesse and I exit the car. Assuming he sees my reaction, he chuckles.

"Never seen a high school before?" He asks. I shake my head.

"Actually, no. Once everyone found out about my talent, I didn't enter another public school. I was home schooled and forced to dance for all my extra time. I lost all my childhood friends and the only people I ever really talked to were my dad and dance teacher," I speak, distracted by the school. I leave Jesse behind me and walk in. Once we enter McKinley Highschool I start looking around. "So where do you think this ex of yours is gonna be?" I ask.

I look over and see Jesse smirk.

"The auditorium, no doubt. We are very much alike." He says, walking forwards and ahead of me.