Jackie

26- Actual Apologies

~Jackie~

I fluttered my eyes open. Holy shit, I remember why I stopped getting this wasted. My headache was overpowering.

I stumbled out of my room and made my way to the bathroom. I closed the door behind me and held myself up on both sides of the sink, looking at myself in the mirror.

I turned the sink on full blast, I didn't realize how loud the water running was here. I held my hands under the water for a moment before cupping them to make a small pool.

I put my face into my hands. If I wasn't awake before, I definitely was now. All of a sudden I felt my stomach churn in pain. Fuck, I was gonna throw up. I turned the water off.

I hurled myself to the floor in front of the toilet and lifted the toilet seat up frantically. As I went to puke, someone suddenly pulled my hair back out of my face.

I heard them kneel on the ground, and they started to rub my back as I continued to throw up in the toilet. "Christ, I told ya you drank too much last night." Dallas' voice whispered out. I guess I didn't hear the door open with the water running.

I lifted my head up and wiped my mouth on some toilet paper and flushed the toilet. "Yeah well not like you actually give a shit. I don't need your input and I don't need you taking me to bed over your shoulder, alright?" I snapped back.

"You remember all that?" He asked. "Yeah, that and more." I said while shoving him off of me and heading out of the bathroom.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to hurt you, blah blah blah." I said mocking him. "You and your half assed apologies Dallas." I kept going with my voice raised and slammed the door behind me.

I quickly opened my door again and peered into the hallway to see him still standing in the bathroom doorway. He was staring right back at me. I rolled my eyes. "I'm way too hungover to deal with you right now. Find me when you decide if you actually care about me Dallas."

I walked out of my room and down the stairs.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

~3 Days Later~

I sat on the Curtis' couch, a beer in one hand and other arm resting on the back of the couch. My legs were propped up on Two-Bits shoulder who was happily sitting on the floor watching Mickey Mouse.

Sodapop and Steve walked in, they just got home from work. Soda sunk into the couch next to me. "I see you've bought a new footstool huh Jackie?" He asked, pointing to Two-Bit. "He loves it over here." I responded with a grin.

"How you been, y'know about your mom?" He asked quietly, while taking the beer bottle from my hand to take a sip for himself.

"Been better, but, not a damn thing I can do about it now." I answered, stealing my beer back in the process.

Steve walked into the room from the kitchen with a slice of cake. "Why weren't you working today?" He asked. Which was weird, because Steve and I didn't really care for each other.

"I took a leave of absence so I can get my shit together. I'll be back in a week or two. Didn't know you'd miss me so much Stevie." I joked.

"Well I sure as hell didn't miss ya but I know someone else who has." Steve said in an attitude while turning to face the TV. "Aw, ole Sodie-pop over here missed me?" I asked turning to him on the couch.

Soda grinned and raised his eyebrows. "I missed ya but that ain't who he's talkin about."

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. "Don't make me seem like a dumb ass here, who are ya talking about pal." I demanded to know.

Soda laughed to himself. "Ole Dal's been by the DX past two days lookin for ya." I scoffed at those words. "Get the hell out of here." I said. "I ain't jokin. He really has. Not sure why he hasn't stopped anywhere else." Soda said.

I didn't answer. I stood up and went outside for a smoke break. Little did they know, I've desperately been wanting to see him again. I was pissed but I still liked him a lot, ya dig?

Two-Bit opened the door and stood beside me on the porch. He took a swig of his beer. "You guys very obviously have the hots for each other. Just go talk to him already. I've got a bet on it."

I looked at him with a grin. "You guys are betting on my love life?" I asked, giving him a playful nudge to his arm. "Yup. Me and Steve, ten dollars. I bet that you guys would totally get together. Steve opposed." He said with his goofy grin.

I gave him a small smile. "Yeah well, I don't even know where the hell he is. Not my problem to be honest." I said putting my cigarette in my mouth.

"Well it is your problem, and mine. I don't even have ten dollars!" He admitted while laughing. His face got serious suddenly. He chugged the rest of his beer.

"You know, only reason he probably ran off is because no one was ever there for him. So he don't know how to, y'know, just show love to someone in need of it. He seems all dangerous and tuff, and don't get me wrong, he definitely is,
but you just have to understand him." Two-Bit explained.

I nodded my head, and took a long drag on the cigarette. I exhaled and watched the smoke slowly billow out into the evening air. "Yeah alright. See you later Two, thanks." I announced while heading down the porch steps.

It took a long while before I knew where Dally would be. I walked around for a long time, I'm surprised I wasn't seen by any socs.

I realized after about 5 cigarettes he'd be at the abandoned lot, I think. I mean, that's where I would go if I was hoping he'd find me. I started walking towards there, hoping he'd still be waiting by the time I made it.

Sure enough, there he was. Laying on the same mattress asleep under the tree. He had a lit cigarette in his mouth, so he must have not been asleep wrong. I sat down next to him and took the cigarette from his mouth and took a drag on it.

He woke up and sat up next to me, both of our backs against the tree and our shoulders touching. "Been walkin for an hour looking for you." I said, handing him the cigarette back. "It's what, midnight? That was stupid of you." He said back in a growly, tired voice.

"Why were you looking for me?" Dallas asked me. "Because you were lookin for me first, and I knew you wouldn't expect me to. Just wanted to say sorry for getting all pissed." I answered him looking up at the full moon.

"Jackie you had every right to be pissed. I'm sorry. I just don't know how to be there for someone in that way, and I didn't.." He paused, and looked over at me. "I didn't wanna mess up what we had if I fucked up."

I looked away from the sky and over to him, my face showing a mixture of confusion and happiness. "I'm sorry about your mom. I know how you feel I really do. She was the only person who gave a shit about me and what I did." He admitted.

I turned my eyes back towards the sky and placed my head on his shoulder. He tensed up for a moment like he didn't know what to do, but eventually relaxed again. "Not anymore Dallas. I give two shits about you." I said with a giggle. He laughed.

"Hey Jackie, I got uh, something to ask you." He said while looking down at the burning cigarette in his hands.

"Well spit it out." I demanded. "I get if you're still mad at me, but how do you like the idea of being mine?" He asked, putting his hand out.

I smiled, my head still on his shoulder. I took both of my hands and wrapped it around his lone one.

"Dally, I'm already yours." I happily answered.