Sad - ish oneshot so idk have tissues on standby I guess
The clock in the center of town struck midnight, its loud chimes reaching the ears of a petite Geordie who was climbing a hill on the edge of town. The cold wind blew her long brown hair all around, a tanned hand coming up to brush the air out of her face. A tired smile reached her face when she caught sight of where she was headed.
A weeping willow tree sat in a grove of trees at the top of the hill, its long, thin branches scraping the ground. The leaves formed a thick wall, preventing anyone from viewing anything under the branches unless they were to physically part the leaves.
It was their special spot. It had been since they'd fallen in love.
Jade Thirlwall and Perrie Edwards had been dating for almost two years now. It was their anniversary tomorrow.
They were blindly, hopelessly in love.
They'd met a couple years ago, in their local bar. Perrie had been drunk out of her mind, and the first time Jade ever saw the blonde, was when she was up on stage singing along to a karaoke song. Perrie's eyes had been slightly crossed, her hair was a mess, her lipstick was smudged, but Jade had never seen anyone so beautiful.
Because Perrie had looked free and happy.
They locked eyes from across the room, and even in Perrie's drunken state she managed to keep her eyes gazing into Jade's for the entire song.
After that, Perrie had fallen off the stage, and Jade had been there to catch her. Jade had decided to take the blonde back to her house, and they went on their first date a few days after that.
And then, the rest was history. And Jade knew that in her heart, someday she was going to marry Perrie Edwards. There was nobody else she could imagine herself with. No one at all.
***********
Perrie opened her bedroom window slightly, wincing as it creaked. Her mother was a light sleeper, but hopefully her father's loud snores would hide any suspicious noises.
The thing about how they met, was that Perrie was underage at that bar. Jade had just turned 21, so she was celebrating by having her first real drink. Perrie, however, was 18. The age gap was only 3 years, but that amount, combined with Perrie's incredibly homophobic parents, was why they disapproved of her and Jade's relationship. They'd even gone as far as to forbid Perrie from seeing Jade romantically, and as friends.
"Perrie!" Perrie turned around to see her brother Johnny standing in the doorway, his muscular arms crossed over his chest. "What are you doing?" He demanded.
Perrie froze with one leg dangling out of the window. "Just going ... night running," she lied lamely.
"You're going to see Jade aren't you?" Johnny spat Jade's name out like it was poison.
"Please don't tell anyone," Perrie begged. "I'll do anything."
"Sorry, it's my duty to protect you," Johnny said.
Perrie quickly swung her other leg over the windowsill and dropped to the ground as Johnny shouted for her parents. Perrie tore across their carefully cut lawn, only stumbling once over a dog toy left out in the yard accidentally.
Just as Perrie reached the edge of yard, all the lights in the Edwards mansion turned on. Perrie quickly sprinted across the street, and ducking into an alley behind a large brick building. Once the dark shadows fell over and around Perrie, she breathed a sigh of relief, slowing to a jog.
She and Jade often used these passages to sneak around the city, or when they just needed a moment to be themselves. Perrie knew the way around back here like she knew her name, or that she loved Jade more than anything else.
She just couldn't understand how her parents didn't see that.
She looked down at her watch.
1:05 AM
Perrie let out a breath, the air crystallizing. She just now realized how cold it was out, and how windy it would be if she was out in the open.
***********
Jade pushed aside the leaves, her frown replaced by a soft smile as her finger traced a heart carved on the tree, with her and Perrie's initials in the middle of it.
While Jade wasn't one for cliché sentimental teenage gestures, she had to admit there was a special feeling fluttering in her stomach when she and Perrie had carved that on the tree, almost a year ago.
They'd done it on their one year anniversary, Perrie's hand curled around Jade's which was in turn curled around the blade of the knife as the small image on the tree eventually was completed. It was after that, that they'd said their I love you's for the first time. That was one of the happiest days of Jade's life.
She looked down at her watch.
1:05 AM
She sighed, leaning back on the tree trunk, waiting for her Perrie to arrive.
***********
Perrie looked back and forth along the moonlit sidewalk and street. Both were completely deserted. Taking a step out of the alley, Perrie suddenly heard the sound of a car approaching. She threw herself back into the shadows, hoping they hadn't seen her.
She wasn't fast enough.
The car door opened and to Perrie's horror, out stepped her parents and Johnny, Caitlin close behind.
"I know you're in the alley," her mother called out. "We're not going in there, you you're coming out here right now young lady."
Perrie bit her lip, slowly inching away from the road.
"We can't see you, but we know you're in there," Johnny said.
"Caitlin saw you duck back into the alley before we pulled up," her father added.
Perrie's foot hit a pebble, sending it skittering across the cement. She froze, snapping her head back to look at her parents.
"Don't try to run, you'll never get anywhere," her mother said.
Not giving it a second thought, Perrie turned and ran in the opposite direction she'd come from.
Perrie emerged from the alley, and sprinted into the woods.
***********
Jade sat down, her head against the tree.
***********
Perrie heard the snap of a twig behind her.
***********
Jade closed her eyes, wondering for the first time if Perrie was going to show up.
***********
Perrie felt a hand close around her wrist.
***********
Jade inhaled slightly, drawing from inside her coat an envelope filled with pictures of the two of them.
***********
Perrie jerked away from the touch, stumbling forward and hitting her arm against a tree.
***********
Jade thought she heard a dull thump in the distance. She stood up, and walked outside of the tree branches. When she saw nothing, she returned to her position against the tree.
***********
Perrie lay on the ground, her brother bending over her. "I warned you," he growled. Perrie opened her mouth and screamed Jade's name as loud as she could.
***********
Jade's head snapped up, the echo of her name reaching her ears. Even thought she could faintly hear it, she could tell it was Perrie. And she needed her help.
***********
Johnny took out the knife Jade and Perrie had used to carve their special tree with, grinning evily. He ran it down Perrie's arm, drawing blood.
Perrie whimpered, squeezing her eyes shut.
***********
Jade tore down the hill, her hair wiping behind her. She had to go to Perrie. Perrie needed her.
***********
Johnny turned and lightly ran the blunt end of the blade against Perrie's chin. Her heartbeat sped up, convinced this was the end.
***********
Jade tripped over a log and was sent sprawling onto the ground. She thought she could hear Perrie's heartbeat, fast and afraid.
***********
Perrie kicked Johnny off of her, getting up and stumbling in the direction of their tree. She could see it through a gap in the trees.
***********
As Jade got up, she saw a figure running up the hill. It was her Perrie, she could tell by their figure and blonde hair whipping around.
"Perrie!" Jade cried, running toward the blonde and jumping into her open arms.
Perrie spun Jade around and around. "We have to to," she whispered. "He's coming."
"Who's coming baby?" Jade asked, leaning back and running a hand through Perrie's hair.
Suddenly, Perrie cried out as Jade felt something hit the back of her head, sending her tumbling forward and out of Perrie's arms.
***********
Perrie turned to see Johnny standing there, a large stick in his hands.
"Stop please," Perrie whispered, a tear falling from her eye.
"I can't," Johnny said. "She corrupted you. She needs to be gone."
"No!" Perrie screamed as Johnny lunged forward and brought the log again down on Jade's head.
Johnny stood, panting over Jade's body laying limp on the ground. His face was a mask of horror and shock, as if he just realized what he had done.
"How could you," Perrie sobbed, collapsing onto the ground beside Jade, her hand reaching out to gently stroke over Jade's soft skin.
"You're okay now," Johnny said, looking at Perrie as if he expected some sort of spell to be broken.
"I NEVER WILL BE!" Perrie screamed at him, throwing herself forward and tackling Johnny.
The bat slipped from his grasp and Perrie picked it up, tears streaming down her face.
"D-don't do this Perrie," Johnny pleaded, holding a hand toward Perrie.
Perrie raised the bat above her head with trembling hands.
"Please, I'll do anything," Johnny yelled as a last resort, mirroring the words Perrie had said earlier that night.
A strangled whimper escaped Perrie's mouth as she dropped to her knees, her shoulders shaking as she gripped the bat, her knuckles whitening.
"P-Perrie?" Johnny asked, hesitantly reaching for his sister.
"Don't touch me!" Perrie cried.
"I-I'll call the hospital," Johnny said, fumbling for his phone instead.
Perrie crawled over to Jade and took her head in her lap, laying all of Jade's beautiful brown hair spread out around the 21 year old's head.
"Please don't leave me Jadey," Perrie whispered a tear falling and landing on Jade's lips.
"An ambulance is on their way," Johnny said.
Perrie nodded numbly, her hands gently combing through Jade's hair, smoothing it out. Her hands were covered in Jade's blood, but she didn't care.
There was so much blood coming out of Jade's head. So much.
Perrie pulled off her hoodie quickly and pressed it against where she thought the blood was coming from. Her hands shook as she held it against Jade's head.
Johnny looked nervously at his watch.
2:55 AM
"I can't believe I did that," he mumbled, sinking to the ground in shock.
"Neither can I," Perrie whispered, looking up at Johnny with tear - filled eyes.
"I-I'm sorry Perrie," Johnny said.
"You'd better hope Jade lives," Perrie said fiercely. "I love her more than I do myself."
Johnny looked at the ground in shame.
***********
Twelve hours later found Perrie sitting in a chair next to Jade, who was laying unconscious in a hospital bed.
The doctors had not been optimistic.
Jade had gotten out of surgery a few hours ago. Her skull had been severely dented, but luckily the temple hadn't been hit. She would have been immediately killed if that was the case.
If Jade died, Johnny would be facing a scentance of 10 years in prison for voluntary manslaughter with intent.
Perrie's hands had been washed, but she didn't wash her right thumb. Now Jade's dried blood sat, covering the pad of Perrie's thumb.
She now sat, too tired to cry, gripping Jade's hand with her head down on the covers.
The door opened and shut quietly, the click of the door not even making Perrie flinch slightly.
"Pezza."
Perrie lifted her head, and she shot out of her seat and into Jesy and Leigh Anne's arms.
"It'll be okay Pez," Leigh Anne whispered, lightly stroking Perrie's back as the blonde sobbed into Jesy's shoulder.
"Jade is a fighter, she'll wake up and when she does we will all go out and have a good old fashioned girly sleepover," Jesy said.
"I'm so scared," Perrie whispered, her voice breaking.
Leigh Anne's eyes teared up as she looked over at Jade, so small and broken in the hospital bed.
"Who would do such a thing?" Leigh Anne whispered angrily.
Perrie shook her head, burying herself deeper into Jesy.
"Pezza, did you see who did this to Jade?" Jesy asked gently.
Perrie sniffed and nodded slowly, backing away from Jesy and sinking back into the chair next to Jade.
"Were you there when this happened to Jade?" Leigh Anne asked.
"Yeah," Perrie squeaked out before grabbing Jade's hand and putting her head over their hands.
Jesy and Leigh Anne's jaws dropped as they quickly closed the space between them and their distressed blonde friend and each of them rubbed one of Perrie's shaking shoulders.
"I'm so sorry Perrie," Jesy murmured.
Perrie mumbled something, Jesy and Leigh Anne straining their ears to hear it.
"What did you say?" Leigh Anne asked.
"It sounded like blonny," Jesy said thoughtfully.
"Did Johnny do this to Jade?" Leigh Anne gasped.
Jesy looked over at her friend, impressed as Perrie nodded.
"I'm gonna kill that son of bitch," Jesy growled.
"No!" Perrie cried, reaching out and grabbing Jesy's wrist.
"Jesy stop," Leigh Anne said, placing her hands on Jesy's shoulders.
"In, out," Leigh Anne instructed, Jesy breathing with Leigh Anne's words.
"Thanks Leigh," Jesy said.
"Johnny already is going to jail for a couple years for trying to killing someone. If Jade dies - " Perrie covered her hand with her mouth to stifle a sob.
"Perrie," Leigh Anne said, reaching out for Perrie. Perrie shook her off.
"I-if Jade d-dies, then Johnny's scentance will raise and he won't have to option of bail anymore," Perrie finished, looking back at Jade.
"I'm going to go get you something to eat and drink," Jesy said.
"I'll come with you," Perrie mumbled, surprising her friends by standing and shuffling over to Jesy.
"Are you sure?" Jesy asked. Perrie nodded.
"Take care of Jade," she whispered to Leigh Anne before walking out the door without looking back. Jesy looked sadly back at Leigh and Jade, then she followed Perrie.
Perrie rubbed her red-rimmed eyes as she walked past the waiting room.
"Perrie," Perrie's mother stood up. Perrie didn't even look at her as she walked to the food court.
"A water and a salad please," Perrie said hoarsely.
"Sure thing," the waiter said, handing Perrie a salad and water.
"How much?" Perrie asked.
"On the house," the waiter said, tapping the counter slightly. "You look like you deserve a free meal."
"Do I really look that miserable?" Perrie asked bitterly.
"Pretty much," the waiter replied, earning a chuckle from Perrie.
"Thanks, umm," Perrie stumbled over her words, just now realizing she didn't know what the man's name was.
"Sam," he supplied.
Perrie flashed Sam a tired smile. "Well, thank you Sam," she said, walking over to a table at the corner of the empty food court, Jesy sliding in beside her.
"How are you holding up?" Jesy asked.
Perrie just shook her head miserably and leaned over onto Jesy's shoulder, squeezing her eyes shut.
Jesy frowned sadly at the state of her best friend.
Johnny would serve his scentance, then she would make sure he never ever hurt her best friend like this again.
"Pez, why don't you come home with me and Leigh, Jade's parents have been giving you space, but they flew in about half an hour ago from their trip to California. They want to see her," Jesy suggested.
"I can't leave her," Perrie whispered.
"Why don't you at least leave for a few hours," Jesy suggested. "You can change clothes, shower, and maybe take a nap. We can have you back at the hospital around midnight. Tomorrow's important, and I think you'll want to spend every minute you can with Jade."
"Our anniversary," Perrie whispered.
"Yeah, you two have been dating for almost two whole years! That's something to be excited about," Jesy said.
Perrie just frowned, picking her water up and leaving.
Jesy sighed, grabbing Perrie's salad and hurrying after her.
***********
Perrie opened the door slowly, wincing as it creaked. She looked back, relief flooding her veins as she saw Jesy still sprawled on the couch, her mouth pitched open and her hand in a bag of some sort of snack. Leigh Anne was nowhere to be seen, probably upstairs testing out Jesy's makeup.
Perrie slipped through the slightly open door, and quickly walked across Jesy's lawn. Perrie smiled bitterly as she recalled doing a similar thing last night (well, also technically early this morning), but then the circumstances were very different.
As Perrie walked through town, she ran her hand along certain bricks that were marked, special to her and Jade. One of the bricks was broken in half, and when the two had come across it, they'd fit it back in where it went.
Perrie blinked back tears, stopping to take a deep breath. Jade would make it. She'd be okay.
As Perrie climbed the hill to the weeping willow, she closed her eyes and inhaled quietly. The air was clear, so unlike the stuffy air inside the hospital. Sitting there beside Jade had been torture. Perrie had felt like she was being suffocated, and she was barely able to breathe in there.
Perrie pushed aside the branches of the weeping willow, smiling fondly as she traced the heart on the tree.
"Come back to me Jadey," she whispered, turning and sliding down the tree. She closed her eyes, finally allowing her tired body to slip into a restless sleep.
***********
The loud ding on Perrie's phone awakened her, she reared up and back in shock, hitting her head on the tree trunk. Rubbing the back of her head, Perrie glared down at her phone to see who had interrupted her peace.
Jesminda 😎: PERRIE PICK UP YOUR PHONE
2 missed calls from Jesminda 😎
1 Missed call from Leigh Leigh 👸🏾
Princess Pez ✌️: Hey guys, sorry I fell asleep
Jesminda 😎: But WHERE did you fall asleep
Princess Pez ✌️: Just under a tree, I'm heading back to your place now Jes
Leigh Leigh👸🏾: Perrie thank god you scared us
Princess Pez ✌️: Sorry again I'm almost back
Perrie slid her phone into her pocket as she rounded the corner onto Jesy's street. The sky had considerably darkened, and she thought she heard a rumble of thunder in the distance.
Just as Perrie's shoes touched Jesy's front walk, it started to rain heavily.
"Ahh!" Perrie screeched, shocked from the sudden cold. She quickly ran up the front steps, yanking the door open and slamming it shut behind her.
"Perrie oh my god!" Leigh Anne hustled over to the shivering blonde in the doorway and wrapped a towel around her.
"I'm going to shower," Perrie declared, pushing past Leigh Anne and walking up the stairs without another word.
"This is just Perrie's way of coping," Jesy said, coming out of the kitchen and hugging Leigh Anne.
"I know," Leigh Anne sighed. "It just hurts me to see her like this."
"It hurts all of us," Jesy replied.
"Jade better wake up," Leigh Anne said sadly.
"You know she will, and then the two lovebirds will make out grossly and celebrate their anniversary with some more couple-y things like cuddling and kissing and other gross stuff," Jesy said.
Leigh Anne chuckled, lightly shoving Jesy away. "Yeah, they are kinda grossly in love," she admitted.
"That's why Perrie's going to break if Jade dies," Jesy said, her mood suddenly sullen.
"Don't say that!" Leigh Anne exclaimed, pointing a finger at Jesy. "Jade's gonna wake up. I believe she will."
Jesy sighed, looking upstairs to where the sound of the shower could be faintly heard.
***********
At exactly 11:59 PM, Perrie burst through the hospital's doors, not even looking around at everyone's shocked faces as she ran down the hall toward Jade's room.
Jesy and Leigh Anne followed, apologizing every few seconds to people all around them until they rounded the corner.
Perrie turned the handle, moving into Jade's room.
"Oh Perrie!" Jade's mother stood up and pulled the blonde into a hug.
"Has there been any news Norma?" Perrie asked hopefully.
"There has been actually," Norma said.
Perrie perked up. "What was the news?" She asked, her eyes shining with a new light.
"They said that Jade's condition has improved slightly. She might even wake up within the hour," she said.
"Perrie! You can't just barge into a hospital like that!" Jesy scolded, entering the room with Leigh Anne close behind her.
"Jade's gonna be okay!" Perrie squealed, launching herself toward Jesy and Leigh Anne.
"Oh my god!" Leigh Anne cried, jumping up and down with Perrie.
"Girls, don't get your hopes up," Norma said softly. "I don't want to be the party pooper, but Jade only might wake up. While her condition got better, the doctor said her chance of survival rose from 15% to 20% only."
Perrie glanced over at the love of her life, asleep in the hospital bed. "I have hope," she said.
Norma sighed as Perrie made her way over to the chair next to Jade's bed and dropped into it, grabbing onto Jade's hand.
"I didn't want to tell Perrie this," Norma began, her face falling even more as she witnessed Perrie kiss Jade's hand and lay her head down on their intertwined hands.
"What is it?" Jesy asked.
Tears glistened in Norma's eyes. "Jade has some sort of internal bleeding in her brain that the doctors don't know how to fix right now. If she lives - "
Norma bent over, taking a shuddering breath.
"I'm sorry," Jesy whispered.
"But if she survives she'll be prone to seizures and episodes of fainting regurlarly," Norma finished.
Leigh Anne sighed. "She'll make it. We just need hope," she whispered.
An hour passed and Jade still hadn't woken up. Perrie was lightly dozing, the newest tears dry on her cheeks.
Perrie squeezed Jade's hand and adjusted her head in a different direction. "Happy Anniversary baba," she whispered, another tear rolling down her cheek.
Perrie wasn't sure if she dreamed what happened next, but she felt a light pressure against her hand.
The hand that was holding Jade's.
Perrie's head shot up just in time to see Jade slowly open her eyes.
"Jadey!" Perrie shrieked, launching forward and smashing her lips against the older Geordie's.
The door opened and Norma, Jesy, and Leigh Anne all came rushing in as Perrie leaned her forehead against Jade's.
"My baby!" Norma sobbed, running forward and taking Jade into her arms.
Everyone was a mess, laughing and crying and hugging Jade.
Jade, however, seemed a bit out of it. Her eyes were unfocused, but a tired smile rose onto her lips when Perrie leaned over and lightly pressed her lips against the brunette's tanned forehead.
"I was so worried that you'd never come back," Perrie whispered.
"I'll always ... come back," Jade murmured.
Perrie didn't seem to notice the lapse in the brunette's speech and instead brought her lips to Jade's again, smiling into a kiss she never thought she'd feel again.
"I love you so much," Perrie said.
"I love you ... too," Jade whispered, her eyes fluttering shut then open again.
"Jade? Are you okay?" Perrie asked.
"Just ... tired ... my love," Jade replied softly.
Perrie smiled uneasily. Get the doctor, she mouthed over her shoulder to Jesy. She nodded, quickly exiting the room.
"The doctor has to come in to check you," Perrie whispered, unable to believe that her Jade was alive and smiling at her.
"So that's where ... Jesy went," Jade said, her head dropping onto her chest for a couple of seconds, then it rose again.
"Jade," Leigh Anne said, coming over to her bedside.
"Hi Leigh," Jade murmured, smiling softly as she gave Leigh Anne and gentle hug.
"Jade, Jesy's almost back with the doctor," Perrie said, looking down at a text Jesy had sent her.
When Jade didn't respond, Perrie quickly looked over at her.
"Jade," Perrie said, giving Jade's shoulder a gentle poke.
Jade turned to Perrie, smiled, and then her eyes fell shut and she slumped down onto the bed.
"Jade!" Perrie screamed, looking up at the heart monitor desperately.
Perrie was relieved to see Jade's pulse was still going, but it was weak.
"Please don't go again," she whispered.
"Still ... here," Jade whispered, opening her eyes with what appeared to be a great amount of effort.
Perrie grabbed Jade's hand and held it tightly. "I'm never letting you go," she said fiercely.
"Me ... neither," Jade replied quietly.
"You know what day it is, right?" Perrie asked.
"Our ... anniversary," Jade mumbled.
"Yeah, and I have a plan when you're out of here for us to celebrate," Perrie said happily.
"I'm not ... getting out," Jade whispered.
"What?" Perrie asked, her eyes widening as she felt them start to water.
"I can't ... hold on," Jade said softly.
"No," Perrie cried. "You can't leave me!"
"I ... love you ... Perrie," Jade whispered, leaning up and pressing a shaky kiss to Perrie's lips.
"NO!" Perrie screamed as Jade fell back onto the bed, the light leaving her eyes.
Jesy and the doctor ran through the door just as Jade's pulse flatlined, her hand falling limply from Perrie's grip.
"No, no, no!" Perrie sobbed, shaking Jade's shoulders, kissing her face and head.
"You can't leave," Perrie whispered, laying her head down on Jade's now still chest.
Perrie felt hands grab her arms and gently pull her away from Jade's body.
Perrie whirled around and threw her arms around whoever the person was, burying her head into their shoulder.
"Just let it out," the person said, and Perrie recognized the voice to belong to her little sister, Caitlin.
"J-Jade's gone," she sobbed into Caitlin.
"I know," she whispered, stroking Perrie's back.
***********
A few days later found Perrie climbing the hill to the weeping willow, the wind blowing her black dress all around her.
"Hey Jade," she said heavily as she pushed aside the branches. "I figured that this is where your spirit would hang out if you haven't, like, gone to heaven or something. You were always my angel though. So, you're probably long gone but I don't care."
Perrie pressed her lips to the tree's trunk. "I know you wouldn't want me to take my life," she whispered. "You'd want me to live my life to the fullest."
Perrie let out a shaky breath. "I can't live without you," she admitted quietly. "But I'm going to try, for you."
"I know you always wanted to be an author. I can't write, but I'm going to open up a little shop somewhere, and every Saturday night there will be a reading of your poems," Perrie whispered. "I know you'd be proud of me. I'm going to college for business management, so I can open up that little shop."
She sat down and leaned her head back against the tree's trunk. "In case you'd forgotten," she whispered. "We met on a Saturday night."
She closed her eyes then, and started humming Jade's favorite song. It was the one Perrie had been singing that night in the bar. It was called Say You Won't Let Go.
Perrie knew she couldn't live without Jade.
But she was going to try.
Yay so another one shot done. And I had something to say but I forgot. Anyways I hope you enjoyed it and sorry if you cried a bit
Oh yeah and if you have prompts for one shots, like, you know, ideas for a one shot, don't be afraid to message me I don't bite I promise