I normally wasn't the type of person that got talked into something easily. I was known for being stubborn, and I couldn't even believe it myself when AJ had talked me into doing the talent show so she wasn't the only one in the cabin doing it.

"It'll be fun," she pressed on after I had said no for the thousandth time. "Come on, Jordan! I don't want to be the only one doing it!"

"What about Lexi or Chelsea?" I groaned, shoving my head under my pillow a little more. "They're talented, aren't they?"

"I can't just sit up there and draw a picture," Lexi told me, twisting at her blonde curls as she sat on her bed. "It gets boring to me sometimes. Just imagine what it would be like for an audience!"

"But Chelsea dances!" I cried out, trying my best to get out of this without fighting with any of them. I couldn't remember a time that we had ever really fought... "She's probably the most talented out of all of us, not counting you, AJ."

"The ballet kids aren't allowed to be in the talent show by themselves," Chelsea informed me with a shrug, and I could tell that she was glad she wasn't in my position. "We're all going to do something together I guess, so we can't do anything individual."

"So Chelsea's going to be in the talent show," I told AJ, as if she wasn't there to hear what Chelsea had said as I pointed at her. "Now you won't be the only one in the cabin that's in the talent show."

"I'll be the only one doing something individually," AJ continued to complain, almost causing me to smother myself with my pillow now. "Please, Jordan? You're so good at the guitar, and you have a great voice! Please just do something! Please, for me!"

All I could do was stare at her for a few moments. AJ was the singer, she had always been the singer, so why was she so scared of getting on stage? It wasn't like I was going to go on stage along with her. I just didn't understand her sometimes...

"Fine," I gave in with a large sigh, rolling my eyes when she squealed and hugged me tightly. "I guess I'll find something to do in the stupid talent show."

AJ smiled brightly. "Thank you so much, Jordan!"

I waved her away, letting out another sigh as I got up from my bed and headed toward the door. None of the girls even tried to ask where I was going, but it wasn't like I was about to stop to tell them.

I told myself that I was just going on a walk, but I knew that that really wasn't what I was doing. I quietly made my way through the camp and to the dock, the last place that I had seen Jesse. We had so many other memories at that dock...

I didn't get why I was going here of all places, since it was such a painful place for me. Just thinking about how this was the last place I would ever see Jesse again broke my heart even more...

I let out a sigh and sat down, letting my legs hang over the edge like I always did. I almost expected Jesse to pop up from behind me, just like he always seemed to do when I was sitting alone on the dock.

"So," a voice said, but I didn't jump or look back at the person. "Word on the street is that you're going to be in the talent show."

I rolled my eyes, not even turning toward Alex as he bounded down the dock before plopping down next to me, letting his legs hang over the edge as well.

"And where would you get that information?" I couldn't help but ask.

"Where do you think?"

I didn't have to say anything, because I already knew it was Lexi. I didn't think that he ever spoke to any of the other girls that were in my cabin, but it wasn't like that was a big deal or anything.

"I don't want to be in the stupid talent show, but AJ's pretty much forcing me to," I droned, just in case it totally wasn't obvious from the way I was acting. "I don't even know what I'm supposed to do. AJ said I should play the guitar and sing, but I don't know if that's such a good idea... Sure, I've been playing the guitar for a while, but I don't think I sing that well..."

"Jesse told me he thought you had a good voice," Alex told me with a nod, a wide smile plastered onto his face. "I've never heard your voice before though. Sing for me."

My eyes widened before my eyebrows furrowed. "Sing? Right here? No way! The only time I ever sing is when I'm in the shower!"

Alex wagged his eyebrows at me. "Then let's go shower together."

"Nasty," I hissed, hopping up from my spot now and turning back toward the cabins. "Don't even joke about something as gross as that."

Alex let out a loud laugh before he jumped to his feet and closely followed me up the dock. I didn't get how he could just joke about everything like it was no big deal. I was surprised that he hadn't cracked any jokes when Jesse supposedly died, but I guess he had a heart somewhere in him.

"Hey!" Alex cried out suddenly, grabbing onto my arm to stop me from moving any farther. I turned toward him to see that wide smile was still adorning his face. "I have an idea, and it's a good one! I know what you can sing for the talent show! And I totally works out with what's going on now!"

My eyebrows furrowed at him, and I had no idea if I could trust him with this subject or not. But since I was completely blank when it came to picking a song, so I guess I really didn't have a choice.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"This is the last time I ever do something you tell me to do."

Alex grinned down at me as I clutched onto my guitar nervously. I knew that it was a bad idea to let AJ talk me into doing the talent show, but it was an even worse idea to follow Alex's advice!

"I think it's a good song," Alex defended, his nose stuck up into the air as he smirked down at me. "You can play it on the guitar and you've memorized the lyrics, so it's easy."

"I don't even understand how you know Taylor Swift songs," I grumbled, squeezing my guitar even tighter as someone else went on stage. AJ had already gone and was now sitting in the audience, and she did fantastic, but I knew that that was going to happen. I just didn't feel ready and I never thought I would.

"Lexi likes her," Alex shrugged, as if it was the most simple answer on the planet. "This song played one day and I just thought that it would be good for you and Jesse since he's no longer... uh... with us."

I let out a sigh, averting my gaze to the ground. It was a pretty song, but it was so long and personal. I didn't want to be on stage for a very long time, but with the song being six minutes, it didn't seem like that was going to happen for me...

"I don't like getting in front of crowds," I groaned, clutching onto my stomach when I felt like I was going to throw up. "I don't even know how I'm going to give a speech during graduation without throwing up on everyone... I don't like being in front of crowds!"

"Everything will be fine," Alex assured with a wave of his hand, but he didn't know how I was feeling. He didn't have to get up in front of hundreds of people, and even if he did I was sure he would be perfectly fine with it. He was Alex! He liked having a freaking audience! "You're almost up, Jordan."

"Oh, jeez," I groaned again, covering my mouth now as I tried my best to keep my breathing calm. I couldn't do this... I hated getting in front of people! I was going to kill AJ for making me do this! "I really don't think I can do this, Alex. I really don't."

"Just calm down, okay?" Alex instructed, clapping his hands down on my shoulders as he looked me right in the eyes. "You don't have anything to worry about. I've heard you practice and you're great. Jesse would be proud, okay? Jesse would be proud."

I stared down at the ground, tears blurring my vision just as the person in front of me finished whatever they were doing on stage. I was next. I was going to have to go onto the outside stage and sing for everyone that was there watching.

Oh, I was so going to be sick...

Alex had to push me to get me to go on stage, and I had to do my best not to trip over the stool that I was supposed to sit on. I almost shook as I sat down on it, adjusting the microphone for a few moments before daring to look into the audience.

So many people...

There were so many people that some had to stand up in the back! I was glad that they had the talent show outside, because if they didn't whatever room they stuffed us in would have been packed! It was ridiculous how many people were out there!

I was so going to be sick!

"Um, h--hi..." I stuttered, straightening out the microphone for about the millionth time. "I'm... uh... Jordan Emery, and... um... I'm going to be performing Last Kiss by Taylor Swift..."

I felt like such a child, acting the way I was up there. I was stuttering like a fool and I was sure that I sounded like an idiot. How was I supposed to sing when I could barely even speak?

I looked over offstage to see Alex giving me thumbs up, and I let out a breath before turning back toward the audience. It made me kind of wish that it was nighttime so I wouldn't have to see any of them or the looks that they were giving me, but I didn't have that advantage. I was going to have to look out at all of their faces and deal with the looks they were giving me.

Lexi, Chelsea, and AJ were all smiling brightly at me from the front row, and I wanted to scowl and throw my guitar out at the audience before storming off the stage.

I started to play slowly, afraid that my fingers were going to cramp or something and then I'd mess up. I just wanted to be as perfect as possible, but I didn't think that was going to happen... I was just way too nervous and it wasn't good for me. I just had to calm down and breathe... It wasn't like I was going to die or anything.

"I still remember the look on your face," I sang slowly at first, still trying to get my voice to steady as I shut my eyes. "Lit through the darkness at one fifty-eight... The words that you whispered for just us to know... You told me you loved me, so why did you go... away?"

I kept my eyes closed so I wouldn't have to look out at anyone, but I was happy when I noticed that I wasn't squeezing them shut like I thought I would. This was getting easier and easier the farther I got into the song, and I found myself totally belting it out as the song continued on.

As I was getting toward the end, I finally let my eyes open again. I didn't see very many amazed faces, but it wasn't like I was expecting for everyone to be in complete awe. I was hoping that no one would be in complete awe, because the sooner I got off the stage the better...

"Just like our last... kiss..." I finished off, trying my best to keep the tears that wanted to fall in my eyes. I couldn't cry... Not in front of all these people... All I had to do was look forward into the crowd and look confident! "Forever the name on my lips... Forever the name on my lips... Just like our--"

I wasn't able to finish though, because something caught my eye before I could. No one seemed to notice the fact that I had skipped the last word, because the crowd erupted in applause that I quickly tuned out as I jumped off the stool and onto my feet. I tried my best to not knock over the guitar as I practically jumped down the stairs of the stage and ran to the back of the crowd.

Only one person seemed to notice me, and that was a good thing. Everyone else in the crowd probably just assumed that I had gone back stage, but the person that I was now in pursuit of definitely saw me. He spun around on his heel and started off as quickly as he could have gone without looking suspicious, but that wasn't going to stop me from catching him.

He may have been wearing a hat and sunglasses, but that didn't stop me from recognizing who it really was. I wasn't stupid enough to fall for a disguise.

"No, stop, wait!" I cried out as he was almost to the parking lot. I was gaining on him now, since he wasn't running and I was, and I really thought I was going to catch him.

When I was only a few inches behind him, I jumped up and wrapped my arms around his neck from behind. He stopped, his hat falling off and into my face, but he didn't struggle to try and get away. He let out a sigh, turning around to face me now and removing the hat from blocking my vision.

"Persistent as always, I see..."

He removed the sunglasses from his face, and I really thought I was going to cry as I looked up at the person who stood before me.

"Jesse!" I cried out, wrapping my arms around his neck once again and squeezing him to my tightly. "Oh, my God... Jesse! You're actually here... I can't believe you're actually here!"

"Yeah, well..." he sighed, wrapping his arms around my waist and hugging me tightly as well. "I'm not out of town just yet, so when I heard that there was a talent show, I thought I'd come to watch..."

"I'm so glad you're here," I breathed, stretching up onto my toes and crashing his lips to mine. I couldn't believe that Jesse was really here with me... When I finally pulled away from him, I hugged him tightly once again. "I've missed you so much..."

"I've missed you, too," he whispered in my ear, squeezing me like he never wanted to let me go ever again. "I've really, really missed you..."

I stretched up again and pressed my lips to his, wishing that it could have lasted forever. I hadn't seen him in weeks, and there he was now... He was holding me and kissing me like nothing had ever happened... Like he hadn't even been gone at all...

"Hey, Jordan--"

At the sound of the voice, Jesse pulled his lips away from mine, but we still stayed in each other's arms as Jesse lowered his head behind mine and into my shoulder so whoever was calling my name wouldn't recognize him.

I turned my head toward where I had heard my name being called, and I couldn't help but sigh in relief when I saw that it was only Alex. But Alex still thought that Jesse was dead...

Alex stopped dead in his tracks when he saw that I was in an embrace with a mysterious boy, but he grinned at me only a second later. He obviously didn't recognize his best friend, but that was definitely a good thing... I was afraid that Alex would feel betrayed if he saw that Jesse had been alive this entire time and he never even knew about it at all.

"And who's this?" Alex asked suggestively, his eyebrows wagging at me as he looked from me to Jesse. "Has Jordan had someone on the side the entire time?"

I turned my head away from him and back toward Jesse's, not knowing what I was supposed to do or say. Alex was Alex... He wasn't some random person or one of the girls from my cabin. He knew about the gang and my relationship with Jesse, so why couldn't he know that Jesse was really alive?

"I think it's okay to tell him," I whispered to Jesse, my grip on him loosening just a little. "It's Alex. Alex knows everything about us, Jesse... We just can't keep him in the dark..."

"Secrets?" Alex smirked, an eyebrow raising on his forehead now. He then leaned forward and whispered as well, "Whispers don't make secrets..."

When I looked over at him strangely, he obviously understood that he had gotten something wrong.

"Wait, no. I mean secrets don't make friends..."

I rolled my eyes at him, pushing at Jesse's chest a little. "It's okay to tell him," I said louder now, thought Jesse still didn't move his head. "It's Alex. You know you can trust Alex."

The blonde that stood before us didn't understand what was going on now, but it wasn't like I expected him to. When Jesse finally gave in, he slowly raised his head from my shoulder before standing up straight and facing Alex, looking almost ashamed.

Alex's eyes widened when they landed on his best friend. "Jess?"

Jesse nodded, looking a little uncomfortable as he pushed his hands into his pockets. "Yeah, it's me."

Alex still looked at Jesse as if he was a ghost, and he might as well have been. "I thought... I thought you were dead!"

Jesse shrugged, still looking uncomfortable and ashamed as he stared at the ground. "Well, everyone did. Everyone but Jordan, that is."

Alex now turned toward me, a hurt look evident on his face. I felt horrible for not telling him, but wouldn't he understand that I just couldn't do it? If I had told him, he would have done something stupid just like Jesse... And I couldn't have let that happen.

"Why didn't you tell me, Jordan?" Alex asked with a frown.

"I told her not to tell anyone," Jesse cut me off before I could say anything, holding a hand out in front of me to stop me from talking. "I knew that you would try to stop me if you knew what I was doing, so I didn't tell you. It's my fault, not Jordan's."

"And what are you doing?" Alex demanded, his eyebrows furrowing now as he took a step closer to us. "Why would you leave Jordan behind when she has Hunter and everything to worry about? I thought you wanted to protect her, Jesse."

"I am protecting her," Jesse insisted, shaking his head at his blonde best friend now. "Hunter said he'd leave Jordan alone once I was dead. Hunter thinks I'm dead, so he'll leave Jordan alone."

"And yet you're back here."

"I needed to see her one last time. I wasn't really planning on her seeing me..."

"But I did," I nodded, crossing my arms over my chest as I stared at the both of them. "It was an okay disguise and everything, but you should have known that I'd see through it."

Jesse shrugged, his green eyes boring in my brown ones intensely. "Maybe I just wanted you to catch me."

Before I could step forward and hug him again, Alex had already beat me to it. They did one of those funny looking guy hug things before the two of them took a few steps away from each other in embarrassment. Even though I was the only one there, I could tell that they were embarrassed. But I didn't blame them for hugging, even if it was one of those guy ones, because they were best friends who obviously missed each other.

"I can't stay very long," Jesse told us, but mainly me. I now took a step forward and wrapped my arms around his waist, making sure to press my face into his chest. I missed his smell so much.

"I love you," I told him, but it sounded muffled since my face was still pressed against his chest. "I love you so much, Jesse."

Even though I couldn't see his face, I could tell him was smiling at me. "I love you too, Jordan."

When I finally pulled away from him, I jumped up and mashed my lips onto his roughly. Alex looked away as Jesse's hand snaked to the back of my head while his other arm wrapped around my waist. After being separated for weeks, we finally got to see each other again... But it wasn't even for very long.

When he pulled away from me and turned to say goodbye to Alex, I couldn't help but feel alone again. I wasn't going to be able to see him every few weeks to kiss him... This was the last time I was ever going to be able to see Jesse Jacobsen. I thought the last time that I ever saw Jesse was at the dock, but obviously not...

"Take care, Al," Jesse told him, doing another one of those guy hugs. He then murmured, obviously intending for me not to hear, "Make sure she goes to Yale. She promise med she would, but... you know Jordan."

Alex smiled sadly at his brunette best friend. "I'll make sure she does."

Jesse smiled before turning back toward me. Tears were blurring my vision now, and I had to wipe them away to stop them from falling. And I thought separating from Jesse once was bad enough... Now I was going to have to do it all over again in front of another person!

"You take care of yourself," I told him sternly, still wiping at my eyes like a child. "I want you to make something of yourself and don't just be a bum on the street. Be someone, even if you don't use your real name. I just don't want you to live regretting what you did to protect me..."

"Hey," he said softly, lifting my chin with his hand gently as I softly started to cry. "I will never regret making this choice. Because as long as you make something of yourself, I make something of myself. As long as you're safe and protected, my life is completed."

I sniffed, still looking up at him. "I love you."

He smiled at me sadly. "I love you, too."

When he lightly pressed his lips to mine, I never wanted him to let me go. Why did Hunter have to go and ruin everything for me? I wanted to go with him! I didn't care about Yale anymore, and my friends and family would have gotten over the fact that I was supposedly dead. But there was no way Jesse would ever let me go with him and ruin my life...

But I wouldn't have been ruining my life. As long as I was with Jesse, my life would have been complete.

When he turned away from me, I didn't know what I was supposed to do anymore. The first time he had walked away from me and I thought it was going to be forever, I sunk to the ground and just fell asleep. But I couldn't do that now, since I wasn't alone and it was in the middle of the day. All I wanted to do was crash onto the floor and cry my eyes out...

When he was out of sight, I almost jumped when I felt someone's arm around my shoulders. I looked over at Alex, who was smiling sadly at me, looking like he understood how I felt. I bit my lip, telling myself not to cry but giving in as I let out a loud sob. Alex pulled me closer to him, and I spent the next hour crying into his shoulder.

When I finally stopped crying, Alex walked me back to my cabin. He wasn't mad anymore, and I couldn't have been happier for that. He understood why I didn't tell him, and I was glad that he wasn't too mad or upset over the fact that I had kept that from him.

When I walked into Cabin C after Alex had dropped me off there, I was expected to be bombarding by questions. That was exactly what had happened, and the first thing I heard was Lexi ask, "Where did you go?"

"I... uh..." I blinked, trying my best to think of a good excuse. "I... threw up. Yeah... I puked. I was just so nervous that I had to puke."

"I told you it wasn't a good idea to make her go up there," Cindy coughed, waving her hand at AJ. "She was shaking like crazy before you guys left! I'm not surprised that she puked!"

I sat on my bed, not saying a word as I tucked myself under the covers quietly. Hopefully I would be able to fall asleep quickly and dream about Jesse...

But I could barely believe that I was actually able to see him again. Even though it was short, I was still able to touch and kiss him like I had wanted for the past few weeks. And I knew I would be able to be happy off of that for a little while longer.

Before I could completely black out, I heard the girls talking about graduation. Even though I didn't want it to come, I wanted it to as well. The sooner I got out of the camp, the better it would be. I would get away from all the memories and I'd be free.

Free...

I didn't even know the meaning of the word anymore.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I can't wait for the next chapter... ;) It all ends soon...

Matt Lanter plays Jesse now. :) I might change him if I find someone better.

Please COMMENT, VOTE, and FAN! :D