Isaac took the elevator up to the ninth floor. He searched around for her room; 1238. He had to go down three hallways before he came to her room. She was in there, chewing her bubble gum as she watched him walk in. "Oh God Jada, are you okay?" He asked, stunned. "Yeah I guess." She was hooked up to iv and next to her was that little heart rate machine. He gave her the best kiss she's ever gotten from a guy. "Isaac?" "Yeah Jada "I need my gum back," she laughed. His face flushed and he pulled out a fresh stick of gum for her. "Thanks," she smiled. He pulled up a chair next to her. Isaac took her hand and squeezed it a couple times. "So Ike, are you going to be sent out of this hell hole?" She asked. "Yup, the doctors said I'm free to go. But, I'm staying here, with you until you get out of this place," he promised. "Isaac, I'm not going to get out. Don't you see? I got my second chance when I was in that e.r. room. God smiled down on me and that's when he let me live, that was my second chance in life," she said. Her voice was barely above a whisper. "No Jada, that's not true," he sighed. She looked so fragile, and pale. She was.
"Hi Jada," Taylor said as he walked in her room. "Hey Tay," she said. "So feel any better?" He asked. She moved her hand up and shrugged. "Well, when you get out of here, you can come with us to Europe! Chris got us booked for a radio show and promotional concert over in England!" Taylor exclaimed. "That's great Taylor, really," she said weakly. His face dropped as he looked at her. "Jada," Isaac said. "Happy seventeenth birthday!" He smiled and kissed her cheek. "Happy seventeenth!" Taylor cheered. "Guys, wait. I'm not officially seventeen until 2:32 today," she giggled. "Mom and dad said they'd be up soon," Taylor reported. No sooner he said that then Walker, Diana and the rest walk into her room. "Oh no, there's nine of us in here! I hope that's not a fire hazard!" Diana laughed. So did everyone else. "Well Jada, we all bought you a birthday gift, from all of us," Walker smiled. Zac walked in with a gift for her. "Guys, you didn't have to!" She whined. "Yes we did Jada, we all love you," Diana smiled. She felt a tear trickle down her cheek. It took Jada all her strength to open that gift. She peeled away the wrapping paper ever so carefully. Isaac helped her a little bit. Once the lid was removed she gasped. "Oh it's gorgeous!" She exclaimed. It was a long, light blue, satin dress by Donna Karan. There were white flowers embroidered into a pattern on the top. Jada started to cry, happy tears of course.
Once again, the Hanson family left, leaving just Isaac and Jada to themselves. "Ike," "Yeah Jada?" "What you thinking about?" "I don't know. About everything that happened with me this month. I met you, we started going out, we came here and look what happened," he explained. "Isaac, everyday I look at you I love you more and more. And every time I love you more makes me hurt every time we're apart," she said between tears. "Jada you know I love you more than anything," he spoke softly to her.
He sang her to sleep. He gazed down at her, he hated her to see in this position. He gently stroked the blonde hair out of her eyes. "Oh Jada," he whispered. He closed his eyes and had flashbacks of everything he had witnessed. Isaac felt Jada's pain. They were so close their heartbeats were the same. He could feel the pain that it took her to kiss him, he hurt when she did. Some call it freaky, they called it love.
Jada's head turned a little, she was dreaming. He looked at how innocent she was, how she never deserved this. Slowly, she started to wake up. "Hey beautiful," he whispered at her. "Hi baby," she whispered back at him. "Jada, why do you claim to be in such a bad position, you're rich!" He said. "Isaac, my mother is on welfare. Half the things we have were either donated, or given to us by family. Plus the fact that my mother dances around naked in front of guys kinda give us some money. My life is terrbile, I don't live a Barbie Dreamhouse life. I have no father, nobody to turn to, that is until I met you," she said softly. She squeezed his hand, he squeezed back. "I'm sorry Jada," he whispered. "No, it's not your fault," she said. She looked worse every minute. Her face was very pale, she was so weak and fragile, like if you blew on her, she would blow away. "Jada, why isn't your mother here, with you? I have known you for only a couple weeks, if that, she's known you your whole life, and you mean to tell me I care more about you than she does?" He spoke softly to her. "Yeah Isaac, she's so young and vibrant, she thinks of me as a little sister, not a daughter. I was her biggest mistake in life," she said, starting to cry. "No, that's what you think. Jada Christyn Collins, you were the best thing that ever happened to me, and I love you," he looked at her eyes. He had never seen anybody's green eyes as beautiful as hers, even when she looked like this, her eyes still sparkled. "I love you more, Isaac," she cried. He held her head in his arms, neither said a word.
Jada started to hum something, some song. Isaac knew the name he just couldn't place it. "What you humming?" He asked, starting to become bothered by not knowing this song. "I will come to you," she simply replied. He chuckled a little. She started to sing the chorus.
"I never told you this, but you guys write such beautiful songs," she whimpered to him. "Isaac, I have one question," she said. He looked down at her. "How come you tell me I am so beautiful, when I look like a freakin witch?" "Because you are," he kissed her. "You know Isaac, your kisses improved since the first time we kissed," she kissed him again. "Hey Ike, hand me that water," she said motioning for a glass of water that lay on the nightstand. He handed it to her and she took her medicine. "You're gonna get out of this, you know that Jada," he whispered to her. "Isaac, you're a dreamer," she snickered. "No, I'm serious, you are," he said honestly as his eyes locked with hers. Tears started falling down her face. "Isaac, there are two types of people, people like you and people like me. People like me serve no purpose, we come from broken homes, shattered families et cetera. On the other hand, people like you make a difference in society. You make people happy, and you change the world. Isaac, promise me now, that if I don't make it through this, that you will think of me every day. But, don't forbid yourself to date again. Keep going with your life, I'll be in a better place anyways. I will smile down upon you every day. I will watch over you, be your gaurdian angel, I will make sure you lead a happy life. I promise. Now you promise me you will go on." "I promise Jada, I'll go on. Hopefully you'll be by my side as I do," he said. He could feel two tears trickle down his cheeks. She grabbed his arm and held on tight, she never wanted this moment to end.
"Only thirty two more minutes Jada," he smiled. Her health was declining. She looked at her clock; sure enough it was 2:00pm. "Quit, you're making me feel old," she giggled. He looked down at her, he felt so sorry for all that she's been through, all the crap she had to put up with. "Jada Christyn Collins, you are the reason I wake up in the morning, you make me smile, you complete my life. If it weren't for you, God only knows what I'd be doing. Please, be my wife," he said to her as he pulled out and opened the box. The ring was so beautiful. It was a heart shaped, one carat diamond, on a thin, gold band. "Oh Isaac," she cried, "yes I will be your wife," she cried harder. He picked up her hand and slided the ring on her finger. Isaac bent down to her level and kissed her. She put her arms around his neck, exposing the ring to anyone that walked by her room. Suddenly, Zac and Taylor walked in. Taylor's jaw nearly dropped to the floor when he saw that ring. "Zac, let's go," Taylor suggested, leaving the two alone.
Isaac let go of Jada. "I'll be back, I think Tay was just in here," he said. She nodded and waved while he took his crutches out of her room, only to find Taylor and Zac flirting with the floor receptionst. "Taylor," Isaac laughed. Tay turned to him and walked down to where Isaac was. "Hey Ike! Way to go!" Taylor exclaimed. "What? Fill me in here!" Zac whined. "Zac, Jada is going to be your sister-in-law!" Isaac proclaimed. "Way to go bud!" Zac yelled giving Isaac a high five. Zac turned and ran back to that receptionst's desk, she claimed she had Dirt Biker's Weekly magazine. "So how is she?" Taylor asked, pain in his eyes, but not nearly as painful as Isaac's. "God Taylor, she's terrible. She looks like, like a ghost. Tay, I won't let her die, I won't! I promise you that. She's gonna make it through this, I know it. She's not going to die," Isaac promised to Taylor as he looked back at her room. "Sure thing Ike," Tay said and patted Isaac on his shoulder. "Where's mom and dad?" Isaac questioned. "Down in the lobby, Jess and Avery wanted to look at Beanie Babies in the gift shop," Tay laughed. Isaac smiled and waved to Taylor and Zac as they walked down the hall.
The time was coming closer to her happy seventeenth. In only five minutes Jada would match Isaac's age. He hobbled in and sat in his chair, it was now his chair. "Five minutes!" He smiled. "Isaac please don't make this a countdown," she sighed. "It's not important," she shook her head. "Yes it is! I just wish I could have bought you a birthday gift," he sighed. "Clarke Isaac Hanson you are a nut! You asked me to marry you, bought me a ring that probably costed you your kidney, you're sitting here with me never leaving my side, plus you and your family bought me a lovely dress! Are you insane?" She giggled. "Maybe," he smiled. He glanced over at the clock just as it turned to 2:32pm. "Happy Birthday Babe," he looked down at her and kissed her.
He sang to her. "So how does it feel to be seventeen?" He asked. "Same as it did to be sixteen, except I'm as old as you now," she smiled. She layed down on his stomach. He had moved the bed railing and he was now laying beside her, on her bed. He closed his eyes, and savored every moment with her. He must have zoned out because when checked the clock again, it was 2:55. "You're an angel," he whispered to her. "I won't let you go Jada," he promised. She was slowly leaving him. "Isaac." "Yes." "I love you more than anything." "Not as much as I love you Jada," he kissed her forehead. She perked up and kissed him, long and passionate before returning her head to her pillow. She squeezed his hand as hard as she could, and he squeezed hers. "Isaac," she handed him a piece of paper; the piece of paper she wrote on in her old hospital room, "here, take this, it's my will. I want you to work it, make sure everybody gets everything on the list. Do not read it until I'm gone understand?" She said very weakly. He nodded as tears flowed from his eyes. He could feel her warm breath when she breathed on his arm. He could feel her heartbeat. All you could hear was the beeping of the heart rate machine. Then suddenly, Jada's grip loosened, her breathing stopped, so did the machines.
"Jada," Isaac gently shook her. "Jada, c'mon baby." Still no movement. He looked up at the machines, no movement of the heart. He gently put her down and ran out into the hallway, ignoring his pain. "Help! Somebody! Help! Get a doctor!" He yelled. Three nurses and two doctors ran down the hall into her room. Isaac followed. "No, Isaac wait outside," a nurse commanded. He nodded, even though he didn't want to. A few moments later the same african-american nurse came out. "She's gone," she said. She didn't know Jada to well but she already had tears trickling down her cheek. "No! She's still alive! She can't die! I won't let it! No, no, no...." his voice trailed off. He looked in at her, laying there limp and gone. He started to cry, harder than ever before. He ran down to where his family was, in the lobby.
"She's gone," he cried out to his family. "What? Oh Isaac, come here," Diana motioned for him to come over with her. Fire caught Taylor's eyes. "What? You said you wouldn't let her die! You promised!" Taylor yelled. Isaac didn't care, all he could do was put his head in his hands and weep.
That Tuesday her funeral was held in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It had only been two days since her death. He had felt so guilty, like it was all his fault. He kept telling himself it wasn't, Jada wouldn't have wanted him to think that. About twenty five people were there. Hanson was scheduled to perform there at her. Isaac didn't think he would be up to it, but he had to be, this was his girl.
There she lay, like a wilted rosebud. She was wearing the powder blue dress the Hanson's had bought her and her engagement ring. Her eyes were closed, Isaac kept thinking about that. He was the last person to see her beautiful green eyes.
Everybody in Jada's life was there; Isaac, Taylor, Zac, Diana, Avery, Walker, Mackenzie, Zoe, and Jessica Hanson, Christopher Sabec, the one member of Green Jello who was her friend, that african-american nurse Kendra, her father whom she never met, her grandparents, her Aunt Louise and Uncle Michael, her five cousin's she didn't know well Michelle, Jennifer, Gaby, Seth, and Luke, her best friend Marlene, and last her three good friends Brandy, Jaimee, and Haley.
There wasn't a dry eye there. Everyone was crying, even the men. It was a terrible thing, to die at being seventeen for only twenty eight minutes. Taylor was sitting by a huge boquet of yellow roses, thinking. I never got to say goodbye. Then again, nobody did. Right next to her was a drum set, a white, baby grand piano, and a guitar. Taylor joined up with Isaac and Zac, they were ready for their farewells. "Excuse me everybody, I'd like to say a few words." said Isaac. As soon as he finished that sentence her mother, Sidney walked in. She was dressed in a strappy black dress and platform black sandals. She just flew in from Pittsburgh, but she had to leave again in twenty minutes for a recital.
"Jada Christyn Collins, was an angel from God. She never did anything to hurt anybody in the world. Why God would choose to take the life of her is something I can not understand. She was more, much more than just my girlfriend; she was my soul mate, my friend, my support. I would give anything and everything I have just to be with her right now, but I know that's impossible. Nothing can bring her back, and as much as I hate to, I realize that. If only I could see her for five minutes, to tell her how much I love her, how I want to spend every second of every day with her. We were supposed to be married on Valentine's Day, but now on that day I will think of her. Not only that day, everyday I will think of her. She is the person that completes my heart. She may not be here, with us now in person, but she's with me spiritually. I love, and I always will love you Jada Christyn Collins," he made his speech. Even Sidney was crying. Walker and Diana were a bit surprised when he mentioned they were engaged, but they beamed at his courage.
Taylor sang "With You In Your Dreams" so beautifully, better than ever before. Isaac was there, playing his guitar, even though his arm was killing him, and Zac on his drums. Isaac held his head up, but he couldn't help but to keep looking over at her. Once the song ended Taylor and Zac took their respectful places at their seats. Isaac walked over to the piano and played Isaac and Jada's song; More Than Anything. To him, he piano keys felt so soft, like her hair; when he hit a deep note, it sounded like the swing of Kalie's bat; when he played a high note, it sounded like her screams of pain and terror; when he hit a mellow note, it reminded him of when she was on her death bed. He recieved an uproar of applause. He bowed and took the yellow rose that was on the piano, off. He walked over to her corpse and placed the rose in the center of her hands. He softly kissed her cheek and walked back to his chair.
Moments later, Christopher Sabec returned. Isaac remembered Jada's favorite farewell songs, so he in turn told them to Chris. Chris stood there holding the door open for none other than Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs, Faith Evans and 112, the singers of "I'll Be Missing You." "Hello everybody. I am Puff Daddy and myself and these fine singers Faith Evans, and 112 have come today to sing our hit 'I'll Be Missing You' to Jada Christyn Collins. I never knew her personally, but I have seen her on television and in magazines. She's a lovely girl. And Isaac, you took excellent care of her," he said. The music started and they sang their song. Faith's sweet voice filled the room:
She closed her eyes and sang high. Everybody was amazed at her voice. When the song was over everybody applauded. "Hi. I will agree with Puffy, I never knew Jada, but she was a beautiful, level headed girl. I am very proud to be singing for her, not proud that we're missing her, but I'm proud she shed her love to such a wonderful young man. I know what it's like to lose someone you love. I've lost friends, and many others along my way. But you have to understand, that's life wether we want to accept it or not. Now, I will sing an old gospel him," she said.
She sang "Amazing Grace." Faith Evans truly was a wonderful woman. Jada's mother got up to leave. "Sidney, stay! This is your daughter!" Diana pleaded. Sidney shook her head and left. Taylor looked at her go and shook his head in shame. Taylor took his spot at the microphone and sang another of Jada's favorites "Tears in Heaven," by Eric Clapton. Isaac couldn't control his tears. He knew he looked like a baby, but he couldn't help it.
Everyone gathered outside, in the graveyard for Jada's burial ceremony. Nobody had a dry eye. Isaac stood there, next to the minister. "And Jada Christyn Collins, may you rest in peace," were his final words. Isaac threw a boquet of yellow roses on top of her casket. He started to calm his tears, but single tears fell one after the other. "Goodbye Jada," he whispered, and cried.
