The Royal Scandal | Prince William |

If You Love Her

June 29, 2001

She had hugged Natania outside Midway Airport, still with her news tucked into her mind, she hopped into her father's car, she waited until they reached the interstate so when we got up to speed she was merged with everything else, and then she sobbed.

It was ridiculous.

She was being invited to dance with one of the most prestigious companies in the world, and she had the audacity to cry while others weren't getting anything at all.

Her dad reiterated that to her in the most calm voice he could muster. Brad wouldn't tell her what he thought outright, she had to figure it out herself that this was the best offer she could get.

Instead he said, "you better learn to speak french."

"I can speak french," she deadpanned, hiccuping on her tears.

"Right that's why I paid for you to go to that fancy school."

Jaclyn scoffed, "You didn't pay crap," she looked up to see he was grinning. Had he been out to make her smile all along?

She focused on what was outside her window watching the fat rain droplets painfully pelt the flowers along the road. Illinois and England had similar weather patterns, but the looming clouds appeared more miserable here. Was it her distaste of her home, or was it her mood?

"Dad," she paused fingers tracing the fogged window. There was so much to say where did she start? "Should I go?" His permission was essential, she didn't believe she could go if her dad was against it.

For the briefest of seconds Brad took his eyes off the road, and through his sunglasses saw her agonized eyes, eyes that were pleading with him to promise her everything would be alright. Well, he couldn't do that anymore.

"Jac, it's up to you, but let's consider our options. You can go to Paris where you will very much be a fish out of water, but have a secure job for a year doing what you love. You can stay in London try to be a freelance performer, but considering what you told me about what everyone thinks about you currently I don't know how that'll turn out." She still didn't seem entirely convinced, so he added,

"Or you can give up entirely and come home, teach at the studio, help at the shop with the plants." Everything you hate, he thought to himself.

She scoffed at that, more of a reaction, "I don't want to teach, when I myself should still be dancing." Desperation clung to her voice as it settled in her, and suddenly by each passing second she was becoming less and less scared of leaving.

The rain continued to wash over the outside world, and Jaclyn found herself accepting this revelation. "Thanks dad."

-----

June 30, 2001

Last night Jaclyn found herself in a weird bed, even though it was her own. Her dad and her had got home around midnight, and it had been hours since she had last properly slept. She was expecting to doze off peacefully. After hours of tossing to the point of wrinkling the sheets, her little brother came into her room, a far off sleepy look in his eyes, and climbed into her bed. She curled around him, and slept peacefully for the rest of the night.

When she woke up in the morning, told her mom the news, and headed for the studio before she could be lectured into picking the obvious choice. She was eighteen, things were dramatic in her mind. 

It was four in the afternoon when she got there, and she planned on leaving before classes started not wanting to disturb the students.