to my destiny 💫

013.

[jackie's point of view]

the days started to go by fast. things were rough with alex for about a month and a half, but then he finally started to move on. he started talking to me some again, and it was nice to have him back as a friend.

things continued regularly with courtney and cole spending time together at the house. it didn't sit with me right because of the moment that i had with him that night after our fight. it had almost seemed like he cared about me as more than a friend, but i must have been wrong considering that he and courtney were still completely going strong.

there wasn't anything going on in the love department, and it was really nice. i was spending all of my extra time with grace and skylar and at the house with the family. even though i was sad that i wouldn't have a date for homecoming, it was probably for the better after everything that had happened.

i was outside after school, walking to get to the car in time so i wouldn't get left, when i saw tommy, who was new at our school this year, walking over with a large, suspicious looking grin on his face. "hey, jackie."

i gave him a small smile and said hey back as i continued to head towards the car. "hey, wait," he said, walking fast to catch up with me. i turned around to see two boys grinning sheepishly behind him. "oh, sorry. i didn't know you were going to talk to me. i just don't want to miss my ride," i said motioning towards cole, isaac, alex, and danny who were already in the car.

"don't worry, jackie. i'm sure they wouldn't leave you. anyways, i kinda have a question for you," tommy replied. i gave a weary smile. "okay." the two boys stepped up closer behind him and told me to close my eyes. not too much long after, one of them said, "you can look now."

i opened my eyes to tommy holding flowers and a sign asking me to homecoming. i didn't mean to, but i let out a small gasp. i didn't have any idea this was coming, but it did. "aw, tommy, that's so sweet. of course i'll go with you to homecoming," i said as i gave him a small hug. 

not even seconds after he pulled me into a hug, we were interrupted by cole honking the car horn. i smiled at tommy as i pulled away from him. "i guess that's my cue. i'll see you tomorrow, tommy. have a great night!" i had only gotten about two steps before he quickly said, "wait, jackie, your flowers! you can also keep the sign if you want." my cheeks flushed as he handed them to me, and i quickly gave him another hug. "thank you, tommy. you're the sweetest. see you tomorrow."

when i got to the car, the boys were all staring at me intensely. isaac looked like he was in utter shock. "i can't believe you actually said yes-- i can't believe you're going with that guy," he said. i frowned. "tommy is sweet. what do you have against him?" isaac scratched the back of his neck nervously. "he's just not-- nevermind."

"no, say what you were going to," i told him. "i mean, he's a city guy. i just never thought you'd go for someone as low as him..." isaac muttered. "what are you talking about? tommy is a great guy. he's never been disrespectful to teachers or started fights," i replied. "all he's saying is that city guys don't have good reps here. you have to be careful who you spend your time with," cole said.

i shook my head. "that's completely unfair of you to say. just because there have been bad guys from the city before doesn't mean that tommy is one of them. you're using a stereotype against him. have any of you even talked to him before?" alex looked out the window. "i've seen enough of him to know that he's not a good guy, and you shouldn't be hanging out with him."

i was about to say something to disagree, but cole interrupted. "have you even talked to him before, jackie? he's not a great guy. believe me, i used to be just like him." i shook my head. "you guys are too judgemental. he's respectful and sweet. i don't see why you're so upset." isaac shook his head. "going to homecoming with him isn't a good idea."

"fine, i know i can't say anything to change your minds, but you can't change mine on this one. he hasn't shown me anything other than kindness, and i still think you're judging him unfairly," i replied. 

alex rolled his eyes. "i know you think he's a good guy, jackie, but he's not. his family lived here when he we were all really little, and then they moved to the city. he's never not caused trouble." i turned around and told him, "he's not causing trouble by asking me to homecoming. there's nothing more to it. i'm sorry you don't like him, but i do."

"not causing trouble now, my ass," cole muttered under his breath. i squinted at him suspiciously. "what's that supposed to mean?" cole shook his head and didn't say a word the rest of the way back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

[cole's point of view]

as soon as jackie was upstairs after we'd gotten home, alex asked me, "you're seriously just going to let her date that dude? you're the closest one to her out of all of us, cole. you need to tell her she shouldn't go out with him. make it embedded in her brain. you know what he wants from her."

i swallowed nervously and frowned. "yeah, i do, but she's stong-willed. i don't think a simple warning from me is gonna cut it, alex." alex frowned. "you're right. maybe we should do it together, or maybe we should get dad to talk her out of it."

"i don't think so, alex. if we get dad involved with this, it'll just make everything worse. i know we all care about jackie a lot, and she knows that, but none of us want to sever our relationships with her for this," i replied.

alex's eyes narrowed. "why aren't you helping with this? it's like you want something bad to happen to her!" i felt the anger pulsing through my veins. "don't ever say that to me again."

his eyes widened as he took a step back. "sorry, cole. i didn't know-- i didn't know you still felt that way about her. i thought because you were dating courtney it was over, but i guess i was wrong," he said bitterly as he walked away.

i didn't even know what to say to that. he wasn't entirely wrong, but twelve hours ago i would've said that he was. i don't know why, but watching tommy ask jackie to homecoming had pissed me off royally, and that's how i knew i still had some sort of feelings for her... feelings that wouldn't just go away in a day.

i pondered it over and over in my mind, and i got nowhere.
maybe she would just magically wake up and take her 'yes' back?
maybe she would talk to me about it instead?
maybe she would figure out that i still have feelings for her and we could figure it out together?

i was absolutely lost. all i knew was that i'd messed up big time. i'd completely just moved on from her over the summer when i should've been waiting for her the entire time. 

what was i supposed to tell courtney? how could i just end things with her after everything? i didn't want anyone to get hurt. it would be a gigantic shit show. so, i decided to try to wait it out.

maybe my feelings for jackie will pass, and they're just echoes from the past. i'm sure i'll be completely over her tomorrow, and the only person i will want to be with is courtney.