I hugged River, letting tears fall freely down my face. We both sniffled and sobbed into each other’s arms. She, ironically, was crying Rivers. She handed me my bag from the trunk of Eli’s truck and gave me an air kiss before sadly waving and climbing into the back seat. Eli stood in front of me, his eyes stoney and face stoic.
“Goodbye Alison, have fun,” He leaned down and hugged me, but it was stiff and forced. “I probably won’t think about you in Florida.” He let go of me and quickly walked to his car, and I physically growled. Eli pulled the SUV away, but I think I heard River screaming at him to stop being such an ass. I smiled internally, River was always on my side.
I walked up to Jackson’s house and rung the bell. I heard the sound of someone running and giggling, expecting maybe Jackson had a sister, I smiled happily. Jackson’s house was giant, it was a modern house, all squared and open looking.
“Um, Hi. Where’s the pizza?” A blonde girl opened the door, her boobs were hanging out and she wore a plaid shirt that must have been Jackson’s. She had hickeys all over her chest and from the looks of Jackson’s back, they had just had sex.
“I was supposed to be here for work, not to deliver your pizza.” I spat out, I didn’t mean to add that much venom to my voice but it happened anyway. “So, can I enter the house or are you gonna keep flashing me?” I glared down at her, she was wicked short, like at most five-one. At five-seven, anyone shorter than five-three is a midget. Her face was bright red as she moved and let me walk into Jackson’s lair.
“So, I’m Bella, and this is Jackson.” The blondie, Bella, spoke behind me. Jackson sighed and shook his head. She ran up the stairs and I got a crotch shot. I physically gagged at the sight, I thought it was internal until I saw Jackson glaring at me.
“You have to clean my room first.” Jackson grabbed my bags and nodded for me to follow him. He stopped at a room with the words, “Employee stay”. I snorted at him pushing it open and dropping my bags onto the dingy floor. The floor was wood, but it was dirty and there was a mold spot on the floor with a pair of mold covered jeans. My clothes were in a nice looking armoire, and the bed looked new. “Clean your room after mine.” He walked off and entered a room that I could only see as a bathroom.
I stalked into the bedroom that was utterly trashed and smelled like sweat, and other things. I shuddered at the thought of having to deal with his sheets and underwear. Bella was in his personal bathroom and I figured I should start with his pile of pizza boxes. I picked a few up and threw them into a garbage bag, the smell emanating off of these babies would put Pepe le Pew to shame. After plenty of times gagging, retching, and throwing things across the room, I was done. I was also shit tired. I drug myself to my room and started with bleaching the mold on my floor and disposing of the jeans. I collapsed on my bed and fell asleep, covering my head with the blanket that was supplied I tried to go to sleep. I tossed once. I tossed twice. I rolled on my side, I rolled on my other side, I laid on my back. Nothing. I heard Bella and Jackson getting it on. Twice. I definitely wasn’t sleeping now.
I laid there and looked at pictures of Doc on my phone. Doc, the only thing that really helped me sleep. I heard nothing. I looked at the time, 1:45 a.m, I bet Jackson was sleeping and Bella left an hour ago. I climbed out of bed and headed down the stairs. Quietly avoiding the front door I headed to the window at the end of the hall. I pushed it open and swung my legs out onto the roof. I clambered over to the ledge and realized that there was a tree in his side yard. I stood on his flat roof and silently thanked River for making go into gymnastics. I quietly vaulted off the roof and reached out, but when my finger slid off the branch I fell down and down. Two and a half stories of me falling. The next thing I knew I was clinging to a branch. I had grabbed it when I was falling, I guess. I looked down, I was maybe twenty-five feet from the ground. I looked up and let out a sigh of relief. I wasn’t going to die. I looked down again, and my eyes met Jackson’s, and he was glaring up at me.
~*~
“Oh my God, What are you doing are you trying to kill yourself? And half the neighborhood probably heard you scream!” I felt the heat crawling up my face, I didn’t think I screamed. Jackson was yelling at me from the ground and I figured I should probably get out of the tree. I climbed up and then scootched my way to the edge and lowered myself onto a lower hanging branch, repeating this action until I was standing next to a very angry Jackson.
“My, uh, dog.” I mumbled and his eyes switched to me. He was extremely angry, and for some reason I felt the need to run away. He turned to me and I drew in my breath, the way he looked scared me.
“What!? A dog! That’s why you’re out here trying to kill yourself?” He was full on shouting in my face and I knew I was on the verge of letting tears spill from my eyes. I turned from him and started walking, when he grabbed my wrist I twisted free and full on sprinted away. “Allie!” I ran, and hearing him chase me only made me run faster.
My lungs were pounding, and my sides were aching. Jackson was still following me, and I think he was catching up. I turned, and then I felt my feet sliding out from under me. The impact with the road was fast and I squeezed my eyes shut. I smelled blood and I figured my capris were ripped and my knees were bloodied. I cracked open an eye to see Jackson sprinting towards me. I pushed myself up and got ready to take off again, but the fact that he had grabbed onto my arm stopped me. I looked him up and down, his face was red from all the running and his hair was messed up, but that was probably cause of Bella.
His eyes were soft and warm, like they should have been when I was crying my eyes out yesterday. He glanced at my elbow and then at my knees and he suddenly picked me up and slung me over his shoulders like a sack of potatoes. I flailed, thrashing wildly before Jackson’s hand firmly smacked my butt. I stopped thrashing and I submitted to him carrying me. I just now realized that Jackson wasn’t wearing a shirt and how low his shorts hung. His back was really muscley.
“Stop checking me out.” Jackson said in a monotone voice and I instantly closed my eyes and continued to let him carry me. Jackson was silent and I listened to his breathing. His was nothing like Eli’s. Eli took heavy breaths, but Jackson took these easy normal sounding breaths. I glanced down, the ground looked really far away, I guessed that Jackson was maybe six-four or six-five.
The walk home was dreadfully quiet and the tension was so thick that a butter knife could cut through it and spread it on toast. When we got home he set me on my bed and closed my door, and I hastily changed into pajamas. I felt the loneliness crawl into my skin and bite me like mosquitos. I quietly opened the door and scampered into Jackson’s room. I heard him breathing, sleep breathing. I smiled and curled up next to his bed. Sleep overtook me like a warm blanket, covering me and enveloping me.
