Minneapolis, Minnesota 1987

Prince walked into the kitchen, the smell of breakfast foods filling the house. He slowed his steps at the sound of Jasmyn's giggling.

He creased his brows, taking a seat at the island. "Whats got you so happy this morning?"

"I don't know but.." she snickered."isn't it just a muggy morning?"

He closed his eyes, dropping his head. "Jasmyn I swear to God, if I go outside and all our mugs are on the lawn again. I'm leaving you."

She turned around, smile prominent on her face as she sipped her coffee out a small bowl.

"Jasmyn you bring those cups back in the house right now!"

Her voice reverted back to a childs. "No."

"Jasmyn!"

"Noooo!" she crossed her arm in a huff. "If I do then it won't be a muggy morning."

He started to get up, smile spreading across his face watching as she prepared to take off.

His voice rattled with laughter. "Go get the damn cups."

She shook her head furiously. "No."

"I'm not gonna ask you again."

She shrieked taking off, Prince running behind her. Their laughter reverberating off the walls as he chased her around and around and around the the house.

He sniffed, trying to hold back the tears that so desperately wanted to come out. It was those small moments they shared that were tattooed in his mind. Those moments that randomly popped into his head during rehearsal or at shows causing a smile to appear on his face. He thought of her in everything he did.

Prince ran off the elevator, finally reaching the 8th floor. After a flight that felt like an eternity, fighting the traffic, dodging the paparazzi and arguing with the receptionist. He was the perfect mix of anxiety, anger, and desperation. 

He looked around the empty hallway and not a person was in sight, no nurses, no doctors, no Hannah. Nobody. He would've atleast thought he would see her mom but Jas sent her on vacation. He didn't want his first meeting with her mother to be under these circumstances anyway.

 A door to one of the rooms slowly creaked open, a female doctor came out and shot him a knowing smile that put his heart as ease just a bit. "She's in here."

He waited until she rounded the corner before he slowly made his way to the door, just as he was about to turn the knob he heard a faint voice, Jasmyn was singing.

"It hurt me so bad when she told me with tears in her eyes. He was all she ever had and now she wanted to die." 

He couldn't help but laugh a little at her impression of him.

"He left her with a baby and another one on the way, yeah. She couldn't stop cryin' cause she knew he was gone to stay. She asked me if we could be friends and I said, oh, honey baby that's a dead end, you know and I know that we wouldn't be satisfied...'least I wouldn't."

He opened the door to see Jas sitting up in the bed, playing the air drums (quite aggressively) and singing to herself with her eyes closed. He leaned his shoulder against the door frame and watched her until she finished the song, which included her mouthing his entire guitar solo and the breakdown. It was cute to see that she paid that much attention to him, she had his ad-libs and facial expression down pact.

 As soon as her eyes locked on him, his heart fluttered a little watching that smile he'd grown to love spread across her face. 

"Pooks!!!," she squealed, opening her arms for a hug. He obliged her, placing as many kisses as he could all over her face. She giggled moving her face around, trying to not to suffocate in his affection. 

"Where's Hannah?" he asked, through his kisses.

"I sent her down to find me ice cream."

He chuckled. "But you're lactose intolerant."

She looked to the side then back to him. "Does it look like a give a fuck?"

He twisted his face in disgust knowing exactly what she was going to do to the bathroom later on. 

"Look of love! Jasmyn and her rockstar beau Prince can't hide the feeling during hand-holding coffee run."

Both shot their head towards the TV.

After blushing when Letterman asked about her romantic life with the private rocker, she refused to reveal any details other than "everything is beautiful" 

However earlier this week, Jasmyn appeared more open to a public display of affection with her rockstar boyfriend Prince. The 21-year-old singer and her boyfriend, 28, were spotted holding hands and gazing deep into each other's eyes outside of  Sparrow Cafe in Minneapolis

The couple appeared to only have eyes for eachother as they stood outside on a street corner. Jasmyn and Prince lavished attention on one another while they both sipped on iced coffees. At one point, the Moonlight singer made a sweet moment as she rested her chin on her beau's shoulder, garnering happy smile from the purple maestro.

He admired her features as she continued to listen to the reporter talk about their on the way to rehearsal coffee run, which their making out to be a romantic date. 

His eyes drifted down her features and he couldn't help but notice the fully formed bruise encircling her neck, visions of what he could only imagined happened flashed into his mind. He quickly shook his head to get rid of it and pulled her into his arm, planting a kiss on the top of her head as he rocked her back and forth.

He kissed her on the shoulder. "Come home."

She exhaled. "I can't"

He paused, pulling away from her. He looked in her eyes to see if she was being serious and sadly it looked like she was. 

"And why not?"

"I have to go to the funeral tomorrow, it's the least I could do. I mean I owe it to my family, I barely visit them... ever."

He cut his eyes, wondering why her tone was so nonchalant. "I don't know if you noticed but you're in a hospital, it's because of your family that you're even here."

"No it's not! You can't blame my entire family for his actions."

"If he's been doing the same things since you were little why the hell is he still allowed to come around anyway huh? Tolerating something puts you at just as much fault."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "They don't tolerate it."

He groaned, pinching his nose. "See your not listening to me, you're still not listening to me."

She rolled her eyes, growing more annoyed with him by the second. "Are we really doing this right now?"

"Yes we are! You're sitting in a hospital bed with an IV in your arm, you need to bring yo' ass home, where I know you're safe because what if-"

"I never needed you or anybody to protect me!"

"Everybody needs somebody."

"I don't! And I never fucking did"

He was getting fed up as she droned on and on about how she didn't need anybody, how she did just fine without him. How she can protect herself. He didn't bother to listen to her because he's heard it all before. He couldn't even get a sentence out with her yelling over him. He couldn't take it anymore.

"Would you just listen to me Jordyn!" He inhaled sharply once he realized what he did.

Jasmyn's mouth slowly gaped open. "Who the fuck is that? 'Cause that ain't my name."

He put his hands out trying to stop her before she got started. "I know it's not your name she's just-"

"She's just what?!? A friend? Remember your last little friend, the one that was topless in the fucking kitchen? Ringing any bells.."

He rolled his eyes at the fact that she brought her up again. "Troy has nothing to do with this."

She chuckled looking to the ceiling, tears forming in her eyes. "I swear at this point I wouldn't be surprised if I caught you in bed fucking Sheila."

"What?!"

"I wouldn't be surprised either," she shrugged. "She's pretty, female, plays music, your type."

His voice dropped to a serious tone. "Shutup you're being ridiculous."

She pointed to herself. "Do I look like a fuckin' idiot? Do you really think that I don't know what you're doin'."

"And what am I doing."

"Apparently Jordyn!" she put her hand up before he could protest, her voice dropping to an aggressive whisper. "I suggest you go be with that bitch because she's the bitch you want."

"Don't call her that" he warned, point a stern finger at her. 

"Or what." 

He started to strip off his jacket and loosened his tie as she started to ramble threats into the air.

"I told myself...I TOLD myself, I said Jasmyn once a cheater always a cheater-Why are you walking off? What the fuck are you doin'?"

He pulled a chair up to her bedside, he tried to take both her hands but she snatched them away. "Don't you fucking dare."

He was a little shocked, he hasn't seen this much aggression from her in a while. He closed his eyes with a sigh and told her the story of Jordyn Carson. 

A name that is forever engraved in his mind. He met her his freshman year, she was new to the school. She moved from Houston, Texas. A fiesty little thing, with the biggest personality.

She was in his Biology class and she sat right beside him, one day she leaned over and asked him was he a fan of Parliament Funkadelic. Ever since that day, they were two peas in a pod. She loved music the same as he did, sometimes they would skip class and go play in the music room. They'd talk about any and everything under the sun. One thing about her was she was like one of the guys, she was loud, she cussed like a sailor, she talked about girls, and she never took no for an answer. 

She bullied all his girlfriends, made sure he did his homework and if he had a gig, she would do it for him so he never had to worry about it. Prince showed her new music before anybody. They talked all the time on the phone, she went to all his basketball games, even almost got suspended for yelling at the coach for not playing Prince enough, everyone was telling her that it wasn't about skill, it was about his height. She didn't give one, two, red, blue, fucks about it.

She was a strong girl, turned down guys left and right even thought she could've had anyone she wanted. Boys weren't her focus, music was and contrary to school rumors, they ever dated. However, considering Prince's reputation with the ladies of Central High, these rumors were hard to dismiss. He liked her, he liked her a lot, but she never wanted to ruin the friendship so they never pursued eachother.

However that is until senior year, they were the closest they've ever been but he noticed towards the end of the year she was acting a little strange, she seemed a lot more withdrawn, quiet, reserved. When they hung out, she was not as hyper and cheerful. She wasn't an open book, whatever problems she went through she usually kept to herself. She always told him that she could handle herself. 

If only he knew what was going on in her head because on May 24, 1976. She was found death in her bathroom. It was the day before graduation. She carved 'help' into her arms and bled out, she had been dead all night. 

Jasmyn's mouth gaped slightly, a gut wrenching feeling of guilt hit her like a truck watching Prince stare blankly into the room. He was relieving a horrible memory, she knew that look anywhere.. "Why did she...y'know?"

He shook his head. "She had a lot of family problems and I just wasn't there for her." his voice cracked. "I didn't ask the questions I should've and." he sniffed, starting to full on sob. "The last time I saw her was in a casket and..." 

Her voice went soft. "Come here...come on."

He rested his head in her lap and wrapped his arms around her waist, she stroked his hair trying to calm him down. 

"We made a pact, that if one of us made it then we would take the other with us and I never.." he broke down once again. It brought tears to her own eyes to see him in this much pain.

"Come home please."

She felt the desperation in his muffled voice. "Okay..."

____________

Prince and I's relationship is somewhat different now. I would have thought that after him confessing his feelings and finally opening up and telling me whats on his mind and in his heart, our relationship would be a lot simpler. Well it's not, which should be a good thing but ever since that day Prince has been clingy, which is abnormal for Prince because anybody that knows him knows that he can chill alone and be perfectly fine. He doesn't ever stick to one person or group, people stick to him. 

It started off with him suggesting I stay home for a few days, which was understandable. Then came the questions. "Are you leaving again? Did you eat today?" But now, everywhere I go he has to know where and why.

I'm 21, I shouldn't have to explain myself anymore. I can't even get out the bed in the morning without him asking me a million questions. Its always "where are you going?", "do you need me to come with you." "how long is it gonna take?" It was endearing at first but now, it's way too much.

However, I can't help but wonder if he's looking at me or is he looking at Jordyn. Obviously, he loved that girl. I mean she seemed perfect for him. Maybe that's why he started talking to me in the first place, why he has those moments where he'll just start staring at me and smiling. He sees Jordyn, he's never seen Jasmyn. I've just found myself analyzing everything he's every done for me. I just so happen to be the one girl who's similar enough to the girl of his dreams. 

So today I decided to hide in the backyard, behind a tree so I wouldn't be visible. I clicked my pen open and started in on my DC Comic related doodles. I swear I need to drag Prince to Comic Con this year. I'll have to show him how us geeks roll.

"Jas, where are you?" 

My eyes habitually rolled. I swear I can't have 5 minutes anymore. I chose not to answer back and continue my doodling.

"Jas, you out here?"

I sighed, a pang of guilt hitting me, he just wants to spend time with me and here I am hiding from his affection. I should be glad he's being clingy. I should be happy someone wants to spend all their time with me, but it's so unlike him. Prince and clingy aren't even in the same spectrum. 

"Baby?"

I pulled my knees closer to me chest. I just need some much needed me time.

He yelled even louder. "Jasmyn, where the hell are you?"  

I peeked from behind the tree and saw him walking back into the house. I blew, letting my guilt take over me. I closed my notebook and followed behind him. Suddenly he whipped around with a big smile on his face and pulled me into his arms immediately, I wrapped my arms under his as he rocked me back and fourth. Honestly, it warmed my heart to be this intimate with him.

"There you are. Where were you and why didn't you answer me when I was calling you?"

I was avoiding your no space giving ass. "I was outside. I guess I didn't hear you."

"Oh well, There's something I want you to hear."

I squinted. "You're already working on a new album?"

"Aren't I always?" he chuckled. "But no this is for Sign O' The Times."

I pulled back, twisting my face at him. "The album's already being pressed!"

"And their gonna have to press it again." he snickered. "Come on."

He grabbed my hands and ran off with me, the guy is a lot stronger than what most people think. But Prince always drags me down to the studio and I did the same to him, we'd always ask if either wanted to come in and listen to stuff. This time he had really something special. It's called U Got The Look. And seeing as me being an the idiot that, I sung it all the wrong spots. Prince said he kind of liked it and expanded it into a duet.

He was a very flexible person, very open to the creative process. He's one of the people that encouraged me to write deeper songs. I'd be walking around with my little notepad writing down ideas and notes. Being the ass that he is, he'd always grab it out of my hand and ruthlessly make fun of me and say, 'That's crap,' 'That's a good chorus,' or 'That verse sucked,' or 'You should finish that one.' We ended up writing a few things that way, and stashing them away for future purposes. We wrote one song called Blow, it way too risque for me. I might give that one away to someone one day but Prince is just dying for me to sing it.

"'La La La, He He He He' which is the B-side to 'Sign O' the Times', that was something I was writing, just a stupid little thing. It was about a cat up in a tree teasing a dog. I was actually being sarcastic. He said, 'Ya, that could be a song,' and I was like 'Oh ya, like what do you want me to sing? La La La, He He He—I love you, you love me?" He said, 'Actually, that'd be kind of cute! Go ahead and write it.' That's the 360 musical perception of Prince, not all songs have to be super serious, you could always have fun with music.

I shot my head up. "Am I annoying you?"

He chuckled. "No I like hearing you talk, keep going."

I shrugged and leaned my head back. "I feel like I had a little flirtiness or humor-like a little humor sassiness to a lot of my earlier work but now I feel like my music is a lot more..." I waved my hands in the air trying to find the word.

"It's real."

I clapped. "Yes!"

He nodded, adjusting the knobs on the soundboard.

"Ya'know, I've shifted the focus nowadays I guess towards singing things I could tell a story with and things I could relate to more you know what I mean..." I pushed off the floor, sending my chair into a another circle. "I am more...attached to things that are a little simpler and there's something about my music now. I feel it's now..." I huffed, trying to find the words. "Effortlessly, simply, fantastic.."

"I like that song of yours Why Try."

I popped another grape in my mouth. "Actually, when I first wrote it like I didn't really know what I was talking about I think I was watching a soap opera or something but now I understand it."

"The song itself is about, or what I feel it was about, was two people who are at odds a lot of the time and they have this constant strife because half the time we're screaming our lungs out or they're crying or-"

"There's something very real about being...free enough to feel miserable in a relationship. Havin' somebody that's strong enough to actually go through your shit with you is like actually.....better."

"Yeah, life isn't about a straight path in order to have the ups you have to have the downs or the ups won't feel as high." 

"Exactly!" I toed off my heels, letting them drop to the ground on the side of the chair. "Sometimes I feel as though people are like selfish in a relationship like you can't force somebody to change their ways you know, like if i'm untrustworthy of people, I personally feel as though you should work harder to gain my trust rather than for me to have to break down my walls so it'll be easy for you to get in you know what I mean like, you can't expect me to unexperience what I've experienced. You get me?"

He nodded. "Nobody builds up walls unless they had a reason."

"Yes! like-I don't know just.." I sighed, I didn't know what to say anymore. I rambled a lot and i'm glad that I have Prince to listen to me. He's like my diary. I hate the fact that he knows me so well but I mean who else right. "I'm sorry you had to go through the mess that is my mind."

"Creative minds are rarely tidy."

"I swear you're like a book of quotes."

"I like to look for the deeper meaning in things."

I smiled at that. "I noticed." I poked at his cheek. "You're so cute!" 

I squealed watching the shy smile spread across his face. 

His voice went soft. "Stop." 

My voice went mushy, pinching his cheek slightly. "I just wanna eat you up." 

"Feel free to suck me off later..." he said, all to nonchalantly.

My face dropped. "See why you had to ruin the moment."

He snickered. "I didn't ruin it, I just shifted the focus."

I rolled my eyes, sitting back. "I wonder what's going on in that head of your sometimes."

"Once I figure it out you'll be the first to know." he said in a joking manner, but there was a hint of sincerity in his voice that hit me hard.

We both sat back and listened to the playback of the song. I swear I sounded like a completely different person with this voice distortion. 

"It doesn't work with the accents." I swung my feet from the arm of the chair back to the floor and scooted back up to the board. "Did you do the accents?"

"Yeah."

"The drums are really a lot."

He widened his eyes a little at me, as I started looking around the soundboard.

"I understand that the drums are the core of this beat but." I put my finger up silencing him. "But it's too much."

"Ok." He slid his fingers under the knob. "You want me to turn it down?"

"Only slightly," I advised, monitoring him. "I still want to hear Sheila."

I put my hand on top of his making him stop. "That sound's weird, I don't like it."

I peered up at him waiting for him to work his magic but he gave me the signature Prince head nod of approval, which meant he was making me sort through my creative hunch myself. I tapped my chin in thought.

"The beat could be muted.."

"You want the beat to keep playin' then.."

"I want you to riff on the guitar right there, not a hell of a lot though, but first strip it down to just the kick drum, and Sheila's drumming." 

I plopped back down into my seat and pushed the knob back up letting Sheila's drumming mesh in the the rest of the stripped down beat. 

He adjusted the guitar in his lap. "You want a breakdown here, is that what you're saying?" 

"I mean you got that sick solo at the end but you can never have too many Prince guitar solo's in a song right...?" I laughed, looking over the board. "It could't hurt actually, it would make it fuller and would actually space it out the song's core parts, but if this became a single, which I think it should this has major club banger potential, we might have to cut it out, but the album version would be pretty badass."

He nodded and out the corner of my eye, I noticed him gazing at me with a smile on his face. He was doing it again. I adjusted myself in my seat, trying not to focus on the fact that he could possibly be imagining Jordyn. I don't know what it was about it, but I feel as though he's still in love with her.

I decided to nap while Prince was mixing the song and working his magic. I was awaken out my slumber by a wet kiss on my eye.

I nuzzled my face into my sweatshirt sleeves. "Go away." 

"I'm cutting the song, what are you doing?"

"I'm sleeping."

"Wrong answer,"

I groaned. "Five more minutes."

He pulled my hands away from my face, casting me a judgmental look.

I yawned. "It's 6 in the morning Prince."

"Get up Jasmyn."

"Fine Prince." 

I yawned, outstretching my arms. 

He chuckled. "You can't be serious."

"Oh I am so serious."

"Come here, you're such a baby sometimes."

"Yay!"

I hopped into his arms and he carried me to my seat, which was a few steps away but I didn't feel like walking. As we were cutting the song together, I couldn't help but notice he was unusually quiet..

I looked over at him. "What's wrong boo?"

He exhaled. "Nothing."

"Alright i'll ask again, next time, don't be such an ass and accept my kind hearted worry."

He chuckled. "Cute. Well it's just y'know...the album's coming out...and i'm gonna be on tour soon and I was just wondering if you...y'know."

My eyes widened. "Are you asking me to come on tour with you?"

He chuckled. "It depends...do you wanna come on tour with me?"

"I mean...I have a ton of work to do..." I trailed off, adverting my gaze away from his. Yes, I would love to go on tour with him. But I think he should let me miss him for a little bit because i've been feeling a little smothered these past couple days. Plus, I just need some time to pull my thoughts together...alone.

"Jas...Jasmyn." Prince's voice got serious as he tried to get my attention.  "Please."

I rested my head on his shoulder, I nodded in agreement. I didn't want to but the fact that he's opening up should say something, it should. 

_________________

Later that day...

He groaned, knocking on the bedroom door. "Come on baby don't be like that."

He jumped at the loud bang on the door, she threw yet another shoe and it sounds like one of his.

"You're being ridiculous, I said I was sorry."

"Sorry doesn't bring back my fucking trail mix Prince."

"Is it really that deep...?"

"YOU THREW ME IN THE POOL! IT IS THAT FUCKIN DEEP!"

He jolted at the sharpness of her tone.

"You said you felt gross after your workout."

"So you chunked me into the shallow end, you dick wipe."

He furrowed his brows, chuckling. "Dick wipe."

He jolted once again at the loud bang hitting the door.