Not Good Enough For Truth In Cliche

Well, I Did Not Know

I looked up at Ronnie. "I don't..."
"It'll be okay. I'm here." His arms wrapped around my waist.
"I don't wanna go in without Max." I buried my face in his chest.
"I know, but it's gonna be okay. I promise." Ronnie unlocked our apartment and guided me inside. "See? It's okay."
I silently walked over to my room and collapsed onto my bed. "Don't fucking come in."
He didn't come in, but someone else did. "I'm sorry. Ronnie told us what happened."
"Yeah. Well."
An English accent heavily laced his speech. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
"No, Jacky."
He sat next to me. "I did the same, a few years back."
I sat up. "What?"
"I took a lot of pills. And I cut myself. Deep. Here, you can see it under the tattoos if you look." He offered his arm out.
I gently took it and saw faint raised lines. I felt them with my fingers. "Oh."
"I was fucking pissed at my friends, too. They saved me. I was mad. But... Now I'm here. It's okay. It gets better."
"What... What'd Ronnie tell you?"
"Explaining why he couldn't make it to practice the past couple days."
"Oh."
"Here." Jacky gently took my arm and unwrapped the bandage. "Oh, it's bad."
"It's not that bad..."
It was becoming scabs, and some of the deeper cuts were still bleeding. "No, Ash, it's really bad. Here, come to the bathroom. I'll clean it up."
We went to the bathroom. I hopped onto the counter. "Really. I'll be okay."
"You will be after I care for this." Jacky ran a washcloth under the faucet, then pressed it against my arm. I yelped as the cold water hit one of the open wounds. "Oh, God, I'm sorry!"
"No, don't worry, I gotta stop being a little bitch."
"You're not." He took the dry part of the washcloth and pat it against my arm, drying it.
"Yeah, I am." I inhaled sharply as he accidentally dragged it across my skin.
"I'm sorry!" He apologized again. "Okay, I gotta re-wrap your arm."
"Okay."
Jacky grabbed some gauze and placed it on the cuts. He then wrapped a bandage around it. I kept quiet, not wanting him to know it hurt, and that he was hurting me. "You okay?"
I nodded. "Yeah."
He handed me a couple asprin. "Here, take this."
"Why's one blue and round?"
"Anti-depressant. Ronnie said you gotta take it."
I sighed and popped the two white pills and the one blue pill. "It's cramped in here."
"Yeah." Jacky went out of the bathroom. I followed and we both sat on my bed. "You okay?"
"I'm fine. Uh, Jacky?"
"Yeah?"
"What did Ronnie think about me?"
"He was... Well, he was worried, scared to death. And then he was so upset, wondering why you would do this. And then he was blaming himself until Max assured him it wasn't his fault. And then, well, now he's been so kind towards you. He's trying to help you."
"I know." I fell back, sighing.
Jacky grabbed my shoulders and pulled me up. "No. You're not gonna be all depressed and everything."
"Oh, or what?"
"I can call Ryan in here, and oh boy, that would be so fun."
"Oh, God." I muttered.
"See, exactly."
"Yeah, yeah." I looked over at him. "Jacky, do you have a crush on me?"
"A little." He admitted, looking at the bed.
"Don't be ashamed."
"But you're with Max, and I don't wanna get in the middle of that."
"Jacky, look at me."
He slowly raised his eyes. "Yeah?"
"I am with Max, and I love him so much. But you don't need to avoid me like you've done. I promise it won't be awkward, or anything like that."
"Okay."
"Yeah."
"Um, I should go. I bet Ronnie wants to talk to you, or something." He started to stand up.
I grabbed his wrist. "Wait."
"What?"
I leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss. "That."
"Oh. Thanks." Jacky reddened. "Uh, bye, Ash."
"Bye, Jacky."
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"Wake up." Ronnie shook me.
"Ugh, why?"
"I got something for you."
I rubbed my eyes and got out of bed. Sitting at the kitchen, Ronnie handed me a box. "What is it?"
"Open it."
I did. Inside was a new phone. "Thank you."
"I got your contacts back in and everything."
I turned it on. There was a text from Max.

Max: hi, babe
Max: Hope you're likin your new phone
Me: haha, yeah
Max: good
Me: how longs tour?
Max: another month
Me: oh
Max: it'll fly by before you know it and I'll be home, I promise
Me: okayyyy
Max: I gotta go, ok? Bye babe, I love you
Me: I love you

Ronnie smiled and passed me a mug of coffee. "Max?"
"Yeah."
"He's a good guy."
"Yeah, he is."
"Hey, would you wanna go out, grab lunch with me and the band?"
"Uh. Sure, yeah. I wanna get to know them better."
"Okay. We're meeting in an hour and a half. I assume you need time to get ready?"
"Yeah." I laughed, getting up. "Thanks, Ronnie."
"Yep, of course. I'll see you in like an hour once you come out of the bathroom."
I shook my head and grinned, then walked off to take a shower.