All too well
(10 minute version)
Taylor Swift
5:13 ——————•———————
𝑴𝒂𝒚𝒃𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝒎𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒑𝒊𝒆𝒄𝒆 '𝒕𝒊𝒍 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒖𝒑

𝑨𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒊 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒂 𝒃𝒐𝒚...
𝑺𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒐𝒏 11
𝑶𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓

☆

𝑱𝒐𝒗𝒊 𝒍𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒖𝒑 in her bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. The pillow beneath her head was damp from hours of crying, and her phone buzzed relentlessly on the nightstand. Each vibration was a reminder of Blake's attempts to reach her — calls, texts, voicemails — all of which she ignored. She couldn't handle hearing his voice or reading another apology. It was too little, too late.

A soft knock sounded at her door, but Jovi didn't move.

"Jovi?" Claire's voice came through, gentle but firm. When there was no answer, the door creaked open. Claire stepped inside, taking in the sight of her friend bundled under the covers, her face blotchy and her eyes rimmed red.

Claire sighed, crossing the room and sitting on the edge of the bed. "You've got to stop lying here like the world's ended. It's depressing even for me."

Jovi didn't respond, just tugged the blanket up higher over her head. Claire, undeterred, yanked the covers back down, earning a weak glare.

"Come on," Claire said, leaning back on her hands. "What's the point of sulking like this? He's not worth it."

Jovi sniffled, her voice barely audible. "It's not just about him. It's everything. It feels like everything's falling apart."

Claire raised an eyebrow. "Okay, sure. But let's start with him. Blake sucks. He always has. I never liked him, by the way."

Jovi let out a hoarse laugh despite herself, shaking her head. "You could've told me sooner."

"I did. You just didn't listen," Claire said with a small smirk. "But seriously, Jo, you've been miserable with him for weeks. That cabin trip? It just highlighted how bad things have gotten. And I know you care about him, but... maybe it's time to let go."

Jovi swallowed hard, her throat tight. "I don't know if I can."

Claire softened, reaching out to place a hand on Jovi's shoulder. "I'm not saying it's easy. But look at you. You've been lying here, crying over a guy who clearly isn't making you happy anymore. That's not love, Jovi. That's... I don't know, holding on to something that's already broken."

Jovi turned her head to look at Claire, tears pooling in her eyes again. "What if I'm the one who broke it?"

Claire shook her head. "Don't do that. Don't blame yourself for his screw-ups. Relationships are two-way streets, and from what I've seen? Blake's been driving the wrong way for a while now."

Jovi bit her lip, silent for a long moment. Finally, she whispered, "What am I supposed to do?"

Claire squeezed her shoulder. "You don't have to decide everything right now. But maybe a break would do you both some good. Give yourself time to figure out what you really want. And if it's not him? That's okay."

Jovi let out a shaky breath, the idea settling uneasily in her chest. It wasn't what she wanted to hear, but deep down, she knew Claire was right. "I'll think about it."

"That's all I'm asking," Claire said with a small smile. She stood and ruffled Jovi's hair gently. "Now, stop wallowing and take a shower. You smell like heartbreak."

Jovi laughed weakly again, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. As Claire left the room, she pulled the blanket back over herself, staring at the buzzing phone on the nightstand. For the first time, she considered answering — if only to tell Blake they needed some space.

☆

𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒅 at school, Jovi walked alongside Alex, the gravel crunching beneath their feet as they approached the looming entrance. It felt as if every pair of eyes were trained on her, their gazes like invisible lasers piercing through her confidence. The brief walk from Jody's car to the school doors felt like a gauntlet, and it only intensified once they were inside. Jovi could feel the whispers ripple through the hallways like a breeze, furtive glances followed by murmured secrets hidden behind cupped hands.

"Do you feel like everyone's looking at us?" she asked Alex, her voice barely above a whisper as she side-eyed their curious audience.

Alex glanced around, her brows knitting together. "Uh, funnily enough, yeah."

Jovi took a shaky breath, trying to steady herself. "Oh, how fun."

"Did something happen that we're not aware of?" Alex wondered aloud, her eyes scanning the huddles of students that seemed to swell with gossip.

"No clue," Jovi replied, though a nervous pit had already begun to form in her stomach. Panic scratched at the edges of her mind — did they know? Surely, Blake wouldn't have told everyone. Right? She tried to reassure herself, convincing her racing thoughts that it could be anything, not necessarily about her or Alex.

Before Jovi could let her anxiety spiral, she spotted Ares approaching them with a grim expression on his face. Jovi quickly rushed up to him "Hey, you wouldn't happen to know anything about all the gossiping?" She asked him anxiety clear in her voice. Ares paused, his easy demeanor shifting as his eyes met hers.

"Uh, you're not gonna like it," he began, hesitating.

Jovi's heart was practically in her throat. "W-what?" Her voice trembled, on the verge of breaking. The sympathetic look Ares gave her made Alex's face fall.

"Ares, what's happened?" Alex demanded, her tone urgent.

He took a deep breath. "Blake told some of the team what you two got up to over the weekend. Now, the guys have gone around telling everyone. I'm sorry, Jovi."

Jovi's world crumbled around her like a house of cards caught in a sudden gust. She felt her knees threaten to give way under the crushing weight of betrayal, each breath coming in ragged, shallow gasps. The air around her thickened, every sound blending into a cacophony of white noise that pounded in her ears. Blake's words, sharp and careless, had sliced through her like a blade, severing the fragile ties of trust she had so carefully woven. The murmurs and giggles of her peers echoed like mocking whispers, each one a poisoned arrow piercing her already bleeding heart. As her name fluttered on their lips, it felt like the final, cruel twist of the knife, leaving her standing amidst the wreckage of her shattered hopes.

"Jovi? Jovi? Jovi!" Alex's voice broke through the fog, her grip gentle but firm on Jovi's arm.

"I-I gotta go," Jovi stammered, pulling away from Alex's grasp and charging down the corridor, a singular thought consuming her mind — find Blake. She wished she had her gun, but she'd have to rely on her words and perhaps her fists instead. Alex and Ares called after her, their voices drowned out by the roaring in her ears.

She spotted Blake leaning against his locker, laughing with his friends. A surge of anger propelled her forward. "Hey, babe—"

Jovi slapped him hard across the face. "What did you tell everyone?!" she hissed, fighting back tears. Blake's shocked expression held a mix of pain and surprise as he touched his reddening cheek, his friends' laughter ringing around them.

"I didn't tell them anything!" he protested, but Jovi scoffed, her voice dripping with venom.

"How fucking stupid do you think I am?!" She glared at him, her eyes blazing with fury. Blake glanced around, noticing their growing audience.

"Jov, can we do this somewhere more private, please?" he pleaded, nodding towards the crowd that had gathered.

Jovi's eyes flickered over the crowd before returning to him, her gaze icy. "Fine," she spat, every word like a shard of glass. The crowd buzzed with anticipation as they moved, eager to see the drama unfold.

Blake gently pushed her ahead, searching for a secluded spot. "Jovi, are you sure you—"

Jovi turned back to Alex and Ares, her voice steady but her eyes blazing. "It's okay, just give me five minutes." Alex nodded sending Ares a 'stand down' look making the boy clench his jaw, Jovi shot Blake a venomous look. "Don't fucking touch me," she hissed, shoving his hand away as they pushed through the double doors leading to the deserted football field, the weight of the confrontation settled like a storm about to break. The air was cool, but Jovi felt nothing but the searing heat of her rage. Once they were far enough from prying eyes, her emotions erupted like a volcano, unstoppable and devastating.

"What the hell is wrong with you?! How could you tell all your friends about us and then lie to my face about it?!" Her voice cracked with the raw intensity of betrayal, each word lashing out like a whip.

"I didn't tell them all! I only told one person, and he told everyone else!" Blake's defensive tone was like gasoline on the flames, only fueling her fury.

"Like that makes it any better! Who did you tell?!" Jovi screamed, tears finally breaking free, carving desperate paths down her cheeks. The anguish in her eyes was palpable, a wound laid bare.

Blake ran a hand through his hair, closing his eyes as if trying to block out the reality of the situation. "Who did you tell, Blake?!" she repeated, her voice sharp and venomous.

"Jace! Okay? Jace. He told everyone, but I swear to you, I never meant for any of this to happen—"

"Then why didn't you look upset? Not even a little bit?" Jovi's voice faltered, the anger dissolving into a deep, painful sadness that seemed to echo in the empty stands. Even Blake seemed startled by the depth of her hurt.

"I-I was upset. But I can't show the guys that, you know—"

"Why? Because of your fragile ego? You didn't want your precious masculinity tarnished? Well, guess what, Blake? You're not the one who's going to be called a slut or a whore, or judged for this. You're not the one who'll be looked down upon for trusting you." She took a shuddering breath, her tears falling more freely now. Her eyes flicked to the necklace he had given her, its sight a cruel reminder of her misplaced trust. "I shouldn't have let you in—"

"Jovi, don't—"

"No, Blake. I've learned not to trust people, not to let them get close, because it always ends in pain. But the one time I thought I found a good guy — someone different, I get hurt again. I thought letting you in would heal some part of me, but all it did was prove how broken I really am." Her mascara streaked her face, black rivers highlighting her devastation. This was something he would brush off in a week, but for her? The humiliation and pain would linger, a scar she'd carry until she graduated, or until her dad came to get her. She reached up in lapping the necklace, her hands trembling. "I can't be with someone who's just going to stand by and let my name get dragged through the mud."

"You're breaking up with me?" Blake's voice wavered, tears pooling in his eyes, reflecting his own shock and hurt. Jovi tried to steel herself, her lip quivering as she nodded.

"Jovi, we can fix this, okay? I'll talk to everyone, make them back off—"

"No, Blake! They won't. What's done is done, and there's no fixing it. I need space, and I need time, so please just respect that." She was on the verge of breaking completely and refused to let him see her crumble, especially as anger flashed across his face when he took the necklace back.

"So one mistake, and that's it? We're over?"

"Who made the mistake?" she countered, her face hardening into a mask of cold indifference, a shield against the pain in true Winchester fashion. He scoffed, shaking his head.

"To think I actually loved you, too. You know what your problem is?" Jovi's eyes narrowed, warning him to stop. "Just walk away, Blake."

"No, your problem is your messed-up family. Your mom was never around to teach you about emotions, and your dad—he's a broken mess who's clearly seen too much shit. It doesn't take a genius to see that. But here's the kicker—he's too macho to deal with his problems, he just moves on without facing them. Looks like he passed that on to you. If you're not careful, you're going to end up just like him."

Jovi felt the words like a series of punches, each one knocking the air out of her. How could someone who had once been so kind turn so cruel? He had used her confessions, her vulnerabilities, like daggers, stabbing them into her heart. Before she knew it, her vision blurred with rage and tears, and she was swinging, the physical blow a desperate attempt to defend herself from the emotional onslaught. All she saw was red.

The pain in Jovi's knuckles felt distant, a dull throb beneath the overwhelming surge of adrenaline. She hadn't even realized when two strong arms lifted her off Blake and carried her away, her fists still clenched in futile fury. She struggled against the grip, her body a live wire of rage, desperate to return and tear into the boy who had dared to demean her and her family.

"Bitch!" Blake spat, clutching his bleeding nose and the emerging bruise around his eye.

"Hey, watch it, or I'll let her go for round two!" Ares Cassidy's voice cut through the chaos, a lifeline pulling Jovi from the tempest of her emotions. She stopped struggling, her eyes finding him, relief mingling with heartbreak.

"A-Ares?" Her voice broke, the sound of it like shattering glass. Ares looked down at her, his heart aching at the sight of her so broken.

"It's okay. I'm here." Jovi collapsed into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably, her face buried in his chest. Ares gently lowered them both to the ground, holding her as she crumbled, his hand soothingly stroking her hair. He whispered reassurances, feeling her tremble with every sob that wracked her body. The world around them faded away; it was just them and her pain.

Kat burst through the double doors, looking frantic, her eyes searching until they landed on Jovi and Ares. She hurried over, her bag hitting the ground as she knelt beside her best friend, her hand resting gently on Jovi's back. "Hey, I'm so sorry I wasn't here sooner."

Jovi lifted her tear-streaked face from Ares' chest, her makeup smudged into dark streaks that accentuated her swollen, red-rimmed eyes. Kat's heart sank at the sight; her best friend looked utterly defeated, a broken doll.

"Oh, honey, I wish I'd been the one to beat him up," Kat murmured, pulling Jovi into a tight hug.

"D-don't worry. I-I got him pretty good," Jovi choked out between sniffles, trying to muster a weak smile.

"No shit. Who knew you could hit so hard, Winchester?" Ares interjected with a soft grin, trying to lighten the mood. Jovi turned her head, her eyes meeting his.

"You do," she replied, a faint glimmer of humor flickering in her gaze. He'd once tried the scare at and she reacted by punching him hard enough to leave a small cut in his eyebrow.

Ares chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeah, I've still got the scar to prove it."

Jovi attempted a laugh, but it caught in her throat, coming out more as a sob. Kat rubbed her back gently. "Hey, why don't we get you cleaned up? We can ditch the rest of the day if you want," she suggested.

Jovi nodded, sitting up straighter. "Yeah, I-I can't be seen like this."

Ares raised an eyebrow, puzzled. Even with her mascara streaked and her face puffy from crying, she looked radiant to him, as if her beauty transcended the pain etched on her face. "For what it's worth, you're not an ugly crier."

"That's Ares for — you still look amazing even with panda eyes," Kat added, winking at him.

"Thanks, I guess," Jovi mumbled as Kat wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Come on, let's go to the bathrooms. They should be empty now."

"call Dean," Kat instructed, miming a phone with her hand. Ares nodded, understanding her silent plea, as he watched the girls walk away.

He sighed, pulling out his phone and dialing Dean. The line rang a few times before Dean's gruff voice answered, "Kid, this better be good."

"It's Jovi. She and Blake broke up for reasons she should tell you, but she's really hurt, and I think she needs you right now," Ares explained, hoping Dean could get there soon.

"They what? I thought they were all lovey-dovey?" Dean sounded bewildered, still trying to process the news. The last time they'd talked, Jovi was head over heels for Blake.

"They were, but Blake messed up big time. Jovi broke up with him and probably broke his nose too."

Dean's voice took on a dangerous edge. "So he messed it up? I'm gonna rip his lungs out! Sammy, pack a bag! I'll be there as soon as I can. Just keep her away from that asshole, and you have my full permission to shoot him if you need to."

Ares could hear the urgency in Dean's voice, the sound of things being hastily thrown into a bag. "Trust me, I want to," Ares muttered, anger simmering just beneath the surface.

"Hey, kid?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for letting me know," Dean said, a rare softness in his voice that made Ares feel unexpectedly appreciated.

"No problem."

"See you soon. Keep me posted," Dean finished before hanging up. Ares smiled to himself, feeling a small sense of progress with Dean. "Progress," he whispered, slipping his phone back into his pocket and heading back into the school.

☆

𝑱𝒐𝒗𝒊 𝒃𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒇𝒆𝒍𝒕 anything as ice cold water hit her knuckles, washing away the crimson that stained them. She watched as the maroon spilled into the sink before going down the drain, Kat worked on cleaning the wounds allowing Jovi to gather herself. They had already cleaned her makeup off and now only had to clean her hands. Jovi didn't have the energy to continue with this long day; she just wanted to go back to the bunker and rot in her bed. But she knew that wasn't going to happen, especially when one of the teachers found her and Kat inside the bathrooms. They took the two girls to the medical room, where Jovi's hand was properly disinfected and wrapped up. The teachers called Jody — Ares had failed at steering their teacher clear of the girls' bathroom, leading them to find Jovi in the first place.

When Jovi saw Jody rush in with a worried look, she almost started to cry again. The emotions in her chest stirring making it difficult for the girl to keep it together especially when she craved some parental affection, she wanted her dad more than anything but he was a good few hours away.

The woman sensed the sadness radiating off the teen the minute she saw her. Jovi jumped up, running into the woman's arms, taking in the motherly comfort — though she still wished it were her dad. She was suspended for breaking Blake's nose, and here she was with Jody, heading back to her house, quite literally ready to just pass out. But the second they walked into the house, Jody stopped the girl from heading up to her room.

"Jov?" The girl turned to face the woman. "Come and sit down. We need to talk about what