destinesia | gnr

muggy little swamp

1990

"JACKIE?"

They darted their eyes to the door when they heard Slash's confused voice.

"Get off me." her voice was calmer now. She didn't want to continue fighting. She was completely exhausted from it. She just wanted Izzy back. Her best friend back.

Izzy looked back at her, not saying a word.

"Please." her voice was barely audible as she looked everywhere but his eyes. He swallowed thickly, feeling the guilt flood in. He released his grip on her reddened wrists.

"I don't wanna fight. I never wanted to." she concluded, twisting the doorknob and leaving.

"What were you doing in there, weirdo?" Slash chuckled. She swallowed thickly and smiled up at him. "Uh.. just looking for more napkins..."

It came out as more of a question than a statement.

"Alright..." he chuckled softly, throwing his arm around her shoulder as they walked outside again.

Izzy waited for their voices to get quieter, and more distant before he left. He sighed as he shut the door, leaning against it. What the hell am I doing? He wondered. He was almost a year clean until his slip-up this morning. He was almost where he wanted to be with Jackie.

Almost.

Probably the most miserable word in the English language.

Izzy's eyes darted to the sliding glass door when he heard shouting. He returned outside quickly to see Calliope pointing her finger in Jackie's face.

"What the hell were you doing in there with him?! Huh?" soon, her eyes found Izzy's. "Babe, what did she do? Did you—" Calliope choked back a sob as she looked between the two.

"We didn't fucking do anything!" Jackie barked, more to Slash than Calliope. She was only angry at this accusation because she felt Slash must've already been suspicious of them.

"Izzy, baby, tell me it's not true!" the woman walked towards him with chunky mascara flowing down her face. He tried not to show any sign of disgust in his expression.

"It's— it's not... true..." he shook his head, bouncing his eyes between the silent bystanders. Calliope scoffed at his hesitance.

"Ugh!" she groaned, throwing her arms to her side and marching back into the house.

"Don't let the door hit you on the way out." Axl's tone was neutral, despite his snarky remark. Erin smacked him on the arm, shaking her head.

"What?!" Axl glanced at everyone. "Are you all not glad she's gone? 'Cause I sure as hell am." he shrugged, stuffing his face in his hamburger again.

"Cheers to that." Duff was the next one to speak up, holding his beer up. The rest of the table erupted into laughter, while Jackie was still glaring at Izzy.

The look on her face should've made him afraid, but all he wanted to do was fall to his knees in front of her and beg for forgiveness.

~

She sat in her old bedroom, staring out the window at the hot, dry California weather. She felt her heart constrict at how badly she missed Seattle. The depressing rain that turned her hair into noodles. She hated spending Christmas in warm weather. A huge part of Christmas was the cold snow falling outside while the warm fireplace crackled inside. She missed her dingy little apartment on the corner of fifth avenue.