Skeletons

Chapter 20

March 3rd, 2005

I pick out some M&Ms from the vending machine and make my way back through the desolate halls, my nostrils fill up with the bitter smell of antiseptics. I find the room again and open the door back up.

"Di, they were out of regular M&Ms so I got you peanut ones that's fine though right?" I nod. "Yeah, that's fine." JD clears his throat, "Ronnie can I talk with you for a second?...alone." I nod and we leave and move to the hallway. JD takes my hand. "Veronica...You know Lydia is fragile right now, she needs stability. I think you and I could give that to her." he looks at me beseechingly. "What do you mean by that?..." I pull away my hands and cross them. "I mean I think you should move into my apartment. There's tons of room, and Lydia won't need to go from house to house." he wraps his arms around my shoulder. "C'mon Ronnie, do it for her." I shove his arm off of me. "No," I say bullish.

"Veronica, you need to stop trying to escape me, it's not going to work." He glares at me. "I just don't think it's the right thing to do, especially given our history," I scoff. "THIS isn't about us. It's about LYDIA, god you are so crude," he huffs. "Don't come to me crying when she hangs herself with a bedsheet," That last sentence stings enough for tears to form. I sigh trying to think straight. "Do you really think it'll help her?" I eventually muster. "Yes, yes I do," he strokes my hair. "Then it's settled you'll move in the second Lydia is out of the hospital." He grins.

"Ok, but this is for Lydia we are done," I say and he sneers at me, "Ok sure," he says his ever so patronizing.

March 11, 2005

I look around my now barren apartment. I've packed up most everything. JD's coming over to help bring them to his place, or our place I guess you could say. I hear a knock on the door, and instantly my stomach drops. It sinks in that for at least the next four years I'll be living with JD. I don't know how careful I'll have to be. I don't know how much he's changed. I take a breath and go over to the door. "Hi Jason..." he scowls, "Don't call me that," I open the door for him, "Uh sorry, force of habit."

Immediately he grabs a few boxes and starts to go back down to his car from the apartment. I grab a box as well and follow him. Over the rest of the day, we go back and forth between the two apartments, until everything is there at the house and the sun has gone back down.

JD and I sit on the couch, he's aimlessly scrolling through the channels. "JD?" I say breaking the silence. "Yeah?" he stops clicking the remote and looks at me. "What happened those fifteen years?" his brow folds, "What do you mean?" he asks, "I mean what happened in your life...What did I miss?" I query. "Well shit, I went to the psych ward, I was on and off meds for a few years till my father told me to do something with my life. So I started college," he smirks. "It was pretty easy to get in with the dead mother suicidal teen sob story I had." he chuckles, so I was in school to be an accountant or something. "I was studying in Delaware, till 95' then my old man kicked the bucket so I took over the business dropped out of school, and moved it to Delaware." I nod, "Why'd you come to New York?" I inquire. "Eh, you know less business, I needed a change," he says pushing his hair back and away from his face. "You?"

I uncomfortably shift in my seat. "I'm writing a book," I nervously smile at him. "Oh" he pauses, "What's it about?" he asks. "Well- mostly Westerberg, I changed some stuff but that's what it's based on." He shakes his head. "Be careful Veronica, you're playing with fire." I nod, "I know, trust me I've thought it through."

"Good, that's good," he says. Something about the room shifted. The air was heavier, his glare was deepened more than before. "I'm going to bed you know early day tomorrow picking up Lydia and all." He nods. I start heading to Lydia's room to sleep but turn around before I get too far.

"Good night JD"

"Night Ronnie."

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