A few days had passed and Jade and Perrie hadn't heard from each other since. It's as though they have this mutual and unspoken understanding that after that night, they shouldn't see nor talk to one another again. Maybe they both need more time to think about it or decide what to do next.
Jade spent most of her nights in her bar, performing two to three songs. It's her way of relaxing and diverting her attention elsewhere while the school is on break for the holidays.
New Year's Eve came, and Jade decided to celebrate it at her bar.
They had their own countdown. Her playlist is ready, but since it's still too early, she sings slow songs while waiting for the patrons and enthusiasts of her bar to show up.
"This song that I'll be singing next is an original," Jade says. She heard the crowd howl and whistle at her confession. "I wrote this while I was still in college going through some...you know, teenage heartache." She smiles at the crowd and chuckles a little.
She'd been singing at her bar for a long time now and she has garnered quite a bit of fans that frequented her joint. And they only go there whenever she's around.
Jade started to play her guitar strings as she sat on the wooden stool up the stage and began singing.
After she sang the chorus, the crowds applauded as they watched and listened to Jade's lyrics. It's as if they, too, felt what Jade felt.
She was singing through the second verse when someone caught her eye.
I bet...You think I either moved on or hate you...
'Cause each time you reach out there's no reply.
I bet...It never, ever occurred to you...
That I can't say "Hello" to you
And risk another goodbye...
She saw Perrie. The blonde's gaze wandered over Jade's face, coming back to her eyes and standing by the entrance of the bar, watching her. Even so, Jade continued to sing.
Since she saw Perrie, she hadn't looked elsewhere, especially when every word and lyric of her song was intended for Perrie.
Oh, we made quite a mess, babe...
It's probably better off this way.
And I confess, babe...
In my dreams you're touching my face,
And asking me if I'd wanna try again with you.
And I almost do...
Unbeknownst to Jade, a tear fell from Perrie's eyes. She subtly wiped it away. Jade, on the other hand, couldn't hide the fact that she's become teary-eyed as well as she continued singing.
Even the crowd was silent. They felt every ounce of Jade's feelings up until the last line of her song.
And I hope sometimes you wonder 'bout me...
Jade closed her eyes after she sang the last word. When she opened her eyes, Perrie was no longer there. She eyed the crowd, who erupted into applause and cheering but couldn't find her.
She signalled the band to play upbeat songs. She then tapped the shoulder of the second vocalist to take over before she stepped off the stage and hurried to the entrance, hoping to see Perrie there. However, when she got there, the blonde was nowhere to be found.
When she returned to the counter, one of the bouncers came up to her.
"Oy Jade, a woman left this," he said, handing her a crisp white envelope. "She told me to give it to you."
"Thanks." She replied and stepped out of the bar.
Jade was hesitant to open it. Her heart started to beat fast. She wanted to read the envelope's contents, but a part of her was scared of opening it. What if Perrie gave it to her as payback for the times when she left her with nothing but a letter? What if Perrie realizes that she's made a mistake and that she's choosing her family over her? What if Perrie–
She shakes her head, her grip tightened on the envelope. It's now or never, Jade.
Jade heaves a deep sigh after reading Perrie's letter.
Even if the contents may be a bit vague, there are a lot of things running through her mind right now. But one thing Jade is certain of, Perrie's decision is clear – she didn't want to tell Alex. And now, Perrie wants to run away from him with Jade.
This should've made Jade happy, but why does she feel like she's not? She needs more explanation from the blonde than just the letter.
If she was being honest, she hadn't decided yet. However, this time, she needs to. And Perrie needs to know her decision.
Jade came back inside, but as she was walking towards the backstage, flashes of memories flooded her vision. Memories that she thinks aren't hers but it somewhat feels familiar.
☆
My head hurts...Ugh! Wait–Why is my view so low? I look down and notice that I'm in a wheelchair, wearing a grey hoodie over a hospital gown with a white wristband and an IV stuck in my right hand.
To my left, I see Perrie in a white coat. Wait, she's a doctor? She was leaning on the wall next to the elevator buttons. She looked exhausted but still as beautiful as ever.
"How do I look?" I ask her.
Perrie seemed startled; nevertheless, our conversation started from there.
Then, another piece of memory came rushing through.
I'm in Seattle's Municipal courtroom with Perrie next to me. In front of us was a Judge who looked relieved that the ceremony didn't take long. Unfortunately, I maxed out my insurance policy. Perrie was kind enough to marry me so I could continue with the treatment of my disease.
Woah! All these flashbacks are giving me whiplash! The next scene brought me to the room where I was lying on the bed wearing a hospital gown again as the doctors surrounded me.
Perrie came in and gave me a bunch of papers to sign. She's too kind for her own good.
"That's my wife," I told Doctor Kelly as I glanced at Perrie. "Upgrade, right? The ex was a catering waiter."
By now, my head was pounding, and it wasn't because of the club's music as well. It feels as though it's about to break in two. These dreams, these scenes...these flashbacks, these all feel familiar. I remember I have dreamt of it many times before.
I rushed to the ladies' room instead of heading backstage. Good thing no one was around. I splashed water on my face and then looked up at the mirror. Shortly after, another flash of memory came.
Perrie's face was red, fuming as she yelled at me. "You had chest pain, so you decided to go for a jog!?"
I felt a sting on my arm when someone injected me with something. "Sorry," said the woman. My vision was blurry, but I can guarantee that the woman must've seen me grimace after being injected.
My eyes were closed, but I heard Perrie talk to the woman. "She shouldn't be in this much pain!"
The next thing I saw was I was lying on the bed about to enter the enormous CT Scan machine. I gazed into Perrie's face.
"Look at your eyes!" I told her. "Look at...you're not looking at your eyes. I could look into your eyes my whole life."
The flashback ended. "Wait–I've dreamt of that recently," I whisper as I pant. It's like I ran a full marathon from all these flashbacks!
I can't even explain what those were and why I keep on seeing them.
"Those aren't dreams."
Jade gasps and turns around but finds no one there. I was sure I was alone in the bathroom, she thought. So, where did that voice come from? She looked back at the mirror and saw someone behind her—a woman with blue eyes and fiery red hair tied in a bun.
"Uh..." Jade was speechless. She doesn't know what to say either, as she's still trying to recover from the flashbacks.
The woman cautiously stepped forward. "Take a deep breath..." Jade did as she was told and repeated it three more times before she finally calmed down.
"You think you've been having dreams about Perrie?" Says the woman. Jade snaps her head at her. "Those weren't dreams. Those were your memories."
Jade was baffled by what this woman was saying. "Memories? What do you mean memories?"
"Memories of your past life from a different world." The woman answered, which made Jade more confused. "It's long gone. But you remember it all too well, don't you?"
"Wait..." Jade remembers something from what the girl just said. Oh yeah, the scarf, she thought. She stares at the girl's necklace. "T.S.", Jade whispers as she reads the initials engraved on the necklace. "Who are you?"
Before the woman could answer her, another flashback of her memory came surging through like a raging river. Only this time, it's clear to her.
She was losing too much blood. The doctors surrounding her were all in panic. One doctor was explaining how the tumour eroded right through her pulmonary artery.
Jade couldn't see them, but she could hear them as though it was happening before her eyes.
She could hear everything but couldn't move any part of her body. It's as though she's in a state of being in sleep paralysis—she's conscious but can't talk, can't move, and can't even open her eyes. She couldn't feel a thing!
It was like that for a while until the noise around her slowly faded away. Until she couldn't hear anything at all. Everything was just...black. The only thing left in her memory was Perrie's voice saying 'I love you'. Those were the last words she heard before she blacked out.
The next thing she knew, she was in a different world. The memories of her past life dwindled over time, replaced by new memories, up to the time that she's completely forgotten about her old memories...until today.
Jade gasps wide-eyed at T.S. "I died."
"You died in that world," the woman corrects her.
"Was I reincarnated?" She asks.
"Not quite. You were given another chance–A twist of fate, as I like to call it."
"Am I supposed to remember those?" Jade asks. "Is everyone here experiencing the same thing that I did? W–What about Perrie? Who is she in her past life?"
The woman stares at Jade. "I can only handle two questions at a time." She smiles kindly at her.
"Oh, sorry. All of it was just...unreal."
"You weren't supposed to remember them." The woman admitted. "No one is supposed to remember the memories from their past lives. Certain circumstances may make them feel like some things have already happened. Many believe and call it déjà vu, but nothing more than that. Nothing like what you're experiencing right now."
"And Perrie? Who is she in her past life?'
"She is still Perrie but from another world called Earth LMX – that's where I'm from, too. She died the same day you died in your world," The redhead explains. "An incubus killed her, you know, some demon on our Earth. She was my childhood friend but doesn't remember it in this world." The woman retold the story with a hint of sadness in her voice.
This made Jade think. If she weren't experiencing some weird flashbacks and intensely painful headaches, she'd think that the woman in front of her was a fugitive who escaped from an asylum.
"Why is this happening?" Jade inquired. "Why did I suddenly remember everything?"
The woman hums. "Good question. At first, I thought the universe was pulling some trick again, but then..."
"But then what?"
"Do you remember the first time you 'dreamt' about Perrie?"
Jade looks down, trying to recall it. "Yeah, when she left and went to America. I thought I was missing her."
"Well, that is one reason, too. But that also was the start of you remembering your past life. It was the same day in your previous world, which we call Earth LM5, where Perrie got sucked into a bright blinding light transporting her through a portal to Earth LMX." The woman explained. Jade stood silently, trying to digest what she was saying. "Your pull on Perrie was so strong that it created some elements that reached Perrie, causing Earth LM5 and Earth LMX to collide, opening the door to a parallel world."
Jade was silent for a few seconds before speaking. "I...I did not understand a single word you said."
The woman grins and shakes her head. "This means that you loved Perrie so much in your past life that you weren't ready to leave her yet. And Perrie, from your past life, couldn't accept the fact that you were gone. Those emotions are way too strong that even the universe couldn't handle them! You two needed closure."
"But...that was a long time ago. I'm sure Perrie from my past life found a way to move on eventually."
The woman smiled at her. "Don't start with me about time. Time in another world works differently from your time here. Right at this moment, Perrie's having some episodes–the same as you did. Flashbacks of you dying on that operating table. She's lost..."
Jade blinked a couple of times. It's hurtful enough to see Perrie sad. It would be devastating to see her lose herself.
"How am I going to have closure with her?" Jade asks. "You said that I'm already dead in her world. And you also mentioned that she's no longer in my world anymore she got sucked into a portal. Unless you have some power to bring me to her..."
Jade trailed off and then gasped. "Oh my God! You can actually do that!?"
The woman smiled again. "With you two, nothing is impossible. I can easily help you with that, but not today. Today, you're gonna fix your situation here, in your real world, with your Perrie. Because you can't have closure with someone from your past if you've messed something up with your present life."
"Why do you know so much about me and Perrie and my past life? Who are you really?" Jade narrows her eyes at the woman. "And the scarf that was from you, wasn't it? Why–"
The woman clicked her tongue. "Nuh-uh. Two questions at a time only, please."
"Sorry..." Jade smiles sheepishly.
The woman holds her necklace and says, "I'm Taylor Swift. They call me The Oracle, but I call me The Pegacorn."
"The what now?"
Taylor chuckled. "Taylor would be fine. And do you remember a woman with long, straight blonde hair coming here at your bar every night since you got the scarf?"
Jade tries to recall her. She has quite a number of regular customers, so it's easy for her to spot a tourist passing by when there is one. And if there was a new face in town, she'll definitely remember it.
"Yeah...I think I saw her earlier. The other night, she introduced herself to me. Her name was...Jesy. Jesy Nelson?"
Taylor nods. "Did you guys shake hands after she introduced herself?"
"Well, I mean, yeah? That's a normal thing to do, right? Why?"
"She's from my world, too. A very rare kind. She'll be able to know everything about you with just one touch." Jade's eyes widened at the information. "She transferred the information to me. That's how I knew everything about you. However, you probably won't be seeing her again. Her job here is done. It's my turn now." She grins at Jade.
"Okay, and what's with the scarf?"
"The scarf...yeah. It was kind of enchanted." Taylor explains. "Anyone close to you who sees it will be drawn to it. Leigh-Anne saw it from a shop across the road and thought of you instantly. She immediately bought it to give it to you. That's how I found you...through the scarf. It glistened, didn't it? So magical..." Taylor chuckles and sighs dreamily at the thought of the scarf glistening in front of Jade.
Jade is once again bewildered at Taylor. How weird can this woman get?
"Oh, don't worry. The scarf wasn't expensive at all. Leigh got an 80% discount when she bought it." Taylor added and flashed a big smile to Jade, recalling the time Leigh came to the shop. Taylor was actually there pretending to be the salesperson who convinced Leigh-Anne to buy the scarf.
"I'm not really questioning the price," Jade retorts. "Leigh could buy the whole Gucci shop if she wanted to."
Taylor chuckles. "Yeah, I figured. So...got more questions for me?"
"Hmm...How did you get here?"
"Easy. Through a portal." Taylor answered. "I know how to open doors from different worlds, but that's a secret. No one in our world knows about that except for Jesy." Jade raised both her eyebrows when suddenly somebody knocked on the door.
"Jade? Are you there?" A guy's voice came from the other side. "We've got 30 minutes before the countdown starts. It's jam-packed out here! The crowd is crazy! Is everything alright?" It was one of Jade's bandmates
"Y–Yeah! I'll be there in a minute!" Jade shouts back before she returns her attention to Taylor. "I need to go, Taylor. It was nice meeting you."
"Go! Rock the house!" Taylor cheered.
Jade was out the door already when Taylor ran after her. "Jade..." The brunette stopped in her tracks and spun around. "A piece of advice – whatever you decide tomorrow...telling it straight to Perrie would be the best choice. Not on a piece of paper, not by running away."
Jade smiles at this. This woman sure does know a lot, she thought. "I know. I've learned from my past mistakes."
Taylor smiles back at her before Jade finally leaves the washroom.
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♫ I Almost Do — Taylor Swift (Taylor's Version)