out of the woods • jack hughes

006

DRINK
Jack's Point of View
📍Newark, New Jersey
🕰️ 4/16/23

I'm pissed. I'm so fucking pissed. I knew from the start that Schnieder was a fucking play boy. I don't want to assume what that stupid picture was until I talk to Quinn, but it's not like I'm stupid.

I get a call from Quinn, not a FaceTime, but a call. I answer it. I assume she's just seen the post. "Let me explain, please."

"Did you know?"

"I didn't know anything. I didn't know he was posting that or that he even took that picture."

"What have you been doing for the last three days, Quinn? Don't fucking lie to me." I'm so frustrated right now.

"I.. I've been hanging out with him. But it's not what it seems like, Jack."

"How the fuck and I supposed to know that, Quinn! You've been dry as hell when I text you and we haven't talked on the phone since you left!"

"That's not just my fault, Jack. You're busy, too."

"The different is, I'm busy preparing for the playoffs and you're busy fucking around with Schneider."

"Don't fucking say that." She says. "I'm not cheating on you. What do you think I am? A slut or something?"

"No, I never said that. I don't trust him. He's a fuckboy, Quinn. Stay away from him as much as you can."

"Do you wanna know what I was told about you when I first joined the team? Because it sounds pretty similar to what you're telling me right now."

"Why do you have such a big vandetta against him, anyway? I get he's on the rival team and all, but he didn't do anything to you, he's still a person." She says.

"So now you're defending him? So you're okay with what he posted?"

"No, I'm not okay with what he posted, and I plan on texting him about it."

"So you have his number?"

"What the fuck do you expect? He's my teammate." She says. We don't argue a lot, or really at all, to be honest.

"I'm not talking about this anymore. I'll see you on Tuesday." I say. I hang up the phone, and for the first time since we've started saying it, we didn't say I love you.

Z

yo, is everything good?

not really

what happened?

he posted that picture, she didn't even
know about it, but she has been hanging
out with him for the past three days

he's such a fuck boy tho

that's what i told her, then she
says "that's what people told me
about you when i first joined
the team"

do you want me to talk to her?

nah, you don't have to

I toss my phone on my bed. I don't need this kind of stress right now, the playoffs are in two days and I need to prepare for that. Playing the Rangers in the playoffs is going to be that much harder, I'm sure everyone knows the drama by now.

I know I shouldn't, but I couldn't care less right now. I grab a bottle of Vodka out of my cabinet. I walk over to my couch and plop down on it. Looks like I forgot a glass.. oh well.

I pop the lid off and take a swig. The burning sensation that goes through my throat as I drink it only makes me want it more.

I drink and I drink till half the bottle is gone. I'm bored. I stand up from the couch. Why is the room spinning?

I stumble to my room, and grab my phone off my bed. After a couple of tries putting in my password, I do. I take another swig and open Quinn's contact.

I send her an audio message. "Hi, Quinny..... I... I think you... should come back to..... Jersey. B-because... I really don't like that... I... I don't know his name right now.... but you should come back on the team..... because I really miss you. But.. also... sort of fuck you. That dude... he's not good for you.... or maybe he is... he's better than I am for you.... so maybe this is a good thing. Maybe you cheating on m-me is good." Each word comes out slurred.

I've been standing too long. My vision starts to get blurry, I send the message. I finish the bottle off walking back to the couch.

I trip over the edge of the couch and fall onto it. Ouch.

NICO'S POINT OF VIEW

"What the hell?" Quinn called me and told me Jack sent her this drunken audio message. He isn't responding to texts her calls. He's definitely drunk.

"Could you go to his house for me? I don't know if he's okay." She says. "I.. this is all my fault, I should've known not to end that call like that."

"Both of you did some things you shouldn't have done, but it's going to be okay. You're Quinn and Jack, everything is going to fine."

"Let me know what happens, okay?" She says. I nod. I'm almost to Jack's house, now.

"Jack?" I knock on his door. He doesn't respond, I can't here anything inside either. I'm going to have to fucking break down this door.

I take a couple of steps back and run into it with my shoulder, it doesn't work like it does in the movies. I Google how to break down a door.

I kick the top of the door handle and go downward, that works. "Jack!" I call out when I get in there.. no response.

I find him laying on his couch with an empty bottle of Vodka in his hand. Okay.. so he's not dead. If he was, he wouldn't be able to grip the bottle.

I go into the kitchen and fill up a glass with water. Then I grab a bowl, saltines, Advil, and a ginger ale.

"I'm really sorry about this." I dump the glass of water on his face.

"What the hell!" He jumps up. He puts his hand over his mouth, I hand him the bowl.

He starts to throw up. "Yep, mhm, let that out." I say looking away.

"My head is killing me." He says. I hand him the bottle of water and the Advil.

He throws up again, when he's done, I hand him the Ginger Ale and the saltines. "Thanks." He says.

"How's you know I was... like this?" He asks.

"Quinn. You may or may not have sent her a really fucked up audio message." I say.

"Fuck." I play the audio message for him. "Shit, is she pissed?"

"She wants to know if you're okay, she's pretty worried. I think you both need to fix whatever argument this is." I say.

"I don't know.. I'm still pretty pissed." He says. I roll my eyes.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

THERES NO ONE TO BLAME BUT THE DRINK IN MY WANDERING HAND