A Kid Like Her (A Riddick - Jack Romance/Adventure Story)

Shunned and Exposed

Warning: Violence in this chapter against Jack.

The next five weeks there was an uncomfortable tension between them. Riddick never allowed himself to get close to her physically or mentally. She felt it, too – acutely. The chasm was growing larger day-by-day, and it cut like a knife. Getting shivved would have been welcomed to the kind of heartache she suffered. What hurt the most was thinking she had done something to make him angry. To make amends, she did whatevershe could think of to make it up to him, Only nothing helped. He wasn't training her, wasn't joking around with her, wasn't doing much of anything except doing his level best to completely avoid het. Every time she tried something different, her heart was crushed all over again.

He was also leaving her at night more often than ever before. The nights he did stay in, he was working. It was one thing to be lonely. It was an entirely different thing to be shunned.  With her heart bleeding a little more each day, it was only a matter of time before she cracked. She didn't care anymore about wanting him to perhaps notice her. To hell with that. She just wanted the old Riddick back, her best friend.

Riddick finished his food and was about to leave for the night when she summoned the nerve to approach him.

"Riddick." Don't sound so desperate, she reminded herself. "Can we please talk?"

He saw the pain in her eyes, but he couldn't stay. He wouldn't risk hurting her. "I have to-."

Jack snapped. That's it! Fuck being nice! "I don't give a fuck what you have to do! You've been treating me like shit. Like I'm a person with a horrible disease that if you look, talk, or breathe near me you'll catch it, then die a painful death" Her voice caught. I won't fucking cry, she vowed. "If there's something I did to make you mad, please tell me. I'm sorry! If not, then I deserve better than this and you fuckin' know it." A tear slipped down her cheek and she angrily wiped it away. "I just want my friend back," she finished brokenly. barely choking down a sob.

At that moment, she looked exactly as she did after having had one of her nightmares. The fact that he had put that look on her face gutted him. "Jack - .We'll talk tomorrow. Promise." He walked out of the galley, disgusted with himself.

I can't face a thirteen year old girl.

When she was sure he was gone and couldn't hear her, she screamed, finally giving her anguish a physical release. "Go to your fucking whores Riddick. You sure as hell treat them better than me. You'll fucking talk to me tomorrow? Not good enough. I asked you tonight. I haven't asked you for anything since we got here except that, and you couldn't even do it!"

She wanted to get his attention and to hopefully humiliate him at the whorehouse. She had purchased five red t-shirts a few days ago and took all of his white shirts, socks, and briefs and washed them with the red ones in hot water. Everything he owned that was once white was now pink, and not just a light shade of it either. Once everything had been folded and put away she admired her work. The next time he would open this drawer, he would be greeted with a sea of pink skivvies and socks.

"He'll never think of bleaching them either," she smirked. She got rid of all but two of the red shirts and waited for all hell to break loose.

______________________________________

The following morning Jack was eating breakfast when the beast bellowed her name.

"JA-ACK!"

She didn't answer. "Son of a bitch can come to me," she grumbled smugly.

He called her name several more times before finding her in the galley. "Jack? I've been yelling your goddamn name for the past five minutes."

She casually looked up at him as she dabbed the corners of her mouth. "Thought I heard somethin', but you know how these cereals crunch when you eat 'em. Can't hear much of anything." She said that all with a matter of fact look on her face.