𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐒𝐄𝐃 - 𝑭𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒕

Chapter 18: Her

"Yeah, no, I'm fine. It's not like I almost died but thanks for the concern"

"Kurt! Will! Anybody!" Ziggy yelled out as she ran.

"Help us!" Jackie followed.

To no avail, they both watch as the bus drove away, leaving them behind. They look at each other, terrified.

Jackie hears faint footsteps. She looks to see the killer right there, Ziggy notices as well and they waste no time to leave run away.

"There!" Jackie yelled, pointing to the Mess Hall.

They both enter and Ziggy shuts the door. They run far from it and look back, thinking of what to do next. In a situation like this, it felt like you can only trust your instincts.

Ziggy caressed Jackie's cheek, noticing her cut eyebrow.

She suddenly got and idea and runs with Jackie to the radio.

Carry on my Wayward Son starts playing from the radio as they run somewhere else. Because of the loud music, Jackie could only faintly hear something but was more focused on trapping the killer.

The door busted open as the two girls hide in a closet like space. Ziggy held a knife as did Jackie.

Knocking was heard from the other side. Jackie gulped, the axe was breaking the door quickly.

The door open as Jackie heard his heavy breathing.

Jackie quietly opened the door, making Ziggy go outside with her. As they were walking to him the song came to an abrupt stop.

The killer turned around and Ziggy started stabbing his chest. It did not phase him at all and punches Ziggy, making her hit a rack. She screamed as Jackie also stabbed him but gets thrown to the ground.

The killer just took the knife from his chest, unphased and trapped Ziggy. Jackie's head was pounding as Ziggy tried to fight him.

"Help!" She yelled.

Jackie got up, but leaned against the wall. She notices a lot of empty sacks and grabs one, she grabs the bloody axe as well.

Ziggy gets pinned against a rack as the killer was choking her. Jackie ran to her rescue and used the sack to cover up his head, using the axe to make him fall to the ground.

Jackie immediately gets on top of him as Ziggy gasped for air and ties it around his head tightly. The killer grunted as Jackie fell to the ground beside Ziggy.

The axe got picked up and he turns to the two girls, now with a sack on his head. It made him what everyone else knew as Nightwing.

They both run but kept on stumbling.

The killer catches up to them and kicks Ziggy as she tried to get up, making her hit the ground once more.

She rolled over, seeing Jackie in his hold who was trying to get away.

"No! Jackie!" Ziggy yelled. Jackie groans in pain when she gets thrown to the nearest table.

She was about to get killed but she dodges the axe just in time. She crawled over to Ziggy, the killer was now right in front of them.

He was ready to kill them both, lifting the axe but he stops.

The two girls hear the sound of a knife as the killer turned around. Jackie looks over to see Cindy.

"Fuck..you!" Cindy grunted, stabbing him after each word.

The killer dropped to the ground, motionless.

All three girls were panting, exhausted. Ziggy looked at her sister, quite shocked that she killed her own boyfriend. Jackie however was just happy to see her.

"You swore!" Ziggy stated.

"It's becoming a habit" Cindy responded.

Jackie let out a breathy laugh but wincing when she felt a sharp pain.

"You okay?" Cindy asks her.

"Yeah, no, I'm fine. It's not like I almost died but thanks for the concern" Jackie answered, her voice dripping in sarcasm.

Ziggy looks over at her and immediately goes to hug her. They break off the hug, letting Jackie rest her head against the wall.

Cindy then knelt down to hug Ziggy. They both sobbed as they held each other tightly.

Jackie got emotional, grateful that the sisters finally got the hug they deserved. Sure, it took quite a long time but better late than never is what they say.

Cindy held out an arm for Jackie who gladly joined in the hug.

"You smell like shit" Ziggy told her. Jackie chuckled.

"Yeah, that's because I'm covered in it"

Jackie immediately moved away.

"Ew, okay, a little warning next time would be fine" Jackie told Cindy who smiles.

"Do you think it'll wash out?" Ziggy asked as she broke off the hug.

"She's gonna need a new polo" Jackie joked, making the others laugh.

It was quiet for second until Cindy broke it.

"I'm so sorry Ziggy. I'm sorry I wasn't here. Not just tonight, but every day" Cindy apologized.

"No, you were. You just-"

"No, no. I haven't been here" Cindy cut Ziggy off. "I know that now"

Cindy's voice broke as tears fell from her eyes.

"I know you just needed me to listen, to hear you. I thought that if I just put my head down and followed the rules, everything would be fine, that I'd get out of Shadyside"

Ziggy listened to every word her sister said.

"But now I know you were right, both of you. Everything is cursed" Cindy finished.

"I could've been nicer" Ziggy said. "I could've been less of a... monster" she added.

"Yeah well, you were my monster. I won't let anything pull us apart again" Cindy said, giving a small smile as another tear fell from her eye.

Jackie goes over to wipe it. Cindy looks over at the girl and moves a stray haur from her face.

"Thank you. For being there for my sister when I can't" Cindy told Jackie who nods.

"But I never influenced her to be good" Jackie recalled.

"No. But at least you're good to her, better than anyone else was"

Ziggy watched the two interact and realized that Cindy was right. It was her that helped her do crazy shit, it was her that held Ziggy while she cried about her dad.

It was Jackie that knew who Ziggy really was and still stayed.

Not Nick.

Her.

And Ziggy finally realized it.