The Speech

Chapter 8

Jackie's POV

     He kissed me. Dylan. Avery's brother, the guy I've known forever, the guy who grew up calling me booger! Him, that guy... He kissed me. Drunkenly and desperately, he kissed me. I want to chalk it up to his breakup, I want to just forget it ever happened. But the whiskey on my tongue won't let me. The feeling lingers, and his words are on a loop.
"Jackie love, you think too much." Imagine if I hadn't been thinking. If I would've let him come back in, and lay me back on his bed with our lips attached. Imagine the horror on Avery's face when she'd have walked in seconds later. Why did he put this on me? Why did he lean on me during all of this, doesn't he have friends he could've called? Some other girl he could've taken home from school today? I shouldn't have gone in his room that night. I should've just minded my own business and slept in the guest room. I can't tell Avery can I? She already thought we were hooking up, if she knew he kissed me she would never believe that everything else was innocent. So I can't tell anyone, and Dylan's not sober enough to discuss it with right now. And I'm just back to square one;  My best friend's brother kissed me.

     Avery sits right next to me, fighting Theo for the bowl of popcorn. She's on the verge of getting angry when he hands it to her, and though there's only a handful left now, she offers it to me. She probably feels bad about all the behind my back talking about Dylan and me. She shouldn't though, cause apparently there was something going on. I just wasn't aware until now.

Dylan's POV

      Without even a chance to persuade Jackie, those two idiots had to come in and ruin everything. Probably scared her off from talking to me ever again. I'd never have kissed her sober, but I wanted to in the moment. I don't regret it, and I don't think it should change anything. All I wanted was for the last person I had kissed to be from someone who gives a shit about me. And she seems to be the only one right now,  because God knows May doesn't. She's probably scrounging up change to buy another bag from Pez right now.

     I had a feeling when I gave her the jacket back that the first thing she'd do is check if it was still in her pocket. So I held onto it. The paranoid look on her face when she realized it wasn't there... she was so quick to the defense, and I hadn't even said anything yet. Over such a small bag that now sits in my drawer. She never gave a shit about me, she couldn't have. I wanna hate her, I wanna tell her to rot in hell and never look back. I love her though. I love her so fucking much and I just want all of this to go the fuck away. I just want to forget what I saw, forget how she acted, and go pick her up right now. I wanna hold her and kiss her and call her mine.

      The closest thing I have to her, is the bag she left me for. I walk over to my dresser and Pez head, just staring at it in my hand. She left me over this fucking thing. How great does this shit have to be for her to throw me away for... How good does this stuff really make you feel? What does she feel when she does it?

Theo's POV

      Now that Avery has the record set straight about Jackie and Dylan, she's in an apologetic mood towards both Jackie and I.
"I'm gonna make some more popcorn, y'all can fight over the next movie we watch." Avery jokes, heading to the kitchen.
"So long as it isn't a romance film, I don't care what we watch." Jackie says with a sigh.
"How's Dylan doing?" I ask her. She shrugs.
"I don't know honestly. How well can you do when your girlfriend dumps you after a psychotic break?" She asks me.

     "Good point... I guess drinking the afternoon away isn't the worst thing he could do. I'm sure he'll be fine after today. Rebound, get laid, move on. It's what most guys do." I state. She glares at me.
"Seriously? Just sleep with any girl once, and then move on like nothing happened?" She asks in disbelief.
"I mean, I guess it's circumstantial, but considering how crazy May is? Dylan's probably gonna realize how great it is to be free of her and want to go for anyone just to erase the memory of her." It's a fair assumption I think. If I were in his place that's what I'd probably do. Jackie huffs and crosses her arms.

     "Guys are disgusting." She states.
"What do you want from the guy? You think he should just sit around forever missing someone like her?" I ask. She shakes her head.
"No, but why does he need to sleep with just anyone? Why can't he at least go for someone who he cares for?" She asks.
"Cause the last person he just spent a year pining after lost her shit and dumped him. You don't go for someone you care about. You just go for whoever's there." I respond. She sinks into her seat.
"Why don't you just fuck someone and get over Avery?" She blurts. I choke on my drink and immediately look around to see if Avery is in sight. She comes out of the kitchen, bowl of popcorn in hand.
"Alright what are we watching?" She asks, a smile resting on her face.

Jackie's POV

     Anyone. It could be anyone. I am anyone. Sure he didn't sleep with me, just kissed me, but that's what he was wanting to happen right? He did say that he didn't want the last person he'd kiss to have been May... And I was there. I was easy, accessible, and there. It didn't mean anything, he wasn't trying to complicate anything, he doesn't need to talk about it and it won't make things weird, because it doesn't matter to him. I'm just a rebound, someone to erase the taste of her. I guess I should be happy? That it doesn't mean anything, and that I don't have to worry about things changing or being weird or feel guilty that Avery doesn't know.

     I was being a dick when I brought up Avery to Theo. I've never said anything about it to him, or Avery. Figured it was none of my business what they did, but my ego was getting bruised from what he was saying. I shouldn't have said anything and I'd take back if I could, but now Avery is here between us and he's anxiously waiting in his seat, nervous I'll say something to Avery. I won't though, I wouldn't do that. I don't know if she knows about his feelings or not, even though it's obvious with how he treats her. But Avery is with Jayden, and she has no intention of splitting from him so exposing Theo like that would just be cruel. I hope he knows he deserves better. He shouldn't spend all his time and energy on Avery when she's not even with him. And if all a guy needs is to get laid to get over a girl, I honestly hope he does just that.

Avery's POV

     As we're sitting on the couch the stench of cigarettes and chardonnay hits my nose.
"Anyone home?" I hear my mother call out. They're home. Theo immediately looks at me, my eyes lock with his, neither of us saying anything. Jackie whips her head towards me, eyes wide.
"Dylan." She says. Oh no, he's wasted up stairs, if my dad catches him like that he'll lose his shit. I mouth the word "go" to her and she nods, pouncing from her seat. My mom walks in, wearing a long black cotton dress with sandals. Her eyes glossed from the booze she had on the plane, and her lips chapped from the smoke of her cigarette. She looks fragile.

     My dad slowly trudges in behind her on a call, brow furrowed from frustration. He has his travel suit on, (because yes, he does have a suit dedicated to traveling), all gray with a light blue button up underneath. No tie and the top two buttons left undone to give a slightly casual look to it. His gray hair is spiked up to perfection, but he has scruff on his face that I'm sure is driving him crazy. He never goes a day without shaving, seeing him with scruff is a rare and odd sight. He must be tired.

     "Hey guys, I didn't know y'all would be back so soon." I say standing to give her a hug, holding my breath.
"Only for the evening, this is technically our layover, our flight out to New York leaves at 10pm tonight. We thought it would be nice if we came and had dinner with you kids." She says happily. My dad finally hangs up the phone, turning his attention to us.
"Hey sweetie, your mom tell you about dinner?" He asks. I nod.
"Yeah, she did. I'm stoked." I say with as much excitement as I can muster.
"Dylan around?" He questions. Please let him be sobered up, please let him be sobered up.

     "Yeah, his room I think." I respond. He nods, looking down at his phone again.
"Alright dear I'm gonna go freshen up before dinner." Mom says, exiting the room. Dad looks over at Theo then back at me.
"Make sure to invite Jayden tonight." He quickly says, then gives me a peck on the forehead.
"I'm gonna go find your brother." He says, heading up the stairs.
I let out the breath I've been holding since they entered the room and sink into the couch. Theo wraps his arms around me.
"Doing okay?" He asks. He knows my parents are a lot and every time they come home I find myself walking on eggshells.
"Yeah, it's only a couple hours... It'll be fine. So long as Dylan is sober in 0.2 seconds."