Half-Hearted

Chapter 2: It's All About The Past

The night went by fast, a little too fast. Jacqueline and Adam talked until it was 12:42 in the morning. After realizing what time it was, Jacqueline slipped her hand out of his grip. "I should really get home to my little brother and parents, they're probably worried sick." She lied. Her drunk parents never cared about Jacqueline or her 8 year old brother, Dylan.

"Oh, you never told me you had a brother." Adam exclaimed a little surprised. "Yeah, he's only 8." 

 "Oh, wow. Um w-would it be o-okay if I dropped you off at your house?" Adam stuttered. "Yeah, of course!" Jacqueline said with forced out enthusiasm. A grin formed on Adam's face as he stood up and stretched out his hand for Jacqueline. "With pleasure, good sir." Jacqueline said in a British accent. Adam guided Jacqueline to the school parking lot, where a rather modern black car was almost camouflaged in the darkness.

Before Jacqueline could open the car door herself, Adam rushed in front of her and opened it instead, motioning for Jacqueline to enter the car. She did and he closed the car door tight behind her. Adam slightly jogged around the hood of the car and Jacqueline let out a chuckle at how cute he was when he ran. Adam slid into the car and let out a sigh, "To where? My Queen?" 

"267 Everland Avenue, and why 'Queen'?"

 "Because you are one." Adam said with a slight smirk but mostly a smile. He gave her a quick kiss before he started to drive. The roads were pitch black besides the amber lampposts lighting up the road every now and then. Adam stopped at the edge of Jacqueline's driveway and she saw the lights of Thomas' room still on. No surprise, he was a night owl after all.

A hand from behind grabbed Jacqueline's wrist and she froze with the car door slightly open. Knowing it could only be Adam, she turned around and smiled since he was smiling too. Adam gave her a peck on the lips, but Jacqueline couldn't hold back anymore. As she leaned forward slowly, her arms found their way to the back of his neck and she pulled him closer to her lips. With her eyes closed, she felt their lips moving in sync and they pull away to catch their breath while she rests her forehead against his.

"I should really go now," Jacqueline said, returning to a normal sitting position "I'll see you tomorrow." She got out of the car and closed the door as she made her way to the front porch. Jacqueline turned and waved goodbye and made sure he drove completely away before entering her house. Exhausted from a long day at school she slips off her Vans and rushes upstairs to her bedroom, where she is greeted by her parents. Both of them. This reminded Jacqueline of the first time her parents came home drunk when she was 14.

Jacqueline takes a step back when the expressions on her parents faces clearly say 'Where were you'. They were drunk. Clearly drunk. Something in her gut tells her this won't end well while her parents take steps closer towards her, until she backed up to the edge of the stairs. Barely any noise is made.They don't even move a muscle, it is eerily quiet that you can hear a pin drop. She makes a rash decision to run down the stairs into the open living room, kitchen and dining area. "Jacqueline Andrea B-Beatrix! W-Who do you think you are running away from?" Mom stuttered from the alcohol still rushing around within her. "From you monsters." Jacqueline replied sternly, with more courage than she ever had while facing her parents for the past 2 years.