Happy Place || A Jerrie Fanfiction

III - JADE THIRLWALL

We were walking for a few minutes, passing by empty huts; passing by empty restaurants. We're plowing our feet through the sand as we tread ahead. Perrie's hand is still entwined with mine, and every now and then I'd feel her squeeze my hand. And I wonder if we're walking towards the lost-and-found area, or if we're going nowhere.

So I decided to make sure. "We're going to the lost-and-found area, right?"

Perrie squeezed my hand for the eighth time and nodded. "Yep. Lost-and-found. We're gonna look for your bag. In the lost-and-found. We're going to the lost-and-found."

I fixated my gaze on her side profile. "Do I have to remind you again later?"

She finally turned her head and looked at me. "Remind me of what?"

"That we're looking for my bag in the lost-and-found."

"Oh, right." Perrie cleared her throat and shook her head before looking back front. "Nope. Just hold my hand, and we'll be fine."

I rolled my bottom lip between my teeth, feeling a bit doubtful. "Okay, Perrie."

She side-eyed me. "So we have met before..."

"We have. Awhile ago," I replied, and I find myself squeezing her hand. "You were the waitress in the restaurant I was in. And a guy told you to give me a cola because he thinks I'm cute."

Perrie hummed, squeezed my hand for the ninth time. "And then what happened?"

"And then I asked if he told you to get my number," I continued. "And then you told me no, and that even he did, you still wouldn't do it because we can live easily without men like him."

Perrie snorted. "That does sound like something I would say. Thanks."

"For what?"

"For telling me a story." She squeezed my hand for the tenth time.

I showed her a tight-lipped smile. "Sure. I'm Jade, by the way."

She looked at me and flashed me a gentle smile. "Nice name, Jade. I'll remember that."

Will you, really? is what roamed around my head for a second. But her smile was gentle enough for me to mirror it.

"So how old is your sister?" I asked her.

A frown replaced her smile. "I have a sister?" I fell silent at that. When I was searching for words to say, she chuckled and shook her head. "She's eight years old, turning nine next week. Tuesday."

I let out a sigh of relief at that. "Oh." I didn't know what else to ask her at this point.

Bewilderment successfully overwhelmed me. And so I revert back to silence, squeezing her hand occasionally, and feeling my stomach churn every time she squeezes back.

We continued to walk like that - like as if silence is the number one priority, until we stopped in front of a wooden cabin with a hanging sign that says 'Leigh's Lost-And-Found' painted in white. The paint was a bit faded, but the letters were still readable in a way.

"Here we are." Perrie finally lets go of my hand and opened the door, looking back at me. "Pretty ladies first, as per usual."

"'As per usual'?" I reiterated.

Perrie didn't respond to that, and instead walked toward the desk, where a dark, curly haired woman sat on a brown chair. She seemed busy, peering over a mountain of papers. That was until Perrie cleared her throat.

The woman looked up through her lens and smiled. "Perrie."

"Leigh-Anne Pinnock," Perrie greeted. She then beckoned me to come over. "This is Jade Thirlwall."

I darted a look at her, shocked to find out that she knows not just my first name, but my last name as well.

"Jade Thirlwall," the woman, Leigh-Anne, looked up at me with a smile that showed her pearly white teeth. "You can call me Leigh. Anything I can help you with?"

"She lost her bag and robe," Perrie filled her in.

"Just the bag, actually," I interjected, "The robe is from the hotel."

"Ah," Perrie said, she faced Leigh again to say, "Jade lost her bag. The robe is from the hotel."

Leigh's smile widened. "Is it a navy blue bag?"

"Yes!" My cheeks flushed in embarrassment, and I cleared my throat before speaking again, "Yeah. That's my bag."

"One of the dudes who works here surrendered it. Well, lucky for you, it wasn't stolen." Leigh giggled, stood up from her seat, and disappeared into the screen door situated behind her.

I faced Perrie. "Thank you."

She tilted her head. "For what?"

"For helping me find my bag."

"Ah, that one." She snapped her fingers before leaning her side on Leigh's desk, arms crossed over her chest. A smile painted on her face. "No problem." Then she looked away, her eyes roaming around the room as if it's the first time she's been here.

It was silent for a moment. Then I filled it in with a question, "Do you think Leigh knows about me, too?"

She faced me again. "What's about you?" she asked, shrugging coolly.

I rolled my eyes and copied her position - leaning on Leigh's desk with crossed arms. "That I'm a celebrity?"

She softly gasped, her hand over her chest. "You're a celebrity?"

I stared at her, unamused. "How did you know my last name?"

"Uhm, you told me?"

"I didn't tell you."

She lifted an eyebrow. "Uh, yeah you did."

"No, I didn't!" I whisper-shouted, feeling annoyed already.

Her facial expression showed nothing at first, then it melted into a soft smile. She let her hand rest back down. "I won't tell anyone we held hands if that's what you're worried about, Jade Thirlwall. And no, Leigh doesn't know that you're a celebrity."

I was about to thank her for that and whip out a repartee regarding the holding hands part when Leigh waltzed back in, holding my bag that I have missed so much.

"Oh, my God, thank you, Leigh." I copped hold of the bag and embraced it. "Christ, I don't know what I would do if my bag was really stolen. I'd probably live here for good."

"Ah, so you're a tourist," Leigh conjectured, sitting back down on her chair.

"Something like that," I vaguely replied.

"If you're gonna live here for good, you're welcome to live with me," Perrie told me, her smile transitioned into a knowing smirk. She even had the audacity to give her eyebrows a little bounce.

Leigh rolled her eyes and hit Perrie's arm with a newspaper. "Shut up, flirt. You'll scare her away." She looked at me. "So, what is it about this place that makes you want to visit, Jade?"

"Well," I answered, mulling over on what to say. Then I settled with "I guess I just needed a change of scenery."

I hear Perrie snort and I gave her a side-glare.

"Okay, then," Leigh said, smiling as always. "Hope you have a happy vacation here."

I smiled back at her. "Thanks, Leigh."

"Alright, Jade Thirlwall." Perrie nudged her head toward the door. "We gotta go before it gets dark. Caitlyn must be worried."

I nodded and looked back at Leigh, holding up my bag. "Thank you for this."

"You're very welcome." Leigh turned to Perrie. "Take care of our visitor, you hear me? Don't get lost."

Perrie laughed. "I know this place like the back of my hand, Leigh-Anne." Then I felt her hand slip in mine, once again bringing about the churning of my stomach. Her blue eyes bore into mine as she smiled gently at me. "We need to go now."

Then she led me out.