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Jade, Davey, Hunter, and Adam were all sitting casually around a table at Davey's favorite vegan restaurant, waiting for their orders to be delivered. Hunter and Adam were talking and laughing over something as Adam stirred a sugar cube into his coffee, Hunter drinking his plain. Davey and Jade were just striking up a conversation about Jade's new favorite topic: his lovely girlfriend. And, believe it or not, this wasn't a girl who he had picked up at a concert. Actually, a few years ago before AFI even knew the words "photo shoot", she had helped Jade when he had a flat tire. He got the sneaking suspicion no one else decided to stop and help him on the busy freeway because of how he dressed and because of his hair. How rude.
But the girl, who was actually late for work already and dressed in a simple pair of jeans and a red polo shirt stopped to see what could be the problem, taking the risk that she could be helping some axe murderer. Which Jade wasn't, of course. He's a ninja. He remembered the way she had sauntered out of her old pick-up, painted a dark blue, and walked up to him, who at that time had basically given up and was leaning against the side of his escalade. Her longish red hair and green eyes captivated him as she had asked ever-so-caringly, "What seems to be the problem here?" Jade had instantly taken a liking to the girl that had taken him away from the heat of asphalt and the stench of road kill.
"So you've been going out for how long now?" Davey asked casually, slinging himself back in his chair tasking a sip of his tea. "About two years, and I'm so happy. She knows I won't go with groupies, and doesn't really hate them. She understands that they just love us, if it's just a little too much" Jade said with a content smile. He would've continued, but their orders were placed in front of them and he quickly shoved a bite of his garden burger into his mouth. It took a lot to shut Jade up about Cameron, and Davey knew food usually worked best. But not for long.
"Hey Davey" Jade asked, and normally Dave would've rolled his eyes and made a smart remark on how Jade never shut up about Cameron, but the tenseness in Jade's voice made him temporarily stop chewing before motioning him to continue. "I was thinking, um, you know I love Cameron a lot, and-" but before he could finish, Davey's eyes snapped open and he coughed on his food before practically yelling, "You're going to fucking propose?! Yes!" Adam and Hunter looked at them quickly before smiling. "About time" Adam muttered before he and Hunter turned back to their rather interesting conversation about how many cell phones a pirate would own. And everyone in the restaurant, as well as those right outside the large window, turned to stare at Davey's grinning face and Jade's red one.
"Yup" Jade said, pulling out a small black box from his jacket pocket. Upon producing and opening it, Davey's eyes widened at the sight of the beautiful ring. It was silver, with a half emerald, half sapphire heart on it. "That's beautifully unique" Davey crooned as he studied every glinting, glittering feature. "Just like her" Jade said gently before snapping the box shut and shoving it back into his pocket. "When do you plan on asking?" Hunter suddenly inquired as he and Adam turned to the conversation. "Well, I was thinking maybe tonight, at our concert" he mumbled, suddenly conscientious and unsure. Adam smiled at his friend before encouraging, "That sounds great."
They were probably half way through their meal, still gushing and poking fun at the grinning Jade, when the phone behind the counter rang. Normally, this wouldn't bother them in the least, but when the receptionist called out, "Is there a Mr. Jade Puget here?" it quickly grabbed their attention. Jade walked hesitantly towards the desk before saying, "Um, yeah, that would be me" in a questioning tone. "A Miss Cameron Varleti would like to speak with you" the receptionist said with a mechanical smile. Jade face instantly brightened and he gladly took the phone, but waited until the girl had walked away before smiling and greeting, "Hi babe!"
"Jade..." a soft, unsure voice replied from the other line. Jade's smile instantly fell, and the guys noticed his considerable change of mood. "What's the matter Cam?" Jade asked, very concerned. No one but he and the guys knew how depressed Cameron sometimes got, and he had the sneaking suspicion now was one of those times. "I-I'm at the bridge. You know, the one over the Sacramento River?" Cameron replied in a dead voice. "Honey, why are you there?" Jade asked cautiously, fearing the answer. "Just get here. Please?" she begged into the phone, sounding so alone, scared, sad. It broke Jade's heart. But before he could answer, the line went dead.
Jade didn't even bother to properly hang up the phone; he just dropped it and let it swing by its cord as he ran back to his table. "Guys" he said urgently, quickly getting their attention. "Something's wrong with Cameron. She's having one of her days, and she's at the bridge, and-" but before he could continue to ramble, Hunter up and bolted out of his seat and out the door. He, Davey, and Adam were quick to follow as they started running up the streets. "Jade, what bridge is it?" Adam asked as he ran full speed, slightly behind Jade. "The big-ass one, over that big-ass river" Jade shouted back.
Apparently, everyone knew what he was talking about, and they turned yet another corner. Adam spotted a fairly old man getting ready to start his car, and he shouted, "Guys!" to get their attention. They all stopped and got the idea. Adam ru8shed forward and pulled the guy out of his car as he climbed into the driver's seat. "Sorry, but a friend of ours is in trouble" Davey said as he and Hunter piled into the back, Jade taking the passenger side. The old man started shouting and whatnot, but the streets were not crowded so Adam sped away quickly.
The ride was dangerous, with quick-turns and near-hits, but no one really cared. They just wanted to save their (girl)friend. "Take a right!" Jade yelled to Adam, who quickly did as commanded, nearly running an old woman down. "There, stop!" Hunter shouted, and Adam gladly obliged by skidding to a stop. Everyone quickly piled out and ran to the bridge, searching it for a sign or someone, something. "God damn it, where is she?" Jade whispered harshly to himself. "Guys! Over here!" Davey shouted, waving something in the air. Everyone ran over urgently, only to be faced with something awful in the form of a slip of paper, with the single name scrawled across the front in delicate, curvy script.
"Jade, it's addressed to you" Davey said, before putting the paper gently into the guitarist's outstretched hand. With trembling fingers, Jade unfolded the plain white piece of art paper and read it over. He looked confused and his hands shook more when he was done, his eyes wide. "Dude, what's it say?" Hunter asked, curious and fearful for the worst. "I...I-I" Jade sputtered. He just couldn't bear to say it. "Is she...dead?" Jade mutely shook his head, and the other three let out slight sighs of relief. But they still wondered what plagued their friend. "Can I read it?" Davey asked tentatively. Wordlessly, Jade held out the piece of script. Davey cleared his throat slightly before reading clearly but not too loudly.

"Dear Jade,
I'm afraid you're simply too late. It's been how long now, two and a half years that we've started dating? Jade, neither of us is getting any younger, and I want a family, children. And, mostly, commitment. You haven't shown me commitment at all. You still flirt with groupies, and though I try to pretend it doesn't bother me, it really, really does. I'm sorry Jade, but when you went on tour last time, when I didn't go with you, I...met someone. I'm sorry. We used to have something, but lately...we just lost it. I'm gone, Jade. This is the end. I've left. I'm sorry to the rest of you, I really do appreciate you as friends, but I get the feeling you don't want to see me after this. You're simply too late, Jade. Simply too late."

"Oh my God, Jade. I'm so sorry. That bitch didn't deserve you" Adam said, instantly trying to comfort his friend. "She wasn't a bitch, don't you ever call her that!" Jade said, immediately defensive of his not-so girlfriend. "Whoa, dude, calm down" Hunter said, stepping between a seething Jade and a confused, defensive Adam. "Sorry" jade mumbled. "We'll meet you in the car" Davey broke in sending looks to Adam and Hunter as he started to walk away to the commandeered car. The other two followed, sending concerned glances over their shoulders at their friend.
Jade leaned on the railing of the bridge, just staring at the water for who knows how long. That line kept replaying in his head, "You're simply too late." 'I never thought my own words could work against me' he thought bitterly. "I was going to propose to you!" he half shouted down at the water, before slowly taking out the velvet box still inside his jacket. Carefully removing the "beautifully unique" ring, as Davey had called it, he sighed and stared at it temporarily. He new it would take a long time for him to heal, and even longer to trust a woman again seriously, and it tore at his insides like a captive wild tiger.
"Who would've guessed my own words could come back to haunt me like this?" he muttered bitterly. With one last glance around, he sighed and stretched his arm over the water. Without a sound, he dropped the ring into the quickly running water below, fine velvet box soon plummeting after it. As he walked away, he didn't see the monotone green eyes boring into his back, red strands falling into their eyes from the figure's position behind a tall oak tree nearby. "Goodbye, Jade" Cameron said, turning and walking to where her new beau, Jesse, stood, waiting to take her to his home so they could begin their relationship for real.
But Cameron felt that empty tugging at her heart, yearning for the man she truly loved. But there was no turning back now, it was simply too late.