𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐑𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬 (𝐀 𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐜)

Chapter Twenty-Four: surprise !

[ Kirk's POV: ]

It'd been months since i'd seen jackie. I'd been missing her company especially bad lately, so i decided to drop by the apartment. Dave never liked it when i did that, but jackie always assured me that he was just being an ass. I'd tried to come and see her once about two months ago, but dave came to the door and cussed me out drunkenly, mumbling that she was gone or something. I had a feeling it had something to do with the fight her and james had, but he wouldn't say anything about it to me or anyone else for that matter.

Dave opened the door. He looked exhausted. Oh god, not again. I braced myself for another rage of his, but he smiled when he saw me.

"Thank god your here" he said and opened the door wider. I muttered 'what the hell?' under my breath. He put a finger to his lips

"She's sleeping, but you're just what she needs!" he exclaimed quietly. I cocked an eyebrow, not understanding anything. "She's.. Sick" he explained. I walked back towards the door

"No way in hell she's going to get me sick" i said and shook my head "we have a show tonight" he frowned bitterly at me. I know he had a resentment for me, but none of this was my fault.

"Nice subtle boast" he said coldly "look, it's not like contagious, okay? Just stay with her, i have to leave for a while, i've been spending too much time at home" he left quickly, and david followed him. I always like david, he was sweet. The tv was on, and in front of it on the couch was jackie, who'd just woken up when junior accidentally closed the door too loudly.

"Kirk?" she asked me softly, rubbing her eyes. She didn't look good. I mean- she was beautiful always, but at the moment she looked on the shittier side of pretty. I smiled and sat next to her.

"Hey" i said "how are you feeling?" she sat up on the couch and fixed her hair a little.

"Better" she smiled weakly "how come you're here?" i shrugged

"Felt like seeing you" i said "we haven't hung out in so long..." she made a weird face and bolted from the couch into the bathroom. I followed her, making sure she was okay and she was puking her brains out in the toilet. I didn't really know how to respond. She brushed her teeth when she was done and i stood in the doorway, shocked. I didn't understand what dave meant about it not being contagious... i didn't want to be giving up half my entire body weight out my mouth just because i went to see her.

"Are you okay?" i asked, concerned. She nodded. She went into the kitchen and started looking around in the fridge "hey, dumbass, you shouldn't eat like that right after you puke" i laughed a little, but she didn't care. She started eating out of a jar of peanut butter.

"It's not like that" she said "don't worry, you can come within six feet, jeez" she sat on the counter. I leaned against the fridge

"So do you have some sort of terminal illness?" i asked. She shook her head. She looked a little better now.

"Mmm probably not," she said, her mouth full "at the moment im not so sure" her tone was light and joking, but i was suddenly very concerned.

"What?!" i asked "you might die?" she rolled her eyes and shrugged

"Don't worry, don't worry," she said trying to calm me down "it's only for about" she looked at the calender right beside me on the fridge "seven months" i was confused. She rolled her eyes again "the 'terminal illness' your wondering about is called morning sickness, dummy" she said, and i frowned

"Your pregnant? Jackie! You're seventeen!" i said, completely shocked. She blushed. For some reason i was jealous...

"I thought you'd be happy" she mumbled, hurt.

"I am" i said "i- i'm sorry i was just... surprised" i grabbed her hand. She nodded, then smiled "can i see it?" i asked.

"Sure" she said and hopped off the counter, then lifted up her shirt a little. I put my ear to her stomach "is it whispering hexes or something?" she asked, and she sounded serious. I laughed

"No, why would you think that?" i asked. There was a bump for sure. It was- cute, but not very big. It was weird to think that she was going to be a mom. I mean, i didn't know her that well, but i really liked her. She was younger than all of us, but her life was so far ahead already.

"That thing is satan, i swear" she said "it's sure putting me through hell" she was looking through some mail on the counter as she talked. She went on about her classes, and about some kid who was always trying to ask her out. I listened to every word. Every five minutes or so she'd wince for a second like something was incredibly painful, but then would keep on talking before i could ask what was wrong. Then she stopped and put down the mail she kept pretending to look at suddenly "right, i forgot! I got you something a long time ago, but i've just been... busy lately" she said. Busy? She ran to her room, but i stayed in the kitchen. I snooped around a little when she was in the other room. I looked closer at the calendar. It was november third, but november twenty-sixth was circled, and it read 'court???' i wondered what it meant. I was startled when jackie came back. I blushed and she handed me a magazine. I took it and looked. It was a monster magazine- one i'd never heard of before, but it was really really cool. I gasped, flipped through it briskly, then hugged her tight.

"You're the best" i said "but where the hell have you been? James has been worried" her hands fidgeted with her shirt.

"I spent some time away from everyone" she said "you know, just had to get away for a while" i had a bad feeling about the way everything was coming together with her story. I shrugged it off and we spent the day together. I wanted to go to a record shop, but she refused to leave the apartment without dave.

"Why" i whined a little "it's just down the street" i said and she shook her head

"I just don't like being out without him" she said. So we watched tv and drew things. Around five in the afternoon dave came back. His eyes went to mine first, alarmed, but then just annoyed. He looked over at her and his expression just melted. I'd truly never seen him like that before. He came over to us on the floor in front of the couches. He stood next to her and she hooked her arm around his leg, like a lazy hug.

"How was your day" he asked her quietly. She looked up and smiled at him, and he smiled back. Pure joy. They were adorable... the jealousy came back. Oh god, no. i didn't want to fall in love. I couldn't help but want to be her dave.

"Good. i'm feeling much much better" she said and he played with some of her hair. I got up awkwardly and she frowned

"No, kirk, you have to stay for dinner!" she pleaded. I laughed, because i honestly thought she was joking at first.

"I'm alright" i said. She shook her head

"Kirk" she insisted "i have seen you guys have only bread in your apartment. You aren't birds" she laughed. God it was so pretty. Why was i only suddenly having these feelings?

"Alright" i said reluctantly. Dave walked off into the other room. I couldn't tell if he didn't want me to stay, or was neutral. I wasn't looking forward to this with him here.