The Bitch Is Back: An Elton John Fanfiction

Part Three: Breaking Hearts

Immediately, with her eyes forming a blue ocean of tears, she frantically searched for Bernie around the house. She did not see him. At last, she figured he was outside. 
She ran for the back door and opened it, peering outside. Surely enough, there he was, with some of the other members of the band: Nigel, Ray, Davey, and a few other folks she hadn't seen before. They were all huddled by a fire, relaxing and talking calmly away from the noisy clutter inside. She sighed a sigh of relief, then tried to rub the tears in her eyes away. She just couldn't believe what had happened to her.
She made a beeline for Bernie, tears still falling down her cheeks before she even had the chance to wipe them away again. She was so close to sobbing, but she held it in to get her words out instead.
"Oh Bernie! You're here! I didn't think you'd come!" She wailed, her knees bending as she couldn't hold still. She felt like her legs were melting into a puddle.
Bernie turned his head and looked at her; very confused. "Yeah, why wouldn't I?" 
"He sounded like he didn't want you here anymore..." Everyone around the fire stared at the girl as she gave such depressing wines of despair. She looked very pitiful.
Jeannie suddenly fell to her knees. She knew it was going to happen eventually. "Oh Bernie, Bernie... Elton has been hurting me inside! He is acting- different!"
Suddenly, Jeannie got up and grabbed Bernie's arms, then leaned her head down in his lap and began to weep. She couldn't feel anything at all but her heartache trying to break from her chest. The tears began to feel like a stream, or a river, flowing down the smooth canvas of her cheeks and onto Bernie's lap. She cried. And wailed. And moaned. And she didn't stop until Bernie pulled her in for a hug and covered her mouth gently.
"Sssshhhh.... ssshhh..." He comforted her and patted her back- relaxing her veins in her spine and arms all the way down to her fingertips. But she was still heartbroken.
Nobody spoke a word around the fire. All they could do was feel the tension in the air and hear this girl sob such miserable and unbearable  pain from her heart. All were left shocked; speechless.
"Tell me..." Bernie said, rubbing her back in such a way that made her trust him even deeper than before, "...What he did to you."
This made Jeannie jump up and look at him with an expression he had never seen before in her eyes: desperation.
"Elton is a different man. I don't know how to tell you this, but Bernie-" She gulped nervously, then her eyes watered over and over and over again, "He's so cold. W-we slept b-b-back to back last night. I feel... that he is forcing his love upon-n me now." She suddenly gasped, then moaned, "Oh Bernie! What if he is cheating on me!?"
Before she could have a mental breakdown, Bernie got up and grabbed her and hugged her harder now- as if he knew that she would be thrashing and screaming like a poor, lost child. He didn't let go of her, he just hugged her away from the flames. He looked around at everyone, who still remained as speechless as ever; and then he closed his eyes and sighed.
"Sweet Jeannie, let's go inside, away from the fire. You and me can talk upstairs."

The noise was drowned out mostly as Bernie and Jeannie closed the door upstairs in one of the guest bedrooms. They sat on the bed together and he watched as Jeannie silently weep and blow her nose. He hated to see her cry in such a way.
"Now, what exactly makes you think he is cheating on you?" His hand reached for her shoulder and touched her, but she didn't look at him. She stared at her lap and mumbled.
"H-h-he... he's..."
"Speak louder, honey. This door can't hold back all of that commotion."
Jeannie began to cry a little louder now. "He... he's rough with me. I don't know. I couldn't imagine him with anybody else but he's acting strange and I-"
"Jeannie, darling, Elton loves you. He loves you right in his heart." He put his hand on his chest, right where his heart was, and smiled. "I know." He said softly, taking her hand. She looked up at him with yet another tear trickling slowly down her cheek and dripping onto her shirt. 
"How? He hurt me. He tried to force a kiss on me in front of everybody and embarrassed me!" She was about to start up again and wail, but she held her breath in and tried to hold it all in.
Bernie looked at her and sighed, feeling the weight of her pain on his shoulders. But he wasn't upset at her for bringing it up. He completely understood.
"Listen." He said, scooting closer to Jeannie on the bed, "I've known Elton for quite some time. There are things... about him... that I guess he never told." This now caught Jeannie's attention, as she perked up her head and fought back the tears even harder.
"Elton is a very shy guy, Jeannie. I mean as in, he won't just come out and reveal his feelings right away. He needs time." He reached out and put his hand across her back, and felt her breathe so gently, despite being in a world of turmoil.
"He is quite emotional, for a man." He cleared his throat and then looked at her straight in the eyes. 
"Every time Elton had to end his past relationships, he had always felt as if it was his fault, and his fault only. He is very self-conscious, Jeannie."
Jeannie looked at him and felt the tears begin to stop for a split second. She thought about him deeper. But she couldn't imagine thinking of this man who had just hurt her as an emotional guy. Then the tears fell again.
"If Elton was so emotional, then why would he betray and abuse me like this?" She hung her head down and felt her heart tremble deep inside. This pain was absolutely the worst burden that had to suffer through. 
"It's unintentional, sweetie, I promise. I don't think he's realized yet what he's done." He took he hand and held it for a minute, trying desperately to calm her down. He squeezed it in his palms and he could literally feel her shaking deep down.
"Trust me, he doesn't want to have the relationship go on like this. He is a hopeless romantic, Jeannie, much like you."
She sighed and then rubbed her eyes once again. The snot rag in her hand was completely used, so she kept on sniffling up the rest. She started to feel a headache brew far into her temples.
"Bernie?" Jeannie finally turned a looked at him, her innocent voice a soft and quiet as a child's, "How come you're not upset? Hadn't he yelled at you last night?" 
This got a little chuckle out of him. "Ahh, you see, you haven't seen him so upset before."
She looked at him and frowned. "Wait, yes I have!" She exclaimed, "When I first came over I remember him cussing out his guards and he was pretty pissed..."
Bernie chuckled a little harder, then suddenly cut her off. "No, Jeannie. You haven't seen him pained before."
Jeannie looked down at her lap for a second, then allowed the silence to slip out from her lips. She had never thought of it that way before.
"Pained?" She asked.
"Yes, pained. See, I've know Elton since we were basically boys." He cleared his throat, then continued- his arm still wrapped around her to give her comfort.
"I could tell when he yelled at me, that it wasn't about me. So I knew not to take it personally. It's the look in his eyes, honey. I've seen this look before- though very seldom does he give it. It's a pained look in his eyes that he only gives when he cares so deeply for another person. Look in his eyes, Jeannie. Look at me." He lifted up her chin and brought her very close to his eyes, and she looked into them with such wide-eye wonder.
"I think you are seeing that look in his eyes, and that's what's scaring you into thinking that he is somebody different. But he is not- believe me, Jeannie! He is acting this way because he truly cares about you. And more than any other woman, you are special to him. It may sound crazy considering he has done more harm than good." He chuckled softly, "But see me through on this one."
Jeannie tried to give a weak smile. Maybe Bernie was right.
"It's not crazy, Bernie. I think I understand."
He looked at her intensely in the eyes, and she could feel his love for her shine like never before. But it wasn't a romantic kind of love, it was that love feeling you had for a true friend. She never felt him open up to her like this until now, and he revealed such powerful hidden emotions. She didn't know why, but she really wanted to kiss him, on the lips, just this one time. Just because she wanted to feel their friendship, just becuase she wanted to do it.
So she leaned forward and did it, and to her surprise he blushed and liked it very much. He beamed with joy and delight in his heart.
"Thank you." She told him, and then finally gave a small smile. Bernie couldn't stop blushing; he just held his hands to his lips like a young boy falling in love again. Seemed like anybody she kissed fell for her innocent, youthful traps.
"Jeannie..." He grinned, "I have been waiting such a long time for your kiss." 
"Really?" She was stunned, but was actually sort of happy in her heart.
"Yes, I have always liked you. You know, back when we first came to your house, I was jealous of you and Elton. Real jealous. You remember how we got into a fight over you, don't you? Heh..." He laughed a little, then shook his head, "And truthfully, I still kinda am jealous!"
Jeannie gasped and then they laughed together, sharing a bond that was absolutely adorable and unbreakable now. Jeannie was just so happy to find a true friend in him now, someone whom she could always trust- even during hectic times like these.
"Bernie!" She laughed, "I never knew you always felt that way!"
"Well, I did kinda get over it now." He scratched his head and then gave her a hug. They were just feeling such intense, complete freedom as they let all their emotions out. It was a state of bliss right before their eyes.
But freedom was quickly interrupted as their was a sudden knock on the door. Neither Bernie nor Jeannie had the chance to ask who it was before the person rudely barged in and began to shout.
It was Elton, heaving his chest in and out for a breath of fresh air like he had just ran a marathon up the steps.
"Ahh it's you guys!" He sounded realived, but his energy still came off as stressed. "I had been looking for you two for half an hour!"
He then noticed that Bernie's arm was around Jeannie, and he instantly frowned with disapproval. He squinted and pointed at Bernie's arm. "And wot's with this?"
"What's with what?" He looked at his arm like it wasn't even his.
"Don't act like you don't know wot it is I'm looking at, Bernie." Elton's voice suddenly became hostile all over again. Jeannie closed her eyes and covered her ears with her hands. She didn't want to hear it nor be a part of this any longer!
"We were just talking, Elton." Bernie said flatly.
"And about wot, exactly?"
"About your bitterness, actually."
Elton looked insulted and accused, and stepped back as though he was hurt. Jeannie couldn't tell if he was faking it or if he really was, but she was too busy trying to zone him out to really care.
"My bitterness? Wot the fuck, you think I'm bitter, Bernie!!?" His voice steadily rose to the top as he projected it over the loud and booming music on the floor below.
"No, Elton, she thinks you're being bitter." Bernie turned and pointed at Jeannie, who was curled up in a ball, covering her ears and eyes, gently rocking herself into a weeping ball of tears.
Elton paused and looked at her for a moment, and then had a lonely, lost look take over his eyes. It was that same look that Jeannie had seen earlier last night, and it was the same look that Bernie had been talking to her about before. Did he really think she was special?
"Elton..." She whined, the throbbing in her heart reaching a climax, "You hurt me!" She gabbed her shirt collar and pulled it up to her nose, wiping it. There was nothing else to use.
Elton took a step towards her and growled, "Wot? Wot do you mean?"
"You humiliated me in from of everyo-"
"I did nothing but give you a simple kiss, Jeannette." 
"A simple kiss!" Jeannie wailed, shock and utter disappointed filled her chest, "You forced it upon me, I didn't want to do it in front of all those people. You were choking me."
"Choking? Wot? Wot kind of shit is that!?"
"Elton, settle down!" Bernie yelled.
But Elton ignored, "You just think that kissing in front of other people is weird, okay, gotcha." He said sarcastically. He really was so bitter.
"No!" Jeannie cried, standing up this time. "No! I just wish you would give your true love to me..."
Elton took a step towards Jeannie and this alarmed Bernie even more. "Elton, get back!"
"True love?" He squinted, and then took an extreme deep breath of air. Everybody knew he was going to scream.
"Well if you wanted my goddamn fucking love, you should've fucking accepted it last night when I wanted to give it to you!!!"
Jeannie fell completely silent and watched as Bernie stepped up in front of Elton and tried to protect her. She couldn't even comprehend what had just happened. He didn't just do that. Elton didn't really just say that, did he?
She squealed with pain, then stepped alongside Bernie and cowered beneath Elton, who boiled like a hot-headed fuel of rage. Feeling his anger, nearly seeing the steam of fury rise to the ceiling, hearing his harsh, deafening insults- it all caused her ears to ring.
"You make no sense at all! I'm so tired of this pain!" Elton yelled, then turned around for the door furiously. "Fuck you!" He stared directly at Jeannie, and she couldn't even recognize him at all anymore. The lost look in his eyes was about as vast as the whole galaxy of stars beyond them in the tiny world. She thought she would never find which star lead to his open heart.
Elton slammed the door behind him and a picture frame fell down the wall. It shattered into about fifty broken little pieces, and just staring at it caused Jeannie to have another mental breakdown.
"Elton hates me!" Jeannie screamed, then began to melt down onto the floor right in front of Bernie. She screamed and screamed and screamed- it was the only thing she felt like she could do now. She had completely given up on all that Bernie had told her, no matter how many times he did it.
"Jeannie! Listen to me!"
She could hear his voice, but it was faint below her high-pitched wails.
"It's just the rehab, I know...!"
She still sobbed, even though her eyes burned like fire and her heart felt like a wilted flower beneath the flames.
"All this anger is because of overcoming cocaine. It's his body's reaction to-"
"No it's not!" Jeannie howled, then got up and ran for the door. She didn't wanna talk about it anymore. She was just too depressed and heartsore to listen to anybody right now. And she didn't even believe him anyways.
"You know it's something more than that!" Jeannie whimpered, then closed the door behind her. She didn't know where she was going to go, but she instinctively ran to the first door she could find. It just so happened to be Elton's bedroom.
She went inside quickly and closed the door, locking it. She leaned up against it and and closed her eyes, then fell to the floor and began to whimper and cry all over and over again. Nothing could make her stop. And when she felt the gold pendant laying softly on her neck, she began to wail even more than ever.
"No. No. NO!" She thought, feeling the thin little chain between her fingers lay across her skin. She felt tears trickle down to her hands as she touched it. She couldn't hold it anymore.
"NO! Never him! Never again!" She squealed with deep sorrow now, ripping the necklace clean off her neck and splitting it in half. But she wasn't done just yet.
"If he hates me, then I HATE HIM TOO!!!" She didn't even look twice at the necklace this time, she just took it in between her hands and pulled as hard as she could, ripping the chain furthermore into tiny little gold pieces that fell to the floor, much like the frame she just witnessed break.
"Fuck you, Elton. You jerk!" She began to cry a large flow of tears, so much that they fell onto the pendant like rain. She glared at the little platinum and gold heart with all the strain inside her at once. She was going to destroy the heart.
She slipped into the bathroom next door and found the showerhead to be a heavy duty enough for her. With one hand firmly gripped on the handle, and the other on the pendant, she whammed her arm down and hit the precious metal square in the center, and the heart folded into a book. Then she threw the showerhead aside: "BANG!"
Running back into the bedroom, she approached the window and opened it. She looked straight past the metal- all she could do was feel her fingers bend the gold and split the heart directly in half, just to create a broken heart in her palms. She was so bruised, so torn up- that she felt as if he left her heart bleeding in the wide open- the unknown. She would never forget how he made her feel.
And with that in her mind, she opened up the screen behind the window and chucked the necklace far out into the chilling, lonesome night.