A/N

Here's Jesse's playlist:

Note that this is not necessarily what he would listen to, but rather some songs which have lyrics that either describe him as a person or what he feels.

For example the feelings he might eventually experience towards certain cold hoe. LOL

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0kao2ncYam4cim4uSiRY33?si=YkK8oNU5SeeGY2BRKqE29w

I just realized links can't be opened from here, LOL. So if you want to listen to these just go to my spotify profile (2k17Laura) and find it in my playlists. :)

***

Jade's POV

So what I thought would be a music concert turned out to be an organ recital.

You know, those creepy sounding pianos. The largest one in the world, to be exact. On top of all that sinister vibe, you add the fact that it's already dark outside and you got yourself an old Dracula movie.

Thrilling...

In a couple of weeks, the weather had changed noticeably. We had gone from wearing tank tops and shorts to not daring to go outside without a jacket, which to be honest wasn't really that big of a deal to me. I appreciated a good hoodie and some jeans.

Liz and I were standing on the steps outside Sayles Hall, along with at least twenty other people who were also waiting to go inside. Although I really didn't see the point, it couldn't be all that mind-blowing. Right?

According to the management staff at Brown - the three thousand pipes of the organ speaking differently into the hall offered a unique, sonic experience.

As if.

They also said something about high highs and low lows or what not, but I wasn't really paying attention.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned around slowly to find Jesse giving me a shy wave.

"Hey guys," Tyler greeted us.

"What's up?" Liz said.

I pressed my lips together and nodded as a "hello" to both of them.

"So did you guys bring the sleeping bags?" Jesse asked as he gave his own one a couple of acknowledging pats.

Liz and I both nodded and then I went back to zoning out.

I really don't get this Brown tradition. Going into a huge hall with an enormous, creepy piano and lying down on the floor while listening to that thing blow air through three thousand pipes? And with the lights off?

To me that wasn't the exact definition of ideal.

In fact, it sounded dangerously close to the scene from my sleep paralysis.

I noticed the people starting to move towards the entrance of the hall as the doors finally opened up. Snapping out of it, I followed everyone inside and found a spot to set the sleeping bag, as the others were doing.

Jesse started placing his beside me, looking up and around the huge building. "This isn't creepy at all."

"Thank god, I thought I was the only one," I muttered.

He smiled and sat down next to me. "Is this really what university traditions are like?"

"Okay everyone!" I heard a man say loudly from the top of the stage. "Settle down, the concert is about to start."

We all lied down on our respective sleeping bags and eventually all the shuffling around us came to a stop.

Liz, who was lying to the other side of me, furrowed her eyebrows, giving me a weirded out look.

I shrugged at her and I tilted my head to look at Jesse. "How the hell do you go about in things like this?"

"Apparently you're supposed to let-" he began before mimicking the man's tone, " - the majestic sound of the organ wash over you, and suck you in."

"Of course," I played along. "My perspective averted me from being truly enlightened."

He tried to hold in a snort, which gained him a few sushes from the rest of the highly invested student body.

Shortly after that, the concert started.

This had to be some sort of prank on the freshmen. I tried to keep an open mind to the whole organ thing. I really did, but it just wasn't precisely being the breathtaking experience everyone said it was going to be.

Jesse's phone buzzed.

"Turn it off, you moron," someone whispered angrily at him.

He was taken aback by the guy's reaction, which made of a great confused expression on Jesse's face and a great source of entertainment for me.

His face changed drastically when he identified the caller ID and he immediately rose up to his feet and left the room in a hurry.

What the hell?

I tried to ignore what had just happened and closed my eyes to try to give the concert another chance but that lasted about three minutes before I was heading out too.

When I got out, Jesse was standing by a light post on his own. The trifling beam of light coming from the screen of his phone faintly lit up his face, unveiling a couple of furrowed brows and a twisted lip.

He must have made out the sound of the door swinging open because he almost immediately shifted his attention towards me.

"What are you doing out here?"

I raised my eyebrows. "I could ask you the same thing."

Jesse gave me a weak smile. "Touché."

I rolled my eyes and allowed myself to give him a small smirk, which didn't take too long to fade away.

"You seem worried," I pointed out.

I took a few steps forward and crouched down to sit on one of the steps outside the Hall.

Jesse slowly moved closer to where I was, still holding his phone with both hands. "Yeah, I just had to take a call." He waved the device in the air and pressed his lips together.

Really? That can't be all.

Jesse then proceeded to take a seat next to me. "Is everything alright with you?"

I was looking away from him, studying the night sky and every individual speck of light that came from above.

"Yeah, I just needed some air to clear my head." My gaze drifted to Jesse's face. "Besides, that whole thing was starting to drive me down a dark path."

He chuckled lowly, then an awkward silence took over the conversation. I took the chance to resume observing the moon and the stars.

To me, silence wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Quite the opposite, actually. I found it peaceful, it allowed me to think.

"So what's his name?"

My eyebrows knitted together in confusion as I whipped my head to look at this boy. "Huh?"

Even though his dark eyes appeared even darker in the night's light, I could still pick up on the slight gleam of empathy in his stare.

"The guy that has you like this, what's his name?" he elaborated.

I hummed quietly, my eyes were fixed on the grass and the trees in front of us, beyond the cement path meant to guide students around campus. The green was barely visible, instead it just looked as if they were sheer shadows that blended amongst each other.

"We're really talking about guys now," I said.

Jesse flashed a small grin. "I guess that's what it's come to, yeah."

I turned to face him with genuine curiosity. "Why does it have to be about a guy?"

Jesse let out a scoff. "Oh come on, look at you." He motioned a hand my way. "You could literally have any guy you wanted, and yet you practically ignore all of them."

I tilted my head. "So?"

Jess raised his eyebrows and gave me a questioning look.

I gave in with a slightly stifled sigh. "Michael."

There was a brief pause before he spoke again. "Can I ask what happened?"

Looking away once again, I answered, "I guess he got tired and walked out."

"Jade?" His voice was soft as he gently took hold of my hand. Slightly shocked at his sudden forwardness, I analyzed his gaze, which drifted from our intertwined hands up to my eyes.

My guard was up.

He had this sympathetic look on his face, his eyebrows were furrowed into a sad frown and his lips were pressed together into a thin line. Just as I had predicted.

I looked straight ahead, rather than meeting his gaze. "Mhm?"

"Did that Michael guy break whatever it is you have in place of a heart?"

I wrenched out a cackle.

I was definitely not expecting that but then again you can never really guess what is going on in that brain of Jesse's. I guess there really was more to him that met the eye.

When I settled down, a frown made its way up to my face in anticipation to what I was about to say.

"That Michael guy was my father."

Jesse's face fell abruptly. He stayed silent for a while, just scanning my expression.

"I'm sorry. I kind of understand the whole father thing," he said.

"What do you mean?"

"It's just that my father -" he hesitated, "- he walked out too."

Okay, to me that sounded as if he had literally come up with that.

"Are you being serious?" I asked.

Honestly, I don't know. For all I know he could be lying to try to get close to me, it wouldn't be the first time that happened. Although, those moves never ended up working out for those who tried.

I'm practically immune to everything.

"Yeah," he assured. "I-in fact that was him back then on the phone."

That's convenient.

"He wants to reconnect." Jesse scratched his head nervously. "My mom will be crushed when I tell her. Sh- she never really got over it."

You're stuttering again, Jesse. What are you hiding?

My sharp features softened. "Must have been hard on your mom."

"Mhm."

The silence that arose this time wasn't exactly a comfortable, peaceful one.

For some reason, my brain tried to lighten up the mood. "Please don't tell me your mom's name is Jessica."

We both let out some laughs, which echoed around the empty night.

"I could never take you seriously again," I said in between laughs.

Jesse shook his head in amusement. "You wanna know something funny?"

I bit my lip to suppress a grin. "What?"

"I was enrolled as a female. The administration assumed my name was short for Jessica Saunders."

A snort came out of my mouth unintentionally. "You're lying."

"I'm dead serious, it took me a whole lot of paperwork to get it fixed," he said with arched brows and a wide smile.

A few chuckles filled the vacuousness of the deserted campus. Everyone was either in their dorms or inside the Hall, watching the concert. I'm still not sure how they were able to endure such torture.

"Hey, I'm sorry too," I said, facing Jesse. "About your dad walking out, I mean."

I was testing something out. Who knows, maybe I was being paranoid.

Jesse's adam's apple bobbed up and down as he fiddled with his watch. "It's fine." He looked away. "But thanks, anyway."

"Liz just texted me to ask me where I am, we should get back inside."

Jesse glanced at me. "Yeeah... Weirdly enough, I'm not particularly fond of the show they're putting on tonight," he muttered.

I scoffed playfully. "Stop whining, Jessica. Nobody likes a crybaby."

Jesse rolled his eyes at my response.

I'm not an idiot, I could tell he was lying. Could've fooled anyone with that innocent smile of his, but not me. I practically invented that smile.

Jesse was hiding something, and I was going to find out what it was.

Before we could go back into Sayles Hall, Liz barged out frantically through the doors, making me wince in surprise.

"Jade, you have to come with me."

"What is going on?" I questioned.

"My parents just called me," she said. "They want me home immediately for dinner."

That's it?

"Dinner, Jade!" Liz reiterated. "I've literally had dinner with them twice in the last ten years, they are plotting something!"

"I'll leave you two to discuss this," Jesse said, awkwardly rubbing his neck.

I nodded at him and watched as he went inside the building before turning my head back at Liz.

"You know I don't do family dinners."

"Jade! Please! I-I can't do this by myself!" she pleaded.

I really don't want to...

"I beg you - don't leave me alone with them!"

***

A/N
Did y'all guess right? Or close?

Anyway, like I said, writing the interaction between these two gives me life purpose LOL. At this point I'm just having the most fun I can, while trying to stay true to the characters. So yeah...

Anywaysssssss, Skeletons in The Closet, huh? Is Jesse really hiding something? Or is he just so awkward it hurts to watch? Hmmm... Well of course I know the answer to that but I'm afraid I'll take that information to the grave...*enter PLL theme song*

"I don't know what it is but I'm sure as hell going to find out."

*The author rolls her eyes* "Ah, Jade. Right on cue." *She sees an ephimeral flash of deviousness in Jade's eyes*

What the hell just happened?

*Jade slowly approaches the author, like a cheetah once it has locked eyes with its prey*

*The author clears her throat* "Um, what are you doing?"

*Jade's smirk is almost undetectable* "If you knew..." *Jade goes around the author and breathes down her neck, her voice dying down into a whisper* "You'd tell me, right?"

*The author shifts awkwardly* "I- I - I don't-" *The author springs away from Jade with a ginormous leap*

"Stop it, you enthralling creature! I know what you're doing!"

*Jade's wolfish smirk is fully revealed*

*The author anxiously turns towards the reader*

I HAVE TO GO BEFORE SHE SEDUCES THE INTEL OUT OF ME!

CATCH YOU GUYS IN THE NEXT ONE.

AND DON'T LEAVE YOUR DOORS UNLOCKED, SHE'S DANGEROUS!

***