Echoing J.A.C.I.E. (All Time Low Fanfiction | Jack Barakat)

Chapter 7

My knees were cold against the tiles in the bathroom as I clung to the toilet bowl. I had woken up one morning with an overwhelming churn of nausea. It was as if my body had decided to start sending me signals now that I knew I was pregnant, not-so-gently reminding me there was a new life blossoming within me.

"Oh my god, Jacie," Hazel hurried to my side as she noticed what was happening, holding back my hair as I retched.

It was like it wasn't even helping, the nausea continued to make its presence known.

"You okay?" Hazel asked, concern etched across her face, as she rubbed my back.

"This is so much worse than I expected," I groaned, reaching out to flush the toilet.

I sat down and leaned against the porcelain, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. I needed to take a shower anyway.

She brushed some hair out of my face and gave me a sympathetic smile. "I'll make you some ginger tea while you clean up."

I nodded, grateful that although I didn't have Jack with me, Hazel was still there. I really wished he was there, missing him even more now that he couldn't join me during the crucial moments. But, for now, Hazel was my rock. She was there to help me when the morning sickness (which was really more like all-day sickness) hit, she reminded me to take breaks, and supported me whenever things got hard.

I managed to get myself up off the floor as Hazel left, and turned on the shower. Despite having a bad morning, I still had to go into the studio. Work didn't stop just because I was pregnant now. Especially since I decided to go back home early, I wanted to get as much out of the time I was there. I wanted to finish my projects and work with as many people as possible.

The hot water cascaded over me, providing some much needed relief. I begged for the steam to take away all the lingering feelings of the morning sickness. It became evident that this journey was not going to be as pleasant as some people made it out to be. I knew it was part of the journey and kept reminding myself not to freak out about it, to just let it happen as it all came.

I could already smell the strong scent of ginger when I left the bathroom. That was another thing I had noticed. Some scents just hit me much harder. Unfortunately, it wasn't just the nice scents that made their presence known.

"Here you go." Hazel pushed the cup of tea in my direction.

"Thanks," I smiled, taking a seat and sipping at the hot liquid. The ginger's warmth slowly began to soothe my stomach.

Her eyes were filled with concern and care. "You want something to eat?"

"I don't think I can stomach anything, to be honest."

"You've gotta have something."

I sighed and Hazel put a pack of saltine crackers in front of me. Although I really didn't want to, I knew she was right. I had to keep myself healthy for the baby. The baby – it still felt so weird to think that Jack and I were actually having a baby. An actual human being full of life that we'd somehow created together.

To appease both of us, I nibbled on the crackers and continued to sip the tea. Once the mug was empty, I started to gather my things to go to my studio. Maybe the crackers weren't finished yet, but I had some. Although I still wasn't feeling like my normal self, I really wanted to stay productive and continue working on some music.

Unfortunately, although we'd often get up together and leave the apartment together, we'd part as soon as we were on the street. Our jobs were in opposite directions. Hazel worked in a fancy district with large office buildings, while my studio was a bit more hidden away in older buildings. It was just the two different worlds we lived in.

I decided to walk all the way since the fresh air could do me some good and a swaying bus sounded like it could be a nightmare. It seemed to be the right idea because the morning sickness momentarily relented. I relished the few moments of relief.

Eventually, I got to the building that worked like a shared workspace for more creatives. There were other musicians, artists, and other creators. My studio technically wasn't mine, but it was the one I was renting for the time I was there. The atmosphere was always buzzing with creativity and imagination. Everybody was always up to help each other out. A few of the other people and I even used to go out for drinks every week. Until I found out I was pregnant, and then I either skipped out or managed to get away with something nonalcoholic.

A few people greeted me in the hallway as I unlocked the door to my studio. I always made sure to be there before my clients would be. And this was an important one for me. I turned on all the lights and equipment to prepare for what could only be an intense writing and recording session.

I just couldn't tell if my stomach was flipping because of the nerves and excitement or because my body was going through some dramatic changes.

As I dropped down onto my chair, I got a notification. I pulled out my phone and saw that Jack had sent me a photo. It must have been past midnight for him and the photo showed that he indeed was having a fun night out.

He was wearing a giant, neon pink cowboy hat that was about three times the size of his head, smiling goofily at the camera. But he wasn't alone. The selfie also included Alex, who was equally as comical. He sported a neon green feathered boa around his neck, oversized sunglasses nearly covering the entire upper half of his face. He looked like he was screaming in glee.

I couldn't help but burst out with laughter, glad to get to experience their moment of joy. I sent a photo back of me in the studio, my lips puckered, with the caption 'kisses for both of you'. With my response sent, I didn't expect Jack to come back to me, instead fully engrossed in his night out. But he did.

Jack: How you feeling?

Me: Exhausted

Me: Sick

Me: But okay

Jack: :(

Jack: I wish I was there

Me: You'll be here in a week

Me: Until then, Hazel is taking good care of me

Jack: But I want to be there noooow

Me: Just make sure you continue to play well at your shows or they won't let you go

Jack: Fine

Jack: Call you when I wake up later?

Me: Can't wait