The Bathroom Stall

The Bathroom Stall|Note Sixty-Five

Note Sixty-Five

"So this is me swallowing my pride
Standing in front of you, saying I'm sorry for that night
And I go back to December all the time."

"It's me."

"I know it's you. What are you doing in the car?"

Jacklyn straightened up from her curled up position in the backseat, slowly scooting my backpack from her lap, where I had assumed it landed.

"Listen, I need to talk with you."

I gave her a credulous expression. "And you didn't think about texting me or something?"

Brushing some hair out of her face, Jacklyn pursed her lips as tears began to form in her eyes. "I- I didn't think you'd want to talk to me after what I said to you yesterday."

Granted, she was right, but for some reason, I couldn't hate her so much, especially since she began to busily wipe away all of her tears. Jacklyn never cried; she was always too bubbly to express any emotion other than happiness.

"So," I asked, "You wanna go to Starbucks?"

Jacklyn got a hopeful look on her face as she realized that I hadn't kicked her out of the car yet. "Do you think we could go to your house or something?"

Putting my car into reverse, I nodded. "My house it is. And put on your seatbelt."

***

Slciing into the freshly baked cheesecake brownie, I scooped out a healthy chunk for myself and Jacklyn, before setting it down on the counter where Jacklyn was stirring her cup of soda.

"So? Talk. I'm listening." I said, raising an eyebrow at Jacklyn before taking a huge bite of my brownie. Jacklyn shifted in her seat, refusing to look me in the eye as she pushed back her soda.

"Listen, when I explain everything to you, will you promise me to not judge?"

I looked at her. "Have I ever judged you?"

Jacklyn looked up and gave me a small grin. "Remember that time when I wore that awful fuschia tutu to school?"

"Okay maybe once."

Jacklyn's chagrined look disappeared as she became somber. "Well, uh, here I go."

Her hands were shaking slightly as she rested them in her lap, and my grudge against her evaporated as concern took over.

"Remember how I was always the girl who believed in the fairytale ending?"

I nodded as she continued." Well, I thought I had that with Robb. I honest to god thought that maybe, maybe we would get married or something."

I gave her a disbelieving look that she didn't notice as she wiped away some tears with a napkin. "And, and, I've tried so hard to keep my relationship intact with him, even though sometimes I couldn't stand him. But then one day, one day he blew up at me and I broke up with him."

"Woah, woah, woah when did this happen?"

Jacklyn sniffed. "A couple weeks ago. I didn't tell anyone. After I left his house, I met up with some okids at this pizza diner. And this guy, Jersey, was there and he was so nice to me, and I let him kiss me in the girl's bathroom. I cheated on Rob, okay?"