Balancing Love ☞︎ A Jesse St. James fan fic

This Kid Is Wiser Than He Looks...

Almost an entire year had passed. Not too much had happened and not too much had changed.

I continued to dance, a lot. I was getting better and better. I finally decided on attending to NYADA. It was the perfect school for the onstage dancing I wanted to do. I auditioned with a famous solo ballet. I found out that I got in once the letters were released. Carmen Tibbedoux personally expressed how excited she was that I would be attending the school.

I still had a lot of practice to do so my dad and I hadn't managed to fire Paige yet. But we all knew our time was coming to a close. It needed to be. I needed to move on and be taught by teachers and get the full experience. Because believe it or not, I actually wanted to perform some ballets on stage within my life time.

My dad had continued his work at the school and was doing really well. He even found himself a little girlfriend. She was a coffee shop owner and they were both extremely dorky people. I liked her a lot and I just wanted my father to be happy.

Speaking of new relationships, Miranda had gotten a new companion of her own. Jackson has now been her boyfriend for four months. They met at an acting class and have been obsessed with each other ever since. He's a very loving and affectionate guy, he treats her 100x better than her ex did.

As for me, I was still heartbreakingly single. I hadn't hung out with any new people, and all the guys at the clubs Miranda dragged me too, weren't really my type...

As for Jesse... Well, he had managed to keep in contact all these months. He would text me multiple times during the week, always checking up on me and telling me new things that were going on in his job or life. We had actually managed to build an incredibly strong friendship. Especially since he had spent thanksgiving here in LA and then paid for a ticket for me me to spend Christmas with him in Lima.

It was amazing, I got to see all my friends in Lima, I got to see all the drama they had been keeping me up with in person, and we had an amazing time. Then when I got back, my father and I spent our own Christmas together, his girlfriend happily joining us after I thought it would be a good idea to invite her.

I had managed to keep my feelings for Jesse under wraps. Even though I pretty much completely trusted him, I couldn't figure out the right time to make it happen. I mean, I was going to be in college soon, is now really the right time? At least I knew he still liked me. It was obvious by the flirting and the affectionate hugs, hand holding, and holding in general. It was nice to be sure this wasn't all in my head.

Now it is the end of the year and I am done with school! All that was left to do was graduate! I had finished all my classes and I was excited to go to the schools ceremony.

Luckily, since I was done with school, I could manage to sleep in a lot. Unluckily, a morning I had planned to sleep in, my obnoxious phone ringing woke me up.

As the phone blared through my room, I cried out in annoyance. I flopped my hand around my bed till I managed to get a hold of it on the night stand. I clicked accept without looking at who was calling at this ungodly hour.

"Whaaat?!" I cried out, honestly not caring if it was Paige right now.

"Madi? Did you just wake up?" Jesses voice buzzed in my ear. I groaned again.

"Yes, Jess. Yes I did." I grumble, snuggling up in my blankets, the phone still pressed against my face.

"Well can you talk?" He asks frantically. I immediately sit upright.

"Yeah, sure. What's going on?" I ask tentatively.

"It's just, ok. Today- it's nationals. I'm nervous, Madi. I-I'm really nervous and I don't know what to do, or what I'm going to do if we don't win this. I might get fired!" Jesse rambles. I try my best not to chuckle at his obscurity.

"Jesse! Jesse, calm down. They aren't going to fire you. If you loose, you'll win next year-"

"If there is a next year." He grumbles, interrupting me.

"Jesse, you are not going to loose and you are not going to loose your job if you do." I say sternly.

"I just wish you were here. I need you." He says absentmindedly. We're both insanely quiet for a few moments. I look at the clock and realize it really is pretty early.

"Do you really... Do you want me to come?" I ask timidly. Jesse doesn't answer right away. I hear the heaviness of his voice through the speaker.

"I would really like it if you were." He says softly. I smile, looking down at my blankets, fumbling with them for a second.

"Then I'll be there." I reply, just as softly.

"Really?" Jesse shouts. I suddenly jerk my head away from the phone before returning it. I laugh a little at what just happened on my side of the phone.

"Yes. I'll be there, probably just in time." I smile lightly. Jesse laughs loudly into the phone.

"Ok, I'll see you later." He says, sounding pretty pleased. We hang up and I instantly check flights on my phone as I leave my room.

"Hey, dad!" I call out, scrolling through flights.

"What's up, princess." He shouts back. I follow his voice to the patio and find the perfect flight, time wise and price wise.

"Can I go to Lima for the night? It's nationals for Jesse and all my Lima friends. I would really like to support them." I explain, looking down at him. He holds out his hand, silently asking for my phone. I hand it too him as he looks everything over. He clicks a few buttons and hands it back.

"I expect calls and check ins. Don't spend what you don't need to. Be responsible! I'm trusting you, sweetheart." He says sternly. I squeal and kiss him on the cheek, running to pack a small bag.

"I will do all that, dad!" I shout over my shoulder.

The plane ride to where nationals was this year was silent as I had to sit in between two old people and the plane didn't have wifi so I wasn't able to text people that I was coming. It was getting late in the evening and I didn't have time to get a hotel or put my bag anywhere, so I quickly changed into a nice dress I brought and paid for a locker at the airport until I could get it later.

I quickly got a taxi and headed straight to the auditorium. I quickly sent a large group chat to all the glee club members, telling them I was coming. I mistakingly did that first, so by the time I was trying to text Jesse about it, I had to slide the message away from the top of my screen. I eventually sent the text that I was almost there. Jesse responses saying he was outside.

When I got to the theatre, I immediately started walking around, trying to find Jesse. But instead, I first found Finn looking at Jesse and Rachel talk to each other, chuckling a bit. Some uncertainty and jealousy bubbled in my stomach but I trusted that he wasn't using me again.

So instead of walking up to them and asking what was going on, I walked up to Finn. I tapped his shoulder, making him jump and jerk away from me. He turned around and quickly spotted me, much further down height wise than he is.

"Oh! Hi, Madelaine." Finn greeted, quickly swooping down to hug me. I chuckle in his hold and hug him back.

"Hey, there, Finn. You ok?" I ask teasingly. He laughs, taking a step away from me.

"Yeah, yeah." He responds coolly.

"And are you ok with that?" I ask, pointing to Jesse and Rachel." Finn lets out a tense laugh.

"Not entirely..." he trails off. He soon clears his throat and looks down at me.

"So why are you here exactly? Just to support us again this year or..." he trials off again, a small grin on his face. I smile shyly and nod.

"Yes, ok! I'm here for Jesse... And for you guys, too!" I reason. He nods, his smile getting wider.

"Well, I don't think you have anything to worry about Finn. I mean, she's marrying you, not Jesse, right?" I say calmly. Though the thought of Jesse and Rachel getting married makes me nauseous. He nods in agreement.

"Well, if it means anything, I don't think you have anything to worry about either. It was clear from the moment he brought you to prom- he cares about you. A lot." Finn nods to himself, still looking at Jesse and Rachel. I blush lightly and look down at my hands before looking back up to him. This kid is wiser than he looks...